Good afternoon, Ian Bazalgette Community.

On behalf of staff, please accept my sincerest gratitude for your support this week as students and staff returned to learning. Please see important updates and the school newsletter for this week. 

Important Upcoming Events and School Information:

  • Nov. 3 Photo Retake Postponed. New date to be communicated as soon as we know it.
  • Friday, November 7:
    • Remembrance Day Public Announcement Service
    • Last day of classes before Fall Break.
  • CBE Fall Break Nov. 10-12 - No Classses
  • Thursday, November 13:
    • Classes resume for all CBE students. 

Resumption of Learning

All families received an email from the CBE last week stating that our top priority is a return to teaching and learning. Many activities and events were either postponed or cancelled during the strike. As we receive further information from the CBE, we will communicate with families regarding past and future events.

With regard to fees:

  • Central Fees (assigned by the CBE) will be adjusted in the near future.
  • School Based Fees (courses, field trips, athletics etc.) will be prorated and/or fully refunded if the service was not provided.

With regard to student progress conferences:

  • Our scheduled conferences presently occur Nov. 27-28
  • These may be rescheduled in order to ensure accuracy of assessments of students due to loss of instructional time during extended strike actions. 

Athletics Update

The only information we currently have for basketball is as follows:

  • Practices can begin November 3. No competition of any kind can occur.

Wrestling information will come out after general sport meeting occurs later this week.

Coaches will be communicating with players about practices for next week. We should be receiving a detailed athletics plan from the CBE shortly. When we do, this information will be communicated with students and families. 

Financial Assistance

The Alberta government has made financial resources available to some families. If your child is 12 or under or your family has a child with an active  Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) agreement  you may qualify for a non-taxable payments for each school day of labour action. Families must apply online. 

The parent portal for family assistance will continue to accept applications until Nov. 14. Payments will be issued on Oct. 31, Nov. 28 and into December, depending on when applications were received.

Learn more in a letter from the Minister of Education and Childcare posted on our labour action page. 

Parent Council 

Please look in your child's backpack for a new fundraiser brochure from Purdys Chocolates. Placing orders is fairly straightforward, and all funds raised go directly back into your school.   

Honouring Remembrance Day at Ian Bazalgette School

As we approach Remembrance Day, our school remains committed to honouring the sacrifices of those who have served and continue to serve our country. This day holds deep significance, especially as the school's namesake is a Victoria Cross recipient. This Friday, it is important to provide our students with an opportunity to reflect and show respect.

However, due to the recent instructional time lost as a result of labour action, we will be scaling back our usual proceedings this year. We will still mark this important occasion with sincerity and care through a 20 minute PA Service over whole school PA.

We invite any students who participate in cadets, scouts, or similar organizations to wear their uniforms to school on this day, should they wish to do so. Thank you for your continued support as we strive to foster respect, understanding, and gratitude in our students.

 Radon Testing

This fall the CBE will be conducting tests for radon gas in a number of schools across our system, including ours. Radon gas is odorless, tasteless and comes naturally through the soil. When gas reaches unsafe levels, over many years of exposure, the gas is known to have harmful effects on health. If testing reveals a heightened presence of radon, various mitigation strategies can be implemented to reduce the concentration of the gas to safe levels.

Testing involves hanging a small, round testing device (alpha tracker) for 91 days from the ceiling in areas of the school that are occupied 4 or more hours a day. The device is passive, which means it omits no information, sounds or smells.

The device will be installed on a non-instructional day, evening, or over a weekend, so it will not interrupt learning.

If you would like to learn more about radon, please visit Health Canada’s website: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-risks-safety/radiation/radon.html