BTPS Newsletter

Hi Team,

As the weather starts to warm up and the snow continues to melt, I want to take a moment to wish you all a happy and uplifting spring. Spring is a time of new beginnings, and I hope you are all feeling reinvigorated as we move into this exciting (and busy) time of year. The longer days, brighter skies, and warmer temperatures are a reminder that good things are happening in our schools. I certainly am amazed at all the activities that our students have the opportunities to enjoy because of your support and planning. I hope you all have a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather that is upon us.

We are excited to announce that Buffalo Trail Public Schools will soon have a new online payment system, MySchoolBucks. This will soon be live! The new system will reduce time, money and paper waste, and allows parents to pay their children’s school fees through a secure online website that is accessed through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Stay tuned so we can share with parents/guardians that we will be moving to this new system to pay fees.

April 7 is Green Shirt Day. This day is near and dear to my heart. I will be sporting a green shirt in honour of Green Shirt Day on Thursday, April 6th. I hope that BTPS lights up the division in green. There are grade appropriate resources available for discussions with students. There is a parent guide too.

It was great to see our leadership team and learn with them. Anne Davies joined us for learning more about assessment. Konni DeGoeij from the ATA facilitated another learning session with us. The ATA provides professional learning opportunities on a variety of topics and many other professional resources. The ATA website has a section for substitutes as well.

I want to thank the Park Plains Diversity, Equity and Human Rights committee for facilitating a book club in the spring and inviting me to participate. Information was sent to schools directly from the committee if there are teachers who would like to join the book club.

April 4th is the Superintendent's Speaking Competition. I am looking forward to hearing the speeches from our very talented students. This year we are hosting the event at JR and it is also livestreamed.

Photo: Mrs. Webb x2!

Have a great week everyone!

BTPS Learning on the Trail Podcast

New episode! Learn about Caterers with Shalene Fetterley - Owner of Vera's Catering Co.

Shalene Fetterley shares with us that she knew from an early age she wanted a career in the food industry. She chats with Rhae-Ann about how she strives to be creative with her food and menus as well as innovative with her products like freezer meals. And how important it was for her to stay in the local area of Wainwright, where she was raised, and give back to the community by using her talents.

Stehsha Zayac from Delnorte School is our nominee for the 2023 Edwin Parr Teacher Award, which is awarded to a first-year K to 12 teacher who has taught in an Alberta school jurisdiction, which is a member of the Alberta School Boards’ Association (ASBA).

The Edwin Parr Award is annually given to one first-year teacher in each zone of ASBA, who has demonstrated excellence in teaching. Each school division nominates one candidate, and then a committee selects one of the candidates to receive the award for the zone. The Edwin Parr Award recipients are recognized at the ASBA Fall General Meeting.

Congratulations Stehsha!

Ed Tech Tips with Stacy!

BOOK CREATOR! I put that in all caps because it really is something to yell from the rooftops.

Book Creator is a digital tool that enables students to create and read multimodal digital books. It is an ideal tool for enhancing student engagement through story creation and multimedia design. With guidance, even students in early elementary school grades can use this tool to produce and publish their own simple books or comics with images, videos, and audio. And, given the options for adding images and multimedia, even students who are ready for more challenges won't feel limited. Plus, book creation itself gets students using critical thinking and organization skills as they brainstorm, plan, and make creative decisions about their books.

My suggestion is to sign up so you can get their weekly emails. Even if you don’t use it right away, they provide quick ideas on how to incorporate Book Creator into your classroom - and in any subject - for when you’re ready! From social studies to PE, Book Creator is a great tool to spark creativity and enhance learning.

If you want to learn more (or just want to check out more EdTech), check out the BTPS resource site.

Hapara Workspace templates are here!

Make a copy and use these Hapara Workspace templates for your next lesson or unit. Visit app.hapara.com/workspace → select Our Library from the menu across the top → scroll down to the collection (folder) titled Workspace Templates and choose from Template 1, Template 2, or Template 3.

If you’re looking for Workspace Card Images, this folder has lots to choose from!

Alberta School Councils Connect 2023

The 2023 event will bring school councils in Alberta back together again (not since 2019), to CONNECT, in person!

Registration deadline is April 1, 2023 at 5 pm.

All information here

Seesaw - Kicking off a reading challenge!

Seesaw is hosting a We Love to Read Challenge starting March 27th through mid-May. They’ll be sharing easy-to-use activities and instructional resources to foster the love of reading in your classroom with opportunities to track progress and earn rewards. Check out the We Love to Read Challenge website to learn more.

Email: central_office@btps.ca
Website: www.BTPS.ca
Location: 1041 10A Street, Wainwright, AB, Canada
Phone: 7808426144
Twitter: @BTPS28