Elmdale School

As we look ahead to spring, I am often asked questions about the upcoming fall. School planning usually starts long before the new school year begins - often as early as the previous January! Projecting student numbers, staffing allotments, budgets, etc. all come from the school division before we can start planning in detail. Once those things have been worked out there are many pieces of the puzzle to put together before the end of June.

One question I am often asked is about class placements. Further down in this newsletter you will see a section for information on parent requests - Do parents need to request a teacher? Should they? This is a tricky question to answer. As a parent or guardian, you know your children well. You know their learning style, their social habits, etc. As a school, over the years we have also gotten to know your kids and work hard to place them in a class and with a teacher that will best suit their needs. We try to ensure every kid is in a place where they will be successful, and will have some friends to make them feel welcome and safe.

Keeping that all in mind, we are trying to find the perfect placement for each and every one of our students - not just your child!! Sometimes trying to accommodate many requests makes this more challenging. This is why, if you make a request, we ask for a rationale or reason for the request - both for a friend request or a teacher/class request.

Ultimately we ask that you trust us in the process. If you have questions about this, please feel free to talk to your child's teacher, or to myself about this.

Mr. Vince Hiebert

Principal: Elmdale School

Email: vhiebert@hsd.ca

Instagram: elmdalehsd

Elmdale School Raised $1563 at our Jump Rope for Heart event! Thank you so much for your fundraising efforts. You should feel very proud to know that you are helping to save people's lives!

We want to recognize few of our top fundraisers from our Jump Rope for Heart Event Day: Alarie (4M), Noah (3/4B), Zoe (3/4B), Cameron (3/4B), Brody (3/4B), Tonya (3/4B), Ava-Grace (3F), Hudson (2G), and Hope (2E)! Thank you for all your hard work in fundraising.

The class that raised the most money was 3/4B and they were rewarded with a class pizza party for their effort!

Just a reminder that Report Cards for grades 1-4 were distributed on March 17 on the Parent Portal. Please sign in to your Parent Portal Account to see your child's report card.

We will soon be starting the process of creating class lists for the 2023-2024 school year. This is a very involved process and requires us to work closely as a school team to create class lists that are balanced and equitable for all. We take this process very seriously as we try very hard to create a positive learning environment for students.

We consider a variety of criteria when creating class lists, including:

• Achievement (balanced class composition)

• Social and behavioural considerations

• Male/Female ratio

• Group dynamics

• Learning styles

• Parent input

If a parent would like to make a specific request for a friend or teacher placement, please email Mr. Hiebert (vhiebert@hsd.ca) your request including a clear explanation of the academic and learning reasons for your request, by May 15, 2023. All requests must be in writing, and only those submitted by that date will be considered based on their merit. We cannot guarantee that all requests will be honoured, and late requests will not be considered.

Given appropriate support at home and at school, it has been our experience that the vast majority of placements are successful. Where a placement is proving to be difficult, we ask that parents and students give it the time required for friendships and classroom community building to develop.

Class placements will be included in your child's June report card. Early information about whether requests have or have not been granted will not be shared prior to June 30, with the exception of students entering Kindergarten. Families of incoming Kindergarten students will be notified of their child's teacher and the days they will attend in mid-June.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to your child's education.

Kindergarten registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now open. To be eligible, Children must be five years of age on or before December 31, 2023 (born in 2018). The registration process will take place online at www.HSD.ca. If you do not have access to the Internet, please visit the school office and we can assist you in completing the registration on a school computer. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to register their children soon after registration opens in January. Early registration will assist us in preparation and planning for the upcoming school year. Registering before March 1 will ensure there is sufficient time for school appointments and provide parents/guardians with the opportunity to participate in Kindergarten orientation activities. Visit www.HSD.ca for registration instructions.

Our next PAC meeting will take place in the Elmdale School Library on Thursday, April 13. Email elmdaleparentcouncil@gmail.com if you're interested in joining us!

Pizza day takes place every Thursday at Elmdale School. We alternate between Cheese Pizza and Pepperoni Pizza for $2 a slice. Orders are placed first thing in the morning so that enough pizza can be ordered. Please note the schedule for the coming weeks:

April 6 - Pepperoni Pizza

April 13 - Cheese Pizza

April 21 - Pepperoni Pizza

April 27 - Cheese Pizza

Aaliyah Enns 1J; Skylar Nielsen-Peters 1M; Jackson Robart 2G; Dmytro Baliuiev 2E; Annabelle Gyebiri 3H; Naz Alfonso 3F; Aizen Ortiz 3/4B; Bailey Ristic 4T; Oliver Rempel 4M;Cressida Dueck 1J; Kadence Penner 1M; Sjay Chartrand 2G; Wyatt Dunkley 2E; Emilia Zelmer 3F; Chase Dueck 3H; Noah Duerksen 3/4B; Isaak Toews 4M; Elizawieta Kyryczyk 4T; Ebba 1J; Carter Martens 1M; Tannvi Pansuriya 2G; Natalie Hiebert 2E; Kyren Dueck 3H; Hyunwoo Lee 3F; Deleah Zelmer 3/4B; Connor Suderman 4M; Nathan Villegas 4T

Click HERE for this month's Nutrition Bits and Bites Newsletter from Southern Health.

"Soup's On" provides daily school lunches to families in need. It can be started and stopped as needed. Contact our Learning Support Teacher Ms. Tara Klassen (tklassen@hsd.ca) to register your child.

Please check our website for information about school bus routes in HSD.
If your address has changed, please call transportation at 204-320-2347 to make sure that your children are riding the correct bus to and from school.

Elmdale's eNewsletter

Publisher: Mr. Hiebert

Email: elmdale@hsd.ca
Website: http://elmdale.hsd.ca/
Location: 160 Elmdale Street, Steinbach, MB, Canada
Phone: 204-326-3325
Twitter: @elmdalehsd