Principal Message

Winter has officially arrived, and this weekend we will welcome the month of December. It is hard to believe that we are only three weeks away from the Holiday Break! At school we anticipate a busy couple of weeks filled with full instructional blocks, field trips, Christmas activities and more. We know that outside of school, lives are also busy with family commitments, extra curricular activities, holiday planning, the list goes on. We hope that during this busy time that all families are getting rest and relaxation to be their best. At school, we will continue to look for ways to sprinkle joy in all that we do to make December an exciting month for all of our students.

Sincerely,

Jen

Sunday, December 1st

• Gr. 5-6 Concert Tickets on sale through the Arden Theatre Box Office

Monday, December 2nd

• Staff PD Day, No School
• Little Lungs First Aid Inc. Babysitter Course 9am-4pm

Tuesday, December 3rd

• Bellerose & Paul Kane Grade 9 Student Presentation 9:30-10:30
• Hill Cafeteria: 100% of sales will be donated to the Ben Stelter Foundation

Wednesday, December 4th

• Outdoor Ed 7A & 7B Strathcona Wilderness Centre 9am-2:45pm
• Hill Cafeteria: 100% of sales will be donated to the Ben Stelter Foundation
• Gr. 5-9 Homework Club 3:00-4:00pm

Thursday, December 5th

• Gr. 7-9 Art Club 3:00-4:30pm
• Cheer Practice 3:15-5:15pm

Friday, December 6th

• Hockey Academy Showcase 8:30am- 2:30pm

Monday, December 9th

• Cheer Practice 3:15-5:15pm
• Sr. Girls Basketball Home Game vs. Lorne Akins 4:00pm
• Sr. Boys Basketball Home Game vs. Lorne Akins 5:30pm

Wednesday, December 11th

• Gr. 5-9 Homework Club 3:00-4:00pm
• Jr. High Band Concert at Hillgrove School 6:30pm

Thursday, December 12th

• Gr. 7-9 GOALS (COX, DUB, SCH) WEM Shopping Trip 9:00am-2:00pm
• Gr. 7-9 Art Club 3:00-4:30pm
• Cheer Practice 3:15-5:15pm

Friday, December 13th

• Gr. 5-6 Rabbit Hill Ski Club 9:45am-6:00pm

Monday, December 16th

• Spirit Week: Holiday Socks
• Cheer Practice 3:15-5:15pm
• Sr. Girls Basketball Away Game vs. Fowler 4:00pm
• Sr. Boys Basketball Away Game vs. Fowler 5:30pm

Tuesday, December 17th

• Spirit Week: Santacore- Bring your Hats!

Wednesday, December 18th

• Spirit Week: Holiday Colours
• Gr. 5-6 Concert Rehearsal at the Arden Theatre 9:15-11:15am
• Gr. 5-9 Homework Club 3:00-4:00pm
• Elementary Concert at the Arden Theatre 6:30-7:30pm

Thursday, December 19th

• Spirit Week: Ugly Sweater Day
• Gr. 5-6 Assembly 10:30am
• Gr. 7-9 Art Club 3:00-4:30pm
• Cheer Practice 3:15-5:15pm

Friday, December 20th

• Spirit Week: PJ Day
• Gr. 5-6 Pancake Breakfast 10:00am
• Early Dismissal at 12:00pm

Monday, December 23rd - Friday, January 3rd

• Winter Break, School Closed

Monday, January 6th

• Classes Resume

Grade 7 and 8 Art students will see their art featured at the annual winter concert for the St. Albert Community Band at the Arden Theatre on Wednesday, December 4th at 7:00 pm. Grade 7s "Winter Stargazing Trees" will be projected on the big screen during a Christmas medley, and grade 8s "Cacti and Cowboys" will be projected during a cowboy/country music medley. Thank you to the SACB for offering our art students free tickets for the concert. If anyone else wants to attend, tickets can be purchased at the Arden Theatre box office.

Thank you to all of the friends and families of our grade 9 art students for supporting the Mustard Seed fundraiser! The grade 9 students sold 250 colouring books, and will be donating approximately $750 to the Mustard Seed this year. I am so proud of their efforts and enthusiasm.

If you ordered a colouring book, they will be delivered the first week of December to your child's classroom.

Thank you again for your support!

Mrs. Andrea Daly, Art Teacher

The Leadership students are hosting a mitten drive! We're collecting mittens, toques, scarves, and other items to help protect agains the cold. Donations will be collected until Friday, December 13th and can be dropped off in the bins located near the front entrances of the Hill and the Grove. Thank you for your generosity and support in keeping our community cozy this winter season!

With the cooler temperatures approaching, we are seeing increased use of our lunchtime Games Room. We are always looking to expand our collection of resources, so if you have any gently used board games, card games, or activities that you no longer use, we would greatly appreciate any donations.

Homework Club will be available Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00pm in the Hill Library for all students in grades 5-9. During this time students can access teacher and/or peer support for their course work or utilize a quiet space to get caught up on their homework. Please reach out to Mme Girard, megan.girard@spschools.org for any specific queries regarding Homework Club.

Art Club for grades 7-9 students is a drop-in group that runs Thursdays from 3:00- 4:30pm in the Art Room (room 203). All are welcome - you do not need to be registered in Art this year in order to participate. Art Club is a very relaxed space... a chance to work on ongoing art projects, create something new and different, learn a new technique, or simply sit and sketch. Feel free to bring your own materials and sketchbook, but know that there are also lots of things you can use in the Art Room, too. On occasion we have special events like "Paint Like Bob Ross" day, or gingerbread house decorating.... these events change year to year depending on the participants. Hope to see you there!

Parent Council and the Fundraising Committee meet the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Parent Council will begin at 7pm, directly followed by the Fundraising Committee meeting.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 21st, 2025.

Please note that no meetings are held in December or June.

We are excited to see the progress of the construction of the pedway that will be connecting both of our buildings. As this is an exterior project we anticipate very minimal interior disruption. Students have adapted to the changes in pathways between buildings. Homeroom teachers will continue to review these changes with students as construction advances.

To accommodate the exterior construction of the pedway we have temporarily lost some parking stalls. We are asking that parents do not park in the staff lot as all parking stalls are reserved for staff. Parents can continue to utilize the city lots adjacent to each building as well as street parking. As always, we ask that you be extremely mindful of resident driveways. Should you require it, the wheelchair accessible parking stalls beside the Grove main doors and the Hill South doors remain available to our families.

Crisis

The Distress Line provides confidential, non-judgmental and short-term crisis intervention, emotional support and resources to people in crisis or distress.

780-482-4357

The Crisis Team offers immediate crisis support through the Crisis Line to children/youth, aged 5-17, and their care providers.

780-407-1000

Walk in Supports

Walk-in Clinic for children, youth and their caregiver seeking mental health or substance use concerns. This service offers a 50-minute, solution-focused, single therapy session on a first-come, first-serve basis with a focus on exploring specific issues and possible solutions. Parent/Caregiver attendance is preferred to support the child / youth. Families can call ahead to determine wait times

St. Albert Provincial Building: Wednesdays 12:30-4:00pm

780-342-1410

Northgate Centre: Monday - Friday 12:30-4:00pm

780-342-2700

Youth Addictions Services

Located in Edmonton, primarily focuses on providing youth with the resources and supports to help address their substance, drug, and alcohol abuse problems.

780-422-7383

Holiday Coping Strategies

For many people, the winter months mean fun parties, festive food, and lots of extra time with family. However, the joys of the holiday season can also bring a lot of stress. If you are starting to feel stressed about the holidays, you are not alone.

Here are 5 tips to help manage the holiday stress:

1. Breathe

When we are anxious, we tend to take shallow or rapid breaths. This tells our sympathetic nervous system to be on alert, and activates our body so it’s ready to take action. This can make stress feel worse. However, we can use deep breathing to reverse this response and tap into our ability to relax. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Try a simple 4-8 breath: Inhale for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 8. When you lengthen the exhalation, you allow your body to release tension. Just be sure to breathe through your belly (think of inflating it like a balloon) rather than your chest. Deep, slow belly breathing has a calming effect. It’s a quick and easy way to ease holiday stress.

2. Routine

Maintain routines as much as possible. Schedules and routines tend to disappear during the holiday season, however, they can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

3. Move your body

Exercise is a well-known mood booster, and can help when you’re feeling anxious or stressed out. Try to build a little exercise into every day. This can mean taking a walk with a friend, going tobogganing or putting on your favorite song for a family dance party.

4. Connect

You may find yourself feeling disconnected during the holidays. Plan ahead to see your friends or family over the winter break. If you can’t connect in person, try a video call, text or phone call. Don’t forget to take breaks for yourself and connect with your self care, remember small moments matter.

5. Practice gratitude

Research suggests that people who practice gratitude tend to feel happier and more fulfilled. Each morning, pick something that you are grateful for, and spend some time reflecting on how these things (or people) improve your life. Focusing on the things you are truly grateful for can be centering and uplifting.

School doors will open at 8:15am. Please ensure students dress appropriately for the weather if you plan to arrive early. The first bell rings at 8:22am. Registration and attendance begins promptly at 8:25am. Please arrive on time.

• Due to limited parking space and to ensure the safety of our students please do not drive through the staff parking lot to drop off and pick up students.
• Please do not park in the school bus lanes during peak times (8:00am-8:30am and 2:45pm-3:15pm).
• Please keep residential driveways clear in our school community.

Regular attendance at school plays a key role in student learning, achievement and social-emotional health. Should your child be absent from school, please contact the office by:

• Phoning 780-459-4456
• Submitting an online absence report here
• Emailing hillgroveattend@spschools.org

Automated phone messages will be sent out to notify families of any unexcused absences.

If your child is late or is being picked up early, please ensure they sign in or out at the office. The office must receive notice from a parent/guardian before a student can be dismissed early during school hours.

During instructional blocks and transitions between blocks, student cell phones are required to remain secured in their locker. Students may use their cell phone during their scheduled lunch break.

The school is not responsible for lost, broken or stolen cell phones.

Our school has a zero tolerance policy for being in possession or using illegal substances on or off school property during school hours or school sponsored events. As all Hillgrove students are under the age of 18, these substances include:

• drugs of any kind including alcohol or marijuana
• vaping or vape supplies
• cigarettes

Students should be arriving to school with weather appropriate clothing as they need to be prepared to go outside for recess/lunch, physical education as well as times planned by teachers throughout the week. As the weather changes from morning to afternoon we are asking students to always come prepared with appropriate clothing regardless of the weather forecast.

We kindly remind all students to be respectful of our neighbor's properties while waiting for St. Albert Transit. Please avoid gathering on front yards or other private spaces, and remember to keep the area clean by disposing of garbage properly. Let's work together to keep our community a welcoming place for everyone!

At Hillgrove we pride ourselves on being an inclusive learning environment that is a welcoming space for all students, staff and families. Our individual uniqueness helps make Hillgrove the amazing school that it is.

School fees for the 2024-2025 academic year are to be paid at the school via cash or cheque (payable to St. Albert School Division) or online through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Please ensure any outstanding fees from previous school years are settled.

The following buses park in front of the Grove building: 103, 105, 108, 109, 119, 128

The following buses park in front of the Hill building: 104, 106, 110, 114, 129, 130, 131, 138

Going to both locations: 152, 153, 154

If you have questions regarding transportation you may contact the transportation department at transportation@spschools.org or (780)460-3712.

Families may have noticed one significant change to the calendars for the 2024-25 school year. Across the division, schools will no longer have early dismissal on the first Wednesday of every month for staff meetings. Instead, professional development days will be combined with staff meetings, resulting in a full day off for students each month.

We kindly ask parents to take the time to read through the below document regarding the use of personal mobile devices in schools.

50 Grosvenor Boulevard, St. Albert, AB, Canada, T8N 0X6

hillgrove@spschools.org

780.459.4456

https://hillgrove.spschools.org/