Dear Mustang Families: 

(Note: please forward this email to your child if they didn't sign up for weekly messages.)

In this weekly message, our focus is on student well-being and literacy, recognizing how closely they are connected. When students feel safe, supported, and cared for, they are better able to engage, take risks, and grow as readers and learners. Through intentional literacy experiences and a continued emphasis on well-being, we are supporting students to build confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning. 

Well-Being: 

Parking:  

Given we share a parking lot with St. Helena, and their bell times have changed, we have noticed significant safety concerns due to high volume in the student lot at drop off.  Some suggestions: 

• Please avoid dropping off between 8:05 – 8:20 am – this is the busiest time.  We do open our doors at 8:00 am, with the bell going at 8:13 am. 
• Consider using the Diefenbaker student parking lot off 4th Avenue.  It is a much bigger space offering a less busy drop off area. 
• If you are unable to make one of these adjustments, please continue to be patient and extra vigilant.   

Your child’s safety continues to be our primary concern, alongside St. Helena and SJAM students.  

Social Media:  

Secondly, we have noticed an increase in students ‘forgetting’ that cell phones are banned in all Alberta Schools. At a future homeroom, we will emphasize the research in this article: link 

Highlights 

• Youth who met the recreational screen time recommendation of 2 hours or less per day were more likely than those who exceeded it to self-report high levels of positive mental health indicators, that is, excellent or very good mental health, high happiness and high life satisfaction. 
• Youth who met the recommendation were less likely to report indicators of mental ill-health, such as often feeling stressed and psychosocial difficulties. 
• The likelihood of youth reporting positive mental health indicators decreased as screen time increased. 
• Female children, and not male children, who met the recommendation were less likely to often appear sad or depressed or be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. 

As the parent, you have primary control over your child's access to digital technology.

Football:  

We are excited to welcome Mr. Clayton Masikewich to SJAM, a JDHS teacher and the Head Football Coach.  Mr. Masikewich is coming to SJAM to encourage our students to consider spring football opportunities in the community.  He will speak to interested student-athletes at lunch one day this week.  If your child is unable to attend, please email him at cpmasikewich@cbe.ab.ca.    

Dancing: 

at lunchtime – please see ‘Athletics’ below! 

Complementary Classes: 

Finally, students interested in changing their second semester option classes are invited to email Mr. Jensen (lgjensen@cbe.ab.ca), Mr. K (bakwiatkowski@cbe.ab.ca) or Ms. Hornby (mahornby@cbe.ab.ca).  Our preference is that your child writes the email given we are striving to empowering our students.   Your child can include: 

• Option block 
• Current option 
• Preferred option 
• Time frame:  January 12 – 16 only. 

Semester two timetables will be reviewed on Monday in SMATH classes.  Semester two starts on Wednesday January 28, 

Literacy: 

Given literacy (the ability to read and write) is the foundation of student success, Ms. Campbell (Library), is leading three literacy initiatives at SJAM to support 100% of students and faculty: 

• Monthly draw for a gift card for students that finish books and enter the draw. 
• ‘Golden Ticket’: Find a golden ticket in SJAM books and receive a prize from Ms. Campbell. 
• 36 in 6:  Looking for a cool, fun way to start the new year?  Join 36 in 6 – a reading challenge that dares you to read 36 books in 6 months!  Whether you love graphic novels, mysteries, fantasy, non-fiction, or quick reads, this challenge is all about setting goals, discovering new favorites, and having fun with reading.   Open to students and staff. 

Athletics and PE – Mr. Jones 

Our volleyball season is continuing into the second week of tryouts, and we would like to sincerely thank all students who took the healthy risk of coming out to participate. It has been wonderful to see the energy, effort, and enthusiasm for volleyball within our school community. Below is the schedule for the upcoming week. This information is also posted in the school foyer for students to reference. 

Our Social Dance unit is well underway, and it has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm growing among our students. Their excitement is contagious—we truly wish caregivers could step in and experience the positive energy firsthand! 

Participation at our lunchtime dances continues to increase each day. These dances run on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for the next two weeks, and we are hopeful to see even more students join us as we build toward our Social Dance Celebration on Friday, January 23. 

On this day, we will be hosting our 21st Annual Dance‑a‑thon from 3:00–9:00 p.m. This is an invite‑only event for students who have demonstrated support and commitment by attending the lunchtime dances. More details will be shared with students in the coming days. 

If you have completed your volunteer paperwork and have a current police check on file, we will be looking for parent volunteers to help support the Dance‑a‑thon. If you are interested, please contact Mr. Jones at sdjones@cbe.ab.ca. 

We encourage you to ask your child to teach you some of the dances they are learning! Social dance is a lifelong skill that promotes fun, fitness, and confidence in a non‑competitive environment, while also fulfilling a required component of the Alberta PE curriculum (pg 4). 

Community News: 

Happy New Year from Youth Centres of Calgary (YCC)! We are excited to start the year off strong with one of our most anticipated programs — the YCC Hockey and Learn to Skate Program.  This is open to youth of all ages (8-15) and skill levels and is designed to be fun, inclusive, and engaging. It will be coached by Ben and Olivia, who bring experience in hockey and multi-sport coaching. Each session will include a combination of skating lessons and hockey fundamentals, helping participants build confidence, develop skills, and enjoy the game. 
 
Program Schedule & Locations: 

• Wednesdays – Ogden 
• Mondays – Forest Lawn 
• Time: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM 
• Start Date: January 7, 2026 

Youth Centres of Calgary will provide ALL equipment, including skates and hockey gear. Youth are also welcome to bring their own skates or hockey sticks if they prefer. 
 
Our goal is simple: to ensure kids have fun, stay active, and learn new skills in a safe and supportive environment. All participants will be under the direct supervision of YCC staff throughout the program. 
 
We’re proud to kick off the new year with a program that promotes teamwork, physical activity, and positive experiences for youth. If you have any questions or would like the registration form, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our organizer Sebit Doyak at sports@youthcentresofcalgary.com 

Calendar of events: 

Monday January 12:   

a. Inside Ed – in school electricity classroom challenge 

b.  Football Meeting at lunch in the Learning Commons (may be postponed to a different lunch hour)

Wednesday January 14:   

1. Well Being Homeroom 
2. optional SJAM fun lunch. 

Tuesday January 20: 

School Council – 6:30 – 8:00 pm 

Wednesday January 21:   

1. Math Homeroom 
2. optional SJAM fun lunch. 

Friday January 23: 

SJAM Dance-A-Thon

Tuesday, January 27, 2026: 

Last day of Semester 1. 

Wednesday, January 28, 2026: 

First day of Semester 2 

Thursday, January 29, 2026: Open House at John Diefenbaker:  5:00 pm - 7:30 pm 

• IB Presentation:  5:00 – 6:00 pm – Learning Commons 
• Admin Welcome and Open Tours:  5:30 pm 
• Evening ends:  7:30 pm 

February 24, 2026: Report cards will be viewable by CBE families.  (This date used to be the end of January/beginning of February). 

Together, We Make A Difference!