BRACE Blast!
Jan. 20, 2025
We are looking for a Grade 10-11 BRACE student to serve as our second representative for BRSD's SAVY (Student-Led Advocacy for Voices of Youth) group. If you are interested, please let Mr. Chanasyk know!
Lot of great rewards:
- Looks great on a resume
- Build leadership skills
- Meet great people
- Great opportunities
All students need to check with their teachers about details for Diplomas and Final Exams!
Diploma students need to be here at 8:45am and ensure that you have water bottle, calculator, and all the things needed!
All of the Diploma Exam dates are posted on our website - just scroll down to Upcoming Events!
School Mental Health Ontario has provided many exam taking strategies to support students with exam taking strategies and student study strategies.
Most importantly:
Before any exam be sure to get a good night’s rest the night before an exam
Drink plenty of water
Eat a good breakfast
Pack a nutritious snack
Stress Management:
Stress is the response our bodies have to challenges in our lives, and it can be helpful in the right amounts because it increases our alertness and gives us extra energy. Normalizing “healthy stress” with students is a strategy teachers can use to help students recognize stress as a tool that can be helpful as they approach exams.
Signs that stress may be harmful instead of helpful are: feelings of fatigue and not sleeping well, having body aches and pains, changes in eating habits, and feelings of anxiousness, anger and overwhelm.
To keep stress under control during an exam, students may benefit from these simple tools:
Having access to a fidget
Practicing Cyclic Breathing
Practicing tense and release: bringing awareness to the way our bodies feel when we purposely tense and release different muscle groups.
Chewing gum: small chewing movements help the nervous system to relax and may increase serotonin levels. It may also improve our memory and help us to stay alert and pay attention.
For non-Diploma courses, we are going to switch to quarters as of Jan. 28....
What does that mean?
This means that for full-time students, instead of taking approximately 4 courses at a time that are designed to be done in a semester, students will take 2 courses that are designed to be done in a quarter.
What does that mean??
Students will take one core course and about five credits of complementary courses from Jan. 28 - Apr. 11. This should get them about ten credits.
Then they will take a new core course and another five credits of complementary courses from Apr. 12-June 20 or so.
This document informs parents about the detailed information the PowerSchool Parent Portal web browser provides about their students' progress.
Although the PowerSchool Portal app is convenient, it does not offer everything the web browser does.
Research consistently shows that regular attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic success. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve higher grades, develop stronger social connections, and maintain positive mental health. Conversely, chronic absenteeism can create gaps in learning that are difficult to close and impact long-term outcomes. Ensuring that every student is present and engaged remains a top priority!
Attendance at BRACE looks very different - we consider attendance to be engagement - seeing you in our classrooms, or logging in Moodle and handing things in!
Keep engaged and keep in contact!
Changing ways is offering an online Anger Management group for youth. Please consider adding this information to your newsletter for families. Changing ways
Augustana is hosting a free performance of Pawâkan Macbeth by Akpik Theatre for Grade 7+ students!
Details:
In-person: Monday, June 16, or Tuesday, June 17, at 1:00 pm
Livestream: Tuesday, June 17, at 1:00 pm
Location: Cargill Theatre, Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre, Camrose
Seats are limited! Reserve now:
In-person: Contact Susan at scbrosius@camroselive.ca or (780) 608-2923
Livestream: Click here
The 2025 Wellness Summit is designed for students to engage in mental health learning through hearing speakers from a wide range of topics. We have found this Summit, along with other mental health strategies in the school, has helped students understand themselves and those around them better. Each year we focus on various topics and multiple speakers,
These topics align with the Health & Social Services (HSS) courses. However, they are designed for enjoyment and personal learning. For online students, this event is a must attend! I know they will enjoy the sessions. For students who are in-person, this event can be used to invite students who you know would benefit from the opportunity or you could invite the entire school and purchase a school wide event code. See below for more information.
Event Details: https://2025wellnesssummit.sched.com/
Keynote Speaker: Phil Herman – “The Brain’s Hidden Truth: How Early Experiences Shape Who We Are”
Other Speakers: Experts from groups such as Hull Services, Headstrong, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Stepping Stones to Mental Health, Candor (Neurodivergent Supports), Impact Society, Closer to Home, Boys and Girls Club, PMAST, and more.
Our Career Counsellors have been busy! Check out their newsletter here and follow them on Instagram @hsplusbrsd!
Do you need help planning your next semester classes? Do they align with high school graduation and post-secondary options? Make an appointment with your career counsellor to double-check this information.
Did you know you can check your student’s grades any time! We now use a tool called PowerSchool so that students and families can see their grades in real time - as soon as we enter a grade in, you can see it! More information is provided in another newsletter!