Next Year and the Remainder of This Year Planning

This is one of the busiest times of the school year. While we continue the day-to-day work of supporting students, we are also planning and preparing for next year. 

In addition to regular classroom learning, our team is managing many priorities at once, including school events, data collection and planning, provincial assessments (PATs and K–3), staffing for this year and next, new curriculum implementation, resource purchasing, and facility enhancements (such as security, library updates, and student support spaces). Alongside this, we have many exciting experiences planned for students, including field trips, residencies, outdoor school, and whole-school events. 

Volunteers

There will also be many opportunities to get involved. Volunteer requests and event information will continue to be shared in this weekly update, in the “Upcoming Dates” section, and through teacher communication. Your support helps us meet both safety requirements and create meaningful experiences for students. 

Nutrition Program

We are working to develop an efficient and reliable system for notifying families when a child has accessed the nutrition program (a snack) at school. Our plan was to notify families when a child has accessed the program via a note in the backpack. This is proving to be challenging as we have 20+ students accessing this support each day (they’re lunches are checked to ensure they’ve eaten what they’re brought) and they don’t always get their note into their lunch/backpack. Please complete the survey, which will help us understand your perspective, which we will use to refine our process: 

National Food Program Opt In - Fill out form

Next Year

Please continue to respond to our office staff’s emails about enrolment plans for next year and/or paperwork. Student enrolment impacts our staffing and class distribution decisions. Like last year, I will be sending you a survey to capture your input. This will occur in May/June.  

Trickster Theatre

Trickster Theatre is an artist-in-residency company based in Calgary, Alberta. They tour across Alberta, creating approx. 50+ original shows a year in all kinds of communities based on a theme chosen by the school and developed with the assistance of Trickster. These residencies take place in schools, transforming the gym into a theatre.  

A Trickster Theatre Residency involves the theatre team coming into our school for a week and facilitating staff and students in creating a unique and highly visual theatre. This week of workshops and rehearsals will culminate in a fun and high-energy production. They have been working with schools for over four decades! In that time, they have found that having parent involvement during a residency project greatly enhances the final production. 

There are many ways parents can be involved in a residency – from preparing costumes and making props, to helping the Trickster Team move equipment in and out of the school. 

From May 11 - 14 Trickster will take over Sunnyside School and we need your help!  

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CA5AC28A3FDC61-63421546-trickster#/ 

Volunteer

Sign up for field trips and classroom volunteering directly with the classroom teacher. Every grade has a classroom specific event coming up!  

Reminder: 

Community Resource 

Kids Literacy Collective is hosting Childhood Unplugged  

 When? April 22 10 am to 12 pm. @ Central Library Theatre     

Screens are everywhere – in our homes, schools, and pockets. Many parents and educators are asking the same question: How do we help children find balance in a digital world?     

Join us for a conversation inspired by Katherine Johnson Martinko’s book Childhood Unplugged: Practical Advice to Get Kids Off Screens and Find Balance, which offers practical guidance for helping children spend less time on screens and more time reading, playing, and exploring the world around them.  

This event will feature a keynote presentation by the author, followed by a panel discussion with local experts who will share insights, research, and realistic strategies to help families navigate screen use in today’s digital environment.  

Expert panel featuring:  

  • Dr. Sheri Madigan, Professor in the Department of Psychology and Tier I Canada Research Chair in Child Mental Health and Well-being at the University of Calgary.  
  • Dr. Mengguo Jing, Assistant Professor in Learning Sciences with the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary.  
  • Sara Austin, Founder and CEO of Children First Canada.  

Event Moderator: Dr. Susan Graham, Director of the Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Scientific Director of the Azrieli Accelerator, and Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary.  

The first 200 guests through the door receive a free copy of Katherine Johnson Martinko's book.  

Whether you’re a parent, educator, caregiver, or community member, together we’ll explore how small changes can help create a childhood that is richer in reading, creativity, and real-world connection.  

Register for free at https://childhoodunplugged.eventbrite.ca 

School Council

School Council webpage: https://www.sunnysideschoolcouncil.com

Upcoming Dates