Cell Phone Use at Tom Baines 

In alignment with Alberta’s cellphone policy, middle school students are required to keep personal mobile devices (PMDs) in their lockers throughout the school day. PMDs may not be used during class time, breaks, or between classes unless authorized by school administration. This expectation supports a focused learning environment and encourages positive social interaction and engagement in school activities. 

Please note that PMDs include phones, tablets, laptops (unless approved by the school), gaming devices, smart watches (unless kept in Schooltime Mode throughout the day), and Bluetooth-connected devices such as headphones and earbuds. 

Student Pick-Up and Drop-Off 

In a change from previous years, the school parking lot, including the visitor parking lane, will be closed to vehicle traffic during student drop-off (8:30 to 9:00 a.m.) and pick-up (3:20 to 3:40 p.m.). 

With more than 800 students moving through this area each day, student safety is our top priority. We ask that families avoid entering these zones during these times. 

Parent Council AGM | September 21 at 7:00 p.m. 

All parents and guardians are invited to attend the School Council Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday, September 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the school. 

This is a great opportunity to learn more about School Council, connect with other families, and help shape opportunities that support our students and school community. 

Whether you are interested in a formal role or simply want to share your ideas, we encourage you to join us. We welcome new voices and perspectives and would love to see you there. 

You can learn more about TBS Parent Council by visiting their Facebook page here. 

Volunteers 

The student experience at TBS is enriched by the many volunteers who support our school. Please visit this link to learn more about volunteering with the CBE. Parents and guardians can register as volunteers through the SchoolEngage tab in their MyCBE account. 

As part of the registration process, all volunteers must review the POPA requirements and acknowledge their agreement with the conditions outlined in the form. 

TBS Parent Council also maintains a list of potential volunteers. Once you have received CBE volunteer clearance, you can complete this form to provide your information directly to our volunteer coordinator and stay informed about volunteer opportunities throughout the year. 

If you require a paper copy of the Parent Council form, please let us know and we will send one home with your child.  

Class size reduction funding 

This fall, the CBE has hired hundreds of teachers, education assistants, and other school staff to support student learning. These positions have been funded by the Government of Alberta with the intention of addressing classroom complexity and class sizes. 
 
We are pleased to welcome additional new staff to our school community for the 2026-27 school year as part of this funding: 

Mr. McDonald, Mr. Wishart, Mrs. LaChapelle  

This additional staff will help ensure students benefit from: 

• Increased teacher attention 
• Improved classroom learning environments 
• Greater support for diverse learning needs 

Boas Athletics

Cross country began practicing this week and will carry on next week.  The first meet will be on Thursday September 10^th at Vista Heights Soccer Field 11 after school.  Students still wishing to be on the cross country team should speak to Ms. Broen or Mr. Bacon about joining.

 Soccer also began this week with the first tryouts for both boys and girls being held on Wednesday and Thursday.  Tryouts will be carrying on next week with the girls running on Tuesday after school and the boys running Wednesday after school.

 Basketball will be starting up in a couple weeks and students that would like to be involved can sign up on the sign up sheets outside of the main gym.

 Any students wishing to tryout for athletics teams need to ensure they are getting their Annual Authorization for Athletic Tryout form filled out and returned to the PE office.

Important Documents to Review Annually 

Families are responsible for reviewing and understanding the following administrative regulations, which outline expectations for student conduct, parent and family interactions with schools, and the processes schools follow when responding to concerns, incidents, or breaches of expectations. These regulations help ensure a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment for all members of our school community. 

We encourage all families to take a few minutes to review these documents and discuss their contents with their child: 

AR 6031 - Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning and Work Environments 

AR 6006 -  Progressive Student Discipline 

AR 6005 – Student Code of Conduct 

Walking Field Trip Annual Notice Form 

The Walking Field Trip Annual Notice Form is attached for your review. This form provides permission for students to participate in local walking field trips that support learning throughout the school year. Please take a few minutes to review the information. 

Walking Field Trip Letter

 Yearbook Sales Live Now! 

Click here for the link to order your 2026-2027 yearbook. The 'back to school' special is on until October 23rd ($38 instead of $42). The final day to order the yearbook is February 26, 2027.  The yearbooks will be delivered on the last day of school (June 2027).  

Annual Forms 

You have received a notice from the CBE to complete required annual forms including the Demographic Verification Form, Citizenship Information Update and the Annual Authorization. If your child uses a different name than what is listed on their birth certificate, please update this under the preferred name section in the Demographic Verification Form. 

Completing these forms on time reduces the workload of the front office staff dramatically, so please attend to them as soon as possible. 

Key Dates: 

Recurring Messages 

Morning Drop-Off Reminder 
To help foster student independence and smooth morning routines, we kindly ask that parents ensure students arrive on time and enter the school on their own each day. If your child is arriving late after an appointment, please check in at the office. To support school parking lot congestion and student safety, we recommend identifying a drop off and pick up location off school grounds. 

Contacting students or teachers 

To support a positive learning environment, phone calls will not be connected directly to students or teachers during class time. 

In the event of an emergency, please contact the office and explain the situation so staff can assist appropriately. Parents are also asked not to call or text their child during class time. Staff can be contacted by email and will respond outside of instructional hours.