Hello Lakeshore Families,

Welcome to what promises to be an amazing year two at Lakeshore. We continue to improve in all areas, and are looking forward to a full year in our amazing school. Here are all the updates you will need to prepare for the school year ahead:

 

Teacher Letter of Introduction

You can expect a letter of introduction from your child’s homeroom teacher on August 29^th in the late afternoon. Our full staff list can be found on our website HERE.

 

Classroom Assignments

Please be aware that there will be no changes to homeroom or classroom assignments. Our teachers worked very diligently to create balanced class lists, and were respectful of student voice. It was our intention that each student went forward with a friend / preferred classmate, and we did our best to accommodate.

 

School Organization

New to this year, each student will have two Core teachers, one for Humanities (aka Hum - Language Arts and Social Studies, and one for Science and Math (aka SMath). Students will see each of their Core teachers daily for two consecutive blocks. Students will also receive daily PE and alternate Complementary Courses on A and B days, meaning they will have 4 total Complementary Courses between Semester 1 and 2.

 

Bell Times

Bell times for 2023-2024 have changed very slightly from last year. Updated times are available HERE. Doors open daily at 8:20 AM with classes starting promptly at 8:30 AM. End-day dismissal is 3:00 PM on Monday – Thursday, and 12:30 PM on Fridays.

 

Complementary Courses

As mentioned, each student in Grade 7-9 will be enrolled in 4 Complementary Courses – two in each semester. Students will receive their Complementary Course assignments with a hard-copy schedule provided on the first day of classes. Efforts have been made to accommodate as many preferred choices as possible. As with classroom assignments, there will be no changes to Complementary Courses. Almost each of our Complementary Courses is fully enrolled, making it very difficult to add students in. Students in Grade 6 will experience Complementary Courses on a “wheel format”, providing them with a rich, varied opportunity across all offerings.

 

First Day Meeting Spots

Homeroom teachers will be at their meeting spots at 8:15 AM on August 31 and will proceed inside their grade team main designated doors (Grade 6, front door; Grade 7 compound door; Grade 8 rear east doors, Grade 9 west doors) after the starting bell at 8:30 AM (note, there is a warning bell at 8:20 AM). Please refer to the aerial view HERE, but the meeting spots are as follows:

·      Grade 6 – in front of the school on the NW corner

·      Grade 7 – east soccer field closest to Auburn Bay Drive

·      Grade 8 – east soccer field closer to the back

·      Grade 9 – rear of the school near the bike path

 

Student Supplies

Students in Grade 6 are provided with basic supplies, which are funded by a corresponding fee. Students in grade 7 – 9 are required to purchases their own supplies. A full list of required supplies is available HERE.

 

Lockers

All students will be provided with a school issue lock, and students will be assigned a locker on the first day of classes. In some cases, students may be asked to share a locker with a friend or trusted classmate, but most students will receive their own locker.

 

Drop-Off and Pick-Up

Students are encouraged to walk or ride to school whenever possible. We have plenty of bike racks and scooter / skateboard lockups. Parents are asked to utilize the curbside area in front of the school on Auburn Bay Drive between Auburn Glen Heights and the handicap parking sign to facilitate drop-off. Note, this is a drop-and-go, and not a parking area. Parents can park and plan for pick-up on the east school side of Auburn Bay Drive beyond the yellow “End Playground zone” sign. Kindly do not block neighbours’ driveways and be aware of kids at all times as well as the no U-turn signs as CPS and Parking Authority have been monitoring our school traffic.

 

Bussing

All students who have registered for bussing should see the route maps in their student’s MyCBE account. If you are eligible for and have received a registration confirmation but do not see your route information, you may contact the office at lakeshore@cbe.ab.ca and your child may be granted temporary rider status until registration is official.

 

Lunchtime at Lakeshore

Students in grade 6 are supervised at lunch, unless they go home daily. Grade 6 families must register their child for the program through their MyCBE account (info HERE). Grade 7-9 students have Open Campus privileges, and are therefore not specifically supervised. They can eat inside in one of our common areas, but are asked to leave the building for a fresh air break midway through the period. Many students will leave campus at this time. All Lakeshore students are eligible to participate in our optional hot lunch program offered through Healthy Hunger. The program will start up on September 5 and you will be able to order as soon as you know your child’s homeroom teacher. All students are welcome to visit our Snack Shack which will be serving small food and beverage items daily for cash sale.

 

Attendance

Students arriving late to school or class are asked to go to the office to obtain a late slip. Attendance notices will be sent to parents daily via email.

 

Instagram and Weekly Communication

We strongly encourage our families to follow along with our school Instagram accounts. Instagram provides a quick look into life at Lakeshore while providing necessary information to parents and students. A weekly message from school administration will come to parents each Sunday and this will also be posted directly to our website. Life in a vibrant Middle School can be tough to track so it is our hope to keep all of our parents informed and prepared.

 

School Council and Fundraising Association

We may be a new school, but we have a fun, vibrant group of parents working on our School Council and Fundraising Association. All parents are encouraged to attend our monthly in-person meetings which are held on the third Wednesday of each month starting at 6:00 PM at the school. Parents are encouraged to follow Council Social Media feeds on Instagram and Facebook. Our council executive can always be reached via email at lakeshoreparents.comms@gmail.com.

 

 

Athletics

There have been some changes to the Middle School athletics schedule and our Bears soccer, basketball and cross-country teams will begin immediately. All students are encouraged to participate in Bears Athletics, with our cross-country team being a “no cut team”. The best way to stay up-to-date with tryouts and schedules is to check in with the Lakeshore Athletics Instagram account.

 

Away for the Day Cell Phone Policy

Lakeshore School is an Away-for-the-Day school. Students are required to keep their mobile devices in their lockers for the entirety of the school day. More information, including rationale for our policy and consequences for policy violation is available on our website HERE. If you need to get hold of your child during, please call the office and one of our staff members will relay the message to your student. Students will also have access to school phones during the school day for emergency purposes. As noted on our website page, repeated infractions may require parents to come to the school for device pick-up and meeting with school admin.

 

Response to Vaping

Sadly, vaping continues to be an issue at Middle Schools throughout Calgary and North America. In an attempt to keep our school and students safe, Lakeshore School will adopt a strong response to illegal vaping activity. School admin will deal with instances of vaping in a strict and severe manner in accordance with the CBE Student Code of Conduct and Progressive Discipline Policy. As such, incidences of congregating (more than one student) in bathroom stalls will result in immediate admin intervention and consequences. Students will be advised as to the anticipated school response as well as the CBE policy on Student Searches, and parents are encouraged to review this policy as well. Instances of involvement in vaping at school will also involve the Calgary Police Service.

 

School Apparel

Our fall online apparel store will be open soon with lots of Lakeshore classics and a few exciting new offerings. Once things are open, a notice will be sent to families.

 

A Team Effort

As a staff, we know it is our responsibility to ensure each child is safe and has a successful year at school. Academics will always be our primary focus, but that responsibility extends to social and emotional wellness. Every student has a team, and that team involves the student, their social circle, their parents, family, their teachers and school staff. If you notice changes in your child, please reach out to us for support, and encourage your student to advocate for themselves as well. You can expect us to do the same.

 

Thank you, and I understand that is a lot of information to take in right off the bat. Our staff are returning to Lakeshore with excitement and a strong desire to continue to “Level Up” in all areas. Last year, our students were asked to select words that would build an acronym for B.E.A.R. and the words chosen were Bravery, Excellence, Ambition and Respect, and I think those are excellent choices to represent the hopes and dreams for our students. We are looking forward to another excellent year at Lakeshore School.

 

Kind Regards,

Ian Fero,

Principa