Dear Mustang Families:  

Please forward this weekly message to your child's personal email! We have also started posting these messages on our website. 

This will be our last weekly message to families for the 2023-24 school year. Our Grade 9 families may choose to join us on Wednesday evening at the farewell, but we wanted to reach out to all of our parents.

The Administration would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our hard-working staff. Your unwavering commitment to our students' success and your ability to adapt and thrive have made a profound impact. Your dedication to student success is the cornerstone of our Mustang vibrant learning environment. Much of our staff is returning in 2024-25, but a few colleagues are moving into new learning environments – we wish them well in their careers: 

  • Mr. Noah Boivin: Nelson Mandela High School 
  • Ms. Silifat Buwa: Branton School 
  • Ms. Kathy Gladden: staying in Scotland for another year 
  • Mr. Christopher Langille: Joanne Cardinal-Schubert High School 
  • Ms. Alice MacGougan: Nickle Junior High 
  • Ms. Delasi Mensah: Rockyview School Division 
  • Mr. Mark Miller: North Trail High School 
  • Ms. Leanne Moore: Area 5 System position 
  • Ms. Wendy Morris: retirement after 16 years at SJAM! 
  • Mr. Todd Shea: retirement after 24 years at SJAM! 

We are excited to welcome: 

  • Mr. McKenzie Parsons: Construction 
  • Further staffing updates will be coming in the Back to School newsletter. 

To our parents and guardians, thank you for your continuous support and partnership. You know your child best. Your involvement in your children's education and your collaboration with our school community are invaluable. Given that you nurture an environment where your child can flourish, we deeply value your partnership. Please never hesitate to reach out to your child's school, when the need arises.  We are better able to support your child when you share what your loved one is experiencing.

To our students: you are the heart of our school. Your enthusiasm, curiosity, and resilience inspire us every day. As you embark on your summer adventures, we encourage you to continue exploring, learning, and growing. Remember, every experience is an opportunity to learn and evolve. When something is hard, it means you haven’t learned it yet. Push through the uncomfortable feelings to develop lifelong resiliency. 

As we look ahead to the next school year, we are filled with optimism and excitement. We will continue to build on our successes, embrace new challenges, and strive for excellence in all that we do. Together, we will create a future where every Mustang student can achieve their highest potential. 

Have a wonderful, restful, and safe summer break. We look forward to welcoming our future Grade 7, 8 and 9 students back on Thursday August 29th. Back to School details will be updated over the summer. If you are not attending our school next year, we wish you the very best.  Please search your new school's name plus ‘Back to School’. A more detailed first week schedule will be sent out in the last week of August. 

Leadership Update

Ms. Hudson and Ms. Ralph (nahudson@cbe.ab.ca; ledawson@cbe.ab.ca)  

Important June Dates: 

  • June 24 – Alex Munro fieldtrip – some of our grade 8s are off to volunteer at Alex Munro sports day.  We are always proud to mentor these awesome younger students  
  • June 25 – Culture Day – a collaboration with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  Students are invited and encouraged to wear cultural outfits. Students who have asked to perform, please see Mrs. Hudson at lunch or after school on Monday, June 17.  
    • There will be three grade assemblies with students learning about the power of ‘empathy’ with the message shared by Bryan Saint-Louis. Thank you to School Council for funding the grade assemblies. 
    • BBQ lunch: hosted by Planet Youth
    • In the afternoon, yearbooks will be distributed. All students have an opportunity to collect autographs. 
  • June 26 - Grade 9 Farewell:  no cost to families.
    • 5:40 pm:  doors open
    • 6:00 pm:  short program begins
    • The program will be followed by a dance (for Grade 9 students only) that will end at 9:00 pm.

Community Events 

Planet Youth – offering invaluable support for the Calgary Community - Poster.  If you would like to be involved, please email at thorncliffe.huntingtonhills@planetyouthcalgary.com.

The Calgary Youth Drop-In Centre (YDC) is a drop-in after-school program for teens. It’s a safe place where students and their friends can come and hang out after school and during the summer: free food, video games (PlayStation 5, a Nintendo Switch) and a full-sized gym. The YDC also has a staff of adult mentors who listen and encourage youth experiencing life’s challenges. Learn more at https://www.theydc.ca/ and follow them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theydc.ca/ 

Upcoming SJAM Events  

Monday June 24:  Grade 9 Field Trip – Moh-kin-stsis and the Zoo  

Tuesday June 25:    

  • Culture Day and BBQ lunch
  • Yearbook Distribution:  afternoon  

Wednesday June 26:   

  • Report Cards released virtually in MyCBE. If you would like a printed copy, please have your child stop by the main office. 
  • Grade 9 Farewell – Short Program and Grade 9 Dance  
  • Doors open at 5:40 pm; Program at 6:00 pm; Evening ends at 9:00 pm  

Thursday June 27:   

  • Year End Assembly – students dismissed at the nutrition break (10:52 am) 
  • Mark Appeals – please reach out to staff in-between 12:45 – 3:15 pm through our Staff List 

Friday June 28: Mark appeals continued – 8:15 am – 11:15 am 

Back to School: First day back in the fall – Thursday August 29th  

* SJAM 2024-25 Condensed Calendar 

Together we make a difference!