WELCOME TO THE 2018 - 2019 SCHOOL YEAR!

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Welcome back! I am hoping that all of our NSE families had a restful and relaxing summer. School is once upon us and our staff is excited to see our students return on September 4th. We have been busy around the school, working on engaging and rigorous units and lessons, profession-al development plans, growth plans, classroom decorations, student ex-pectations and seating arrangements, as well revisiting the core purpose of our school. Specifically, our staff looked at the school vision, which is a “‘community of life-long learners’ committed to maintaining a positive, caring, healthy, and cooperative learning environment that nurtures success for all.” As I reflected on our vision, the last three words struck me. “Success for all” means that our school supports the achievement and progress of our en-tire learning community: students, parents and staff. It means everyone in our school is learning and growing together in a positive learning envi-ronment. It means that we nurture success every day for everyone. Therefore, our theme for this school year will be “Success for All”; I am excited to see this theme as it develops with our staff, students and par-ents through character education, school assemblies and classroom ac-tivities. On behalf of our entire school staff, we wish everyone success in the 2018-19 school year! Sincerely,

Mr. Greg Luchak, M.Ed Principal

Principal:

Mr. Greg Luchak

E-mail:

greg.luchak@blackgold.ca

School phone:

780-941-3927

School fax:

780-941-2129

School website:

nses.blackgold.ca

780-955-6025

DATES TO REMEMBER: .

3 - Labour Day (no school) 4 - First Day of School 5 - Meet the Teacher (7-8:30 PM) & Book Fair 7 - Welcome Back Assem-bly at 9 AM 14 - PD Day 17 - Safely on Board (ECS, Gr. 1&2) 18 - Safely on Board (ECS, Gr. 3&4)

Staffing - “The 2018-19 NSE Line-Up”

Teaching Assignment Teacher

Kindergarten (M/W & T/Th) Mrs. Pedersen

1H Mr. Hay

1K Mrs. Klassen Mrs. Kruk (M, T, Th - PM)

2B Mrs. Brown Mrs. Kruk (W/F - PM)

2H Mrs. Hammell

3Hi Mrs. J. Hiller

3HL Mrs. Hlady

4B Mrs. Bensler Mrs. Schmaltz (SS) Mrs. Kruk (Fri AM)

4Q Miss Quach

5E Mrs. Erdmann

5H Mrs. C. Hiller

6J Miss Janzen

6P Miss Pylypiuk Mrs. Christou

Music Specialist Mrs. Schmaltz

School Counsellor Learning Support Teacher

Mrs. Christou

Principal Mr. Luchak

Educational Assistants

Mrs. Laurie Mrs. Enns Mrs. Randell

Mrs. Soch Mrs. Overacker Mrs. Preston

Mrs. Willson Mrs. Radawetz

Office Staff

Mrs. Neustaeter Head Secretary

Mrs. Noble Secretary & Librarian

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are definitely wel-come at our school! Please check with your child’s teacher

about when it is a good time to volunteer. Please note that all volunteers must sign in at the office.

DOORS

Please note that the main

front entrance doors of our school are open all day. All other entrances will be locked after the second bell in the morning.

MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT,

BOOK FAIR & COMMUNITY

AWARENESS EVENING

Our Meet the Teacher Night will

be Wednesday, September 5th

at 7PM. There will be a short as-

sembly in the gymnasium outlining

our programs, followed by our an

opportunity to meet your child’s

classroom teachers. The Library

is open for the Book Fair as well.

Parents also have the opportunity

to register in various community

events. We hope to see you

there!

BOOK FAIR

Our annual fall Scholastic Book Fair will be held September 6,7,10, & 11th, including the evening of Meet The Teacher Night (Sept 5). The classroom shopping schedule will be sent home with the Book Fair

flyers. Each class is scheduled for three different shopping recesses throughout the fair. A door prize entry form from the Book Fair flyers - one for each child - is available to enter for a chance to win $25 worth of book fair products for both themselves and their teacher. All profit from the Book Fair is used to purchase new books

for our library. We thank you so much for your support!

- Mrs. Noble

WELCOME NEW FAMILIES & STUDENTS! We would like to welcome all the new families to our school. It is

wonderful to see so many new students enrolled in our school!

A warm welcome to the following new students:

Gr. 1 - Mary K, Gavin Z, Lincoln M

Gr. 2 - Hailey D, Tanner Z, Ella P

Gr. 3 - Dekota G, Lauren D

Gr. 4 - Zoe K

Gr. 5 - Sharley P, Brody Z

Gr. 6 - Julia S, Mason Z, James P, Jeffrey K

We also welcome all the kindergarten students and their families to our

school. It’s great to see such excitement for learning and school!

Please feel free to contact us at 780-941-3927 if you have any questions or

concerns about our school.

SCHOOL COUNCIL

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

Everyone is invited to attend the

School Council Organizational

meeting on Monday, September

17 at 7:00 p.m. in the

staffroom of our school.

Elections for executive positions

will take place at this meeting,

and items for the coming year

will be discussed. We also need

Room Reps for each classroom

who will attend these meetings.

We hope to see you there!

TERRY FOX RUN Our annual Terry Fox Run will be held the day of the Terry Fox National

School Run which is Friday, September 28. Each student is encouraged to

donate a “Toonie for Terry” which will be forwarded to the Canadian Cancer

Society. This will enter the students into a draw for a Terry Fox t-shirt.

We will also be calling our fundraiser event "Splash the Staff”, where

students will have an opportunity to splash water on a teacher, and maybe even

the principal! For every $5.00 dollar donation your child brings, they get their

name entered into a draw to “Splash the Staff”. If your child were to bring a

$20.00 dollar donation they will get their name entered into the draw 4

times. We will begin our run with a warm-up at the back of the school at

1:45 p.m. and run/walk from 2:00 pm to 2:40 pm around the main street

in New Sarepta. The public is welcome to participate! If anyone is able to

help with patrolling the route, please contact the school. We are looking for

6 volunteers. As well, students are encouraged to wear their favourite

team jersey or t-shirt on this day. We will see how many different types

of jerseys there are and which team is most popular!

Mrs. Christou’s grade 6 class will start collecting donations beginning Wednes-

day, September 19th. Please contact Mrs. Christou if you have any questions by

phone at 780-941-3927.

SCHOOL HANDBOOK & AGENDA Our school handbook and calendar can be found online at:

nses.blackgold.ca Please be sure to use this site to keep

informed about upcoming events and for information on how

our school operates.

As well, every student in Gr. 1-6 will receive a school agenda,

thanks to our School Council/PIIE, which is an excellent com-

munication tool between home and school. Please be sure to

initial it every night to confirm that you and your child have

checked it for homework assignments, test dates and an-

nouncements/reminders. It is also an excellent way to keep

in touch with your child’s teacher.

Student Enrolment Verification Form We are excited to announce online Student En-

rolment Verification for this school year!

This process replaces the paper forms sent

home at the beginning of each school year. As

parent/ legal guardian, you must complete this

form by Wednesday, September 19th to

ensure the school has your child's most accu-

rate information.

Note: This form can also be used to verify

and update New Students who have already

registered online and their information has

changed.

How do I get started?

Visit the PowerSchool Parent Portal and sign into

your Parent Portal:

From the Parent Portal:

1. Select the student you wish to register along the

top.

2. Select the InfoSnap Student Enrolment Verifica-

tion icon on the left.

3. Enter your student's birth date.

4. Click "Begin Forms".

I can’t remember my login for the

PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you have

forgotten your login credentials for the Parent

Portal, you will need to call your school office

directly and they can provide you with the

information.

Do I have to answer all the questions?

Questions marked with a red asterisk (*)

are required.

I’ve completed the form, now what? Once you

have finished entering your information click

“Submit.” This will send all of the information

you’ve entered to the school. If you cannot click

on this button you will need to make sure that you

have answered all required questions.

What if I have more than one student in the

division? Do I need to do this for each child?

Yes, you will need to provide information that is

specific to each child. We recommend that you

complete and submit one Student Enrolment Veri-

fication Form and then start another. This will

allow you to “snap” (or share) selected family in-

formation, which saves you time.

I don’t know what a question is asking. You

can contact New Sarepta Elementary School at

Phone:780-941-3927 to ask any general questions

about the form.

**For technical support, visit: infosnap.zendesk.com

or click “Contact Us” from any form page.

SCHOOL FEES: Through the introduction of Bill 1, An Act to Reduce School Fees, the Government has directed that school boards are no longer able to charge fees for basic educational services and therefore, the Instructional Resource Fees at Black Gold have been eliminated. Schools boards may continue to charge fees for enhanced educational services and fees for non-curricular services. Also as a result of this bill, school-based enhanced ECS (Kindergarten) fees have been reduced from $110.00 to $80.00/year. Payment of this fee can be made online or at the office. If a payment plan is needed please contact Mr. Luchak

HEAD CHECKS Head checks will happen 3 times during the year with our first one taking place in September. We will inform parents and

students, through the agenda, when the checks will take place. It is a good idea to thoroughly check your child’s hair for lice

from time to time. Volunteers are needed for the head checks.

If you are able to help, please contact the school at 941-3927.

ABSENTEES Please call the office or email Mrs. Neustaeter at the

school if your child will be absent for the day.

Phone: 780-941-3927

Email: diane.neustaeter@blackgold.ca This saves the

school a lot of time as we do confirm all absentees to ensure

the safety of our students. Also, everyone coming into the

school is asked to sign in at the office. If you are taking

your child home early, you need to sign him/her off the bus

at the office. Students who do not take the bus should be

signed out in the school register book.

BELL SCHEDULE

Please note that school starts at 8:35 a.m. for Grades K-6.

Students in town, or being dropped off, are asked to arrive

no sooner than 8:25 a.m. Lunch recess is from 1 1 :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

available in office to make this arrangement. Dismissal time

is at 3:12 pm. As well, the first Wednesday of each month,

except for September, is early dismissal which is 2:27 p.m.

MILK COUPONS Our school’s milk program will be

operated by Miss Quach, her grade

four class, and Mrs. Preston. They

will do their best to ensure that milk

is delivered every day to the class-

rooms and we thank them for taking

on this responsibility! White or

chocolate milk is available.

Coupons can be purchased online

through the PowerSchool Parent

Portal or at the office. Prices are

$10.00 for 10 cartons of $20.00 for

20. Please make cheques payable to

New Sarepta Elementary School.

Please note that no individual

purchases are given out.

PE NEWS We are looking forward to another fun

and successful year in PE! We will

continue with our Ever Active Programs

and promotion of wellness.

We thank you ahead of time for your

tremendous support in all of our chal-

lenges and undertakings! Together we

are making a difference in the lifelong

health and wellness of our children and

our school community!

Grade 1 – 6 students are required to

change for gym class. Your child’s

supplies for gym class should include:

a pair of non-marking RUNNING

shoes

a pair of shorts or sweatpants.

a t-shirt (not too baggy or loose!)

a cloth bag (to store gym clothes

in)

*Students are asked to take their gym

clothes home each Friday for washing

and to remember to bring them

back for class on Monday!

LABEL CLOTHING Please label all shoes, coats, boots

and special items brought to the

school. This is very helpful when

looking for lost or misplaced

items. Many students have the

same type of footwear and

labeling them is extremely

helpful.

Please be sure to check the Lost

and Found box throughout the

school year for any lost clothing

articles. It is located near the

gym.

CROSS COUNTRY RUN CLUB The school’s Cross Country

Running Club started up this

week. Students in Gr. 3 - 6 will be

training hard during lunch recess

on Mondays, Wednesdays, and

Fridays for the District Meet

which will be held at the end of

September. If interested in

participating, a parent consent

form will be emailed home and is

to be returned in order to go to

the Meet.

NUTRITION EDUCATION AT NSE

Students will continue to be given time to eat a snack before or after

recess in order to concentrate on being active at recess time and eating a

nutritious snack during snack time. Teachers will be educating students

on nutritious snacks and discouraging them from eating a snack that has

sugar listed as its first ingredient. We would appreciate your assistance

with this when packing your child’s snack. This practice assists in more

productive class time and a reduction of litter in our playground, making

it a win/win solution all the way around!

Our school is also a part of the Alberta Education’s School Nutrition Pro-

gram. This program will see us having nutritional snacks available to stu-

dents who miss breakfast in the morning. As well, we will be providing

nutrition education to all our students about healthy eating, and follow

the Alberta nutrition guidelines with our food choices. Food is also

available for students at lunch time through the Leduc Food Bank Snack

Attack program.

“The sun will come out tomorrow”

– Annie. Lights! Camera! Action! The kids are back and so are the musicals! Mrs. Schmaltz is ready to start the SHOW this September, many Broadway Shows that is! Annie, Sound of Music, Mamma Mia, The Greatest Showman, Cats, and many more! Your child is sure to enjoy the events she has planned for them daily. A mini musical for the Grade 1 - 3 classes entitled, “Pajama Party” will be presented to parents and grandpar-ents in the music room in late October! A huge focus this year will be placed on SINGING SKILLS! Much research has shown that the only obstacle from be-coming a confident and quality singer is regular practice, training, and exposure to great singers! All Grade 5 & 6’s are asked to go on a scavenger hunt at home to find their recorders or buy one online through Rycor for $6.00. These recorders will be needed starting our second week back to play some cool Broadway theme songs and start pre-paring to play “O Canada” at the Re-membrance Day Assembly. We continue to be very grateful to be using an awe-some resource, Musicplayonline, that our P.I.I.E. Committee purchased for us for 3 continuous years! This interactive online site allows our budding musicians to sing-along, dance along, play along, and learn an abundant amount of music skills through games and many other activities.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES Over the years many electronic devices have been brought to school and then lost. The school will not be respon-

sible for items such as these as they are not a required school supply. These types of items are best left at home.

If they are used on the bus by your child they are to be left in your child’s backpack, out of site, for the entire

school day. As well, if your child has expensive clothing, shoes or other supplies, it is best to only use them at

home.

2018-19 School Year 1. BUS FEES - There are no bus fees for eligible students

Grades K – 12 who reside greater than 2.4 km from their designated school. There is, however, a fee of $10 for a replacement student bus pass. Should your require more information on bussing please visit: http://www.blackgold.ca/schools/transportation/apply/ or contact: Sue Timmermans—Transportation Manager Phone: 780.955.6034 Email: sue.timmermans@blackgold.ca

2. ONLINE PAYMENT Online payments are available for all fees through the Pow-erSchool Parent Portal (a secure online website). If you have misplaced the information package that was sent home on how to set up a PowerSchool Parent account please contact the school. Please see the link to Rycor Online Payment Parent Guide for instructions on how to log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal and pay school fees online. **Acorn is now called Rycor** Looks slightly different, but operates the same as Acorn.

How do I use Rycor Online Payments?

1. Visit the Black Gold Regional Schools website at

www.blackgold.ca

2. On the right hand side of the page, under Quick Links,

click on “PowerSchool – Parent/Student Connect”

3. Log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal

4. Click on the link ‘Student Fees’ in the sidebar navigation

menu

5. Review your child’s fees

6. Add any additional items to your shopping cart

7. Checkout and pay for student fees

**Please note: We will still accept cash or cheques in the

office, but payment online is preferred.

DISTRICT/SCHOOL EMERGENCY PROGRAM

— HOUR-ZERO Black Gold School Division has school emergency

protocols in place to ensure the safety of our students

and staff. Through the assistance of the Hour Zero

School Emergency program, protocols and procedures

have been well-defined to build a culture of

preparedness in the event of an emergency.

Throughout the year, schools conduct training and drills

to help better prepare students and staff for possible

emergency situations. These exercises prepare students

and staff to act quickly and help to minimize a child’s

fear during a real emergency. Following is a summary of

the Emergency Response terminology to become familiar

with.

Lock-Down Lock-Downs are usually used in response to acts or

threats of violence to students and/or staff directly

impacting the school. During a Lock-Down all doors to

and within the school are locked. Students and staff

must respond very quickly to a Lock-Down command to

get to a safe location before doors are locked. No one,

other than law enforcement, is permitted access to the

building until the Lock-Down is over.

Hold and Secure Hold and Secure is used in response to security threats

or criminal activity outside the school. During a Hold and

Secure, all entrance doors to the school are locked. No

one, other than law enforcement, is permitted access to

the building until the Hold and Secure has been cleared.

Shelter-in-Place Generally, Shelter-in-Place is used during an environ-

mental emergency, such as severe storms or chemical

spills. During a Shelter-in-Place, students and staff

retreat to safe zones to seek shelter. This includes

having students or staff who are outdoors come back

into the school. Each school’s emergency response plan

identifies the safest location for its occupants and how to

seal a room from hazardous conditions. Students will not

be released or dismissed until the situation has been

resolved.

Evacuation An Evacuation requires all students and staff to leave the

school and go to an alternate location. This may mean

only going outside and away from the building until it is

safe to re-enter the school. In other cases, students and

staff may need to go to an evacuation center. Parents

will be informed of the alternate location through the

school’s Crisis Notification Network.

Dismissal Under some circumstances it may be determined that it

is best to dismiss students to their homes and families

as expeditiously as possible. Should this be the case,

every attempt will be made to alert the emergency

contact for each student of the situation and to ensure

young students are not left unsupervised.

More information regarding hour zero procedures can be

found in our school handbook and at www.hour-zero.com

A POSITIVE, SAFE & CARING LEARNING

ENVIRONMENT—Whether out on the playground, in the

hallway, classroom, washroom, or to and from the bus, students of NSE, from Kindergarten to Gr. 6, will be taught

“Star Student Behaviour”. Be Respectful to people and property

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

Do Your Best

Reading Aloud With Your Child

The most important activity for building knowledge required

for success in reading is reading aloud to your child.

Reading aloud conditions your child to associate reading with

pleasure. It also helps to create background knowledge and

build “book” vocabulary. Most importantly, reading aloud

provides a reading role model.

The more you read, the better you get at it;

The better you get at it, the more you like it;

And the more you like it, the more you do it.

The more you read, the more you know;

And the more you know, the smarter you grow!

NOTIFYING BUS DRIVERS & TEACHERS If you make arrangements for your child to go home with another student, on a different school bus or on your regular bus, please note the following:

1. The bus driver(s) and your child’s teacher must be informed of this alternate home arrangment in writing. This notice needs to be written in your child’s agenda and needs to clearly state that you give permission for your child to ride home on a different bus (state whose bus) and/or who he/she is to be dropped off with. (Kindergarten students will need to bring in a note since they

don’t have agendas.) PLEASE INSTRUCT YOUR CHILD TO SHOW THIS NOTE TO HIS/HER BUS DRIVER, TEACHER, AND ALTERNATE BUS DRIVER. 2. A bus driver cannot let a student who is not a regular rider, ride home on their bus without written parent permission.

3. A bus driver cannot drop a student off at an alternate location on his/her regular route without written parent permission. 4. Unexpected/emergency arrangements for bus rides home can be made by contacting the school of-fice. This information will be relayed to your child’s teacher, your child, and be recorded on the bus forms that are given to the bus drivers at the end of each day.

5. We are very fortunate that our bus drivers allow for these occasional alternate arrangements. It is extremely important that these arrangements are clearly communicated in order for your child to safely get to the appropriate location and to avoid any uncertainty or worry for any of the parties in-volved.

In the event that a note is not written for alternate arrangements and parents cannot be con-tacted, students will be sent home on their bus. For alternate arrangements involving pick-ups after school the same clear written communication needs to be made to your child’s teacher using the school agenda.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter!

SAFELY ON BOARD Kindergarten - Grade 4 students will attend a bus safety session called “Safely on Board” this September. All

parents are asked to review bus safety rules with their children as we begin the new school year.

BLACK GOLD REGIONAL SCHOOLS SAFETY GUIDELINE PLAN:

1. Listen to the Driver.

2. Stay Seated at all times.

3. Talk Quietly.

4. Respect Others.

5. No Eating or Drinking on the Bus. (Includes pop, candy and gum)

6. No Fighting, Swearing or Spitting.

7. No Throwing of Items on the Bus.

8. No Portion of the Body or Any Item is to be Extended out of the

windows.

9. No Obscene Gestures.

10. No Items Larger than 33 cm x 33 cm x 59 cm (13” x 13” x 13”) can be carried on the Bus.

All passengers must follow the SAFETY GUIDELINE PLAN

PARENT RESOURCES:

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/

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS

The school division’s professional development program and

the Alberta Teachers’ Association Institute days for all staff will

see these days designated as professional development days

for the 2018-19 school year:

Sept. 14th PM - School Based

Oct. 19th - Combined

Nov. 1st - School Based

Dec. 7th - Combined/Assigned Day For Support Staff

Feb. 1st - ATA

Feb. 7th & 8th - Teachers Convention

Mar. 22nd - Combined

Apr. 12th - ATA

May 17th - School Based/Assigned day for Support Staff

Please note that students do not attend school on the above

dates.

ABSENCES DUE TO FAMILY VACATIONS It is the expectation of NSE that students will attend school on

scheduled school days and take holidays according to the school

year calendar. In the event that parents choose to take their

child(ren) out of school at times other than school holidays, please

note that the onus lies with them to provide a program. Teachers

cannot provide detailed daily homework assignments that replicate

the missed work. With this in mind, we would like to encourage

families to be mindful of the school year calendar.

Learn Alberta.ca is a website that supports lifelong learning by

providing online resources to the Kindergarten to Gr. 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 authorized to use LearnAlberta at: http://www.learnalberta.ca/ To access these resources you need to

use Black Gold’s codes: ID: LA03 Password: 8049

School supplies are available, for those in need, at the Leduc &

District Food Bank (780-986-5333). Articles such as backpacks, scribblers, pencils, looseleaf, etc. are also available at our school

thanks to St. John’s Lutheran Church! Please contact Mr. Luchak if you are in need of supplies such as these.

HOT LUNCH COUPONS

Hot Lunches are provided by our P.I.I.E. group

and are made available to students on select

Fridays of each month. *Hot Lunch ordering will

be taken online ONLY. More information on

hot lunch to come!

HEALTHY LUNCHES Poor nutrition is a concern for children. A

poor diet can affect your child’s learning, concentration and energy levels and may be

one of the causes of childhood obesity. No one eats perfectly all the time, but if we make it a priority for our children to eat

healthy lunches, they will benefit. WHAT IS A HEALTHY DIET?

A healthy lunch should include at least 3 of the 4 food groups and a healthy snack should include 2 food groups. A healthy diet for

children also limits excessive salt, fat and sugar.

1. Choose whole grain products more often. Try using whole grain bread instead of white for sandwiches, or try one of each.

2. Choose dark green and orange vegeta-bles and orange fruit more often.

3. Choose lower-fat milk products

4. Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish as well as dried peas, beans and lentils. Use lean cuts of cold, sliced meat.

5. Choose “Other Foods” wisely. Try not to pack snacks high in salt, sugar or fat.

For more information on Canada’s Food Guide and portion sizes for children, see www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide

CANADIAN TIRE MONEY Please continue to collect and send in Cana-

dian Tire money. We are able to purchase

various educational and sports items for

our school programs.

POP CAN TABS - Our school also col-

lects pop can tabs which are donated for

recycling. The money raised from the recy-

cling is then put towards the making of

wheelchairs. Pop can tabs may be handed

into the office.

Page 8

SCHOOL WISE

15 HELPFUL, HEALTHFUL TIPS FOR PARENTS

1. Encourage your child to develop a positive

outlook toward school.

2. Stay in contact with your child’s teacher.

3. Attend parent-teacher meetings, school plays

and concerts, social events, exhibitions, fairs

and sports events.

4. Inform the school in advance of your child’s

absence.

5. Avoid taking holidays during school time.

6. Avoid making appointments outside of school

during school hours.

7. Meet with school staff when an incident involving

your child happens in school.

8. Cooperate with the school when solving problems

related to your child.

9. Inform school staff of issues that might affect

your child’s progress or behavior.

10. Review your child’s homework and assignments

and sign agendas.

11. Provide access to reading and study materials.

12. Spend time with your child at the end of each

school day, reviewing lessons, assisting

with homework or just listening to your

child about the day at school.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL EYE EXAMS Three things every parent and teacher should

know about children’s vision By: Dr. K. Hesterman

As parents and teachers, you want to ensure you are setting up

your children and students for success in every possible way.

You make sure they brush their teeth, learn their ABCs and do

their homework. It’s just as important that you ensure they have

healthy eyes and can see clearly.

Here are three important things that you should know about

children’s vision:

1. 20/20 isn’t everything. Sight tests and school screenings can

determine if children have 20/20 vision, but they do not check

eye health or measure any other vision skills needed for learning

such as eye coordination, peripheral awareness and eye/hand

coordination. While these screenings are useful tools, they

should not be used as a substitute for an annual comprehensive

eye exam by a Doctor of Optometry.

2. Learning is connected to vision. A school-age child’s eyes are

constantly in use in the classroom and at play. If their visual

skills are lacking or impaired, your child will need to work harder

which may result in learning challenges, headaches or fatigue.

Many children who are diagnosed with learning or behavioural

disabilities actually suffer from vision problems.

3. You may not know something is wrong. Many parents and

teachers think that they would know if their children or students

are having vision challenges, but that isn’t always the case.

Children often don’t realize anything is wrong – they assume

everyone sees the way they do. Also, many eye diseases go

undetected by parents and teachers because they have no

symptoms. An eye exam is often the only way to catch those

conditions before it’s too late.

Alberta Health Care covers the cost of annual eye exams for

children until they turn 19. Kindergarten students can also

get a free pair of eyeglasses through the Eye See Program.

Visit this website for more information:

http://www.optometrists.ab.ca/eye-see-eye-learn

Counsellor’s Corner Welcome to another fantastic year at NSE! Our focus for counselling in grades 1-3 is “Zones of Regulation”. Students are taught to recognize their state of readiness to learn according to 4 colours: green (focused and ready to learn), blue (tired, sick, or feeling down), yellow (excited or agitated), and red (out-of-control). Grades 4-6 will be exploring a Growth Mindset to develop resiliency with our learning and life experiences. Resources and articles are available for parents on our school website, or by contacting Mrs. Christou.

Learning Support

Children learn best when they come to school ready to learn. This involves proper sleep, good nutrition, con-sistent routines, and a supportive home. Talking to your children about what they are learning in school not only keeps you involved, but helps them to learn better. Instead of asking, “How was your day?” try, “What did you learn about in math today?” Ask them about questions they had trouble with, as well as what they found easy. There is just as much, if not more value in the struggle, as in the success, and each should be celebrated.

- Mrs. Christou

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.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Leduc County FCSS - New Sarepta

Office, Zion Evangelical Church,

St. John’s Lutheran Church and

Leduc County Parks and Recreation

will be hosting our

7th Annual Women’s Pavilion

on Saturday, October 13th, 2018.

Tickets, available this summer, are

$25.00 – this price includes snacks,

lunch, amazing sessions (Holiday

Cakes & Treats [Bosch Kitchen Cen-

tre], Travel, Mobile Mammogram

Screen Test and Breast Cancer

Awareness, Decluttering, Nutrition,

Rural Crime Watch), door prizes

and more! Space is limited, so

please purchase your tickets early!

We are also looking for monetary

and in-kind donations and

volunteers.

Please contact Lucille @ (780) 941-

2382 for more information.

Community Awareness Evening will be held in conjunction with

Meet the Teacher Night @

NSES on Wednesday, Septem-ber 5th commencing at 7:30 p.m.

(after the Meet the Teacher Assembly concludes). If your

agency or organization would like

to book a table, please contact Lucille at (780) 941-2382.

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS Join us after school for some fun and

exercise! Each week will feature a

different theme that will keep your

kids happy and healthy!

Children attending the program

straight after school will be picked up

at the front doors of the elementary

school and walked to the Agriplex.

Please ensure teachers and bus

drivers are informed about your

child’s participation in the afterschool

program.

Please send your child with a snack,

water bottle and clean indoor shoes.

Date: Tuesday and Thursday

afternoons from Sept 25th -

Oct 18th.

Time: 3:15p.m. - 6:00p.m.

Place: New Sarepta Agri-Plex gym

Cost: FREE

To register, or for more

information, please call Donna Gill at

780-913-0032.

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. Christou (780-941-3937).

NEW SAREPTA PUBLIC LIBRARY It's time to dust off those pencils and note-

books! it's also time for us to go back to our

regular library hours. Let the rejoicing begin!

Mondays – 8:30am - 3:30pm

Tuesdays - 3:00pm - 3:30pm

Wednesdays - 8:30am - 3:30pm

Thursdays - 3:00pm - 9:00pm

Fridays - 8:00am - 4:00pm

Saturdays - 11:00am - 3:00pm

Sundays – CLOSED

*Please note, we are closed for lunch daily from

11:30 - 11:52am

5150 Centre St.

New Sarepta, Alberta T0B 3M0

(780) 975-7513

Page 10

Helping your child succeed at school While you might think helping your child learn the al-phabet, or become efficient at algebra is the best path to success, you might be surprised to know that research shows there is a bigger influence 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 focused 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 stimulated, 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 understand 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 situ-ations,” 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 develop self esteem when they are allowed to work through problems that are difficult, but within their ability to solve. “If something 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 ac-complishment. 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 oth-er 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 regulate. Shanker cites “The Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv, which claims that exposing children to nature is an important part of childhood de-velopment, and without it children are more prone to such challenges as obesity, depression and attention dis-orders.

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. Yelling 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 settle 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 homework in a topic he or she feels weak in. Try to catch these behaviours 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,” says Shanker. Look for fun activities to support your child in certain subjects. For example, use puzzles, treasure hunts or yoga to improve learning skills. If you don’t have ideas, look on the internet or ask the teacher. Although children are influenced by teachers for a significant portion of their day, according to Shanker, parents remain the most important 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 Communication

Settling into a new school year The excitement of the first day of school wears off quickly for some students. For some, school can feel pretty stressful even at the beginning of the year. Students who appreciate the comfort of a stable routine will settle into the school-year schedule, but it may take some time. PBS Parents offers the following tips to set the tone for a positive new school year and help your child settle into a new routine http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/starting-school/settling-in

Get to know the teacher Establish a positive relationship with your child’s teacher to help her feel safe in the learning environment. Send your child off with a good feeling Encourage him to make friends on the bus. Create a special good-bye between you both. Connect to other parents at the bus stop or on the walk to school. Let your child show off his/her classroom work Take an interest in your child’s classroom projects. Ask her to show you some of her work and tell you what she’s been doing. Praise her for her efforts, set a positive tone about the classroom environment. Bring something from home to help minimize homesickness Children who miss their parents may benefit from having a small object from home or from the parent. A photo, note or special object may provide a source of comfort during the school day. For the child who says, “I don’t want to go,” talk to the teacher If your child feels very strongly, you could also ask him if he would like to talk to the teacher. Kids may worry about school procedures or classroom routines. Talking it through may be all that’s needed to ease your child’s fear. Also, reminding him of the fun things he likes about school and his new friends can be very helpful. Be prepared for emotional venting at the end of the day If your child had a hard day, they may take it out on family members. Kids often save difficult feelings for the safe envi-ronment of their home. For longer transition problems, ask your school for help If your child is still struggling to settle into the new year, ask for adjustment tips from the teacher, guidance counselor or principal. Schedule the first meeting without your child. Fu-ture meetings can include her. Model a positive outlook If your child seems anxious, be optimistic and confident and let him know it is okay to be nervous. Assure him that he will feel better as the school year becomes more familiar. Volunteer in the classroom If you can, volunteer in the classroom throughout the year to help out, get to know your child’s teacher, the classroom rou-tine and students, and show your child that you are involved in her education. Choose quality over quantity in extracurricular activities Your child will benefit most from one or two activities that are fun, reinforce social development, and teach new skills. Too much scheduled time can be stressful. Keep things running smoothly all year long To ensure a good school start and a smooth year, see back-to-school transition tips by Ted Feinberg, EdD, NCSP, & Katherine C. Cowan, National Association of School Psy-chologists www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/b2shandout.aspx