Principal’s Message

 

Welcome back to AHE! It has been so great reconnecting and hearing about everyone’s adventures over the summer. Our little school continues to grow, with 212 students currently registered. I’d like to extend a big WELCOME to all of our new families. We have a busy September ahead of us. Read on for all of the updates!

Mrs. Pam Mair – Principal AHE

 

 

Classes and Configuration

We have 10 divisions for the 2024-25 school year, with a few new additions to our staff. Welcome back to Ian Gardiner who will be teaching our grade 7 class this year. Joining our Educational Assistant team until Christmas is Ms. Zahurancova, and Mrs. Bekah McLeod will return in January following her maternity leave. Also new to our staff is April Bloem, our new Library Assistant, and Dylan Murray, a new Indigenous Support Worker to collaborate with Ms. Krug. See the whole AHE team below!

Mrs. Claire Pendergast – Secretary.

Ms. April Bloem – Library Clerk.Ms. Ashley Carley – Education Assistant/Noon Hour Supervisor

Mrs. Kim Cottingham – Education Assistant/Noon Hour Supervisor

Ms. Theresa McGeragle – Education Assistant/Social Support

Ms. Anna Zahurancova/Mrs. Bekah McLeod – Education Assistant/Social Support

Mrs. Edie Kolt – Custodian in charge

Mr. Mark Lightheart – Custodian

Mr. Dylan Murray – Indigenous Student Advocate

Ms. Marlene Krug – Indigenous Student Advocate

Mrs. Allison Just – Learning Support Teacher

Ms. Gabriella Draboczi – Librarian

Mr. Adam Cadegan – PE Teacher

Ms. Jennifer Ausman – Band/Music Teacher

Mrs. Rosalie Lambert – Elementary Counsellor

Ms. Monica Penner – Speech Language Pathologist

Ms. Gio Tedesco – Kindergarten Teacher

Mrs. Natalie MacLeod/Ms. Amy Ashford – Grade 1 Teachers

Ms. Molly Butler/Ms. Georgia Mackenzie – Grade 1/2 Teachers

Mrs. Julia Gauer/Ms. Gabriella Draboczi – Grade 2/3 Teachers

Mrs. Janette Vickers/Ms. Amy Ashford – Grade 2/3 Teachers

Mrs. Connie Haworth – Grade 4 Teacher

Ms. Alison Hall – Grade 5 Teacher

Mrs. Michelle Gadbois – Grade 5/6 Teacher

Ms. Tara Johnson/Mr. Adam Cadegan – Grade 6 Teachers

Mr. Ian Gardiner – Grade 7 Teacher

Seed Packets?!

Seed packets provide valuable information for gardeners to be able to provide perfect conditions to grow thriving and happy plants. You can learn a lot from a single seed packet…… a description of the plant, the ideal growing conditions, what to expect from the seed, its strengths and its needs! This month, in order to learn more about our students as individuals,  our first Buddy Activity in September is to design and share seed packets. Who knows better what a snap pea needs than the snap pea itself?? Seed packets will describe students’ social profile, how to support them, and how to challenge them.  The teachers have already made theirs!

 

Start-Up Items

Medical Needs

If your child has any medical needs, or if they need medication administered at school, please alert the office. Forms are updated yearly, and often a medical doctor’s signature is needed.

Student Handbook

Each child in grades 1-7 will receive an agenda. Agendas are an important tool for organization and communication between school and home. The first pages of the agenda contain the AHE Student Handbook. Please thoroughly read the Handbook with your child. This year, we are engaging students in a short “Handbook Treasure Hunt” involving finding the answers to a few short questions by reading the Handbook. Completed “Treasure Hunt” entries can be returned to the office for the chance to win an AHE t-shirt!

School Supplies

Thank you for your patience as we navigate our first bulk order of school supplies. School supplies are offered at a cost of $37 plus $8 for agendas. If your child is bringing their own school supplies, only the $8 agenda fee is due. Sorry for the inconvenience, but we are only able to accept cash or cheque at this time.

Verification Forms

You will be receiving copies of the contact and registration information we have for your child. Each year we ask parents to review this information to be sure it is accurate. Please read the verification form fully, correcting anything that needs to be changed directly on the form. Please sign and return to your child’s teacher.

Permission Forms

A package will be sent home requiring your permission for in-town field trips, photographs, access to food at school, internet use, etc. Please read carefully, sign and return to your child’s teacher.

Teacher Professional Development

On August 28 and 29, before students were back in session, our teachers took part in excellent Professional Development sessions that support the development of each individual school’s goals for the 2024-25 school year and impact our teaching practices. The key note speaker this year was Hannah Beach, author of Reclaiming Our Students, a book that provides insight into student behaviour and what they are actually trying to tell us! As a school community, we are working towards a goal of providing a safe, caring environment where all students belong and feel collected and connected. Over the course of the year, it is our hope to include parents in our community of learning in how to provide the best support to our students. As a first step, we have purchased 5 extra copies of Reclaiming Our Students to lend out. Please visit Claire at the front office if you would like to borrow a copy!

Visit Hannah Beach’s blog full of links and information:

https://hannahbeach.ca/get-inspired/blog/

 

Mathematically Speaking

Developing strong numeracy skills continues to be one of our AHE goals this year. Teachers spent some time before school with Kendra Jacobs to learn about building communities of Mathematicians. This includes continuing to develop fundamental skills and strategies alongside experiences in problem solving. Did you know that how you feel about Math can have an effect on your child’s math identity?  We are encouraging our students to have a growth mindset when approaching Numeracy tasks and to be flexible in trying many different strategies. Our Numeracy question this month is “What do Mathematicians Do?”

In keeping with our Seed Packet theme, this month in our Numeracy Lab, students will be estimating and counting collections of seeds. What’s a Numeracy Lab? This year, we have a dedicated space for kids to visit at recess and during class time to take part in exploration and planned activities surrounding Numeracy. It will be open Wednesday to Friday starting next week!

Indigenous Education

Indigenous Education in SD 19 seeks to enhance supports for Indigenous students, and increase the presence of Indigenous cultures, languages, and histories for all members of our learning community.

Who does the Indigenous Education Department Support? The Indigenous Education Department provides support and services to self identified Indigenous students and the wider learning community within SD 19. Indigenous ancestry includes First Nations (status or non-status), Inuit, or Metis ancestry and can go back several generations.

There is no documentation required to self identify as Indigenous. When enrolling, inform the principal or secretary and a member of the Indigenous Education Department will then contact a parent or guardian to gain their consent for the student to receive supports and services provided by the Indigenous Education Department.

As required by the Ministry of Education, parent/guardian permission and/or confirmation will be required at the start of each year to provide our programs and services to your child. The Indigenous Education Department plans their supports and activities based on the number of selfidentified Indigenous students in the district.

Library News

The Library is up and running ,and while library classes will be starting next week, book exchanges will not be starting until Sept. 16. As mentioned, we have a new Library clerk who is working hard to learn the program and get things ready for signing out books!

Terry Fox Run

September 27th at 1:30pm is the annual Terry Fox Run at AHE. This year we will be collecting “Toonies for Terry” to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation. Monday September 23rd, we will hold a whole school assembly to remind students of the meaning behind the yearly Terry Fox run. Parents/Guardians are welcome to join for the run or volunteer along the course!

Cross Country Running Club

Our first school-wide sport is Cross Country running. The Running Club is offered to students in grade 4-7 and is lead by teacher sponsors, Mrs. MacLeod and Ms. Johnson. Practices will be held on Tuesdays after school from 2:30 to approximately 3:15. There are 3 school meets held on Thursdays. Parent volunteers are welcome at both practices and meets. Permission slips will be sent home soon. See the schedule below!

Practice – Tuesday, September 17 AHE

Practice – Thursday, September 19 AHE

Practice – Tuesday, September 24 AHE

District Run – Thursday, September 26  AHE

Practice – Tuesday, October 1 AHE

District Run – Thursday, October 3  BVE

Practice – Tuesday, October 8 AHE

District Run – Thursday, October 10  CPE

Traffic Safety

Park Drive and our bus and parking areas are extremely busy at pick up and drop off! Please have your children use the marked crosswalk when crossing Park Drive. We encourage all children and parents to walk or bike to school when possible. If driving your child to school is necessary, please remember:

• Park in the designated areas only
• Do not allow your car to idle
• Turn around when and where it is safe. Please no U-Turns in the front of the school.

PAC News

Welcome back Arrow Heights Families! We can’t believe school is back in session. Where did the summer go???

PAC meetings are held on the first Monday of every month. Meetings start at 6:30 and last approximately one hour, childcare is provided by grade 6 and 7 students. PAC is a great way to be involved with your child’s school experience, be involved in many AHE initiatives,  and to stay informed on upcoming events like our hot lunches, the Scholastic Book Fair and the students’ favourite: the Holiday Craft Fair. These events can’t run without parent volunteers.  We welcome and encourage all parents, grandparents and caregivers to attend our meetings and get involved!

Our first meeting of the school year is on Monday September 16, 2024 @ 6:30pm in the AHE Library, as always child care is provided.

If you can’t attend our monthly meeting but would like to volunteer for our school events please send an email to pacarrowheights@gmail.com. We will add you to our email list.

Photo Day

Mountain West Studios will be at AHE to take Individual student photos on Tuesday, September 17th starting at 8:40 a.m. Proofs/Samples and order forms will be sent home to families to order packages. Photo re-takes will be on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Orange Shirt Day (September 27th) and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30th) are days of recognition  honouring the children who never returned home and the Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

Why do we wear orange on Truth and Reconciliation day?

Students are asked to wear an orange shirt on September 27th in honour of those who attended and for healing. It is the hope of those who attended residential schools that no other child would ever have to live that experience again.

Leading up to September 27th students and staff will engage in age appropriate learning about Canada’s colonial past and how we can move forward in understanding and reconciliation.