Caroline Cougar Talk: Merry Christmas!
Caroline Cougar Talk: Merry Christmas!
Caroline Cougar Talk: Merry Christmas!
DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 4 - Grade 6 Greek Agora in the concourse @12:30 pm December 13 Jr/Sr High Ski Trip Lake Louise Leave at 4:00 am December 18Elementary Story Time & Hot Chocolate 1:00 pm December 20 Christmas Concert 7:00 pm December 21 Christmas Concert 10:00 am Christmas Break begins December 22 and School resumes January 7, 2013
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Administrators Message
It only seems like a week ago we were welcoming the students back from summer holidays and here we are three months later and counting down the days until Christmas! There is an old saying that states time flies when you are busy and having fun and this year at Caroline School certainly fits the criteria. I began listing all of the events that have occurred since September; however, I soon realized that the list would be way too long to include in this message. From kindergarten through to grade twelve, our staff and students have been buzzing with field trips, fundraisers, pep rallies, ceremonies, volunteer programs and sports teams and as far as I can see, the rest of this year appears to be just as engaging. At this time, we would like to thank everyone in our school community for such a terrific start to the school year. Without the patience and effort of everyone involved with our school, our successes could not be accomplished. We wish everyone a joyous, relaxing, and safe holiday season, for it is very welldeserved, and we look forward to seeing all of you back after the New Year.
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Healthy Lifestyle
Get a good night sleep: When you give your body enough time to recharge its batteries, the mind and body both benefit. You'll feel more mentally and physically prepared to take on whatever life throws at you. This time of year it is very important to try and get your sleep! Merry Christmas Everyone! There is a price change on two of our items from the concession, Sparkling Ice $2.00 and Nuts $2.00. Our cost went up as it costs us more in the store to purchase them.
Leadership News
The Elementary Leadership Team will be selling Christmas Grams December 10 -14th for $0.25 each. Spread some Christmas spirit and help support the Caroline food bank through this annual tradition. Grade 5-8 Technology Club begins Wednesday, January 10. Students interested in website design, video production and other technology-based projects are welcome. Club meets from 3:30-4:30 in the Elementary Computer lab.
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When we arrived at the arena, the students fell in love with the positive Students energy and the enthusiasm. WE Day was both inspiring and thought provoking and the students left feeling empowered and ready for action. We picked up our groceries and headed to Camp Gardiner (a scouts camp just outside of Calgary). We decided on the camp because it gave us a common area to plan and it was relatively inexpensive. We spent the evening reviewing what excited us about WE day, brainstorming ideas and playing leadership games.
Planning our year of events
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The next day we drove back into the city, got on the LRT and headed to China Town. There we met with a representative from the Chinese Cultural Center who toured us through the museum and then through China Town in Calgary. Students learned about various cultural symbols, the discrimination Chinese immigrants faced in Canada and how China town came to exist. Afterwards they learned about traditional Chinese games and even tried their hand at them. To finish the morning, students went downstairs and had dim sum. Many of the students had never seen nor heard of the menu items but had an opportunity to try several authentic Chinese entrees.
In the afternoon, we jumped onto the LRT and headed to the University of Calgary where we met with the director of
sustainable development. She took us on a tour of the campus and introduced us to their programs which encourage campus to become more environmentally sustainable. Students saw campaigns that encouraged energy conservation and recycling and a new waste management system. We headed back to camp in the evening to finish our planning session and have supper. The next day, we again awoke early and left to meet with the board at the Calgary Immigrant Womens Association. Students were able to see some of the challenges people face when immigrating to our country. They were also introduced to ways that they could volunteer in urban communities and were toured through the various agencies. We were all shocked to learn that CIWA has 144 full time staff and 8 floors of offices! It is an amazing organization doing work with people from when they first arrive in our country until they are comfortable in Canadian Society. The high light for students was probably the Nursery. Babies are super cute in every language!
Students at the University of Calgary learning about sustainable development
In the afternoon, we visited the Calgary Climbing Center. This was originally planned as a trip to COP to try our hand at Zip lining but the poor weather forced them to shut the zip line down early. Climbing was a fantastic way to stretch our boundaries, have some fun and build some team work. Afterwards we went for supper at an Italian restaurant and then off to see some theater improv at Loose Moose Theater
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On the final day of our trip, we made arrangements with the Salvation army to help with their annual Coat campaign and to work in the kitchen at their down town shelter. Our students sorted through over 600 coats and helped serve lunch to the people who use the shelter. This was a great way to finish our trip. Students felt a sense of joy at giving back and it reaffirmed for them the reason they want to help others When we boarded the bus at the end of our trip, students were changed. They still looked the same but they felt connected to each other and to the greater world. Through knowledge and experience, they had gained perspective and through inspiration and action, they had gained energy. What an exciting way to start our yearwith perspective and energy.
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CAROLINE SCHOOL
Every Empty Counts School Program
The Caroline School is excited to announce our participation in the Every Empty Counts School Program, which is offered at no charge by the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation. This innovative stewardship and education program has collected and diverted more than 4 million beverage containers from Alberta landfills. As a participant in the Every Empty Counts program, we receive free beverage container recycling bins, bags for the bins and teaching resources. Our students will also earn fun prizes and learn about the environmental benefits of their efforts to encourage them to continue recycling. Diverting beverage containers from landfills and doing your part for our planet is its own reward. But a little extra incentive sure doesn't hurt, especially when it comes to motivating kids. For every beverage container your school reports to ABCRC, you earn one Every Empty Counts Prize Point. Many students bring beverage containers to school on a daily basis, including milk cartons, juice boxes and drink pouches. These and many other containers are recyclable and refundable. By collecting containers and refunding them through a Depot, dollars raised can be used to support important fundraising initiatives. The Caroline School has 2 ways for you to help:
Turn your bottles in to the bottle depot and donate the refund to the school to assist with school programming such as the playground project, accelerated reading program, etc. Turn your bottles in to the bottle depot and bring your receipt to the school (can be from any bottle depot in Alberta) the school can then enter in the total amount of bottles recycled and receive points to redeem for prizes (as shown below).
Our goal is to be one of the first schools to get to 50,000 points and receive an Outdoor Donation Bin.
Thank you for your support in helping us to raise valuable funds for our school, and in assisting our students in the diversion of beverage containers from Albertas landfills. Please call the school if you would like more information (403) 722-3833.
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Congratulations to the grade 6 class who won the Cougar Cup at the Pep Rally that was held on November 15th! Way to go!
Peer Tutoring
Caroline Peer Tutoring program will be up and running in January.
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Elementary News
With Christmas break right around the corner, there is a lot going on at Caroline School. Elementary students and some of our grade 8 students are working hard on our Christmas Concert, and it sounds like a beautiful event! Please join us on the night of December 20th, at 7:00 for our production. Christmas Showcase. We will be offering a second presentation on the morning of December 21st, at 10:00. Were told that Santa Claus will be making an appearance at the evening performance. In the past, Santa has brought treat bags for our youngest members of our audience at this performance! Come and enjoy the fun.
Skating Program
Elementary students will be enjoying skating lessons at the arena in January. Please make sure that your child has an appropriate helmet, skates and good clothing that is light yet warm. We so appreciate volunteers who can assist us at the arena to help tie skates, or be on the ice with the students (helmets are mandatory). We love our parent volunteers! If your child doesnt have a pair of skates that fit, we can try to find a size from our supply at school. All skates need to be sharpened and then carried safely to school. A new pair of skates would be a great item on Santas wish list for your child this year. Lessons occur throughout the days from Monday, January 21Thursday, Jan. 24/13. The following Monday and Tuesday (January 28, 29) will also be skating days for some classes, as follows: Grade 1 (both classes) Grade 2 and Kindergarten Grade 3 and grade 4 Grade 5 and grade 6 1:30 2:30 11:00 12:00 10:00 11:00 12:30 1:30
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Please remind your child to bring their sharpened skates to school for their skating lessons. PARENTS AND TEACHERS must wear helmets while on the ice. We would like to thank Mrs. Tarnasky for her dedication in organizing our elementary skating schedules. Mrs. Godwin, Mrs. Reum and Mrs. Tarnasky are skilled trainers, and many of our students will be skilled skaters because of the lessons they receive.
Swimming Program...
The swimming schedule for students is included in this hand-out. We are pleased to be able to have our ECS to grade
5 students join us this year. You will notice that our younger students are swimming in April, which is a bit later than usual. We are pleased that our swimming program for all elementary students is being run in April and May this year. For the swimming program, students need to bring a bathing suit and towel, and any other personal items they may need. Its a good idea to pack along a plastic bag so that at the end of the day, the damp suit and towel dont interfere with books and other school supplies that are in your childs back-pack. On swim days, buses will pick students up at the school, deliver them to the pool, and pick them up after the lesson and bring them back safely. Parents are most welcome to watch children during lesson time in the gallery, which is up the stairs at the Rocky Mountain House pool Schedule for Elementary Students (ECS-Grade 5) ECS (Tue. Thur.) & 4TW ECS (Mon. Wed.) & 2G/S 1D/L & 3S 1K & 5V 10:30-11:15 1:00-1:45 1:00-1:45 1:15-2:00 April 4, 11, 18, 25 and May 2 April 3, 10, 17, 24 & May 1 April 15, 22, 29, May 6 and 13 May 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30th
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Elementary Assemblies
Elementary assemblies are held on the last Thursday of each month, and begin in the gym at 10:45. Parents are always welcome to attend these gatherings, and students receiving awards are always proud to have their parents, friends and relatives in the audience. Come join us!
Healthy Lifestyles
At Caroline school, we strive to encourage healthy eating habits among our students. Good nutrition feeds a learning brain and body, and is an integral part of your childs daily activities. We discuss the importance of including food items from the four food groups for lunch and snack ideas. This could mean at least one fresh fruit, one fresh vegetable, a dairy product such as milk or cheese, a main meal such as soup, salad, sandwich or leftovers that consists of healthy proteins to keep your child full; and multi-grain bread or crackers that supply carbohydrates. We encourage students to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to flush out the toxins in their body- water bottles are a good idea! A little treat once in a while to please that 'sweet tooth' is a nice way to complete a healthy lunch or snack. Below are some easy lunch and snack ideas that you might want to try: Berries and yogurt Apple and peanut butter Whole grain crackers and cheese Red and green peppers with hummus Sandwich and milk Fruit salad and almonds
Magic Circle: Elementary students enjoyed the Magic Circle plays on December 4th. The drama class from West
Central High School entertained all of us with delightful portrayals of stories. We thank them for including us in their tour!
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So as you can see, we have some busy days coming up in December. We look forward to seeing you at our Christmas Concert. Have a safe and happy holiday! Our winter break is from December 21 to January 7th, 2013