Panther News

Bentley School staff would like to wish you all a safe and happy summer holiday! The school will be closed for summer holidays beginning June 30, 2025 and will reopen on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

• We are excited to welcome Adam Sia as the new principal of Bentley School! Mr. Sia brings over two decades of experience in education and school leadership, with a strong background in both teaching and administration. Most recently, Sia has served as Assistant Principal at École Lacombe Junior High School, where he quickly became known for his student-centred approach and collaborative leadership style.
• We’re pleased to welcome Andre Massez to our teaching staff. Andre is a ticketed carpenter working to complete his teaching degree as part of the Bridges Program. He will be teaching jr and sr high woods under Mr. Hazlett's supervision.
• We’re excited to welcome Melissa Grant to the Bentley School team as our new school social worker! With a passion for supporting students and families, Melissa brings valuable experience and a caring approach to their work. They will be available to assist with mental health support, social-emotional learning, and connecting families with resources. We’re thrilled to have Melissa join us in creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all.

However, we are also saying some heartfelt goodbyes:

• Landan Stones, who is taking on a vice principalship at St. Augustine in Ponoka to be closer to his family.

• Suzanne Bergeron, who provided intervention support in Division 1 and Matt Beairsto, who taught junior high english language arts are moving on to other opportunities.

• Due to funding reductions, we've lost two valued Education Assistant positions. These individuals have made a meaningful impact in our school community and we are sad to see them go: Sam Vanak, and Sara Theriault.

• Sherry Haarstad, one of our valued EAs, has officially decided to retire after 28 years of dedicated service. Congratulations, Sherry!

• Our social worker, Alysa Thompson, has accepted a new position in Blackfalds to be closer to family and Kayden Schmidtke has decided to stay home with her young family.

We would like to sincerely thank each of these individuals for their incredible contributions to our school and students. You will be deeply missed!

To help ease students into the new school year, Bentley School will follow a staggered start schedule.

Bright Futures Play Academy

Your teacher will be in touch with parents in August in regards to their staggered start days.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten staggered start is full days with busing.

Tuesday, September 2, Kindergarten students in the Purple Pod (Tue/Wed) will attend.

Wednesday, September 3, Kindergarten students in the Yellow Pod (Wed/Thur) will attend.

Thursday, September 4, Kindergarten students in the Teal Pod (Tue/Thur) will attend.

Friday, September 5 will be an Extra Friday for all Kindergarten pods.

Grades 1-8

Tuesday, September 2, students in Grades 1–8 with last names beginning A–L will attend;

Wednesday, September 3, students in Grades 1–8 students with last names M–Z will attend.

This staggered approach helps ensure a smooth, supportive transition for students as they begin the new school year.

Grades 9–12

Tuesday, September 2, all students in Gr. 9 - 12 will all begin on this day with no staggered start.

All families (new and returning) will receive an email on August 20 with instructions to complete the online Returning Student Profile Update for the 2025–2026 school year. If you don’t see the email, please check your junk/spam folder.

Log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal, click the SchoolEngage tab, and complete the required demographic form by Monday, September 15.

Accurate contact information (phone numbers, addresses, emergency contacts, etc.) is essential. These forms are mandatory each year. If you have questions or need help, please call Bentley School at 403-748-3770.

If there are any factors you are aware of, such as an upcoming move, etc., please contact the school at bentley@wolfcreek.ab.ca so that we may keep an accurate count for next year.

You will be able to find out your child’s homeroom teacher and their room assignment by Monday, August 25. Login to your PowerSchool account, click the Grades and Attendance tab and look for the homeroom block on their schedule or click on the Bell Schedule to view your child’s timetable.

Jr and sr high students require a chromebook. We have very limited supply of chromebooks available for student use - only 5 in the high school and 15 in the junior high. For more details on chromebook purchasing options for parents, please visit this document or refer to the Wolf Tech Always Learning for things you need to be aware of when purchasing a chromebook.

Teachers will be greeting students at their assigned drop off locations.

BFPA - Entrance E1

Kindergarten - Entrance E2

Gr. 1 & 2 - Entrance E7

Gr. 3 & 4 - Entrance E8

Gr. 4/5, 5 & 6 - Entrance E6

Mrs. Robinson will be teaching our Kindergarten class for the 2025–2026 school year. Based on registration numbers, Kindergarten will follow a pod model this year. In this structure, students are divided into three groups:

• Purple Group attends Tuesday and Wednesday
  
  

• Yellow Group attends Wednesday and Thursday
  
  

• Teal Group attends Tuesday and Thursday
  
  

With this rotation, two pods are in attendance each day. This allows your child to be with their assigned pod on both of their scheduled days, while also providing the chance to connect with children from the other pods once a week.

Extra Fridays: September 5, October 3, November 14, December 19, May 8, May 22,

June 12, and June 19.

Kindergarten information packages and calendars are also available on the website at: https://bentley.wolfcreek.ab.ca/programs/welcome-to-kindergarten

BFPA information has been emailed out to all parents. Please ensure that fees are paid by September 1, 2025. A parent information session is schedule for Thursday, August 28 at 5:00 p.m. in the elementary library.

At Bentley School, we love our volunteers! We need help with track meets, picture days, popcorn days and in the classrooms. All prospective volunteers are subject to screening and possible interviews with school administrators. These forms will be kept on file at the school. All volunteers are required to complete:

Volunteer Application Form - Must be completed yearly

Criminal Record Declaration Form - Valid for 3 years

Vulnerable Sector Check Application - Valid for 3 years and is only required if the volunteer will be:

• Working Closely with children in situations where he/she will be alone with individual children and groups of children, without direct supervision and oversight from staff;
• In a natural position of trust and authority given the relationship between children and school volunteers

Your teachers at Bentley School are excited to offer the opportunity to purchase your school supplies through School Start for the 2025-2026 school year. This process will save you both time and money.

Below are specific grade level supply lists.

• The lists have a Starter Package (base package) as well as Additional Items Required. The additional items are required by each teacher; they include items such as pencil cases, sharpeners, and calculators. These products do not need to be purchased on a year-to-year basis if you already have them.

There are three ways to place your order:

1. you can place your order online at https://schoolstart.ca/

2. You can place your order over the phone 1-800-580-1868

3. You can print and fill out the supply list and return via email to info@schoolstart.ca

The supplies will be packaged and delivered directly to your home (or to your school before school starts) if this is your school's preference.

If you have any questions, please contact School Start’s Customer Service Department: Email: info@schoolstart.ca | Phone: 1-800-580-1868

Parents please note:

Phone calculators are not acceptable.

Junior high and high school students taking Math 10-3, 20-3 or 30-3, require a scientific calculator.

High School students that are taking Math 10C, Math 20-1, 20-2, 30-1, 30-2 or 31, require a Texas Instrument graphing calculator (TI-83, TI-83 Plus, TI-84, TI-84 Plus, or TI-84 Plus CE)

Chromebooks:
Jr and sr high students require a chromebook. We have very limited supply of chromebooks available for student use - only 5 in the high school and 15 in the junior high. For more details on Chromebook Purchasing Options for Parents, please visit this document or refer to the Wolf Tech Always Learning for things you need to be aware of when purchasing a chromebook.

• Grade 1

• Grade 2

• Grade 3

• Grade 4

• Grade 5

• Grade 6

• Grade 7/8

• Grade 9 - 12

Tools for School funding through FCSS will not be available in the Bentley community for the upcoming school year. To continue supporting students in need, we’ve partnered with the Town of Bentley to launch a Back-to-School Supply Drive. This initiative will help ensure all students have the supplies they need to start the year off right. Donations will be accepted throughout July and August at the Town Office in Bentley between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Pay your school fees online:

Step 1: https://bentley.wolfcreek.ab.ca

Step 2: Click on PowerSchool & Online Payment

Step 3: Sign in using your PowerSchool username & password

Step 4: Under the Menu tab, click on the School Fee icon

Step 5: Add fees to cart and make payment

We accept cash, cheques (payable to Wolf Creek Public School), online and debit machine located at the high school office.

Base Fees:

Kindergarten: $100 (includes $60 school fee, $40 technology fee )

Gr 1-6: $40 ($40 technology fee)

Gr 7-8: $120 ($40 option fee, $30 yearbook fee, $40 technology fee, $10 student wellness fee)

Gr 9-10: $160 ($80 option fee, $30 yearbook, $40 technology fee, $10 student wellness) + Additional fees

Gr 11: $80 ($30 yearbook, $40 technology fee, $10 student wellness) + Additional Fees

Gr 12: $80 ($30 yearbook, $40 technology, $10 student wellness) + Additional Fees + Grad Fee TBA

Additional Course Fees for High School:

(these fees will be added to base fee if your child is taking one of these courses)

Gr 10-12

PE: 10/20/30: $40

Math & Physics Consumables: $35

Foods: $50

Woods: $50

Guitar: $25

Additional fees may be added through out the year to cover the cost of field trips, swimming lessons, sports fees or clubs.

Course Fee Breakdown:

Technology Fee: helps to pay for the mulitiple website and online platform licensing fees

Option Fee: pays for the supplies that are incurred in your child's option class

Student Wellness: pays for guest speakers, school activities supplies, Terry Fox turkey's, etc

Are there any parents/grandparents out there that would like to volunteer at the school? We’re still building a list of substitute Toast Grannies to step in when one of our regulars can’t make it. The program runs Monday through Thursday each week. We would love you to join our team of "Toast Grannies!" Contact Lorna Landry at stnlndry@shaw.ca if you are interesed.

Wolf Creek Public Schools remains committed to the safety and well-being of all students. As part of this, our schools follow a Student Safety and Threat Assessment Protocol, developed in collaboration with local police, Alberta Health Services, and Children’s Services. This process is designed to respond quickly and supportively if a student may be at risk of harming themselves or others.

Our schools follow a zero-tolerance approach toward threats and take all reports seriously. The goal is not to punish, but to ensure appropriate supports are in place to keep everyone safe.

We appreciate your continued support in making our schools safe, caring learning environments.

Cool down this summer with a sweet treat that gives back! The Drop is serving up a S'more Iced Cap Special from June to August — and $0.25 from every drink sold supports the Bentley School Europe 2026 Travel Club! Grab yours today and sip for a great cause!

Congratulations to Naomi for being selected rider of the month and winner of a 6" sub! Way to go!

Local community clubs and events can be advertised here for free.