November 30, 2018

5102 – 46 St. Vermilion, AB

T9X 1G5

Phone: 780-853-4177 Fax: 780-853-2920

J. R. Robson High School

In this edition: Principal’s Corner ..................... 1 Around the School .................... 1 Principal’s Corner Continued .... 2 RMH Fundraisers ...................... 2 The Nutcracker ......................... 2 School Fundraisers .................... 2 Influenza Clinics ....................... 2 Counsellor’s Corner ................. 3 Counsellor’s Corner Continued. 4 Ski Trip ..................................... 4 Ron Moses Christmas Dinner ... 4 Speech Competition .................. 4 Calming Visualization .............. 5 Gr. 8 Research Project .............. 5 Volleyball Zones ....................... 5 Transportation ........................... 6 Learning Commons ................... 6 Wellness Conference ................ 7 Hope After Loss Program ......... 8 Jim Smith Curling Bonspiel ...... 9 January Exam Schedule ............ 10 December Cafeteria Menu ........ 11

Marauder News

Principal’s Corner

At the November Parent Coun-

cil meeting I presented the JR Robson Annual Education Re-

sults Report for the 2017-18 school year. This report and our Education Plan is now on

our website for you to review. Generally our results continue to be at or above the provin-

cial in most categories that Alberta Education evaluates

us on. Alberta Education rat-ed us meeting and exceeding in many of the categories we

are evaluated by them on. I want to remind parents that

right after Christmas break the Grade 12 Diploma Exams start. The first exam is Janu-

ary 14. I encourage parents to

Free Pancake Breakfast

Friday, December 21 Parents Welcome

Donations to Santa Anony-

mous will be accepted

visit the website https://

education.alberta.ca/writing-diploma-exams/about-grade-

12-diploma-exams/ for tips on helping students study and prepare for Diploma ex-

ams. Just a reminder that while the Grade 10-12 stu-dents will be writing final ex-

ams in January, it is regular classes for the Grade 7-9 stu-

dents. Please understand that exam dates are set to maxim-ize student performance on

the final exams each student writes. Exams must be writ-

ten in the specified time on the exam schedule.

(Continued on page 2)

Website: jrrobson.btps.ca School Calendar

http://jrrobson.btps.ca/Calendar.php

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JR-

Robson-School-613941298627779/

Artwork by Art 30 stu-dent Nicole

Stenne

Around the School

Principal’s Corner Continued

It is hard to believe that we are coming

into the Christmas season already. We start our break

late this year, meaning our first day back is not

until January 7th. I hope every-one has a joyful

and peaceful hol-iday season.

Please consider doing some of your Christ-mas shopping through QSP this year to sup-port our Pirate Crews. There are many more options than just magazines when you do it online at: www.qsp.ca/3768454 or scan the QR code below by hovering your phone’s camera (iPhone) or QR code scanner (Android) over it. This will take you directly to OUR page at the QSP store!

Orders will be shipped to the school to be picked up. Please DO NOT order the cookie dough, as we are not doing this and the order will not be filled. As well, we are collecting receipts from Boston Pizza. If you eat at any Boston Pizza in Alberta, please send the receipt into the school. We will collect all of the receipts and then twice a year, Boston Pizza donates a percentage of the receipts back to the school. And don’t forget that we also have Marauder Spirit Wear for sale online at http://jrrobsonschool.entripyshops.com/

School Fundraisers

2018 Seasonal Influenza Clinics

Family Clinics—By apt. only (780) 853-5270 at the Vermilion Public Health Office (Provincial Building) Dec 11, Tues (4-7pm) Jan 21, Mon (1-4pm)

Vaccine available to all residents 6 months of age and older

www.albertahealthservices.ca or Call Health Link Alberta 811

RMH Fundraisers

The grade 7’s in

leadership are going to be

hosting a Hot Chocolate sale on De-cember 11th

2018, and a Bake sale on

December 12th 2018, We are also going to have many others sales in January. We

would like as many people to help out as we are going to donate all of our proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House.

Counsellor’s Corner

Congratulations to all award winners at Awards Night held on November 3. A very special thank you to Mrs. Wilhelm for all the time she puts into making this evening a suc-cess. To each and every student who contrib-utes to making our athletic, leadership, aca-demic and citizenship programs a success -- You All Rock!

Thank you to all the Parents and friends who hosted our Grade 9 Students at “Take Your Kids to Work Day” on November 14. This is a valuable job shadow experience, which is the beginning of your child’s career planning journey.

Lukas, from Augustana University, had to reschedule his appointment with J. R. Robson students. He will now be here on December 7 at noon for a visit with potential students.

Thank you to Mrs. Thompson, who delivered the Diploma Prep Course to the J. R. Robson students. Many times after an exam it is com-mon to hear students say: “I studied! I knew the stuff before the exam, but when I got the exam in front of me, my mind just went blank.” As part of the Diploma Prep Courses, students review the skills, taught throughout junior high and CALM, to reduce anxiety. Here are some tips VIBE teaches students so they can be successful in managing anxiety:

Deep breathing 4 by 4 breathing involves taking a deep breath in for a count of four seconds, holding it for four seconds and then releasing it for four seconds. Repeat for 1 minute prior to the exam Forces focus and brings down your blood pressure

Increases circulation to your brain Visualization

Picturing yourself as accomplishing your goal Remember a time or place (Happy Place) where they have felt pure joy relaxes them so they are able to focus. Can be simply remembering people or places that bring you happiness releases Drawing up positive images

Mindfulness This involves paying attention on pur-pose so you are purposely aware.

Positive Self Talk Saying or thinking positive and en-couraging things to oneself Talking yourself through challenges Reminding yourself of when you have achieved similar success

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Slowly and mechanically “tensing” and “relaxing” muscles the muscles of the body

Consciously moving through each muscle area in your body and relaxing each area Yoga - Students have been taught how to do yoga in a chair so they can stretch their muscles prior to, during and after the exam to release muscle tension

Use of essential oils - many students have used these to help them relax as well.

As counsellors we would like to encourage all parents to monitor your child’s progress on Power School’s parent portal: https://powerschool.btps.ca/parents. As you are aware, we are no longer issuing Progress Re-ports. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress, please do not hesitate to contact the classroom teacher..

For Grade 12 Students who are looking for extra resources for preparation on your Di-ploma Exams, Diplomax may be for you. Diplomax involves in-class or online Di-ploma Preparation Classes for Students in Alberta. Students from Buffalo Trail Public Schools have used these resources in the past and have found them very helpful. Check out this website for more details: http://diplomax.ca/

For Grade 12 students, please touch base with Mrs. Polishuk if you need any assistance in career planning, applying for post-secondary or to discuss other career goals. For scholarships, this is a personal journey. Any scholarships we are aware of are located on the J. R. Robson School Web-

(Continued on page 4)

site. Follow this link below. You can also go the the J. R. Robson home page and on the first page there is a red first place ribbon that will take you to the scholarship link. http://jrrobson.btps.ca/Scholarships.php

Work Experience/RAP/Green Certificate - students enrolled in this program need to hand in your hours and necessary evalua-tions as required. See Mrs. Scully, Mrs. Hart or Mrs. Barnes to finalize your hours for each course.

May you enjoy the blessings of the holiday season, spend time with family and friends and have a Happy holiday season and all the Best in 2019.

Mrs. Polishuk and Mrs. Hart

Counsellor’s Corner 8th Annual Buffalo Trail Public Schools

Superintendent’s Public Speaking Competition

The 2019 Superintendent’s Public Speak-

ing Competition will be held on Thursday, April 18th, 2019 at JR Robson School in

Vermilion. The event will begin first thing in the morning and typically wraps up shortly after noon on that day.

This year’s topics for each division: Elementary Division - Open to students

currently enrolled in Grade 4, 5 or 6 Topics:

1) Why my best friend is the best! 2) If I were Superintendent for just one

day

Speech Length: 2-4 minutes

Junior High Division - Open to students currently enrolled in Grade 7, 8 or 9 Topics:

1) Why Living in Rural Alberta is the Best!

2) Banning Plastic Straws and Plastic

Bags…. Do I Agree? Speech Length: 3-5 minutes

Senior High Division - Open to students currently enrolled in Grade 10, 11 or 12

Topics: 1) The United States-Mexico-Canada

Agreement – Good or Bad for Canada?

2) My Phone is More than Just a Phone! Speech Length: 5-7 minutes

If interested in

participating, please see

Mrs. Hart.

Ski Trip to Table Mountain

Thursday, December 20th. Forms in the PE or Main Offices

The Grade 8s are researching what it means to be a hero. The students skyped Rebecca Lee Funk. She is the founder and CEO of The Outrage, a feminist apparel company in Washington, DC with a goal to raise $1 mil-lion for organizations fighting for equality. A passionate social entrepreneur, Rebecca was recently named as one of Marie Claire’s female visionaries changing the world we live in! They were able to interview her and ask her many questions based on heroism, her social activ-ism, among many things.

“Oh, the places you’ll go”

Dr. Seuss

Mindfulness: “ Be Calm and Parent On” Want to take a break and go to a calmer

place? Here is a fun technique you can try for yourself, then try it on the people in your

life including your children. Visualization: Take a few minutes in a relax-ing place and visualize your favorite

place… Are you there yet? Now move through

your senses. 1. What do you see? 2. What do you hear?

3. What do you feel? 4. What do you smell? 5. What do you taste?

Immerse yourself there...body and mind But Don’t stay too long, children need

their parents in the present. Want to learn more? https://www.anxietybc.com/parents/new

-moms/taking-care/mindfulness/using-your-senses

Calming Visualization Gr. 8 Research Project

Volleyball Zones

JR Robson Senior Boys V o l l e y b a l l hosted Zones at our school on Nov. 16-17. Our boys made it to the finals but lost

to Elk Point to win silver. Marauders showed their school spirit by creating signs and cheering the boys on in their first game on Friday.

We are looking for donations of chargers.

We currently have plenty of Dell and Acer chargers but if you have extras of the fol-

lowing, we would gladly accept them:

Learning Commons

TEMPORARY TRANSPORTATION SER-VICES: Please be advised that it is a BTPS ad-ministrative procedure that bus drivers receive di-rect (written unless it is an emergency situation) permission from both the sending and the receiving parent before they will be able to transport an un-registered child on their bus. For example, if a child was having a birthday party and wanted a friend or two to come on the bus home with them, the child’s parent who is attending the party and the parent hosting the birthday party would be required to give the bus driver permission for the child to ride the bus. We ask this for two reasons, one to make sure there is room on the bus, and two to make sure both the sending and the receiving parents are aware of the plans their children have made. We have had situations where one parent knows and the other doesn’t and the child was not supposed to be going to that other child’s house or the child doesn’t show up at home and that parent is in a mad panic. Temporary transportation services becomes a transportation to caregiver service if it is request-ed more than four times a year. After the 4 trips, a fee will be assessed. Our bus drivers are responsi-ble to transport registered children to and from school, not to provide a taxi service. Every extra student is an added responsibility that the bus driv-

Transportation

er must attend to, so please respect this procedure. For more information you can review the adminis-trative procedure here. WINTER ATTIRE ON THE SCHOOL BUS: Please make sure you remind parents of the im-portance of having children dress appropriately for the cold weather. We know it’s hard to look cool when you are wearing a ski pants and winter boots (although some of the outfits I have seen this year are pretty sweet), but they become so important in keeping students safe and warm if a bus was to break down in an area of poor cell service. They don’t have to wear it on the bus, but they do have to carry it with them. They can ask their bus driver if they can leave it on the bus during the week so they don’t have to drag it back and forth from home, but they need to have it with them. If a bus driver does not feel a child is properly dressed and does not have the proper winter attire in their back packs or with them, they can refuse them transpor-tation as long as they make direct contact with the parent. Please make sure your child is prepared for the cold weather on the bus and at school (i.e. out-side recess, outside gym, etc.). Thank you for your help.

And we could al-ways use spares of this USB interface

cable iPhone 5 and up Samsung phone or

Kobo e-readers

Asus

Chromebook

Hope After Loss: Audra’s Legacy A Program For Grieving Children & Youth

A group designed to support children & youth experiencing grief and loss due to a death of a special person.

Cost is $20 per family. Subsidy is available.

Preregistration is necessary. Space is limited. To register or for more information, contact Shirley at:

(780)846-2576 (h) or 780-871-1750 (c)

Program dates (10 week program) - Registration deadline of December 14th Lloydminster begins Tuesday, January 8th

Vermilion has programs beginning Tuesday, January 8th OR Monday, January 14th

Vermilion: Lloydminster: J.R. Robson High School, VIBE Office Mid West Family Connections, #103, 4910 - 50 Street Tuesdays from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. OR Mondays from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. *Parents / Caregivers attend the last 30 minutes *Parents / Caregivers attend the last 15 minutes

The Grief Support Group will cover the

following:

Death and Grief and Loss

Feelings

Fears, Guilt, and Regrets

Memories

Healing

Self-Care and Support

Rituals and Special Days

Saying Goodbye

Funding provided by: FCSS City of Lloydminster, FCSS County of Vermilion River, FCSS Town of Vermilion,

FCSS Village of Kitscoty, FCSS Village of Marwayne, and donations from the community.

We are a non - profit charitable society and donations are always welcomed.

Service Provider:

Walking Through Grief Society In Partnership with VIBE

JIM SMITH MEMORIAL JUNIOR BONSPIEL

Friday and Saturday FEBRUARY 1 and 2, 2019 (MAXIMUM 30 TEAMS)

(High School, Junior High and Grades 4-6 Divisions) Bonspiel Fee: $20.00/player

Entry Deadline: Jan 25, 2019 Junior and Senior High teams will play (3) 6-end games

Grades 4 – 6 will play (3) 4-end games (POINTS FORMAT)

Saturday: Supper to follow last draw KFC supper, salads, and dessert (included in entry)

Family & Coaches are welcome to the supper ($8.00 per plate) Prizes to follow supper

TO REGISTER CALL or E-MAIL: Doug or Joanne McCrae (780) 853-2233

djmccrae@mcsnet.ca

Senior High Exam Schedule – January 2019

Mon, Jan 14 9:00 – 12:00 AM English 30 – 2 Part A Room 202

Tues, Jan 15 9:00 – 12:00 AM Social 30-1/30-2 Part A Room 202/204 Monday, January 21, 2019 is the last day of Semester I classes for Gr. 12

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 is the last day of Semester I classes for Gr. 10&11

Wed, Jan 23 9:00 – 12:00 AM

Math 30-1/30-2 Room 217 English 10-1/10-2 Room 201

Math 10-3 Room 206 Math 20-3/20-4 Room 206

Science 10 Room 167 Social Studies 20-1 Room 202

Thurs, Jan 24 9:00 – 12:00 AM English 30 – 2 Part B Room 217 English 20-1 Room 201

Fri, Jan 25 9:00 – 12:00 AM

Social 30-1/30-2 Part B Room 217 Chemistry 20 Room 201

Math 10C Room 206 Social Studies 10-1/10-

2/10-4 Room 202

Mon, Jan 28 9:00 – 12:00 AM Biology 30 Diploma Room 217

Physics 20 Room 167 Social Studies 20-2/20-4 Room 202

December Cafeteria Menu

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

3 Pizza $4.50

4 Taco in a Bag

$5.50

5 Grilled Cheese &

Soup $3.00 each

6 Beef Wraps

$4.50

7 ‘Fryday’

$3.00-4.00

10 Perogies $3.00

11 Chicken Caesar

Wraps $4.50

12 Beef on a Bun

$4.50

13 ‘Fryday’

$3.00-4.00

14 No School

17 Mac & Cheese

$3.00

18 Hamburgers

$4.50

19 Chicken Fajitas

$4.50

20 ‘Fryday’

$3.00-4.00 (Ski Trip)

21 Pancake Break-

fast Free

24 25 26 27 28

31

Christmas Holidays—No school

Christmas Holidays—No school