Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Easter Break - No School

2

3 4 Day 1 Kindergarten

5 Day 2 Jr. badminton to Borden

6 Day 3 Kindergarten Jr. badminton to Rosthern Sr. badminton to Warman

7 Day 4 Grade 5 fieldtrip to Saskatoon

8 Day 5 Kindergarten Hot dog lunch Drama Club Performance, 7:00 p.m.

9 Drama Club Performance, 7:00 p.m.

10 11 Day 6 Kindergarten

12 Day 1 Jr. badminton host Rosthern

13 Day 2 Kindergarten SRC Spirit Day - Spring Day Grade 8 to Persephone Theatre

14 Day 3 Gr. 9-12 Term 3 Progress Reports Jr. badminton host Blaine Lake Resonate Student Music Conference MADD presenta-tion to gr. 7-12

15 Day 4 Day in Lieu - No School Resonate Student Music Conference Super Hoopers 2:00-4:00 p.m.

16

17 18 Day 5 Kindergarten Kind. & Gr. 1 fieldtrip to Saskatoon

19 Day 6 Jr. badminton host Borden

20 Day 1 Kindergarten Kind.-Gr. 6 to Aladdin musical at Osler School

21 Day 2 22 Day 3 Kindergarten Subway lunch Super Hoopers 3:00-5:00 p.m.

23

24 25 Teacher Prep. Time - No school for students

26 Day 4 Jr. badminton to Hague

27 Day 5 Kindergarten Teen Aid Sr. badminton playoffs Round 1 at Leask

28 Day 6 Teen Aid Jr. badminton host Hague SRC Spirit Day - House Team Colour Day

29 Day 1 Super Hoopers 3:00-5:00 p.m. Gr. 5/6 floor hockey tournament at WCMS

30 Sr. badminton playoffs Round 2 at Rosthern

Upcoming May 2016 dates: May 20 - Teacher Prep. Time - No school for students May 23 - Victoria Day - No School May 25 - Hepburn Elementary Track Meet (alt. day is May 27)

The playground is WET! We might be done with winter but winter isn't done with us and a lot of the play area is under water. Please remember that students are expected to stay outside for 15 minutes in the

morning and another 30 minutes at lunch. If your child chooses to get wet at recess they should come prepared with a spare set of dry clothes, especially socks.

Kindergarten Registration Children who are five years of age as of December 31, 2016 may be admitted to Kindergarten this fall. Parents or guardians who are considering registering children in Kindergarten for the 2016-2017 school year are asked to contact the school at 306-947-2077. This information is needed for planning purposes with respect to programs and budgets for the upcoming year.

SRC News

April 13 - Spring Day Dress up in rubber boots, flowers, bunny costume, anything that reminds you of Spring.

April 28 - House Team Colour Day

Check the list if you do not remember your House Team.

The grade 7 class had a successful bake sale to help fund their upcoming field trip to Moose Jaw in May. Thank you to everyone who supported the bake sale.

Kindergarten and Grade One are going to the Frances Morrison Library in Saskatoon on the morning of April 18 to enjoy a program in Pooh Corner.

Kindergarten to Grade Six are going to Osler School to enjoy the production of Aladdin on April 20th.

Miss Zdunich is coaching Grade 5/6 girls floor hockey.

Mr. Holowachuk is coaching Grade 5/6 boys floor hockey.

The Kindergarten class will be incubating duck eggs in April and hope to enjoy some fuzzy ducklings in the classroom in May. Stay tuned for the exciting developments!

Hepburn School’s robotics team is going to Sask. Polytechnic on April 14 where they will be competing against schools from all over the province. On April 19 the robotics team will be heading to our Division competition. Good luck!!

This year’s drama club members include Taryn Goertzen, Kody Munkholm, Slaiter Martin, Jaidyn Guenther, Saphera Reggin, Elizabeth Zacharias, Jonah Berg, Denae Ebach, Marc Bushman, Clair Potter, Taylor Goertzen, Jessica Friesen, Sara Pratt, Tia LaBrash, Bethany Pratt, George Hembery, and Mrs. Block. You did a great job on the performances!

Hepburn Curling Club What another successful curling season!!! This year we had 16 curlers (either new to the sport or returning to the program) and curled out of the Langham Curling Club: Amie Hamm, Eyob Janzen, Sofoniyas Janzen, Jackie Klassen, Camden Klein, Boden Letkeman, Justin Markentin, Lucas Markentin, Reece Martens, Kody Munkholm, Ayla Murray, Aiden Nett, Chloe Poulsen, Lauren Rempel, Atticus Schellenberg and Riley Unruh. We are so pleased with the students and all their hard effort to learn new skills and perfect their curling game!!! We wrapped up our curling season on Wednesday, March 23, and went to the Dalmeny Curling Rink and did some glow curling and had a pizza party!!! Thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time to chaperone on the bus every week, and committing to helping raise money towards using the bus.

We look forward to another successful season next year!!!

Mrs. Kasahoff & Mr. Loboda

REMINDER!! Register Now for Hawks Super Hoopers! …an after-school program for students in Grades 2-6, running for four weeks in April-May. It will be an introduction to the basic skills of basketball, along with some fun, 3-on-3 play with Coach Tasha Fehr and our own Sr. girls’ basketball team. The program will run April 15 (2:00-4:00 p.m.), and April 22, 29 & May 6 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. for Grades 2-4 and 4:00-5:00 p.m. for Grades 5-6 players. **Please note the change of time for Grade 4’s, to accommodate number of kids registered, and also the change of time for April 15th (no school).

Cost is $12 and will go towards the Senior Girls Basketball team uniforms. Payment can be made out to Hepburn School and sent to school with your child or dropped off at the office.

To register call Leanne Thiessen at 947-4322, text 220-9566 or email t4ranch@yourlink.ca .

Division 2 Girls Basketball This year we had 11 grade 5 and 6 girls on the team who were very eager and excited to play basketball. Throughout the season, I was so impressed with the tremendous improvements that they made. The girls were dedicated and looked forward to learning new skills each practice. We had the opportunity to play four games in February and March, and also travelled to Martensville for our final tournament on March 18. I am so proud of each one of them! They were a very positive representative of our school in sportsmanship and team work. We had a lot of fun! A big thank you to the parents who were able to drive to the tournament. Thank you also to the parents who were able to come out and support the team by cheering. Thank you girls, for a fantastic basketball season!!

Mrs. Bueckert (coach)

2016/17 School Year Calendar Dear Prairie Spirit Parents and Guardians: On behalf of Prairie Spirit School Division, I am pleased to provide the 2016/17 school year calendar. We want to thank all those staff members and parents who provided feedback and helped shape the development of the new calendar. Key things to note about the 2016/17 calendar:

1. The number of instructional days (185) and the length of the school day (5 hours and 9 minutes) will remain the same as in the past year.

2. Teachers will begin the school year on Monday, August 29, 2016, while students will begin classes on Thursday, September 1, 2016, prior to Labour Day. The provincial government passed new legislation in 2014 that allows an earlier school start date in exceptional years when Labour Day falls on or after September 5.

The last day of classes for students will be Wednesday, June 28, 2017.

We believe the school calendar for 2016/17 reflects a positive schedule for students, staff and families. Tracey Young Learning Superintendent /nm

Approved by the Prairie Spirit Board of Education on April 4, 2016

2016/17 School Year

Calendar

August 1 Civic Holiday

September 1 School year begins for students

September 5 Labour Day

September 16 No classes

October 7 No classes

October 10 Thanksgiving Day

November 11 Remembrance Day

November 14 No classes

December 21 Last day of classes (Christmas break)

December 26 Boxing Day

December 27 In recognition of Christmas Day (Dec. 25)

January 2 In recognition of New Year’s Day (Jan. 1)

January 3 Classes resume

January 30 No classes

February 17 Last day of classes (winter break)

February 20 Family Day

February 27 Classes resume

March 24 No classes

April 13 Last day of classes (Easter break)

April 14 Good Friday

April 17 Easter Monday

April 24 Classes resume

May 19 No classes

May 22 Victoria Day

June 5 No classes

June 28 School year ends for students

July 3 In recognition of Canada Day (July 1)

2016 August 0/3

S M T W Th F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

2016 September

20/21

S M T W Th F S

1A 2B 3

4 5 6C 7D 8E 9F 10

11 12A 13B 14C 15D 16 17

18 19E 20F 21A 22B 23C 24

25 26D 27E 28F 29A 30B

2016 October 19/20

S M T W Th F S

1

2 3C 4D 5E 6F 7 8

9 10 11A 12B 13C 14D 15

16 17E 18F 19A 20B 21C 22

23 24D 25E 26F 27A 28B 29

30 31C

2016 November 20/21

S M T W Th F S

1D 2E 3F 4A 5

6 7B 8C 9D 10E 11 12

13 14 15F 16A 17B 18C 19

20 21D 22E 23F 24A 25B 26

27 28C 29D 30E

2016 December 15/15

S M T W Th F S

1F 2A 3

4 5B 6C 7D 8E 9F 10

11 12A 13B 14C 15D 16E 17

18 19F 20A 21B 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

2017 January 20/21

S M T W Th F S

1 2 3C 4D 5E 6F 7

8 9A 10B 11C 12D 13E 14

15 16F 17A 18B 19C 20D 21

22 23E 24F 25A 26B 27C 28

29 30 31D

2017 February 15/15

S M T W Th F S

1E 2F 3A 4

5 6B 7C 8D 9E 10F 11

12 13A 14B 15C 16D 17E 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27F 28A

2017 March 22/23

S M T W Th F S

1B 2C 3D 4

5 6E 7F 8A 9B 10C 11

12 13D 14E 15F 16A 17B 18

19 20C 21D 22E 23F 24 25

26 27A 28B 29C 30D 31E

2017 April 14/14

S M T W Th F S

1

2 3F 4A 5B 6C 7D 8

9 10E 11F 12A 13B 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24C 25D 26E 27F 28A 29

30

2017 May 21/22

S M T W Th F S

1B 2C 3D 4E 5F 6

7 8A 9B 10C 11D 12E 13

14 15F 16A 17B 18C 19 20

21 22 23D 24E 25F 26A 27

28 29B 30C 31D

2017 June 19/22

S M T W Th F S

1E 2F 3

4 5 6A 7B 8C 9D 10

11 12E 13F 14A 15B 16C 17

18 19D 20E 21F 22A 23B 24

25 26C 27D 28E 29 30

2017 July

S M T W Th F S

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

Legend Days

School year begins/ends for students

Statutory Holidays 12.0

School Holidays 13.0

Preparation Time 9.5

PSTA General Assembly 1.0

Professional Development 0.5

School Operational Days 1.0

High School Final Exams 8.0

185 Instructional Days 197 Operational Days Semester I = 93 Instructional Day Semester I = 100 Operational Days Semester II = 92 Instructional Days Semester II = 97 Operational Days

®

Home&SchoolWorking Together for School Success CONNECTIONApril 2016

© 2016 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Everyday activities, conversa-tions, and outings have some-thing in common: They can boost your youngster’s back-ground knowledge. This col-lection of information will help him to understand and analyze material in school. Consider these tips.

ExperiencesGive your child opportuni-

ties to touch and handle new things. For instance, if you use a garlic press or a Phillips screwdriver, tell him what it’s called, and teach him how to use it. Show him how you check the oil in your car or sew a button on a shirt, and let him try. He’ll learn how things work and gain new vocabulary.

ConversationsWhen you have company, invite your

youngster to participate in the grown-ups’ discussions sometimes. He will learn about the world by listening to adults talk about current events, their jobs, or their daily lives. And if your guests are from a different cultural

Solve the mystery When your youngster

reads a mystery, encourage her to pre-tend she’s the detective. Can she solve the case before the book ends? Sug-gest that she jot down clues as she goes and try to predict the solution. She’ll practice comprehension skills that will make her a better reader—and she’ll enjoy the story more.

Treasure traditions Every family has traditions, even if you don’t realize that’s what they are. Talk about activities you do regularly, such as eating a special brunch on birthdays or taking a walk on the first day of spring. Then, tell your child about traditions you remember from childhood. Your youngster may dis-cover one he wants to try.

About 10 percent of 12-year-olds say they’ve had alcohol at least

once—a percentage that increases sharply in older kids. Help prevent your child from sampling alcohol now by making sure she knows it’s illegal and may make her sick. Also tell her that people who start drinking before age 15 are more likely to develop alco-hol problems than those who wait.

Worth quoting“I would like to paint the way a bird sings.” Claude Monet

Q: How many peaches grow on a tree?

A: All of them.

Build background knowledge SHORT NOTES

DID YOUKNOW?

JUST FOR FUN

How to prepare for IEP meetings If your child has an IEP (Individualized Education

Program), here is advice for the next meeting you attend to review and update her plan:

● You’re an important part of the IEP team, so plan to share information and ideas. Write up a sum-mary of your youngster’s strengths and needs. Also, list questions you have, such as “How many students will be in her small group?” or “How will you help her calm down if she’s upset?”

● If possible, take a spouse, relative, or friend with you. There may be a lot of people around the table, so having a support person could make you feel more confident.

● Have a positive attitude. Remember that every member of the team has the same goal: to help your child do her best.♥

background, he may also pick up infor-mation about their language or customs.

Field tripsA visit to the post office, the grocery

store, or even a dentist’s office can turn into a field trip. Before you go, help your child list questions he might ask or find answers to. Examples: “What’s the new-est stamp you have?” or “What does an eggplant look like?” Also seek out new or unusual places to visit, like a yarn store, garden center, or tack shop.♥

Sponsored by your School Community Council

© 2016 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement,

and more effective parenting.

Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630540-636-4280 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com

www.rfeonline.com

ISSN 1540-5621

O U R P U R P O S E

Home & School CONNECTION® April 2016 • Page 2

Do you want your child to do chores or fill out her reading log without being asked? Teachers and employers value initiative, too. Here are ways to help your youngster become a self-starter.

Write a listMaking her own list can inspire your

child to take initiative. Suggest she check off each item as she completes it—she’ll see how good it feels to accomplish everything on her list.

Ask questions Rather than telling your

youngster what to do, ask about what she should

do. You could say, “Do you have every-thing you need for school?” instead of “Don’t forget your backpack.” Try this regularly, and you may find her asking herself the same questions!

Recognize progressWhen your child takes out the trash or

starts homework without a reminder, point out that she’s showing initia-tive. Tell her how help-ful it is that you didn’t need to prompt her, and she will be more likely to repeat the behavior in the future.♥

Learn to take initiative

Bullying: Know the facts

Teaching your child about bullying can help her handle it better if she sees it and also make her less likely to bully others. Share these facts.

Verbal bullying is more common. Teasing and threatening happen more often than physical bullying like hitting or shov-ing. If your child is bullied verbally or phys-ically, she should tell a grown-up right away.

Bystanders make a difference. Studies show that more than half of bullying inci-dents stop when a bystander steps in. Have your youngster think of things she could say if a classmate

is being bullied. (“Want to play with me?” “Let’s

go sit over there.”)

Excluding others can be bullying, too. When

a child urges other kids not to be friends with someone, that’s bullying. Encourage your youngster to be kind to everyone and not to exclude others. She might say something like, “I decide who I’m friends with.”♥

Money managers Q: We can’t afford to give our son an

allowance. How else can we help him man-

age money and get off on the right foot financially?

A: Games and books are ideal for teaching children

to make decisions about money.

Choose board games that involve money like Life Junior or

Payday. When it’s your turn, talk about the financial decisions

you make. (“I’m going to save money instead of borrowing more because I don’t

want to pay interest.”)

Also, read stories with financial literacy themes and nonfiction books on the

topic. Ask a librarian for suggestions, or try books like Sam and the Lucky Money

(Karen Chinn) or The Everything Kids’ Money Book (Brette McWhorter Sember).

Encourage your youngster to retell the stories or “teach you” the information. He’ll

show what he learned about how to spend wisely or pay bills.♥

A family history quilt Youngsters love hearing about rela-

tives’ childhoods. Making this “quilt” together can teach your child about his family’s past.

1. Give each person an 8ʺ x 8ʺ square of poster board. Your youngster could mail squares to out-of-town relatives.

2. Ask everyone to draw a favorite childhood memory on one side. Exam-ples: cooking with Grandma, a trip to the state fair. On the other side, they should write about the memories. (“While Grandma and I made chicken parmi-giana, she would tell me about growing up in her little village in Italy.”)

3. Help your child arrange the squares into a quilt and connect them with clear tape.

4. Use the quilt to enjoy your family’s his-tory. You might take turns picking a square and talking about the memory, or make a family time line based on the squares.♥

Q&

A

ACTIVITYCORNER