October 2014 Newsletter - Wes Hosford Elementary

News
OCTOBER 3, 2014
Inside This Issue:
——————————
Pg 2
Gr. 3 SLA’s
Pg 3
No Child Without
Pg 4
Allergy Aware
Pg 5
Read-in-Week &
Pg 6
Parent Council/Fund-
Bus Safety
raising Society News
Pg 7
Pg 8
Community News
Calendar/Milk Form
Academics. Fitness. Community.
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1
Administration Message
The falling leaves, cool winds and bright colors signal that fall really is here!
What an incredibly warm month September was! The month passed quickly
as we continued to settle into a new school year. We have had the pleasure
of visiting all of the classes as well as spending several recesses outside getting acquainted with the students. We would like to thank our staff for all of
their hard work and commitment to our students and to our school in getting
the school year up and running. Grade six camp was a resounding success!
The students showed wonderful sportsmanship and resiliency as they participated in all the activities! We had a wonderful Terry Fox Run and raised
$537.20 towards Cancer Research.
Our Parent Council had a successful meeting and the Fundraising Society also
met for the first time this year. We are looking forward to working with both
committees!
207 Granada Blvd.
This month we continue to work on school routines and focus on promoting
our character education at assemblies. Our choir is starting and our running
club is winding down. Halloween will be here before we know it and we will
celebrate with a carnival for our K-2 students and an assembly and costume
parade for all our students. We hope you will read through the newsletter and
familiarize yourself with all that is happening at the school. We welcome comments and suggestions so feel free to contact us through the school website
or by phone.
Sherwood Park, AB
On behalf of the Wes Hosford Staff, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!
T8A 3R5
Warm Regards,
Phone:
Patti & Kari
Contact Us:
Address:
780.464.1711
Fax:
Bouquets
780.467.5342

Thanks to the dedicated & professional staff at WHF for a smooth start up
and a successful first month.

Thanks to the parents who have volunteered to be part of the Parent
Council and the Fundraising Society.
Website:
www.weshosford.ca
OCTOBER NEWS
PAGE 2
Farewell Ms. Archer
Student Absences
We wish her well as she
begins her wonderful new
adventure into motherhood! Ms. Archer’s last
day is Friday, October 3rd
and we welcome Mrs. Erin
Clark as our new Assistant Principal. Ms. Archer
will return to Wes Hosford
School September 2015.
Phones are answered daily by the secretaries
between the hours of 8:00am-4:00pm. We
encourage you to call and use our voicemail
option to inform us of your child's absence due
to illness, appointments, etc. The voicemail
will also pick-up during the day when secretaries are on another line or busy attending to
student needs. Don’t hesitate to leave a message, we will call you back as soon as we are
able.
Grade 3 Student Learning Assessments (SLA) School
As you may be aware, Grade 3 students across the province are piloting the Student Learning Assessments (SLA) for the 2014-2015 school year. Elk Island Public Schools, and our Grade 3 students
here at Wes Hosford School are participating in this pilot. Assessments are taking place September
29-October 24, 2014.
We encourage parents of Grade 3 students to visit the Alberta Education website for more information about the SLAs and answers to some frequently asked questions. Information is available at:
http://education.alberta.ca/department/ipr/curriculum/student-learning-assessments.aspx
http://www.education.alberta.ca/media/9264621/09_sla3_quickfacts_parents.pdf
After reviewing this information, if you have any questions, please contact the school at 780-4641711.
SUTP School Fundraiser
School
We’ve sold out!! Thank you for supporting this ever popular school fundraiser. Total funds earned
by the school is $1,425. This money will help support school projects that benefit our students.
Glen Allan Recreation Centre (GARC) Update
Please check out the link below for an update on the Glen Allan Recreation Complex Modernization
project.
http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/communications/news/2014/9/24/glen-allan-recreation-complexmodernization-update/
OCTOBER NEWS
PAGE 3
Gentle Reminder Regarding Lunch Hour
Students who stay at school over the lunch hour are not allowed to leave the school grounds to purchase lunch unless they are accompanied by an adult who has signed them out at the office. As
well, please ensure you have packed the necessary cutlery (eg. spoon/fork) your child will need to
eat their lunch with.
Begin With the End in Mind—Leader in Me
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
The second habit in Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is “Begin With the End in Mind”.
What does it mean to begin with the end in mind? This refers to planning ahead and setting goals. One
analogy is that of a driver who decides where he/she wants to go and draws a map of how to get there.
Begin with the end in mind means we are the driver of our life and not the passenger.
Students and adults are encouraged to do things that have meaning and make a difference; and to set
achievable goals in their learning and in the activities they are involved in outside of schools. They contribute to the school’s mission and vision, and look for ways to be a good citizen.
Beginning with the end in mind includes demonstrating good citizenship as they move forward towards
their goals. Children belong to many groups and should be reminded to demonstrate good citizenship in
all of them (family, classroom, school, clubs, teams, community). Citizenship can be fostered in children
by encouraging them to:





Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’;
Show respect by standing still when the National Anthem is being sung or played and singing along if
they wish;
Join their parents at the polls on voting day;
Show care and concern by using kind words;
Respect authority by obeying rules.
No one can go back and make a brand-new start, my friend;
but anyone can start from here and make a brand-new end. – Dan Zadra
No Child Without
In our ongoing effort to provide safe and caring schools for our students, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) participates in the No Child Without program and all schools in the division serving students up to Grade 8 are enrolled.
No Child Without is a joint program of the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation and the Lions Club of Canada.
Through this program, registered children receive 24-hour MedicAlert coverage free of charge between their 4th
and 14th birthdays. No Child Without waives all initial registration fees and ongoing membership costs during
these years. Their vision is to help the estimated 300,000 children with medical conditions across Canada by offering No Child Without to all 12,000 elementary schools across Canada over the next five years.
If your child has a serious medical condition or allergy and would benefit from MedicAlert services, please contact
the school to obtain a program information pamphlet. You can then enroll in No Child Without by calling 1-877282-5378 or online at www.nochildwithout.ca. If your child is already registered with MedicAlert and you would
like to enroll specifically in the No Child Without program, you must sign up by telephone at the number above.
More information about No Child Without is available at www.nochildwithout.ca, by contacting the school office at
780-464-1711, or from EIPS’ Communication Services department at 780-417-8266.
OCTOBER NEWS
PAGE 4
Allergy Aware School
We have a number of students with allergies enrolled in our school again this year.
Some of these allergies are very severe and can be life threatening. At Wes Hosford
we know that we must ensure the safety of students but we also want students to
feel comfortable so we ask that you pack lunches that do not contain nuts. To ensure the safety and comfort of students; staff will be handing out snacks that do not
contain nuts. Please refer to the EIPS Policy below for further information.
Elk Island Public Schools’ “Nut Aware” Policy
“Nut Aware” Guidelines

No home baked items, or goods from bakeries are to be brought into the classroom
for parties or birthdays, only items that have a manufacture’s ingredient list clearly
marked on them unless these are for school events that involve both parent and child
(such as a classroom party or concert) In all cases parents should to the best of their
ability make sure all food items are nut free. However, in this case, parents of nut/
peanut allergic kids are to be there to monitor their child and to ensure that they do
not eat foods that are unsafe.

No food to be allowed on field trips, except the lunches brought by the children themselves, unless it has been prearranged by the teacher, and parents have been informed of the fact. Vending machines or other food vendors shall not be accessed.

The lunch program, fundraisers or special events that involve food, must be carefully
checked by the teacher and/or by a member of the “Nut Aware” committee thus ensuring the food is indeed safe for nut/ peanut allergic children.


All items available for purchase in the hot lunch program will be nut free.
Baking and bakery items etc. will be allowed for after school events that involve both
parent and child such as Christmas Concert etc. In all cases parents should to
the best of their ability make sure all food items are nut free, however, in this case
parents of nut/peanut allergic kids are there to monitor their child and to ensure that
they do not eat foods that are unsafe. Therefore, the classroom policy would not be
in effect during these times.
OCTOBER NEWS
PAGE 5
2014 Read-in-Week—Books with Bling
This year’s Read-In Week, which takes place October 610, promises to be another successful event with plenty of
pizazz – especially with the theme of Books with Bling.
This year’s theme was chosen to celebrate and highlight
award-winning books. School staff and students of all ages are invited to explore literacy in its many facets—digital
and otherwise—by taking up the challenge to read. School
activities will be many and varied, including meeting with local authors, reading with elders, and
reading with students from other countries around the world. Board Chair Boymook signed a resolution that EIPS supports Read-In Week, October 6-10, and encourages related activities within the
schools.
School Bus Safety Week
Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) will commemorate School Bus Safety Week October 20-. EIPS reminds students and the community to follow bus safety rules, both on the bus and on the road,
and to watch for posted speed limits in school and playground zones.
Schools will spend time reviewing bus rules and evacuations, and a variety of information sessions
will be presented to students. Schools have already begun conducted bus evacuation drills to practice proper procedures, and a number of schools have drills planned throughout October.
We’d also like to remind parents that EIPS buses are equipped with bus pass scanners and GPS
technology allowing EIPS’ Student Transportation department to better monitor and manage the
170 buses and 600 bus routes that travel throughout our division every day, ensuring the safe and
efficient travel of students to and from school.
Thanks to this technology, parents and students also have access to My Stop, an online system
through which they can access real-time location information about their bus routes and see the
estimated time of arrival at their child’s bus stop. This information will be especially helpful when
winter weather arrives.
More information about My Stop and EIPS’ transportation services is available at
www.eips.ca/student-tran or by contacting Student Transportation at 780-417-8151 or [email protected].
Elk Island Public School Celebrates World Teachers’ Day
On the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, October 5, 2014, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) celebrates
the integral role teachers play in providing quality education for our students. Teachers are instrumental in supporting and encouraging students as they grow up and learn to contribute to their local
community and global society. Celebrated annually since 1994, World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity
for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Education International to honour all teachers and promote international standards for the teaching profession.
EIPS extends its heartfelt thanks to all teachers for their dedication, hard work, and commitment in
guiding and teaching our students through their K-12 years.
OCTOBER NEWS
PAGE 6
Parent Council/Fundraising Society News
Magazine Fundraiser
Please join us and participate in this great Magazine
Fundraiser for Wes Hosford School! On-line ordering
is easy: just log on to www.QSP.ca and choose to
'shop'. Wes Hosford's group ID is 3693843 or search
our school name. Prizes will be awarded to students
for subscription sales AND approximately $11. from
the sale of every subscription is returned to our
school as a fundraiser! Thank you for your support.
Division Calendar Consultation Survey
Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is currently seeking input from parents and other stakeholders as
part of our division calendar consultation process. The feedback collected will help inform the Board
of Trustees when they review and approve a division calendar model for the 2015-2016 school year
at their December 2014 Board Meeting.
Many parents will receive an overview of the calendar consultation process at an early fall School
Council meeting. You can also visit the division website at www.eips.ca to learn more about the
background information related to this process and the work the Calendar Consultation Committee
has completed to date. On the division website, you will also find a link to a presentation about the
four calendar models coming forward for your input.
In developing the calendar models proposed, the committee discussed the authority and guidelines
for developing division calendars and used the results from the division’s 2011 calendar survey and
consultation process to guide this year’s work. In 2011, survey results from 2,900 parents, staff,
and students strongly supported a five-day Fall Break, as well as Winter and Spring breaks coinciding with that of Edmonton Public Schools. Of the respondents, 77% of parents supported full-day
professional learning and 71% of EIPS staff supported full-day professional learning.
Until November 15, parents can complete an online survey to provide their feedback on the calendar
models (if you have not already done so through your school councils). The survey link is posted on
the division website. We invite and encourage parents to be part of this important planning process.
OCTOBER NEWS
Community News
PAGE 7
OCTOBER 2014
PAGE 8
October 2014
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1 Early
Dismissal @
2:18pm
No Kindergarten
5
7
6
8
Schedule of Events
Fri
2 Bus
Evacuation
Drill
3
9
10
Sat
4
13
15
14
16
Thanksgiving
11
17
18
Jersey Day
Popcorn Day
(No School)
Nov 5
Early Dismissal @ 2:18 pm
(No
Nov 7
PD Day—No
School
12
November Dates
Kindergarten Classes)
Remembrance Day Assembly @
10:45 a.m.
Nov 10-14 Fall Break (School Closed)
Nov 20
Parent Council/Fundraising Mtg.
@ 6:30 p.m in the Library
Nov 21
Report Cards Issued
Nov 24-27 Book Fair
Nov 26/27 P/T Interviews
19
20 ICON
Picture Retakes
26
27
21
Treat Day
22
28
29
23
24
Family
Dance
30
31
Halloween
Assembly
Wes Hosford Milk
Program
Name: ___________
Class: ____
Individual
Tickets
Booklet
75 ¢ per Choc.
Or White Milk
(____)
20 Tickets $15.00
Total
$____________
$____________
Total Included:
$____________
25

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