Feb 20th
Curricular Updates
ELA: This week in ELA students were able to compare their different versions of their persuasive essays. It was great to see how much they improved and were able to incorporate feedback. We also looked at another non-fiction essay, which will be used to supplement their science understanding. Students also had some time to work on their novels and will have more time to read next week.
Math: This week in Math, students worked on fraction and decimal calculations, with a focus on addition and subtraction of positives and negatives. Next week, students will be working on multiplication and division.
Social: In Social Studies we wrapped up our unit on Collective Rights with a study on common myths about Indigenous Peoples in Canada and how to debunk them. They created posters to demonstrate this learning. Next week they will have time to review and will write their test.
Science: In Science, students learned about asexual and sexual reproduction and the pros and cons of each. Next week, they will write a persuasive essay on the benefits and perils of genetic engineering.
Test & Quizzes
Wednesday, February 25: Social Multiple Choice and Written Response
Thursday, February 26: Science Multiple Choice
Upcoming Dates & Reminders
- Pink Shirt Day: Wednesday March 25: Wear Pink!
- Return Health Parental Consent Form
- Sherwood Visual Announcement Video Link : Check weekly for the new announcements!
- https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jG4nIljImahznLhUgFOnPj7nWVz2Rcw65iTF3f5ttak/edit?usp=sharing
- Pink Shirt Day originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia back in 2008
with two high school aged students that saw a need to be kind while another student was not being treated with kindness and respect. That one act of compassion quickly spread beyond the school. In 2008, British Columbia’s provincial government proclaimed a provincial Anti-Bullying Day in February, and over time the idea of wearing pink to stand against bullying spread throughout Canada and then internationally. Today, Pink Shirt Day is observed annually in Canada on the last Wednesday of February.
Pink Shirt Day is now a national and global movement that encourages people of all ages to:
• Wear pink as a visible symbol of support for kindness, inclusion, and respect for others.
• Raise awareness and start conversations about why bullying is harmful and what we can do to prevent it.
• Raise funds for programs that help children and youth build healthy self-esteem, resilience, and safe environments. The Calgary Board of Education recognizes Pink Shirt Day across all schools and offers professional learning and classroom resources that support a strength-based approach to well-being, emphasizing schoolwide and classroom supports for students. As an organization, through Pink Shirt Day we honour the grassroots act of kindness and reaffirm our shared commitment to reducing bullying and creating welcoming, caring safe and respectful spaces for everyone.
Promoting inclusion is something that occurs in our schools every day. Check out some of the information and resources available!
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Feb 9th Update
🏐 Digfest Volleyball Tournament – Food Support Needed! 🏐
Our annual Digfest Volleyball Tournament is coming up, and we’re excited to welcome athletes, coaches, and volunteers for a full day of competition and school spirit! To help keep everyone energized and supported, we’re asking our amazing school community to help by donating food items for the event.
If you’re able to contribute, please sign up using the link below. Every contribution—big or small—helps make Digfest a success and shows our appreciation for those giving their time and energy to our students.
👉 Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0C4DADAF23A6F58-62260653-digfest
Thank you for supporting our athletes and helping make Digfest a fantastic day for everyone!
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Feb 6th
Hello Grade 9 Families!
This week in ELA we continued working on our Literature Circles. Students should be about halfway through their novel now, and they are encouraged to read over the weekend to catch up. If your student did not bring their novel home, there are many audio recordings available on YouTube. In Social Studies, students learned about Minority Language rights and the Indian Act. On Monday, we will be watching We Were Children to further understand the implications of this piece of legislation. (https://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2012/10/02/we-were-children/ )Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the film.
In Math, students continued to learn how to perform operations like multiplying and dividing polynomial expressions. Next week, they will have a test on these skills and concepts. In Science, began an investigation of chromosomes, DNA, and genes. To apply this learning, they did a lab in which they extracted DNA from a strawberry. Next week, we will be learning about heredity and how genes are passed down from parent to child.
Today, we also sent home high school enrollment forms. Please ensure you fill this out with your student, sign it, and return to school as soon as possible. If you have any questions about this, please reach out.
Grade 9 Team
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Jan 30th, 2026
Hello Grade 9 Families,
This week in ELA, we continued working on our Literature Circle Novels. We also examined the structure of a persuasive essay, which students applied to their writing on yesterday’s test. In Social, we wrapped up our unit on the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Grades will be posted on PowerSchool this weekend, and students are encouraged to come in at lunch on Tuesday if they wish to redo either portion of the test.
Next week, on Thursday, students will be listening to a podcast about the Indian Act as part of our next unit on Collective Rights. We will be going for a walk while we do this listening, so I am inviting students to bring their phones and earbuds/headphones to class. As per the Ministerial Order, students are required to leave their phones in their lockers during class time; this is an instructional exception. They will still be expected to only use their phones to listen to the assigned task. Please let me know if you would prefer them not to do this. I know some students don’t have access to a personal device, such as a phone, and we do have some options for students to use in this case.
Additionally, the following week, students will watch the film, We Were Children, about the history of residential schools in Canada. You can find more information about this film here: https://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2012/10/02/we-were-children/ Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the film.
In Math, students worked on algebra by adding and subtracting polynomials. Next week, they will be investigating how to multiply and divide polynomials. In Science, students wrote their mid-unit biodiversity test. Marks have been posted on PowerSchool. They have also been working on learning more annotation skills by reading an article on BC Sea Wolves. Next week, they will be studying more about genetics and DNA through a DNA extraction lab.
Grade 9 Team
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Jan 23, 2026
Hello Grade 9 Families,
This week in ELA, we had our first Literature Circle for our new novels, and we wrapped up a series of academic vocabulary. Next week, we will have our second literature circle and a quiz on the words we have been working on over the past few weeks. There will be time to review in class. In Social Studies, we are almost done working on the Youth Criminal Justice Act and students will spend the early part of the week reviewing and then they will write their test on Thursday. As part of this test, they will be introduced to the persuasive essay format, and their written response will include this.
In Math, students practiced order of operations with exponents and wrote a short quiz today. Next week, we will be looking at Algebra and revisiting the topic of polynomials. In Science, students completed their animal adaptation project and next week they will have a mid unit test on biology.
In our Homeroom class we continued to talk about high school and recommendations. We encourage you to continue to regularly check powerschool to see your students grades and discuss with them what courses they will be the most successful in next year.
Below you can find our announcements for this week.
As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns :)
Grade 9 Team
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Jan 16th
Hello Grade 9 Families!
This week in ELA students dove in their novel studies. They have been using the annotation strategy to better track ideas and focus on the story. Next week they will work on their first role sheet and participate in their first literature circle discussion of this novel. Many students have reading to do over the weekend and have brought home their novels. The novel has been checked out to them and must return to each class. Please check in with your student about their novel and if they are enjoying it! In Social Studies, we worked through Youth Justice Committees, it was great to see students demonstrating their understanding through their participation in this role play.
In Math, students wrapped up the surface area unit with a quiz on Wednesday. Students can check PowerSchool to see their grades. Today, students began working on exponents and order of operations calculations. They will continue this next week including some problem solving. In Science, students learned about natural selection, adaptations, and the niche of animals within an ecosystem. They performed a simulation involving Teddy Grahams to show how natural selection affects the traits of populations. Next week, students will begin an exciting project where students create an animal and describe its niche and adaptations it has to survive in its environment.
In homeroom today, students explored what their high school pathway might look like. It was great to be able to chat with students about what the next chapter of their lives will look like!
As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns :)
Grade 9 Team
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Jan 9th, 2026
Hello Grade 9 Families!
Welcome back! We had a great week with the grade 9 students. In ELA we worked on writing a business email, a skill that is very useful for students and will be a requirement on the PAT. We also started working on Literature Circles and we are very excited to start reading! Next week we will continue these novels! In Social Studies, students started working on the Youth Criminal Justice Act unit. We looked at case studies of youth who have broken the law and determined appropriate consequences for them. Next week, we will do some Youth Justice Committee role play!
In Math this week, students worked on calculating the surface area of complex 3D shapes. They will have a quiz on this on Wednesday. In Science, students started a unit on biology, they learned about species diversity. They did a task that required them to examine the diversity of traits amongst their classmates. Next week, students will dive into a study of natural selection!
In homeroom today we continued to learn about high school and students’ hopes and dreams. The CBE has introduced a new initiative for high school students who are interested in pursuing trades-based careers. Features include industry partnerships, hands-on exposure to trades, industry-specific specialized training (driving, fall, CPR, etc.), and a unique high school pathway in partnership with their home school.
Students need to be prepared to enroll in the pathway beginning in Semester 2 of their Grade 10 year.
More info at the link below:
As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns :)
Grade 9 Team