November 8, 2024

November

• Nov. 10-16 - Métis Week
• Nov. 11-15 - No School - Fall Break
• Nov. 18 - Classes Resume
• Nov. 18-22 - Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week
• Nov. 19 - Odd Socks Day
• Nov. 19 - School Council and Parent Association Meetings at 6:30 p.m.
• Nov. 21 - Grade 6 Field Trip
• Nov. 22 - Hot Lunch - Cobs & Booster Juice - Orders close Nov. 14
• Nov. 23 - Bev Facey Holiday Market
• Nov. 25 - Term 1 Celebration: Fitset Ninja Winter Obstacle Course
• Nov. 26 - Term 1 Celebration: Fitset Ninja Winter Obstacle Course
• Nov. 29 - Report Cards (Term 1)

Be sure to check out our school calendar.

On November 29, parents and guardians can access report cards through PowerSchool—simply log in to your account and click on the “Report Card” button in the left-hand sidebar.

As in previous years, students will be assessed on a Learner Attributes Scale and Achievement Scale. Some categories have been modified to align with the new curriculum that was introduced this year.

Some outcomes in English Language Arts and Literature (ELAL) and Math will be reported on in each term, while other outcomes will only be assessed once in the year. For example, reading comprehension will be assessed and reported on each term, while the unit on sky science will only be taught and assessed once in the school year.

Report cards are communication tools that represent a snapshot in time of your child's progress on specific outcomes of the curriculum. As with all learning, we expect students to continue to grow and build new skills, knowledge and understandings throughout the year. We hope that the report card provides you with information that will guide further conversation about your child's learning.

If you have any questions about your child's progress, at any time of the year, please contact the teacher directly. Our teachers are able to talk over the phone or they can set up a meeting at a mutually convenient time for all. Your child's success is important to all of us.

With the winter season almost here, we have a few reminders for families:

• Ensure students have clothing appropriate for expected weather conditions.
• If weather conditions are bad enough to impact student transportation, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) advises families directly, as well as posting on social media and eips.ca as early as possible.
• Decisions regarding bus cancellations are guided by an EIPS administrative procedure that states, “school bus service may be suspended…when there is a forecast or current temperature of -40 C, including wind chill factor, in one or more regions.”
• Other reasons for suspending or delaying school bus services include adverse weather and poor road conditions.
• When school bus services are suspended, schools remain open to students.

For more information, contact EIPS Student Transportation at 780-417-8151.

Hot Lunch orders can be placed using the Munch-a-lunch platform. If you are interested in volunteering for hot lunch, please can sign up here. If you have any additional questions please email wbfpa.hotlunch@gmail.com.

Dec. 6 - Opa! - Orders close Nov. 28

Dec. 20 - Italian Centre

The Guide to Reporting Student Achievement (GRSA) and School Education Plan (SEP) for the 2024-25 school year are available now! The GRSA explains how we assess student achievement, how we determine grades and more. The SEP details our school goals for the year—with key strategies and measures in achieving these outcomes. You can access our GRSA and SEP through the two corresponding home page tiles at https://www.woodbridgefarms.ca/.

Our school will be celebrating Odd Socks Day on November 19! Students and staff are encouraged to wear mismatched socks to school as a fun and creative way to show that it’s okay to be different. Thank you for helping us spread the word about Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.

Did you know that Woodbridge Farms Elementary has an account with Mabel's Labels. Mabel’s Labels provides personalized, durable, waterproof labels. They are great for everything from shoes, clothing tags, water bottles and backpacks. You can customize them with your name and a design, and they are dishwasher, laundry and microwave safe.

When you order using this link and our code, the Parent Association receives a small commission back that we use to fund our memory making activities and support school initiatives.

To support our fundraiser, visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and select WOODBRIDGE FARMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (SHERWOOD PARK). You can choose whatever labels or product you want, and it will ship for free directly to your house! Thank you for supporting us!

Here is a link to the November newsletter for students and families who identify as members of the First Nations, Métis or Inuit communities.

Reading together as a family is a powerful way to promote literacy, but how do you find books to read? Here are some places to find some excellent book ideas:

All ages - Your local library or sites like Read Aloud Revival have all sorts of great book suggestions.

Students in Grades 4-9 - check out this video.

Check out this document for some prompts to help your child read purposefully to find meaning.

What is a mind break? A mind break is a short 30 second activities that you can do to help reset your brain so it is ready for learning.

Why do brains need to be reset?

All kinds of information come into our brains throughout the day and sometimes we find ourselves getting dysregulated. We could be feeling tired or hyper. Sometimes we feel anxiety or stress which makes our brain go into emergency mode where we feel the urge to fight, flee or freeze. When that happens, we are not able to access our prefrontal cortex (or the thinking rational brain). When our brains are dysregulated, we cannot learn.

Mind breaks are short activities that help to shift your brain out of stress and into a calm state ready to face the world.

Here are a two mind breaks that you can practice at home:

Peace Sign-Thumbs Up Switch

Make a peace sign with one hand and a thumbs up with the other. Now switch hands as smoothly (and as quickly) as you can. Notice how you will need to focus your attention.

Starfish Breathing/Five Finger Breathing

Beginning at the base of your thumb, trace up to the top of the thumb while breathing in through your nose, and trace down the thumb while breathing out through your mouth. Ensure that the outbreath is longer and slower than the inbreath.

One meta-analysis (a study of many studies) looked at how to help students learn math. It found that the most effective strategy is distributed practice. Instead of studying for one hour once a week, your child should break up that time into shorter chunks distributed throughout the week.

Math must be practiced every day. It’s a subject that builds on what students already know. Solving today’s problems will involve previously learned concepts.

There are many ways that students can practice math without even realizing they are reviewing. Here are three:

1. Play games with dice. Take turns rolling the dice and quickly adding up the sum of two numbers. Later, add subtraction, multiplication, and division to the challenge.
2. Have fun with coins. Say, “I have three coins. Together, they are worth 60 cents. What are they?” Then, let your child challenge you.
3. Pretend your calculator is broken. Say, “Imagine our calculator has no number 8. What are some other ways to represent that number?” It could be 10-2 or 4 + 4 or 24/3.

These activities are easy to fit into spare moments throughout the week. Playing games is an enjoyable way to give your child a chance to practice math facts.

Reprinted with permission from the November 2024 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2024 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: G.M. Donoghue and J. Hattie, “A Meta-Analysis of Ten Learning Techniques,” Frontiers in Education, Frontiers Media S.A.

Recovery Alberta offers free online programming for parents and caregivers of children and youth. Sessions are offered through Zoom. The list of November and December 2024 sessions is now available.

Wee Wonderland is approaching quickly! Our Woodbridge Farms Parent Association volunteers are looking for gift wrap donations of small and medium size gift bags, tissue paper and gift tags. Please send them to school with your child or drop off in bin outside the office.

REGISTRATION CLOSES at 3:45PM on NOVEMBER 21, 2024.

Price per table is $35.

Each table is roughly 8ft x 3ft.

Each table comes with 2 chairs. Table coverings are not provided.

Concession will be available to vendors and buyers throughout the event.

Payment for your table(s) can be made at the Bev Facey School Office from 8:00AM - 3:45PM during weekdays. We accept debit, credit, cash and cheque. Cheques can be made out to Bev Facey Community High School and delivered to the main office personally or via mail. We DO NOT accept credit cards over the phone and we do not accept PayPal.

Doors open at 7:30AM for setup. Event runs from 9AM- 4PM on November 23, 2024. All tables must be cleared by 5:30PM. Help will be available. Event will be held in the North and Banner Gyms.

Events happening throughout the day:

• Santa will be making visits all throughout the day.
• There will be a face painting and glitter tattoo station run by Bev Facey's Leadership Initiative students.
• Gift basket raffles.

All proceeds from table rentals and raffle ticket sales will be donated to the Strathcona Christmas Bureau.

If you wish to book a table in the market, please fill out and submit the following form. Once you submit the form, we will reach out to you with information on how to pay for your table(s) and a reminder of the payment deadline. If you have any questions, please email Jack at jacksnow1807@gmail.com.