HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!

New Sarepta Elementary

Staff would like to wish

everyone a very Happy

New Year for 2017. We

hope that everyone had a

great Christmas break.

As we settle back into the

school routine please con-

tinue to work with your

child, checking homework

each evening and signing

the agenda. Also, don’t

forget to send back those

shoes and gym clothes. All

the best to you in 2017!!

THANK YOU!! A HUGE THANK YOU to

all the parents who helped

with tying skates and/or

helped out on the ice for

the Gr. 1 - 3 skating

program. It was greatly

appreciated! We certainly

couldn’t run this program

without your help!

THANK YOU to all the

parents and students who

sent in well wishes, treats

and/or gifts to the staff

in December! We very

much appreciated all the

kind words, gifts, goodies,

and charitable donations

made in our name. We are

truly blessed to work in a

community that supports

the school so much!

PRINCIPAL:

Mrs. C. Hafso

email:

cheryl.hafso@blackgold.ca

780-955-6025

DATES TO REMEMBER:

9 - Classes resume

11 - Early dismissal @ 2:27 pm

LAC mtg. @ 6:00 p.m.

20 & 21 - Boys District

. Basketball Tournament

23 - School Council Mtg. @

7:00 p.m.

25 - Online Registration for .. .

. 2017-18 Kindergarten opens

27 - School Spelling Bee

(Gr. 4—6) @ 10:55 am

27 - PJ & Bed Head Day

27 - Music Festival Reg. deadline

27 & 28 - Girls District

. Basketball Tournament

30 - NSE Mental Health Day 31 - NO SCHOOL: PD Day

February:

1 - Early Dismissal @ 2:27pm

LAC mtg. @ 6:00

. - Winter Walk @1:45

6 - Skiing @ Rabbit Hill

(Gr. 4—6)

9 & 10 - NO SCHOOL:

Teachers’ Convention

13 - Skiing @ Rabbit Hill

(Gr. 4—6)

14 - Valentine’s Assembly @ . .

.. 9:00 a.m. *Wear Red

SCHOOL FEES This is the last reminder for payment of school and/

or Kindergarten fees (Kindergarten: $110.00,

Grades 1—6: $60.00).

If you have not yet made this payment please pay

online, or send it in, as soon as possible or contact

Mrs. Hafso to make arrangements for a payment plan.

Names of those who have not paid, or contacted

Mrs. Hafso, will be sent to a collection agency.

2017 BLACK GOLD

DISTRICT SPELLING BEE

In the month of January,

Gr. 4 - 6 students will have

the opportunity to qualify

for the Black Gold District

Spelling Bee. Students will

first compete in a

classroom spelling test

on January 20th. (The

“Student List Words” for

this test will be handed out

to students on January

16th.) The top 5 qualifiers

from each grade level will

then compete in an Oral

School Spelling Bee on

January 27th at 10:55 a.m.

in the gym. The top two

spellers from this spelling

bee will then go on to

compete in the 2017 Black

Gold District Spelling Bee

Championship which will be

held on February 16th,

at 7:00 p.m.at Caledonia

Park School in Leduc.

Best of luck to all our

Gr. 4-6 students!

STAFF NEWS

We welcome Mrs. Pamela Berreth to our staff from

January-March as our secretary, along with Mrs. Noble.

For those emailing in student absences, please email

anita.noble@blackgold.ca from January to March.

We also welcome back a former student, Miss Shanna

Schmidt, who is doing her Educational Assistant

practicum with us from January - April 6th.

2017-18 Kindergarten

REGISTRATION

Black Gold is pleased to

announce that online regis-

tration for all 2017 – 2018

Kindergarten programs will

open January 25, 2017 at

9:00 a.m. All registra-

tions will be processed

online. The registration

link will be available at:

http://www.blackgold.ca/

schools/programs/kinderga

rten/ (and our school web-

site), at this time. All

spots will be filled on a

first-come, first-serve

basis using the new online

enrolment system. Fami-

lies are strongly encour-

aged to register early to

avoid disappointment.

LEDUC MUSIC FESTIVAL

This year the Leduc Music Festival

takes place April 5—22.

The registration process is

now completely online at Leduc

Rotary Music Festival, with a

deadline of January 27.

Ms. Beaumont will be sending home

an information letter on the

registration process, with interest-

ed students, in the near future.

If you would like some assistance in

finding the poems or the syllabus,

or with the online registration

process, please contact

Ms. Beaumont. Please note that parents are expected to assume the responsibil-ity of arranging transportation for their child to and from the event site in Leduc.

Public speaking is an important LIFE SKILL. We hope to see many of our talented students competing

in the Festival.

KINDERGARTEN THANK YOU We would like to thank all those parents who donated hats, mittens and scarves for the “Wreath of Warmth” that our Kindergarten classes made. These items were donated to children in need in the New Sarepta/Leduc/Beaumont area.

KINDERGARTEN REQUEST The Kindergarten classes are in need of 4L plastic milk jugs. These should be washed out thoroughly and brought to the Kindergarten classroom. The milk jugs will be recycled, and the money used to support the kindergarten program, after the students are finished building and playing in their “igloo”.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Thank you to those who sent in

boxes for Operation Christmas

Child. We had an outstanding

response and were able to send away

130 boxes! Thank you for your

generosity!

Special thanks to Mrs. Erdmann and

Mrs. Klassen for overseeing this

project and to their classes for

loading the boxes for transport.

These gifts mean so much to the

children who receive them and we

thank you for making a difference in

our world through giving and caring.

CHRISTMAS ELVES We would like to thank everyone

for sending in food and gift items

for the Christmas Elves program.

An impressive vanload of 709

food items was taken to the FCSS

office to be given to the less

fortunate at Christmas time!

Congratulations to Mr. Hay's grade

one class for bringing in the most

donations, and as a result winning a

class pizza party from FCSS!

Special thanks to Mrs. Erdmann

and her Gr. 5 class for collecting,

counting, and delivering the

donations to FCSS. We are a very

thoughtful, giving, and caring

community!

STUDENT OF THE MONTH Congratulations to the following

students for being chosen for

thinking win-win (Habit #4).

1H - Kaylee Jones

1KF - Hannah Soch

2H - Silas deLange

2BJ- Van Hofstra

3H - Elvis Braun

3Hi - Anna Witkowski

4SB - Antonio Radawetz

4Q - Mason Greenough

5E - Cohen Langille

5/6B - Dorian deLange

6B - Bren DeWitt

Thank you for being such great role

models in our school!

The Student of the Month for

January is Habit #5 - Seek First to Understand and Then Be Understood

which involves listening before

speaking and seeking to understand

other people’s views and feeling,

even if they are different from your

own. Students recognized as

“Student of the Month” receive

certificates and an opportunity to

have pizza with the principal. BGRS SCHOOL BOARD VISIT

We had some very special guests

visit our school on Thursday,

December 2nd, as Black Gold’s Board

of Education was out for their annual

visit. It was wonderful to

showcase our great school to them!

NSE MENTAL HEALTH DAY On January 30th, all students

from grades 1-6 will be participat-

ing in a Mental Health Day.

Sessions to help increase our

positive mental well-being will be

offered to students from 10:30am

until the end of the day. Some of

these sessions include: yoga,

drum-fit, gardening, and many

more. Parents who would like to

assist with this

day are welcome

to contact

Ms. Beaumont.

P.D. DAY There will be no school for students

on Tuesday, January 31 as it is a

PD day. Teachers from NSE will be

participating in professional

development in the subject area of

mathematics.

SCHOOL COUNCIL The next School Council will be held

on Monday, January 23rd at 7:00

pm. We hope to see you there!

BASKETBALL NEWS The Gr. 5/6 Boys’ and Girls’

Basketball Teams are busy

practicing in preparation for the

District Basketball Tournaments

this month.

We wish both teams the best of

luck in their season. We know

that they will do a fine job of

representing our school!

Congratulations to the following

students for making the 2016-17

school basketball teams:

GIRLS TEAM Piper Enright Mercades Fairlie Jorja Enright Taylor Wagner Chloe Buyzat Megan Woods Quincy Baldwin Aiyanna Loren Ava Geldart Brooklyn Soch Amanda Helnyck

Coaches: Mrs. Hiller, Ms. Beaumont

BOYS TEAM Daniel Helm Aidin Werenka Cohen Langille Wyatt Greenough Evan Goddyn Dorian delange Tyler Wagner Bren DeWitt Jack Rouncville Wyatt Knight Ethan Irvine Meshcah Sookoo

Louis Braun Coaches: Mrs. Hiller, Mr. Jarvis

GR. 4-6 SKIING Students in Grades 4 - 6 will have the

opportunity to go downhill skiing or

snowboarding on February 6th & 13th.

The students will leave the school

at approximately 12:00p.m. arriving at

Rabbit Hill for their lessons at 1:15 p.m.

ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO

TAKE LESSONS. This is part of our

Physical Education curriculum. After

lessons, students will have time to ski

or snowboard on their own. The bus will

leave the hill at 5:30 SHARP arriving back at school at approximately 6:10pm.

Consent forms and other information

will be sent home with gr. 4-6 students

on January 13th. Please make sure the

form is signed and returned, with the

money, by January 27th to ensure your

child’s participation in this great

recreational/educational opportunity. *Payment may be made online through .

.Powerschool

*If you require a payment plan, or

financial assistance, for your child to

participate in this program please contact

Ms. Beaumont or Mrs. Hafso.

CRAFT CLUB Craft Club will be starting up again in the middle of January. This will be a completely NEW project and will be open to NEW attendees. We will be creating a "snowtastic" craft! Listen for morning announcements at school inviting students to attend this activity.

WINTER WALK DAY On Wednesday, February 1st, New Sarepta Elementary will be taking part in the Step Up Alberta -Winter Walk Day challenge that is being organized by SHAPE (Safe, Healthy Active People Every-where). This year SHAPE hopes to have over 100,000 Albertans participate. We will be bundling up and walking from the elementary school, through New Sarepta beginning at 1:45 pm. Parents and community members are invited to join us for this healthy, active event!

JANUARY P.E. Depending on snow and weather

conditions, Grade 4 – 6 students will

occasionally go cross-country skiing for

gym class in January and February and

Gr. 1 – 6 students will be snowshoeing.

Although we will go on days with milder

temperatures, students need to be

dressed appropriately. Gloves/mitts,

hats, and ski pants are items that

students not only need for outside

P.E. classes but for recess as well.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone and

Merry Christmas to our Ukrainian

families who celebrated Christmas

also on January 7th like me! All

classes will be ringing in the new

year by learning hand bell ringing

skills and special techniques. The

Ukrainian Christmas Carol and

Ukrainian Dancing instruction will

be a huge highlight on our first day

back!! The Grade 1s will finish

their Nutcracker Unit this month

and later be enriched with a Peter

and the Wolf Unit showcasing an-

other composer, Sergio Prokofiev,

including orchestral instruments, a

musical story, musical concepts and

a puppet show. The Grade 2 & 3s

will finish their study of Camille

Saint Saens and his famous work,

Carnival of the Animals. The

Grade 4s will be introduced to

recorder playing later this month

along with their hand bell unit.

The Grade 3 & 4s will be part of a

Composer Convention so stay tuned

for upcoming notes home about

this project which will be due at

the end of February. The Grade 5

and 6s will complete their study of

Rossini, a famous opera composer

of the Classical Period of Music.

Parents are always welcome to

observe or participate in the music

room!

PJ DAY On January 27 we will be having

“PJ and Bed Head Day”. Students

are asked to participate by wearing

pajamas and/or a bathrobe to school

and a “bed head” hairstyle. Please be

sure your child wears warm pajamas!

GINGERBREAD HOUSE & DOOR DECORATING CONTEST

Our School Council would like to thank all the students and parents who

participated in the gingerbread house contest. it was a great success!

Winners were as follows:

A BIG thank you also goes to the students, teachers and EAs for doing

such a great job in decorating their classroom doors for Christmas. They

looked terrific! Each class was awarded a certificate from the School

Council for their artistic endeavours.

HOT LUNCH SCHEDULE 2017 Please note: *Each hot lunch will require one or two coupons.

Coupons can be purchased online or at the office ($20.00 for 10).

Students may also bring in $2.00 / $4.00 on order day.

ORDERS FOR HOT LUNCH MUST BE TAKEN ON THE TUESDAY PRIOR TO HOT LUNCH DAYS.

Hot lunch is delivered on FRIDAYS.

No extra orders will be given out on Fri-days.

Additional food should be sent with your child on hot lunch days as it is NOT a complete meal.

*ORDERS FOR HOT LUNCH MUST BE

TAKEN ON THE TUESDAY PRIOR TO HOT

LUNCH DAYS.

*Students may also bring in $2.00 / $4.00 on

order day.

*Hot lunch is delivered on FRIDAYS.

*No extra orders will be given out on Fridays.

*Additional food should be sent with your

child on hot lunch days as it is NOT a

complete meal.

K-3 Category: Gr. 4 - 6 Category:

Most Original:

1st - Vance & Tashina Hirtle

2nd - Adam Teyema

3rd - Grace Trach

1st - Dorian deLange

2nd - Taylor & Tyler Wagner

3rd - Wyatt Knight

3rd - Ty & Ashlyn Nessler

Most Traditional:

1st - Ruby & Bella Fehlauer

2nd - Noah Paul

3rd - Lillian Nelson

1st - Koner, Riley & Evan Smith

2nd - Emma Wilkins

3rd - Brettlyn & Pierce Best

Best Decorated:

1st - Van Hofstra

2nd - Nicole & Katherine Ducherer

3rd - Scarlett & Sophie Cetinski

1st - Bentlee Kublik

2nd - Carmen O’Farrill

3rd - Morgan Knight

K - Most “Greenest”

2BJ - Most Seasonal

3Hi - Most Traditional

5E - Most Unique

1H - Most Colourful

2H - Most Christmassy

4SB - Most Crafty

5/6B - Most Original

1KF - Most Creative

3H - Most Artistic

4Q - Most Humourous

6BQ - Most Heartwarming

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS

**HOT LUNCH ONLINE! - Please see the letter and information

package attached to this newsletter to begin ordering hot lunch

online today!

P.I.I.E. FUNDRAISER: SILENT AUCTION DONATIONS NEEDED

Each year the New Sarepta Ag. Society hosts the ‘Crooked Ice Jugspiel’

which is a milk jug curling bonspiel. The Ag. Society generously allows

P.I.I.E. to run a silent auction during the Jugspiel.

For several years now, the silent auction has been a major source of our

fundraising income. To help ensure a successful auction, we will soon be

asking each classroom to collect donations of either cash or items for

a "theme basket".

The theme baskets are just one aspect of the auction. We also approach

businesses for donations of cash, services or products. In the past we

have had bicycles, airline tickets and Oilers tickets donated. These larger

items really increase bidding. If you know of a company or individual

who would like to donate something for our Silent Auction, please use

the corporate sponsor letter which will soon be available at the

office, and on the school website, to ask for donations. (A copy of

this letter will also be in February’s newsletter.)

Baskets will be available for viewing/bidding at the New Sarepta Ag.

Society’s Jugspeil held on Saturday, March 25th, from 9:00a.m. - 7:00 pm

at the New Sarepta Agriplex. Thank you for your continued support

which greatly benefits the students of NSE!

The next School Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 23rd.

at 7:00 pm. We hope to see you there!

Hot Lunch Schedule –

February to June 2017

Date: Menu Coupon

February 3 Cheese Pizza or Ham

Pizza 1

February 10 No School (PD Day)

February 17 Cheeseburgers 2

February 24 Spaghetti & Meatballs 2

March 3 No School (PD Day)

March 10 Cheese Pizza or Ham

Pizza 1

March 17 Hot Dog 1

March 24 No School (PD Day)

April 7 Cheese Pizza or Ham

Pizza 1

April 14 No School (Good Friday)

April 21 Chicken Noodle Soup

& Bun 1

April 28 Hot Dog 1

May 5 Cheese Pizza or Ham

Pizza 1

May 12 Wraps – Ham &

Cheese or Chicken

Caesar 2

May 19 No School (PD Day)

June 2 Cheese Pizza or Ham

Pizza 1

June 9 Chicken & Cheese

Quesadilla 2

June 16 Subs – Ham or Turkey 2

June 23 Hot Dog 1

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

During the winter months please be aware of the Inclement Weather Procedure within our District:

* The decision to operate or cancel busses is based on the best information at the time of the decision with the

safety of the students the first concern.

It is always the prerogative of the parents/guardians to keep students home should they feel it is unsafe

to send students to school in inclement weather regardless as to whether or not the busses are operating.

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

School bus operators are responsible for the safety of your child and take poor weather and road conditions very

seriously. There may be a day where the bus does not operate due to these poor conditions. We do not have a

certain temperature as our Alberta weather seldom gets to -40C, but we do have days where a winter storm may

prevent us from operating that day and the next day we need to rely on Public Works departments being able to

clear roads for us. If the bus is not operating:

1. Check the blackgold.ca website for information

2. Ensure your PowerSchool contact information is correct as a voice mail and text message will be sent out prior

to 7:00 a.m.

3. Call 780-955-6025 for our transportation after hours greeting for details.

The information will be posted as soon as the decision is made. Schools are always open unless there is a specific

school related emergency like a water main break.

In addition:

* Students should know what to do in the event that a bus is late or does not show due to the weather or

mechanical difficulties.

*All students must be properly dressed for the weather conditions.

*If busses are sent home early, schools have procedures in place to notify parents prior to sending students

home.

IMPORTANT PROCEDURE FOR OUR SCHOOL:

*To ensure student safety it is necessary for us to confirm all absences on bus cancellation/inclement weather days.

To assist us with this procedure we ask that parents please contact the school, or email anita.noble@blackgold.ca to

confirm their child(ren)’s absence on bus cancellation days.

Alberta Education Information

Accountability Pillar Surveys

As an annual check-up on the education system, the Accountability Pillar provides an opportunity for Alberta Education

and school authorities to ensure that we’re equipping students for success.

The Accountability Pillar uses a set of 16 indicators. Data on these indicators consists of surveys of students, parents and teachers

on various aspects of education quality, student outcomes such as dropout and high school completion rates, and provincial assess-

ments of student learning.

From January to the end of February, Alberta Education will be conducting the annual Accountability Pillar Survey. In January,

parents of students in grades 4, 7 and 10 will receive a survey from Alberta Education. In February, students in grades 4, 7 and 10

and all teachers will be completing their surveys online at school.

All surveys are anonymous and ask questions about experiences with the school. In addition to English and French, the

parent survey is available in Chinese, Punjabi, Arabic, Blackfoot, Cree, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Urdu.

Your participation in the survey helps provide important information on the quality of education your child is receiving,

so we encourage you to return your survey promptly.

Survey results will be available to school authorities in May 2017, and will be reported publicly as part of their 3-Year

Education Plans and Annual Education Results Reports.

COMMUNITY NEWS Parent Link Stay’n’Play and More

Stay’n’Play is held Wednesday mornings,

9:00 - Noon @ the Agriplex.

This is a free drop-in program for

parents and children 0 to 6 years.

Enjoy an interactive playtime with your

child. By following your child’s lead, you

can support play while building

self-confidence and self-esteem. Parent Link "Explore a Story" Program

This registered program begins on

Thursday, January 12, 2017 and runs until

Thursday, February 16, 2017 (9:30 to

10:30 a.m.). Please contact (780) 979-

2386 or lrplc@leduc-county.com to

register.

Parent Link "Let's Play, Let's Talk"

This registered program will be held on

January 16, 2017, February 6, 2017 and

March 6, 2017, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at the

Agriplex. Please contact (780) 979-2386

or lrplc@leduc-county.com to register.

The New Sarepta FCSS Office

would like to extend a HUGE THANK

YOU to all organizations, schools,

churches, businesses, residents and

especially volunteers who made our

Christmas Elves Program such a

success. A very, very special thank

you to Sobeys Beaumont for once

again preparing the fresh hampers,

New Sarepta Market and Café for

the outstanding fundraising drive for

pajamas, New Sarepta Agricultural

Society for providing the space for

this program, Zion Evangelical Church

and Stinson's Catering for their

support in feeding the volunteers

December 14-22, 2016.

Your generosity enabled 35 families

and singles (58 adults, 19 teens and 22

children [99 individuals]) in our area to

celebrate a merrier Christmas.

THANK YOU!!

Volunteer Income Tax Program –

New Sarepta FCSS will complete 2016

Income Tax Returns for low-income

individuals who have a simple tax

situation and are living within rural

Leduc County or the municipality of

New Sarepta. Please contact Lucille at

(780) 941-2382 to make an appointment

to have your 2016 Income Tax Return

completed free of charge.

Please Note: we are not able to

complete complicated returns, returns

for the deceased, or those with

business, farming or rental income.

Buddy’s Place Child Care Center

Where Safety & Quality Care is

First and Foremost

*Hands on Discoveries

*Age Appropriate Activities

*Child Centered Experiences

We are accepting registrations for

the following:

*Out-of-School Care

*Daycare & Kinder Care

*Pre-School & Nursery School

*Spaces Are Available

*Reasonable Rates & Available Subsidy

*Certificated Staff with CPR &

AED Tracking

*NO Rostering & NO Unnecessary

Fundraising

*Licensed & Accredited with the

Alberta Government Child &

Family Services

For more information please contact…

780-886-3515 or

buddys-place@hotmail.com

5013 Centre Ave., New Sarepta

SCREEN TEST IS COMING TO: New Sarepta Agriplex February 16 - 18

To book a mammogram appointment call:

1-800-667-0604 (toll free)

Screen Test brings breast cancer screen-

ing to women in rural areas with mobile

clinics A mammogram can help find breast

cancer 2 - 3 years before it can be felt

Women 50-74 are recommended to have a

screening mammogram every 2 years and

may self-refer

To learn more about breast, cervical, or

colorectal cancer screening in Alberta

visit: screeningforlife.ca

A POSITIVE, SAFE & CARING

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Whether out on the playground, in the

hallway, classroom, bathroom, or on the

bus, students from Kindergarten to

Gr. 6 are taught “Star Student Behaviour”. Be Respectful to people and property

Be Responsible for your learning and . . Be Safe your behaviour Be Kind & Play Fair

Do Your Best

WRISTBAND CHALLENGE

Did you know 60 minutes of daily activity helps reduce stress and can boost brain power? The Leduc Recreation Center (LRC) offers

the students of NSE a chance to win 2 free

pass to the LRC (one child and one adult

pass)!

Students are asked to write their name on any

used wristband from a recreational facility

and enter in the draw box in the school office

for a chance to win. A draw will be made once a

month.

Don’t miss this opportunity to have fun with

friends and family, and enjoy the benefits of

being healthy and active! For more information on the Leduc Recreation Centre call

780-980-7120 or visit www.leducleisure.com

CANADIAN TIRE

MONEY

& CAMPBELL SOUP

LABELS

We thank you for sending

in Canadian Tire “money”

and Campbell soup labels

and ask that you please

continue to do so! We are

able to purchase

various educational and

sports items with this.

Special thanks to the

Martel family for counting

the Campbell soup labels

for us! It is greatly

appreciated!

Hot Lunch 2016 – 2017 New Sarepta Elementary School

Dear Parents, New Sarepta School Council and Partners Involved in Education (P.I.I.E) is pleased to announce that they are moving to online ordering for hot lunches to ensure accuracy with the orders and to make the process as easy for everyone as possible. Here's how to get started today.... **More detailed instructions follow this letter.

Go to: www.newsareptaelementary.hotlunches.net Click on "Click Here to Register" Complete the rest of the registration form (Including your email address, this will ensure you

receive reminder emails about your hotlunch order deadlines, and your child's hot lunch order for the upcoming week)

Click the "Register Now" button on the bottom

Follow the instructions to add each child in your family who attends New Sarepta Elementary School.

Once your child (ren) are registered, click on "Orders". Proceed to order hot lunch for your child(ren). PayPal: We are accepting hot lunch order payments through PayPal (www.Paypal.com). You can either pay with credit card as a PayPal guest (Visa, Mastercard or Amex), or set-up your own PayPal account. ** Please Note: Should you experience any issues with your PayPal account, you must contact PayPal directly to solve the issue. The hot lunch online order system requires a small amount of set-up at the beginning as you must register each child you have attending our school prior to ordering hot lunch. Once the intial setup process is complete, your hot lunch orders for the remainder of the year should be quick and simple.

Should you have any questions or assistance on setting up your account please contact Michelle Harper at 780-995-9364. Thank you! Michelle Harper P.I.I.E. Hot Lunch Coordinator