Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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Important Dates in October:

October 5: Last day for Town Irrigation October 6: Lieu Day—No School October 9: Thanksgiving Holiday—No School October 13-14: Volleyball Tournament in Bassano October 30: Picture Retakes TBA: Parent/Teacher Interviews TBA: Community Cookie Production

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4

Labour Day Holiday

No School

5

Classes Begin

Gr. 1 –9

6

Final Farmers’ Market

7

Orientation for ECS

8

Family Packages Go Home

9

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11 NO Hot Lunch

Volleyball Practice 7:00 a.m.

Adult Pickle Ball 7-9 p.m.

Public Library 7-9 p.m.

12

Classes Begin for ECS

(Full Days)

13

Volleyball Practice 7:00 a.m.

Public Library 7-9 p.m.

14

ECS Day

First Mennonite

Class

15

Hot Lunch Orders Due Every Friday

by Noon

Second Harvest Donations Due

16

Volleyball Tournament:

Bassano

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18 Hot Lunch:

Hamburgers

Volleyball Practice 7:00 a.m.

Adult Pickle Ball

Public Library

19

ECS Day

Classes Begin for

Pre-K Students (Mornings Only)

20

Volleyball

Practice 7:00 a.m.

Public Library 7-9 p.m.

21 ECS Day

Hearing Screening

SCHOOL

PICTURES

Yoga Classes Begin

3:20 p.m.

22

ECS Day

Milk Order Forms Go

Home

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25 Hot Lunch: Carbonara

(Creamy Pasta)

Volleyball Practice 7:00 a.m.

Adult Pickle Ball

Public Library

26

ECS Day

Milk Forms Due

Milk Program Begins Oct. 2

27 Volleyball

Practice 7:00 a.m.

School Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.

Public Library 7-9 p.m.

28

ECS Day

Yoga 3:20 p.m.

29 Welcome Back

Breakfast!

Terry Fox Run

Community Youth Group

7-9 p.m.

30

A NEW YEAR BEGINS….!

The staff and students of Rolling Hills are VERY excited to be back at school. We have already decided this will be a very good year!

We have some new staff and we are thrilled with their energy and enthusiasm! Welcome to Kaley Wolfer, Cat Wagner, and Michelle Foote. We also welcome back Mr. Gavin O’Looney, who has accepted a permanent position with our school.

Miss Wolfer was born and raised in Tilley and was a student teacher in our school last year so it was an easy transition taking over the grade 3/4 class. Miss Wagner comes to us from Duchess School and will now be teaching grade 5/6. She was raised in Airdrie but now resides in Brooks. Miss Foote was born in Newfoundland but has lived most of her life in Tilley. She spent a couple of years in Medicine Hat taking the Early Childhood Education Program and working in a daycare. Her expertise with little people will be a great asset as she will be working in our E.C.S. class this year.

We have a small ECS class so they will get lots of one-on-one attention. Welcome to Brianca Friesen, Avery Lester, Megan Meeuwsen, and Kevin Neufeld. ECS classes will be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and alternating Fridays (full days). Welcome back, everyone!

STUDENT AGENDAS

On the first day of school, each student in grade one to six received a new agenda. These are important tools to help students stay organized and record homework, exams, and other important dates.

Agendas can also be used as a communication tool between parents and teachers. Your child should bring their agenda home each day so please check them regularly. Replacement agendas are available at the office for a fee of $5 each.

FRIDAY FOLDER FAMILY PACKAGES

A very important envelope has been sent home with one member of each family.

The package includes hot lunch forms, student insurance, school handbook, picture notice, field trip permission, and other important information. Please check the due dates on the forms and return to the school on time.

The Student Information Form for each student was sent home on the first day of school. The registration form has all of your child’s information that the school has on file, including parent information, medical alerts, and emergency contact. NEW: Students who live out of town must include the BLUE Rural Sign number. Please write any necessary corrections or adjustments on the form. This form MUST be signed and returned to the school by September 22nd. The school MUST BE notified immediately if your phone number or address changes.

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM

Mondays are Hot Lunch Days! The Hot Lunch Program is a fundraiser for various classes and groups within the school. The Parent Advisory Council volunteers prepare one hot lunch each month, and parents are needed to help organize, prepare and serve. If you can help, please speak to Mrs. Short.

Hot lunch must be pre-ordered. Order forms will be sent home a week in advance of the lunch and are due on Fridays by noon.

For the month of September, the proceeds from ALL hot lunches will be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation!

SCHOOL PICTURES

School photos will be taken on THURSDAY, September 21. All students must have their photo taken for school purposes, even if you do not plan to purchase any pictures.

Class photos will be taken at the same time and each student will receive a free copy of their class picture.

SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING

The first School Council meeting of the year will be held on September 27

at 7:00 p.m., at the school. Agenda items include hot lunches, concession, field trips, fundraising, and staff changes.

Parents are encouraged to contact Mrs. Short with agenda ideas at the school at 964-3640 or email her at nicole.short@grasslands.ab.ca. Your input is important, so please plan to attend.

VOLLEYBALL PRACTICES HAVE STARTED!

Tyson Hemsing will be coaching our volleyball team this year, with the assistance of Miss Wagner. Thank you both for sharing your volleyball expertise with our players!

Practices will be held on Monday and Wednesday mornings 7:00—8:20 a.m.

League games will take place on Tuesday evenings. The first tournament will be held on September 16 in Bassano. Players and parents must sign the permission form and return it with the $50 fee. This amount is greatly reduced due to fundraising and other school support.

Important information will be sent home with players, including permission forms, player conduct, game schedules, tournaments, transportation and volunteer driver forms. Please insure ALL forms are returned right away.

NO COUPONS BOOK SALES

Due to the limited demand for the SUTP Coupon Books, the school will NOT be selling them. The program was used as a fundraiser for the junior high students, but each year customers purchased less books, or stated they never really used the coupons and were only purchasing them to support the school.

We are trying to carefully monitor the feedback we receive from the community when it comes to school fundraising. The school is trying to ensure that families and community members are getting some benefit from the items they purchase and donate.

We strongly encourage everyone to support fundraising efforts that involve DIRECT student input, such as hot lunches, milk program, concession sales, and the spring dinner auction. We greatly appreciate the community support in all of the school’s activities and events!

THANK YOU, PARENT COUNCIL

This year, parents did not have to purchase school supplies for their children! The Rolling Hills School Parent Advisory Council agreed to donate funds raised from P.A.C. hot lunches to purchase school supplies. The cost of supplies will be covered by P.A.C. and the school. Thank you for making “Back to School Shopping” more affordable for families in our community.

A few basic items are still required to be supplied by parents, including backpack, lunch kit, water bottle, inside shoes, and binder (grade 5-9).

ALL students are asked to bring one large box of Kleenex as we use lots throughout the year.

Please check the school website or contact the school if you require a copy of the list.

SECOND HARVEST

Each year, Rolling Hills School works in conjunction with Farm Credit Canada’s Drive Away Hunger to collect food for the Brooks Food Bank. In addition to non-perishable items, we encourage donations of fresh produce as our community members are harvesting their gardens.

Parents are encouraged to send non-perishable food items or fresh produce to the school until September 15 to support this program. Pasta, rice, canned vegetables, cereal and lunch snacks are always in demand.

We live in an area abundant with potatoes and carrots. We are fortunate these farmers have invited our

students to their fields to harvest these products to be donated to the Food Bank.

On the morning of September 18, all donations will be weighed before they go to the Brooks Food Bank. For more information on FCC Drive Away Hunger, visit the website at www.fccdriveawayhunger.ca.

OPTIONS CLASSES

This year, our junior high students will choose from three option classes. They can try Outdoor Education, Foods and Sewing. Fire building, basic first aid and survival, cooking, baking, proper food storage, hemming, sewing and quilting. Important skills that are fun to learn!

Thank you to Carmen Krause for offering to run our sewing program—the kids are SO happy to pull out the sewing machines and sergers and show off their creativity!

TRAVELING ART SHOW

Each year, the school hosts three traveling art exhibitions through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. The school is charged a minimal $75, which is covered with funds previously donated by Cookie Connection.

This month, we are pleased to present Flying Colours. This exhibition features macrophotography by artist Robert Chelmick. The subject of the photographs is butterflies, in extreme close-up. The resulting images are colourful, textured, and dynamic. At this level of detail, the insects look like feathers, eyes, plants, landscapes or maps.

The photographs are also connected to ecology, or the study of the interconnectedness of organisms and the environment. Chelmick hopes that by viewing these images and recognizing recurring and familiar forms, the view will feel more connected to nature.

This is a beautiful exhibition and it adds so much color to the hallways! The exhibition will be on display until the 27th. Please drop in and check it out next time you are in the school.

MILK PROGRAM

The school will be offering milk for students starting in October. Milk sells for 75 cents each. Milk MUST be pre-ordered each month. Order forms will go home mid-September and must be returned by September 27th. NO LATE ORDERS will be accepted. If you would like your child to have milk in October, please ensure your form is in on time.

You can also make your payment for milk on-line. Simply visit the school website at rollinghills.grasslands.ab.ca and click on the School Cash Online tab at the top of the page. On-line orders are due Sept. 26th.

SCHOOL WEBSITE

Please visit the school website at rollinghills.grasslands.ab.ca to see what is happening at our school!

School newsletters can be viewed on the website—under the Newsletter tab. This is a handy way to check on upcoming events, field trips, and hot lunch dates.

The website is updated regularly, but sometimes details are missed! If you discover missing documents, errors, or have suggestions for the website, please contact Kimberley at the school at 964-3640. Thank you!

WELCOME BACK BREAKFAST

The school will be having a Welcome Back Breakfast on Friday, September 29th. Students, staff, parents, bus drivers, and community members are invited to come and

enjoy a delicious pancake and fruit breakfast.

Breakfast will begin at 8:45 a.m. This is a great time for our students and families to come together and celebrate another great school year!

TERRY FOX RUN

Millions of students across Canada take part in Terry Fox School Runs every year, making it one of the largest fundraising events in Canadian history.

Our students will participate in the Terry Fox Run by running around a planned route through Rolling Hills, on Friday, September 29, starting at 9:30 a.m., just after the Welcome Back Breakfast. Everyone is invited to join us.

Throughout the month, students will be reminded to bring a minimum $2 donation . In addition to collecting donations, the school will be contributing all proceeds from our September hot lunches to the Terry Fox Foundation. We are working together to outrun cancer.

SCHOOL CASH ONLINE

School Cash Online is an easy to use and safe way to pay for your children’s school purchases. Now, with a few clicks, you can pay for your child’s hot lunch, milk order, school clothing, yearbook, class trips and so much more from your own home.

All you have to do is register an account, attach your child(ren) and in no time you will be able to make payments online.

Follow these simple steps:

Visit the School Cash Website—Visit rollinghills.grasslands.ab.ca then click on the School Cash link at the top of the page. This will take you to the Grasslands School Cash website. Click on Get Started Today on the homepage.

Register – Register your own secure personal payment account.

Add a Student – Once you’ve confirmed your account, add your child to your account to view and pay for school expenses. You should be prompted for this information upon login. This feature can also be located under the "Items" tab or the "My Account" tab.

Pay School Expenses – Pay for any selected school expenses by adding the items to the cart and checking out.

Print Receipt – Print a copy of the transaction receipt for your personal records. This information can also be found under "Payment History".

Remember, you only have to register once. After that, making purchases is simple and only takes minutes!

GET FIT THIS FALL AT THE FIRM

It is wonderful to see so many people using the fitness gym in Rolling Hills. New equipment and weights were purchased last spring so this truly is a full fitness facility. The new location at the north end of the community hall provides a bright workout room.

Check it out — we have three treadmills, an elliptical machine, high tech recumbent bike, half cage, free weights and bench, kettle balls, skipping ropes, basu ball, medicine balls and more! There is a new flat screen TV, with a full complement of workout CDs that target all parts of the body.

The price is right as well! Only $20 for a month, $100 for six months, or a yearly membership for $200.

To join The Firm call:

Krista — 403-363-4174 Lacey — 403-363-3450 Lois — 403-363-2266

PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Public Library is open Monday and Wednesday evenings 7-9 p.m., and Wednesdays 9-11 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Get more from your library! Your FREE membership gives you full borrowing privileges, use of Wi-Fi in the library, and access to all of our online services. This includes online newspapers from Library PressDisplay, ConsumerReports.org, and access to ebooks and LibraryToGo (Overdrive). You will also have full access to a broad collection of books, CDs, and DVDs.

Place holds, renew books, search for items, all from the comfort of home using your FREE library membership.

Visit http://rollinghills.shortgrass.ca/ and click on the tab Books and More to see all we

have to offer. For more information, call the Rolling Hills Public Library at 403-964-2186 (leave message).

ADULT CO-ED PICKLEBALL

It looks like tennis, sounds like ping pong and favours the same light-on-your-toes action of badminton. But pickleball is a sport in its own right.

The game is played on a court similar to a tennis court, but with smaller boundaries. In teams of two, players use small paddles to volley a ball, similar to a wiffleball, back and forth over the net. The game doesn’t require the same cardiovascular intensity of tennis, but players say matches are just as intense.

Curiously, pickleball has nothing to do with pickles. The game has roots in the Pacific Northwest, and is believed to be named after its inventor’s cocker spaniel, Pickles, who would run after the ball when it went astray.

An explosion of popularity has made Pickleball a fast-growing sport in Canada, and now you can play right here in Rolling Hills!

Adult Co-ed Pickleball will be held at the school gym on Monday evenings 7-9 p.m. And it is FREE! Enter through the Public Library doors (Jr. high entrance). Come find out what all the fuss is about. You need to have clean running shoes, water bottle and a sense of humor. Equipment provided.

Starts Monday, September 11th - good exercise, fun, and a social atmosphere. Sorry, no kids. This one is just for the grown-ups! For more information you can contact Carla at 403-363-7857.

FARMERS’ MARKET DONE FOR THE SEASON

The final Rolling Hills Farmers' Market was held on September 6th. The vendors and organizers would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who supported the Farmers’ Market this season.

COMMUNITY COOKIES

Community Cookies will start production in mid-October. Reps will be calling for volunteers soon. It takes about 100 volunteers for this project. Each shift is three hours long, with four different shifts per day, for approximately eight days. We appreciate this community for all the past help in making cookie dough and we are hoping for another great year. Thank you, everyone!

All proceeds will be used to benefit clubs, organizations and facilities in our community. Past recipients of donations include The Firm fitness facility, Seniors’ Quilting, Golf Course, Community Hall, Gardening Club, the Town, Ladies’ Golf, Ag. Society, Cemetery, and Seniors Club.

It is easy to see, Community Cookies supports all of the important facilities and programs in our hamlet! So please, be ready to sign up when you get the call to volunteer!

If you have not been contacted by the end of September and you would like to help out, please call Pat MacKinnon at 964-2133.

IRRIGATION WATER SHUTDOWN

The last day for irrigation water in the hamlet is THURSDAY, October 5. Water will be shut off and lines blown out on Friday morning. If you can help with blowing out irrigation lines, please meet at the Golf Course at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

It has been exceptionally dry this summer and we are SO fortunate to have irrigation available in the hamlet. Give those trees, plants, and lawn a good soaking before the water is turned off. Please ensure that all of your irrigation needs have been met by Thursday.

IT’S TIME FOR YOGA CLASS

Merrilee Faulkenberg from Blossom Yoga offers Vinyasa Yoga in Rolling Hills every week.

If you are wanting to increase your flexibility and build strength, come to yoga! Class will involve yoga poses linked together to build muscle endurance, length and strength.

A consistent yoga practice helps to increase blood flow, better your bone health, boost immunity, improve your balance and so much more. Come give yoga a try. Beginners are welcome.

The fall session will begin on Thursday, September 21, and will run until December 7 (12 weeks). Cost is $189. Register before September 11 to be entered for an early bird prize package. Only paid registration are eligible.

Yoga classes will be held at the school every Thursday, 3:20—4:35 p.m. Register at www.blossomyogainstruction.com or you may e-transfer merrileedfalkenberg@gmail.com.

VENDORS—BOOK YOUR TABLE

Christmas Daze is a huge Craft and Bake sale and will be held in the community hall on Saturday, November 25.

Vendors have already started booking tables to ensure their space at this amazing event. If you would like to book a table, please call Katharina Banman at 403-964-2477.

COMMUNITY YOUTH GROUP

ALL kids in grade four to twelve are invited to have some fun at the new Community Youth Group program.

Youth Group will be held every SECOND Friday, starting September 29th. This program will be held at the Church of God, 7-9 p.m., and best of all, it is FREE! Grade 4-12 students, come out for some fun, food and faith.

For more information, contact Pastor Debbie at 403-964-3939. See you soon!