Duffield School News

October 2019

School Website: Duffield School Mr. Sydora’s Message:

We have had a great start to the school year at Duffield. Our enrolment is 292 which is five students higher than last year. I am very excited about our strong team of teachers and support staff in our building to educate your children. We are very proud of our school and are so excited for another great year! At our first council meeting we elected a new DPAC and also a new school council. A big thank you to our committee members who served last year. Our new members are:

● School Council-Next Meeting October 16th at 6:00pm ● President - Colleen Hardy ● Vice President – Angela Strand ● Secretary- April Mcdonald

● Fundraising-Next Meeting October 16th at 7:00pm ● President = April Mcdonald ● Vice President - Jill Lewis ● Secretary - Michelle Villadsen ● Treasurer - Tom Poleck

● Play Parkland - we are in our third year of the play program that involves our gr. 3-6 students

going to the Tri - Leisure for Water, Ice, Land and Aerials. All students will go 8 times in the year. ● Terry Fox Run - a big thank you to Mrs. Fleming and all of our volunteers who assisted us on our

trip to Chickakoo Lake for our annual run. It is a very powerful activity as it brings our school together for a very important activity.

● Music Program - we are very excited about the Music program this year. We will have a performance this year on top of the choirs, etc.

● Archery - all of our equipment has arrived. The net has been installed. We will roll out the program with options and PE classes. Thank you to Jumpstart for their large donation of money to our school to pay for all of the equipment.

● School Messenger - the division has introduced a new communication tool called School Messenger. When we have important information to share we are able to send mass emails to all of our parents who are on the parent portal. This is exciting because our office has decided to send out an email each Monday morning reviewing the activities in our school for the week. If you don’t get a message, please check your parent portal to make sure that you have your email located in the right spot. If you have any questions or need any assistance with this let us know.

● Cross Country Running- We have Duffield students taking part in every run! Thanks to Mrs. Leavell for organizing this for our students!

● Grade 6 students have already come back from their first camping trip in Kananaskis! They will go again in early March! A big thank you to Tim Hortons for their support of our school.

● Remembrance Day ceremony - Duffield has always had a wonderful ceremony to honor Remembrance Day and we will do so on November 9th at 10:30 am. Parents are welcome to join us at that time.

● Parent/Teacher Interviews - October 24th and October 25th. (more information

below) ● Report cards will be sent home on November 23rd. ● Rabbit Hill - We will be offering the program like we did last year. Sign up sheets will be delivered

early next week. ● Volleyball - we have 3 wonderful competitive volleyball teams that are representing our school. ● Fee Sheets - You should have received a fee sheet and a demographic sheet. Just a reminder that

all of the information is on PSD70 website as to the new Bill that stipulates information regarding fees. We have our list of fees placed on a grade list and a bill has been generated for your child’s grade. The system is setup so that all fees (except for optional items that you can choose to take part) are listed upfront. To assist you with the payment, you can set up a payment plan on Acorn. Just let the office know if you need any assistance with the acorn system. Also, we need your assistance with the information that we have for addresses, email address and contacts. Please have your child return the sheet to their homeroom teacher.

● PAT Exams - we believe that the results will be released early in October. We will share the results online and also during our next school council meeting.

● Transportation - thank you to parents and students for their patience as the division rolled out the new bus passes.

● Mindfulness - a number of teachers at Duffield will be taking a look at Mindfulness which is a way of assisting all students with regulating themselves. It involves breathing exercises and being more aware of your heart rate which can influence your anxiety and behaviour. We will discuss this more as a staff on October 5th but I wanted you to be aware of some of our conversations. Many schools in PSD have Mindfulness opportunities so we will see where this goes at Duffield.

● Supply lists - there were some concerns with the supply lists so we had a chance to go over the lists and repost it on the school webpage.

● Ideas/Suggestions - Always feel free to call Mrs. Miners or myself with ideas, suggestions or concerns. We are pleased to assist you in any way we can. Sign up for Remind101 and you will get all the latest information from our school. text this number: 5874095846 and text this message @duffield1 - you will then be signed up for all important messages. Also, we will send out a Monday message that gives information about the week.

Community Support Worker Hello and welcome to the 2018/2019 school year. My name is Amber Fijala and I am the Community Support Worker for Duffield. I support students, families and teaching staff in a variety of different ways which includes classroom presentations, support groups (grief, loss, divorce, social skills, anger management), parent learning opportunities, providing community resource materials and completing referrals when needed.

Students may voluntarily come see me or they may be referred by parents or teachers. Signed parent consent is not required for occasional check ins with students, however should more frequent support be necessary (either 1:1 or in a group format), a permission form will be sent home for your approval. I will be at Duffield every Tuesday along with two Fridays a month. I look forward to to getting to know the students, staff, families, and community of Duffield! Please feel free to contact me through email at afijala@psd70.ab.ca or by calling the school should you or your child require supports.

From the Literacy Corner: Literacy continues to be an important focus at Duffield School. Once again, LLI (Leveled Literacy Intervention) is a program we offer at our school. This is a research based program where students work in small groups alongside a staff member to do reading, word study and writing. In Literacy rich classrooms, vocabulary building skills are taught and students work to transfer their understanding of word and word parts to unknown words. Have you ever thought about the

meaning of a word based on the parts within the word? For example, if you did not know the meaning of the word thermometer but you did know that ‘thermo’ means ‘heat’ and ‘meter’ means ‘to measure’ then you can fairly accurately define the word. Imagine if you had this knowledge when working with biology, physics, math - your understanding of the content is much higher when you can break words down for meaning. Book Fair Supports Classroom Libraries: Once again, Duffield School will host a Scholastic Book Fair in mid-October. When you buy books from the book fair, the proceeds go to Duffield School. This year, each classroom will vote on the books they would like added to their classroom libraries. So when you support the book fair, you are supporting reading in the classroom as well...it’s win-win! Ali White Collaborative Teaching Partner for Duffield School

Invoices for the 2018-2019 school year fees have been sent home. Fees can be paid online by credit card through our PowerSchool Parent Portal at http://www.psd70.ab.ca/PowerSchool.php or in the school office by cash or cheque. If you have already sent some of the outstanding amount to the school, simply deduct this amount from your total, and either send in the balance by either cash or cheque made payable to Parkland

School Division #70 (PSD#70) These school fees are now due in to the office. If for some reason you are unable to pay this fee by October 5th, arrangements may be made by calling Brian Sydora at 780-892-2644. Most of our fees such as field trips and classroom related events are all paid for in advance. The only charges from this point on would be optional items such as rabbit hill, sports teams and fundraising that you choose to take part in. For more detailed information, please visit PSDs website.

If you wish to purchase a 2017-2018 yearbook, we have some available in our office for $20.00. The yearbook committee did a wonderful job; it is packed with memories for your children to look back on for years to come.

Staying informed In an effort to reduce our consumption of paper, we encourage our students and their families to view newsletters and calendars on our school website: http://duffield@psd70.ab.ca Reminders: Go on to your parent portal and complete the following: Responsible Use of Technology K-9, Grade 5 - 9 Locker Agreement. When coming these forms or paying student fees, please open a browser on your computer or phone and use the following link to log in to your parent portal : https://powerschool.psd70.ab.ca/public/ If you are new to the school, please make sure to provide us with a copy of your child’s birth certificate. Please do not park in front of the school as this is a fire lane (pick up and drop off only). Please park on the street in front of the school or in the side parking lot located South of the School.

Spartans Volleyball Teams!! Junior Girls Volleyball News - all schedules posted to the Duffield webpage Congratulations to the following members of the Spartans Girls Volleyball team: Asha Kulak Taylor Grabos Ashlyn Henkel Alysha Yaremchuk Katrina Gibb Kaitlin Vasconcelos Raeann Demera Kirsten Lougheed Mykenzi McGregor Hayleigh Smith Madison Paul Alex Wells

Junior Boys Developmental Team Aiden Dirk Lucas Beutler Ethan Parry Mason Tuckey Roan Fulford Issaic Dirk Jaryn Roberts Kael Maichen Noah Marsden Bobby Semchuk Ben Parry Senior Girls Volleyball News Congratulations to the following members of the Spartans Girls Volleyball team: Brooklynn Hart Jenna Yaremchuk Jaymee Tuffs Emilie Chatfield Courtney Bohachuk Isabelle Chatfield Sierra Gagne Bella DaCosta Makenzie Paul Klara Helten-Fradette Senior Boys Volleyball News Congratulations to the following members of the Spartans Boys Volleyball team: Jordan Smith Joshua Bruner Frank Doerr Ashton Cullum Cohen Hennig Eddie Schlenker Cole Bartel Jonah Borynec Ryland Moberg

Spartan Spirit Wear Want to order Spartan Spirit Wear, please click the store link below. Open for orders from October 2-14th, there will be no other opportunity to order Spartan Wear until next school year. https://duffieldschoolspiritwear2018.itemorder.com

Duffield School Volunteers We welcome volunteers in many capacities here at Duffield School. Please contact your child’s teacher or the School Council for more information about volunteering. We ask all volunteers to remember the following:

● Please complete a volunteer form - if you are planning to volunteer on a regular basis, we require an RCMP Criminal Record Check

● Please check in at the office and sign in and out in the volunteer book ● Respect classroom routines and schedules

Thank you for making a difference in our school community!

Fundraising Information

ADMazing Coupon Books! Great deals on everything from restaurants and recreation to entertainment and travel!! $10 of the proceeds will go to our Student Council for activities throughout the year. Thank you for your continued support of our Fundraising projects.

TERRY FOX RUN We had our annual Terry Fox Run at Chickakoo Lake last Friday – with beautiful weather, no rain or snow! Thank you to all of the parent volunteers for keeping us safe and to the Chipley family for the delicious ice cream. We have raised over $1150 so far; donations can continue coming in until this Thursday, October 4th.

Boston Pizza Receipt / McDonalds Receipt Fundraising Programs If our School collects receipts from Stony Plain Boston Pizza and the McDonald's Restaurants in Spruce Grove & Stony Plain, they will give us a portion of the total dollar value of the receipts collected up to $500.00 yearly. Please bring in your receipts!

Parent Teacher Interviews We will be hosting our Parent Teacher Interviews on October 24th and 25th, appointments starting at 4:15 pm on each day. The last interview will be at 7:15 pm. To book your interview, you have 3 options:

● Go to our school website, look under the tab called “For Parents”. To book an appointment, you will need to sign into your account

● Contact your child’s teacher ● Call the school office

Thank you and hope to see you there!

Duffield Public Library News

Strong Families Series – Teen Drug Use: Changing the Conversation

Parkland School Division is proud to present another FREE information session for caregivers. Our upcoming session will help parents spot the warning signs of substance abuse in their teens, and learn how to prevent social drug use from growing into a bigger problem. Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2018 Time: 6-7:30pm Location: Parkland School Division Centre For Education Board Room (4603 48th Street, Stony Plain) In this session, join an addictions counselor, an RCMP officer and a teen brain expert to discuss the impact of drug use on the teenage brain. Learn about how and why drug use may progress from occasional/social use to something more dangerous, and how you can support your teen to make changes. Discover warning signs you may see that could alert you to a "bigger than you thought" problem, and what resources are available to support you and your teen if you need it. A light supper will be provided. Limited childcare is available. Parents are welcome to attend this session with their teens. Space is limited, so please register early to reserve your spot. To register, please contact: Sandra Goldschmidt Phone: 780-963-8458 Email: sgoldschmidt@psd70.ab.ca

Additional Parent Learning Opportunities October 2018

Transitions Big and Small: Supporting Kids Through Change; RCSD Are you tired of the daily battle of getting your child to transition from one activity to another? Or worried about an upcoming transition into your child’s life? Transitions, big and small, can be really challenging for both kids and caregivers; because all transitions involve change, and change can be a time of stress for anyone! In this presentation, you will learn about common transitions that children and youth experience, why transitions are so challenging, and what caregivers can do to make them go more smoothly. More specifically, we will explore how to plan large transitions, review tips and tools to make small transitions smoother, and discuss strategies for managing the stress and anxiety that can accompany transitions.

When: Tuesday, October 2 Location: High Park School, 40 Highridge Way, Stony Plain Time: 6-7:30 pm Registration: www.surverymonkey.com/r/caregiversessions

ADHD Self-Awareness Workshop: For Kids & Their Parents Presenters: Chantal Jackson & Kate Schneider, Registered Psychologists This 2-hour workshop is for children diagnosed with ADHD to attend with their parents or caregivers. It is designed to teach kids about how their ADHD brain works and the impact it has on their daily lives. This workshop will be presented in an “ADHD friendly” manner. Children and parents will leave with an increased understanding of the roots of their struggles and an invitation to celebrate the gifts of their ADHD.

When: Saturday, October 13 Location: Family Connection Centre, 5600 50 Street, Stony Plain Time: 9:30-11:30 am Registration: Heidi@apfa.ca or 780-963-0549

Kids Have Stress Too! (3 Week Program) A 3-week program that helps parents and caregivers understand childhood stress. These are practical sessions where parents will learn how to recognize stress in their children, identify the stressors and how to teach their children strategies to manage stress.

When: Tuesday, October 16, 23, 30 Location: High Park School, 40 Highridge Way, Stony Plain Time: 6-8:00 pm Facilitators: Rebecca Plant Registration: Jenn Goulden at jgoulden@psd70.ab.ca or call 780-963-2222

The Power of Positive Parenting Triple P Discussion Group Dealing with Disobedience

Does your child ignore you or fuss when you ask them to do something? Is it always difficult when children just won’t do as they are told? In this small group discussion, you will learn the reasons why children are disobedient, choose

positive strategies you can use to prevent this challenging behavior and make a plan to deal with it when it does happen.

When: Wednesday, October 17 Location: Family Connection Centre, 5600 50 Street, Stony Plain Time: 6-8:00 pm Facilitators: Rebecca Plant and Jenn Goulden Registration: 780-963-0549 or jgoulden@psd70.ab.ca

Autism 101 Presenter: Autism Edmonton Support Service Team

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? What are the characteristics and traits of ASD? How do we support Autism? Information on the services provided by Autism Edmonton. ADHD and other diagnosis such as anxiety can be concurrent with Autism.

When: Wednesday, October 17 Location: Family Connection Centre, 5600 50 Street, Stony Plain Time: 6:00 pm Registration: Heidi@apfa.ca or 780-963-0549