Printer Friendly

Attachments:

• AHS Nov. 2017 Newsletter: Consent & Touch / Movement Guidelines for the Full 24-Hour Day
• AHS Dec. 2017 Newsletter: Hand Washing / Talking to Your Child About Tobacco

Character Trait of the Month – Self Respect

ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE

Welcome to December, which will be a shorter but still quite busy month. Students and staff are well into their courses and routines have been firmly set. As always, there will be a push to accomplish all that must be completed prior to the break, and we will have various events to enjoy while we work.

Practice for basketball season has begun, and a large number of junior high students are eager to compete against other schools. Division 2 volleyball is wrapping up, and students have been enthusiastic about their play throughout the season. The annual Christmas concert is quickly approaching, and now that we are into the festive season, I expect we will be seeing more and more holiday cheer each day. Please join us for this year’s concert and experience the Sights and Sounds of Christmas!

Swan Hills School is looking into broadening programming for Division 3 and 4, especially for CTS and Dual Credit. Opportunities are being investigated and considered, and the hope is to have new courses and programs available for the coming year, possibly even for the next semester.

Enjoy the month, and have a great Christmas season.

UPCOMING KEY DATES

• December 1 – No School
• December 4 – Retakes Order Deadline
• December 15 – No School
• December 19 – Christmas Concert 7:00 p.m.
• December  21 – No School
• December 22 – Christmas Break
• January 8 – Return from Christmas Break

PLEASE NOTE EARLY OUT DISMISSAL TIMES ARE 2:33 p.m.

SCHOOL PHOTOS 

Retake photos have been sent home. Photo orders are due December 4, 2017.

STUDENTS AFTER SCHOOL

Please be reminded that students who do not have after-school commitments must leave the school or be picked up by 3:45, as there is no supervision after that time.  We have had some issues with students found either walking the hallways or being outside alone, and this creates a safety risk for them.  Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

BATTERIES

The school is still collecting large unwanted dead batteries (car batteries, etc.). Money raised from the donations will be spent on enhancing our CTS programs (woodworking, etc.) Batteries can be dropped off at the small shed behind the school or contact Kent Hooey.

GRIZZLY CUBS NEWS

The Grizzly Cubs have been busy the last few months.

• September we were at the Back to School BBQ selling merchandise.
• October 11 we held a Perogy Lunch Fundraiser we raised over $100.
• October 20^th we held the community “Fright Night” Halloween dance that raised $3000 for the Swan Hills School.
• October 28 and 29 we ran the concession for “The Howler” and raised over $1100 which we donated back to the sports program for equipment and to help with tournament fees.
• Nov 3 Halloween Movie Night ”The Lost Village” was moved because of conflicting events we had around 60 people and made over $100, thanks to those who come out and support us every movie night
• November 8^th we had a Poutine Lunch Fundraiser that raised over $200.
• November 16 we were at the craft fair selling our Grizzly Merchandise once again and we raised over $300.
• November Fundraiser “Emoji Pillow” and “Back and Gold “pillow raised over $170. This money will be used to purchase 4 pillows for the Spec Ed room and 2 for the PAWS room.

We received enough donations to order the electric sign which will be installed in the New Year. Donations by CJ’S Steaming and Oilfield Services, Meekwap Auto and Industrial, Nash Steamer Vac Services, and Norstar Glass brought us close. Then a generous donation of $5350 from Pembina Pipeline made the project possible and the sign was ordered. We are still expecting a generous donation from ACCEL Energy Ltd as well.

We are taking a break for the month of December to enjoy the season. We will see you in January for a lunch fundraiser and movie night. We are currently raising funds for some school-wide entertainment. Safire is coming in May and hopefully, Hoja will be making an appearance as well in the New Year.

Thank you for all your generous support. If it wasn’t for our wonderful community these projects would not be possible. Merry Christmas Swan Hills!

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

The Swan Hills School Christmas Concert is Tuesday, December 19, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.

We are very excited to celebrate the Sights and Sounds of Christmas through song and dance performances. This concert will feature traditional, pop, classic and contemporary Christmas songs and dance performances.  All students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 will be performing in the concert this year, along with the Junior and Senior Hand Bell students. The students have been working on songs in English, German and Spanish/Mexican. They have been very excited.

We encourage students to wear their Christmas best dress for the concert.  Any senior or junior handbell performers are encouraged to wear dressy apparel, preferably black and white if this is available.

Students can be dropped off at their classrooms at 6:45 p.m. As well, the gym doors will open at 6:45 p.m. the night of the performance.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school at 780-333-4471.

STAY UP TO DATE

Families and the community can stay informed of all that goes on at the school by visiting our website: www.swanhillsschool.ca. Check out our daily announcements and news feed, to which you can subscribe to receive notifications of updates via email. View the calendar, photo galleries, and activity schedules, including athletics. Download lunch order forms, student handbooks, and supplies lists. Get contact information for teachers, information about volunteering at the school, and so much more. P.A.W.S., School Council, and Grizzly Cubs all have a presence on our site as well. Check it out!

APPROPRIATE OUTSIDE CLOTHING

arm clothing. It is important for elementary students to come with snow pants or waterproof pants. This will prevent your child from having to sit in wet clothing or call you in the middle of the day to bring dry clothing to the school.

Winter is here and the staff would like to remind all parents to dress their children for the cold weather. The students are outside for breaks throughout the day and need that w

COLD WEATHER POLICY

Students will stay inside if the temperatures outside reaches -25 degrees with the wind chill. If there is no wind, students will stay inside if the temperature reaches up to -25 degrees.

The safety of students is our first priority, so we will use our best judgment before sending students outside. Please ensure that your child is dressed properly for the weather.

AMA Safety Patrol at the School: Patrollers follow the same policy as the school does for weather conditions.

Our policy states that “students will have inside recess if the temperature hits -25 with or without windchill. Therefore, if the temperature is -15, but the windchill puts us over -25, students will stay in. If the wind is calm, the temperature must be -25 in order for students to stay inside.”

Therefore, if the weather conditions fall within this criteria, Patrollers ARE NOT expected to be outside. Their safety and the safety of students comes first.

BUSSING

A reminder that if an item does not fit in your child’s backpack it is not permitted on the bus.

Please remind your children to dress for colder weather. In the event that the bus breaks down on route, we will be walking to school.  Also, please talk to your children about waiting for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching to get on it. When it is icy, the bus may slide upon final braking and the kids need to be in a safe place off of the road.

VOLUNTEERING

If you would like to volunteer, assist in classrooms, or participate in classroom activities on special occasions, please ensure you have the appropriate paperwork completed. Volunteer papers can be picked up from the office, and you will also require a Criminal Record Check. Overnight trips will also require a Child Welfare Check.

SUPERVISION

As supervision of students begins at 8:25, please do not send your children to school too early. During inclement weather, students will be permitted to wait inside the entrances.

VISITORS ENTERING THE SCHOOL

All visitors to the school must first check-in at the office, and then proceed into the school.