Happy Sunday, Samuel W. Shaw Families,

Leading Truth and Reconciliation, Diversity, and Inclusion at Samuel W. Shaw

  • Elder Miiksika’am Blessing- June 5, 2025

We are honoured to be joined by Elder Miiksika’am, Dr. Clarence Wolfleg Sr., Red Crane, from Siksika at our 15th Anniversary Celebration. We honour our incredible Parent Council whose support is making this event possible. A huge thanks to these dedicated humans who help make our school an inclusive, wonderful place to learn and grow.

Miiksika’am will share story and teachings from his Siksika culture, and offer our school a blessing as we relaunch and celebrate how we got here, and where we are going. In Siksika culture, Elders are deeply respected as knowledge keepers and carriers of lived experience, language, and spiritual understanding. Their words are not just reflections of the past but living teachings that guide how to move forward with integrity, humility, and respect—“in a good way”. Listening to Elders is essential because they speak from a place of wisdom rooted in community, land, and ceremony. When an Elder offers a blessing—especially at a new beginning or gathering—it is a sacred act that calls in balance, connection, and good intentions. These blessings help us start in a good way, aligning our spirits, hearts, bodies, and minds with purpose and care for one another, as taught through generations of tradition.

A few questions have arisen from our RSVPs:

  • What kinds of foods can we bring? We welcome anything your family loves to eat, whether a representation of your own culture, comfort food, or simply something easy to bring!
  • What quantity of food should we bring? Please bring what your family is able. This will vary from family to family. Potluck-style suppers offer variety and tastes of different dishes. We have dozens of families who have RSVPd so far!
  • Should we list ingredients? That’s a great idea. It will help those with food allergies or restrictions make more informed choices.  
  • Do we need to bring our own serving utensils? Also a good idea, and please LABEL your dishes with your family name. While we hope everyone takes their dishes home that night, we would want to ensure you get back what you bring! We will supply plates and cutlery for the event. 
  • Should we bring our own drinks? We may have some families choose to bring drinks as their potluck contributions, we may not have enough for everyone, so a water bottle might be a great idea.
  • More questions? Please email Ms. Kerry (kagreen@cbe.ab.ca), or Mrs. Kivi (blkivi@cbe.ab.ca)

If you haven’t had a chance to RSVP yet, please do so by May 30. Link to RSVP.    

  • Smudge with Ms. Kerry

In an on-going effort to provide a culturally safe space for Indigenous learners, Ms. Kerry (Lax Kw’Alaams First Nation) provides Smudge for Indigenous students every Friday. For greater inclusion and broader learning, your child may have been invited by their friend to join for smudge. In these cases, an invitation letter would have come home with your child.

Adjusted Morning Entry Time - Update

We want to thank all our students and families for your patience and support as we transitioned to our new 8:45 AM entry time. Over the past few days, we’ve noticed a smoother and more focused start to the day, with students entering the building calmly and ready to learn. This change has helped ensure that all students are safely and actively supervised, and we appreciate how understanding our community has been in adjusting morning routines.

The continuation of our Breakfast Program from 8:45–9:00 AM has remained a positive anchor for many students, and athletics practices continue to run smoothly with early gym access under coach supervision. We’re also grateful to students for respecting the 8:45 door opening and helping us maintain a safe, welcoming school environment.

Thank you again for working with us to prioritize student well-being, safety, and success.

Grades 6 & 9 Provincial Achievement Testing

Teachers are actively supporting Grade 6 and 9 students in preparing for the upcoming Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) by weaving focused skill development into their daily instruction. One important tool in this process is VRETTA—a digital platform that is used in the online PAT experience. It allows students to practice using the same tools, question types, and formats they’ll encounter during the actual assessments, helping to build both confidence and familiarity.

PATs are designed to measure how well students meet the expectations of the Alberta curriculum and provide valuable insight to guide school planning and enhance student learning. Please refer to the Important Dates section below for your child’s specific PAT schedule.

Open Gym Temporarily Unavailable (until May 29)

We wanted to remind families that Open Gym will be unavailable until May 29, as the main gym will be in use for High Jump equipment setup and practice. During this time, additional staff will be outside to support lunch supervision and ensure students continue to have safe and active options during the break.

Thank you for your understanding!

Wellness from Within: Student Tips for a Balanced Year-End

Starting in June, in acknowledgment of their yearlong work, and National Indigenous History Month, our students from the Wellbeing 8 group will be sharing daily tips to help the Sam Shaw community stay grounded and balanced during this time of stress, transition, and year-end change. As we move through exams, goodbyes, and the shift toward summer, it's important to care for our whole selves—spirit, heart, body, and mind— their work is guided by the CBE's Holistic Lifelong Learning Framework. These student-led tips are meant to support all learners in small but meaningful ways, inspired by the knowledge that wellness comes from balance across all areas of our lives.

Here are examples of tips you might hear:

  •  "Take one quiet moment each day to notice something you're grateful for. Gratitude helps connect us to something greater and strengthens our spirit."
  •  "Try going for a short walk outside after school—fresh air and movement can help reset your energy and release built-up stress."

Our Wellbeing 8 students are excited to support their peers with tools that are practical, respectful, and rooted in holistic care.

Cobs Bread

Cobs Bread Love bread? Us too! Mention Samuel W. Shaw school at the Shawnessy Cobs and our school receives a portion of proceeds! Win, win!!

Calendar of Events

  • May 26 - Grade 8 Field Trip to TELUS Spark (2 classes); 7-5 & 7-1 to Heritage Park
  • May 26 - 31 - National AccessAbility Week
  • May 27 - 7-3 & 7-4 to Heritage Park; Grade 8 to Spark (2 classes)
  • May 28 - Chess Club at Lunch; Grade 6 ELA Part A PAT
  • May 29 - 7-6 & 7-2 to Heritage Park; Grade 8 to Spark (2 classes); Grade 9 ELA PAT, Part A
  • June- National Indigenous History Month; Italian Heritage Month; Filipino Heritage Month; Portuguese Heritage Month; Pride Month
  • June 1 - Shavuot
  • June 2-6- Grade 6 Outdoor School
  • June 5 - Grand Reopening Anniversary Potluck & Blessing!
  • June 7 - Eid al-Adha
  • June 8 - Polish-Canadian Heritage Day
  • June 9-12 Talent Show Auditions- Drama room
  • June 10 - Track & Field Meet
  • June 11 - Chess Club
  • June 12 - Grade 6 & 9 ELA PAT Part B
  • June 17 - Grades 6 & 9 Math PAT (K&E included); Grade 5 Movie Field Trip
  • June 18 - Grades 6, 9 & K&E Social Studies PAT
  • June 19 - Grade 9, & K&E Science PAT
  • June 20 - Holistic Wellness Day; World Refugee Day; Summer Solstice; Kona Ice Trucks on site for purchase
  • June 21 - National Indigenous Peoples Day
  • June 23 - Grade 9 Farewell
  • June 24 - Talent Shows!
  • June 25 - Sports Day! (AM only. More info to come)
  • June 26 - LAST DAY OF CLASSES! Early Dismissal (1:20)
  • June 27 - Appeals Day (by appointment)

Healthy Hunger Dates: Finished for the 2024-2025 School Year

  • Thank you to the Healthy Hunger crew, comprised of awesome parents from SWS who generously give of their time and energy to arrange for these treats for the students, as well as organize and get the food to classrooms on Healthy Hunger dates. These fundraisers support teaching and learning at Samuel W. Shaw, and we are grateful for the efforts of the HH Team!
  • Healthy Hunger

With warmth,

Bobbi, Shannon, & Kerry