Elmdale School
January Newsletter
Principal's Message
Welcome back, everyone! We trust you had a restful break and a Happy New Year! A new year also brings some new faces and we have had to say a few good-byes:
First, we want to wish Mrs. Cheri Thiessen all the best as she heads off on Maternity Leave. In her absence we have hired Ms. Meagan Rempel on to take over teaching grade 3 at Elmdale. Ms. Rempel has been here before as a substitute teacher and brings several years of early years experience. We are excited to have her join us here!
Additionally, Mr. Murray Neufeld, our trusty custodian for the past couple of years, has moved on to the world of retirement. We wish him all the best in that new adventure, and at the same time we want to welcome Mr. Paul Neufeld to the Elmdale team. We are glad to have him join us here at Elmdale! Finally, Ms. Julie Herrington-Jules is joining us in a new role at Elmdale. She has taken on the role of Health Care Aide, specifically to support students with significant medical needs who attend here. This is a new role for our school and we are excited to see what this looks like here. Welcome to Elmdale Ms. Herrington-Jules!
Mr. Vince Hiebert
Principal: Elmdale School
Email: vhiebert@hsd.ca
Instagram: elmdalehsd
Christmas Concert
Congratulations to Ms. Turton and all the Elmdale grade 3 and 4 students on a job well done at our Christmas Concert this past December. Thank you to parents for supporting the concerts and making sure your children were at the school on-time for the evening concert. A special thanks to PAC for putting together the Tutjes for all Elmdale students. That was a special treat - and it was a lot of fun to share a local tradition with our Elmdale families!
Bus Stop Behaviour
It is important that students are acting in a safe way when waiting for the bus or when walking to and from their bus stop. We have noticed an increase in unsafe behaviour at our urban bus stops. Since there are many students getting on and off of the bus at these stops it is very important that children are acting in a safe and courteous way. Parents, please discuss proper bus stop behaviour with your children.
From the HSD Transportation website:
- Be at the bus stop five minutes before the scheduled arrival time of the bus.
- Do not run to or from the bus stop.
- Choose the safest walking route to and from the bus stop and keep well clear of the road while waiting for the bus.
- Be certain that the road is clear or traffic is stopped before crossing the road.
- Line up for the bus in single file with the first person no closer than 2 meters from the roadside. No crowding, pushing or horseplay while waiting at the bus stop
Also, remember that riding the bus is a privilege. Unsafe behaviour at the bus stop may result in a loss of bus privileges.
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now open. To be eligible, Children must be five years of age on or before December 31, 2024 (born in 2019). The registration process will take place online at www.HSD.ca. If you do not have access to the Internet, please visit the school office and we can assist you in completing the registration on a school computer. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to register their children soon after registration opens in January. Early registration will assist us in preparation and planning for the upcoming school year. Registering before March 1 will ensure there is sufficient time for school appointments and provide parents/guardians with the opportunity to participate in Kindergarten orientation activities. Visit www.HSD.ca for registration instructions.
Weather Related Closures
Please check on the HSD WEBSITE for information on weather related closures.
Illness
We are often asked questions about when a child can return to school after being ill. We no longer have the same public health rules to follow as during the pandemic but it is important to consider that if your child has been sick, please ensure enough time has passed before sending them back to school - this helps prevent the spread of illness in the school. A good rule of thumb is to keep them home for at least 24 hours after they have started antibiotics, 24 hours after their fever has broken, and 24 hours after the last time they have thrown up.
If you are keeping your child at home, please remember to contact the school to let us know.
Also, it is important to note that we do not provide indoor supervision during recess, so we cannot accommodate notes that indicate a child should stay inside at recess. Please ensure your child has enough cold weather clothing to go outside for recess.
UMBRELLA SKILL FOR JANUARY: AUTHENTICITY
WHAT IS AUTHENTICITY?
Authenticity is a skill and takes practice! Authenticity is:
- The quality of being genuine or real
- Representing your true self instead of what you think others want you to be
- Staying true to your beliefs
- Trustworthiness
- Believability and truthfulness
- Being comfortable with yourself
- When your actions match your words and values
Authenticity is our ability to be our genuine selves, staying true to our values and beliefs, while still adapting to the world around us. Authenticity comes from having actions that match the words we say and not trying to be someone else to impress others. Authenticity helps us to feel confident in ourselves and it improves others ability to trust us, a characteristic highly valued in leaders. It also helps us create strong friendships and is a very important part of wellbeing.
RESEARCH BASED OUTCOMES OF AUTHENTICITY
- Improves self respect and self esteem
- Increases your comfort in sharing your true thoughts and beliefs
- Authenticity improves emotional stability
- Genuine smiles (over polite smiles) improve our social interactions
- Improves our trustworthiness 6. Improves overall wellbeing
- Helps us stand up for what we think is right, which reduces bullying
Stories of authenticity involve the choice to be yourself and to follow your own dreams instead of what others may expect you to be. They are about being the change you want to see in the world and letting your actions reflect how you truly feel. Authentic people often have very interesting stories and have followed a path that may be different from others. They have a set of values they live by, even when that may be difficult. They may stand out as the genuinely kind people in the room or the ones that care less about social pressure and more about what makes them truly happy.
Pizza Lunch Reminder
A reminder that our Thursday Pizza Hot Lunches are continuing in January. We alternate between Cheese Pizza and Pepperoni Pizza for $2 a slice. Orders are placed first thing in the morning so that enough pizza can be ordered. Please note the schedule for the coming weeks:
January 11 - Cheese Pizza
January 18 - Pepperoni Pizza
January 25 - Cheese Pizza
February 1 - Pepperoni Pizza
December Princi-Pals
Thirdy F 1J; Theo B 1M; Heidi W 1/2F; Solomiia K 2E; Abel D 2G; Lexi F 3T; Nichol N 3/4B; Capri K 4M; Marek H 4T; Makeena F 1J; Kinley S 1M; Riya M 1/2F; Zeke F 2G; Taylor L 2E; Brooklyn W 3T; Adrian S 3/4B; Jaydin L 4T; Aiian D 4M; Arabella J 1J; Dhey P 1M; Beorn D 1/2F; Amelia F 2G; Emerald F 2E; Anika C 3T; Sadie P 3/4B; Blaiklee C 4T; Frances A 4M
Nutrition Bits and Bites - Kids in the Kitchen
"Soup's On" School Lunches
Bus Times, Routes & Address Changes
Please check our website for information about bus transportation.
If your address has changed, please call transportation at 204-320-2347 to make sure that your children are riding the correct bus to and from school.
Elmdale Early Years School
Publisher: Mr. Hiebert
Email: elmdale@hsd.ca
Website: http://elmdale.hsd.ca/
Location: 160 Elmdale Street, Steinbach, MB, Canada
Phone: 204-326-3325
Twitter: @elmdalehsd