Dear Mustang Families: 

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

Gratitude is extended to the many families that have already contributed to the SJAM Annual Food Drive. Food is being collected in SMATH classes while Education Matters is providing tax receipts for donations greater than $20: SJAM Food Security. Deadline for food donations: Thursday December 7; deadline for cash donations: Monday December 11. For any SJAM families who need support, please contact Mrs. Billeck at  mibilleck@cbe.ab.ca.   

Ms. Delasi and many Grade 9 students also worked with Soup Sisters to provide 100% of students and staff with a hot bowl of soup (Hamburger, Corn Chowder, Halal) alongside fruit and granola bars this past Thursday. Soup Sisters in a non-profit Canadian organization that recognized our community would benefit from this nourishment. We extend our appreciation to this dedicated and hard working team. They will be back on December 21st.  

Parent/guardian and Teacher Conferences: Thank you for attending conferences on Thursday, November 23 (in-person) and Friday, November 24 (virtually). If you were unable to attend, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teachers for updates: Staff List. Again, we would like to extend a sincere apology for any inconvenience you experienced with the new conferences system. We are hopeful that the next conferences will go smoother in regard to bookings. If you have any further questions or concerns regarding conferences, please contact Moe Rachid at morachid@cbe.ab.ca.  

As a school community, we are making a concerted effort to improve student attendance. If attendance is a challenge for your child, please watch this video as a family: Bringing Attendance Home. Please work with your child’s teachers and administration for additional support. Research is showing a student’s attendance patterns in Grade 9 is a leading factor determining high school completion. We are here to work with each family.  

Library Books: There are some library books that are past due.  Please remind your child to return or renew books. Personalized invoices will be sent to impacted families to replace lost books in the days ahead. 

Indigenous Education Update

Ms. Bethany (bjbalis@cbe.ab.ca)

Oki, Tansi, Danit'ada, Umba-watich, Tawnshi, Bonjour, Hello

Further to last week’s message, we are striving to develop practices that will live on at the school for student well-being.  We are gathering Family feedback on how to create a Smudge Protocol in a good way. If parents wish to share their thoughts, please reach out to Ms. Bethany at bjbalis@cbe.ab.ca 

Upcoming Community Events 

Aaayyy, Hiy Hiy, Siyisgaas, Mîkwec, Merci, Thank you. 

Leadership Update

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

Wednesday November 29: ‘Students dress like Teachers and Teachers like Students’ for our November spirit day! Please ask permission if you are dressing as a specific person.   

Thursday December 7: Winter Dance (5:00 – 7:30 pm). Tickets will be $4.00 and will go on sale next week. Students are expected to attend school the day of the dance, unless they are excused for medical/dental appointments. 

Athletics Update

Mr. Jones (sdjones@cbe.ab.ca)

This past Friday, our Sr. Girls Basketball team engaged in an exciting divisional final game at Robert Thirsk High School. Unfortunately, they came up short (one basket) by a dominant team. Our staff is so proud of the resiliency and grit demonstrated by these athletes as they improved drastically over the season. In addition to our Sr. Girls, our Jr Boys, Jr Girls and Sr Boys also came up one basket short this past Monday in their respective semifinal games. Each team competed at an elevated level and represented our school well.  

We are excited and energized by the positive spirit generated by our student-athletes at competitions and during our heavily attended intramural program. Overall, ‘it’s not about winning or losing a competition. It’s about beating the doubt from within yourself and knowing at the end of each day, you are one step closer to your goals'. (Jonathan Horton, Olympic medalist) 

A special thank you is extended to Ms. Roston, Ms. Zakus (Sr. Girls), Mr. Jones, Mr. O’Lain (Sr. Boys), Mr. Shelestynsky, Mr. Manery (Jr. Girls), Ms. Vahaaho and Mr. Hoblak (Jr Boys) for leading these athletes since the beginning of September. 

A huge thank you also needs to be given to our admin and learning leader team for their commitment to greeting all our guests at the front doors of our school this year at all our home games. This was an extra four-hour commitment each night and is greatly appreciated.  

Volleyball will start in January 2024. Schedules will be posted and advertised before the break. In the interim, all Mustang students are encouraged to come out to Fit Club (Monday after school and Friday morning), as well as lunchtime intramurals. This latter schedule is posted outside the gym door. 

Mustang of the Week

Our school community is excited to share Arezo S. (9-9) is being recognized as our Mustang of the Week. In the classroom, Arezo advocates for herself, supports her classmates and takes ownership of her learning. She exemplifies a growth mindset offering translation support for her classmates, who are new to Canada, and teachers. Her instruction with D2L is helpful for classmates. The Mustang school community is strengthened by Ms. Arezo’s innate and thoughtful leadership. 

Community Resources 

We Welcome Winter:  December 5 - Thorncliffe Aquatic and Recreation Center (3:30 – 5:00 pm): The Community Social Work Program is partnering with Calgary AfterSchool and Home - CPAWS Southern Alberta (cpaws-southernalberta.org) to bring you this celebration of winter! We will begin indoors and make our way outside for a guided winter walk. Hot chocolate and snacks included. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Please pre register: chaniece.favell@calgary.ca. We WELCOME Winter Poster 

Athletic options at VIVO: Everybody Plays at Vivo - subsidize Calgarians who may not be able to afford physical activities like swim or skating lessons, gym access or programming for children. See flyer under Resources.

Upcoming Events 

Ongoing: 

• Parent Society Fun Lunches 
• School Clubs. 

Wednesday November 29: Spirit Day: Teachers Dress Like Students, Students Dress Like Teachers!  
Thursday December 1: Grade 9 Outdoor Ed Trip – Climbing Wall 
Wednesday December 6: Nurses will visit Grade 9 classes for presentations on vaccinations. 
Thursday December 7: Winter Dance (5:00 – 7:30 pm) 
Friday December 8: Professional Learning Day for teachers – no school for students. 
Monday December 11:  last day to donate to SJAM Food Drive: link 

'Together we make a difference!"