AHE Newsletter April 2024
Principal’s Message
Spring is here! I hope you all had a fantastic Spring Break. Thanks to all of you who came out to support our first “AHE’s Got Talent” show. It was an amazing night led by our senior students, with the goal of bringing joy to our school community.
We’re ready to get back to school for the final term of the 2023/24 school year! Upon our return, students will begin preparing for our student-led conferences that take place on April 17 and 18th. These conferences allow students to demonstrate ownership for their learning while highlighting their accomplishments and their continued learning goals.
The school focus for the month of April is Friendship. Successful students are those who feel connected; to the adults, to the place and to each other! Throughout the month we will be encouraging, teaching about and fostering “Friendship”.
Read on to find out what we’re up to for the month of April! I feel so lucky to be part of such a keen and dedicated school community.
Mrs. Mair
Earth Day
April 22, 2024 is Earth Day. We will have an Earth Day Assembly with Jade Berrill from Wild Schools, followed by our annual neighbourhood clean -up. Our school grounds are covered with wrappers from granola bars and other snacks. When it is possible, please remember to send snacks in re-useable containers.
Jump Rope For Heart
Our Jump Rope For Heart Event is Wednesday, April 24th. The date is fast approaching, and our students will be jumping and celebrating over 40 years of Jump Rope for Heart! We encourage parents to come along on April 24th to support our students as they celebrate and jump to save lives. The Heart and Stroke Foundation appreciates our participation to continue the life-saving work that they are doing. Please consider making and collecting donations. This is all done online this year. Please see the link below for further information on how to join our school (Arrow Heights Elementary) to make or collect online donations and to receive a free gift card based on your donation amount. Fund raising will continue right up to our April 24th Jump Rope date. Let’s show the community what BIG hearts Arrow Heights Elementary school has!
Donation link: https://jumpropeforheart.crowdchange.ca/44776
Student Led Conferences
Student-led conferences will be taking place on April 17th and 18th, with early dismissal at 12:30. These interviews are a great opportunity for you to gain insight into your child’s academic progress and to see examples of their work. Interviews are student-led, allowing students to take ownership and share pride in their accomplishments. Your student will share learning goals and highlight the curricular and core competencies that they are working on in class.
Student Learning Survey
The Provincial Student Learning Survey is unique in its scope, size and usefulness to schools. It gathers information from parents/guardians/caregivers, teachers, and students on topics related to school environment, safety, and achievement. The information is used for planning in individual schools and provides a district and provincial perspective.
In April 2024, the Student Learning Survey will be administered to students in grades 4 and 7, their parents/guardians/caregivers, and all school staff. We encourage parents/guardians/caregivers to participate in this survey, as the results are important in identifying and celebrating current strengths, as well as determining where the school needs to focus improvement. The surveys contain standard questions for the Province – in addition, questions from the school and/or district that focus on local conditions or issues may be included.
The survey can be completed electronically and can be accessed on the Internet
at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey. Any computer with an Internet connection can be used, and access to the e-survey is simple and secure. The survey can be accessed through the link with or without an anonymous logon code by selecting the school district and school name where your child attends school. Provincial, District and School reports for previous years can be viewed at the same site under the Results section. Laptops will be available to complete the survey during our student led conferences on April 17 and 18.
The e-survey site will be open until May 4th.
If you have any questions, please contact the school at 250-837-6360.
Sports Sports Sports
Smash Ball
Our grade 6 and 7 students are participating in Smash Ball on Thursdays at RSS under the leadership of the RSS Volleyball course participants. Smash Ball uses fewer players on a smaller court, which allows for increased contact with the ball – making it an efficient and fun way to develop the skills and enjoyment for the sport. Students progress through a series of skill-building levels to eventually take part in a formal volleyball game. Our students love it!
Grade 4/5 Basketball
Grade 4/5 students will be taking part in 5 fun sessions starting on April 9th from 2:30-3:30 learning basketball skills while developing sportsmanship and a love for the game. Thanks to parent and volunteer coach, Mark Brown for spearheading this opportunity for our students!
District Grade Activities
As part of our District grade sports program, grade 2 and 5 students will be benefitting from 3 swim lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays in April/May culminating in a fun swim on May 15th. More information will be sent home to families later this week. The lessons are short, so please have your child wear their bathing suit under their clothes to speed up the entry into the water!
ShredHERS
Stoke Youth Network, the Revelstoke Cycling Association, and Wandering Wheels are once again running the ShredHERS Mountain Bike Program this spring. We have also applied for extra funding to offer ShredCOED so everyone in Grade 6 & 7 can participate if they would like to.
ShredHERS will be for self-identifying girls in grades 6 & 7. This is coached by female instructors and no experience is necessary. This is a fun way to ride with a supportive group of girls in a easy going environment. Levels of bikers will be split up when necessary to ensure everyone is getting the appropriate level of challenge.
ShredCOED will be for all genders in grade 6 & 7. We heard that everyone else also wants to mountain bike so we are making it happen this year with this program. Again, no experience is necessary and levels will be split up so everyone is getting the appropriate level of challenge.
If there are any students who do not have bikes, we will have some rentals available. We will do our best to make sure everyone who wants to can participate.
Where: Wandering Wheels
709 Victoria Rd, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0
Last year most kids biked from their school to this location to meet.
Time: 3pm – 5:30pm
Date:
Tuesdays
April 30th – June 18th
Alternating ShredHERS and ShredCOED Rides
ShredHERS Dates: April 30, May 14, May 28, June 11
ShredCOED Dates: May 7, May 21, June 4, June 18
Instruction provided by Wandering Wheels coaches.
Transportation to and from the trailhead is provided by Wandering Wheels
LIMIT OF 12 SEATS
As per previous years, we would greatly appreciate any support from teacher/parent sponsors. This will allow us to increase our numbers so that all youth interested in participating are able to. Last year we had 24 girls show up for ShredHERS, which was incredible.
If you are able to help out the program, please email info@stokeyouthnetwork.ca and include the amount of kids you are able to drive (if possible). Last year was a lot of fun and we can’t wait to do it again!
Explorations
On Friday afternoons for five weeks starting in April, Grade 4-7 students are participating in Exploration Fridays. It is a chance to meet new friends from other classrooms and explore an area of interest. This year’s options include outdoor education, yearbook, hiking, art (altered books, iris folding) 3D print making, drama/music, and volleyball. Be sure to check in with your child to find out which activity they are taking part in. Volunteers are always needed! Please reach out if you have a specialization in any of these areas.
Our Primary classes will also be taking part in Explorations starting in May/June. More information to follow!
Numeracy News 
Did you know that Math is Language? For the month of April, we will be continuing to work on building a mathematics word wall. The purpose of the mathematics word wall is to identify words and phrases that students need to understand and use so as to make good progress in mathematics. Mathematical language is crucial to children’s development of thinking and communicating their thoughts to others. For the upcoming weeks, students will be encouraged to record math vocabulary words and place them in the draw box. These words will be used to create our numeracy tree in the front hallway. Two primary students and two intermediate students will be drawn to win a prize.
PAC News
Spring sure has sprung here in Revelstoke. We hope everyone had a great break. PAC would like to thank all the families who purchased their Easter Chocolate through our Purdy’s campaign. By the end of the week, we should have our Art by Kids cards in and organized and sent home with the kids. Thanks again for participation in the PAC Fundraiser. Keep an eye out in the kid’s planners for Sushi hot lunch order forms for lunch on April 23rd, forms will be due Thursday April 18th. Pac will be holding our monthly meeting Monday April 8th, 6pm in the AHE Library. Child care is provided.
Library News
Battle of the Books
This year we had 39 students participating in Battle of the Books between grade 2 and 7. It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm and the camaraderie in our teams! We are proud to send six students to Vernon to the Zone Competition. They will join forces with students from BVE and CPE to represent SD19. Each of them chose a friend to accompany the team and cheer for Revelstoke. Good luck to our readers on Thursday, April 4th!
Dog Man Day
Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man is hands down the most popular series in our library. (Currently you find five Dog Man titles on the list of the Ten Most Circulated Books category!) We’ll be celebrating the latest part of the series on April 23, by having a Dog Man (and Cat Kid) parade, with giveaways and draw prizes. Students will be able to enter the draw and win Dog Man and Cat Kid Masks, posters and tattoos. The lucky winners will be able to take out the new book first, also, to build a three-foot tall Dog Man model with their friends for their classroom. Stay tuned!
Class Photos
Mountain West Studios will be at AHE on the morning of Thursday, April 11th to take class photos. Weather permitting, photos will take place outside.
Indigenous Education
Illicillewaet, Kuskanax, Nakusp, Slocan, Incomappleaux…what do these all have in common?
They are local and nearby place names adapted from the language of the Sinixt, called Nsylxcin. Over the past couple of years, students and staff alike at AHE have been working to learn a few words and phrases in Nsylxcin. We have included some of these in our announcements and assemblies, and now we have an opportunity to learn some more from a Sinixt language teacher, Mr. Donovan. Mr. Donovan will visit some classes each month to share some of the language, and the story and meaning that comes with it.
Upcoming Events
April 4 – Battle of the Books in Vernon
April 5 – Bike Rodeo for Primary Students 1:00-2:20
April 10 – POPS (Numeracy) Grade 1 (5:45-7:00)
April 11 – Spring Class Photos
April 11 – Community Kitchen Hot Lunch
April 12 – Intermediate Explorations begin
April 17/18 – Student Led conferences (early dismissal 12:30)
April 22 – Earth Day Neighbourhood Clean up 1:45
April 23 – PAC Sushi Lunch
April 24 – PALS K Ashford/Patterson 8:30-10:00
April 24 – Jump Rope For Heart
April 25 – PALS K Tedesco 1:00-2:30
May 3 – Pro D day
Stay connected!
Please visit our website arrowheights.sd19.bc.ca
