Dear Thomas B Riley Families,
PD Day Friday, January 30, 2026
There is no school for students on Friday. This is a professional learning day for all teachers in CBE.
Volleyball Season Begins!
Volleyball Season begins today! Please take time to read carefully the following expectations for spectators at our hosting and home school.
Spectator Reminders for Volleyball
All CBE Middle Schools have set similar expectations for games that promote safety, respect and a positive experience for players, coaches, other spectators and the hosting school. The expectations are as follows:
- All spectators are expected to cheer and support the players, coaches, referees, etc. in a positive manner. Disrespectful behaviour from students or spectators will be addressed by the hosting school administration as well as your home school administration as a follow-up. The student and parent code of conduct applies at all times. Spectators may be asked to leave the school depending on the severity of the issue. Parents also may be asked not to return.
- All students (spectators and athletes) must return home or be off school property in between the end of the school day at 2:30pm and game start at 4:00pm. There is no supervision at the school provided and students are not able to remain at school in between.
- For all Away games, students must have their personal parent guardian accompany them to all games. Students may not be supervised by someone who is not their parent/guardian. Student spectators without parental supervision will be directed by the hosting school administration to leave the building immediately.
- For all home games, students must be under the direct supervision of an adult for the entirety of each of the games.
- There are no in and out privileges for spectators. If you leave the building you should not re-enter. All visitors must enter our building through the main doors only. Entrance through an alterative door may trigger security protocols and result in significant consequences for students letting others in the school.
- Parents/guardians who bring younger children are responsible for direct supervision at all times. The rest of the school is closed and off limits. Please ensure children are not in the hallways or playing on the stage or with any school equipment.
Save the Date: Parent Presentation February 17, 2026
The School Councils of Belvedere Parkway and Thomas B. Riley Schools have teamed up to offer a join presentation by Paul Davis for students and families on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
Students at TBR will be invited to an assembly in the afternoon at 12:15pm-1:15pm
Parents and families of both schools are invited to attend a parent presentation at our school in the evening. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend this highly anticipated event.
Where: Thomas B Riley School
Address: 3915 69 ST NW
Time: 6:00pm-7:15pm
Topics Include: Social media, smartphones, digital trails, cyberbullying, online gaming, online grooming and privacy
About the Presenter: Paul Davis is a well-known speaker with 34+ years of IT knowledge and expertise. Paul has presented to over a million students across Canada in the past fourteen years about cyber security and online safety. His message is incredibly important in this digital age and a must-hear presentation for all parents of pre-teens and teenagers.
Registration is Now OPEN for 2026-27
Registration for the 2025-26 school year is now open. If your child currently attends Thomas B. Riley School there is no further action required, unless you are planning to move schools or programs.
Are you moving school next year? Please let us know!
If you are planning to move schools, please let the office know as soon as possible so we can update their designated school. This is critical to ensuring we have an accurate registration count for next year to minimize the need to regroup homerooms in the Fall.
Are you interested in our TLC Program Next Year?
Our TLC program is now open for registration. If you would like to register for TLC next year, please complete an expression of interest form through School Engage no later than February 10, 2026 at noon. The school lottery for available spots will take place on February 11, 2025. however early registration will secure your registration. It is possible that enrollment in certain grades will be capped later in the Spring/Fall.
For more information on our TLC Program see our school webpage: https://thomasbriley.cbe.ab.ca/traditional-learning
The lottery process is outlined here: https://thomasbriley.cbe.ab.ca/lottery
New Homeroom Class in Grade 9 for Term 2
This upcoming semester we are fortunate to be in a position to make an additional homeroom in Grade 9 which will be 9-6. We will be hiring a new math/science teacher for this position and a new humanities teacher as well. These changes will be in effect at the beginning of the new term starting on January 28, 2025 for the duration of the school year.
This change only affects students in the Regular Program in Grade 9 in homerooms 9-4 and 9-5. Students will be informed of any changes to their homeroom if applicable on Monday, January 26, 2026. The school will not be accepting requests to change homerooms as any changes were made thoughtfully and with the whole group of students and class composition in mind. This change will significantly reduce class sizes in this grade.
Changes to Options
In addition to changes in Grade 9 homeroom, we are also able to offer an additional two CTF courses this term in some blocks with the addition on these two staff members. This will also reduce class sizes in each course which are currently between 35 and 42 in some classes. This change is necessary to increase support for students in each of these classes.
Because of this change, there will be many changes to option classes that had been scheduled in the beginning of the school year. Term 2 is not currently viewable in MyCBE while we make these adjustments. All students will be provided with an updated timetable on Monday, January 26, 2026 for the second semester and their schedule will be viewable online on this date.
We ask for your patience, flexibility and understanding as we work through these changes. We ask that parents do not contact the school to request additional changes to their option classes as there is very limited flexibility to make further changes once they are in place. Thank you for your understanding and support in this.
Health Forms
All students in our school received consent form for Health that must be completed and returned no later than January 29, 2026.
In accordance with Section 58.11 of the Education Act, Alberta schools must now obtain written consent of parents prior to providing instructions or materials that deal primarily and explicitly with human sexuality, gender identity or sexual orientation. Students are unable to participate in this portion of the curriculum unless consent is explicitly granted.
Your student’s class will start learning about this topic on or after Monday February 2, 2026. Please refer to the table in the attached opt-in consent form for a detailed outline of the learning outcomes addressed in this unit. Parents/Guardians may choose to opt-in to all or selected outcomes. Your consent is required by Thursday January 29, 2026.
Parent/Guardian Options:
1. Opt-In Full Consent – Your student will participate in all Human Sexuality lessons.
2. Opt-In Partial Consent – Your student will only participate in the Human Sexuality lessons which relate to the learning outcomes you agree to. The teacher will provide alternative learning tasks and assessments.
3. Non-Participation – Your student will not receive these lessons and will be provided with alternative learning tasks in a supervised setting.
Please note partially opting in or non-participation in these Human Sexuality lessons will not affect a student’s Health and Life Skills grade as the teacher will provide alternative learning tasks and assessments. Please connect with your child’s homeroom teacher if you have any additional questions.
Upcoming High School Open House Information
Robert Thirsk High School
- Grade 9 Tour Date (school field trip) – Monday, January 26, 2026 (today)
- Open House - January 26, 2026 Thirsk Open House 2026
Winston Churchill High School
- Grade 9 Tour Date (school field trip) - January 27, 2026
- Open House - February 10, 2026 SWC Grade 9 tours
Upcoming Events this Week:
Monday:
- Thirsk School Tour 8:00am-11:00am
- Grade 7 Homework Club 11:20am-12:00pm
- SWAT (Student Well-Being Action Team) 11:20am-12:00pm
- Boys Volleyball Practice (Jr and Sr) 2:45pm-3:45pm
- Girls Volleyball Game QE@TBR 4:00pm-6:00pm (Jr @4pm; Sr 5pm)
- Thirsk Open House for Families 5:30pm @Robert Thirsk
Tuesday:
- Last day of Term 2
- Grade 9 Homework Club 11:30am-12:00pm
- Play rehearsal 2:45pm-3:45pm
- Girls Volleyball Practice (Jr and Sr) 2:45pm-3:45pm
- Play Rehearsal 2:45pm-3:45pm
- Boys Volleyball Game QE@TBR (Jr @4pm; Sr 5pm)
Wednesday:
- Term 3 Begins
- Yearbook Club 11:30am-12:00pm
- Pride Club 11:30am-12:00pm
- Boys Volleyball Practice (Jr and Sr) 2:45pm-3:45pm
- Girls Volleyball Game TBR@SJAM 4:00pm-6:00pm (Jr @4pm; Sr 5pm)
Thursday:
- Healthy Hunger - OPA
- Girls Volleyball Practice (Jr and Sr) 2:45pm-3:45pm
- Play rehearsal 2:45pm-3:45pm
- Boys Volleyball Game TBR@SJAM (Jr @4pm; Sr 5pm)
Friday:
- PD Day No School
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Tiffany Austin
Principal, Thomas B. Riley School