Dear Families,

Below is the update for the week of February 3, 2025

Weather

I'm sure you all have your eyes on the weather forecast, and as you can see, the weather this week is going to be quite cold, with windchills exceeding -30. This is not the time for teenagers to be concerned about fashion, and we aske that they leave the house in the morning dressed for the weather.   We ask that students who walk to school plan to arrive at the school for a 7:45am start.  If we see students waiting outside before 7:45am, we of course will let them in.  When the weather reaches -20 degrees celcius with the windchill we always open the doors early.

If your child rides the bus, ensure your child arrives at the bus stop just before the pick up time, but do plan on delays due to weather.  Usual delays due to weather are not usually communicated by Southland Transportation, but if the delay become lengthy it will.  In the morning, please go to https://www.myschoolbusmonitor.ca/  and search by school. to see delays that might be longer.  If your child is going to be absent please call the school at (403) 777-7060.

During cold weather where the windchill is at -20 degrees celsius the school implements an indoor lunch.  Please speak with your kids about staying inside during this weather.   Though we do our best to keep kids inside, they sometimes escape.   Grade 9 students do currently have off campus privledges but it is not recommended that they leave school to get food.  Please ensure all grade 9 students have lunch.  They can also purchase lunch in the cafeteria.  

Student Code of Conduct

We ask that you review the student code of conduct with your children.   Students are expected to behave in a way that complies with the student code of conduct.   Bullying, and use of racist language, even as a usual way of communicating with friends will not be tolerated.  There is never an acceptable time to use language that excludes, harasses, or focuses on a persons race or ethnicity.   School, and the ride to and from school, needs to be safe for everyone.  When students are not at Dr. Gordon Higgins School for the purpose of learning, consequences will be implemented.   

Celebrating the North East

For the Final Speaker of the Higgins Speaker Series of Semester 1, we had the proud Dr. Gordon Higgins School Alumni:  Dr. Shimi Kang, an Award-winning, Harvard-educated Psychiatrist, Scientist, Bestselling Author, and Speaker. In celebration of Dr. Kang's speaking engagement, Mr. Brar combined his Leadership and Business class for the presentation to give all his CTF students a chance to connect with one of the most distinguished alums in our school's history.

In her conversation with our students, Dr. Shimi Kang shared her journey, which included going from Rundle School to Dr. Gordon Higgins School, James Fowler High School, the University of British Columbia, the University of Alberta, and finally, Harvard University. The conversation left many students inspired, knowing that coming from Northeast Calgary, they can attend any University they set their mind to.  

Dr. Kang conveyed that by understanding the fundamental principles that guide our behaviour, we can become better leaders, students, and versions of ourselves—drawing from her book "The Dolphin Way: A Parent's Guide to Raising Healthy, Happy, and Self-Motivated Kids (Penguin Books 2014).", which is a #1 as a Canadian Bestseller. She challenged our students to adopt a "dolphin" mindset, emphasizing maintaining a balance in their lives and gently yet authoritatively building toward personal overall health, well-being, and self-motivation.

The teachers at our school are equally excited for the Calgary City Teachers' Convention as Dr. Shimi Kang will be the Spotlight Speaker for the event on February/13th. Teachers at our school look forward to attending the event and applying the future-ready skills in the classroom that Dr. Kang has been renowned for worldwide.

We are so grateful that Dr. Kang took the time this week to be culminating speaker for our series. Our hope as educators is that our students will be inspired by her work and that they will create meaningful journeys to inspire the next generation after them. Thank you Dr. Kang and all the other excellent speakers in Semester 1!

We look forward to resuming the Speaker Series in February for Semester 2.  

Student Feedback

"To be creative or to be able to think outside of the box, I need to take care of myself, rather than most ideas where you need to be creative to be happier or more free. It's more helpful to think of it this way because the world isn't black or white but shades of grey."

"The guest speaker inspires me because we share similar backgrounds; for example, we both went to Rundle Elementary, DGH, and I will attend James Fowler. We are also of the same nationality. It's because she is so successful, and she shares a lot of similarities with me. It makes me feel inspired knowing I can succeed like her."

"When she mentioned there weren't many people who went to university back when she graduated high school. However, she still went to the best university in Canada, UBC, and followed that up by attending the top globally ranked university, Harvard. For me, it shows time commitment, dedication, and an extremely high focus that I should apply to my life."

"She believed in herself, which greatly inspired me; although she had ups and downs, she focused on her goals and is now here. Also, her focus is on young people and helping them deal with mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, etc. However, the focus is on being preventative with your mental health rather than reactive. We can look up to her for the things she did in her life, but for me, it's the person she is that drives me to be creative, understanding, and compassionate, just like her.”

Athletics

Wrestling

The wrestling season has come to an end, and we would like to congratulate all student for their time and dedication to wrestling. We would also like to thank all teacher coaches for their time and dedication in ensuring that all students had an amazing experience. 

Monday, February 3

• 2:45pm - 4:00pm - Girls' Volleyball Practice
• 4:15pm - 5:15pm - Boys' Vollleybal host Annie Gale School

Tuesday, February 4

• 2:45pm - 4:00pm - Boys' Volleyball Practice
• 4:15pm - 5:15pm - Girls' Volleyball host Annie Gale School

Wednesday, February 5

• 2:45pm - 4:00pm - Girls' Volleyball Practice

Thursday, Februray 6

• 2:45pm - 4:00pm - Boys' Volleyball Practice

Upcoming Important Dates

• Tuesday, February 11 - School Council at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons
• Thursday, February 13 and Friday, February 14 - Teacher's Convention.  No School for Students.
• Monday, February 17- Family Day - School is Closed. 

Sincerely,

Colin McCracken, Principal