Principal’s Message

We are not creatures of circumstance;

we are creators of circumstance.

                                                                                    Benjamin Disraeli
                                                                                    English statesman and writer

Our AISI (Alberta Initiative for School Improvement) project this year is student engagement.  While we may immediately think that engagement is all about whether the student is having “fun” or not, it is far more than that.  Are our students persevering when a task is difficult?  Are our students asking deeper questions and do they display curiosity?  Are our students showing joy about completing a project?  Are our students involved in their learning?  These are the questions the staff at Keheewin has been wondering about.

To truly engage children in school and in their learning, we need to engage them as people, as individuals first.  We must recognize the importance of expressing emotions and learning through feelings.  Teachers need to have meaningful relationships with students and families in order for this to take place.  When students know teachers and teachers know students, caring relationships are forged.  I believe that this is the beginning of endless possibilities, especially in the area of learning.  At Keheewin relationships are strong and staff takes the time and effort to learn about children as individuals.  Parents are key in fostering relationships with the school and together, child, teacher and parents, we can create an environment where children feel safe and valued – where they also learn to read, write and think.  I am proud to state that our school is a place where society is transformed not merely reproduced.

Our students are people – real people with hopes and dreams, struggles and fears, who need our compassion and understanding in order to achieve in their learning.  During March your child will be receiving their second term report card.  Ask them to explain it to you.  Ask them what important learnings they have completed.  Ask them what more they want to learn about.  Ask them how the school and home can support them in their future endeavors.  Asking questions often gives us more information than passing judgment does. 

Learning together,

Crystal Mills

Principal

 

PARKING AROUND OUR SCHOOL

Yes, once again people are parking illegally on the streets around our school.  This situation threatens the safety of our children and none of us want an accident to take place that involves kids.  We are requesting parent volunteers to wear safety vests and patrol in front of the school for a half hour per month.  It could be either 8:15 in the morning or 3:15 in the afternoon.  Your job would be to inform drivers if they are not parking in appropriate spots.  You could even work with a friend!  Please contact Mrs. Mills in the office if you are interested in volunteering.

 

2010 – 2011 PLANNING

Believe it or not, planning is currently underway for the 2010-2011 school year.  Keheewin School is a great learning environment because of the efforts of the students, staff, parents and community members and we are enriched by the input and ideas of many people.  Attached to this newsletter is a questionnaire asking for your input into the planning process.  We ask that you take time to review the questions posed, complete the questionnaire and return it to the school office by Friday, March 12.

 

WORLD MATH DAY – MARCH 4, 2010

 

WALKING SCHOOL BUS

Hi everyone!  Come and join the Walking School Bus in the morning from 8:20 – 8:30 a.m.  Grade 5 students will safely walk your children to the school grounds just before the bell rings where staff is on supervision.  Thanks for considering this safe option.

                                                                                    Written by a Grade 5 student

PAIRED READING

Keheewin would like to thank the efforts of our volunteers who are involved with our students in the Paired Reading program.  As well, parents who help with home reading, homework and extra curricular activities are all contributing to the success and achievement of our students.  Research confirms that home based parental support that supports, extends and enriches learning has the most positive effect on student achievement.

 

STUDENT LED CONFERENCES IN MARCH

During the parent-teacher conferences and student led conferences, the library will be closed.  Please make other arrangements for siblings as no supervision at the school will be provided.

 

LUNCH FEES: NOW DUE

Lunchroom fees are now due: we respectfully ask you to please remit any monies owing as soon as possible.  Please note that if lunch supervision fees are not paid, arrangements should be made for the student to go home for lunch.  Fees are due at the beginning of ever month.  If payment is not possible due to family finances, please contact Mrs. Addy in the office to make alternate arrangements – for example, payments by installments.

 

LIBRARY NEWS

Spring Book Fair is Coming!

Once again, we would like to remind students, parents, and relatives about the upcoming Spring Book Fair April 19, 20 & 21.  Not only does this fair encourage a love for reading and the reading of books in the home environment, it has also become an important fundraiser.  This year, a significant portion of the book fair profits have allowed us to purchase additional Science and Social resources for both the classroom and the library.  We have also been able to replace many worn and damaged items in the library.  A sign up schedule for book fair volunteers is located near the library desk area, new volunteers are always welcome.  We always need volunteers so if you have any time during the day or after school it would be appreciated.

 

TRACK TEAM NEWS

The Track Team did an excellent job representing Keheewin at the Harriers’ Relays in January, and at the U of A Golden Bears-Pandas Relays in early February. Many of our teams placed in the top 3 in their races, and our Girls A, Boys A, and Boys B teams have all made it to the finals placing them among the overall top 6 teams out of all the schools participating.

On February 17, the Track Team competed in the preliminary round of the Edmonton Journal Indoor Games.  From a field of over 400 teams, our Girls A, Boys A, and Boys B have all qualified for the quarter-finals set to take place on March 20 at the U of A Butterdome. We wish them luck in their training and preparation for this big event.

Tryouts for the Grade 3-4 Track Team will take place in the gym during the lunch hour on March 8 (Grade 4) and March 10 (Grade 3). Letters will be sent home to students who are interested. Practices will begin on March 22 in preparation for the Klondike Relays competition on May 3.

 

BENNETT CENTRE

Young Authors!  Bennett Centre’s Young Writers’ Camp 2010, February 25 & 26, Teachers’ Convention Grade 4 – 6 day Camp.  Spring Break for Grades 4 – 6 day camp, March 29 & 30, 2010.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Get your TAXES prepared for FREE!  Southminster Steinhauer United Church (10740 19 Avenue) is hosting a Make Tax Time Pay Site for Low Income Families and individuals.

Starting March 4 until April 30.

On average, a family can potentially boost their income by $500.  Confidential services provided by volunteer tax preparers and apply for benefits and subsidies to help stretch your budget!  Call 211 or 780.496.5933 to make an appointment.

ABC HEADSTART

Do you want your preschooler to have a wonderful preschool experience?  ABC Head Start will begin taking applications for the 2010-2011 school year in March.  This free program is for families of lower income and runs four half-days a week at 12 city schools, including a francophone site. To be eligible your child must have turned 3 ½ years old by September 1, 2010. Free bussing and daily nutritional snacks are provided. CALL 780.461.5353.  (www.abcheadstart.org)

CELEBRATE FOOD…FROM FIELD TO TABLE!

National Nutrition Month 2010 will be an exciting campaign highlighting where healthy food actually comes from and what food sustainability is all about.  Throughout March hot topics that will be addressed by local and national dietitians include organic foods, purchasing foods grown in Canada, and the value of planting a garden.

Did you know…that “most eaters are disengaged with how food is grown, harvested, processed and transported” (Healthy Land, Healthy Food & Healthy Eaters, 2009).  Food sustainability is a real issue facing our future generations!

Families are invited to the Whitemud Crossing Public Library on March 10 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for a free session by a registered dietitian.  Please register at the library in advance.  For further information, contact Marilyn Topp, School Nurse, at 780.342.6803

 

3 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SCRATCH OUT HEAD LICE

1: Know the Facts of Lice

Many people wrongly associate head lice with poor hygiene and think that head lice is a much bigger problem than it really is. The more you know about head lice, the more likely you are to see head lice as a problem that you can easily manage. Here are some basic facts of lice that you should know:

Head lice are an annoying but harmless part of life. Head lice do not carry germs and cannotmake you sick.

Having head lice does not mean a child has dirty hair or is not clean. In fact, head lice really like clean hair.

Head lice are most common among school-aged children.

Head lice are spread by direct contact-usually by crawling from head to head. They cannot jump or fly.

Although head lice do not cause serious health problems, treatment is needed to keep them from spreading to other people.

We cannot get rid of head lice completely, but we can control it with regular head checks and effective treatment.

To control and prevent reinfestation, it is important to notify contacts so they can be treated if necessary.

2: Check Your Child for Head Lice

1. Start at the back of the neck and behind the ears. (This is where lice and nits are most often found.)

2. Using both hands, carefully separate the hair with your fingers and look for adult lice or nits (eggs). For accurate identification, using a fine-tooth comb, start at the scalp and comb firmly down the hair. The entire head should be combed systematically at least twice. Examine for lice after each stroke. It may be easier if the hair is wet. It usually takes about one minute to find lice.

3. If your child has head lice or nits (eggs), check everyone else who lives in your house.

4. If you find head lice or nits (eggs), call your public health clinic to find out how to treat them.

When you check for head lice you will NOT find…

Slime, ooze or other yucky stuff.

A thriving community of tiny bugs.

A superbug that can jump from your child's head in a single bound.

A big, hairy-armed insect with huge fangs. While the magnified view of an adult louse is pretty scary, to the naked eye it looks like a tiny grey or brown bead with legs.

You might find:

Rash-like red marks on the scalp or just above the hairline at the back of the neck from scratching.

A tiny insect that is moving quickly on your child's head. If it is very small and does not fly away, it could be an adult louse. An adult louse can be hard to find because they can hide from the light.

Tiny specks that look like dandruff. If the specks are firmly stuck to the hair they could be nits (eggs). Nits cannot be brushed off or combed out. Check carefully because the nit can be the same colour as the hair.

You will probably find:

No lice at all! In Canada, less than 3 children in 100 have head lice at any one time. That number can be reduced even more by doing regular head checks.

3: Make head lice checks part of your child's hygiene routine.

Head lice nits (eggs) take 7 to 10 days to hatch. By checking your child's head at least once a week, you can find and get rid of head lice before the first eggs hatch. The easiest way to do this is to make head lice checks part of your child's regular hygiene routine. Here are some simple slogans to help you remember to check for head lice—or you can come up with your own ideas. You might want to make a poster of your slogan and put it up where you will see it:

Teeth, hands, head. After your child brushes teeth and washes hands and face, check head for lice and nits (eggs).

Look for lice before lights out. Check for head lice and nits (eggs) when you tuck your child into bed at night.

Lice, camera, action! On family TV night, check your child's head for head lice and nits (eggs) while you are cuddling on the couch.

Supplemental Measures : Head lice do not survive long if they fall off a person and cannot feed. You don't need to spend a lot of time or money on housecleaning activities. Follow these steps to help avoid re-infestation by lice that have recently fallen off the hair or crawled onto clothing or furniture.

1. Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that the infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.

2. Soak combs and brushes in hot water (at least 130°F) for 5-10 minutes.

3. Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay. However, the risk of getting infested by a louse that has fallen onto a rug or carpet or furniture is very small. Head lice survive less than 1-2 days if they fall off a person and cannot feed; nits cannot hatch and usually die within a week if they are not kept at the same temperature as that found close to the human scalp. Spending much time and money on housecleaning activities is not necessary to avoid reinfestation by lice or nits that may have fallen off the head or crawled onto furniture or clothing.

4. Do not use fumigant sprays; they can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

Copyright & Disclaimer

Reviewed by Alberta clinical experts. Brought to you by HealthLink Alberta. Copyright.

This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. For more health advice call Capital Health Link at 780-408-LINK (5465) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Alberta, call Toll-free: 1-866-408-LINK (5465)