Principal’s Message
In honour of our Grade 8’s going to see the Edmonton Riverhawks baseball game today (with me as a chaperone), I thought I would give my second-last principal message of the year, a little baseball flair!
** To the tune of Take Me Out to the Ball Game**
Take me out of the classroom,
By now the end is in sight,
Buy me some markers and a colored pen,
School year is closing, we’re counting then!
Oh, we’re putting in all our grading,
For it’s one, two, three weeks to go,
Until the bell rings, and we’re out of town,
But don’t forget our Grade 9 Grads in their gowns!
Teachers are packing their classrooms,
While the students all cheer,
Principals planning for next year ahead,
Schedules and meetings, the lists are all spread.
Oh, we’re wrapping up all our duties,
For it’s one, two, three weeks to go,
Until the bell rings, and we’re out of town,
Parents they’re yours, please don’t frown!
Parents, you know that I am kidding,
We love your children so much!
I wish you all a blessed summer of fun
It won’t be long until the new school year has begun!
For one, two, three weeks to go,
In the whole schoooool yeaaar!
Announcements
School Council – Thank you!
Grade 9 Graduation – Friday, June 14
We will be hosting our grade 9 graduation ceremony and celebration Friday, June 14 at 7:00 pm at Ebenezer Christian Reformed Church. All are welcome to attend the ceremony; there will be a standing reception to follow.
We are looking for some Grade 7 & 8 parents to volunteer to come to the church, make punch, coffee, and tea, set up desserts at tables, and then clean up at the end of the night. Please sign up here if you are able to volunteer.
Please contact Mr. Schindel at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Year-End Celebrations
We are looking forward to celebrating another year of learning! For the last day of school, Wednesday, June 26, the itinerary will be as follows:
- 8:35 am – Classes Begin
- 11:30 am – Year-End Celebration (awards/scholarships, prayer for those leaving CCS, announcements for next year)
- 12:00 pm – Lunch (Year-end pizza lunch and Kona Ice-more details to follow below)
- 2:00 pm – Homerooms/cleanup etc.
- 3:15 pm – Staff wave goodbye as buses/students leave for the summer!
School-wide Pizza Family Picnic
We will once again be doing a school-wide pizza lunch. We will be ordering pizza from Nitza’s Pizza. There will be cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian, and a gluten-free option for ordering as well as assorted pop or Bubly. This is not a hot lunch sponsored event but will run similarly to hot lunch. The pizza order form is now up on PowerSchool and ready to be completed. The deadline for orders (and payment-which MUST be made at the time of filling out the order form) is Thursday, June 20, 2024, at NOON. All parents and younger siblings etc are invited to join us! Our LSCE PR committee will also be providing a KONA ICE treat for all of our staff and kiddos! Visitors will be able to purchase their own Kona Ice treat if they choose as well.
Snack Menu:
🥔 Chips: $1.00
🥤 Cans of Pop: $2.00
🍭 Candy Bags: $1.00
Schedule:
Div. 3 (Gr. 7-9): Thursday, June 13
Div. 1 (Gr. K-3): Thursday, June 20
Thank you so much for your support!
Exam Schedules
Grade 6 PAT/Exam Schedule
Grade 6 students will begin writing PAT/Exams at 9:00 am each day. They will have regular classes following their exams.
Junior High Exam Schedule
- Exams will begin at 9:00 am and Jr. High students must stay until 11:00 am. Students must bring a book to read while they wait. Phones/Gaming devices will not be permitted due to exam protocols.
- At 11:00 am Jr. High students are free to leave provided they have the signed documentation — A permission form will be available on PowerSchool on Wednesday, June 12.
- Jr. High students without documentation will be in ‘study hall’ in their own classroom area. Once all exams have been completed teachers will go back to their homeroom to supervise.
- Beginning at 11:00 am there will be three check-out tables (7,8,9) in three areas around the foyer or just outside the main doors-if weather permits. At 11:00 am, once students have completed their exam they will go to their check-out area to wait for their ride.
** Students must take at least 60 minutes to write their exam. At 10:00 am (or 60 mins after you begin the exam), students who have completed the exam will make their way to the gymnasium to wait until all others are finished. While in the gymnasium, there will NOT be any athletics going on, it will simply be a large space for them to socialize/hang out until they are picked up or move to the study hall area for the afternoon. (No athletics is due to the large number of students in the gymnasium area). Phones are still not available for them at this time. If the weather allows, Mr. Drader is willing to move to the fields to allow those willing to participate in athletics out there. If this occurs, someone will supervise the gymnasium area**
Staff Teaching Assignments for 2024-2025
I extend my gratitude to the parents who reached out to share their thoughts on student placements for the upcoming academic year. While it is challenging to meet every individual request, please be assured that we carefully considered all concerns regarding placements and classroom dynamics.
I would like to clarify that we do not accommodate parent requests based on specific teacher preferences, and the deadline for student requests has passed. I have the utmost confidence in our outstanding staff, whose strong pedagogical skills ensure that each student receives the appropriate instruction.
We are mindful of the unique qualities each teacher brings and how they effectively engage with different students. This thoughtful consideration is integral to our class placement process, as well as student dynamics, and structure for each room. We ask parents to trust our professional judgment in making placement decisions, as we aim to create the best possible learning environment for every student, academically, socially, and spiritually.
Below is our teacher list for next year.
*Obviously, there are times and circumstances where these can change if enrolment changes.*
- KA – Kindergarten Monday/Wednesday – Mrs. Alice VandeKraats
- KB – Kindergarten Tuesday/Thursday – Mrs. Heather Luchak
- Gr. 1A – Mrs. Sharon Koopmans
- Gr. 1B – Mrs. Laura Glesman
- Gr. 2A – Mrs. Joanne Gulley
- Gr. 2B – Mrs. Danielle Woloschuk & Mrs. Caroline Clark
- Gr. 3A – Mrs. Nicole Hennink & Mrs. Heather Luchak
- Gr. 3B – Mrs. Lynette Johnston
- Gr. 4A – Miss Katie Molzan
- Gr. 4B – Mrs. Jennifer Lozeau & Mrs. Charlene Veldkamp
- Gr. 5A – Mrs. Rebecca Vriend
- Gr. 5B – Mr. Andy Jenkins
- Gr. 6A – Ms. Robynn Moody
- Gr. 6B – Mrs. Stacy Bruinsma
- Gr. 7A – Mr. Colin Ward
- Gr. 8A – Mrs. Michelle Clark
- Gr. 8B – Mr. Jeremy Schindel
- Gr. 9A – Mr. Chris Hennink
- LST – Mrs. Charlene Veldkamp
- LST Jr. High – Mrs. Jenna Haugen
- Student Advocate – Ms. Jennifer Lozeau
- TfT Lead – Ms. Jennifer Lozeau
- PE Specialist – Mr. Philip Drader
- Music Specialist – Mrs. Ann McDonald
- FSL Specialist – Madame Nicole McConville
- Assistant Principal – Mrs. Jenna Haugen
- Principal – Mr. Donavin Simmons
BGSD Board Highlights
The May 2024 Board Highlights have been posted to the Divison website at: News. They are also posted to our Board Highlights website section.
The Board Highlights are a summary of our Board of Trustee meetings to communicate pertinent information to our staff, school councils, parents, students, and stakeholders. To be environmentally friendly, paper copies are not provided to the schools and School Council Chairs. The minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees are also posted on our Division website.
Hot Lunch
Hot Lunches are on Wednesdays.
You can find the forms for Hot Lunch in your student’s PowerSchool account under the Student Fees and Forms heading on the left-hand side. Orders will close on the Tuesday prior to the following week’s hot lunch at 11:59 pm. All orders must be placed online, and payment must be made with form submission to be processed. (No cash or cheques are accepted). Please check your email for a confirmation receipt to ensure that your order went through.
Upcoming Hot Lunches:
June:
- 12 – Wok Box
- 19 – KFC
If you would like to see which hot lunches are coming up in future months, you can find out on our school events calendar found here.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Hot Lunch, you can reach our Hot Lunch Coordinator, Mrs. Hofstra, via email at: [email protected]
Celebration
We hold weekly assemblies, which we call Celebration. We alternate between Wednesday and Thursday mornings each month so our kindergarten students are each able to join us every other month.
Celebration will be held on Wednesdaysfor the month of June.
Lost & Found
Our lost and found has extended to another table! Please take a minute to look and see if any of the items belong to your household and either get your kids to stop by and pick up your items or email the office and we will try to send them home with them.
We will post weekly pictures of our lost and found. If you see something that is your child’s, please have them stop by the table and pick it up or let the office know.
All unclaimed items will be donated to a second-hand store by the end of the month.
Athletics:
For a calendar of events including home and away games etc. please click HERE.
Please familiarize yourself with our athletic handbook when you have a spare moment. It speaks to important issues such as parent conduct as well as athlete conduct. While we know that the school year is almost done, we mustn’t lose our high expectations for our athletes, parents, and coaches.
LSCE News:
LSCE Executive Meeting Update:
- A big thank you to the sponsors and volunteers of the Golf Tournament! Despite the chilly weather, it was a fun and successful day.
- Congratulations to the Grade 9 graduates. May your foundations from CCS serve you well as you embark on your next ventures.
- Are you able to step up and help out? The Public Relations, Preschool, and Finance committees are still in need of volunteers! See below for further details!
Volunteer Opportunities – Think about volunteering on one of our committees next year! Our preschool committee PR committee, and Finance committee are all looking for new members. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Gatzke at [email protected] who can put you in touch with someone from one of these committees to answer any questions you may have.
Fundraising Opportunities
Bring in your Boston Pizza receipts and the school can earn cash back!
Purchase CO-OP gift cards from us and part of the proceeds stay in our school!
All money raised will go towards a re-do of our school parking lot. For more information please contact Afton Goldsmith at [email protected].
Social Media
To keep up to date on all fundraising opportunities, please follow us on social media.
https://www.facebook.com/covenantchristianschoolfundraisingpage
https://www.instagram.com/fundraising.lsce/
Calendar:
June:
- 12 – Grade 8 River Hawks Baseball Field Trip
- 13 – Grade 4 Bunchberry Meadows Field Trip
- 13 – Grade 5 Michelon Lake Field Trip
- 14 – CTF Outdoor Ed Field Trip to Alex Outdoor Pool
- 14 – CTF Tourism & Agriculture Field Trip to Wizard Lake
- 14 – Grade 9 Graduation @ 7:00 pm
- 17 – 26 – PATs and Final Exams
- 21 – Grade 5J & 5M Alexandra Outdoor Pool Field Trip
- 24 – Grade 1-3 Millet Spray Park Field Trip
- 26 – Year-End Pizza Family Picnic
- 26 – Last Day of School
- 27 – Report Cards & Class Lists Emailed to Parents
- 27-28 – Teacher Workdays
August:
- 26-27 – Teacher Workdays
- 27 – Back to School BBQ
- 28 – School Commences for All Grades 1-12 Students
- 28 & 29 – Kindergarten Staggered Entry Days
Community Events:
Mental Health Capacity Building: Summer Programs
Below is the MHCB summer programs link. The programs include activities for most age groups and families.
The links are closed until registration on Friday, June 7 at 9:00.
All details are on the posters, and all camps are FREE.
https://sites.google.com/gshare.blackgold.ca/mental-health/?authuser=0
BREAD TO THE MAXX
I want to start this business because I love to bake and it’s a very big passion and hobby of mine. I want to save up for a standard mixer, a set of chef knives, cake pans, and a full set of chef’s pots and pans.
Please support me in my baking business and passion!!!
We have the following breads that I am baking:
- SOURDOUGH BREAD………………………………………………….……………$12.99
- CARAMEL BANANA BREAD………………………………………………………….$6.99
- GARLIC AND HERBED FOCACCIA……………………………………..…………..$8.99
Please contact Maxx at [email protected] for all your baking needs and orders.
Thank you for your support in my baking passion!!!!
Leduc Library Summer Reading Program
Rehoboth Camp Ministry is a Christian summer camp for people with special needs from young children to seniors. We want to share the love of Jesus, provide a summer camp experience, build relationships, and give parents or guardians a week of respite. We need volunteers to make this happen and are looking forward to having you
be a part of this! A willingness to be a friend and help someone have a positive Camp experience is all that is needed. If you are 14 years old and up, have a heart for serving others, have a week to spare this summer, then we are the place for you! Check us out at www.rcmflourish.ca/camp to get more information!
Gull Lake Centre Summer Camp
Gull Lake Centre is a Christian camp where the vision is to create a space for campers to connect with Christ and with each other.
This is done through:
– summer camps for children of all ages (5-18), family camp, winter camps (grades 4-12)
– LTD program (Leadership Training and Discipleship) for high school students, 3-year program. The key elements of the LTD program are mentorship, experience, and community. The teens are taught to lead while being given space to grow their relationship with God.
– new FED program (Faith Experience and Discipleship) which is a volunteer program for teens during the summer where you both contribute to the operation of camp and also get to enjoy all the fun activities they offer, 1 week commitment
Website: https://www.gulllakecentre.ca
Pembina Bible Camp
Pembina Bible Camp registration is now open for 2024!! 
Week 1 July 7-13
(Family & Teen Camp) https://thefathershousechurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2291417
Week 2 July 14-20
(Family & Teen Camp) https://thefathershousechurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2256107
If you have any questions please contact:
Jody Nelson
Pembina Bible Camp
780-974-2801
Odds & Ends:
Sign In/Out Form:
Scan Me
Please use the above QR code, orthis link, to sign your child in or out of the building. You can also come into the school and use the Chromebook provided in the office. Please make sure to let the office know you have collected your child before leaving the parking lot (phone call/eye contact) and ask your child to check in at the office when they enter or leave. This ensures everyone is accounted for appropriately in the case of an emergency.
Facebook Page:
As always, Facebook is a great spot to see some of the fun things going on at the school!
