Principal’s Message:
Last week our admin team was able to finish digging into our Provincial Achievement Test data from last year. While I fully believe that the PATs are simply a snapshot in time, and not fully reflective of the year of learning, it is still one measure to show how our school is doing comparatively.
CCS does well on PATs, and this past year was no different. If we take a look at our averages comparatively to BGSD and the province, we can see that, and it is something to be celebrated. Although with that said, we are always looking for growth in our school, and how we can do better.
As you can see, the area we can continue to grow in is mathematics. We can do this by helping ensure our students keep an open mind about it and are willing to grow in it. Today, I am asking you to help us achieve that goal. Talk to your kids about math, play games with them, use numeric language in your conversations with your kids and don’t speak negatively about math – unless it is about integers (hehehe). If they are speaking poorly about numeracy, see if you can help. As we work together, it isn’t about the PAT mark, it is about them being confident and self-assured in their numeric learning. We may be above provincial averages, but there’s always room for growth.
A huge shout out to all of our teaching staff and support staff for helping us be able to achieve these great numbers as well. Again, while it is only a snapshot, it is a pretty promising picture.
While there are lots of math websites you can use to help your kids – things like Kahn academy math or math playground, nothing beats playing games with your kiddos. Games help them build confidence with numbers in ways that just focusing on terminology or equations do not.
My favourite math card games are:
1) 31
2) Golf (obviously)
3) Cribbage
4) Race to 100 (flip deck of cards and continue adding up to 100)
5) War
6) Fraction war (use two cards each, one top and one bottom, play like regular war)
Give it a try!
Announcements:
Stable Table – Question of the Week
A huge congratulations to theSowden family who were randomly selected as the winner of Mr. Simmons’, “traditions question” posted in last week’s Chronicle! A prize will go home today (check backpack)! This week’s question is posted below. Please talk amongst your family, and fill in this form for your chance to win next week!!
Thank you all to those who answered last week’s questions. I think it was my favourite so far! All of the responses on how your children were named were so fun to read! This week, I am challenging you to dig a little into your family’s history.
How did your grandma and grandpa meet?
Helping Hands
2W and 2GM would like to invite CCS to be part of their winter giving project! From now until Friday, December 16th please bring NEW socks and underwear and new or gently used toques and mittens to the bin in front of the office. Donations will be tallied and then delivered to the Leduc HUB. Thank you in advance for being Servant-Workers with us for the less fortunate in our community.
Parents As Partners
One thing I have always appreciated about our community is that for the most part, we follow our Christian principles of communication. Speaking for good, listening before we speak, weighing our words, and speaking to the correct individuals is something that as the body of Christ we are called to do, and thus take it seriously. If you remember back to your new family meeting, you would have heard me say that if something is bothering you, I would like you to wait 24 hours to cool down, and then speak directly to the correct person in a way that edifies, not hurts (as we know, social media doesn’t typically edify).
Unfortunately, the rest of our BGSD community doesn’t necessarily have these principles to fall back on, and thus have created this document to help it along. As I was on the committee to help create this, I will ask you to take a good look at it as well, but please remember that when we are dealing with and speaking about difficult issues, we always want to do so in a way that is God-pleasing and to allow the person you are in conversation with to deal with it.
Coaches NEEDED!!
We are in need of some coaches for our senior boy’s basketball teams this year! If you, or someone you know, would be interested in helping out with these teams, please contact the school office at 780-986-8353 or [email protected]. Commitment would be one practice and one game per week as well as a few tournaments.
School Council Meeting – November 30 (immediately following Celebration)
Our next School Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 30 immediately following Celebration. The agenda for the upcoming School Council meeting is below for your perusal. If there is anything you would like to discuss, please contact Shauna Balehowsky at [email protected] so she can add it to the agenda.
School Clothing
Please log in to your child’s PowerSchool account to place an order. Orders are due by Friday, November 25 and delivery will be before we go on Christmas break. If you would like to order clothing as part of a Christmas gift for your child(ren), please indicate so on the order form.
Payment MUST be made at the time of placing your order, or the form will NOT be processed.
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. We will hold Celebration on Thursdaysfor the month of December. All parents are welcome to join us each week!
Hot Lunch
We are excited to once again offer a weekly Hot Lunch Day! This year, Hot Lunches will be on Wednesdays.
We are noticing that a number of our families are unintentionally placing more than one order for hot lunch day/student. If you are unsure if you have ordered a hot lunch or not, you can always check your email for a confirmation receipt. You can also check under the Completed Forms tab on your student’s PowerSchool account. All of your completed forms will be listed there and you can view them each by clicking on the small eye icon.
Please see the photo below for where to find this.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Hot Lunch, you can reach our Hot Lunch Coordinator, Mrs. Hofstra, via email at: [email protected]
Lost & Found
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. We have an ABUNDANCE of lost clothing currently.
Athletics:
Volleyball
Junior Girls – are finished league play for the season. They won first place in the Northeast Christian School Tournament!! Our wrap-up will happen on Friday after school until 5:45 pm.
Junior Boys won Bronze at the NorthEast Christian Tournament on the weekend!! They played their league finals last night and also brought home the Bronze medal there too! Congratulations team!
Our wrap-up will happen on Friday after school until 5:45 pm.
Senior Girls played in their quarter-final playoffs yesterday as well. They won in two games and will now play at CCS tomorrow for the finals after the semi-finals are over. Come on out and cheer them on!
Our wrap-up will happen on Friday after school until 5:45 pm
Senior Boys will participate in the semi-final playoffs tomorrow at 4:00 pm in Devon at Holy Spirit School.
Our wrap-up will happen on Friday after school until 5:45 pm
Basketball
Elementary Girls – the team has been selected and they will play in a tournament on the weekend! If your daughter has been selected for the team, please log in to PowerSchool to complete the permission form and pay the season fees before the tournament this weekend.
Elementary Boys – Please check your son’s PowerSchool account to complete the permission form and pay the season’s fees as soon as possible. They will participate in a tournament this weekend as well.
Senior Boys – Once a coach has been solidified, tryouts etc. will begin.
Senior Girls – Once a coach has been solidified, tryouts etc. will begin.
LSCE News:
Executive Meeting Update
The third Society Executive meeting for the 2022/2023 school year was held on Monday evening, November 21. Here are some highlights from our meeting:
- Addition update: Our addition continues to progress well – however, we have run into some unforeseen circumstances that have pushed the schedule back a bit from our anticipated completion by the end of November. We are still hoping to get occupancy in early December, and slowly move in so that we can be up and running after Christmas break! The finish line is in sight!
- CCS 40th Anniversary Homecoming Weekend – save the NEW dates (April 22-23): Plans are coming together for the CCS 40th birthday bash next year! In order to make the timing work better for all involved, we have decided to move the celebration to Saturday/Sunday, April 22/23 (a weekend earlier than previously announced). Watch future issues of the Chronicle for more details on what promises to be an epic weekend! (Did someone say…volleyball tournament?)
Save the Date
The LSCE has some exciting events happening in the new year so mark your calendars!
Saturday/Sunday, April 29/30, 2023 – 40th Anniversary Homecoming Weekend
Saturday, June 10, 2023 – 3rd Annual CCS Golf Tournament
Fundraising Opportunities
There is still time to get your Purdys order in. PURDYS ORDERS ARE DUE BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25th.
Get all your Christmas sweets and treats in one place this year. Click here to view the online catalogue. Orders can be placed and directly paid for on the Purdys website.
Social Media
Come say hi and stay up-to-date on all the events and fundraising opportunities we have to offer. You can find us on
Calendar:
November:
- 23 – Red & White Dress-up Day in Support of Canada in the World Cup
- 25 – Purdys Orders Due
- 30 – School Council Meeting – directly following Celebration
December:
- 5 – PD Day – No School
- 13 – Grinch Day – Wear Green Dress Up Day
- 15 – Christmas Concert at 12:30 & 6:30 pm
- 19 – Formal Day – Wear your Christmas best! Dress Up Day
- 20 – Cozy or Christmassy Socks Dress Up Day
- 21 – Christmas Jammies Dress Up Day
- 22 – ‘Twas the Day Before Christmas Break – Ugly Sweaters! Dress Up Day
Community Events:
Please click on the image below to learn more about community events in our area! Also found under our Parents menu on the website.
Odds & Ends:
Sign In/Out Form:
In an effort to reduce the amount of shared touched surfaces, we will be using a QR code that you will need to scan with your phone for signing in and out of the school. You can also use this link if you are in your vehicle and need to sign out a student but can’t scan the code. This means that students/parents/visitors can scan the QR code when entering or leaving the office/school to sign in or sign out on their own phone/device.
Parents will also be able to sign their kids out from their vehicle in the parking lot when they arrive to pick them up for appts. etc. please use the link above if you can’t scan the QR code. We do ask that parents pull into a spot (not bus lane) where you can contact the office to let them know you have arrived and we can make eye contact with you
from the staff/office door. Students must also stop by the office before leaving the school. At that point, once a connection is made, we are able to send students out to you.
Facebook Page:
Check out our Facebook page for more highlights of happenings at CCS by clicking here.
