JSS Newsletter

By Jack Stuart School Administration

Mr. Todd Sieben, Principal

Ms. Erica Easton, Assistant Principal

#Jaguar Pride

Welcome back everyone for what should be an exciting school year! It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family to Jack Stuart School (JSS) and Battle River School Division (BRSD) for 2024/25.

Once again this year we have students from pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5. JSS is a wonderful school with lots going on. We have many returning staff members. We are very excited to see so many returning student faces and extremely pleased with our new students and staff this year.

At JSS, our students live their School Promise each day (Promise to take care of themselves, each other and JSS, and pledge they won’t forget the promise). Each week, we randomly pick two student Jaguar Cards (from all the student names submitted each month into Jaguar Card Bin) to enjoy a free lunch. Last year, 139 JSS students received Jaguar Cards in September, 107 in October, another 224 in November, 120 students in December, 228 more in January, 121 in February, 61 more in March, 80 in April, 127 in May, and 107 in June…for a total of 1314 Jaguar Cards. We are very proud of all our students living the school pledge each day.

Our 2024/25 school year promises to be exciting, challenging and ultimately rewarding as we work together in the best interests of our students. We look forward to the cooperative efforts of staff, students and parents/guardians as we continue to enhance JSS throughout this year.

Our goal is to make a safe, caring and productive environment for all our students and staff, and provide them with choice and a place where they feel confident and comfortable to strive to be the best they can be. This will create a school environment where courtesy and kindness prevail and respect is mutual.

We look forward to making your child’s educational experience positive and rewarding at JSS. We believe that you, as parents/guardians and family members, play a tremendous role in your child’s education. Essential to your child’s success is your continual interest and support. A child who knows that their family is interested in and supports school programs will most always enjoy greater success.

We extend an open invitation to all families and friends to attend our school events, extra-curricular competitions and other functions open to the public throughout the year. Your support is greatly appreciated and input/feedback is always welcome.

If you would like to assist with our school (parent) council, supervising a school event/field trip, or volunteer for one of our school teams/clubs (or any of our school programs), please notify the school with your requests/intentions. Volunteers make a difference!

It takes a village to raise a child…

Instructional:
Mr. T. Sieben - Principal
Ms. E. Easton - Assistant Principal
Miss. A. Badry - Pre-Kindergarten
Ms. M. Broekhuizen - Kindergarten
Mrs. B. Buckland - EXCEL
Mrs. L. Atema - Grade 1A
Ms. J. Ewasko - Grade 1E

Mrs. J. Fleck - Grade 2F
Mrs. N. Harty - Grade 2H

Mrs. J. Desjardins - Grade 3D

Ms. L. Filewich - Grade 3F

Mrs. M. Steil - Grade 4S

Mrs. B. Wakaruk - Grade 4W

Mrs. J. Mitchell - Grade 5M

Mr. J. Nelson - Grade 5N

Mrs. K. Radchenko - Grade 5R

Support Staff:

Mrs. L. Macahonic - Administrative Assistant

Ms. S. Biletski - Learning Commons Facilitator

Mrs. T. Bonter - Educational Assistant

Miss. B. Curran - Educational Assistant

Mrs. J. Lechelt - Pre-K Educational Assistant

Mrs. S. Lemko - Pre-K Educational Assistant

Mrs. L. Park - Educational Assistant

Mrs. J. Raynard - Educational Assistant

Miss. S. Rudosky - Educational Assistant

Mrs. J. Smith - Educational Assistant

Mrs. S. Thiessen - Educational Assistant

Mrs. L. Wilde - Educational Assistant

Mrs. N. Woods - Educational Assistant

Mrs. J. Wrubleski - Educational Assistant

Other Staff:

Mr. L. Lam - Custodian

Mrs. C. Fitzgerald - Student Wellness Facilitator

Ms. L. Waschyshyn - Speech Language Pathologist

We have 3 drop off zones:

Zone 1 - As you enter to the right of the parking lot

Zone 2 - South end of the parking lot

Zone 3 - Bike rack as you leave the parking lot

Thank you for using the crosswalk when dropping or picking up your child.

Parent parking is the last two rows of the parking lot. The first two rows are for staff.

Please help keep our students safe by not walking between vehicles and using the assigned crosswalks.

For pick up, your child can wait outside their classroom door or meet you at the crosswalk where you can walk them to your vehicle. Please do not walk between vehicles. Please adhere to the posted traffic signs.

A practice at JSS is to have parents contact the school before 8:15 am in the morning if their child will be absent from school. If a student is absent and we have not received a call from the parent, we will make every attempt to contact parents to verify an absence. If a student has not yet been accounted for, when attendance is taken by their teacher, an automated message will be sent out to guardian.

BELL SCHEDULE for 2024/25

8:10 am - Students enter school

8:15 am - Classes begin

9:58 am - AM break

10:28 am - Classes resume

12:11 pm - PM break

12:51 pm - Classes resume

2:51 pm - Dismissal

To help ensure that all students arrive and leave school safely, we will continuing our AMA safety patrol. Forms will be given to Grade 5 students wishing to participate in this important program. Patrolling will start once all training has been completed. The first meeting will take place during lunch on Tues., Sept. 10.

by Kimberly Olsen, Chair: jackstuartparentadvisory@gmail.com

JSS Council & Parents’ Society

Jack Stuart Parents’ Society/Council welcomes new and returning families to the 2024/2025 school year. Through volunteer service from JSS families, our goal is to continue to support in-school events such as serving hot chocolate and cookies on skating day or running the barbeque for our annual year end sports day. We also raise funds that contribute to classroom supplies, sports equipment, outdoor flower beds, field trip bussing, Chromebooks, library supplies and more!

This is a very exciting year for Jack Stuart School Parents’ Society (Parent Council)! After 4 years of fundraising for a new inclusive playground to replace the wooden structure, plans are finally moving ahead. The Alberta government approved a matching grant which will add $104,000 to the playground project. These funds, along with those already raised and other grants from the City of Camrose, the Battle River Community Foundation, the Camrose Family Thrift Shop, Vision Credit Union and the Gord Bamford Foundation, will allow us to break ground on the new fully inclusive and wheelchair accessible playground in May 2025. However, we are still short of our original goal of $270,000 so fundraising will continue to allow us to build the best playground we can. Terra Manion will continue with the council in a special role as Playground Project Coordinator.

The DFS fundraiser will run in October. Additional fundraising projects for the remainder of the year will be planned during Parents’ Society meetings.

Parent Council and Society can only continue with parent participation, so please consider joining one (or many) meetings to stay in the loop! Joining a meeting is the best way to connect with administration, ask questions, make suggestions and stay up to date with what is going on in the school.

2024/25 COUNCIL OFFICERS:

Chairperson - Kimberly Olsen

Vice President - Jennifer Klein

Treasurer - Jenna Annand

Secretary - Erin Gawryliuk

Hot Lunch Coordinator - Kara Damberger

Thank you to Kara for volunteering as our Hot Lunch Coordinator. Without her this program could not run. Hot Lunch should start up in October. Dates, menus and prices to be announced.

Join us at our first Parent Council meeting of the year, followed immediately by the Parents' Society Annual General Meeting on Thurs., Sept. 26 at 5:30 pm.

There will be an opportunity for anyone interested in a role on PC to still join during this meet.

** An email and Google Meet link will be sent out prior to all meetings.

JSS Parents' Society continues its partnership with Save-On-Foods to generate playground funds. Here is how you can help this fundraising effort:

1. Shop at Camrose Save-On-Foods (starting immediately and ongoing).

2. On the back of your receipt write 'Jack Stuart School' or 'JSS'.

3. Give your receipt to any cashier with instructions that it is for the Jack Stuart School's fundraising program.

4. Cashier will then photocopy your receipt and return the original to you.

5. JSS will receive 5% of total purchases made according to the receipts that have been submitted.

6. Money earned will go towards our fully inclusive, zero barrier playground addition.

By Ms. Biletski sbiletski@brsd.ab.ca

Welcome JSS families to a new year in the Learning Commons.

Kinder to Gr. 5 students will have library classes once a week. Students will borrow books on their assigned library day and are expected to return their books the following week. If students do not return their books on their assigned library day, they will be unable to check out any new books until their overdue books are returned. * To ensure your child(ren) are bringing home new reading materials, please help them establish this routine at the start of this new school year.

LIBRARY CLASS SCHEDULE 2024/25:

Monday - Excel, KMW

Tuesday - 3F, 4S, 5N, 5M

Wednesday - 1A, 2F, 3D, 5R

Thursday - KTT, 1E, 2H, 4W

FORGOT WHAT BOOK WAS LAST CHECKED OUT?

Students are encouraged to ask me questions about their books.

Guardians are also welcome to email me at sbiletski@brsd.ab.ca regarding any questions or concerns.

LOST, OVERDUE or DAMAGED BOOKS?

If I have noticed that they have not returned their books in a timely manner, a paper reminder will be sent home with students.

If books are lost or damaged, please contact me or have your student connect with me. Cash payment to replace books can be sent directly with your student to the library.

Ongoing overdue fines will eventually be entered to your child's Rycor account. Please send a confirmation to my email if you have made any Rycor (online) Library payments so that I can make the adjustments in our library system.

VOLUNTEERING?

The Learning Commons could always use helpful hands to reshelve our books at the end of the school day. If you are interested in volunteering for this role please contact me.

I look forward to keeping JSS kids excited about reading... LET'S READ MORE IN '24!

2:55 - 3:30 pm - Mondays and Tuesdays - Grade 3 to 5 students

JSS Vikings Cross Country Club will meet in the gym after school to run on the Valley trails.

Practices will run every Monday and Tuesday until Oct. 10. We welcome all abilities of runners!

XC Club will resume again in the Spring. Permission forms can be picked up at school. Please sign and return to school (students will not be allowed to run without a signed form). XC Club will be opened up to Grade 2's in the spring session.

FALL RACES - all races take place during the school day.

Sept. 12 - Hardisty

Sept 19 - Bashaw

Sept. 26 - Camrose Vikings

Oct. 3 - Brownfield

Oct. 10 - New Norway Championships

Jack Stuart School will be participating in this year's Terry Fox School Run for cancer research. The run will take place on Friday., September 27. Fundraising sheets will be sent home with students.

Jack Stuart School provides convenient ways for parents to stay connected to important information and events at school. It is vital that parents know and use the different lines of communication that are available.

Our school newsletters will only be available electronically. The newsletter will be sent to families through School Messenger and a copy will be posted on our school website.

Frequent, high quality communication is essential. Parents can expect contact from classroom teachers through monthly class newsletters or weekly news emails, phone calls, student agendas and emails.

Follow us …

Website: http://jstuart.brsd.ab.ca

Twitter: @jstuartschool

Instagram: jackstuartschoolbrsd

Facebook: Jack Stuart School

Sept. 3 - First Day back for Students

Sept. 26 - Orange Shirt Day

Sept 26 - First School Council and Parents' Society Annual General Meeting - 5:30 pm

Sept. 27 - Terry Fox Run

Sept. 30 - No School - National Truth and Reconciliation Day

Coming Soon in Oct.:

Oct. 2 - Lifetouch School Photos - KMW, Grades 3 to 5

Oct. 3 - Lifetouch School Photos - Preschool, KTT, Grades 1 to 2

Treaty 6 Acknowledgement - We acknowledge that Battle River School Division is located on Treaty 6 territory, and we respect the histories, languages, and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

Email: jackstuart@brsd.ab.ca
Website: https://jstuart.brsd.ab.ca
Location: 200 Mount Pleasant Drive, Camrose, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-672-0880
Facebook: facebook.com/JackStuartSchool
Twitter: @jstuartschool