November 2024 Newsletter
Principal’s Message
We hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween and for those who celebrate – Happy Diwali!
As we continue to head into Fall/Winter and weather is becoming colder, we want to remind you to please ensure your children have the appropriate clothing for the outdoors. We encourage our students to enjoy the great outdoors, explore the beautiful colours, and get some great exercise during lunch recess. All students go outside during lunch so please ensure they have outdoor shoes. There should be shoes left at the school and they should have winter boots as we head into the snowy weather.
We would like to thank those parents who are dropping off and picking up their children at the school safely! Thank you for following the rules of the road, using the cross walk and setting a great example for both your own children and those around you. It is important that we make safety the priority over convenience, even as the weather begins to get worse. We want to remind those parents who are dropping off at bus stops to also please be courteous, leave room for the bus, don’t block driveways and always be there early.
We have our Fall break coming this month. Please be sure to mark your calendar as students do not have classes November 8 -13. We hope you take this time to enjoy the outdoors with your family, rejuvenate from a busy school start and look forward to seeing you on November 14.
As always, we as an administrative team, strive to be responsive to the needs and concerns of all students and parents and encourage you to contact the school if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Andrea Taylor
Principal
News from the School
Remembrance Day Assembly:
November is a time to remember: remember those that believed in the greatness of our country and fought for us, died for us and ultimately allowed us to have life, successful futures, and freedom. We will be honoring those who gave their lives for our freedom in a special Remembrance Day Assembly on November 7, 2024 @ 10:30am and hope that our students reflect on what these men and women of great character stood for and the attributes and traits that can help us all.
The Grade 2’s in rooms 17, 18, and 19 are hosting this special day and ALL students are required to be in FORMAL UNIFORM for this assembly even though it is a Thursday. If your child is a member of Brownies, Guides, Scouts or Cadets, they are invited to wear their uniforms on this day. We are also inviting parents to attend this Remembrance Day assembly. Please arrive to the school by 10:15am as the doors will be closed and locked at 10:30 as all staff participate in this important assembly and we will be unable to answer the door or phone during this time.
FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT:
We know that many families have already purchased their tickets for the Family Movie Night on November 7th. Please be aware of a few expectations to ensure this is a fun and friendly event for all attendees.
· Tickets had to be pre-ordered through Healthy Hunger and there are NO ticket sales at the door
· Drinks and snacks should have be pre-ordered on Healthy Hunger when you purchased your tickets and there should be NO OUTSIDE food or snack coming to the movie
· This a School Council event and could not be successful without volunteers, as a guest, please be sure to say thank you to the volunteers and remember to be respectful – your children are watching you!
· This is a family and school event – therefore anyone attending who is under the influence (acting or smelling of alcohol or marijuana) will be asked to leave.
· This is a family event and therefore PARENTS MUST SUPERVISE their children at ALL TIMES and must be present and sitting with their children in the gymnasium.
· In order to make the evening most enjoyable, please ensure all members of your family have used the washroom BEFORE the movie begins as it is difficult to navigate your way through people sitting on the floor in the gym during the movie.
· The School is technically closed and therefore the doors will be LOCKED, please arrive early so you do not miss the movie and remember the school is closed, therefore no one should be touring the hallways. This event is in the GYM area only.
· We hope you have an amazingly fun family night!!
101 Dalmatians:
Rehearsals are well underway and students are working hard, both in their music classes as well as lunch hours for specific CAST members. We know it is very early, but time seems to be flying and we wanted to give you as much notice as possible for costume/dress pieces in case you are doing some Christmas shopping J Please see below for the costume expectations for your child’s grade. CAST members will be receiving a separate email with specific details for their costumes. Ticket forms will be coming home the first week of December and seats are ASSIGNED on a first come – first served basis so please be sure to watch for those forms in December.
Kindergarten – please wear Black long-sleeved shirt with black/navy bottoms (shirts will remain at school between Jan 23- 30 so please be sure your child’s name is inside)
Grade 1- 3 – please wear White long-sleeved shirt with black/navy bottoms (shirts will remain at school between Jan 23- 30 so please be sure your child’s name is inside)
Character Education
This month, our character virtue is EMPATHY, which is all about understanding and sharing the feelings of others. In the classroom, empathy looks like a student comforting a classmate who is feeling sad, or helping a friend who is struggling with a task. Teachers model empathy by listening to students’ concerns and creating a supportive classroom environment. At home, empathy can be practiced by encouraging your child to consider how others might feel in different situations; such as asking them how they would help a sibling who is upset or how they can be a good friend. Fostering empathy is essential as it helps students build strong relationships, promotes kindness, and creates a caring community. Parents can nurture this virtue by discussing feelings, sharing experiences, and encouraging acts of kindness both at home and in the community. Together, we can cultivate a culture of empathy that benefits our children and our school!
Truth and Reconciliation Commitment
Elders and Knowledge Keepers stress the importance of entering the Indigenous Education Holistic Lifelong Learning Framework through the eastern door, in spirit, to support Indigenous students' academic success and well-being. Alberta Education highlights that spiritual wellness involves understanding one’s values and beliefs, fostering purpose, and building relationships within the community. Cree/Métis Elder Kerrie Moore (2021) emphasizes that being in spirit means embracing love, respect, and accountability, promoting a sense of belonging, peace, and connection to the world.
In November, students will engage in a beading activity to explore their own culture alongside Indigenous traditions, learning how traditional art preserves and passes down cultural knowledge. As they move into the Heart-To-Belong domain during the winter months, both staff and students will focus on Social Emotional Learning, emphasizing social awareness and relationship-building skills to foster a positive and supportive learning community.
November 2024 Cultural Celebrations
DIWALI (November 1) – A popular Hindu festival that is celebrated for five continuous days and is known as the Festival of Lights. Diwali, which for some also coincides with harvest and new year celebrations, is a festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness.
Sited by: www.multifaithcalendar.org
Remembrance Day (November 11) – Every year on the 11th hour, of the 11th month, of the 11th day we remember the people in the armed forces who fought and died in battle for the freedom we have today. This is called Remembrance Day. It also marks the day that World War I ended in 1918.
School Council News
Hello Parents!
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families. Happy Diwali for those who celebrate.
We want to extend a big thank you to everyone who generously contributed to the cheque writing campaign.
We had our last Parents Council meeting on October 15th, thank you to all who attended this meeting. Our next Council meeting will be held online on November 19th @ 6:30pm. Please watch for an email from Mrs. Taylor on how to register to receive the meeting link. We hope to see more parents at our next meeting as parent(s) participation is the key to the success of Parent Council. This is a great way to connect with other parents and learn about the activities that are happening throughout the school.
Upcoming events:
- Family Movie Night: Thursday November 7th featuring Inside Out 2. Admissions are limited until November 2nd (or sells out), so please get your tickets early if you haven’t already via Healthy Hunger (www.healthyhunger.ca) . Proceeds from this family fun event goes to the school council funds.
- Fun Lunch: Thursday November 28th, featuring Subway which is posted on Healthy Hunger (healthyhunger.ca). Please note that Kindergarten students attending on Monday/Wednesday should not order. As a reminder, please be sure to read the ingredients on Healthy Hunger to ensure it meets your child’s dietary restrictions prior to ordering.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you at our next council meeting.
Rebecca Garrie, Co-Chair
Indrani Nath, Co-Chair