WALDHEIM SCHOOL - Prairie Spirit Blogs · 2015-05-01 · Grade 9 in Waldheim School is always a...
Transcript of WALDHEIM SCHOOL - Prairie Spirit Blogs · 2015-05-01 · Grade 9 in Waldheim School is always a...
DATES TO REMEMBER!
May 5 (5:00—7:00) - Class of 2015 Bottle Drive
May 15 (2:00) - Elementary Assembly
May 20 - District Track & Field @ Griffiths Stadium (grade 7-12)
May 26 - Local Track Meet (grades 1-6)
May 28 - Alternate track day
May 29 - Conference Track meet @ Griffiths Stadium (grades 7-12 qualifi-ers)
June 11 - WHHRLS track @ Laird School
June 15 - Alternate date for WHHRLS @ Laird School
June 19 - Year-end celebration @ 2:00 grades K—6
June 23 - Final day of Kindergarten!
June 25 - Kindergarten Orientation! Two Sessions, a package will arrive in the mail letting you know which ses-sion you and your child will be attend-ing!
June 26 - Grade 12 Graduation
June 26 - Last day of classes for stu-dents
June 30 - Grade 9-12 progress reports
June 30 - School closes!
May, 2015
WALDHEIM SCHOOL Box 367
Waldheim, SK
S0K 4R0
Principal: Chris Mason
Vice-Principal: Reg Pauls
Website: www.blogs.spiritsd.ca/waldheimschool
Phone: 306-945-2211 Fax: 306-945-5445 E-mail: [email protected]
This is my favorite time of the year. Everyone is excited for
many reasons. There are many things happening at the
school and it feels like time is flying by. The weather is
warming up and the students love to be outside. Many
new sport seasons are starting up. Field trips also happen
more frequently. The grass turns green and the patio or
deck is the place of choice for a visit. Ah, yes, spring is
here.
Many of our staff had a wonderful evening at the Prairie
Spirit School Division Board of Education Annual General
Meeting. During the meeting several members of our staff
presented our Learning for Life story for the 2014-2015
school year. Our Learning for Life story is an opportunity
for our staff to make a presentation about the learning
that has occurred at our school. It is a way that we can
celebrate the success that our school has experienced
this year and a way for us to look ahead and make a plan
for next year. I would like to thank Mrs. Zimmer, Mrs. Gau-
det, Mrs. Kerr, and Mr. Pauls for their part in this presen-
tation.
Please be on the lookout for details about the Waldheim
School Summer Reading Program. Mrs. Kerr has been
working hard on coming up with a plan to keep students
reading during the summer. Summer is a wonderful time
to kick back with a book. But studies have shown that
school-age children lose many of their reading skills over
the summer months if they do not continue to read while
they are out of school. We are going to need some support
from home to make this program a success.
Our School Community Council Annual General Meeting
will be held on May 12 (5:00 pm) at the school. Please
feel free to come on out to the meeting. There is still room
for a few new members. Our SCC is very important to our
school and we really value their hard work, thoughts, and
opinions. Feel free to call the school.
We’re having a lot of fun in Kindergarten
as usual! We’ve been celebrating spring
with some exciting outdoor activities. We
decorated
popsicle
stick
“boats”
and floated
them down
the “river”,
made wind catcher kites and flew them on Windy
Wednesday, and we took a hike around town to
find signs of spring. We also led the K-6 assem-
bly this month and do-si-doed with our partners to
our favorite “Good Morning” song.
In the classroom we are excited about books! The
students had the opportunity to read their favor-
ite easy reading book to the class during our
sharing times. They were so proud and so was I!
Now we’ve discovered the joy of “writing” our own books. Who knows? This
class may have the next Dr. Suess!
Mrs. Kitchen
Do you have a child
who will be celebrating their 5th
birthday
on or before December
31, 2015?
If so, please pick up a kindergar-
ten
registration form either from the
school
or from the pre-school.
Please fill one out and bring it to
the school or mail to the school
at:
Box 367 Waldheim, SK S0K 4R0
Kindergarten orientation for
the 2015/16 class is June 25.
You will receive a package
in the mail that will le
t you
know which session you
should attend. Please regis-
ter so we have the correct
address to send the
Information!
Grade 9 in Waldheim School is always a year of
change. In September, our friends from Laird started attend-
ing full time, rather than just attending I.A. and Home Ec., as
they do in grade 7 and 8. Grade 9 also represents a transi-
tion between middle years and high school. Rather than be-
ing in a single classroom with one teacher each day, the
Grade 9’s experience eight different teachers who specialize
in their subject areas. Their teachers this semester include, Mrs. Pomarenski, Math; Mr. Kitchen, ELA; Mr. Hinz,
Science; Mrs. Schmidt, Phys Ed; Mrs. Zimmer, Health; Mr. Friesen, Industrial Arts and Mrs. Sawatzky and Mrs.
Laskowski in Home Ec.
While each subject has its own unique characteristics and examples of student success, a highlight for some In-
dustrial Arts students has been the reintroduction of the small engines curriculum in grade 9. Due to renovations
occurring in the shop over the last three years, we were unable to teach this unit. The five students that chose
this avenue of study in the second semester have done exceptionally well. After they had disassembled and reas-
sembled their engines, each student achieved the ultimate success by starting and running their engines. Even
the engines that had not run prior to the students working on them started. Well done, guys.
As the last day of classes approaches, the grade 9’s have had a good year and are looking forward to an eventful
summer and the Alpine Trip as they enter Grade 10 in fall.
Glen Friesen, Arla Schmidt
Let’s Move!
It used to be, in olden days, that people needed to be pretty active in order to survive. Ploughing fields be-
hind horses, washing clothes on a washboard, planting and maintaining huge gardens to have enough to eat
through the winter, among other activities, kept people up and moving. How we live our lives has changed so
much but how our brains work and organize themselves is still the same. We spend far more time “relaxing” now
than they had time for in bygone days but we have higher levels of mental health issues than ever before. Every-
one knows that physical exercise is a great and wonderful thing for our bodies but science is demonstrating that
exercise is also fantastic for our brains. People who exercise struggle less with depression, find stress easier to
manage, are more productive, and just generally feel better about life.
The video found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj_5SGdx7Xk explains why people who exercise
tend to have better mental health than those who don’t. And remember that what’s true for your brain is also true
for the brains of your children. Running around outside, climbing trees, and riding bikes all help your children feel
better about themselves and about life in general far more than finishing the next level of a video game.
It can be hard to find the time and energy to make exercise part of our daily lives but the benefits of doing
so are monumental. If you already make exercise part of your day--good for you! If you struggle to find ways to in-
corporate physical activity into your life I’ve included a few ways to work some exercise into your day. For those of
you who aren’t already active on a regular basis I encourage you to make exercise part of your life for two weeks
and pay attention to how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally--you may like what you notice!
Some ways to get active:
Go for a bike ride
Play tag
Take a walk instead of a drive
Have a water fight
Dance in your living room (or anywhere else)
Wash/wax your car with enthusiasm
Scrub harder when you’re cleaning the house
Start small--a 5-10 minute walk is better than a no minute walk
Do sit ups, push ups, or jumping jacks during commercials
Tanya Kennedy
Jen Zimmer…
My name is Jen Zimmer, and I am currently
teaching grade 7 ELA and Science, Creative Writ-
ing 20, and Phys Ed 9. I am also the Special Ed-
ucation Resource Teacher (SERT) for grades 7-12. I have been a teacher at Waldheim School for 11 years, which
is quite hard to believe! Time has flown by! During the school year I like to help out with extra-curricular activities
like the grade 10 alpine trip, basketball, SRC, and track and field. In my own free time I love to read, hike, and
stay active with a workout or a dog walk each day. I also do a little fitness instructing and hope to be teaching an
outdoor bootcamp in Warman this spring. I recently got married, which is definitely the highlight of the year for
me, and we are currently trying to develop our basement, so that will be keeping me busy as well. I am so thank-
ful that I teach in this amazing community and have had the chance to work with, teach, and meet so many great
people here.
Krisinda Waugh….
I consider it a privilege to have worked at Waldheim School since 2001. Over that time I have taught
nearly every grade. This year has been a completely new experience for me, as I have been teaching grade 7 and
8 Health, K-6 and 9 Music. I have thoroughly enjoyed my year, learning the Ukulele with many students, and see-
ing so many students enjoying, creating and experiencing music!
Since having my first son, I moved to a half time position in order to have the best of both worlds. I have
three children. Rhett is 8, Davis is 6 and Elayna is 3 years old. We enjoy summers at the lake, winters in the
hockey rink, as well as being involved with our church in Saskatoon. I also love going to movies with my husband
Tim, reading and singing.
Arla Schmidt….
My name is Arla Schmidt and I am currently teaching a wide array of subjects in middle years including
Phys. Ed, Health, and Social Studies. I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 2010 with a combined
Kinesiology and Education degree. Shortly after graduation, my husband Peter and I headed to South Korea
where I taught Physical Education in a K-12 International School. Since our return, I have taught mostly Phys. Ed
and Health at Waldheim and had two children, Ethan (age 3) and Ella (age 1.5). I enjoy the life and energy that
the students bring to the school and I enjoy seeing students try new things, be challenged, and find success. I
am currently coaching the jumpers in track and field, and in my spare time my energetic kids run laps around
me.
As a family we love to be active outside. This year we have done some cross country skiing at Elkridge, and hiking
in Scotland. We love to travel, canoe and bike and I am truly amazed by the human body and all it can do and
accomplish.
A huge thanks to our WRCI (Rec Centre) Board and Lorne Schmidt for your support and time spent in providing ice
time for our annual high school rec hockey tournament. As well we recognize your contribution of providing food
at cost for our fund raising lunch for Nolan Enns and his family. We were able to donate $975 to help them in
Nolan's battle with leukemia. Thank you to all who came out to support this event.
As far as the hockey tournament went, it was a lot of fun as our team captains (Tysen Smith, Cody Field, Joel
Schultz and Austin Wieler) provided a very supportive atmosphere for all to participate. Joel's Green Machine
came out on top at the end of round robin play but could not defeat the Staff Superstars in the final. Thanks to
the pastors and youth workers in our community who played along with the staff team.
Trace Block
When: Saturday, May 30th
Where: Waldheim School
What: Test drive a brand new vehicle from Valley Ford for FREE and they will donate $20/drive to our
Brick By Brick campaign
ALSO: Buy a BBQ burger, chips, and pop to support the cause (by donation, suggested donation of $5)
Why: Last year, our SRC committed to raising $10 000 to build a school in Kenya! We are almost half way
there and need your support!
Thank you
for your support!
Drive 4Ur Community
BBQ
Bring a valid
driver’s license!
Join the Waldheim School SRC (partnered with Valley Ford Sales in Hague) as they work to earn the
remaining $5500 needed to build a school in Kenya with Free the Children’s Brick by Brick campaign!
Drive Event Runs from
8:00am – 4:00pm
BBQ is from
11:00am – 1:00pm
Our responsible students will
supervise your children on the
playground or in the gym while
you test drive the vehicles!
May 2015
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2
3 4 5 Class of 2015
Bottle Drive
6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 Elementary
Assembly, 2:00
16
17 18 19 20 District Track
Meet (7-12)
21 22 23
24 25 26 Elementary Track
Meet
27 28 Alternate Day for
Elementary Track
meet
29 30
31
Day E Day D (K)
Day D (K)
Day C
Day C
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 WHHRLS
track meet at Laird!
12 13
14 15 Alternate
WHHRLS track
date
16 17 18 19 Year-end
celebration
(K-6) @ 2:00
20
21 22 23 Final
Kindergarten Day! 24 25 26 Last day of
classes for students!
27
28 29 30
June 2015
Day A
Day D (K)
Day A Day B (K)
Day B (K)
Day E
Day B (K)
Day F (K)
Day C
Day C
Day D (K)
Day D
Day E
Day B (K)
Day C
Day D (K)
Day B (K)
Day C
Day A
Day A
Day F (K)
Day B (K) Day F (K)
Day A
Day E
Day F (K)
Day E Day F (K) Day A
Day F (K) Day D (K) Day B (K)
Day E
Day C
FINAL EXAMS
Kindergarten
Orientation
May 2015
®
Home&SchoolWorking Together for School Success CONNECTION
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Learning is more fun when you turn it into a game! Try these family games that let your child play with words, numbers, and science.
Spelling cupsBe the first to unscramble
the letters and guess the word. You’ll need cups and magnetic letters or Scrabble tiles. One player secretly thinks of a word and places each letter under a sep-arate upside-down cup. The other play-ers take turns flipping over one cup. Let everyone see the letter, cover it back up, and slide the cups around to mix them up. At any point, a player can call out the word being spelled—but if he’s wrong, he’s out. Guess the word cor-rectly, and you make the next word.
Bull’s-eye mathHave your youngster use sidewalk
chalk to draw a target with four rings. He should write 10 in the outer ring, 25 in the next, 50 in the third, and 100 in the center circle. (Use 1, 2, 5, and 10 for a younger child.) To play, stand a few feet away from the target, and take turns
Keep friendships strong
Encourage your youngster to stay in touch with classmates over the summer. Let her invite friends over or arrange to meet at a park or a mini-golf course. She’ll enjoy the get-togethers, and staying close will help her be ready to work and play with peers when school starts again.
Saying thank youAs the school year comes to a close, teachers are sure to appreciate the best gift of all: a simple thank you. You and your child can write notes thanking his teacher for helping him learn to read or teaching fun science experiments, for example.
Plan ahead for snack timeKids are more likely to eat foods they help pick out. Take your youngster shopping for healthy snacks, such as watermelon, plain popcorn, and hum-mus with whole-wheat pita bread. Stock them front and center in the refrigerator and pantry so your child can grab a nutritious treat when she takes a break from playing.
Worth quoting“The true delight is in the finding out rather than in the knowing.” Isaac Asimov
Kyle: What is the difference between lightning and electricity?
Jenna: We have to pay for electricity.
Summer learning gamesSHORT NOTES
JUST FOR FUN
Outdoor volunteers Build a family helping habit this summer. These ideas
will encourage your youngster to do community ser-vice while she enjoys the sunshine:
● Sign up to volunteer during a fund-raising walk. Your child could work with you at a pit stop, hand-ing water cups to participants.
● Lend a hand at a charity yard sale at a school, community center, or place of worship. Together, you might sort and tag donations. Or your youngster could bag purchases for customers as you ring them up.
● Work in the garden at a school or an assisted-living facility. Your child can help weed, plant, water, and harvest. If you garden at home, consider giving some vege-tables to a food pantry or soup kitchen that accepts homegrown produce.♥
tossing a pebble onto it. Each time, add the number from the ring your pebble lands on to your score. Write the equation you made in chalk (50 + 25 = 75; 75 + 50 = 125). Reach 500 points to win.
Science scavenger huntTogether, think of 12 small natural
objects found on the ground. Examples: twig, dandelion, berry, buckeye. Then, each person labels sections of an empty egg carton for the items. Go to the park, search for the objects, and put them in the matching spots. The first person to fill his egg carton wins.♥
Sponsored by your School Community Council
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement,
and more effective parenting.
Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630540-636-4280 • [email protected]
www.rfeonline.com
ISSN 1540-5621
O U R P U R P O S E
Home & School CONNECTION® May 2015 • Page 2
Last year, I made the mistake of wait-
ing until the last minute to prepare my kids for back-to-school. This year, with my younger daughter starting first grade and my older one going to middle school, we’re going to try a few changes.
First, I will schedule their physicals right away, since their doctors’ calendars filled up fast last year. Also, we’ll shop early for school sup-plies to take advantage of
sales and make sure the kids get the col-ors they want.
Finally, we let the girls stay up later during summer, and last year they had
a hard time adjusting to their school-year bedtime. So in
August, we’ll gradually move bedtime a little earlier each week.
We’ll see if my plan works. I’m sure every year I’ll learn something
new about helping two kids get ready for school!♥
Back-to-school prep
Safe and occupiedWhat will your youngster do this summer? Whether you work outside the home or not, you’ll want to keep her busy, happy, and safe. Here are tips.
Look for activities. Public libraries and parks and recreation departments have programs to match any child’s interests. Look for free or low-cost activities like music workshops, board game clubs, and tumbling classes.
Take turns. Neighbors can set up a schedule for watching each other’s children play in a back-yard or at a playground. Or consider swap-ping child care with a parent who works differ-
ent days or oppo-site shifts. Also, you
could arrange carpools for driving to camps or day care.
Find low-cost camps. Check into city or county camps, where prices are typically lower than at private camps. You might qualify for help with fees or be able to use flexible spending account funds or earn dependent-care tax credits.♥
Avoid summer slide Q: I’ve been hearing about how children often lose skills while
school is out. How can I keep my son
from experiencing this “summer slide”?
A: It’s true that students tend to forget
some of what they learned during the
school year. Talk to your son’s teacher to
see if there are specific subjects he should work on, such as writing or math.
Then, use summer activities or time in the car to practice. You could give him
a journal, and after a trip to the zoo or a museum, he can write about what he
saw. Or as you drive, he might count red and green lights and say what fraction
each color represents of the total.
Also, sign your child up for your library’s summer reading program. Have him
check out books and read at least 20–30 minutes a day. Ask him to tell you about
the books, and talk to him about your own reading, too.♥
Stuck on craftsDuct tape is all the rage these days.
Look for it in fun patterns and colors, or let your child add stickers to plain duct tape. Then, encourage him to be creative with projects like these.
BookmarksWrap duct tape around and around a
craft stick to make a bookmark. Or cut two strips the same size, stick them together, and punch a hole in the top to tie a ribbon through.
Party decorationsForm miniature flags on toothpicks,
and put each one in a cupcake. For place-mats, cut the front and back panels from cereal boxes. Add strips of tape arranged in different patterns and designs.
ContainersCover baby food or canning jars with
colorful duct tape to create pencil hold-ers or vases. Make fun storage contain-ers for small toys by decorating shoe boxes with duct tape. ♥
Q&
A
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