Eagles' Extra

Principal's Message

The weeks keep rolling by, and I can hardly believe we are already into November! Teachers are busy assessing students and completing report cards while continuing to keep the great learning and fun activities happening at Donalda School.

There are three events I would like to highlight this week. First, the BODO Cup! On Thursday, we welcomed the Grade 5/6 students from Botha to take on our Grade 5/6 students in triple ball, a modified version of volleyball that is fantastic for developing skills and building confidence. The stage was filled with students cheering on our future volleyball players! It was such a fun event, and it was encouraging to see our students giving their best, supporting one another, and enjoying some friendly competition. Thank you to Mrs. Norman for coaching!

Second, our CARA Girls' Volleyball Tournament. Our girls competed hard yesterday, gave their best effort, and played some really great volleyball. They finished fourth overall, with some incredibly close playoff games against Gus Wetter and Theresetta. The CARA league is very competitive when it comes to girls' volleyball, which makes this result something to be proud of. A big thank-you to Trent Erickson, Amanda Holden, and Rachel Crawford for investing their time and energy into coaching and supporting our girls. Congratulations to our girls for a great season!

Finally, this weekend, Mrs. Andersson, Mrs. Broughton, and I travelled to Calgary for a two-day Building Thinking Classrooms conference. The conference was excellent, and we returned with lots of practical ideas to strengthen our instruction and support student thinking. We also had the opportunity to present at the conference! Our session, Universal Design for Learning in a Thinking Classrooms, explored the connections between Building Thinking Classrooms and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Our teachers participated in UDL professional learning over the past two years, so it was exciting to share our learning and experiences with educators from across the country in hopes of supporting and inspiring their work in classrooms beyond our own.

Operation Christmas Child - This Friday!!!

On Friday, November 13, Donalda School will partner with Sharon Lutheran Church to pack Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. I truly love this activity because it teaches our students to think of others, care for those who have less, and bring a smile to a child on the other side of the world whom they may never meet.

Sharon Lutheran Church will provide the school supplies and personal hygiene items, while our students will write letters, pack the boxes, and contribute a special toy. If your family is able, we encourage you to take your child shopping to choose a special toy to include in the shoebox they will be packing. If your child is unable to bring a toy, please don't worry! We will have one available for them. Simply let the office know.

A big thank-you to our school community and Sharon Lutheran Church for making this meaningful experience possible! What a wonderful opportunity to teach our students about kindness, generosity, and caring for others.

Booking Parent Teacher Interviews

This year we are going to try an new online platform to book Parent Teacher Interviews called Bookit. Please use the link below. I have also attached a user guide as we all navigate something new.