Supporting Students After Wednesday’s Lockdown
Following Wednesday’s internal lockdown, our focus on Thursday and Friday was on supporting students’ well-being in a safe, calm, and developmentally appropriate way. Teachers checked in with their classes to ensure students had space to share any feelings they had about the experience of being in a lockdown - hearing the announcement, staying in their rooms, and navigating changes to the usual routine.
Because students and staff remained secured in classrooms for the duration of the lockdown, class conversations focused only on those internal experiences. Teachers did not discuss any aspects of the situation that occurred beyond the classroom environment. The goal was to help students name feelings, ask general questions about safety procedures, and reconnect to a sense of security at school - without introducing new information or causing unnecessary worry.
Many classes also used their regular sharing circles or morning meetings as opportunities for students to talk about how they were feeling. Teachers reminded students that it is normal to have a range of reactions to unexpected events, and that trusted adults at school are available if they need one-on-one support.
Our priority has been to help students feel grounded and reassured without creating additional worry or stress. If families feel their child needs additional support processing the lockdown experience, please reach out - we are here to help.
Alien In-Line Skating Residency – Wrap-Up & Final Session
Our Alien In-Line Skating residency mostly wrapped up this week, and students had a great time learning new skills, building confidence, and staying active. A big thank you to the instructor from Alien In-Line for their work with our students. Alien In-line will return one final time on December 18 to work with a few remaining classes for their last skating session. A huge thank you to School Council for generously funding engaging programs like this that help enrich our students’ school experience!
Winter Concert: A Winter’s Night – December 10 at 6:00 PM
We are excited to invite our Capitol Hill School community to this year’s winter concert, A Winter’s Night, featuring performances by our Kindergarten to Grade 3 students. Our students have been working hard with Ms. Whitehead, and we can’t wait for you to see them shine on stage.
Concert & Rehearsal Schedule
Tuesday, December 9 – First Run-Through | 9:30 AM
- Families are welcome
- Non-ticketed
- This is our first full practice, so we appreciate everyone’s patience as students work through the flow of the show.
- K–3 students will watch each other perform.
Wednesday, December 10 – Dress Rehearsal | 1:00 PM
- Families are welcome
- Non-ticketed
- Grades 4–6 will be the student audience for this performance.
Wednesday, December 10 – Evening Performance | 6:00 PM
- Tickets required (see below)
- Please enter through the Front Doors/Main Entrance beginning at 5:45 PM.
- K–3 students should arrive at 5:30 PM, enter through the Kindergarten/Parking Lot doors and head directly to their classrooms.
Ticket Information
- Due to fire regulations and limited seating, tickets are required for the evening performance only.
- Ticket request forms were sent home with students on Wednesday of this week.
- Each K-3 family may request 1 or 2 tickets (not per child, per family).
- Additional tickets may become available depending on space; families who requested extras will be placed on a waitlist in the order requests were received.
- Tickets will be sent home on Monday, Dec. 8 and Tuesday, Dec. 9.
There is no ticket required for the morning run-through or afternoon dress rehearsal, and families are welcome to attend either of those performances if that better suits your schedule or if additional evening tickets are not available.
Concert Arrival Details (Evening Performance)
- Students (K–3): Arrive at 5:30 PM (Kindergarten/Parking Lot Doors) and go directly to their classroom.
- Families: Enter through the Front Door/Main Entrance starting at 5:45 PM.
- Seating is open and first-come, first-served within the ticketed audience.
We look forward to sharing a wonderful evening of music and celebration with you. Thank you for supporting our young performers and for helping us make this special event run smoothly for all. If you have any questions, please reach out to the school office.
Celebrating Winter: Whole-School Outdoor Field Trip – December 12
On Friday, December 12, our whole school will be heading outdoors to Confederation Park for a winter walking field trip as we celebrate the season together in community.
This special outing supports our school's ongoing Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation: “We will apply Indigenous knowledges, languages, and teaching methods in our classrooms through land-based learning, cultural teachings, and storytelling.” During the walk, classes will engage in meaningful conversations and reflections focused on curricular topics such as seasonal changes and their impact on the land, animal migratory patterns in winter, and the winter solstice (Dec. 21), as understood through both Indigenous worldviews and Western science.
Trip Details:
- Classes will depart from the school in staggered waves starting around 9:45 AM
- Early groups are expected to return to school by 11:00 AM
- Upon return, students will enjoy hot chocolate generously provided by our School Council (thank you!)
- We’ll wrap up the morning with a whole-school Winter Assembly back at CHS, filled with carols, festivity, and fun
Please ensure your child is dressed for the weather - warm boots, gloves, hats, and snow gear - as we’ll be outdoors for an extended period of time. We’re looking forward to learning together, connecting with the land, and celebrating the season as a school community!
The Giving Tree
The Giving Tree is a long-standing tradition at Capitol Hill School where our community comes together to support families who could use a little extra help during the holiday season. Families can sign up online to choose a “gift tag,” which represents a child or adult connected to our school. Each tag includes a family number, age, gender (if provided), and a general gift idea such as a toy, book, or clothing item.
Once a gift is purchased, it should be sent to the school unwrapped and clearly labeled with the family number, age, gender, and type of gift. We provide wrapping paper to the receiving families so they can wrap the items themselves at home. Gifts can be dropped off at the office or sent with students. When a student returns a gift, they’ll hang an ornament on our Giving Tree in the main hallway - a lovely way to show how our community is giving back. All family information is kept confidential, and gifts are delivered before Winter Break.
You can access the Giving Tree online sign-up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094AAAAD22ABF58-60859608-thegiving#/
Veterans' Food Bank Drive + LEGO Challenge
Our Veterans Food Bank Drive “LEGO Challenge” is now well into Week 2, and the friendly competition between classrooms is really starting to build! Students are getting excited as they watch their class totals grow and work together to support the Veterans Food Bank of Alberta. We’re inviting our whole CHS community to keep the momentum going by sending in non-perishable items throughout the month.
To make things fun, each class is working toward our big LEGO Building Challenge on Friday, December 19, the last day before Winter Break. Here’s how it works:
- For every 15 items your class donates, the class earns one bag of random LEGO pieces.
- The more items collected, the more LEGO you get to build with!
- The building challenge will take place during class time on December 18.
Each week has its own donation theme to help guide contributions:
- Week 1: Canned food
- Week 2: Boxed food
- Week 3: Bagged food
Please send all donations to your child’s classroom first, so they can be counted before being added to the school-wide bins. Let’s keep the energy high and see how much we can collect together!
Festive Spirit Week – Dec. 15-19
We’re getting ready to celebrate the season with our annual Festive Spirit Week at Capitol Hill School! Each day in the last week of school has its own cheerful theme, and students are welcome to join in the fun in whatever way works for them.
Monday, Dec. 15 – Festive Headwear Day
- Kick off the week by wearing something fun on your head! Think holiday headbands, winter toques, “Santa” hats, antlers, sparkles-anything festive and school-appropriate.
Tuesday, Dec. 16 – “Ugly” Holiday Sweater Day
- It’s time for the classic tradition! Students can wear an “ugly” holiday sweater—or any wintery, festive, or decorated top they love.
Wednesday, Dec. 17 – Dress Like a Candy Cane Day
- Show your sweet side by dressing in red, white, or green. Stripes encouraged, but not required!
Thursday, Dec. 18 – Fun, Fuzzy, Fantastic Winter Socks Day
- Today is all about festive footwear. Wear your coziest, funniest, or most colourful holiday or winter socks.
Friday, Dec. 19 – Pyjama Day
- We’ll wrap up the week by getting comfy! Students are invited to wear their favourite holiday or winter pyjamas to school.
We’re looking forward to a fun, festive final week as we head into Winter Break!
Upcoming Dates
Dec. 9 – Run Through for Winter Concert at 9:30 AM – families welcome
Dec. 10 – Individual Photo Retake Day with LifeTouch
Dec. 10 – Dress Rehearsal for Winter Concert at 1:00 PM – families welcome
Dec. 10 – Winter Concert (Kindergarten – Grade 3) at 6:00 PM – TICKETS REQUIRED
Dec. 12 – Winter Walk to Confederation Park
Dec. 15-19 – Festive Spirit Week
Dec. 15 – Festive Headwear Day
Dec. 16 – “Ugly” Holiday Sweater Day
Dec. 17 – Dress Like a Candy Cane Day
Dec. 18 – Fun, Fuzz, Fantastic Winter Socks Day
Dec. 18 – Fun Lunch (The Lunch Lady)
Dec. 19 – Pyjama Day!
Dec. 19 – LEGO Building Challenge for Veteran’s Foodbank
Dec. 19 – Last day of classes before Winter Break