Mustang Memo - September 13, 2024
Thank you to everyone for joining us last night for our Family Wellness Night.
We would like to thank the School Council and Davidson Creek Fundraising Society parent groups for sponsoring the event, including the Fitset Ninja obstacle course.
Thank you to Candace Abraham for running a great yoga and meditation session and to Julia and Gerald for the parent information session and mindfulness experiences in the library.
We would like to thank our teachers for coming back to school to engage in wellness activities with our community in their evening. We are so lucky to have such a great learning community!
We hope that you had fun and found some inspiration to promote health and wellness for your family. Have a great weekend!
Helene Hewitt & Jay Robertson
Principal & Assistant Principal
A place where you belong!
Table of Contents
Week At a Glance
Action
- Smile! Picture Day is Coming
- Personal Devices At School
Opportunity
- School Council and Davidson Creek Elementary Fundraising Society Meetings
Information
- Counsellor's Corner
- School Nurse Update - Grade 6 Immunizations
- Truth and Reconciliation - Orange Shirt Day
- Parents Make the Difference
WEEK AT A GLANCE
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ACTION
Smile! Picture Day is Coming
Get out those cute outfits and big gap-toothed grins! Picture Day is this week!
Kindergarten B classes and grades 1-6 students will have their pictures taken this Thursday, September 19. Kindergarten A classes will have their picture on Friday, September 20. We know that our students will dazzle us with their some excellent photos!
Personal Devices at School
Personal communication devices like cell phones and tablets can be a ton of fun! Being able to contact your child on a cell phone when they are walking home alone is a comforting feeling!
While they can help us to make our lives easier, they can also be harmful to developing brains. In fact, several studies published in the last few years show that having too much access to social media can rewire adolescent brains resulting in increased levels of anxiety, depression, and poor body image. You can read more about it here.
Did you know that EIPS has a policy related to personal communication devices? According to Administrative Procedure 145, students in elementary school are not permitted to have personal communication devices on their person during school hours. If a child brings one to school, they are to be kept out of sight in a locker and not to be used while at school both in class or outside at breaks. Our school is also not responsible to loss or theft of personal communication devices.
You can read more about the policy as well as how we manage personal communication devices at school by reading our school handbook.
OPPORTUNITY
School Council Meeting and Davidson Creek Fundraising Society Meeting
Just a reminder of our first School Council and DCFS meeting take place this Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 6 p.m. We will post the agendas online on Monday! See you there!
INFORMATION
Counsellor's Corner
Hello DCE parents,
This week we wanted to share some valuable resources and contacts available to support your children and family. If you have any questions or would like more guidance on how to support your child’s mental health, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the counseling team at the school by phone (780-467-5557)or by email (madison.bashaw@eips.ca or kelley.mitchell@eips.ca).
Alberta Health Services Child and Youth Mental Health Intake
780-342-2701 (Intake line for parents to call for their children)
This is a great starting point for accessing mental health supports for your child, especially if you are unsure where to begin or what type of support to seek out.
Child Adolescent and Family Mental Health Through CASA
CASA offers a family therapy program, as well as programming options for children and youth. You can also look at an overview of CASA programs here, as well as information about how to access CASA services here.
This website is a great resource for anyone struggling with anxiety symptoms. There are handouts, quick links and activities for youth and adults, including audio and video links to help guide people through various activities. A self-help section is available with a wealth of resources including articles, personal stories and information on evidence-based interventions that are helpful for anyone experiencing general anxiety.
Strathcona Family and Community Services
If you’re stressed about money, groceries, relationships, parenting, mental health custody issues or you just need to talk, call Strathcona Family and Community Services at 780-464-4044.
Family and Community Services staff will support you and connect you to free resources in the County.
Services include:
- Solutions Navigation
- Counselling
- Family Resource Network (Info on child and youth development, discussing challenges and individualized parenting plans, Referrals to other agencies, Connecting to community resources, In-home parenting support)
- Family Justice Navigator (Guidance regarding parenting/custody and other family court applications and court processes)
Call-in hours:
- Monday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Madison Bashaw, M.Ed. and Kelley Mitchell, M.Ed., R. Psych. CHT
Davidson Creek School Counsellors
School Nurse Update: Grade 6 Immunizations
Dear parents and guardians,
AHS Public Health Nurses will be coming to Davidson Creek School on Oct. 27, 2022 to provide the first set of immunizations to the Grade 6 students. For your child to be immunized in the school, a consent must be signed by a legal guardian.
For tips on preparing your child for immunizations, please refer to https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/hp/cdc/if-hp-cdc-ipsm-tips-make-imm-easier-child.pdf
If your child is not present on the round dates they may receive immunizations on other dates throughout the school year.
Any questions or concerns please call your School Nurse, Laura at 780-342-4637.
National Truth & Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day
September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with the purpose of honouring the children who never returned home as well as Survivors of residential schools. This day is an opportunity for public commemoration of these tragic events and painful history as well as an acknowledgment of the ongoing impacts of residential schools.
As September 30 is a federal statutory holiday, our school will participate in Orange Shirt Day on September 27. Students and community members are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to school on this day. If you don't own an orange shirt, you can still be part of this event by wearing an orange ribbon or another items of clothing in orange. We will have ribbons available for students who may need them.
What is Orange Shirt Day and why do we acknowledge it?
Orange Shirt Day is a day of remembrance and and act of reconciliation that takes place annually across Canada. This is an opportunity to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools. It grew out of a gathering of survivors held in Williams Lake, British Columbia in 2013, where Phyllis Webstad, who attended St. Joseph Mission residential school, shared her experience of having her new orange shirt taken on her first day. If you would like to learn more about Phyllis' story, click here to watch a short video. September 30 was picked as the date because it is the time children had to leave their homes and return to the schools.
What help is available to former residential school students?
The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available for former residential school students and includes emotional and crisis referral services. Services are available around the clock and can be accessed by calling 1-866 925-4419.
Parents Make the Difference
Each week we will share an article with helpful tips for families. Here is this week's article:
Make attendance a priority for your child this school year
As students gear up for another school year, the lingering effects of COVID-19 continue to impact attendance—with rates still struggling to reach pre-pandemic levels. Over seven million students across the U.S. are missing out on three weeks or more of valuable class time annually.
Poor attendance damages academic success. When students miss school or arrive in class late, everyone suffers. Teachers spend time collecting makeup work and reteaching. Meanwhile, other students—who are ready to learn—must wait.
Teach your child that a student’s number one responsibility is to start school on time every day. To support your child:
- Stick to a schedule. Establish evening and morning routines that help your child be prepared. Select outfits and gather materials needed for school at night.
- Schedule carefully. Make medical and other appointments during non-school hours when possible. School should be a priority when planning family trips, too.
- Seek help when needed. Many factors contribute to missing school. If your family struggles with health, transportation, work, child care or other issues, talk with school staff. Our shared goal is to help all students do their best in school.
Reprinted with permission from the September 2024 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2024 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: P.W. Jordan and R. Miller, Who’s In: Chronic Absenteeism under the Every Student Succeeds Act, FutureEd.