MARCH Newsletter

As we welcome March, we take a moment to reflect on the incredible achievements and experiences of our students throughout February. It was a busy and exciting month, filled with learning, celebration, and community spirit. Students also enjoyed a well-deserved February break, taking time to rest and recharge.

Looking Back on February...

We kicked off the month by celebrating our school band at their amazing concert. Their dedication and talent were on full display, and we couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments! February also marked the distribution of learner profiles, an important opportunity to recognize and celebrate the academic growth of our students. Thank you to all families for supporting your children in their learning journeys. Our School Council continues its fantastic efforts to reach the fundraising goal for a new playground. A heartfelt thank you to all the families and friends who have generously donated—we truly appreciate your support in making this dream a reality for our students.

On the sports front, our Grade 6 basketball players participated in their first fun tournament and performed exceptionally well! Our basketball teams across all grades continue to thrive and demonstrate excellent sportsmanship as they enter the playoffs. We wish them all the best as they compete! Meanwhile, our Grades 4-6 students showed their commitment to kindness and anti-bullying by attending the Be Brave Hitmen Hockey Game in Calgary, joining thousands of students in this meaningful event. For some of our Grades 7-9 students, February brought an unforgettable experience with an exciting ski trip to Nakiska. They enjoyed a phenomenal day of fresh air, sunshine, and fun on the slopes. Our Junior Kindergarten and Division One students celebrated their learning through the magic of make-believe, dressing up as princesses and heroes—a wonderful way to bring creativity and imagination into the classroom.

Additionally, we continue to navigate the CUPE job action, and we want to express our deep appreciation for our entire school community for coming together and supporting one another during this time. We recognize the challenges that come with these circumstances and are grateful for the patience and collaboration shown by our staff, students, and families.

Looking Ahead to March...With spring just around the corner, we look forward to another month of learning, growth, and community engagement. Stay tuned for upcoming events, and as always, thank you for being an integral part of our school family.

Warm regards,

Ms. Rita Marie Rahn (Principal)

Mrs. Shanda Dupras (Vice Principal)

March 3-6: Clay for Kids (Grades K - 5)

March 6: Gr.9 Parent Farewell Meeting 6:00pm

March 7: Basketball Zones 🏀

March 9: Daylight Savings! Spring Ahead! ⏰

• Hot Lunch System OPENS TODAY (link below)

March 10: School Council @ 3:30 (Learning Commons)

March 11: Paul Davis @ RedDeer Lake School

March 12: Reverse Day (Students Dress Like Teachers / Teachers Dress like Students)

• Please follow school dress code!

March 14-20: Inline Skating 🛼

March 17: 💚St. Patrick's Day - Wear Green 💚

March 18: Supervised Lunch - THANK YOU PARENT VOLUNTEERS!

March 20: First day of SPRING! 🌺

• Mixedmatched Sock Day🧦- Wear mix-matched socks for awareness of Down Syndrome Day
• HOT LUNCH ORDERS FOR THE 21st will be served TODAY!
• OPEN HOUSE - Foothills Composite High School 5:00pm - 8:00pm

March 21 – Non-Instructional Day (NO STUDNETS) - Professional Learning Day for Teachers

March 24 – Instructional Day (Regular School Day)

March 25 – Instructional Day (Regular School Day)

March 28 - School Dance (more information to come)

March 31 – Non-Instructional Day (NO STUDENTS) - Professional Learning Day for Teachers

• March 21 – Non-Instructional Day (NO STUDNETS) - Professional Learning Day for Teachers
• March 24 – Instructional Day (Regular School Day)
• March 25 – Instructional Day (Regular School Day)
• March 31 – Non-Instructional Day (NO STUDENTS) - Professional Learning Day for Teachers

SYSTEM OPENS: Sunday, March 9, 2025.

STYSTEM CLOSES: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

This session of Hot Lunch Orders will begin April 1st and will continue until June 20, 2025.

• Payments can be e-Transfers (preferred) HeritageHeightsFundraising@gmail.com or PayPal.
• If this is your first time ordering, please register your students (access code is “HH2024HL”).
• Please feel free to email hotlunch_heritage@hotmail.com with any questions.

Thank you for supporting this program and our school!!

Your Hot Lunch Ladies 🥪

Happy Lunching!

https://heritage.hotlunches.net

Registration is open for our 2025/26 school year! Students who turn 5 on or before December 31, 2025 are eligible for Kindergarten, while students who turn 4 on or before December 31, 2025 are eligible for Junior Kindergarten. All registrations are completed online through Edsembli. Families new to FSD will need to create an Edsembli Account and current families can add your child to your Family Portal! Please use the QR code or access the registration at Bit.ly/FSDNewStudent

Mr. McLachlan joins us from St. Mary's University and is with Mrs. Penner's Grade 6 class.

Ms. Clough is also joining us from St. Mary's University and is with Mrs. MacDonald's Grade 2 class.

All school divisions in Alberta create a plan for improvement. Schools then set goals that align with this plan. In Foothills School Division and at Heritage Heights, we are working on Support, Success, and Engagement for all learners. The following sections reflect our work within the school and community. When you complete the Alberta Education Survey this month, you can use this information to answer some of the questions.

Learning Services

The Student Success Team (SST) provides academic, social/emotional, and behavioural support for students.

Volunteer Support

• We are always eager to welcome parent volunteers to support student reading development from Grades 1 through 5.
• If you are interested in supporting our students, please use the link below to sign up, or contact:

Mrs. Angela Clarke (Learning Coach) at clarkea@fsd38.ab.ca

Quick Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090A4FAAA922ABFC1-46940117-hhliteracy

Everyone has a 24-hour internal clock cycle that regulates sleep-wake cycles, called circadian rhythms. In childhood, the normal circadian rhythm directs most children to fall asleep around 8 or 9pm. In puberty hormonal changes cause the internal clock to delay the time teens start to feel sleepy. Your teen may tell you that he or she is not tired or is unable to fall asleep until 12am. Unfortunately, on weekdays when they need to wake up early for school, your tired teen does not want to get up! When your teen tries to catch up on sleep until 10 or 11am on weekends, this only results in later bedtimes on the next night.

Signs that your teen is getting too little sleep:

· Daytime sleepiness, napping and fatigue

· Irritability and mood changes

· Trouble waking up and being on time in the morning

· Poor concentration, memory, and academic performance

· Decreased motivation

· Cravings for stimulant drinks like coffee, Redbull and coke

· Decreased ability to make effective decisions

How you can help your teen sleep well:

· Modelling good sleep habits supports better sleep habits for your teen

· Ensure your teen’s room is dark, the bed and pillow are comfortable, and it is a cool but comfortable temperature

· Lower the volume of music or TV at bedtime

· Dim your house lights an hour before bedtime

· Discourage use of computers, television, and cell phones at bedtime. The artificial light shining into your eyes from backlit screens on these devices can stop the production of melatonin, a hormone that your body makes to get you ready for sleep

· Encourage your teen to only use his or her bed for sleeping and only fall asleep in their bed (not the couch or favorite chair)

· Encourage exercise every day but avoid strenuous exercise 3 hours before bedtime

· Discourage napping. If needed, a nap should be 30 minutes or less. No after supper naps!

Congratulations to Claire and Tayler for the strong performance at Calgary Regional Debate on March 1. We can't wait for next year's season! Debate is available as an option and extracurricular activity for students in grades 7-9. Please contact Mrs. Hanson for more information!

Thank you, Mrs. Hanson for your hard work and enthusiasm in coaching our students throughout the season!

Some of grade 7 - 9 students participated in a fantastic school ski trip to Nakiska, made even better by the beautiful, sunny blue skies overhead. The morning kicked off with ski and snowboard lessons, where students had the opportunity to refine their skills and gain confidence on the slopes. By the afternoon, they were cruising down the mountain alongside their friends and chaperones, making the most of the perfect conditions.

A huge thank you to all of our amazing chaperones who generously volunteered their time to make this trip possible. Your support and enthusiasm helped create an unforgettable experience for our students. A special shout-out to Mrs. McKellar for her hard work in organizing this fantastic adventure. We appreciate you!

The entire school came together to cheer on our Girls and Boys Basketball teams as they faced off in an exciting showdown. The game was a thrilling display of skill, teamwork, and outstanding sportsmanship, making for an unforgettable event.

A huge shout-out to our incredible Huskies fans—the best in the entire Foothills School Division! Your energy and support created an electric atmosphere. A big thank you as well to our referees for keeping the game fair and fun, and to our fantastic sports broadcasters, Ms. Fargher and Mr. Berrigan, for bringing the action to life. Go Huskies! 🏀🐾

💲So far we have received $17,320 in donations towards our $75,000 goal! 💲

Please take a moment to open the attached document and learn more about how you can contribute! Thank you for all your support and for being such an important part of our school community!

Heritage Heights Playground Upgrade Sponsorship

WHO: Our Grade 9 students are fundraising for their Farewell!

WHY: All proceeds will go toward the Grade 9 Husky Farewell.

WHAT: A Treat Trolley

WHEN: Wednesdays in March.

WHERE: Grade 9 students will be 'rolling' the trolleys through classrooms during lunch.

HOW: Students can bring cash for small treats

Heritage Heights is buzzing as successful actors start rehearsals for the spring shows. That's right... SHOWS! This year we will have TWO productions. Our junior high drama troop will present the hilarious medieval comedy, 'Heist Quest'. For the first time, our elementary drama troop will take you to outer space with their musical, 'The Adventures of Captain Starblaster'.

On February 26th, our Grade 4, 5 and 6 classes attended the Calgary Hitmen 'Be Brave' game in recognition of Pink Shirt Day. Students had an amazing time watching the Hitmen beat the Swift Current Broncos. A HUGE thank you to all of our incredible parent volunteers who joined us and helped to make the trip to the Saddledome a success! Thank you for organizing this day Mrs. Shields, Mrs. Provost and Ms. Fargher!

Pink Shirt Day is held every year to increase awareness of bullying and our collective responsibility to create a more kind and inclusive world. At school, remaining students wore a variety of shirts/hoodies to share support for kindness!

Our entire school came together for an exciting and fun-filled Family Feud game show during Husky Hour! Organized by our amazing Leadership team, this event brought students and staff together in the spirit of respect and kindness to celebrate Pink Shirt Day.

Teams competed in a friendly battle, answering questions that reinforced the importance of creating a welcoming and inclusive school environment. Laughter, teamwork, and school spirit were on full display, making for a memorable event.

A huge thank you to our Leadership team for putting together such a fantastic experience. Huskies continue to show that kindness always wins! 💗🐾

Our Grade 6 students have picked up their tools and are hard at work building birdhouses! This hands-on project is a fantastic way for students to develop their construction skills while learning about design, measurement, and the importance of providing safe habitats for local birds.

Excitement is in the air as students saw, hammer, and assemble their creations with care. We can't wait to see the finished birdhouses and the impact they'll have on our feathered friends!

Stay tuned for updates as these projects take shape! 🛠️🐦

Foothills School Calendar 2024-2025: https://bit.ly/3ZtNCgR

Heritage Heights Website: https://bit.ly/3ZaVWR7

Report Student Absence: heritage@fsd38.ab.ca

Edsembli Parent Login: https://bit.ly/3VggqGX

Accessing the Building

• In assuring safety, all school doors will be locked during school hours
• Please use the BLACK doorbell during school hours 8:00am - 3:30pm
• Students will continue to use the designated entry points.

Thank you! ...

• For supporting us by making sure that your child has all of their necessary materials for the day. We will be limited in the immediacy of our response to the doorbell, as we continue supporting student learning.

Reporting an Absence

• Families are responsible to contact their child’s school each day for any absence reason (illness, appointment, etc.) or number of days (vacation).
• To report an absence: Call our Attendance line at 403-938-1400 and press 1 to report an absence or use our attendance reporting email heritage@fsd38.ab.ca.