BK Bulletin

That BK is excited to share that all of our classrooms are now equipped with FM systems! This new technology ensures every student can hear their teacher clearly during instruction. We are deeply grateful for this wonderful addition to our learning environment.

Monday, September 7

• Labour Day - No Classes

Tuesday, September 8

• Healthy Hunger - Papa John's

Wednesday, September 9

• Healthy Hunger - Wayback Burgers
• Recreation Academy - Lone Spruce Driving Range (Group 1 and 2)

Thursday, September 10

• Picture Day!

Friday, September 11

• New Student Luncheon with Mrs. Giacobbo & Mr. Skalski

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 15 - Gr. 4-6 African Drumming Session
September 18 - PD/Staff Meeting - No Classes
September 24 - Opening Mass & Grade 4 Bible Presentation @1:30 p.m. - St. Albert Parish (all are welcome)
September 24 - School Council Meeting @6:30 pm
September 17 - (PM) Terry Fox Run
September 21 - (PM) Terry Fox Run Rainout Day (if needed)
September 25 - Districts X-Country (for those who qualify (Div. 2) - AM

• Pow Wow Showcase Performance - 2:00 PM

September 29 - Orange Shirt Day
September 30 - Recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day - No Classes

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

To kick off our GSACRD faith theme this year, Hope Begins, Encountering God's Promise, we will gather together as a school community for our opening mass and our Grade 4 bible presentation at St. Albert Parish on Thursday, September 24 at 1:30 p.m. We will share this mass with JJ Nearing School.

The Annual Terry Fox will take place on Thursday, September 17 in the afternoon (our rain out date will be Monday, September 21st). Students are invited to bring “Toonies for Terry” (or any amount) to donate for cancer research. Please join us in supporting this worthy cause!

We are in need of volunteers to help supervise! If you are available to help us on this day, please email Mrs. Giacobbo @lgiacobbo@gsacrd.ab.ca

School Picture Day is THURSDAY, September 10th.

After Picture Day, we will receive proofs and you will be able to order pictures on mylifetouch.ca using your Portrait ID and Access Code.

School Picture Retake Day is THURSDAY, October 22nd.

Administration will be outside to greet students at the buses and in the parking lot as they arrive. Please note, our school bell rings to start the day at 8:55 and school is dismissed at 3:30. We ask that parents support their children in arriving at school on time and ensure they are picked up/bussed home at the end of the school day.

Parents are asked to notify the school using your Parent Portal on Powerschool linked here when a child will be absent.

We value the importance of communication. You can expect to receive weekly “Week at a Glance” emails from the administration on Friday afternoons. As well, your child’s classroom teacher will provide you with regular updates and communication.

As a school we are committed to the health and wellbeing of our students, staff and families. Please know that your questions and feedback are always important to us and our staff are committed to responding to your emails during the work week (Monday-Friday) within a 24 hour period. We do want to ensure that your communication is not missed during the school day while our teachers are engaged with your children. We invite you to call the office if your child has an appointment, change in pick up, or any immediate concerns that may require assistance before the end of the school day. We will ensure that your child’s teacher receives the necessary information.

For safety reasons, we ask that all parents and guardians do not ENTER OR PARK in our staff parking lot. Our parking lot is reserved for busses, daycare vans and staff only. The streets around our school offer several spaces for parking. Thank you for your cooperation with this matter and for keeping our little BK BobKats safe.

Young elementary school kids are losing it all over the world.

It’s fatiguing to their allostatic load to keep it together all day in the face of:

• strange customs
• unwanted smells
• irritating sensations
• novel instructions
• social fears

• limited free mobility

• lack of quiet or personal space.

By the time it’s evening, their system can not take anymore, and they crumble. What can you do?

WHEN SCHOOL STARTS:

Plan to play with your child for 10 minutes after school on the playground to ease the transition home.

Bring ice water and a snack to pick up so that at least the Hangry element is covered.

Don’t ask “how was your day?” Tell them, “it’s good to see you. I missed you” and then be quiet. Wait for them to be ready to talk rather than asking a bunch of questions. Try playing classical music on radio.

Don’t take big emotions personally. These little people are going to be exhausted and likely melting down. Expect dysregulation and tantrums as a normal reaction to keeping up with behavioral expectations all day long.

Make NO after-school plans for the first few weeks. They need to be home experiencing free, unstructured time with you close by.

What other ideas do you have? You are both gonna do great!

Reference: Mary Van Geffen

Parent Coach

We are so excited to invite parents/guardians to join our School Council at Bertha Kennedy Catholic Community School! All parents/guardians are welcome to join this dynamic team who will be involved in organizing events, activities and fundraising ideas for our amazing school community! Our School Council is looking for new members to come and join our fun-filled group of people! Our first meeting will be on Thursday, September 24 @6:30 pm.

Website: https://www.berthakennedy.com/
Location: 175 Larose Drive, St. Albert, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-458-6101
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BKBOBKATS1/