ÉRE Connection

• Principals' Welcome
• School Photos, Sept 18 & 19
• School Council, Sept 24, 6:00 pm
• School Presentation, Magician Steve Harmer, Sept 24, 9:15 am
• School Re-Enrollment Form
• Volunteers
• Grandparetns & Grandfriends Day, Oct 10, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
• The ÉRE Team
• Parent Handbook
• Crosswalks
• WRSD is hiring!
• Student Accident Insurance

We are a few weeks into the 2024/2025 school year and are already excited for what this school year will bring. The school site has welcomed students since 1921, making this the proud 104th school opening! School start-up went very smoothly and students and staff are already into strong classroom routines.

A few items to note:

• We have 20 new students in grade 1-5, coming from BC, Saskatchewan, India, Black Diamond, Carseland, Edmonton, Ponoka, Winfield, and other local schools. Welcome new families!
  
• Our first School Council Meeting of the year is Tuesday, Sept 24, 6 pm. A healthy school needs an active school council and we are always interested in welcoming new parents. We hope you will consider checking out a meeting.
  
• It was great to see families join us for the school Terry Fox Run on Sept 13. If you wish to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation to support cancer research, the school's link is: https://schools.terryfox.ca/71435 or cash can be dropped off at the office.
• Our first school presentation will be with Magician Steve Harmer on Sept 24, 9:15 am. He will be presenting his "Kindness Matters" show. All ÉRE Families are welcome to join us for the presentation.
  
• Grandparents & Grandfriends Day is Oct 10, 1:30-3 pm. This is, traditionally, one of the biggest events at ÉRE. It will start with a short presentation in the gym, followed by activities in the classroom. We hope many grandparents and grandfriends will be able to join us.
• Many thanks to Jace's No Frills for their very generous donation to the school breakfast program. With thoughtful donations like this, FREE breakfast is offered every morning before the start of the school.
• We did it again! Survey data from the spring indicates we are in the top echelon of Alberta Schools - not just Rocky Mountain House, or Wild Rose School Division, but the entire province. This is a credit to the hard work of our parent community and staff team to ensure the best learning environment for our children.

We look forward to an outstanding school year. A big part of our success this year will come from working as a team to support the growth of your child. Please reach out early and often if you have any questions, ideas, or accolades to share.

Here's to a great year!

Tim Bowman‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Kim Simo

Principal ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vice Principal

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

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

Just a few reasons why our parents are the best:

• A student arrived late to school on the first day and found their entrance locked. A lovely parent saw the student crying and walked them around the school to the front doors. Thank you!
• A parent has already inquired about volunteering on the crosswalk. Awesome!
• We had a grandparent make a presentation to a local oil company highlighting the importance of investing in ÉRE. Fingers crossed!
• A parent recognized their child wasn't quite connecting at school yet so they reached out to the school admin for advice. That communication helped the school act quickly to help the student feel more connected as a helper in the breakfast club. We are a Team!
  

• Our Peace Garden Bench was broken over the weekend. An ÉRE parent showed up with tools and repaired the bench good as new! Our Hero!

LifeTouch Photography will be taking school photos September 18 & 19. Class photos and individual photos will be taken. Families will have the opportunity to purchase photo packages in about three weeks. If retakes are required, they occur on Oct 24.

Wednesday, Sept 18

Block 1/2/3 - 5C, KF, 1K

Block 4/5/6 - 1M, 2S, 2U

Block 7/8/9 - 4/5O, 3H, 4K

Thursday, Sept 19

Block 1/2/3 - PreK, KR

Block 4/5/6 - 4S, 3F

* times are approximate

The class photo below is from 90 years ago and represents the Grade 2 & 3 students from Confluence School. Confluence School was the first multi-room school built in Rocky Mountain House and was situated where ÉRE now stands. Confluence School was decommisioned as a school in the 1960s.

• Like most schools, we have limited parking around our school which can be over capacity before and after school. There is street parking on many of the adjacent streets.

• Please use the marked crosswalks if crossing the street.

• A reminder that School Zones are 30 km/h.

• Please allow yourself a few extra minutes for parking during high peak times directly before and after school.

• Playground supervision and free breakfast starts at 8:20 am each morning. Our school day runs 8:40 am - 3:19 pm.

• If you need before or afterschool care, you can check the "In the Community" ads at the bottom of this newsletter for some possible caregivers.

• At the end of the day, parents wishing to pick up students are encouraged to wait at the classroom exits.

• Most importantly - be extra mindful to watch for students around the school! Children are often super excited about the start of school and not as alert to traffic as desired.

• Our funding source for Crossing Guard service ran out last year. There is currently no Crossing Guard Service offered.
• We have emphasized the importance of safe crossing procedures with students. Please re-inforce these skills by walking students to the crosswalks rather than crossing mid-street.
• We are open to volunteers taking on offering the service 8:20 - 8:40 am and 3:15 - 3:30 pm. For volunteers, we can supply the stop sign and high visibility vest. Please connect with the office if you wish to assist.
• We are also open to finding a new funding source. Please connect with the office if you have funding ideas.

Volunteers at ÉRE help our school really hum!

Last year, volunteers at ÉRE logged over 2000 volunteer hours through activities like:

• reading with students
• recess supervision
• assisting in the library
• assisting with hot lunch / making breakfast muffins
• field trip supervisors
• breakfast volunteers
• tying skates
• sharing special talents
• organizing resources
• crosswalk crossing guard

If you have a passion for working with children, we encourage you to contribute to our learning environment through volunteering.

Depending on the volunteer service, a Criminal Record Check and a Vulnerable Records Check from the RCMP detachment may be required. (Check the chart below). Please pick up a letter from the school to assist in receiving these documents.

• No Criminal Record Check required - Volunteer is assisting with a single event, and staff are present when working around students. Examples: helping with food preparation, assisting with prepping materials in the staff room, tying skates, skating with the class
• Criminal Record Check required - Volunteer is assisting with multiple events. Examples: assisting with breakfast program every week, reading sight words with students in the hallway every month
• Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check required - Volunteer is working with individual or groups of students on a regular basis without direct supervision. Examples: attending an overnight field trip, working with students in an empty classroom,

A Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Records Check are valid for 3 years at the school. Check with the school office if you are unsure about the expiry of your documents.

• The 2024/25 School Re-Enrolment Form (formerly called the Demographic Form) is now available in your Parent Portal/School Engage account.
  

  • Please complete as soon as possible to ensure we have current information at the school.
  • If you have troubles logging in, please contact the school office and we can assist you.
  • The Form will need to be completed through a computer as the app will not work.

• Our first School Council Meeting will be Tuesday, September 24, 6:00 pm at the school
• A strong school council is important for a healthy school. It ensures good communication between the school and our parent community, in addition to coordinating our parent volunteers, running our hot lunch program, and supporting school initiatives,
• We will be electing a new Council at this meeting - Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Hot Lunch Coordinator, Playground Committee, Fundraising Coordinator
• Sept 24 Agenda
• June 5 Minutes

Our Hot Lunch and the Milk Program is coming soon!

• School Council organizes our hot lunch and milk program and is hoping to have it up and running by mid-October
• School Council reinvests any profits from hot lunch back into the school to support field trips, school presentations, and other school enhancements.
• In the past, we have offered hot lunch twice a week, hot dogs on some Fridays, and milk delivery every day for ordering.
• Watch for school communication when Hot Lunch is available to start ordering.

• The Minister of Education, Demetrios Nicolaides, has shared this Back to School Letter

• One of our biggest days of the year - Grandparents & Grandfriends Day - is coming October 10. All grandparents and grandfriends are invited to the school for the afternoon to enjoy treats and special activities with the students.

• Free breakfast is served every morning in our front foyer 8:20 - 8:40 am. All students are welcome to grab a bite to eat.
• We have a PreK Opening for a child who turns 4 in 2024. Our PreK program is capped at 18 students and runs full day Tuesday/Thursday/scheduled Fridays. The program cost is $100 per month (subsidy available for qualifying students). Register on our school website.
• The Rocky Public Library is launching an afterschool reading program for students in Gr 1-4. They are accepting 12 students for their Thursday, 4:00 - 4:45 pm program to be paired up with trained Gr 9-12 Teen Mentors.The program starts October 3. If interested, reach out to Valerie by phone (403-845-2042) or email valerie.armh@prl.ab.ca
• If your child will be absent from school, please connect with our Student Attendance Line by phone 1-855-756-2797 or use the School Messenger App
• Please use your child's agenda for writing notes to the teacher and communicating the after school plan.
• If your child's after school plan is different than usual, please write this in the student agenda. It helps a lot when students are unsure after school.
• There are no microwaves at the school for student use. Please use thermoses to send hot food instead.
• If at all possible, when paying for items like agendas, field trips or swimming, please pay through School Cash Online located at: https://wildrose.schoolcashonline.com/ This greatly reduces the chances of lost money or discrepancies in payments made.
• Our school website is regularly updated with important dates, school newsletters, and useful links along with information about the school. https://ecolerocky.wrsd.ca/
• The school updates our Facebook account with good news stories and upcoming events. Please consider giving us a follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecolerockyelementary

The Wild Rose School Division provides automatic blanket student accident coverage for all students registered with our school division. This coverage is funded by the Board for additional insurance needs that can result from a student accident during a school activity.

Student Accident Insurance provides a recovery option for costs associated with a student accident over and above those that can be claimed by other means. Examples of more common types of coverage would be for eyeglasses, ambulance costs, or dental coverage. Please note that the parent must pay for the expense and then request reimbursement using the claimant form. Please ask the school for the claimant form should a student accident occur that results in additional costs.

Parents can also purchase additional student accident insurance to increase coverage @ https://www.studyinsuredstudentaccident.com/compare-plans/

• Over the summer, Ms. Yvonne Turner decided to officially retire! Ms. Turner started at ÉRE in 2009. She spent most of her time in the gym teaching PE classes, but she will also be remembered for her big smile and warm hugs. And who can forget her starring role in our 2019 Christmas Production as the 80's aerobics instructor and love interest of Mr. G. Rinch 😀. We wish Ms. Turner well as she relocates to Red Deer and hopes she visits often.

2024/2025 staffing

• We are thrilled to welcome new staff: Ms. Meagan Foreman is our new PreK & English Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Kim Rose has joined us as our teacher in Kindergarten French Immersion, Mrs. April Unkauf is teaching Grade 2 French Immersion, Mrs. Janice Valstar, Mrs. Megan Hoetmer, Ms. Mckenna Marki, and Mrs. Elaine Crebas are in classrooms as Educational Assistants, and M. Étienne Mailhiot is our second French Language Assistant.
  

• We have already received good news to start the school year with grant money coming through to hire a part-time Connection Coach. Mrs. Zaina Giffen is our successful hire and well known to us after working with us last year in a similar role. Mrs. Giffen will work afternoons and will be available to help students navigate social/emotional concerns.
  

• We are pleased to welcome Étienne Mailhiot as our second French Language Assistant. Étienne has relocated to Rocky Mountain House for the year from Quebec to assist students with learning French while taking in the sights of Alberta and improving his English skills.
• We also have a great team of support therapists available at ÉRE, including Lisa Robertson (Speech & Language Pathologist), Erin Haney (Speech & Language Assistant), Jan Gervais (Occupational Therapy), & Janelle Van Heeren (Physical Therapy).
  
• Our RCMP School Resource Office is Cst. Harold Smits taking over from Cst. Bailey Kathol who has returned to other duties. We thank Cst. Kathol for her 3 years working closely with ÉRE.
• Please reach out to staff anytime you have questions. Staff e-mails are firstname.lastname@wrsd.ca
  

• The ÉRE Team is growing! We currently have a posting for an EA to work in our Kindergarten and upper elementary classes.
• We would like to add more casual EAs to our list. If interested, email your resume and cover letter to ApplytobeaCasualEA@wrsd.ca

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

• EA - ÉRE, Caroline, West Central, Pioneer, Lochearn
• Caretaker - Pioneer
  
• Teacher - Casual
• Division Office - Plumber / Gasfitter

1. Reading on Grade Level📖 Studies show that consistent attendance from Pre-K gives the best start for early literacy development. Students who aren't reading on grade level by 3rd grade have a lower chance of graduating. It starts that early!

2. Joining Classmates on Exciting Field Trips🚌Don't miss out on hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom, like visits to museums, nature centers, science centers, parks, and performances of all kinds. These enriching experiences help students figure out their passions.

3. Forming Lasting Friendships😍Attending daily allows students to foster strong social bonds and an inclusive peer network. Even if not all friendships work out, developing the skills is only possible with ongoing interaction. Students who develop their social skills through school attendance have more positive relationships, overall.

4. Developing Effective Study Habits Early⏰Good attendance instills vital skills like punctuality, time management and self-discipline. A big part of succeeding is learning how to learn. Daily attendance from elementary onwards helps students build their toolbox of strategies for success.

5. Demonstrating Responsibility and Commitment🙌Employers value established patterns of dedication and follow-through. Whether students are getting after school jobs in high school, or securing employment after graduation, good work habits are formed by consistent school attendance. It's also how students get teachers to serve as references!

6. Maximizing Instructional Time with Teachers✍🏽Fewer disruptions means more personalized learning and academic support. Sometimes, students don't come to school because they're struggling with the material in class and staying home is a way to avoid it. But the better choice is to come to school -- that's where the support is. The more time students have with their teachers, the more successful they will be.

7. Greate rSelf-Esteem and Confidence😁Not having to play catch-up reduces stress and boosts self-assurance. This is exactly what will carry students successfully through graduation and beyond.

8. Higher Grade Point Averages🚀Abundant research links stellar attendance to higher GPAs and test scores. In fact, one study shows that the #1 reason students fail a course is from being absent.

9. More Scholarship and College Opportunities🎓Colleges want applicants with strong attendance showing perseverance. And it's not just colleges! If you're choosing a new school for middle school or high school, students must demonstrate good attendance above all.

10. Increased Lifetime Earnings and Success💰Excellent attendance correlates to higher career achievement and earnings potential. And not just that! It correlates to better physical and mental health, healthier relationships, and a happier quality of life. Something we want for every child!

On June 17, 2024 the Minister of Education announced new restrictions on the use of personal mobile devices and access to social media platforms for children and students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 effective September 1, 2024. See the Minister’s Letter to Parents for further information.

Our focus at Wild Rose School Division is to provide powerful learning environments that focus on both the learning and well-being of all our students. We recognize that minimizing distractions is crucial for achieving these goals and we support measures that contribute to the learning and well-being of our students.

In the coming months, our Division will develop procedures and policies in order to comply with the Government of Alberta’s Ministerial Order on the use of personal mobile devices and social media in our schools in a way that also recognizes the use of technology in supporting diverse learning needs and teaching digital citizenship for all students. We look forward to working with our staff, students and families as we determine what this looks like for Wild Rose School Division schools.

ÉRE Note: Students are not allowed to have personal mobile devices at ÉRE (unless permission is granted by the principal for a medical need eg. Diabetes montioring). To this point, it has been a non-issue as we start the school year. If you need to communicate with your child during the school day, or vice versa, the school office will be able to facilitate. Thanks for your cooperation.

• Sept 17 - Fire Drill
• Sept 18 & 19 - School Photos
• Sept 20 - No School for Students
• Sept 23 - Fire Drill
• Sept 24 - School Presentation: Magician Steve Harmer, 9:15 am
• Sept 24 - School Council, 6:00 pm
• Sept 25 & 26 - Indigenous Education with Mrs. Clark
• Sept 30 - Orange Shirt Day
• Sept 30 - September Assembly, 2:00 pm
• Oct 3 - 1K & 2S Skating starts
• Oct 8 - 1M & 2U Skating starts
• Oct 10 - Grandparent & Grandfriends Day, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
• Oct 11 - No School for Students
• Oct 24 - Photo Retakes
• Oct 25 - No School for Students

• School Calendar 2024-2025
• PreK Calendar 2024-2025
• English Kindergarten Calendar 2024-2025
• French Immersion Kindergarten Calendar 2024-2025

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

Email: rockyelem@wrsd.ca
Website: https://ecolerocky.wrsd.ca/
Location: 4703 50th Avenue, Rocky Mountain House, AB, Canada
Phone: 403-845-3541
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecolerockyelementary/
Twitter: @EREPeace