Grouard Northland School hosted the 27th Annual Northland Games on May 30, 2014. Over 430 students from 12 schools attended the track and field event. Junior high and high school athletes competed in events such as long jump, high jump, shot put, discus and various running disciplines. Elementary students participated in events like the 40 metre dash, barrel toss, standing long jump, soccer kick, sack race and three legged race! Northland School Divi-sion No.61 (NSD61) would like to thank students, parents, staff and community members for cooking meals, helping with track and field events, creating activities for kids such as face painting and cheering on student athletes! Con-gratulations to all participants who attended the Northland Games at Grouard Northland School! Click on the link to view results! http://www.northland61.ab.ca/documents/updateNorthlandGames2014media.pdf

NORTHLAND SCHOOL DIVISION NO.61

June 2014

ACHIMOWIN

Inside this issue:

Northland Games 2014 1

Superintendents Message/2014-2015 Budget 2

Aboriginal Day and Graduation Photos 3

Cultural Days in Peerless Lake/Kateri School Students Compete at Envirothon

4

West Coast Tour for Little Buffalo Students/Chipewyan Lake Students Attend International Children’s Festival

5

Career and Education Fair at Elizabeth School/Hillview School Field Trip to EC Bar Ranch and Spud Gun Staff Shootout

6

Nutrition Month Artwork Contest Winners 7

Contact Information and Calendar 8

Northland Games 2014

The Official Trustee for Northland School Division No.61 (NSD61) approved the 2014-2015 budget at the board meeting held on May 29, 2014. The division’s total operating budget is $61, 288, 324.

The 2014-2015 Budget reflect NSD61’s efforts to implement recommendations in the Northland Inquiry Team Report http://northland61.ab.ca/main/documents/Inquiry_Team_Report.pdf.

“We will continue to help educators strengthen Aboriginal and English language development with students by multiple strategies,” said Donna Barrett, Superintendent of Schools. “The 2014-2015 budget allows us to improve the Division-wide Literacy Initiative, provide professional learning opportunities for staff, assist schools with community engagement events and host a New Teacher Orientation for new teachers to NSD61.”

The budget will see a continuation of funding to improve instruction, upgrade school libraries, provide more resources for Career and Technology Foundations (CTF) and Career and Technology Studies (CTS) programs, develop dual credit programs, implement Alberta Education’s Learning and Technology Policy Framework and create strategies to address attendance. In addition, operational dollars will go towards maintaining safe and caring learning environments for stu-dents and staff, support the launch of a new division website, websites for each school and a new software system to improve processes for the finance department and human resources.

NSD61 will be facing challenges in the 2014-2015 budget. The budget includes a deficit of $164,015, due to costs increas-es for salaries, utilities, electricity and propane and a potential reduction in federal revenue.

For more information, head to our website to view the 2014-2015 Budget.

http://northland61.ab.ca/main/documents/2014_2014_Budget_FINAL_May_31_2014.pdf

Superintendent’s Message

Northland Board Approves 2014-2015 Budget

Page 2 ACHIMOWIN

Tansi, Edlanete’e, Welcome to the June edition of the Achimowin. On May 30th, I had the pleasure of attending the 27th Annual Northland Games at Grouard Northland School. The Northland Games is a signature event for the jurisdiction. Students, parents, staff and community members travel from across the northern half of Alberta to attend the regional track and field competition. It was truly special to watch students challenge themselves, smile and achieve success! Con-gratulations to all of the athletes and thank you to all of the volunteers who made the Northland Games possible.

The final newsletter for the 2013-2014 school year highlights Aboriginal Day activities, graduation photos, cultural events, field trips, a career fair and winners of the Nutrition artwork contest! Thank you parents, principals, teachers, support staff and community members for your support and commitment to success for our students. Have a safe and wonderful summer! Thank you, Hai, Hai, Masi chok!

Sincerely,

Donna Barrett, Superintendent of Schools

Aboriginal Day and Graduation Photos

Page 3 ACHIMOWIN

Smoking fish traditionally over the fire after students helped fillet the fish themselves at Mistassiniy School.

Chevy, Paris and Cindell enjoy crafting some mini drums and satchels at Mistassiniy School

(Left): Donna Barrett, Superintendent of Schools, gets in on the action and adds her hand prints to the Tipi at Mistassiniy School.

(Right): Betty Jackson cooks up some

Bannock for Mistassiny School students and staff.

Grouard Northland School celebrated Aboriginal Day fishing by the lake, making drums, tipis, bannock and hosted a graduation ceremony for Early Child Services (ECS) students.

Congratulations to Paddle Prairie School graduates!

Left to Right: Danielle Lambert-Poitras, Levi Ducharme, Robyn Ducharme and Iris Martel!

Schools across the province are developing creative ways to inspire innovation and excellence for students and Peerless Lake School is no different.

The school hosted their second annual Cultural Days on June 17th and 18th. The purpose of the event is to help students make connections with curriculum through learning First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) traditions.

Students gathered knowledge from Elders and community members about making a fish net, scaling and smoking fish, preparing and cooking dry meat and bannock, moose hide tanning, carving canoe paddles and handles for axes, creating mixed media art and learning about the history of Peerless Lake, early ancestors, the fur trade and residential schools through stories.

Cultural Days in Peerless Lake

Page 4 ACHIMOWIN

Kateri Students Compete at Environthon 2014

High school students from Kateri School made the trek to the Hinton Training Centre to participate in the Envirothon 2014 competition! Envirothon is an annual hands-on team challenge designed to test student’s knowledge of soils, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, energy and the 2014 current issue theme “Sustainable Agriculture Locally Grown”. The competition consisted of written exams, field tests and then a presentation by each team on their solu-tion to various problems raised during the testing, discus-sions and field work. Kateri School students from Trout Lake experienced a unique situation at the event. They teamed up with students from Paul Kane High School of St. Albert. Marian Reichel, Kateri School Teacher says students worked well together and developed lifelong friendships. Reichel noted that at this years Envirothon for high school students, 30% of the teams came from First Nations schools. A trade show was part of Envirothon for the first time and the school teams had a chance to compete in a $100 challenge. Students also had an opportunity to visit the Forestry Mu-seum at the Hinton Training Centre and learned more about Forest Management and the role of forest rangers in Alberta.

Kateri School students Tori Laboucan, Andrea Noskiye and Austin Noskiye combined with Paul Kane High School students Sophia Quaderi and Haley Grinder to make a team to compete at Envirothon 2014!

Little Buffalo School traveled along the west coast in late May! Grade 5-8 students, parents and teachers began the

journey in Vancouver by visiting the aquarium, the Capilano Suspension Bridge and watching the Cirque du Soleil.

After enjoying a few of the many attractions in Vancouver, they hopped on a ferry and landed in Victoria! The final

leg of the trip gave many students, parents and teachers a chance to whale watch for the first time! Other highlights

included visits to the Royal British Columbia Museum, Miniature World, Victoria Bug Zoo and a tour of the city via

water taxi and a harbour bus. The field trip was made possible through fundraising events organized by students,

parents, staff and community members.

West Coast Tour for Little Buffalo Students

Chipewyan Lake Students Attend International Children’s Festival

Page 5 ACHIMOWIN

Chipewyan Lake School students explored and

experienced different cultures, traditions and

means of artistic expression at the International

Children’s Festival in St. Albert! The five day

event gave students an opportunity to engage

with authors like David Bouchard! Bouchard, a

Métis author, used Aboriginal flutes, song, poet-

ry and storytelling to invite students into his

magical world. He shared his proud Aboriginal

heritage and selections from his more than 70

books! The festival exposed students to a num-

ber of activities such as making paper cranes,

contributing an art piece to a larger mural mosa-

ic, designing a dream catcher and learning how

First Nations people used pictures and symbols

to communicate. All activities were designed to

fall in line with the current curriculum for Alberta

Education.

Chipewyan Lake School students and staff in a group photo with Author David Bouchard!

Elizabeth School hosted its first ever Career and Education Fair on June 16th. The fair showcased the many successes and role models within the Elizabeth Métis Settlement. Students were able to meet the role models and ask ques-tions about future careers. During the fair, older students participated in a passport competition. The challenge encouraged students to gather as much information as possible from each presenter. Students who had completed passports were entered into a draw for prizes. One lucky student walked away with an iPad Mini! The iPad was do-nated by the presenters from Seven Lakes! Elizabeth School would like to thank community members for donating their time to the Career and Education Fair! The event was organized by Local School Board Committee members Shelley Bartman and Tracy Jackknife and the Education Week Committee.

Hillview School held a year end trip at the EC Bar Ranch. Students had a great time slip and sliding, getting lost in the hay bale maze, roasting hot dogs and hiking by the river! Staff members had a little fun of their own by organizing a spud gun staff shootout.

Career and Education Fair at Elizabeth School

Hillview Field Trip to EC Bar Ranch and Spud Gun Staff Shootout

Page 6 ACHIMOWIN

During the month of March, Northland School Division celebrated Nutrition Month! This national campaign gives registered dieticians the opportunity to promote healthy eating messages to the Canadian public. In conjunction with Nutrition Month, School Food Services, a division of Northland School Division, organized an artwork contest. The artwork had to incorporate the Nutrition Month theme “Simply Cook and Enjoy”. Congratulations to all the winners and to all of the students who participated in the contest. The winning artwork will be showcased on the Northland School Division calendar!

Nutrition Month Artwork Contest Winners!

Page 7 ACHIMOWIN

Ava Cardinal, grade 1, St. Theresa School (Wabasca)

Jaden Gullion, grade 6, Kateri School (Trout Lake)

Jenna Big Charles, grade 3, Hillview School (East Prairie)

Thunder Loonskin, grade 4, Hillview School (East Prairie)

William Alook, grade 4, Chipewyan Lake School

“Every student is a lifelong learner and successful in life”

Bag 1400 9809-77th Avenue Peace River, AB T8S-1V2

Phone: 780-624-2060 or 1-800-362-1360 Fax: 780-624-5914 Email: centralofficestaff@nsd61.ca

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www.northland61.ab.ca.

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 Heritage Day 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 New Teacher Orientation

19 New Teacher Orientation

20 New Teacher Orientation

21 New Teacher Orientation

22 New Teacher Orientation

23

24 25 Organizational

Days

26 Organizational

Days

27 Organizational

Days

28 First Day of

School! Board Meeting

29 30

31

August 20 14

The Northland School Division Calendar is available on our website!

2014-2015 Calendar: http://www.northland61.ab.ca/documents/2014-15NSDCalendarwebversion.pdf

Google Calendar: https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=northland61%40gmail.com&ctz=America/Edmonton