Good morning, Higgins Families,
I hope you’ve had an incredible summer and that you are feeling recharged. We are looking forward to the school year and are excited about the start up. Below is some helpful information.
Did you move?
If you are getting this message and know that you will not be returning to Higgins due to a move over the summer or perhaps another reason we ask that you contact the school on August 27, or email Mrs. Park at knpark@cbe.ab.ca to let us know. Mrs. Park can assist you with the transfer process to another Calgary Board of Education School. Keeping track of registrations at Higgins, and at other schools is a priority when starting the year.
Will you be starting the school year late?
If you are away and know that your child will not be back on the first day of school, please email Mrs. Park at knpark@cbe.ab.ca to let her know. Please know that extended vacations that go on too long may result in you being unregistered from the Calgary Board of Education. Communicating with the school about your plans is very important so that we can document the reasons behind a late start.
Office Hours
The school office opens on Wednesday, August 27 at 7:30am. Office Hours are 7:30am – 3:45pm Mondary through Thursday, and 7:30am – 2:00pm on Fridays.
First Day of School
The first day of school is Tuesday, September 2. School hours are 8:00am – 2:30pm Monday thru Thursday. Lunch is at 11:54am and ends at 12:35pm. On Friday, school starts at 8:00am and finishes at 12 Noon.
All students start at 8am on September 2. In the past we’ve had a staggered start, but this year you can expect all students to start at the same time. Another email will come out next week with specific information about where each grade meets on the first day.
Please note that students are welcome to enter the front door of the school at 7:45am each day. We strongly recommend that your plan with your child arrive at this time.
When students do arrive, they will meet their homeroom teacher and begin their day.
Switching Homerooms and Changing Options
A great deal of care has gone into the creation of homeroom lists. The school will only consider a homeroom change in urgent circumstances. All teachers are excellent and provide an outstanding education to your children. We have tried to ensure that each student has someone they know in their homeroom.
There will be no changes of option classes in the first two weeks. The school needs the time to place new students, and we will not be able to focus on option changes in the first two weeks. Our option classes are also quite full, and some have caps for safety, which limits the possibility of changing.
Grade 7 students participate in an option wheel and will experience options with their homeroom.
Addition of Two New Classrooms
Over the summer construction took place in our large learning commons. The space is now divided into three spaces. There are two good sized classrooms, and the west side is now smaller, but still sizable learning commons. We are thrilled that we have more space for learning in our ever-growing school.
Parking and Stopping in Front of the School
The City of Calgary is in the process of putting no parking/no stopping signs in front of the school. I doubt this will be in place to start the school year. However, we ask that you do not park or stop in front of the school before the day starts, and at the end of the day as we need to make sure there is room for buses to drop off and pick up students. The school will be putting out signs daily to remind you. If you are dropping off and picking up your child, I would strongly recommend that you choose a spot a couple block from the school. The front street is quite narrow, and with buses and traffic it can be dangerous. Once the city has posted the signs you can be ticketed for stopping or parking.
Going off of School Property at Lunch
Grade 7 and 8 students are not permitted to leave the school property at lunchtime. The only exception is if you live close by and your child goes home for lunch. If this is the case, have your child pick up a form in the office so that we can track it. This form does not allow your child’s friend to go home with them for lunch. Grade 9 students do have permission to leave the school property at lunch. However, repeated lates may have that permission revoked. We do not encourage any students to leave the property at lunch as it takes too long to go eat lunch and come back. That said, we expect grade 9 students to be responsible and to make appropriate decisions, and to always be aware that they are ambassadors of their school, community, and family. We expect students to be on their best behaviour.
Lunchtime Activities
With grades 7 and 8 students not permitted to leave the campus at lunchtime, we have worked hard to provide spaces for kids, and to create activities that students want to take part in.
Open Gym: There will be an open gym for students Monday through Thursday. Each day will be assigned to a different grade.
Clubs: There will be a variety of clubs at lunch that students can participate in. The clubs have been chosen with student input in mind and will be clearly communicated to students and families.
Learning Commons: The learning commons will be open to students every lunch hour for those students who would like a quiet time with their friends.
Sport Court: There is a full-size Basketball sport court on the north side of the school which was partially paid for by your parent council. This is a well supervised location that kids love to use.
Cafeteria: We are very proud to be continuing to offer our cafeteria. The cafeteria has many halal and vegetarian options, and ice cream is even sold on Thursdays. Students may choose to spend the entire lunch in the cafeteria or take food to one of the other locations. Prices are very reasonable, and kids love the food.
12:10pm: By 12:10pm students are expected to be in a club, in the gym, in the cafeteria, in the learning commons, or be under the direct supervision of a teacher. If not, it is expected that they will go outside to get some fresh air.
What is Considered a Cold Weather Day?
At lunchtime, students are expected to be in an activity under the direct supervision of a teacher or to go outside, unless a cold weather day is called. If the weather is -20 Celcius (with the windchill) then a cold weather day is called. In this case students are encouraged to remain inside. On a cold weather day we move all teacher supervision inside.
Teacher Supervision
Teacher supervision is provided outside and inside during lunchtime. There is no supervision in the mornings, and there is supervision around the buses after school.
Instructional Calendar
The 2025-26 Instructional Calendar is attached here 2025-26 School Calendar. However, let me bring a couple dates to your attention:
September 2: First day of school
September 11: School Council at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons.
September 25: Welcome Night from 5:30pm – 7:30pm.
Sincerely,
Colin McCracken
Principal