The PAW Print

As we approach Monday, September 30th, we invite our school community to take time to reflect on the significance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day is an opportunity to honour the survivors of residential schools, remember those who did not come home, and acknowledge the impact this history continues to have on Indigenous communities.

Throughout this week, SAM students have experienced age appropriate conversations regarding the truth of Canada's history with Residential Schools. We encourage families to spend some time together reflecting on what reconciliation means for your family. Consider how you might be able to contribute to healing and positive change, whether through learning more about Indigenous histories and cultures, participating in local events, or engaging in meaningful conversations. Together, we can foster understanding, respect, and a commitment to building a better future for all.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Dawn & Cam

Week of Sept 30 - Oct 4

• Mon, Sept 30 - National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (NO SCHOOL)
• Tues, Oct 1 - SAM Chorus Rehearsal (8am - Music Room)
• Tues, Oct 1 - Tech Tuesday "Media Balance & Wellbeing"
• Wed, Oct 2 - Cupcake Day
• Thurs, Oct 3 - SAM Chorus Rehearsal (8am - Music Room)
• Fri, Oct 4 - Grade 5 Camp at Birch Bay Ranch

Week of Oct 7 - 10

• Tues, Oct 8 - SAM Chorus Rehearsal (8am - Music Room)
• Thus, Oct 10 - Grade 1s at Strathcona Wilderness Centre
• Fri, Oct 11 - Staff PD Day/Staff Meeting (NO SCHOOL)

Congratulations to all our Fun Run participants! Our students have been amazing representatives of SAM School at our Division Fun Runs. A big thank you to Mr. Beauchamp and Miss Ringuette for making these opportunities possible for our students.

A HUGE congratulations to all our students who qualified to participate in the Division Cross Country finals! Our student-athletes did a wonderful job of supporting each others' efforts and they made us all very proud of them! A special congratulations to the following:

• Andi Hoekstra Verhulst - 2nd Place (Grade 4 Girls)
• Finn Taylor -2nd Place (Grade 4 Boys)
• Griffin Ladouceur - 6th Place (Grade 4 Boys)
• Bennett Muir - 2nd Place (Grade 6 Boys)
• Cohen King Wiebe - 4th Place (Grade 6 Boys)

Our first monthly SAM Spirit Assembly will took place today. These assemblies are opportunities to:

• highlight upcoming school events and clubs,

• recognize student contributions to the SAM community (i.e. x-country, volunteerism, SAM Chorus, etc.),

• present the monthly SAM SPIRIT Awards; and,

• introduce the SAM CARES Awards.

SAM CARES Awards

The SAM CARES Awards are our opportunity to recognize students, teachers, or community members “caught doing good” or demonstrating various qualities such as kindness, cooperation, responsibility, and teamwork. There are nomination cards in each classroom that anyone can fill out and put into our SAM CARES Awards boxes. These nominees will be entered into a monthly draw for some SAM prizes.

SAM SPIRIT Awards

The SAM SPIRIT Awards are monthly theme awards where teachers choose students from their classrooms who have demonstrated our SAM SPIRIT qualities. This month we are going to recognize students who have worked hard toward demonstrating qualities of friendship with our "Honey Bee Award". Families whose children will be receiving a SAM SPIRIT Award will receive advance notification from your homeroom teacher so they can choose to be present for the assembly for when their child receives their award.

Kindergarten

Louis Dingreville KDRE (am)

Charlotte Durocher KDRE (am)

Malcolm Willson KDRE (pm)

Hana Yusuf KDRE (pm)

Isabella Gangarossa KBOW

Noyan Anvari KBOW

Grade 1

Frayja Jacobi 1PHI

Ben Chamberland 1PHI

Raelyn Andres 1PHI

Adeline Fowler 1PRO

Easton Shankowsky 1PRO

Grade 2

Charlie Upright 2SMO

Sarah Steel 2SMO

Torin Visscher 2SMO

Harley Naz Nacua 2RAV

Nixon Mitchell 2RAV

Scottie Stenberg 2BEL

Easton Kelley 2BEL

Grade 3

Theo Kennedy 3MIT

Daxton Mazurenko 3MIT

David Vasquez Flamenco 3TAR

Kalea Ehmler 3TAR

Grade 4

Nora Johal 4RIN

Kayden Stad 4RIN

Griffin Ladouceur 4MAR

Quinn Maul 4MAR

Ryelan Spiers 4MAR

Rishen Egodahage 4ROB

Tamara Petrovic 4ROB

Logan Sinclair 4ROB

Tate Grant 4KOS

Grade 5

Hazel Barter 5TUK

Emily de Sousa 5TUK

Marcus Demko 5TUK

Owen Wojcichowsky 5JUK

Laith DeChamplain-Pipella 5JUK

Liam Ranson 5KOS

Mckyla Courtney 5FRI

Grade 6

Paige Pelletier 6LET

Kinley Dorn Parnwell 6LET

Nasmah Abood 6LET

Phoenix Kerfoot 6CM

Naomi Skousbol 6CM

Jane Grant 6FRI

SAM Chorus is off to a great start this season, with over 60 singers registered! This choir is open to all students in Gr. 4-6, and new members can still join. We will be practicing on Thursday, October 3rd this week at 8:00 am.

Our entire school came together for the Terry Fox Run, and we are thrilled to announce that we’ve raised $4,600 in support of cancer research! A huge thank you to our amazing students, staff, and community for their generosity and commitment to keeping Terry's dream alive. Together, we’re making a difference!

A special congratulations to Mrs. Bowen's Kindergarten class who raised an astounding $1015!!!

Our SAM Fundraising team is always appreciative of your help! There are many low commitment ways that you can help out with the fundraising at SAM School. A few hours of your time goes a long way in putting on some incredible events for our school community, as well as fundraising money to support student learning.

Check out the volunteer link to help out and meet other SAM families: Volunteer Sign-Up. We are currently looking for parents/guardians who can help on cupcakes days and hot lunch days!

This is also a reminder that all Raffle Basket donations are due next week by Wednesday, October 2. Cash and gift card donations are also accepted for all of the classroom themes.

We LOVE having your children at school and regular attendance has shown to have a significant positive impact the ongoing development of students. Regular attendance is essential for student success, as it supports academic achievement, social skill development, and builds responsible habits that benefit life beyond school. If there are ways that we can better support your children with regular attendance at school, please reach out to your classroom teacher to start a conversation.

Our Division is once again offering our St. Albert Public School families an opportunity to attend two Oilers games at a reduced price. The two games that are available are:

• December 21st @2pm Oilers VS. San Jose Sharks
• January 30th @7pm Oilers VS. Detroit Red Wings

Click here to purchase tickets.