BTPS Newsletter

Welcome to the final month of the school year! This is an exciting and rewarding time as we enter the final stretch of 2024–2025. While the days ahead will be full and busy, they also bring opportunities to celebrate milestones, reflect on progress, and support students all the way to the finish line. Whether you are working in classrooms, on buses, in offices, libraries, or hallways, your contributions continue to make a meaningful difference. Thank you for the energy, care, and commitment you bring each day. I am grateful for all that you do.

June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to honour the rich history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across Canada. Throughout the year, our staff have thoughtfully integrated Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum, reflecting our dedication to truth, understanding, and reconciliation.

This month offers opportunities to deepen our learning, including the observance of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21. Engaging in school-wide activities, classroom discussions, or personal reflection allows us to continue our journey of understanding and respect. Let's embrace this time to further our commitment to inclusive education and community connection.

May these last few weeks of the school year be filled with learning and wonderful memories.

Be Well,

Michelle

The May 2025 Board Highlights are now available on our website!

🔍 All previous Board Highlights are also posted online, so you can stay engaged with how the Board is supporting students, staff, and schools across BTPS.

🌟 Check out the Board Advocacy page to learn more about how the Board is working to support rural public education in our division.

SImilar to our community school neighbours across BTPS, our Hutterite Colony schools are looking forward to our upcoming summer holidays. But, there is a lot of work to do in these last few weeks of the 2024/2025 school year! Our BTPS Colony Schools continue to be great places to learn, grow, and work where our 17 Colony staff team members work tirelessly in 8 different schools that are spread across BTPS. With the changing of the seasons and as we enter the long, warm days of the summer, both our colony staff and our students are working very hard both in and outside of the classroom.

Our school communities have worked diligently throughout the year and are now entering a phase of assessments and reporting, which is done through tools other schools use. Screeners, and soon, remaining PATs have been or will be completed by our colony kids alongside our final teacher assessments and reported to the parents. For our students, while there is a heavier load experienced in “English school” at this time of year, things lighten up a bit in “German school”. For most of the year, our Hutterite kids attend German school before and after English school every day of the week, and then for a portion of Saturday. Once the weather warms up in the spring, they join the colony gardener, who is quite often also their German teacher, in the garden working. Additionally, the kids very often help out around the colony in a wide variety of other roles - their lives are very productive (and very busy)!

Each season provides unique and enjoyable experiences in our colony schools that are both challenging and rewarding. For the colony staff, similar to everywhere else across BTPS, June is an incredibly busy month quite often filled with mixed emotions. We recognize our kids, and we need rest and appreciate the upcoming break, but also know that it is a time to say goodbye for a bit of time, or perhaps for good as our kids move on to meet their adult expectations and responsibilities to their communities. All in all, we love what we do and look forward to the fall when the cycle begins again. From all of your colleagues and friends in the BTPS Colony Schools, we send best wishes for a relaxing, restful and rejuvenating summer!

As the school year winds down, Irma School has been buzzing with activity, accomplishments, and celebrations across all grade levels. We proudly celebrated our Irma School Graduation, where students were recognized for their hard work and bright futures. A special congratulations to Amanda Cepeda, recipient of the prestigious Schulich Leadership Scholarship, valued at $120,000. Less than 100 of these awards are presented across the country—what an incredible achievement!

In athletics, Julia Zavala Lara qualified for the ASAA Track and Field Provincials in the 80m Hurdles, 100m, and 200m—a testament to her dedication and talent. Our Junior Track Team also showcased their athleticism at the BTPS Finals, representing our school with pride and setting several school records (and a couple BTPS records) in the process.

Our classes have been busy taking part in a variety of real-world, hands-on learning. Our grade 9's toured Lakeland College, the grade 10's attended Try-a-Trade, and our high school students visited Gibson Energy in Hardisty

Thanks to the support of our School Advisory Council, all elementary students participated in the Swim to Survive program—an important initiative teaching life-saving water safety skills.

Spring brought science to life in our elementary classrooms, with the release of butterflies, the hatching of baby chicks, and field trips to a dairy barn offering students hands-on learning experiences they won’t soon forget. We’re proud of our students and staff for making this past month so rich with growth, achievement, and community spirit!

Mannville School has had a very busy spring with many opportunities for Learning and Leading. Citizenship, community engagement, and hands-on learning are at the heart of our students’ educational journey. From the Grade 2’s volcano experiment that brought science to life, to the Grade 7’s innovative hydroponic planting project funded by the AMA School Garden bursary, our students are actively exploring and connecting with the world around them. Programs like Roots of Empathy, featuring Baby Joel, enrich social-emotional learning in the younger grades. Field trips such as the Kindergarten and Grade 1 visit to Boston Pizza, and the Grade 9 tour of Lakeland College expand horizons beyond the classroom.

Our Royals students are also making a meaningful impact in the community through creative initiatives and teamwork. The Grade 3’s bake sale supported the World Wildlife Fund, complementing their global citizenship studies. During our Inspiration Fair many students designed and sold goods. The Grade 10 Options class contributed hands-on skills and service by building dugouts for Mannville Minor Ball and learning mechanics with small engines.

There were many opportunities to have fun alongside learning, as students from Grades 1 through 6 enjoy recess games like Gaga Ball, fostering friendships and active play. We also celebrated the achievements of the Mannville Graduating Class of 2025 with a special BBQ fundraiser during the Inspiration Fair, highlighting the dedication and accomplishments of our senior students. Thanks to our staff, students, and families for helping make Mannville School such a wonderful place to learn!

We’re excited to share that Year Three of the BTPS Four-Year Education Plan (2023–2027) has been approved and is now live on our website!

This updated plan continues to guide our collective efforts to support student learning and strengthen school communities across the division. It focuses on three key priorities:

• Supporting learning success for all students

• Fostering safe and caring learning environments

• Building strong collaborations

A heartfelt thank you to the many staff, families, and community members who participated in stakeholder engagement sessions. Your insight and involvement played a vital role in shaping a plan that reflects the values and needs of our BTPS communities.

We invite you to explore Year Three of the plan and see how our shared priorities are helping to shape the future of education in BTPS.

Buffalo Trail Public Schools is proud to be featured in the Rural Caucus of Alberta School Boards (RCASB) Flourishing Stories. This series showcases the positive impact of rural public education across Alberta.

The story highlights the recent groundbreaking ceremony for the new Wainwright Elementary School, a celebration of progress, partnership, and the future of rural education.

We’re honoured to have our work showcased by RCASB and to be part of a collective voice advocating for the strength and importance of rural public education.

Bus transportation registration for the 2025–2026 school year is now open. All registrations must be submitted online.

In-Town Students
All in-town students are required to register for bussing every year. The deadline to register is June 15, 2025.

Rural Students
If your child is already registered for rural bussing, you do not need to register again—unless:

• You have a new student starting school, or

• There’s been a change to your address

Late Registrations
Forms submitted after 12:00 PM on Friday, August 29, 2025, may not be processed in time for the first day of school. If you haven’t received confirmation or heard from your child’s bus driver, please do not send your child to the bus stop. Until you receive direct communication from your assigned bus driver, you will be responsible for arranging transportation for your child.

Questions about school bus registration?

transportation@btps.ca

Student safety is our top priority. We are committed to providing a safe and caring transportation experience for students every day.

June is here, and we're kicking off our Jump into Summer wellness series with something fun and energizing!

This week’s Motivation Monday invites you to create your own Just for Fun Jar, a collection of playful prompts designed to bring movement, laughter, and a little joy to your day. Whether it’s a quick stretch, a silly challenge, or a moment of creativity, these small actions can spark big smiles.

🎉 Check out the full activity and prompt ideas here and start your week with a splash of fun and positivity!

We’d love your feedback! Take a moment to complete our Mindful May survey. Your input helps guide future staff wellness initiatives at BTPS.

June is National Indigenous History Month - a time to recognize, honour, and celebrate the history, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples across Canada. As educators, it’s a meaningful opportunity to bring Indigenous perspectives into our classrooms in authentic ways.

Alberta RCMP has introduced a province-wide non-emergency number: 310-RCMP (310-7267).

This toll-free line simplifies reporting non-urgent incidents by connecting callers to the appropriate detachment without needing to know specific local numbers.

Ways to report non-emergencies:

• Call 310-RCMP (7267)
• To report online, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play. Alternatively, visit www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ab and select Online Crime Reporting under quick links.