STONY PLAIN CENTRAL SCHOOL

DECEMBER 2018 Principal: Mrs. Colleen Woloshyn

cwoloshyn@psd70.ab.ca

780-963-2203

Happy Holidays! This is a wonderful time of year! It is exciting to see the joy in the faces of our students during the

holiday season but this can also be a very busy and stressful time. As we as adults scurry around preparing for the ex-

citement of the holidays, children can also feel the stress and exhaustion brought on by this busyness. Concerts, parties,

family visits and so many other events seem to be packed into a limited amount of time. Scheduling becomes an issue

and we always seem to be looking for ways to complete our to-do list. This is an important time for us to stop, and take

time to remember to be grateful for all of the people in our lives - our families, our friends, our neighbours. Don’t forget

to take a minute amidst the hustle and bustle to enjoy each other. Please continue to support your child in his/her school

success by ensuring a bed time is maintained at a reasonable hour. Adequate sleep supports learning, brain development,

concentration, and mood and so directly affects children’s success at school!

During this season of the year we would like to say thanks to:

· Parents and guardians who diligently check their child’s homework; who are seated beside them as they com-

plete their homework; and spend quality time with their child.

· All the volunteers who give countless hours to make SPC a better place for students and staff, including class-

room workers, fieldtrip volunteers, school council members, hot lunch workers, parent drivers, drama produc-

tion parents and society members.

· All the people in our district who are committed to giving their best to your children every day including cus-

todians, bus drivers, educational assistants, secretaries, teachers, and members of the school board.

· All of you who are doing your very best to send your child ready to learn every day.

Just a reminder that winter is here so it is time to send in extra mittens and socks! We love our outdoor time at SPC and

we will be going outside for recess unless the temperature is extreme. It is important that students dress for the cold con-

ditions. Remember there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!

With the festive season upon us there will be much excitement in the air! Although our focus will be to work hard to-

wards accomplishing goals and next steps, we will take time to come together as a school community to celebrate the

season of giving. During the last five days of school before the holidays we will be involved with many Christmas activi-

ties. Please be sure to check the calendar for special events.

As I close this final newsletter of 2018, I am proud of how much our community gives during this time of the year. We

have many programs that reflect the caring community culture that is growing through our population. Our students col-

lected food and clothing for our annual Christmas Hamper drive and raised money for Men’s Health. Our school council

and fundraising society continues to raise funds for our school through the Purdy’s fundraiser, bake sales at Christmas

concerts and our upcoming 50/50 draw at concerts. We always welcome and appreciate your support in all the endeavors

we take on.

At this time, on behalf of the staff at SPC, I wish each family a happy and healthy holiday.

Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!

KINSMEN CHRISTMAS HAMPER

SPC is starting to collect donations for Kinsmen

Christmas Hampers. Students can bring donations to

their classrooms until December 10th. These baskets

help support many families in our community.

Thank you for your support!

STONY PLAIN CRISTMAS CONCERT

Friday, December 7, 2018

1:30pm and 7pm

Family and friends are invited to join us in a holiday celebration on

December 7th in our gym. There will be performances by students

from Kindergarten to Grade 6 and hosted by Middle Year’s students.

We invite those that would prefer to visit us during the day and avoid

the crowds, to attend the afternoon performance. Please note that

there is parking north of the school. We look forward to seeing you

there! Check out VIP seating in School Council news!!

REPORT CARDS—December 7, 2018

We are happy to announce the new way of accessing your child’s report cards! Starting this year par-

ents will access report cards through the Parent Portal to read your child’s progress! Using the link be-

low, you will sign into your PowerSchool account. On the left side of the screen you will locate

“Report Card K-9”. Then you will select the school year you require and then the term! If you require

a paper copy be sent home with your child, you will need to send a request via email to:

awatson@psd70.ab.ca

https://powerschool.psd70.ab.ca/public

The Hour of Code is a global

movement introducing tens of mil-

lions of students worldwide to computer science,

inspiring kids to learn more, breaking stereotypes,

and leaving them feeling empowered.

The Hour of Code takes place each year during

Computer Science Education Week.

This year Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Mills will be Host-

ing an Hour of Code event for all of our students

during the week of Dec. 10 – 14.

Council & Fundraising News

Purdy’s PicK Up This is a reminder that Purdy’s Chocolate orders will be available for pick up on November 30th from 2:00pm to 4:30pm, in the school kitchen. Orders will NOT be sent home on the bus. We also cannot hold your order, so please make alternate arrangements if this time doesn’t work for you.

While we will double check all packing of orders, if you notice any discrepancies you must let us know by Monday, December 3rd. Any errors after that cannot be accommodated or adjusted. This excludes broken chocolate, as vol-unteers will inspect the product for that before sorting.

Please watch our Facebook for the winners of this fundraiser!

Calling All Bakers! We are looking for baking donations for our Christmas Concert Bake Sale! If you would like to contribute, please bring packaged and labelled items to the kitchen on Thursday, December 6th from 2:00pm to 3:00pm, or December 7th from 8:20am to 9:00am. We will price them. Allergies do not need to be accounted for, as items will be labelled.

We are also looking for dessert donations for the Jr. High Christmas Snowball, and ask those donations be dropped off on December 19th, from 8:20am to 9:00am. As always, please email us for more info!

Hot Lunch January Orders: Open on December 5th and due back on the 17th. Online payments or cheque only, no cash.

IMPORTANT: If your child is sick or missing school on a day you placed an order, you MUST notify us by contacting the school office if you are picking up the order or if a sibling is. Notification needs to be made prior to 11 am that day. Notification not given means the lunch will be passed on to a student in need, or disposed of.

All our policies are on the homepage of the ordering system, please take the time to review them.

Elementary Pancake Breakfast Parent Council, along with the Fundraising Society, will be providing a Pancake Breakfast on December 19th. Since we are unable to serve 300 children at one time, it is possible some grades will not eat until 10am. We encourage your child to have a light breakfast, or regular breakfast especially if a bus ride is to be accounted for.

Does your child have allergies? Please let us know asap by emailing spcscchair@psd70.ab.ca. We will do our best to accommodate, but there may be cross contamination.

Stay Connected Like us on Facebook: SPC School Council & Fundraising Society

Follow us on Instagram: spccouncil

Join Us We still need you! Both our parent groups are in dire need of new members. Please join our meetings, we would love to see you there! Children welcome to attend with a quiet activity.

Next Meeting Date: December 17th

Fundraising Society 2:00pm-3:00pm Parent Council 3:20pm-4:20pm

Stony Plain Central Performing Arts is Proud to Present

Disney’s Aladdin JR. is based on the 1992 Academy-Award®-winning film and the 2014 hit Broadway

show about the “diamond in the rough” street rat who learns that his true worth lies deep within.

The story you know and love has been given the royal treatment! Aladdin and his three friends, Bab-

kak, Omar, and Kassim, are down on their luck until Aladdin discovers a magic lamp and the Genie

who has the power to grant three wishes. Wanting to earn the respect of the princess, Jasmine, Aladdin

embarks on an adventure that will test his will and his moral character. With expanded characters,

new songs, and more thrills, this new adaptation of the beloved story will open up “a whole new world”

for your young performers!

Evening performances will be on March 7 and 8, 2019 at 7:30pm at Horizon Stage. Tickets will be

available for purchase at the school office in January.

Back at it Again with the Signs on the Fence!

Stony Plain Central students, staff, and administrators have been quite busy making the school zone safer and more acco-modating for those who choose to travel actively. In fall of 2017, SPC, with the support of Parkland School Division 70 and Ever Active Schools, began an active school travel wellness initiative in order to increase the number of students walking and wheeling to and from school on a regular basis. The benefits of doing so are multiple, according to PhD candidate George Mamman and Dr. Guy Faulkner from the University of Toronto:

Children who walk to school have been found to have higher academic performance in terms of atten-tion/alertness, verbal, numeric, and reasoning abilities; higher degree of pleasantness and lower levels of stress during the school day; and higher levels of happiness, excitement and relaxation on the jour-ney to school. Walking to school can further foster personal growth by developing a sense of independ-ent decision making, emotional bonds with peers and the natural environment, and road and traffic safety skills.

Putting School Travel on the Map, 2015

From data collected through Family Travel Surveys, an environmental scan of the school area, and student-led traffic ob-servations, many barriers were identified that prevent students from travelling safely and actively. The most problematic physical locations identified by families are the following: the congested staff parking lot during drop off and pick up times, the large north parking lot with no clear pedestrian route, the busy access point at 56 Avenue, and the crosswalk at High-way 779 and 57 Avenue. Administration, staff, and students alike are doing their part to address these problems. On June 19, a student delegation presented these findings to an engaged audience of PSD 70, Town of Stony Plain, and peace of-ficer representatives. This same student delegation was invited in November to present to the PSD 70 Board of Trustees in order to draw further attention to the changes that they’d like to see considered in their school community. In addition to this, students and staff have arranged pedestrian and cycle safety presentations with local peace officers and encouraged fellow students to engage in active travel by organizing and promoting fun event days such as International Walk to School Day (October 3) and Winter Walk Day (February 6). School administrators have also shown some true trailblazing spirit through the purchase of multiple scooter and skateboard storage towers that are the talk of the district.

Nonetheless, active school travel works best when we all do our part.

For families that live close, encourage students to walk and wheel to and from school. If you’re nervous about your children walking alone, either walk with them or ask them to find a walking buddy.

If you live further away from the school, avoid the dreaded congested areas and drop off students a block or two away (like the outdoor pool north of the school). That way, students get some added exercise and your blood pressure stays in tact!

Bussed students are not excluded: many schools across Alberta encourage bussed students to walk a lap or two around the school as soon as the bus lets them off.

Earlier drop off times and later pick up times (it’s amazing how much of a difference 10-15 minutes makes in a school zone) are also a good choice, as it provides your child with extra play time at the school park while they wait for you.

Active school travel is not an “all or nothing” choice: any change for the better is good change!

Stony Plain Central School’s active school travel initiative has had a good, strong start. Let’s work together to keep it mov-ing in the best direction.

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