Dear Mustang Families 

It was a pleasure to meet your children this past week!  We hope they came home excited to share stories about meeting new friends and mastering three-digit locker combinations!  Having overcome initial nerves, may every student now feel more confident and ready for the rest of the academic year.  We will continue to work alongside families to generate the conditions for SJAM to be welcoming, caring, respectful, compassionate and safe.  If you feel the need to reach out to staff, please access our directory:  Staff List 

Monday to Wednesday: Students can email the Admin team (mahornby@cbe.ab.ca; lgjensen@cbe.ab,ca;  bakwiatkowski@cbe.ab.ca ) if they would like to explore the possibility of different complementary courses.  They can copy their parents on the email.  We do our best to provide students with options they enjoy; unfortunately, we are limited by high demand in some classes like Foods and Construction.   

Monday: ‘Acts of Compassion’ Assemblies 

9:04 – 9:53:  Grade 7s 

9:55 – 10:44:  Grade 8s and 9s 

Wednesday: 4S homerooms – Students will explore their ‘Sparks, Strengths, Struggles, Supports’ in an introductory activity:  4S SJAM Introductory Activity in HR .  We will revisit the 4S during the school year as your children deepen their understanding of themselves, as learners. 

Thursday: Meet the Teacher Evening (6:00 - 7:30 pm) - During Wednesday's homeroom, students will receive a copy of the Meet the Teacher format (page 2 and 3) to help support your entire family.  Warning: parking can be limited.  You could consider using the Diefenbaker student parking lot. Note:  this is not a Parent-Teacher-Student Conference.  Full details in the Meet the Teacher Parent Letter Sept 11 2025  We look forward to welcoming our families into the school. 

Friday attendance: On Friday, we end the day early (noon) but we also have a double math class every Friday.  This day represents 15% of our week’s instructional hours.  Please encourage your child to attend – important concepts are taught and learned consistently.  A student who misses more than 10% of classes is considered to be a chronic non-attender, resulting in academic struggles:  CBE | Student Discipline

Attend School Today for more Choices Tomorrow!

Did you know? 

• By Grade 3, students with regular attendance are more likely to read at grade level.
• By Grade 6, regular attendance is a predictor of high school completion.
• ​By Grade 9, regular attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than test scores.
• Students who attend daily are less likely to fall behind in school.
• Concerns with school attendance may indicate other challenges in a student’s life.
• Regular school attendance is an important life skill on the path to graduation and future employment.​​

Tips for improving your child's school attendance

• Listen and show an interest in your child’s day.
• Encourage your child to do well in school and praise their success.
• ​Help your child maintain daily routines such as, eating breakfast, turning off electronics two hours before bedtime and going to bed early.
• If possible try to schedule dental and medical appointments after school hours or on days off from school.
• Send your child to school unless sick.
• It may be a concern if your child is often sick, complains about going to school and/or struggles with school work.
• Ask for help from the school before the problem gets too big. No problem is too small​.

Work with SJAM Staff to find solutions to improve your child’s attendance.

Athletics: Mr. Jones 

Cross Country – It was exciting to see a larger number of students come out to the cross-country meeting.   

• The next gathering (practice) is on Monday after school.   
• The first cross country meet is this Thursday at Annie Gale School.   

Big thanks to Mr. Parsons for leading the way and to Ms. McLellan and Ms. Bartley for supporting the team as well.   

Soccer – Tryouts continue this week: 

•  girls meeting on Monday after school.   
• The boys will be having their second tryout Tuesday at 3pm.   

A huge thank you to Ms. Dawson and Ms. Saker for coaching the girls and Mr. Dougan and Mr. Le for leading the boys' team. 

Basketball – The season officially begins Monday.  See below for the first two weeks of tryouts.  Please note that grade 8’s can try out for the senior team should they wish to.  We encourage aspiring student athletes to communicate with their respective coaches – please reference the website for SJAM Tryout Expectations and Support 

Coaches: Jr Girls – Mr. Manery, Ms. Vahaaho 

Jr Boys – Mr. Hoblak 

Sr. Girls – Mr. Shelestynsky, Ms. Roston 

Sr. Boys – Mr. O’Lain, Ms. Bartley 

Community News: CBE Staff and not involved in these activities. 

University of Calgary’s Stars for Scholarly Youth (SSY) Mentorship Program are now open for students in Grades 5 – 12.  SSY is dedicated to supporting students in grades 5–12 by providing meaningful educational opportunities, including one-on-one tutoring and mentoring. Through our partnership with the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, we are proud to continue our mentorship initiative, connecting students with university mentors.  Mentees will connect with their mentors at least once a month for a 30-minute session, where they can ask questions, seek advice, and build a strong foundation for their transition to post-secondary education.  We encourage all interested students to apply and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity. Applications are open until September 21st, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. You can submit your application using this link: https://forms.gle/L7AQPB5w69NYC71RA.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at mentorship@starsforscholarlyyouth.com.  

School Calendar  

Friday September 5:  CBE Forms due to the Main Office – distributed during Tuesday homeroom.  

Monday September 8:   9:04 am:  Grade 7 Assembly; 9:55 am:  Grade 8 and 9 Assembly  

Tuesday September 9:

Wednesday September 10:  4 S Homerooms (Sparks, Strengths, Struggles, Supports) 

Thursday September 11:    

• Cross Country Meet #1 at Annie Gale School  - 577 Whiteridge Way NE
• Communi’tea:  5:15 – 5:45 pm – by invitation from Ms. Bethany and Admin 
• Meet the Teacher:  6:00 – 7:30 pm - every family is welcome to join us! 

Tuesday September 16:    

• Tug of War – Grade 9 at lunch  
• Cross Country Meet #2 at West Confederation Park  - formerly named Canmore Park. Runners may be dropped off at the Cardinals Baseball Diamond at the corner of 19th Street & Chicoutimi Drive NW. Park within the community of Triwood or along Canmore Road on the south side of West Confederation Park.
• 6:30 – 8:00 pm:  School Council Meeting #1  

Wednesday September 17:    

• Homeroom: Terry Fox, as a Canadian Hero, supporting cancer research 
• Tug of War – Grade 8 at lunch  
• RESTART Program starts for Grade 7 students:  more details shared soon  

Thursday September 18:   

• Tug of War – Grade 7 at lunch  
• “I am Canadian” Welcome Back Dance:  2:30 – 5:00 pm 
• Tickets on sale next week – details released soon. 

Friday September 19:  Terry Fox Run – Blocks 3 and 4  

Monday September 22: Cross Country Meet #3 at Confederation Park - This race starts and finishes next to the Rosemount Community Association building located at 2807 10 St NW. Limited parking available at both the Rosemount Community Association parking lot & the Confederation Park parking lot just off of 10th Street between Rosehill Drive & 23rd Avenue NW.

Wednesday September 24:  Wisdom Wednesday HR:  Storytelling, from Elders and Knowledge Keepers 

Thursday September 25:  Together Thursday:  engage in art projects that support truth and reconciliation 

Friday September 26:  Orange T-Shirt Day at SJAM supporting The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 

Monday September 29:  No school for students – Organizational Day for Teachers 

Tuesday September 30:  No school for students or staff to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 

Together We Make A Difference!