Mark Your Calendars:
· Sept. 16, 2024: Annual CBE Online Forms Due Date
· Sept. 17, 2024: Class and Individual Photo Day
· Sept. 20, 2024: Terry Fox Run 10:00am
· Sept. 20, 2024: Fun Lunch order deadline
· Sept, 25, 2024: Fun Lunch – Little Caesar’s
· Sept. 26, 2024: Orange Shirt Day and Assembly at Silver Springs School
· Sept. 27, 2024: No School - Non-Instructional Day
· Sept. 30, 2024: No School – National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
· Oct. 8, 2024: School Council Meeting at 6:30pm in the Learning Commons
· Oct. 14, 2024: No School - Thanksgiving
· Oct. 25, 2024: No School – Non-Instructional Day
· Oct. 31. 2024: Halloween parade and Halloween Howler (hosted by our School Council)
Dear Silver Springs School Parents and Guardians,
We're happy to say that the first couple of weeks back have gone smoothly, thanks to the great teamwork from our students, teachers, support staff and families. It's awesome to see everyone working together to kick off the school year on the right foot.
On Thursday, September 12 we held our first Open House / Meet-the-teacher evening. It was great seeing many familiar faces and meeting new families. We hope you were able to meet your child’s teacher, see the school and your child’s classroom, connect with other families, and walk away with a stronger understanding of your child's year ahead at Silver Springs School. For those families who were not able to attend, we will have the slideshow presentations uploaded to our website within the next week.
School Photos: Lifetouch will be at the school on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 to take individual students photos as well as class photos. It would be appreciated if 2 or 3 parent volunteers were available to help organize students. You would be needed from 8:30am to 1pm. If you are available to help and have a valid police clearance, please email Maureen Bouchart mlbouchart@cbe.ab.ca .
Terry Fox Run: The 2024 Terry Fox School Run is set for Friday September 20, 2024 and we are so excited to be taking part! Students will be running with the whole school in the morning and we will begin with a kick-off assembly at 9:45 am. We ask that students wear their buddy group color if they can on this day (Blue, Red or Green).
· BLUE – Mrs. Neufeld, Mr. T, Ms. Lee, Mrs. Wilkes- AM Class
· RED – Mrs. Ibbotson, Mrs. Downey, Mrs. Bates, Mrs. Wilkes –PM Class
· GREEN – Mrs. Ballinger, Ms. Szczepanski, Mrs. Dechant
If your family wishes to participate in donating to The Terry Fox Foundation in support of cancer research, the Foundation has created an online fundraising page customized for our school. Please use this method to donate rather than sending cash to the school.
Donate online at: https://schools.terryfox.ca/72071
· Click the link above to donate or search for our school name at terryfox.org
· Receipts are issued immediately to donors by email from the Terry Fox Foundation
Annual CBE Online Forms Require Completion by Monday, September 16: Each year, schools have a variety of forms that parents / legal guardians are required to complete or review and update, some of which are paper and others online. In CBE, the forms that have now shifted to an online format (SchoolEngage) are:
· Demographic Verification 2024-25: This form includes your child’s personal information as well as parent / legal guardian contact information.
· Citizenship Information Update 2024-25: This form becomes available if you change your child’s citizenship information on the Demographic Verification form.
· Annual Authorization 2024-25 – Combines the following forms:
o School District Use of Personal Information - explains how CBE uses personal information in providing education services.
o Consent for CBE Use of Student Information – provides an option to grant / not grant consent for additional use of student information by school/district and third parties.
o Consent for Use of Student Information by News Media and Outside Groups (Third Party) - provides an option to grant / not grant consent for additional use of student information by outside groups and third parties
SchoolEngage is one of the applications found in your MyCBE account. This is the same account that you use to pay fees, view academic information, book school conferences, etc. If you do not have a MyCBE account, on the MyCBE page click on Create a MyCBE Account. For online help refer, to MyCBE - Creating an Account (includes instructions and a video). Please submit the Demographic Verification and Annual Authorization forms in SchoolEngage for your child by Monday, September 16. These forms are mandatory every year for Alberta Education to confirm student funding.
Alberta Education's Changes to K–3 Provincial Assessments: Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, Alberta Education will implement new literacy and numeracy screening assessments for Kindergarten through Grade 3:
· Grades 1–3: Mandatory assessments will be conducted in September and January, with a follow-up in June for students needing additional support. The assessments include:
o The Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST)
o The Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) Digits test
o The Letter Name-Sound (LeNS) Test
o Castles and Coltheart 3 (CC3) Reading Test
o Provincial numeracy screening assessments
· Kindergarten: Beginning January 2025, all Kindergarten students will undergo required literacy and numeracy screening assessments using the same tools, except the CC3.
For more detailed information, please refer to Alberta Education's General Information Bulletin 2024–2025 Literacy and Numeracy Screening Assessments.
New K–6 Curriculum Implementation: Starting in September 2024, students across Alberta will continue learning from the finalized curriculum in:
· K–6 Science (Previously implemented for K–3, now expanded to K–6)
· K–6 English Language Arts and Literature (Already in use)
· K–6 Mathematics (Already in use)
· K–6 Physical Education and Wellness (Already in use)
These curriculums are designed to enhance student learning and development across core subjects, providing a comprehensive foundation for academic growth. Additionally, school authorities had the option to pilot the draft K–6 Social Studies curriculum. However, the CBE has chosen not to participate in the Social Studies pilot at this time. For more information and resources for parents, please visit the new LearnAlberta website.
2023-2024 Yearbooks: The 2023-24 Yearbooks have arrived, and they look great! . If you missed ordering one in the spring, we do have extras at a cost of $20 each. These will be available in the office for purchase. CASH ONLY please!
Pedestrian Safety: Ensuring the safety of our students, especially during their commute to and from school, is a top priority. We kindly request your support in reinforcing the importance of pedestrian safety with your children. Please remind them to always use designated crosswalks, obey traffic signals, and remain vigilant while walking near the school zone. Additionally, encourage them to avoid distractions such as wearing headphones while crossing the street. As parents, you also have a vital role to play as drivers. Please adhere to speed limits, be extra cautious in school zones, and avoid any form of distracted or reckless driving. Together, we can create a secure environment for all our students and pedestrians in our school zone. Thank you for your cooperation in fostering a culture of safety. With your help, we can ensure students safety on the way to and from school.
Sincerely,
Michelle Ryskamp,
Principal, Silver Springs School
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SCHOOL COUNCIL UPDATES
Hello Silver Springs School Parents -
The THANKSGIVING TURKEY & VEGGIES FUNDRAISER is here! A flyer was sent home this week with students. Get your veggies for Thanksgiving and give funds back to the school! New this year is that we have partnered with Indeygo, allowing us to offer locally grown produce and turkeys. Ask your neighbours, family members, and friends. If you don't need veggies or turkey, you can still participate in the fundraiser by choosing the online option to donate a bundle to a family in need.
· Order now through 11pm on Sept 27, 2024
· 3 different veggie bundles to choose from ($15/$30)
· 4 different turkey/meat bundles to choose from ($38-$110)
HOW TO ORDER:
· Go to www.indigo.com/store/shop/5841724096337
School Council Communication: Moving forward this school year, your School Council and Parent Association are going to be sending emails and communication out to parents via their own newsletter. To ensure you don’t miss out on information on school fundraisers, events and other activities, please add you email to our list here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmgHooW3c5LPJxpfP7aFDbBVVQScFJatbHToWR7_sMH6mbnw/viewform
Healthy Hunger: More fun lunches and snacks have been added to the calendar for the 2024/2025 year! If you don't already have a Healthy Hunger account, you can register at https://healthyhunger.ca/parent-register. Once you log into your account, you are able to see the upcoming orders, and place and pay for orders in advance. Please log onto the Healthy Hunger website for more order information: healthyhunger.ca.
We need volunteers to help on the Fun Lunch days! Please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4FADAB28A0FF2-funlunch2
For any questions about the above, or your School Council and Parent Association in general - please email
Thank you!
Celeste Howard and Erin Olesen (School Council Chair and Vice Chair)