It has been a busy week for both teachers and students at William Reid! Students have been completing their Early Years Assessments, enjoying their gymnastics unit in Physical Education, and staff have been thoughtfully planning for our upcoming winter celebration — Carnaval! We would greatly appreciate families signing up to volunteer, as your support helps ensure a rich and meaningful cultural experience for our students.

For those who are curious, teachers administer mandatory literacy and numeracy screening assessments from Kindergarten to Grade 3 as part of Alberta Education requirements. These universal screeners help identify students’ foundational skills in reading and math, allowing teachers to provide early support, monitor growth, and respond promptly to learning needs. While these assessments are not directly tied to the curriculum, they offer valuable insight into areas such as phonics, word reading, and number understanding, helping ensure students get a strong start in their learning journey.

Below are some updates for the upcoming week.

Upcoming Dates and Events

  • Sat, Jan 24 – Deadline to order Healthy Hunger
  • Thu, Jan 29 – Healthy Hunger – Subway
  • Fri, Jan 30 – Non-Instructional Day – No School
  • Mon, Feb 2 – Fri, Feb 6 – Carnaval (See #1 below – Volunteer request)
  • Wed, Feb 4 – Winter Walk Day (See #9 below)
  • Thu, Feb 5 – Elboya Open House (See #2 below)
  • Thu, Feb 12 – Fri, Feb 13 – Teacher Staff Convention – No school
  • Mon, Feb 16 – Family Day – No school
  • Thu, Feb 26 – Healthy Hunger – OPA!
  • Fri, Feb 27 – Non-Instructional Day – No School
  • Tue, Mar 10 – School Council

1.    Carnaval Preparation | Volunteer Request

Carnaval d’hiver is just three weeks away! From February 2–6, we will be celebrating with a variety of fun activities around the school, and we would greatly appreciate your help as volunteers. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your child, be involved in the school community, and enjoy a special French-Canadian tradition together. If you are able, please click the link below to sign up for any activities that interest you, whether it’s one or several; all help is appreciated!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044EAEA72CA4FBCE9-61542618-william#/

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Student Volunteer Opportunity

Additionally, should you have a child who is attending Elboya school and has a sibling in William Reid School would like to extend an invitation to them to sign up for a potential volunteer experience. Students who sign up and are selected will be contacted to help out during our Sport Day on February 6, 2026. Volunteer Sign Up for Alumni – Fill out form

2.    Elboya’s Open House | Save the date – Feb. 5 at 6 PM

William Reid families are welcome to attend this information session about Elboya School.  For more information, please visit the website.  Looking forward to meeting incoming families.

3.    Inform | Kindergarten Registration 2026-27

Current Kindergarten students who are enrolled at WRS will be automatically enrolled into grade 1 for next year except for any students who live outside of the school boundaries. You do not need to attend the Open House as well.

New students to CBE must be registered through School Engage. New Kindergarten registrations for the next school year (2026-27) will begin on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 and closes on Thursday, Feb. 10, at noon.  A reminder that registration does not guarantee entry as we are a lottery school, and registration is not first-come, first-served. Children can be registered for kindergarten if they turn five years old on or before Dec. 31. 2026.  Please find more information on the  Registration page.

4.    William Reid 2025-2026 Yearbook

Order your 2025-2026 Yearbook now! The yearbook is a valuable keepsake which captures memories and key moments throughout the school year. The book contains 32 color pages and features a custom cover created by one of our students – more details to come for this year’s cover contest in February!

5.    School Council | Next Council meeting, February 10, 2026

We would like to thank Danisha Bhaloo-Shivji for stepping into the role of School Council Chair. Danisha is bringing Board experience to our team. We would also like to thank Tiffany Ward for her supports through the transition, particularly chairing our meeting on Tuesday.

William Reid is in immediate need of filling one role for the William Reid School Fundraising Society (WRSFS)

  • Fundraising Society President – Leads meetings, oversees fundraising, and ensures compliance. Holds signing authority.
  • These roles are not overly time consuming but are crucial to the organization and success of Parent Council. Please contact wrchair@gmail.com with your interest.

6.    Healthy Hunger Special Lunch Volunteers

Our next Healthy Hunger fun lunch day is on January 29, 2026 – Subway

The Saturday prior is the last day to get your orders in! Order here: https://healthyhunger.ca/

Thank you to all the Volunteers that have signed up to help organize and distribute food!

If you’d like to volunteer for fun lunch food distribution days, sign up here: Healthy Hunger Volunteer Sign Up

7.    Winter Walk | February 4, 2026

February 4 is winter walk day! Get outside and enjoy some fresh air while taking a walk around Calgary. It is important to stay active outdoors during the winter. Bundle up and get out there!

8.    Missing out on Learning Time | Attendance Concerns

Did you know? At William Reid, we offer a soft entrance start time. Doors open at 7:50 a.m., and instruction begins at 8:02 a.m. Being settled and ready to learn by that time helps students start their day calmly and supports a positive classroom environment. We appreciate your support in helping your child arrive on time whenever possible.

A quick note on attendance:
 Regular attendance plays an important role in student success. Research shows that students who attend consistently are more likely to read at grade level, stay engaged in learning, and graduate from high school. We also recognize that attendance concerns can sometimes reflect other challenges families may be facing, and we are always here to support.

Thank you for your partnership in helping our students thrive!

Ongoing Fundraising Links

We have several ongoing ways that parents can contribute to our school financially throughout the year.

If you return your empty bottles to the Depot mentioned above and let them know that you would like your refund to be donated to the William Reid, the funds will come directly to the school. 

 

“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things but learning another way to think about things.”
Flora Lewis