Welcome back to the new school year at Daysland School! We're thrilled to have our students and families with us as we embark on the 2024-25 academic year. We hope you had a refreshing summer and are ready for the exciting year ahead.

Key Updates to Start the 2024-25 School Year:

• Welcome Back Breakfast: Each year we host a Welcome Back Breakfast for students. This year they can come to school with an appetite on Thursday, September 12th as staff will serve students a pancake breakfast first thing in the morning.

• Early Parent-Teacher Interviews:
  To foster strong early connections, we’ve scheduled Parent-Teacher Interviews on Thursday, September 19th, from 3:30 to 8:30 pm. These will be by appointment, and you'll receive a link next week to book your slot.

• No More Early Dismissal Thursdays:
  This year, BRSD has made a change to our meeting schedule—early dismissal days are no longer in place. Instead, students will have full Fridays off once a month for staff meetings and professional development. The first of these will be on October 11th.

• Monthly Newsletters:
  In a shift from previous years, we will now send out one newsletter per month, with the next edition coming on September 25th. However, each Wednesday, we will send a School Messenger with important dates and events for the following week.

• Celebrating Students & School Culture:
  We are excited to continue recognizing our students' achievements during our monthly school assemblies. Additionally, our cross-graded squad groups will remain a key part of building our school culture. Look out for highlights in our newsletters and on our social media platforms.

• PowerSchool & Real-Time Reporting: We will continue using PowerSchool as our main platform for sharing student information and progress. All BRSD schools are transitioning to Real-Time Reporting. In this system, traditional report cards are not sent home. Instead, you’ll receive ongoing feedback through PowerSchool, with a focus on Literacy and Numeracy in Elementary, and core subjects in secondary.

• Stay Connected:
  With so much happening, we encourage you to stay updated by following our bi-monthly Daysland Digest, visiting our school website, and following us on Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter).

We hope the first two days back at school have been smooth for students and families. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact the office.

September

6/7 - Sr. G V-Ball @ Earle Berry (Camrose)

12 - Welcome Back Breakfast

12 - Cross Country @ Hardisty

16 - Sr. Golf Zones (Camrose)

19 - Cross Country @ Bashaw

19 - Parent Teacher Interviews (3:30 to 8:30pm)

20/21 - Jr. G V-Ball @ OLMP

20/21 - Sr. G V-Ball @ Wetaskiwin

24 - Terry Fox Run

26 - Cross Country @ Camrose

27/28 - Sr. G V-Ball @ OLMP

28 - Jr. G V-Ball @ Hay Lakes

30 - Truth & Reconciliation Day (School Closed)

Concussion Protocol forms have been sent home with each student. Please carefully read, fill out, sign, date, and return the form before September 22. If you have not received your form or if you have any questions, please call the school at 780-374-3676.

If you have not already done so, there are also Verification Forms that were sent by Battle River school Division that need to be completed through SchoolEngage. If you are unsure how to access SchoolEngage or the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact Mrs. Omoth at somoth@brsd.ab.ca.

School Council Meeting

Wednesday, September 18 @ 7:00pm

Daysland School Learning Commons

Everyone Welcome!

Jr Girls Volleyball practices will start after school on Thursday, Sept. 5. Any interested Gr 7-9 girls are welcome to attend!

X Country Running practices will take place today and tomorrow after school until 4:00 pm. Any interested students in gr 4-12 are welcome to join!

Daysland school is currently looking for Mini Slammers, Jr and Sr Boys volleyball coaches. If you are interested, please contact the school!

This year we will, once again, be participating in the Terry Fox run. September 24th we will get together as a school and run around the pond behind the school. Younger students will be paired with older students for this cross grade activity. We will also participate in the Toonie for Terry challenge to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation for Cancer Research.

We have contracted with Smart Photography to take students' photographs again this year. All Kindergarten to Grade 12 students will have their individual and group photos taken Friday, October 4th.

If you are interested in purchasing Daysland School clothing, please visit

https://dayslandschool.entripyshops.com

Orders can be placed at any time of the year and will ship directly to the purchaser.

Watch for more information coming home with your child soon!

Mrs. J. Thomas - Assistant Principal

Mrs. K. Tanton - Kindergarten

Miss A. Pfeffer - Grade 1

Mrs. M. Schlaut - Grade 2

Mrs. H. Schmidt Teigen - Grade 3

Mrs. K. Sieben - Grade 4

Mrs. J. Thomas - Grade 5

Mrs. B. McKay - Grade 6

Mr. B. Pastachak - Grade 7/8

Mr. K. Charchun - Grade 9

Mrs. V. Zimmer - Grade 10

Mrs. C. Tobler - Grade 11

Mrs. M. Zimmer - Grade 12

Mrs. S. Omoth - Administrative Assistant

Mrs. L. Robbins - Administrative Assistant /Educational Assistant

Mrs. T. Zimmel - Learning Commons

Mrs. C. Bendfeld - Educational Assistant

Ms. K. Auburn - Educational Assistant

Mrs. G. Klein - Educational Assistant

In order to better monitor students' whereabouts and improve safety, Daysland School has a "closed campus" policy for all K-9 students.

K-9 (bus) students require a signed and dated parent note for each and every occasion, and "blanket notes" will not be accepted.

A "blanket" permission form for senior high students was included in the registration package that came home last week.

As part of our emergency preparedness plan, a variety of emergency drills are held throughout the year. In addition to fire drill, we will also practice our lockdown procedure and what to do should there be a severe weather event/tornado. Bus drivers will carry-out bus evacuation drills. The purpose of these drills is to ensure that staff and students know what to do in the event of a real emergency, and practicing helps us to review our procedures and to adapt them if necessary. The drills are generally not announced to students in advance (except at the very beginning of the year), and we will always notify families if there ever was a real emergency.

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide clarification of the school policy regarding students and staff with severe (anaphylactic) allergies. Daysland School recognizes the dangers faced by students and staff with severe or anaphylactic reactions (allergies) to foods, insect stings, medications, latex or other substances. While the school cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment, the school will take whatever reasonable steps are necessary to ensure a safe environment for children and staff with life-threatening allergies. Our policy and practices are based on the guidelines and recommendations contained in the document entitled Anaphylaxis in Schools and Other Settings, which can be viewed in its entirety on the Allergy Safe Communities web site:

www.allergysafecommunities.ca .

Within our school community there are several individuals who have a potentially life-threatening allergy (anaphylaxis) to foods, predominantly to:

• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (e.g. walnut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio)

A teacher letter will be sent home with each child in those elementary classes directly affected by having an allergic individual (student or staff member) who primarily works in the room. These classrooms will be declared “allergy safe” zones, with heightened adult supervision in place during eating times. Children in the class will learn about life-threatening allergies and ways to help their allergic friends stay safe. Students at risk of anaphylaxis must progressively learn to avoid specific triggers in order to function in society outside the school setting. This happens over time as the child becomes developmentally more mature. Parents should teach food-allergic children to stick to strict safety rules (not sharing or accepting food, carrying epinephrine, etc.) While the key responsibility lies with the students at risk and their families, the school community must also be aware, and for that reason we ask that all families avoid sending the foods (or products containing them) listed above. We need to be particularly vigilant at times of special events, such as Halloween, when classroom treats may be brought from home.

The junior/senior high school setting is much harder to control than the elementary school setting. Certain “allergy safe” zones will be declared, however anaphylactic secondary school students must take on the primary responsibility for allergen avoidance at school and in other environments since they move around the entire campus and interact with many teachers and peers. Again, we believe the best way to reduce the risk of accidental exposure to these students (and staff members) is to respectfully ask for the co-operation of all parents/guardians within this school community to avoid sending products to school that have peanuts or tree nuts listed in the ingredients.

Your cooperation and understanding of this matter is appreciated.