NEW SAREPTA ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY Our annual Remembrance Day assembly will be held on Monday, November 7

at 10:30 a.m. at the New Sarepta Community High School. Parents are welcome

to attend. We ask students who belong to service clubs to wear their uniforms; all

other students are asked to dress nicely for this special occasion. We would like to

thank the High School for hosting this assembly. Also, a very special thank you to the

Leduc Legion for being a part of our assembly as we take time to acknowledge the

courage and sacrifice of those who serve and/or have served our country, and

recognize our responsibility to work for the peace they fought so hard to achieve.

REPORT CARDS &

INTERVIEWS Report cards will go home on Friday,

November 18. Interview dates are

Tuesday, November 22 and Thursday,

November 24 from 3:45 - 8:00 p.m.

If you are unable to make the

interview times scheduled for you,

please return possible alternate times

on the bottom of the interview

schedule that will soon be sent home.

Parent-teacher interviews are a

valuable tool to help you and your

child's teacher(s) work together

towards your child's school success.

This is a wonderful opportunity to ask

questions and gather information that

will help you encourage

your child(ren) to achieve.

Students are encouraged to

attend the interviews with their

parents. Our goal is to help your child

be as successful as possible. Your

child’s presence at the interview helps

to set up attainable goals.

Principal: Mrs. Hafso

Email:

cheryl.hafso@blackgold.ca

Phone: 780-941-3927

Fax: 780-941-2129

School website:

http://nses.blackgold.ca/

780-955-6025

Nurturing Success & Excellence

NOVEMBER 2016

BLACK GOLD REGIONAL

SCHOOLS

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Our school is once again participating in

Operation Christmas Child. The deadline for

having the boxes at the school is November

16th. Shoeboxes are available at the school.

Thank you for supporting this wonderful,

heartwarming cause!

2016/2017 SCHOOL FEES DUE Kindergarten: $110.00

Grades 1—6: $60.00

Instructional Resource fees are now past due.

Online payments can be made through the

PowerSchool Parent Portal, or by cheque to

New Sarepta Elementary School. If you

require assistance in setting up your

PowerSchool login please contact the office.

KINDERGARTEN FEES are to be paid by

cheque and are to a made payable to New Sarepta Kindergarten (no online payments

are available to pay Kindergarten fees). *If you require a payment plan, for either of

the above fees please contact Mrs. Hafso.

VOLUNTEERS Thanks to all the

wonderful volunteers

who take time to help at

our school. We greatly

appreciate your support and

the difference you make!!

RETAKE DAY is NOV. 18th. Please return your child’s school pictures

on or before this date if you would like

retakes. Children who were absent on

picture day may also have their picture

taken. Please notify your child’s teacher

if you would like retakes done.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT PREPARATIONS

This month the students from K-6 will be

preparing for this year’s Christmas Concert.

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday,

December 21 at the New Sarepta Elementary

School Gymnasium to attend this very special

event. There will be a dress rehearsal the

morning of December 21 and a performance in

the afternoon (1:30 p.m.) and evening (7:00

pm). Tickets will be sent home to each family

closer to Parent/Teacher Interviews.

NOVEMBER CALENDAR:

1 - PD Day: NO SCHOOL

2 - Early dismissal @ 2:27 p.m.

. - L.A.C. mtg @ 6:00 p.m.

6 - Daylight Savings

Begins; Fall back 1 hr.

7 - Remembrance Day .

. Assembly @ 10:30 @ NSCHS

10 - Mid-term Break -

NO SCHOOL

11 - Remembrance Day -

NO SCHOOL

14 - Understanding MindUp . . .

. Parent Session (see pg. 7)

16 - Black Gold Health School

Symposium

16 - Operation Christmas

Child Shoebox due

18 - Report cards sent home

18 - School Picture retakes

21 -School Council meeting(7:00) 22 - *Pick-up Stawnichy Meat

Orders

22 & 24 - Parent/Teacher

Interviews

23 - Dufflebag Theatre @ 1:30

29 - Gr. 1—3 Skating begins:

Nov. 29, Dec. 1, 6, 8, 13 & 16

STUDENT OF THE MONTH Congratulations to the following

students for “Beginning with the

End in Mind” - planning ahead,

setting goals and being prepared

at all times.

1H - Zhi Mei Le Ortlieb

1KQ - Leighton Woo

2BJ - Lillian Nelson

2H - Judah Radawetz

3H - Rush Abraham

3Hi - Morgan Knight

4SB - Katie Woods

4Q - Madyson Lingnau

5/6B - Megan Woods

6J - Riley Dunphy

Thank you all for being such great

role models in our school!

The Student of the Month theme

for November is Habit #3 -

Put First Things First - Work

First,Then Play (focussing on what

is important, scheduling the

important things first and staying

focused).

Students recognized as “Student

of the Month” receive certifi-

cates and an opportunity to have

pizza with the principal.

PUMPKIN CONTEST We would like to thank the New

Sarepta Agricultural Society for

judging our Pumpkin Contest and for

donating $100.00 toward the book

prizes. We certainly appreciate the

support of the New Sarepta Ag.

Society!

Thank you to all the students who

participated in this contest. We had

some very impressive and creative

entries. The winners of this year’s

pumpkin contest were:

LARGEST HOMEGROWN PUMPKIN:

1st - Bentlee Kublik

2nd - Wei Mei Jia Ortlieb

BEST CARVED (Individual):

Div. I 1st - Jayce Baehler

2nd - Shayla-Lee Aubrey

3rd - Ruby Fehlauer

Div. II 1st - Sam Polei

2nd - Chloe Buyzat

3rd - Antonio Radawetz

BEST DECORATED (Individual):

Div. I 1st - Jesse Moore

2nd - Evan Smith

3rd - Pierce Best

Div. II 1st - Brettlyn Best

2nd - Amber Jones

3rd - Sydney Goddyn

BEST CARVED (Group):

1st - The Kuhlmanns’ -Dani,Chalee .

. & Logan

BEST DECORATED (Group):

1st - Ady, Harlee & Sawyer Nelson

2nd - Riley & Koner Smith

NEW SAREPTA ELEMENTARY STUDENTS SUCCEED! Page 2

SCHOOL CALENDAR Please note that there is no school

for students on the following days:

November 10 - Mid-term Break

November 11 -Remembrance Day

December 2 - ATA Institute Day

FIRE SAFETY WEEK Special thanks to the New Sarepta

Volunteer Fire Dept. for educating

our students on fire safety at the

firehall and for offering us a fire

safety contest. It was a great

learning experience for us all!

The winners of the New Sarepta

Volunteer Fire Dept. Fire Safety

Week Contest were:

Fire Chief: Chalee Kuhlmann

Captain: Thomas Preece

Lieutenant: Lily Goski

These students will be taken for a

ride in the New Sarepta Fire truck

and treated to a special lunch with

our volunteer firefighters! A special

thank you to Lieutenant Clayton

Fichtner for organizing this special

educational event.

BELL SCHEDULE

A reminder that school starts at

8:35 a.m. for Gr. 1 - 6, and 8:32a.m.

for Kindergarten. Students in town,

or being dropped off, are asked to

arrive no sooner than 8:20 a.m.

Lunch recess is from 11:56-12:19 p.m.

and lunch is from 12:20-12:42 p.m.

For families in town wanting students

to go home for lunch, forms are avail-

able in the office to make this ar-

rangement.

Dismissal time is at 3:12 p.m. As well,

the first Wednesday of each month,

except for September, is early

dismissal which is 2:27 p.m.

DUFFLEBAG THEATRE

DuffleBag Theatre will be here on Wednesday, November 23rd at

1:30 p.m. for interactive storytelling theatre!

Since 1992, the “Nearly World Famous” DuffleBag Theatre has become one of

the most celebrated companies at festivals and schools across the country.

The DuffleBag actors tell an original adaptation of Peter Pan full of wit and

humour. Just when the audience becomes enthralled by the story- a twist is

created! Before your very eyes, students (and maybe even a teacher) are

asked to come up on stage and join in the action. This unpredictable

performance is a hilarious experience for all ages and a truly unique interactive

theatrical experience where the dream of living a fairy tale actually does come

true! Parents and siblings are welcome to attend this PIIE sponsored event.

CRAFT CLUB

Beads, beads and more BEADS!! We

are going to have a Beading good time

at craft club in November. Grade 3-6

students are invited to participate!

Unfortunately, our October craft was

sooo excellent that not all the grade 1

and 2 students that showed up got to

participate! So make sure you come

to the art room ASAP on Craft Club

Day - Listen closely for the announce-

ment on the 3rd Wednesday of the

month!

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS Thank-you to everyone who attended the meeting on

October 17th. The position of Treasurer has been

officially filled by Christa Sagert. We are now just in need

of a Room Rep for Miss Quach’s class. Please remember to

check your school calendar on the front page of the

newsletter for upcoming events in November. Everyone is

always welcome to attend our School Council/PIIE

meetings. Our next meeting is scheduled for November 21

at 7:00 p.m. Looking forward to seeing you there!

PIIE - Partners Involved In Education The draft budget has been approved for the 2016-2017

school year. Our first fundraiser was STAWNICHY

MEATS. Thank you to everyone who participated as it has

resulted in another very successful fundraiser for our

students and school!

*IMPORTANT NOTICE - All Stawnichy orders are to be

picked up at the front entrance of the school during Par-

ent/Teacher interviews on November 22 - the one night

only, from 3:45 - 8:00 p.m. (This is due to our limited

storage space for frozen food). Any questions or comments

regarding fundraising can be directed to Kelly Lewis at

(587)920-9520

HOT LUNCH REMINDER Each hot lunch will require one or two coupons.

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

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

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 Fridays.

Additional food should be sent with your child on hot lunch days as it is NOT a complete meal. *** If you can help out on Friday with hot lunch, please contact the school.

Special thanks to PIIE for making this program possible, with kudos to Michelle Harper and Lisa Nelson, and The New Sarepta Market and Cathy Foster!

ONLINE RESOURCES FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS:

BLACK GOLD’S ENGAGING STUDENTS WEBSITE -

http://engagingstudents.blackgold.ca/

This website provides numerous online resources for

students correlated to the Alberta programs of study.

For extra practice or study be sure to check out this

well-known and well-used website!

Learn Alberta.ca is a website that supports lifelong

learning by providing online resources to the Gr. K—12

community in Alberta. Students, teachers, and parents can

use this site to find multimedia learning resources that are

correlated to the Alberta programs of study. Students,

parents and staff of Black Gold Regional schools are author-

ized to use LearnAlberta http://www.learnalberta.ca/

To access these resources you need to use Black Gold’s

codes: ID: Password:

My Child’s Learning & Curriculum Express

My Child’s Learning is a new online resource that

provides up-to-date information about what children in

Grades K—12 are learning, the resources available to help

them, and how they might be assessed. It can be found at:

www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/

Curriculum Express for Parents provides a short explanation

of school and what students learn in Kindergarten to Grade

3. This online resource can be found at:

http://www.education.alberta.ca/parents/resources/expres

s.aspx

Hot Lunch Schedule -

October 7 Cheese or Ham

Pizza 1 Coupon

October 14 Cheeseburgers 2 Coupons

October 21 Spaghetti &

meatballs 2 Coupons

October 28 Hot Dogs 1 Coupon

November 4 Cheese or Ham

Pizza 1 Coupon

November 11 No School

November 18 Chicken Noodle

Soup & Bun 1 Coupon

November 25

Wraps - Ham &

Cheese or

Chicken Caesar

2 Coupons

December 2 No School

December 9 Cheese or Ham

Pizza 1 Coupon

December 16 Chicken & Cheese

Quesadilla 2 Coupons

December 23 No Hot Lunch

January 13 Cheese or Ham

Pizza 1 Coupon

January 20 Hot Dogs 1 Coupon

January 27 Subs - Ham or

Turkey 2 Coupons

NEW SAREPTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Page 4

PE NEWS Basketball Season begins!

To coincide with the District

tournament dates basketball starts in

November. Grade 4-6 students will

have the opportunity to participate in

basketball intramurals, while try-outs

for our basketball teams will take place

for Gr. 5 & 6 students. The basketball

teams will practice during recess times,

and participate in a tournament in

Leduc in November and January. We

are looking forward to a great season!

GYM CLOTHES Please be sure to label your

child’s gym clothes so that we can

promptly return items that are

left behind in the change room.

A reminder, as well, to be sure

your child is bringing his/her gym

clothes home to be washed on a

regular basis.

WRISTBAND CHALLENGE

Did you know 60 minutes of daily activity helps reduce stress and can boost brain power?

The Leduc Recreation Center (LRC)

is offering students a chance to win a

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

The New Sarepta Elementary S.W.A.T. (Student Wellness Action

Team) has now formed for the

2016-17 school year. This group

of Grade 5 & 6 students will meet

weekly with Ms. Beaumont and to

discuss school goals, as well as plan

events and activities to lead our

students and staff in the four

areas of a healthy school

community – healthy eating, active

living, healthy relationships, and a

positive social environment.

RAINBOW LUNCHESW

As part of Healthy Active Schools, New Sarepta Elementary School has

goals to ensure that our students are meeting their nutritional needs.

Beginning in November, we will be focusing on healthy lunches. The students

will each have a “Rainbow Lunch” card. Teachers will be checking lunches

once or twice each week. If a student has at least one item from each food

group of Canada’s food guide in his or her lunch, the teacher will stamp the

card. Once the card has 5 stamps, it is entered into a draw. At the end of

each week, 20 students will be drawn to win a free-style lunch recess in the

gym.

If anyone would like more information on Canada’s Food Guide, there are

print materials available at the school, or on-line at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/

fn-an/food-guide-aliment/order-commander/index-eng.php

The Black Gold Healthy Active

Student Symposium (HASS) will

be held on Wednesday, November

16th at the Leduc Rec. Center.

The Symposium’s theme is “What

do you do with an idea?”.

It will be a wonderful opportunity

for members of our SWAT team

to gather ideas and resources, to

network with others, and to create

our action plan to make a

difference to the health and

wellness of our school community!

SKATING Students in Grades 1 - 3 will

be starting skating the last week

in November as part of their

Phys. Ed. Program.

Students will need skates and

helmets. HELMETS MUST BE

CSA APPROVED! Helmets and

skates must be transported to

and from school in a sturdy bag.

NO PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS,

PLEASE.

Skating dates are: November 29

December 1,6,8, 13 & 16.

Skating times are:

Gr. 1H, 1KQ, & 2H- 1:00-2:00 pm

Gr. 2BJ, 3H, & 3Hi- 2:00-3:00 pm

Parent volunteers are definitely

welcome, and needed, to help tie

skates and to help on the ice!

Please let your child’s teacher

know if you are able to help out.

The New Sarepta Agricultural

Society has received a grant from

the Regional Recreation Board to

cover the cost of the ice rental

so there is no cost to us for this

fun and educational program!

Special thanks to the Regional Recreation Board for awarding this grant to the New Sarepta Agricultural Society!

LOST & FOUND If you visit our school, please check

out the LOST & FOUND box.

There are a lot of clothing items to

be found in this box and attempts

to return them to their original

owner are ongoing. Labelling your

child’s clothing can be very helpful

in this process.

2015-16 GRADE 6 PROVINCIAL

ACHIEVEMENT TEST RESULTS NSE: PROVINCE:

LANGUAGE ARTS:

% Acceptable 93.3 82.9

% Excellence 13.3 20.4

MATH:

% Acceptable 73.3 71.4

% Excellence 10.0 13.8

SCIENCE:

% Acceptable 83.3 77.6

% Excellence 30.0 27.7

SOCIAL STUDIES:

% Acceptable 60.0 71.1

% Excellence 3.3 22.6

NSE is very proud of how well we traditionally do on

the PATs. Thanks goes out to the students, parents

and teachers for their commitment to education.

Anyone wanting further information on the Provincial

Achievement Tests results is asked to see

Mrs. Hafso.

BLACK GOLD REGIONAL SCHOOLS - TO INSPIRE SUCCESS Page 5

ABSENCES Please contact Mrs. Johnson at 780-941-3927 or

lynn.johnson@blackgold.ca to let her know if your child

will be absent for the school day.

Our answering machine is on in the morning and after-

school. An electronic message is sent out at 9:30 a.m. if

we have not received a message. Your cooperation in noti-

fying the school is appreciated and simplifies the process.

PHONE NUMBER/ADDRESS UPDATES

Please remember to call the school if you change your

place of employment, residence, or have a change in work

and/or home phone numbers. It is very important for our

records to be kept up-to-date.

MISSING SCHOOL AFFECTS SUCCESS

Studies show that missing days in elementary school can lead to problems. When kids miss school, they miss out. They

aren’t there when the teacher explains how to multiply fractions. Or they miss the first chapter of the book the class

will read. When they come back, they have to work hard to catch up. Sometimes, they feel like they can’t get back to

where their classmates are. So they give up. Or they drop out.

A research study at Johns Hopkins University found that sixth graders who miss about one day of school a week have a

75 percent chance of never making it to graduation. Make every effort to get your child to school every day—even as

the school year winds down. You could be heading off big trouble later. Source: Kim Nauer and others “Strengthening Schools by Strengthening Families” www.parent-institute.com

CAMPBELL SOUP LABELS &

CANADIAN TIRE MONEY Special thanks to all who have donated Canadian Tire

money and Campbell Soup labels!!! We are able to

purchase various educational and sports items for our

school programs. Special thanks to the Martel family

for volunteering to count the soup labels. It is greatly

appreciated!

POPCAN TABS - Our school also collects popcan

tabs which are donated for recycling. The money

raised from the recycling is then put towards the mak-

ing of wheelchairs. Popcan tabs may be handed into

the office.

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES As the weather becomes more unstable, we would like parents to be

aware of the Inclement Weather Procedure within our District:

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 am

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.

The decision to operate or cancel busses is based on the best informa-

tion 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.

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

lynn.johnson@blackgold.ca to confirm their child(ren)’s absence on bus

cancellation days.

PROPER WINTER CLOTHING Please ensure that your child has a proper winter jacket, mitts/gloves,

a toque and boots to wear outdoors at recesses, and that they are

labelled. As the weather gets colder, students need to dress appropri-

ately. With students waiting for the bus or walking to school, going

outside at recesses or Phys. Ed. it is very important for them to have

proper winter clothing.

SCHOOL-WIDE COUNSELLING As part of our school-wide counselling program, the students of NSE are being introduced to seven habits as taught in the book ‘The 7 Habits of Happy Kids’ by Sean Covey. This book is being used as a tool to help create a common language throughout our school to reinforce our Star Student Behaviour expectations, teach life skills, and empower our students to be leaders in their home, school, and community, now and into the future! Following is a brief outline of the habits:

Habit #1 Be Proactive - You are in Charge

Take charge of your own life. Make it happen. Don't wait for someone else to do it.

Habit #2 Begin with the End in Mind - Have a Plan Have a mission, a clear sense of where you want to go. Think about the end first- how are you going to get there?

Habit #3 Put First Things First - Work First,Then Play Focus on what is important, schedule the important things first - stay focused.

Habit #4 Think Win-Win - Everyone Can Win

Think about others as well as yourself. Long-term relationships require mutual

respect and mutual benefit.

Habit #5 Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood Listen before you talk. In order to commu nicate effectively, we must first understand each other.

Habit #6 Synergize Working together is better. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Habit #7 Sharpen the Saw Balance feels best. In order to maintain and increase effectiveness, we must renew ourselves in body, heart, mind, and soul.

A POSITIVE, SAFE & CARING

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Whether out on the playground, in the

hallway, classroom, bathroom, or heading

to the bus, students from Kindergarten

to Gr. 6 will be taught “Star Student

Behaviour”.

Be Respectful to people & property

Be Responsible for your learning & your behaviour Be Safe

Be Kind & Play Fair

Do Your Best

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 inter-

active playtime with your child.

By following your child’s lead, you can

support play while building self-confidence

and self-esteem.

COMMUNITY NEWS CHRISTMAS ELVES The New Sarepta Christmas Elves

Program was created to help individuals

in our community who are having

difficulty providing an old fashioned

Christmas for their families. Baskets

and coin cans will soon be placed

throughout our community.

Corporate donations are also welcome!

Please contact Lucille at (780) 941-2382

if you need more information, would like

to make a referral or receive a hamper,

volunteer or donate.

Referral Deadline: December 16

Delivery: December 22

Please note that this program cannot

accept canning, home preserves or expired

food.

Parent Link "Loose Parts" Program This registered program begins on

Tuesday, November 22 and runs until

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 from 9:30 to

10:30 a.m. Please contact (780) 979-2386

or lrplc@leduc-county.com to register. The New Sarepta FCSS Office is located

at the Agriplex (access through West

doors). Hours of operation: Tuesdays,

Wednesdays and Thursdays – 9 a.m. to 3

p.m. (780) 941-2382.

In honour of our Canadian Armed

Forces, there will be a

Remembrance Day Stew Fest

held at the Golden Pioneers Sen-

iors Centre (New Sarepta

Agriplex) on Friday, November

11, 2016 (Noon-2:30 p.m.) Cost:

$10.00 (Stew, bun and dessert,

coffee/tea/juice).

This gathering is for all ages –

proceeds will benefit the Black

Gold Health Foundation. Everyone

is welcome!!

The Leduc and District Food Bank is

running its Tools for School Program -

families in need of school supplies may

call (780) 986-5333 or contact Lucille at

(780) 941-2382, or Mrs. Hafso.

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

Understanding MindUp! Join Black Gold Regional Schools, Student Leaders, and Family School Liaison

Workers as they share information and learning experiences for parents and

their children around MindUp! Min-

dUp! is dedicated to helping students deepen their understanding of their own

mental processes. Students become more resilient, gain self-awareness, and

exercise their own agency in the learning process.

Monday, November 14, 2016 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Hosted by the Leduc Public Library at 2 Alexandra Park, Leduc, AB

Contact: Stephanie Vantanajal for information 780-955-6112

Training in Core Social Skills Who: Corinne Eckert Child & Adolescent Psychology

Target Group: Children who have difficulty interacting successfully with others due to social skill deficits.

Where: Beaumont Community Church (5423 55 St.)

Level I: “The Hidden Conversation Level II: “Successful Communication”

Level III: “Positive Peer Interaction Skills” Registration: Email office@eckertchildpsych.ca or call (780) 454-4634 for dates and times of training and whether this group would be appropriate for your child. Once an intake interview has been completed, a registra-tion form will be emailed to

you.

Helping your child succeed at school While you might think helping your child learn the alphabet, or become efficient at algebra is the best path to success, you might be surprised to know that research shows there is a bigger influ-ence on your child’s success at school. Stuart Shanker, a Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University in Ontario, says, “The biggest predictors of school success are a child’s ability to pay attention, control impulses and emotions, ignore distractions, and deal with boredom,” says Shanker. “Research has shown these skills to be more important than anything else including knowledge and I.Q. scores.” Shanker says when children arrive at school calmly fo-cused and alert, they are in the best state for learning. “That’s when children can take in what’s happening and make sense of it,” says Shanker. “Self regulation is having the ability to control how you respond to what happens.” If a child is over or under stimu-lated, they may have a more difficult time at school. If parents, on the other hand, can help their child to self regulate by influencing what occurs at home, the chances of success are greater.

Establish regular sleep routines Having a solid sleep each night is extremely important for a child. A regular bedtime routine with activities that calm a child before bed is ideal. “Activities like bath time, lullabies and reading are all very relaxing and work well,” says Shanker. TV and video games, alternately, do not calm a child.

Provide good quality food For a child to be ready to take on the challenges of the day, his or her energy levels need to be up and remain consistent throughout the day. Avoid high sugar foods that will give your child a drop in energy an hour after eating. Instead have your child eat foods that will sustain them for a longer period of time such as low sugar cereal, toast, eggs, fruit, or yogurt.

Limit TV and video game time Shanker says research on how brains work shows that TV does not help a child to be prepared for learning. “We’re trying to un-derstand why,” says Shanker, “but what we know is that TV and video gaming can actually dis-regulate a child.”

Select ‘social’ extra-curricular activities Shanker recommends team sports, church activities, scouting, or anything that involves ‘lots of kids playing together’. “Activities that are warm and nurturing will help your child develop the ability to handle social situations,” says Shanker.

Build self esteem through problem solving “Kids are really astute,” say Shanker. “They know what they’re good at and what is hard for them.” Shanker says children de-velop self esteem when they are allowed to work through prob-lems that are difficult, but within their ability to solve. “If some-thing is too hard, a child might give up and feel that they have failed. If something is too easy, a child misses the sense of accom-plishment. A child is most proud of achieving something that was difficult.” Parents can help a child develop self esteem by ensuring challenges their kids face are surmountable, yet challenging.

Celebrate success with appropriate rewards “Do lots of celebrating in your home,” says Shanker. “Whether it’s an accomplishment or significant effort, everyone needs to be celebrated.” When celebrating, rather than choosing a reward such as money, food, or gifts for grades (or goals scored), Shanker says the most meaningful rewards are “intrinsic rewards, where a child feels good about what they’ve accomplished.”

Encourage physical activity Many children arrive at school either in their parents vehicles or school buses. As a result, fewer are receiving the benefit of the walk to school, and may not have other opportunities for physical activity. “Regular exercise promotes stability,” says Shanker. “It helps a child pay attention better in school.”

Ensure your child has regular time in nature Playing outside can contribute to your child’s ability to self regu-late. Shanker cites “The Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv, which claims that exposing children to nature is an impor-tant part of childhood development, and without it children are more prone to such challenges as obesity, depression and attention disorders.

Nurture harmony in your home Whether it’s siblings fighting, or a disagreement with your spouse, family squabbles are normal. “Yet, some disagreements can be hard on kids,” says Shanker. “It’s important to avoid yelling. Yell-ing is literally pointless. When a kid is getting out of control, their brain is already aroused. Yelling makes it more aroused.” Shanker says parents can help everyone in the family avoid yelling by creating a time and space for individual family members to set-tle down before situations get overheated. And, when things do go wrong, “Recognize that you’re human and you’re going to screw up. But apologize,” says Shanker.

Make homework a good experience Homework time can be stressful for parents and children at times.

But it doesn’t have to be. Shanker suggests the following: - Have your child do homework in the same room as a parent. “It’s not just a supervisory issue,” says Shanker. “Parents have a calming influence.” - Recognize when your child is using tactics to avoid doing home-work in a topic he or she feels weak in. Try to catch these behav-iours early, before they turn into bigger issues. - If homework seems beyond your child’s grasp and it is becoming frustrating, talk to the teacher. While it is important to work through challenges, when a task is too difficult it can defeat a child. - “If you want homework to be successful, it should be fun,” say Shanker. Look for fun activities to support your child in certain subjects. For example, use puzzles, treasure hunts or yoga to im-prove learning skills. If you don’t have ideas, look on the internet or ask the teacher. Al-though children are influenced by teachers for a significant portion of their day, according to Shanker, parents remain the most impor-tant influence in a young child’s life. By taking an active role in the experiences your child has at home, parents can directly impact his or her success in the classroom.

Contributed by: Laurette Woodward, Woodward Communications