SHS Grizzly Pride – June 2019

June 6th, 2019

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Attachment: Cookie Day & Preventing ‘Summer Slide’

Character Trait of the Month: Perseverance

ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE

We have reached the final month of the school year, and a very fast-moving year it has been. With several new programs added for junior and senior high, both teachers and students stretched themselves to learn and to teach new CTS and elective courses. Elementary students found their learning opportunities expanded due to new educational software to enhance their regular programming, and all students found more opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities throughout the year.

As we move into the final weeks of classes, it is important for students to remain focused as they complete core subject areas and prepare for year-end exams. Some grades will be writing Provincial Achievement Tests and preparing to move ahead to the next level. Our grade 12’s, of course, after writing their last Diploma Exams, will be finished high school and will be moving on to the next stage of their lives. Our recent Commencement Ceremony went very well, and it was exciting to see our Grade 12 students dressed formally and recognized for their many years of hard work and achievement.

As our year comes to a close, staff are mindful that, even as classes and activities wind down, we must prepare for next year. Until then, have a great summer and we will see you in the fall.

UPCOMING KEY DATES

  • June 7 – No School
  • June 19 – Awards Night
  • June 28 – Last Day

Alternate Operational Day Calendar Proposal

Many of the schools in PHPS operate on Alternate Calendars that designate greater lengths of instructional time for staff and students, with the understanding that the time in excess of the required instructional minutes will contribute to several non-instructional & non-operational days for which students and staff do not need to attend. Some schools, such as Swan Hills School, currently have 14 Alternate Days while some other school have this many or more, up to the 23-day maximum.

This year, recognizing that the length of the instructional day (combined instructional and non-instructional time) for teachers in different schools across the district can be longer, an analysis was performed in the interest of seeking equity of daily teacher time worked. Using the start and end times of each school, it was determined that some teaching staff, between their instructional and non-instructional time at school, were working longer hours each day.

The proposed Administrative Procedure 40-25 would assist in equalizing teacher days across PHPS. What this would mean for Swan Hills School is that, unless additional non-instructional time is added to the daily schedule, 4 of the 14 Alternate Days would become non-instructional days, with teaching staff only going to school on those 4 days. If additional non-instructional time is added, teachers could “work back” some/all of the Alternate Days. To be clear, the proposed AP refers only to teacher time and does not affect support staff or students, who would still have all 14 Alternate Days off from school.

Schools affected by AP 40-25 are able to request changes to instructional days, altering the schedule to include additional non-instructional time if feasible. When considering alterations for Swan Hills School, administration determined changes could not affect support staff or students – they could not have additional time added to their days – and changes could not affect the school’s budget. As well, administration wanted to ensure that, as much as possible, the school day remained within the currently established structure. It was also considered that School Council members had requested 5 minutes be added to lunch recess to allow extra time for students to eat their lunches.

Swan Hills School’s proposed change is to add 5 minutes to lunch break and 1 minute to each recess break, 7 minutes total of supervisory/non-instructional time. Instructional time already slightly surpasses requirements so no time would be added, although class times would be adjusted around the increased break times. School supervision currently begins at 8:25 am and would remain so. Beginning of first classes would move to 8:33 am from the current 8:40 am, with all class times remaining the same as currently scheduled. The school day would still end at 3:33 pm. In essence, extra break time would be provided at key points during the day, with class times moved up 7 minutes total but with no additional time added to the current school structure. This proposed alteration to the current school day would, over the course of the year, allow SHS teachers to work back 3 of the 4 non-instructional (formerly Alternate) days.

Revised operational day calendars for schools with alternate days are scheduled for consideration at the June 12th school board meeting. Please contact the Swan Hills School Principal, Slade Sekulich, with questions, concerns, or feedback on the proposal. It is our hope to ensure clarity and understanding on the topic and to reassure parents and students that we are working within the current framework.

ECS REGISTRATIONS 2018 – 2019 SCHOOL YEAR

 Registrations are being accepted for the 2019-2020 school year. You must have your child’s birth certificate when you register. Children must be 5 years of age by December 31, 2019.  ECS fees are $15.00, payable to Swan Hills School.

It is recommended that you have your child’s ears and eyes checked before September.

If you have any questions, please contact the school at 780-333-4471.

GRIZZLY CUB NEWS

Monday, June 10, is Free Ice Cream Day for all students and staff. All ice creams are nut free and we have a lactose free option as well

The Grizzly Cubs will have a new board beginning July 1st. They have some fresh ideas and some new fundraising projects on the way. The new board members are as follows: President – Jessie Scholz, Treasurer – Tamara Listhaghe, and Secretary – Olivia Hansen. They are still on the lookout for a new VP.
If you are interested, please contact Jen Stenberg by the end of June at 780-333-1576 or, after June, Jessie Scholz at 780-303-0146.

Thanks again for all your support over the last five years. I am excited to see what the new board has planned. Have a wonderful summer😊

VOLUNTEERING

 There have been some changes to the volunteer packages.

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 now require both a Criminal Record Check and a Child Welfare Check.

PAT AND DIPLOMA EXAM SCHEDULE

(Click here for complete Jr/Sr Exam Schedule)