May 10, 2024

Welcome to our first edition of The Paw Print! As SAM School shifts to our new school logo, we have been slowly introducing a few other branding changes around the school. This week we had a wonderful suggestion to rename our SAM Explorer newsletter as The Paw Print! We hope you enjoy our newsletter "makeover"!

May has been an exhilarating month at SAM! We kicked off with our first-ever Family STEAM Night, which was a resounding success. Our students guided their families through various STEAM activities such as Bee-Bot, Sash, Sphero, Ozobot, Bloxels, Makey Makey, Scratch, and Micro:bit. It was thrilling to see our families engage and learn in our wonderful STEAM Lab. Thank you so much to Mrs. Dreger, Mr. Makovichuk, and Madame Toth for organizing this event!

Adding to the excitement, our Grade 6 students just returned from an adventurous overnight camping trip at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. Over the past two days, they immersed themselves in outdoor learning activities including hiking, shelter building, pop smoke fire building, forage art, and Indigenous games. It was a full-filled time of learning and camaraderie.

Looking ahead, don’t miss our annual SAM Showcase next week! It’s a chance for our students to display their talents, interests, and skills. Along with our talent stages in the gym and music room, this year's SAM Showcase will include a variety show, collections gallery, as well as an Art Walk. Join us from 9:15 AM to 3:00 PM on Thursday, May 16th to celebrate our multi-talented students.

Lastly, in the spirit of gratitude for all the wonderful adults in our students' lives, we're excited to invite you to our Breakfast for Dinner Family Celebration on Thursday, May 23rd at 5 PM. Join us for a fun evening as we turn breakfast into dinner in celebration of our supportive school community.

We wish everyone a wonderful weekend, especially all the incredible mothers and mother figures who brighten our lives daily.

Dawn & Cam

Family STEAM Night was a wonderful success! Thank you Mr. Makovichuk and Mrs. Dreger who organized this event, and to all our student volunteers who ran the stations and showed our families around our new STEAM Lab!

This is our first year of introducing Outdoor Education at SAM School. As part of our Outdoor Education experiences, Mr. Beauchamp organized a fantastic overnight field trip at the Strathcona Wilderness Center for our Grade 6 students. A special thank you to the parent volunteers who braved the May weather to camp with us!

SAM School is an exciting place to be everyday. Check out some of our recent activities!

Week of May 13 - May 17

• Thurs, May 16th - SAM Showcase
• Thurs, May 16th - "Icy Freezie Thursday" ($1/freezie - sold at lunch recess)
• Fri, May 17th - NO SCHOOL (PD Day)

Week of May 20 - May 24

• Mon, May 20th - NO SCHOOL (Victoria Day)
• Tues, May 21st - Panago Hot Lunch
• Tues, May 21st - SAM Fundraising Society (6-7pm) SAM Library
• Tues, May 21st - SAM School Council (7-8pm) SAM Library
• Thurs, May 23rd - Breakfast for Dinner Family Event @ 5pm SAM School
• Thursday, May 23rd - "Icy Freezie Thursday" ($1/freezie - sold at lunch recess)
  
• Fri, May 24th - Class Photos & Sibling Photos
• Fri, May 24th - McDonald's Hot Lunch

Come check out SAM students art work on display at the Division Art Show. Congratulations to the following students who had their art work selected to represent SAM School in the Art Show!

Kindergarten: Alex, Henry & Sonny

Grade 1: Kellen, Olivia T, Evah, Ella, Sophia & Novalee

Grade 2: Lennyn, Samantha, Summer, Elsie

Grade 3: BK, Reede, Jack, Khivee, Madeline, Elijah, Gray & Montana

Grade 4: Ava, Elias

Grade 5: Anderson, Kinley, Elle & Georgia

Grade 6: Penelope, Janay, Aleena, Cameron

Grade 4/5/6 (ACE): Mckyla, Carter, Emmett, Anahad, Steven, Ema, Kyla, & Eva

Date: Thursday, May 23rd
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Cost: FREE!!!

Where: Div 2 Ball Court/SAM Gym

We are excited to invite you to our special "Breakfast for Dinner" event at SAM! This fun evening is our way of showing deep appreciation to the incredible parents and guardians who support our SAM students every day.

Come enjoy a comforting meal of pancakes and sausage, accompanied by lively music and free play in the park. It’s a perfect opportunity for family bonding and a relaxed time with our school community.

We will have some seating available, but please feel free bring along a picnic blanket or lawn chairs and join us in celebrating our wonderful SAM family!

We look forward to seeing you there!

*Gluten free options will be available.

Once again, families can order a SAM Yearbook for the 20232024 school year. The cost of the yearbook is $24.75 (+ GST) and can be ordered through SMART Photography until July 15th. All yearbooks will be delivered to SAM School in the fall and then distributed to students. Students who move onto our division junior high schools will have their yearbooks delivered to those schools.

To order your yearbook, visit SMART Photography and use the online code: SAM_23-24_YB.

Order deadline is July 15, 2024.

Our next School Council meeting will be on Tuesday, May 21st at 7pm in the SAM Library. This will be our final School Council meeting of the year and we will be reviewing the 2024/25 SAM School Calendar for final parent feedback.

If you are not able to attend the meeting in-person, we are also inviting families to join us online using this Google Meet link.

If you have any questions regarding the SAM School Council, please feel free to reach out to our School Council Chair, Linda Marchand, at SC-chair.SAM@spschools.org.

Each year, Grade 6 students write Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) in May and June. This year, the administration of PATs has been changed due to the implementation or opportunity to pilot new curricula.

• English Language Arts and Literature (ELAL) and Mathematics — New curriculum has been implemented for ELAL and Mathematics, and as such PATs for these subjects will not be administered. Optional field testing for these assessments has been offered, and we have decided to participate in the field tests according to the schedule below.
• Science — Our grade 6 team opted to pilot the new Science curriculum (which will be implemented next year), and as such the PAT for this subject will not be written (since the test corresponds to the current curriculum).
• Social Studies — The new Social Studies curriculum has not yet been implemented, and as such the PAT for this subject will continue as scheduled.

Alberta Education is transitioning to a new digital platform for provincial student assessments, meaning that eventually students will write all diploma exams and provincial achievement tests in a digital environment rather than pencil and paper. This year, our Grade 6 team has opted to pilot the digital assessment platform.

PAT Schedule

Wednesday, May 15 — English Language Arts Part A Field Test

Monday, June 10 — English Language Arts Part B Field Test

Thursday, June 13 — Mathematics Part A Field Test

Friday, June 14 — Mathematics Part B Field Test

Wednesday, June 19 — Social Studies

Lorne Akins still has room in their volleyball and basketball camps for interested Grade 6 students.

To register, click here: LA Gators Grade 6 Volleyball and Basketball Camp Registration

IDEA Lab Kids is focused on providing cutting-edge, engaging STEAM (STEM + Arts) activities in the form of unique enrichment classes, after-school programs, summer and day camps, birthday parties, and workshops for children ages 4-12. More information about IDEA Lab Kids St. Albert can be found on their website.

Hearts In Action is offering a variety of summer programs to help children with disabilities find a space to continue their growth and development during the summer, while promoting inclusivity. For more information about these opportunities, visit the Hearts In Action Summer Camps brochure.

The St. Albert Mustangs are looking for kids aged 8-13 who are interested in participating in their Junior Program. For more information, visit their website: St. Albert Mustangs Track & Field.