Principal`s Prints - Bearspaw School

We strive for Champion Effort, Champion Attitude and
Champion Teamwork
Bearspaw School
253210 Bearspaw Rd.
Calgary, AB T3L 2S5
239-9607 (Ph) 239-4053 (fax)
http://bearspaw.rockyview.ab.ca
January 2016
Principal’s Prints
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful holiday full of rest and relaxation and that you were able to make
some lasting memories with your families.
I would like to take the opportunity to say “Thank you” to Mr. Bosse and to Mrs. Becker for organizing
the holiday concerts, as well as to the many staff who volunteered to be at the performances to ensure
they were as “glitch free” as possible. We appreciate everyone’s hard work in pulling those two performances together. The “Snowball Dance” was quite a big success with many 6, 7 and 8 students participating and actually dancing!!
We have a returning staff member who I would like to welcome back to our staff. Mrs. Rachel Crossland will be returning from her leave mid January. I know that she is excited to be coming back to
Bearspaw. However, that means we must also say farewell to Ms. Chelsy Hooper, who started the year
for Rachel. Thank you, Chelsy, for all your hard work and commitment. Also, I would like to welcome
Mrs. Cheri Badry to Bearspaw for the next couple of months. Cheri will be filling in for Mrs. Jenn Taggart,
one of our grade 1 teachers, who will be away on a short term leave.
A quick reminder that we have our second round of parent teacher conferences coming up in the first
week in February on Tuesday the 2nd and Thursday the 4th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Our extra curricular sports programs are in full swing again with our Basketball teams playing tournaments in January and February. Go Silvertips!
Finally, a big thank you to the “Friends of Bearspaw” for their determination and commitment in acquiring bleachers for the gym mezzanine. They have been well used and well received for both the sporting
events that we host and the school concerts/performances that we have held.
Have a great January everyone!
Brad
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We strive for Champion Effort, Champion Attitude and Champion Teamwork
Register your child for Kindergarten from Monday, January 11th, 2016, onward!
Although registration is ongoing up to the first day of school, pre-registration helps
parents and children make an informed choice.
Registration packages will be available for pick up at the school office. Please provide the following documentation at the time of registration (required from ALL applicants) :
 Proof of the child’s age & legal name. Documents accepted are: birth certificate, adoption certificate, student authorization visa, Canadian citizenship papers, passport, or permanent landed immigrant/residence. Please note: the
office staff are required to see the original documents and a copy will then be
made for your child’s file;
 Current proof of residency: house number and street address if you live in a
town or city; the legal land description (section, township and range) if you live
on a farm or an acreage. Please note: a utility bill is preferred. Unfortunately, a
driver’s license is not acceptable.
 $25.00 registration fee (non-refundable). Cash or cheque accepted; cheque
payable to Bearspaw School.
Office hours:
Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Fridays 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Perseverance
As we begin the new year at Bearspaw School, we will be focusing on the Virtue
of PERSEVERANCE. Perseverance is being purposeful and steadfast. It is
sticking to something, staying committed, no matter how long it takes or what obstacles appear to stop you. A good example is the story of the tortoise and the
hare. Even though the tortoise was slower than the hare, he won the race because he persevered. He kept on going!
Please take the opportunity to discuss with your children what perseverance
means to your family and how to can practice it.
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We strive for Champion Effort, Champion Attitude and Champion Teamwork
Thank Yous
A special THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped to make all the events so far this year a success! Going forward in 2016, we will continue to need volunteers for a variety of events and fundraisers. If you have not had a chance to volunteer but would like to, please contact the volunteer coordinator, Cheryl at info@bearspawfbes.com.
Volunteer Opportunities
Sign up for the Casino shifts - now open! Grab a friend or family member and join us as we raise an
amazing amount of money for our school. The school is only granted one Casino every 18-24
months because they are such large money makers. Last year, our Casino raised $76,467.39!!
That works out to $2124.00/shift and $292.00 an hour. Not bad for a small donation of your time.
Each of the two preceding Casinos raised approximately $68,000 each! Here are the details:
 The Casino will be held on Saturday, March 19th and Sunday, March 20th at Cowboys Casino
(just to the north of the stampede grounds). Parking is provided FREE of charge in the underground parkade. You will receive a FREE meal as well. You are encouraged to bring crafts, tables, DVDs, marking/paperwork - anything that you would like to do while you are not busy.
 The shifts are broken down to:
11:15 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. (2 out of the 6 positions need to be there from 11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. just
15 minutes early).
6:45 p.m. - 3:30 a.m. (on Sunday, the General Manager is needed to work until 4:00 a.m.)
10:45 p.m. - 3:30 a.m.
 The first two shifts have these positions available:
General Manager: enters information into Casino system (i.e. names), counts and verifies
opening bank role, ensures transactions are entered properly in the computer, ensures secure
handling and storage or chips and cash. Overseas all volunteers, ensuring that they are on time
and that they are performing their duties, problem solving and general management of casino
functions.
Banker: Supervises cash cage and reports to the GM, responsible for cashiers and chip
runners.
2 Chip Runners: Helps staff at opening of gaming tables, at close of gaming tables, witness
chip count and verify it’s entered into the system properly, transfers chips from banker to the
gaming tables.
 The last shift has these positions available:
Count Room Supervisor: Records the number of bills, coins and chips, verify the info that
is entered is correct, supplies cash to banker, prepares the float and bank deposits.
6 Count Room Staff: sort, count, record and amalgamate funds.
For further information on available shifts and requirements, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Cheryl at bearspawvolunteer@gmail.com.
Continued on page 4….
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We strive for Champion Effort, Champion Attitude and Champion Teamwork
Volunteer Opportunities
As some of you may be aware, we have a concession that we open during sporting events. It is available
to the students, parents, staff and coaches of both our school and the visiting teams that we host. Many families count on the concession for snacks and even dinner. The money raised goes back to the school to help
fund many of the programs and extras that we are so fortunate to have. Unfortunately, we have been having
a very hard time filling the volunteer positions this year. We would hate to stop offering this great service, but
without additional help, that might be an option. The sports concessions are on Fridays (basketball tournaments start after Christmas). The shifts are 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. OR 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. You can even bring your
children to help with the math skills. If you think that you might be able to offer a few hours to help or would
like any additional information, please contact Cheryl at bearspawvolunteer@gmail.com.
School Council is still looking for a member to serve as secretary going forward. This position does not
take much time outside of attending the monthly meetings. Please attend the next meeting on Wednesday,
January 20th at 6:30 p.m. (in the school library) if you are interested in learning more about this volunteer position on School Council.
FBES Information
The prize winning portion of the magazine fundraiser has ended. However, you can continue to help
Bearspaw School all year long; please enter the online ordering code 3749983 at www.qsp.ca for new subscriptions and renewals all year long.
School Council Meeting
The next meeting will be held on January 20th at 6:30 p.m. in the school library. Going forward, we will continue to learn and grow as a Council, working in conjunction with the administration of our school to enrich
and enhance our children’s educational experience.
Last May, Mr. Perratt’s class and Mrs. Taggart’s
class hatched Praying Mantises from an egg
sac. Students built terrariums for them and after
learning about the insects, each student took
home a Praying Mantis in a terrarium to release.
Kurosh Samandari in Mrs. Taggart’s class was
one of those students, but decided to keep his
new pet, Preyo. With his Mom’s help, they set up
a much larger terrarium and began purchasing
crickets to feed their growing insect. Fast forward seven months later, Preyo has grown to be
a few inches long and recently laid her own ootheca (egg sac). Kurosh is excited to share this
photo of his special pet and he says “I was excited when I got to see Preyo hatch from the ootheca at school and now I’ve got to watch the
whole life cycle of a Praying Mantis.”
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We strive for Champion Effort, Champion Attitude and Champion Teamwork
K-8 Champion Readers
Kindergarten
Cristina DeMichele - Ka.m.1 Cia Harbilas-Tobin - Ka.m.2
Grade One
Noah Trinca - 1.1
Himmat Bal - 1.2
Grade Two
Jacob Powell - 2.1
Cameron Cooke - 2.2
Grade Three
Amii Rajpal - 3.1
Isabel Roblin - 3.2
Grade Four
Cohen Dyck - 4.1
Georgia Lassiter - 4.2
Grade Five
Alyssa Bjornson - 5.1
Aeriel Soffer - 5.2
Grade Six
Keisha Basi - 6.1
Ben Dallison & Zack Colonna 6.2
Grade Seven
Reese Thurmeier - 7.1
Maya Millard - 7.2
Grade Eight
Claire Chang - 8.1
Easton Trenke & Pieter Smit 8.2
Lexi Nurcombe - Kp.m.
Nyah Lefebvre - 2/3
Adyson Kelly - 4/5
Mackenzie Kerr - 7.3
K-8 Champion Writers
Kindergarten
Jade Caddel - Ka.m.1
Jamie Harbilas-Tobin - Ka.m.2
Grade One
Carter Jepp - 1.1
Gabby Soffer - 1.2
Grade Two
Eliana Adedeji - 2.1
Cassie Reaper - 2.2
Grade Three
Angalie Kuehn - 3.1
Madison Abougoush - 3.2
Grade Four
Maya Bryson - 4.1
Katelyn Wise - 4.2
Grade Five
Ria Patel - 5.1
Sallee Schaerer - 5.2
Grade Six
Jordan Reinhardt - 6.1
Brynn Ceh - 6.2
Grade Seven
Zoe Phaneuf - 7.1
Sami Virji - 7.2
Grade Eight
Jennifer Wai - 8.1
Kahari Basi & Brooke Cuming 8.2
Braxlee Barber - Kp.m.
Mark Miles - 2/3
Ty Clemett - 4/5
Jake Munz - 7.3
K-8 Student of the Month - Champion of Character
Theme - COMPASSION
Kindergarten
Alize Jaudon - Ka.m.1
Caden Smith - Ka.m.2
Grade One
Sophie Barnett - 1.1
Isabelle Grouette - 1.2
Grade Two
Henry Fransoo - 2.1
Jackson Priddey - 2.2
Grade Three
Savannah de Jong - 3.1
Tatum Yarmuch - 3.2
Grade Four
Shana Reinhardt - 4.1
Ruby Beach - 4.2
Grade Five
Nevada Connoly - 5.1
Brodie Smith - 5.2
Grade Six
Ella Thompson - 6.1
Boston MacDonald - 6.2
Grade Seven
Armin Sandhu &
Celine Yeung - 7.1
Bella Law - 7.2
Grade Eight
Matthew Fraser - 8.1
Teaghen Duffee - 8.2
Daxon Boyd - Kp.m.
Benett Kelly - 2/3
Gideon Adedeji - 4/5
Shivaun Haynes- 7.3
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We strive for Champion Effort, Champion Attitude and Champion Teamwork
Grades 5, 7, and 8 brought in the new year by exploring the world of Nano-Technology
on Monday, January 4th and Tuesday, January 5th. Jennifer Barrett from the University
of Alberta brought in a scanning electron microscope and introduced this awesome area
of study to our students. Did you know that the University of Alberta has the National
Nano-Technology Centre there?
Students learned about how Nano-Technology is part of biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine, business and loads of other fields of study. Students learned about how
Nano-Technology is being used to improve our lives from keeping our clothes cleaner to
clearing arteries and fighting cancer. Students also collected samples, prepared them,
and scanned them in the electron microscope. Cool stuff! Check out the images below.
Can you guess what they are? Pease email Mr. Barrett at rbarrett@rvschools.ab.ca if
you think you know.
Parent Contest:
Parents can join in on the fun of electron microscopes. Go to this link to take a short quiz.
No cheating parents! You have to do the quiz without the help of your grade 5, 7, or 8
child.
https://docs.google.com/forms/
d/1nTksUnneoybAqhF8LObl71VOfLRvbTuFVoICVoUW_mo/viewform?usp=send_form
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We strive for Champion Effort, Champion Attitude and Champion Teamwork
Emergency Closure of Schools
Parents of Students Attending Cochrane-Westbrook Schools
In compliance with Board policy, the following procedures will be followed in the case of emergency
school closure and cancellation of bus service:
1. Notwithstanding these emergency procedures, it is the responsibility of the parent to determine
whether or not it is safe for a student to leave for school under severe weather conditions as
well as other times.
2. Closure procedures due to weather will be initiated as early as possible and before students are
picked up by the school bus in the morning. Once school begins for the day, school will not be
closed because of weather conditions until regular dismissal time. Should it be deemed unsafe to
dismiss students at the usual time, students may be kept at the school until it is deemed safe to depart, or until other arrangements have been made.
3. Decisions to close school because of inclement weather or other emergencies will be announced on
radio stations, CBC Radio, CHFM Lite 96, 66 CFR, JACK FM, QR 77, Q 107, Country 105, CKMX
1060, CJAY 92 as well as CITY TV, and Global News Morning Edition. This information will also be
posted on the Rocky View Schools’ website and available by telephoning the RVS Transportation
information line 403-250-0016.
4. In the event that school is open but an individual bus driver deems it unsafe to drive his/her route,
the driver will telephone parents. Parents will have the option of transporting their children to school
but, unless otherwise informed by their bus driver, must be prepared to pick up the children at
the end of the school day. Drivers may also alter or delay their bus routes in response to weather
conditions. Parents will be informed through a telephone call from their bus driver of any planned
delays or revisions to the bus routes.
5. There is a possibility that schools may be closed during the day because of power failures,
heating, plumbing or other emergency. Every effort will be made to hold the children at school or to
transfer them to another location in the immediate area until regular dismissal time. Should this not
be feasible, it may be necessary to accommodate students in an urban home until the regular dismissal time. Parents must ensure that an urban home is prepared to accommodate their children.
It is the Parents’ responsibility to make provisions for their children should school be closed.
Are you looking for the Calendar??
Our newsletter will no longer feature the monthly calendar. Please refer to the Google Calendar
on the front page of the Bearspaw School website at http://bearspaw.rockyview.ab.ca and click
on the "Calendar" icon. This calendar is updated throughout the month.