Have You 'Herd'?

Email: kn@spschools.org
Website: https://kino.spschools.org/
Location: 40 Woodlands Road, St. Albert, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)459-3114
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KinosayoElementary

• Tuesday, September 24: Running Club practice (8:00-8:45am)
• Wednesday, September 25: Running Club Fun Run (4:00-5:00pm at Hillgrove)
• Thursday, September 26: Board of Trustees Engagement Session (6:00-8:00pm)
• Friday, September 27: School Photo Day (am)
  
• Friday, September 27: Division Cross Country Meet
  

• Monday, September 30: National Day for for Truth and Reconciliation (No School)
• Tuesday, October 01: Orange Shirt Day
  
• Monday, October 07: School Council + KPA Meeting (7:00pm)
  
• Friday, October 11: Staff PD Day (No School)
• Monday, October 14: Thanksgiving Day (No School)
  

This is your final call for ordering a 2023-2024 Yearbook. To purchase a book, go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and enter school code 25952.

The Kinosayo office will not be purchasing extra yearbooks, so this will be your only opportunity to buy one. Make sure you and your children don't miss out!

We would like all families to be aware that anyone who is not currently enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 6 at Kinosayo (or is a staff member at Kinosayo) is classed as a visitor to the school.

When you need to come in to the school, you must sign in at the office (even if you are a parent and your visit will "only take a minute"). The office staff can assist you (or grant permission to enter the school).

This ensures the safety and security of all students within the building, minimises disruptions to classes, and is a health and safety requirement, in case of a fire (etc). We thank you for your support with this!

For the past few years , Kinosayo Elementary has been learning about the Inquiry Model. Some of you may remember when we had a program dedicated to Inquiry. Then we realised that all of our teachers wanted to implement Inquiry in their classrooms, so we dissolved the program and made it our School Focus.

We are currently deep in the "learning pit" (see illustration above) and the staff are all at different points of their learning in the Inquiry learning journey. So, for the 2024-25 school year, to help us climb out of the pit of learning, we have decided to dedicate and focus the majority of our PD time and resources into a deep dive of Inquiry learning (and how to put the theory into practice).

To do this we are partnering with Trevor MacKenzie (https://www.trevormackenzie.com/) who is the author of books we have read, and the framework we have been working with. All of our staff will have three virtual sessions with Trevor MacKenzie to work on:

1. Provocations (curiosity/engagement)
2. Questioning routines
3. Next steps in Inquiry

We will use the S'more and School Council meetings to keep you informed when we have updates about our progress and learning. Hopefully, the stories coming home from your children give you some insight as well. Of course, you are also welcome to stop by and chat anytime to hear about our learning.

Parents will be able to see the school fees for the year on their PowerSchool ParentPortal. (You must use a browser, not the app, to see school fees and report cards.)

As some parents like to budget across the entire school year, all the main fees for the year are put on at the start of the school year (some items, like attending the ski/snowboard trip, or losing a Library book, are entered as they occur), but there is no pressure for families to pay 100% of the fees right away. When you go into your ParentPortal, you can see the fees listed, and have a choice to either pay the entire amount due, or choose a specific amount to pay (the system will then allocate the money based on date the fee was added).

Please note that payments through the ParentPortal can only be with a Visa or Mastercard, and a 2.4% surcharge is added by PowerSchool. Payment can also be made with cash or cheques (including post-dated cheques) in the school office; cheques should be made payable to "St. Albert School Division". Again, we can take payments in the office for whatever amounts you wish to pay at the time (please note that we won't likely have change).

For full-day kindergarten parents, you can choose that one individual fee and add it to your cart, and it will give you the option of automatically splitting up the payments. This is the only fee that works for, so if there is anything else in your cart it won't work.

If you have any questions, or need help accessing your ParentPortal, please call the office at 780-459-3114 and we will be happy to assist.

We are very excited to let Kino families know that we have an online school store open!

Please visit https://kinosayoesw.itemorder.com/shop/sale/ to purchase your own Kino gear. There are nine different colour/style options for clothing (in both youth and adult sizes), and your choice of our classic "K" logo or a colourful rainbow logo!

The online store will be open until the first week of October, and and clothing ordered will be delivered to each student's homeroom when it arrives at the school.

(Please see below for an example of two types of clothing and the two logo options.)

If your child is going to be absent, please either use our online message system or give us a call at 780-459-3114 (there is a voicemail, so if we're busy helping someone else please leave a message!).

We also kindly request that if you need to pick up your child early from school, you arrange this in advance with their teacher if possible. This helps us ensure a smooth and efficient process, minimising disruptions to the classroom, and allowing your child to complete any important activities they may be engaged in. When we have prior notice, we can better prepare your child for an early departure, ensuring they have all necessary materials and information.

We understand that sometimes unexpected situations arise, and last-minute pickups are unavoidable. However, please be aware that retrieving a child on short notice can be challenging, as they might be in the middle of a lesson, project, or other activities that require time to wrap up. Your cooperation in planning ahead whenever possible is greatly appreciated and helps us maintain a productive and organized learning environment for all students.

Thank you for your understanding and support!

We would like to kindly remind parents to refrain from entering the school staff parking lot at any time during the day, as well as the school bus lanes during the posted hours. These areas are designated for staff and buses to ensure the safety and smooth operation of our school environment.

The safety of our children, staff, and families is our top priority. By keeping these areas clear, we can ensure that drop-offs and pick-ups are conducted safely and efficiently. Your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines helps us maintain a secure and orderly environment for everyone.

Thank you for your understanding and commitment to the safety of our school community!