Weekly Update: May 22, 2015

Good day Robina Baker,

Well the weather outside has turned the corner and folks can definitely tell that the sun and fun of summer is fast approaching – and just in time for Devon days!  As we draw closer to end of May it was a short week but another fantastic week of activity here at the school with our students staying active in a number of different activities.  

This Week in Review

This week our student athletes continued to run their hearts out and practice their field events in preparation for the upcoming Black Gold Division Track and Field Meet being held at Riverview Middle School on Thursday, June 4th.  The team track practices are held during the noon hour recesses on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Beginning next week those students who are also participating in the two field events, the running long jump and ball throw, will begin additional event practices too.  Next week track runners will be bringing home information regarding the track meet, race day prep, permission forms, and the $3.00 entry fee.

Our grade four drama students are working hard and continued to practice, practice, practice with Mrs. Stanski and Mrs. Fleming in preparation for their Wednesday, May 27^th and Thursday, May 28th debut of the “Serenade to Swine” presentation.  A musical theater production filled with laughs it is sure to entertain.

We once again had a fantastic character assembly and were able to celebrate the personal attribute of self control and the ability to think before acting.  Mrs. Mullen did a great job getting the students involved and keeping them thinking about how their actions can influence others.  She also was excited to announce the return of our Grade Four POP (Problem solvers On Patrol) Team which will be out on the playground helping students enjoy their recess breaks to the fullest.

At our assembly we were also able to celebrate another round of Student of the Week and our Wristband Challenge winners, Jack T. and Kadence S.!  Congratulations to all the students who were chosen for the honour this week!

As well at this assembly our School-Parent group popped in and made a draw for two admissions for the upcoming Paint Night Fundraising event being held on June 12^th.  The winner for the two free admission passes was Pamela Babb.

For more information on either the upcoming Paint Night Fundraiser or upcoming Community events simply click on the following links:

Paint Night - http://rbes.blackgold.ca/parents/school-council/ 

Community Events - http://rbes.blackgold.ca/parents/community-info/ 

A Next Week Activity Heads up

All our students in kindergarten through grade four will be taking part in bike safety lessons during their phys. Ed classes all next week.  Students are asked to bring their bikes and helmets with them to school on Monday, May 25^th.  

Please ensure that you have checked over your child’s bicycle and ensure that it is in good condition prior to sending in to the school, i.e. check the air in the tires; properly adjust the seat height; ensure the chain is oiled and that the brakes are in working condition.

As well please check to see that your child's helmet is in good condition and fitting properly.

There are extra “school bikes” and helmets available at the school for those students who need them.  As well students are welcome to bring their bikes to the school and “park” them in the gym for the entire week – might save the hassle of hauling them back and forth from home if not regularly ridden to school.

Popcorn Fundraiser – Monday (25^th)/Tuesday (26^th)

Our School-Parent group has organized a $1.00 per bag of popcorn sale for all the RBES students.  The last day to submit orders to the classroom teachers for popcorn is Monday, May 25^th with the popcorn being delivered to students the following day, Tuesday, May 26^th during the lunch hour break.

Swine Serenade – Wednesday, May 27th and Thursday, May 28th

Reminder of the upcoming Grade Four drama presentation on May 27^th in the school Meeting Place.

School Theme Day: Sports Day – Friday, May 29^th

Friday, May 29^th is Sports Day and our Student Spirit Team is encouraging all of our students to come to school wearing their favourite sports uniform i.e. football, hockey, jerseys, soccer, gymnastics, dance, etc.  

That is all for this week, have a great weekend and be sure to enjoy the fabulous weather!

Weekly Update: May 8, 2015

Hello Robina Families,

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and all you special MOMS had some extra fun and good times with your kiddos. It was a beautiful weekend to get outside and do something in the warm sunshine.

From all accounts our Grade 4 Drumheller trip was a huge success and everyone had a fabulous time. Thank you so much to all the parent volunteers who made this field trip possible! Thank you Mrs. Spreen, Mrs. Fleming and Mr. Henderson for spending a lot of extra time getting this trip organized.

REMINDER:

WEEKLY ASSEMBLY:

The theme this month is self discipline or self control. We will be using the words interchangeably. We had an extra draw this week for the participants of the Fund Scrip Fundraiser. Thank you to our SOS committee for donating five - $5 gift certificates for the prizes. Our winner picture below is missing an ECS student - Nate - who wasn't at the assembly. CONGRATULATIONS to our wrist band challenge winner, Fund Scrip winners and of course our Awesome Students of the Week!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Week of May 11-15: The Clay Guy is here to work with all classes except Grade 2

Wednesday, May 13 - Kindergarten Parent Meeting at 6:30 in the gym

Friday, May 15 - NO SCHOOL - Mid Term Break

Monday, May 18 - NO SCHOOL - Victoria Day

Tuesday, May 19 - SPRING PHOTOS

** Please check our calendar for individual classroom events that are happening this week. You can click on the calendar tab above to see this calendar.

Please click on the attached link for a great article on Boosting Resilience in children. It is a tip tool for parents.  http://goo.gl/wmHzkp

Have a great week,

Weekly Update: May 1, 2015

Hello Robina Families,

It is hard to believe that we are in May and heading into the home stretch of our school year. This month in assembly we are working on the theme of self-discipline. Mrs. Mullen led us through some great self-discipline activities on Friday.

Congratulations goes out to this week's Student of the Week recipients. They were all a pretty excited bunch!

Congratulations also goes out to this month's Pizza with the Principal winners! We will be having lunch together on Tuesday, May 5.

Message from SOS Fundraiser Committee:

The SOS Committee would like to thank the residents of Devon for donating their cans and bottles to the school when visiting the Devon Bottle Depot, as well as the Devon Bottle Depot itself for donating funds to the school.

The Bottle Depot is continuing to collect cans and bottles for the Robina Baker SOS Committee, and we thank them for their dedication and support of our school.

Message from Riverview for Grade 4 parents:

Good afternoon.  I would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to you and your families to attend our Open House on WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 from 6:15 - 7:45.pm to 7:45 pm

Please join us as we share and celebrate the wonderful things our school has to offer.

Mr. Boschman, our Principal, will be speaking for a few moments at the beginning and then you are free to roam about the school to see all the sights. Our library will be hosting it's annual Stuff A Bag for $5.00 which lets you get some good summer reading materials. Refreshments will also be available.

We hope you will have some time to drop in for a visit with us and look forward to seeing you. 

Brenda Rudrud

​SUMMER SCHOOL

The Black Gold Summer School website is now available on the front page of the Black Gold Regional Schools website (www.blackgold.ca) for all staff, parents and students to access.
[Here is a direct link - http://www.blackgold.ca/schools/summer-school/]

​

Upon opening each link there is an option located at the top of the page to open up a PDF copy of all the information pertaining to that program.

Please feel free to contact Dan Lake or Linda Owens if you have any questions.
(Their contact info is listed on the bottom right side of the Summer School page)

EDUCATION WEEK:

We will be celebrating Education Week beginning on Monday, May 4. Click on the video below for an idea of what our student "Teachers" will be teaching to the other students throughout the afternoon on May 4. The kick off assembly is at 1:30 in the gym.

The students have already done portraits of all the teaching staff. If you have a minute to stroll down our hallways, come check out their AWESOME art work! There will be Teacher themed riddles in our announcements, the grade 2s are doing soap stone carvings, the Lions readers are coming to visit on Tuesday, ECS students will be doing some local community field trips and the Grade 4s are off to Drumheller on Thursday and Friday! It will be a very busy Education Week! Next week our ECS, 1s, 3s and 4s students will be doing a project with the Clay Guy. There is definitely a lot of 3D projects happening and we all can't wait to see the results.

ECS 2015-16 Parent Meeting

This message is for all ECS parents for the coming fall. We will be having a parent meeting on Wednesday, May 13 at 6:30 in the gym. We hope that all parents can attend.

That's all for this week. Just a reminder to check out our calendar to stay up to date on events at our school. Spring Photos and Bike Safety will be happening in the month of May. Look for information to be coming home shortly.

Have a great week,

Weekly Update: April 23, 2015

Hello Robina Families,

Even though last week was a short week, it was a busy one! I see lots of "Crazy" day pictures have already been shared, but I thought I would include a couple more here. Before I do that, I would like to acknowledge once again how much I appreciate our office ladies. This has been a challenging year with all the online changes and new programming from Alberta Education. They have taken each challenge in stride and do so with a smile on their face every day. Thank you Ladies for everything you do!

CRAZY DAY AT RBES!

In our assembly this week, we had the opportunity to finish our lesson on gossip and we read a fabulous book together. It is a great one to revisit with your family. It is called "Mr. Peabody's Apples" and it is by Madonna.

Update in 2D and 3FM:
This letter was emailed to all parents in both of those classes.

COMING THIS WEEK . . . 

Monday, April 27: Ukelele Club, Track and Field Sign Up
Tuesday, April 28: Fund Scrip Orders are Due! Grade 4s write TIMSS test
Wednesday, April 29: Ukelele Club, Track practice, PAC/SOS meetings start at 6:30 pm
Thursday, April 30: Last day to order milk tickets
Friday, May 1: Assembly, Track practice, Drumheller payment due for Gr. 4s

That is all for now! Have a great week!

Weekly Update: April 17, 2015

Hello everyone,

I would like to start this week's update by looking at the topic of Gossip. This is an area that we touch upon as teachers, as well as discuss in the office and in our assemblies with the students - especially the older grades. We talk about the definition of gossip and why it is important not to participate in it. According to Wikipedia, "Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others".

We talk to the students about how hurtful gossip can be, how it is often inaccurate and although it usually starts with a grain of truth, the story that gets passed on is often exaggerated until it no longer resembles any part of what the original story is. When people don't have certain parts of the story, those parts get embellished or made up as that is often easier than going to the source of the story and finding out what is accurate. Gossip also often includes emotional pieces (like anger, frustration, jealousy, sadness etc) that can be unhealthy if focused on for too long. Gossip can also be metaphorically equated to those ripples in the ocean that turn into crashing waves. What starts out as a little poke or misinformation, can often turn into something big and out of control.

Unfortunately, we have some students participating in gossip and the spreading of rumors to the point where it is hurtful to others. I have had a few students in my office over the last couple of weeks crying because they believe nobody likes them and that everyone is saying bad things about them. It is very sad to see these crushed little spirits. Many times, because of the students' age, their perception about people not liking them is often bigger than what it really is, but at the end of the day this perception is their reality. This can lead to anxiety and fear. Let's all take a stand and say NO to gossip and the spreading of rumors (stories) that we have no way to verify if they are true or not. Please take a couple of minutes to reinforce this message with your child.

Alberta's Learning and Technology Framework Policy

Please click on the short video below for a quick overview and understanding of this policy. If you are interested in knowing more, there are 20 more short videos that this link will take you to in order to look at each area a little more in depth.

BUDGET INFORMATION and school numbers for next year:

As many of you know there are some pretty serious concerns with the latest cutbacks in education from the Alberta government. One of these issues is that our funding for budgets will be locked in for this September by the end of this week. This makes it especially important for us to get an accurate student head count by this Thursday, April 23. If you know of anyone planning to come to the school in the fall, please have them contact us by this Thursday. ECS registrations: As well, any potential kindergarten students who have not registered for next year, please do so as soon as possible this week. We will be deciding on our class structures and will have information out to the new ECS parents in about a week.

MESSAGE from SOS Fundraising Committee:

Hello everyone there are two fundraisers going on at the moment. The Fund Scrip orders are due this Thursday, April 23. Our paint night will be a fun social event and it is scheduled for Friday, June 12th at 7:00 pm. The posters below contain more information or you can visit this link on our school council page on our website. Our next meeting is next Wednesday, April 29th at 6:30 with the school council meeting to follow at 7:30. Thank you to everyone who participated in the SOS survey to determine where fundraising funds will be spent.

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

* Last week for Alberta Dental Health Services to be here.

* EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: We will be practicing a few more of our safety drills (on alert, shelter in place, drop cover hold) . . . last week we had the opportunity to practice two different types of fire drills. If you would like to read more about the BGRS new emergency protocol "Hour Zero" that all schools are employing, please check out this link on our website. 

You can also find this information by going to the parent tab, click on emergency procedures and click on the guide link on that page. As I had mentioned earlier in the year, you can visit the hour zero website for more information as well . . . http://www.hour-zero.com/

Lock Down drills will be coming up in a couple of weeks. I will send home a separate email explaining the protocol for this type of situation. The heads up will give you the opportunity to chat with your child about the drill. We don't want younger students to be frightened by this type of drill and I find if parents chat with them about it before hand, we are less likely to have scared little ones on the day of the drill.

* Thursday, April 23: Fund Scrip orders are due and it is SUPER CRAZY DAY (students can have crazy hair, clothes etc.)

* Friday, April 24: PD DAY and NO SCHOOL for students.

My last note of the week is to address the recent feedback and comments on a number of Face Book pages regarding the piano in 2D. I don't normally comment or post information on daily school decision making, however, given the outcry and lack of information, I thought I would address the situation with some facts.

1. The original post that was made was an opinion and lacking in factual information.

2. Mrs. Down was a part of the decision making process to remove the piano from the classroom and she supports that decision.

3. The piano was removed due to some safety concerns in the classroom. Our number one priority is and always will be SAFETY of our students.

4. The piano being removed is a temporary measure and has not been taken away. The piano will come back to the classroom when all involved feel the timing is right.

I fully support music and the individual talents that all of our staff bring to RBES and I support them sharing those talents with your children. I would be lying if I didn't say that I was very disappointed that so many people were willing to post their anger and frustration on face book, but not one person emailed myself or Mrs. Down to ask what was happening. 

If you are ever wondering about a decision in the school, I have always indicated that you are more than welcome to come in and ask, phone or email and I will welcome a conversation with you. 

We have more than a few kiddos with challenging circumstances this year. We are all working very hard in order to set them up for success. This child centred focus means that we look at the safety and the emotional well being of all students first. As a staff, we all work hard to make sure that your children are in a happy and safe place in order for their learning to be at an optimum level. We try to work collaboratively as a team with parents/caregivers, our district office staff (OTs, SLPs, PTs, Learning Support Coaches, FSLWs and other supportive roles), our teachers and support staff along with the admin team and our LST (Learning Support Teacher - Ms. Wilson). Sometimes the involvement of this team means that decisions are made to support the collective good of the whole school or a classroom. Because it would simply be impossible to report all of these decisions and anticipate which decisions the whole school community is going to want information on; I would like to ask that if you have a question or concern to please let us know.

Have a wonderful week,

Weekly Update: April 10, 2015

Hello Everyone,

Time sure seems to be moving quickly with these sun shiny days! The calendar is really full and the classrooms are bustling with activity. Klondike relays and boys floor hockey finished this past week. Alberta Health Dental services are here for another two weeks and are doing checks on all K-2 students. Our theme in assemblies for the month of April is empathy. It is a tough concept, but the students had a great discussion and watched a couple of short video clips to help their understanding. Congratulations goes out to our Students of the Week this past week.

A huge CONGRATULATIONS goes out to all the student athletes for their hard work and commitment to both teams. Klondike Relay awards will be handed out during the assembly this Friday, April 17. Mr. Henderson will also be handing out certificates to both the girls and boys floor hockey teams on April 17. Our boys ended up taking home the trophy from this past weekend's tournament! Whoop whoop . . . fantastic job RBES!

FUND SCRIP fundraiser

This fundraiser came home to all parents last week from the SOS fundraising committee. This fundraiser will go to support General Arts and Technology within RBES. Order Gift Cards from the participating stores to give as Mother's Day, Father's Day and Year End Teacher Gifts!!!! For each Gift Card Ordered RBES will receive the corresponding percentage. Thank you for your CONTINUED SUPPORT!!! Please return the order sheet no later than April 23. For each order sheet the student brings back, their name will be entered into a draw for prizes!!!!

SOS / PAC meeting

Next meeting: Wednesday, April 29th
SOS: 6:30-7:30 pm
PAC: 7:30 - 8:30 pm

All parents are welcome to attend. Please come join us!

THIS COMING WEEK:

For this week's video announcements please click here. We are working on looping our weekly video announcements and they will play on the tv in the foyer along with some current photos of events in our school.

Please remember to check our calendar regularly to look ahead for dress up days, field trips and extra curricular activities. Calendar Link.

Have a great week,

Weekly Update: March 27, 2015

Hello Robina Families,

I hope you are all having a fantastic start to your spring break. I will do a quick recap of a couple of items/events from last week and give you a quick look into our schedule for when we are all back.

Spell-a-thon:

As many of you have already heard, our Spell-a-thon was a HUGE success. Thank you to everyone who participated. We raised $9,600 for technology in our school. Fabulous job RBES students, parents and staff! After the presentation of the prizes, Mrs. Tewitz and Mrs. Forchuk gave all students and staff an ice cream treat. What a fabulous job they both did organizing this event!

Book Fair:

Thank you to all who attended and supported our Book Fair! A big THANK YOU goes out to Mrs. Becker and her volunteer crew for another fabulous event! The Book Fair is a lot of fun, but also a lot of work goes on the scenes to make that happen. As I heard many students and staff say this week, "We LOVE you Mrs. Becker" "You're the Best!" and I would completely agree. Thanks to all of this effort our students will see $3,000 in new products for our library very shortly!

Student Led Conferences:

Student Led Conferences were very well attended and many parents had the opportunity to have a peak into their child's world of learning. Thank you for taking the time to come out to this Celebration of your child's learning - I know many of them were excited that you came!

Google Conference follow-up:

Our google conference kiddos met with Mr. Maltais this week to create a presentation to be shared with all of our grade 4 students. What a great job they did! I can't wait to see them teach this after spring break!

Grade 4 anti-bullying slide shows:

I wanted to send out a big Congratulations to all the students in 4S who completed anti-bullying presentations based on their learning with the Saffron group last week. A number of these will be presented at the assemblies in the upcoming weeks. One of the most powerful videos used in one of those presentations was this one shared by Nakisha that I posted earlier on FaceBook. It captures the message beautifully.

New Website:

Our new website is up and running. THANK YOU to Mrs. Horrocks as she did the majority of the data transfer. The new site looks fabulous and now has a common look to BGRS and the other schools who have transferred over to the new platform. By June all BGRS schools will be under this new format. Until the link is updated on the BGRS website, here is the address for you to save to your favourites. http://rbes.blackgold.ca/ 

Browse around to see where everything is. Our most important link - the Calendar, has it's own tab and is still the same google calendar, so if you have already bookmarked it, that has not changed.

After Spring Break:

Tuesday, April 7th: a number of our students will be running in the Klondike Relays. Mr. Henderson posted an update of information on FB at this link: RBES FB

Tuesday - Friday, April 7-10: Alberta Dental Health Services will be in to visit the K-2 students.

Saturday, April 11: RBES Fundraiser Scrapbook Crop! Use this link to register if you are interested: http://goo.gl/forms/L6YuRQcOHG Details and information are in the poster below:

School Counil / Fundraiser Update:

NEXT MEETING: 

Wednesday, April 29: SOS Fundraiser meeting at 6:30 pm, PAC school council meeting at 7:30 - Mark your calendars and plan to attend!

***There will be a survey sent to all parents shortly to gather information for the fundraising committee. Please watch your inbox.

Enjoy a great week with your families and have a HAPPY EASTER! See you on Tuesday, April 7th when we return to classes!

Warmest Regards,