ÉRE Connection

June 2024 School Newsletter

In the June Newsletter!

Pre-order 2024/25 School Supplies by June 15
Indigenous Peoples Day Activities, June 21
Swimming and Spray park dates
Peace Day, June 25
Last Day Assembly & Formal Day, June 26
PreK & Kindergarten Registration is now open!
Fantastic Events
Thank you Volunteers!
WRSD is hiring!

1. Indigenous Peoples Day @ Curtis Field, June 21

The longest day of the year is also a day of celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day
Our school is invited to Curtis Field, 12:00 - 2:00 pm, on June 21 to participate in celebrations organized by the Asokewin Friendship Centre and the WRSD Indigenous Education Team. We are appreciative of the invitation.

Schedule

11:45 - 12:00 pm - Walk to Curtis Field

12:10 - 12:30 pm - Metis Fiddle and jiggers

12:30 - 12:50 pm - Powwow drum and dance

12:50 - 2:00 pm - Class rotation through stations (5-10 min per station)

2:00 - 2:15 pm - Walk back to ERE

Stations at Curtis Field include: Inuit Station, Metis Cart Station, Tipi Craft Station, several game stations

2. Peace Day, June 25

Peace Day is one of the extra special days on our calendar and is marked this year on June 25. For Peace Day, we make a special effort to recognize what helps our school & students stand out like the "We Care Rules", "Hands are for Helping" and the productive ways for working through conflict.

Our schedule for the day:

9:30 am - Peace Day Ceremony in the gym

10:00 am - Peace Day Parade through downtown RMH

11:15-1:00 pm - Peace Day Activities @ the School

During the Peace Day Ceremony, we also have a special award presentation to make. One of our grade 5 students was nominated for a Honouring Spirit Indigenous Award and is being recognized with an Honourable Mention.

ÉRE Families are invited to join us.

3. Last Day Assembly & Formal Day, June 26

The last day of school will be June 26
This is formal day. Students are asked to dress a little extra special to wish off our grade 5s and celebrate the end of a school year.

Schedule:

9:00 am - Grade 5 Breakfast

11:45 am - Grade 5 Parade through the school

12:00 noon - Last day Assembly, Grade 5 Farewell, Year-in-Review Video

3:19 pm - Report cards sent home, Summer Break Starts!

* Report cards not picked up on June 26 can be picked up at the school June 27. Any reports still at the school will be mailed.

4. Swimming and Spraypark

Several classes have swimming and spray park times booked in the upcoming days:

Swimming:

June 12 - 2S
June 14 - 3H, 2/3F
June 18 - 2/3F, KM, 1J
June 19 - KK, 3H
June 24 - 3H
June 26 - 2/3F

Spray park:

June 12 - KK
June 13 - PreK, 2S, 1M
June 20 - 3/4S, 2/3F, 3H
June 24 - 1J, 5C

Students will walk from the school to the Swimming Pool or Spray Park.

Please help students remember the needed swimwear and towels on the given days.

5. Custom School Supplies

We offer pre-ordering of 2024/25 school supplies through Custom School Supplies.
Some families prefer the convenience of ordering high quality supplies that are delivered to the school the last week of August. (Get exactly what you need without leaving the house or coming back early from vacation!)
Each order also comes with 80 name stickers that can be placed on supplies.

Order Link: https://www.customschoolsupplies.ca/rocky2024/

The earlybird pricing is extended to June 15, 2024. (Late orders can be made until August 1)

This is a voluntary program. Families can also purchase school supplies on their own.

Ecole Rocky Elementary School

customschoolsupplies.ca

6. Fish in Schools (FinS)

Our Library Rainbow Trout have been rehomed to Twin Lakes.

We received the trout as eggs in January. Shortly after, they hatched, and our students cared for them through the alevin stage and into the fry stage.
We loved seeing how the fish grew and changed week to week - from egg, to smaller than your fingernail, to the size of your finger.
Now, our 34 fish have the opportunity to grow as big as your arm in their lake home.

Ecole Rocky Elementary has participated in the FinS (Fish IN Schools) program since 1999. The program is supported by Bow Habitat Station, Governement of Alberta, and Rocky Mountain House Fish and Game Association.

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RMH Fish & Game donation to our Fish in Schools program

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7. Overdue School Fees

Overdue School Fees: We currently have $7020 in unpaid school fees. Please look at clearing up any outstanding accounts as soon as possible as this affects the school budget. Unpaid fees can be brought to the office or paid online through SchoolCash.

If you need to make a payment plan or seek further financial assistance, please connect with School Admin. We can find a solution!

Fees charged by the school are for optional items that enrich the school experience (like field trips, swimming lessons and PreK) or are determined by School Council to be charged to every family like Student Agendas.

Thank you to everyone that has already attended to this matter.

If after school plans are different than usual, please write them into the student agenda.

8. PreK Registration is nearly full

2024/2025 Pre-K Program

Only 3 spaces remaining. A waiting list will be started soon.

For students who turn 4 in 2024.
The Pre-K program this year runs full day Tuesday/Thursday/and scheduled Fridays.
The program is staffed with a certificated teacher and educational assistant.
Each week includes time with a music specialist and a discovery French class.
Program cost is $100 a month. Program subsidies are available for qualifying students.
The program is capped at 18 students.
We are happy to set up a school tour for inquiring families (call the school @ 403-845-3541 or email rockyelem@wrsd.ca).
Online Registration can be found on our school website: https://ecolerocky.wrsd.ca/home/news/post/new-registrations

Online Student Registration

9. English & French Immersion Kindergarten Programs

2024/2025 French Immersion Kindergarten

For students who turn 5 in 2024.
We are the only second language immersion program in Rocky Mountain House.
Our program was started in 1986.
Students who start in French Immersion are fluent readers, writers, and speakers by grade 5 in French and English.
Our French Immersion Kindergarten program runs full day Tuesday/Thursday and scheduled Fridays.
Come chat with us if you are unsure if French Immersion is the right choice for your family.

2024/2025 English Kindergarten

Our English Kindergarten program runs full day Monday/Wednesday and scheduled Fridays.

Online Registration can be found on our school website: https://ecolerocky.wrsd.ca/home/news/post/new-registrations

Hey buckaroos - watch out for that photobomb! 😜

10. The ÉRE Team

Retirement and Goodbyes

Mrs. Fipke has announced that she will retire at the end of this school year. Mrs. Fipke started at ÉRE as an Educational Assistant in 1997. We look forward to celebrating a 27 year career!
We will say goodbye to Ms. Jarvie at the end of June. Ms. Jarvie is relocating and has accepted a grade 1/2 position near the Saskatchewan border. We will definitely miss Ms. Jarvie.

Some early news on 2024/2025 staffing

We are pleased to share Mme April Unkauf has been hired for Grade 2 French Immersion next year. Our French Immersion team is growing given the strength of class numbers. Mme Unkauf is well known to us given she has taught at the school in past years and is a regular sub at the school. Welcome back Mme Unkauf!
The Family Wellness Assistant role will end with the school year. This was temporary role created by the WRSD Board as a pandemic response. As such, Justine Datema will not return in the role next year, however, we are pleased to share she has accepted a position to continue working at ERE as a Education Assistant next year.
We are thrilled to hear that not only is Monsieur Dale Wilfred returning as a French Language Assistant next year, but we will have a second French Language Assistant joining us thanks to the Odyssey grant. Monsieur Étienne Mailhoit is from Quebec and will arrive the end of September for the year to further assist students with learning the French language.
Please reach out to staff anytime you have questions. Staff e-mails are firstname.lastname@wrsd.ca

11. WRSD is hiring!

The ÉRE Team is hiring one more temporary French Immersion Teacher.

Our friends at other local schools may have a position you are interested in:

EA - Condor, Kootenay School
Caretaker - Condor
Teacher - Caroline, Condor Grade 5, Condor Elementary, West Central
Division Office - Driver, Accountant

Handy Links

ÉRE Parent Handbook - many of the most commonly asked questions
ÉRE School Website - ecolerocky.wrsd.ca
ÉRE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ecolerockyelementary

At the WRSD Long Service Awards, we recognized Mrs. Gillis (retirement), Mrs. Smith (25 years), Mrs. Hazelaar (20 years), Mrs. Kirkwood (20 years), and Mrs. Fipke (retirement)

12. Fantastic Events

Over the past month, we have taken in so many fantastic events:

We welcomed special guest Shirley Hill to share hoop dancing
Grade 1 students received a tree seedling
Grade 4/5 went on an outstanding field trip to Calgary. During the trip, they visited the Telus Spark Science Centre, the Calgary Zoo, Heritage Park, and a wave pool. The students even stayed overnight in the barn at Heritage Park!
Grade 3 went on a field trip to the Children's Festival in Red Deer.
We held a super fun and successful cupcake sale as a field trip fundraiser
We celebrated Western Day and Careers Day
We took our Jump Rope for Heart event inside because of rain, but that didn't stop the jumping madness. Students did a great job practicing heart health to bring awareness to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
The French Evening of Entertainment was a spectucular presentation to celebrate the French Language acquisition of our immersion students. In addition to the student performances, was a bake sale and BBQ coordinated by Canadian Parents for French (CPF).

13. Thank you Volunteers

Our school is once again blessed with the time and love from our parent and community volunteers. ÉRE is truly a more special place because of the hot lunch coordinators, field trip chaperones, reading buddies, school council executive, breakfast helpers, and those that have shared their special talents. We have recognized our volunteers this year with a special mug and a special drink from Copper Creek Cafe.

Thank you to the following for 10+ hours of volunteering this year:

..... Glen Holmen ..... Vanessa Lobley ..... Darlene Nordstrom ..... Mark Ceelan ..... Tiffany Hudey ..... Elaine Crebas ..... Vanessa Watt ..... Terri Hemphill ..... Kailey Duffin ..... Nolan Duffin ..... Aaron Dorey ..... Casius Ovelson ..... Corrina Ross ..... Laurie LaRose ..... Marcie Neville ..... Lori Allen ..... Celyn Magnus .....Mandy Lueers ..... Jennifer Myhr ..... Laurie Howatson ..... Serina Taylor ..... Liane Huson ..... Chantelle ..... Tim Plante ..... Mark Lobley ..... Jeanette Plante ..... Andrea Marin-Marquez ..... Lecia Leighton ..... Diane Spoor .... Michelle Anderson .....

Mark Ceelan, Treasurer of School Council and Tiffany Hudey, Secretary of School Council received their volunteer appreciation gifts.

14. Principals' Message

Hello ÉRE Families!

Let's go June!

Welcome to the last few weeks of the 2023-2024 school year, a time when all that is left in the year is final assessments and celebrations. And, there is plenty to celebrate:

A year of growth, and in some cases, more than a year! The academic and social growth your child has experienced shouldn't be taken for granted. It is the outcome of being a dedicated student over the last nine and a half months.
New and deepened relationships - The relationships your child has formed this year with classmates and the adults at ÉRE will long be remembered.
Shared memories of extra special events like Grandparents Day, Christmas Concert, cupcake sale, field trips, swimming, raising fish, library maker space, drama presentations, and hoop dancing reminds us we can do bigger things together.
The start of a movement - you may have heard students talking about Peace Education classes and the skills they have learned to work through conflict and big emotions. These skills are not easy, but the students deserve significant praise for their work in this area. As they continue to master these skills, they will find themselves being looked to more often as leaders in their community.

Through the last few weeks, classes will be involved in activities that bring the year to a close like swimming, the spray park, Peace Day, and our Farewell Assembly. We hope you will be able to join us at some point through the final weeks.

One last shoutout to our parents and volunteers. The school is a special place because of the extras you add to make this a community. Bravo!

As we round out this school year, prepare for summer, and look forward to next year, if you have any questions, ideas, or accolades to share, please reach out.

With gratitude!

Tim Bowman‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Kim Simo

Principal ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vice Principal

(403) 845-3541 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (403) 845-3541

tim.bowman@wrsd.ca ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎kim.simo@wrsd.ca

May Student of the Month

Kindergarten - Briar B, Ryker C, Kehlani C, Aurora F, Rhett R, Josie S, Brooklyn L, Emma D
Grade 1 - River H, Kayden K, Bryce L
Grade 2 - Waylon L, Clio G, Grayson H, Dylan C, Clark M, Kohen P, Lukas V
Grade 3 - Forest K, Nicolas M, Addison R, Jackson C, Clairlyn S, Anthony T, Jillian S, Calista Y
Grade 4 - Gideon D, Everlee G, Nathan M, Flint J, Remi A, Hannah P
Grade 5 - Benin B, Adelaide R, Georgia M, Abigayle F, Christian Y, Kaiser B, Macsen M

CONGRATULATIONS AWARD WINNERS!