Paul Rowe Jr./Sr. High School Newsletter

June 2017

Raiders’ Report

Paul Rowe Celebrates AERR Results Excellent results in education

June

6 MES Grade 6 student orientation

13 Rosary Grade 9 student orientation

13 Open House, BBQ & grade 9 parent meeting

14 Grade 12 Diploma exams begin

14 Grade 9 Celebration

21 Aboriginal Day celebration & lunch

23 Last day of classes for all students

22-29 Final exams

30 Operational day for staff July

1 Class of 2017 Grad/ Canada Day

Upcoming Events:

Orientations & Open House Information

Graduation Ceremonies

Final Exam Information

Help Wanted: Bus Drivers & Casino Workers

Event Updates!

Also in this Issue:

In Your Family’s Mailout:

2017-2018 registration forms and appendix package

2017-2018 volunteer forms

Final exam schedule

Test anxiety handout

Raider’s Gear Store flyer

Messages to parents:

*Please return signed registration forms for the 2017-2018 school year as soon as possible. Note that there are new volunteer forms.

Prefer to receive your newsletter by E-mail? Visit www.paulrowehigh.ca to subscribe!

Parents and Guardians:

Grade 10 students complete a mentorship activity with grade 7 students during Education Week!

that we have been rated as excellent in 4 of these 5 categories and have a high or very high level of achievement in every one of the following measures within these categories:

Safe and Caring Schools Program of Studies Education Quality Transition Rate Drop Out Rate High School completion

rate Work Preparation

Citizenship Parental Involvement School Improvement Thank you to our entire school community for working together for the benefit of our students!

www.paulrowehigh.ca

Our school recently received our Annual Education Results Report and we are very happy with the results. The majority of the results are based on data from the Accountability Pillar Survey which is completed by students in grades seven and ten, their parents and all teachers in the school. The survey questions are grouped into the following categories:

Safe and Caring Schools Student Learning

Opportunities Preparation for Lifelong

Learning, World of Work, Citizenship

Parental Involvement

Continuous Improvement

We are very proud to announce

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Elections 2017: Be a leader in our community! Become a PRSD School Board Trustee!

The 2016-2017 school year is nearing completion and it is my absolute pleasure to thank you all for your important contributions over the past year.

Thank you to our students for your dedication, enthusiasm and creativity. It brings an incredible sense of pride to reflect upon the countless examples of collective and personal accomplishment, growth, school and community spirit, kindness and leadership. The positive impact you make in your school, community and society as a whole is further reaching than you know.

To our graduates, congratulations on reaching this important milestone and best wishes in all your future endeavours. This is an opportunity to celebrate how far you’ve come, and to acknowledge how far you are capable of continuing to go. The future is wide open to you and I encourage you to remember that no dream is too big.

Thank you to our parents and guardians for your support and involvement. We value and appreciate the important role you play in your child’s education. Parental involvement looks different for every family and we thank you for all that you do. Whether you help your child with homework, volunteer at the school, attend events, participate in parent teacher conferences, are a member of School Council, keep in contact with school staff or help your child with career planning - your contributions make a difference.

Thank you to our amazing staff – teachers, caretakers, support staff, educational assistants, learning coaches, bus drivers, maintenance personnel, mechanics and central office staff- every role makes a difference and contributes to student success. I am so grateful for the care, support and guidance that I see demonstrated every day in this division.

To our community members and organizations, we are very grateful for your involvement and participation in our schools. Your involvement demonstrates the importance of community and teamwork for our students. We are very thankful for your time spent volunteering, providing input, collaborating and forming partnerships throughout our school division that brings increased opportunities for students.

Students, staff, parents, community members and businesses, you are all an important part of the Peace River School Division family. Thank you for your contributions that make our schools the great places they are to learn, grow, work and be. Wishing you a fantastic summer!

Superintendent’s Message: Thank You

The community voice of locally-elected Alberta school board trustees is very important and that’s why preparations are well under way at Peace River School Division (PRSD) for this fall’s school board trustee elections.

Nomination Day in Alberta is Monday, September 18, 2017 and municipal and school board trustee Election Day in Alberta is Monday, October 16, 2017.

To learn more about school trusteeship, visit PRSD’s 2017 Elections webpage: http://www.prsd.ab.ca/School%20Trustee%20Elections.php

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Congratulations Grade 9 Students!

Paul Rowe’s grade nine students will receive

recognition at a special ceremony which will be

held on Wednesday, June 14th at 6:00 p.m.

Family and community members are invited to

celebrate the completion of junior high.

Congratulations to the following students:

Taigen B.

Shane B.

Tayner B.

Bryanna F.

Aedon J.

Chandler L.

Damien L.

Caelin M.

Nelly P.

Brayden P.

Declan S.

April V.

Travis W.

Richard W.

Kaleb Y.

Congratulations High School Commencees!

Joyce A. Jared C. Hunter D. Thomas D. Keegan D. Shawn D. Jake F. Beau F. Justin H. Aaron J. Cody J. Lane K. Leven K. Jason L. Calin L. Carter L.

Jayden L. Jarod L. Mats L. Teagan M. Daylan M. BreeAnna M. Mikayla N. Cassie P. Isaiah P. Dalton P. Jesse P. Rachel S. Ben S. Benjamin W. Rachel W.

On July 1, the class of 2017 will celebrate their commencement from high school. The inspirational

celebration will be held at 2:00pm and the cap and gown ceremony will be held at 4:00pm. Both

events will be held at the Manning Sports Complex. Family, friends and community members are

all invited to attend. Refreshments will be served between the two ceremonies.

Congratulations to the following Commencees:

As our students complete another milestone in their lives, everyone is welcome to join us as we celebrate!

GRADE 9 CELEBRATION June 14, 2017

6:00 p.m. Paul Rowe High

CLASS OF 2017 COMMENCEMENT July 1, 2017

2:00 p.m. Inspirational Celebration 4:00 p.m. Cap and Gown Ceremony

Manning Arena

We wish the Class of 2017 and the future Class of 2020 all the best as they take the next steps in their lives!

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We are excited to welcome all of our new students and families!

Student Orientations for MES grade 6 students will be held on Tuesday, June 6th and Tuesday, June 13th for Rosary Grade 9 students.

Our Annual BBQ, Open House for new students/families, as well as a parent meeting for incoming high school students is scheduled for Tuesday, June 13:

6:30 p.m. BBQ 7:00 p.m. Open House and Orientation 7:30 p.m. High School meeting for current grade 9 students/families.

The Raider’s Gear store will be open on this evening for anyone who would like to purchase Paul Rowe Raiders merchandise!

Help Wanted: Spare Bus Drivers & Casino Workers

Spare Bus Drivers: Manning is experiencing a shortage of spare school bus drivers! Apply to join PRSD’s team of professional school bus drivers—paid training, competitive wages and great hours are just some of the benefits. If interested, or to submit a resume, contact:

Crystal Gordey, PRSD Transportation Coordinator Phone: (780) 624-3006 ext. 11104

Email: gordeyc@prsd.ab.ca Fax: (780) 624-4406

Casino Volunteers: The Paul Rowe School Foundation is looking for volunteers to work a casino in Grande Prairie on July 30th and 31st. The money raised is used to purchase equipment for the school, which benefits all Paul Rowe students. Some expenses, such as hotels, are covered. If you are able to volunteer please contact Leanne Pharis at (780) 626-5023.

2017-2018 Parent/Student Orientations

Only 15 Class Days Left Before Final Exams! The school year is quickly coming to an end, and students should be preparing for final exams.

Exam Schedule Paul Rowe’s June exam schedule is posted on our school website at www.paulrowehigh.ca and has been mailed home with the June parent packages.

Study Café and Final Exam Tutorial Sessions Students are encouraged to take advantage of extra help opportunities such as Thursday afternoon Study Café and Final Exam tutorials which are offered during exam week.

Independent Study Resources A number of online resources are available to assist students in preparing for their exams. Visit Paul Rowe’s Virtual Learning Commons Curriculum Support page for links. https://sites.google.com/a/prsd.ab.ca/paulrowehighvlc/courses

Exam Anxiety Support Students who suffer from test anxiety are encouraged to discuss their concerns with their classroom teachers and/or to connect with our Youth Worker, Ms. Rebecca Churan. Ms. Churan has also included a “tip sheet” in the parent mail out.

Join us Wednesday, June 21 as we celebrate Aboriginal Day! Celebration in SOLE Block at 10:15 AM Stew and Bannock Lunch at 12:15 PM

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Canada 150: A celebration of culture and Canadiana!

Students across Peace River School Division celebrated the 150th birthday of Canada on May 30th! We started the day singing O'Canada simultaneously across the school division via Google Hangouts. At Paul Rowe we carried on this birthday celebration in the afternoon with:

A BBQ at lunch;

Canadian games including a selfie scavenger hunt, match the flag/flower to the province activity, hockey, soccer, archery, KUBB (aka Viking Chess) and board games such as Canada-opoly and Rukshuk (rock balancing);

a Taste of Paul Rowe with food representing twenty of the cultural backgrounds of our students and staff. Students sampled ethnic foods from Scotland, Britain, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Philippines, Holland/Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine.

Tug or war competitions! The highlight was the best of three match between junior high and senior high students!

A Canadian trivia Kahoot quiz game and birthday cake!

A special thanks goes out to Ms. Audrey Dittrick for spear heading the organization of the day and to the many student, parent and staff volunteers for helping to make this day so much fun! For a full list of thank yous, see page 8.

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Education Week and Mental Health Awareness Week May 1-5 was Education Week and Mental Health Awareness Week! This was busy week for staff and students as !

Activities that students took part in were:

“Leave Your Mark on Paul Rowe” where all new students and staff leave their handprints on our school walls. Education week 2017 marked the tenth year that we have carried on this tradition.

Field trip to Mighty Peace Day, which is a day meant to inspire youth to create change and make the world a better place. Over 3500 youth gathered for this motivational day filled with amazing speakers, musical and performing acts!

“Music Alive” Walter MacDonald White Bear presentation. Walter is a Cree singer-songwriter originally from the First Nation of Moose Factory, Ontario now based in Calga-ry. His music is a reflection of his personal journey as a First Nations person in Canada.

A mentorship activity where students in grade 10 spent the morning mentoring with students in grade seven and eight. The main activity was sharing reading strategies that will set students up for success as they go through school.

Literacy “Escape Room” for grade seven to nine students. An escape room is an adven-ture game in which players solve a series of puzzles using clues, hints and strategies.

“Hats On! For Mental Health Day”. On May 3, many schools across Alberta participate in this day, which is focused on raising awareness of issues related to mental health.

Mental Health Movie Marathon at the Aurora Theatre.

Field trip to PRSD Handgames Tournament. Hand games have been a part of First Nation’s history for hundreds of years and are still played in many parts of North America. While specifics of the game vary by region it is traditionally played as a hiding and guessing game accompanied by traditional drumming. While our students did not win, they had a lot of fun!

Thank you to all of the students, staff and community members who organized and participated in these activities!

Juggling in our lives—Paul Isaac presentation

Paul Isaak recently brought his comedy juggling routine to our school. The show commanded the audience’s attention, allowing him to intertwine a thought provoking message to inspire students as well as entertain them. Juggling is a metaphor for so many areas of our lives, and Paul used this to speak about bullying, the value of setting goals, working hard, and pursuing your dreams. He concluded the show with a mind blowing stunt that challenged students to push their own limits, in order to accomplish amazing things.

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Track and field athletes off to provincial tournament

Track and Field season is underway! Our athletes have competed at divisional and zone tournaments. Congratulations to Rachel S. and Ben S. who won gold at the zone tournament and will compete at provincials! Rachel will be competing in 80 m hurdles and Ben will be competing in Pentathalon (100 & 800 m races, high jump, long jump, shot put). Ben will also compete in the 4 x 100 m relay with the Peace River High School team. Congratulations also to Damien J. who won a bronze a medal in the 1500m race at zones and to all of our other students who put in a great effort!

Congratulations to Rachel S. and Ben S. who were selected by Mrs. Asmussen as our April Athletes of the Month. They were chosen based on the following criteria:

Sportsmanship

Respect for teachers, coaches and athletes

Demonstrates an excellent attitude and effort towards learning and enhancing skill development in any sort of physical activity.

WAY TO GO RAIDERS!

Athletes of the Month for May

A number of our high school students recently volunteered to run events at the Manning Elementary School track meet! In total, nineteen students helped out. Way to show your citizenship and have a positive impact on our school communities!

Paul Rowe RAIDERS in the community

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Extra special thanks go out to:

Everyone who helped to make our Canada 150 celebration absolutely amazing:

Mrs. Audrey Dittrick for many hours spent organizing and preparing many amazing food dishes;

Student helpers Aedon, Shane B., Chloe, Damien L., Erin, Tristan, Laurel, Emily, Caelin, Levi, Halle, Rory and Savannah;

Parent helpers Roz Perez, Eleanor Miclette, Leanne Pharis, Cathy Wolf and Kerry Coulter;

Maylene Payawal, Pam Galbraith, Shelly Lemon, Tanya Cousins, Laurie Henitiuk and Kerry Coulter for preparing food dishes for the Taste of Paul Rowe food fair;

Mr. Andrew Bullen for the Kahoot trivia quiz;

Mrs. Coree Asmussen for ordering and serving the birthday cakes;

Staff for help running events and assisting with set up and clean up.

Everyone who helped with Education Week & Mental Health Awareness Week activities:

Mr. Matt Taylor for organizing the Mighty Peace Day field trip and to Mrs. Bak for volunteering to supervise.

Mr. Matt Taylor for organizing the Walter MacDonald Whitebear presentation

Ms. Katie Thornton for organizing the literacy escape room activity and the grade 7/8/10 mentorship activity.

Mrs. Bobbi Lewandowski for organizing the “Leave Your Mark” handprint activity.

Mrs. Julie Gummesen for organizing the community Mental Health Movie Marathon and to the Aurora Theatre for hosting. Thank you also to Paul Rowe staff members Mrs. Sherry Blanton, Mrs. Bobbi Lewandowski and Mr. Scott Davidson for acting as hosts for the evening adult movie.

Mrs. Vikki Presakarchuk for organizing our Handgames teams, Mrs. Coree Asmussen for coaching and to Mrs. Anita Bak, Ms. Rebecca Churan and Mrs. Bobbi Lewandowski for supervising the field trip.

Mr. Andrew Bullen and Dana Vreeling for coaching track and field, as well as Mrs. Coree Asmussen for coaching, organizing and travelling with our students.

The following student volunteers for helping at the Manning Elementary School track meet: Allie, Beth, Sharmon, Almira, Isabelle, Caelin, Bryanna, Nelly, Taigen, Aedon, Chelsea E., Clay P. Devan, Erik, Noah, Samantha P., Chelsea P., Jordy and Wyatt. Thank you also to Mrs. Presakarchuk for coordinating the group.

Mrs. Vikki Presakarchuk for organizing the Paul Issac presentation.

Inga Rohachyshyn for the donation of golf clubs.

We are looking for….

Paul Rowe is looking for any donations of used golf clubs. Left and Right handed clubs needed, and all types of clubs needed to increase our golf knowledge! Please contact Mrs. Coree Asmussen us if you can help.

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Spotlight on health and safety: Summer Wellness

Submitted by Kristy Shilka, PRSD Health & Safety Coordinator

You’ve made it, summer is here! It’s time to relax and have some fun! There are many things we can do to recharge and keep ourselves and our families safe - here are a few suggestions: Make sure you and your loved ones are wearing the proper protective equipment suited for the activities you participate in. Sports and other recreation activities are especially popular in the summer and it’s important that everyone stays safe. If possible, take first aid training, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and know the signs of a concussion – these important skills save lives. Ensure that children know the rules around the home including kitchen safety, fire prevention, farm safety and always watch children around water. Make watercraft safety a priority by teaching them how to swim and to wear life jackets that fit properly. Teach and model to your children how to be around animals and insects in order to be protected from unnecessary bites and stings. In the summer, heat-related illnesses can happen easily, especially when participating in physical activities during hot weather. The best defence is prevention – protect your skin and stay hydrated. This summer, many students will get their first job and workplace safety is very important - especially for those new to the workforce. Be sure to ask your child about their on-the-job safety training, ensure they know their rights and responsibilities as an employee, and that they can always refuse unsafe work.

Everyone benefits when investing time on wellness. Remember to get enough sleep, eat well and exercise regularly. Take time to enjoy your interests and surround yourself with family and friends. Taking time to rest and relax during breaks will help you keep a positive attitude and maintain your energy throughout the school year.

Stay happy, active and safe, and have a wonderful summer.

Children need to be exposed to stimulating activities with the child’s needs in mind. The more time a child spends with adults that nurture their skills and creativity, the more likely it is they will grow up healthy. Look for programs that are FUN for

children. Programs that “push” kids to excel are not as enjoyable.

Enroll children in activities that teach skills while giving them interesting experiences ie) Girl Guides and 4-H develop many of the 40 assets.

Learn more about the 40 Developmental Assets:

http://www.search-institute.org/research/developmental-assets

Asset Tip of the Month: Youth Programs (Asset#18)

IMPORTANT 2017-2018 Registration Information

There are new school volunteer registration and pledge of confidentiality forms for 2017-2018. These forms are required for ALL volunteers including parent drivers.

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