May 2 Newsletter

It's field trip time of year. What is the purpose of these excursions away from the school building? The amount of planning (and paperwork) is significant and takes hours of time! Think about planning those birthday parties for a few of your child’s friends. It sure can be an undertaking, can’t it?! Why would teachers take on the huge task of arranging a trip for grade cohorts of about 120 – 150 children between the ages of 5 – 10?! It’s not easy, that’s for certain, but we believe in the value of experiences. They are opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning. The educational excursions are memorable and engaging for most students. These days are also opportunities for students to build community with each other as they interact during the day.  

One of the challenges we often face is finding sufficient parent volunteers to join us on the trips. Whenever we adventure away from the school, we must have a certain ratio of adults to children for the safety of our students. To make it more challenging, there are forms and vulnerable sector checks required of our volunteers. We understand that many parents have jobs that make it difficult to join us. To those parents who are able and are willing to brave large groups of very noisy and excited children for a day – thank you! Thank you for your patience and willingness to complete all the forms we must ask you to read and sign. To parents who can’t join us but make sacrifices to ensure their children can come on the field trips, thank you! 

Field trips are optional, but we strongly encourage all students to come. Much learning happens both on the day of the trip and later in class when teachers and students talk about the day and do activities based on the trip. If there are financial barriers to your child attending any school trip, please make an appointment with one of the school administrators to discuss options. 

“Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.” (Asian Proverb) 

Upcoming Dates (Please see the calendar on the website for more information) 

• May 7 – Hats on for Mental Health (staff and students may wear a hat at school) 

• May 13 – Parent School Council AGM meeting at 6:00 pm 

• May 16 – No School (Professional Learning Day) 

• May 19 – No School (Victoria Day) 

• May 23 – School Spirit Day – Anything but a Backpack Day 

• May 29 – Kindergarten Orientation for 2025-26 students (6:30 pm) 

Transportation Re-enrollment 

Annual transportation re-enrollment period opens May 5. Please see Rocky View Schools’ website for information beginning on May 5th. 

2025-26 Placement Requests 

Requests relating to class placements for 2025-26 must be made by emailing school administration (ekorver@rockyview.ab.ca and lguy@rockyview.ab.ca ) by June 15. Only requests accompanied by an educational reason for the request will be considered. Please note that it may not be possible to accommodate all requests. Announcements of which teachers are teaching at each grade level will be in the next newsletter. Teachers of each grade team work together, with support from School Administrators, Learning Support, and the CDA. The teams take great effort and care when creating classes to support the learning and progress of all the students. Requests for changes to class placement in August/September are unlikely to be approved. 

AMA School Patrollers is a Go! 

We have sufficient student volunteers to proceed. Training has been scheduled for May 7. After students have had the necessary training, we can begin scheduling our patrollers. Thank you to parents who volunteered. We have decided that for now, we will find a way to supervise with staff until we are confident that the program is running well, and students are safe and responsible while patrolling. 

PBIS 

Our last focus area of the year, our “Respect Campaign” is underway and teachers are engaging the students in lessons and activities that explicitly teach and reinforce the concepts of Respect. The students have been divided up into teams and classes will participate in a kahut activity to help their team earn points. The teams have color names, and your child may talk about wearing their team color some days. Ask them how they enjoyed the Kahut.  

Our work with the PBIS framework guides us as staff in our commitment to respond to student behaviour responsively, through prevention, teaching and responding to student need.  Updates will be shared with you as we work together to strengthen our school community with our shared understandings of expectations at Ralph McCall! 

School Emergency Response Program   

In the couple of weeks before the break we participated in several required drills; fire/evacuation drills and lock down drills and for those that ride the bus; a bus evacuation drill. We also had our annual Fire Safety Inspection with the Airdrie Fire Department.  

Our staff and students responded promptly and effectively to these protocols, and we feel confident that in the case of an emergency, students would know to listen carefully and follow instructions as given. Good job everyone! 

These are important drills to help us prepare for any type of emergency that may come our way.  Rocky View has provided families with some information about the different types of drills that are covered in our preparedness plans.  You can find more information about them here; "Rocky View Schools Emergency Program: A Guide for Parents and Guardians" https://www.rockyview.ab.ca/about-rvs/emergency-response 

From Parent Council and Friends of Ralph McCall 

Warmer weather looks like it's finally here to stay! With all the unrest facing our country in recent weeks it's been nice to be able to get outside and touch grass for a while. Year-end field trips are around the corner and it's always exciting to see our kids in their school environment, so please consider volunteering if you have the time available.  Both the Parent Council and Friends of Ralph McCall Society will be having our Annual General Meeting on May 13th starting at 6:00pm.  See below for details, we hope you can attend.   

Healthy Hunger: There's still time to sign up for the last few Fun Lunch Fridays for the year!  If you have suggestions of restaurants, you'd like to see us add for next year, please contact Friends. 

Healthy Hunger Volunteers: We're always looking for volunteers to hand out fun lunches on Friday as well.  All you need is a completed criminal record check, and a free hour!  Simply show up on Fridays at 10:15, food is delivered at 10:30, we confirm the list matches what is delivered and then get to pop by the classrooms to drop it off.  The kids get a kick out of seeing the parents, especially on school spirit days where we get to participate! 

Read-a-Thon: The annual read-a-thon is wrapping up.  This is our school community's biggest annual fundraiser and significantly impacts our ability to support all the students and staff at Ralph McCall School.  If you haven't already done so, please return any pledge forms to the school and send any donations via the instructions on the form.  MacBooks, Chromebooks, field trips, gym equipment, and art supplies have all gotten their funding from this fundraiser and with so many new students joining the school next year, and the Grade 5s sticking around, they're going to need all the help they can get!  There are exciting prizes including reading lights, gift cards, and class parties to be won!  The final deadline to submit forms and donations to be considered for any prize draws is MONDAY, MAY 5th, 2025.  Draws will be done on Wednesday, May 7th, 2025 and the parents of winning students will be notified by email. 

Apple Creek Arcade:  We will be partnering with Apple Creek Arcade in the next few weeks for our first big playground fundraiser!  Purchase a $30.00 - All You Can Play for 2 Hours pass, and the playground will receive 75% of the funds.  It also allows us to support a popular local business.  They have food and drinks on site including a bar for the grown-ups.  It's a great way to spend a rainy afternoon, or even a sunny one! 

Playground: This is still a major topic for us at Friends and on the Council.  Thank you to all those who signed-up for more information at Student-Led conferences, more info should be following soon. 

Casino 2025:  Our 2025 Casino date has been set for October 20th and 21st, 2025.  This is a huge influx of funds that we desperately need.  Sign-up sheets will go out at the beginning of the new school year.  We have 34 shifts that will need to be filled in the cash cage and count room.  Stay tuned for details of the roles and requirements for the volunteers. 

Annual General Meeting:  Our AGM is held in May of each year.  This year is no exception and with most of the current council and Friends committees only allowed to remain for one more year, we need your help!  The meeting is at 6:00pm on Tuesday, May 13th in the Learning Commons of the School, or if you'd prefer, you're welcome to join us on Zoom instead (https://rockyview.zoom.us/j/92351449705 Passcode: Ralph).  Please be aware that if we are unable to fill the necessary positions, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, both the Parent Council and the Friends Society will be forced to suspend operations.  This will cause a profound impact on the kinds of "extras" the school will be able to offer as they are frequently supported financially by Friends and Council.  The learning curve to handle any of the roles listed below can be a bit intense, so those of us who will be departing at the end of next year, would love to be able to offer you our insights and assistance to keep it from getting too overwhelming. 

As you know, there are two main advocacy groups at the school.  The first is the Parent Council.  As parents, each household is automatically a member of Council should you wish to attend meetings.  This gives you the ability to hear directly from school administration as well as our designated Rockyview Trustee on what's happening in our community.  It is also one of the best ways to bring forward concerns in a way that gets heard.  As an example: several changes were made to the "Balancing Spaces" initiative taking effect in September as a result of consultation with parent councils around the city.  Please look at the positions below and consider if you would be a good fit, and whether you may be interested in donating your time and expertise. 

Chair 

As the titular head of Council, you are responsible for drafting the agendas and running the monthly meetings.  You are the voice of our school council in public, and the first line of advocacy at the Joint Board meetings and the Annual Alberta School Councils Association AGM in April each year.  A good head for organization and an ability to multi-task are an asset, but don't be afraid to rely on the other members of council!  This position is one of the three positions required being filled to meet the quorum and council requirements set out by ASCA and the Education Act. 

Vice-Chair 

Stepping in when the Chair is unavailable, you get the "easiest" job.  Working collaboratively with the Chair, you step in to run meetings in their absence and help divide and conquer when our school community needs assistance. This position is the second of the three positions required being filled to meet the quorum and council requirements set out by ASCA and the Education Act. 

Secretary 

Documenting the minutes of meetings each month are the primary function of this role, so a strong talent for short-hand is sometimes a must combined with the ability to flesh out those notes into something coherent for others later on.  At Ralph McCall, this is also the role who sends the minutes, agendas and any other documents required out to the members of Council each month in preparation for the meetings. This position is the third of the three positions required being filled to meet the quorum and council requirements set out by ASCA and the Education Act. 

Community Liason/Social Media Coordinator:  This is the person responsible for communicating with our wider community via social media, as well as organizing the tables Council hosts at various school events.  A friendly outgoing attitude is a great asset. 

Member at Large:  If you have a student at Ralph McCall, you already fit into this category!  You just have to show up to have your voice heard.  This role is open to one member of each household and can even be swapped back and forth depending on who comes to the meetings. 

The second advocacy group is Friends of Ralph McCall Society.  This is the fundraising group and by law must operate separately from the Parent Council and is governed by the Society's Act and overseen by the AGLC in order to participate in Casinos, Raffles or Bingos.  As with Council, the only rule for admission is a clean criminal record check, a student attending Ralph McCall School, and attendance at our meetings!  Like Parent Council, most of the current members only have one-year left where we are allowed to participate, and with the ever-increasing need for funds surrounding our schools, the work we do is critical for student and staff success.  If you have the time and inclination, please take a look at the available roles below. 

President 

Head of the group, you are responsible for drafting agendas, running the monthly meetings, signing for payments, organizing the annual insurance, and financial reports along with the Treasurer.  This position is the final signing authority on all transactions.  It is one of the three positions that must be filled for the Society to be active.  Additionally, it is one of the four positions, three of which must be present at any meeting to provide quorum and the ability to vote on any decision. 

Vice-President 

Stepping in when the President is unavailable, this is a great role for someone wanting to learn the ropes!  Many of the duties are the same, including being a signing authority.  This position is not required for the Society to be considered active, however, as one of the four positions, of which three are required to be present for quorum, not filling this role can make voting a real challenge, especially given the many commitments we all have. 

Treasurer 

Responsible for preparing the monthly financial reports as well as the annual society's report and AGLC reports, a good head for numbers is handy!  It's not a given though, all the reports are fill in the blank, and can be submitted via email to the various supervising bodies.  Organization is a must as AGLC does require copies of all receipts for use of Casino funds.  The third signing authority, this is a position of great trust. It is one of the three positions that must be filled for the Society to be active.  Additionally, it is one of the four positions, three of which must be present at any meeting to provide quorum and the ability to vote on any decision. 

Casino Chair 

This position is the person responsible for managing the casino fundraiser every two to three years.  It does not need to be held individually from other roles, but cannot be held by the Treasurer as all casino documentation must be co-signed by the Treasurer.  It is often held by the President or Vice-President in non-casino years.  If it sounds intimidating, don't worry.  You will have a paid Casino Advisor who holds your hand through each step of the process and help to make the event a success! 

Fundraising Coordinators - 2 

Organizing a Fundraiser can be a lot of work.  All members of Friends help to pitch in and make each one a success, but being able to divide the work is essential to make sure no one person ends up burnt out an overwhelmed.  With that in mind, the goal of this role is to designate a different coordinator for each of our main fundraisers each year; the Fall Fundraiser, and the annual Spring Read-a-Thon.  This doesn't mean you're limited to two fundraisers, you can hold as many as you choose, but with the increasing cost of day-to-day life for many families, as well as the substantial need for funds to replace the playground, we try to be mindful of how much money families are asked to contribute on an annual basis. 

Playground Committee Chair 

Playground fundraising is hard, the cost is significant, and the information provided can be slim at times.  With that in mind, we created this role to provide a focus and direction.  While still answerable to and a member of Friends, the intent is that they only have one thing on their plate. 

Fun Lunch Coordinator 

Just like it sounds! With six years of Healthy Hunger in the books, we've got it down to a science.  But there are always new restaurants being added to the platform, schedules to create, volunteers to organize, and hiccups along the way.  The person filling this role will be responsible for working with the chosen vendors to provide fun lunches on Fridays for the school year.  The annual setup at the beginning of the school year is a little intense, just trying to coordinate the different restaurants (it really depends on how many different ones you want; right now we have seven) and get the teacher list built on the website.  But once that's ready, it's usually smooth sailing!  Our existing vendors rarely make a mistake and their communication is stellar!  Plus, watching the students get excited for fun lunches is a real joy! 

Director 

This role is similar to the Member-at-Large role of Council, with one major difference.  You must attend the meetings and parents are not automatically members by having a child at the school.  This is due to the financial and insurance requirements dictated by AGLC and the Societies Act.  It's a great role if you want to be involved and help out, but are new or not able to provide the time commitment required by some of the other roles.