Mustang Memo - September 6, 2024
Do you ever watch American Ninja Warrior and think, "I could do that" as you snack on popcorn on your couch? Have you ever considered doing some form of stretching or mediation to calm your busy mind? Have you ever played with a sound bowl? Do you ever wonder about those parenting sessions offered by Strathcona County Community Services but were too shy to attend?
Now's your chance! Family Wellness Night is only a week away!
Drop into the school between 6 and 7 p.m. and try out one of the following events:
- attend a light yoga class followed with a short meditation by one of our very own Mustang parents, Candice Abraham!
- meet one of our counsellors Mrs. Bashaw or Ms. Mitchell
- meet our Mental Health Capacity Builder, Julia Knudsen, who will have mindfulness activities set up in the library that you can try out
- attend a parenting tips session by German Villegas from Strathcona County Family & Community Services
- challenge the giant Fitset Ninja obstacle course. Not sure what it looks like? Check out this video:
We hope to see you there!
Helene Hewitt & Jay Robertson
Principal & Assistant Principal
A place where you belong!
Table of Contents
Week At a Glance
Action
- Stop, Drop and Go Lane
Opportunity
- School Council and Davidson Creek Elementary Fundraising Society Meetings
- Caregiver Series: September Sessions
- Alberta Health Services Additions and Mental Health Newsletter
Information
- Mustang Mentions
- Counsellor's Corner
- Meet our Mental Health Capacity Builder
- Parents Make the Difference
WEEK AT A GLANCE
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ACTION
Stop, Drop and Go Lane
You may have noticed us out in the drop off lane in the mornings. We are the two people in the pink or orange vests waving at cars and talking to kids.
We would like to thank all of the parents who use the visitor parking stalls and who park on the neighbouring streets when they need to walk their child into the building. You are incredible role models for the community and help make sure that the drop off lane doesn't get blocked off and backed up!
For anyone who may not be familiar with how drop off lanes are designed to work here is a quick run down of how to use them.
Morning Drop Off:
- Pull into the farthest open spot (Don't stop at the start or the middle please!)
- Help your children exit the car and give them a quick kiss or hug before sending them on their way.
- Stay with you vehicle - if you walk your child to the door, park in a visitor stall/on the street!
- Pull into the driving lane and exit the drop off area.
Afternoon Pick Up:
- Pull into the farthest open spot.
- Stay in your vehicle.
- If the car in front of you leaves, move into the empty spot ahead of you.
- When your child arrives, help them to get in the car safely.
- Pull into the driving lane and exit the drop off area.
We will be out there helping to get traffic moving so that students are not crossing between cars and so that parents are not having to weave in and out of the lane when they arrive.
We can make this a quick, simple and safe experience for everyone if we work together!
Go, Mustangs!
OPPORTUNITY
School Council Meeting and Davidson Creek Fundraising Association Meeting
We are excited for our first school council and fundraising society meetings this week on September 17 starting at 6:00 p.m.
These parent groups are fun, friendly and approachable. These are not the dreaded PTA meetings that you see on TV! Come and join us for friendly conversations and get involved in our school! We meet in our beautiful library and meetings are usually full of laughter and great discussion. Did we mention that we have snacky treats? We hope to see you there!
Caregiver Series: September sessions
Alberta Health Services offers free online programming for parents and caregivers of children and youth. Sessions are offered through Zoom. The list of September 2024 sessions is now available.
Strathcona County Family Resource Network
Did you know that you can find many FREE programs and services for families in Strathcona County?
They offer sessions for kids of all ages as well as programs for Fall Break (like a family pumpkin carve-off)! They also offer classes for parents such as No Such Thing as a Bad Kid and Emotional Coaching for parents!
Click here to read Strathcona County's Fall Program Schedule.
INFORMATION
Mustang Mentions
Did you know that our school has a robust positive referral program called Mustang Mentions? Students who demonstrate examples of our 4 expectations can be nominated. Last year, we gave out over 1200 Mustang Mentions throughout the school year. All students who got Mustang Mentions were entered into an incredible prize assembly at the end of the school year!
Let's see if we can break that record this year!
Did you know that we have adopted the following 4 key expectations for students at Davidson Creek:
- Be kind
- Be safe
- Be respectful
- Be your best self
As a community we want everyone to experience success and feel like they are an important part of our school! By following these expectations, we can create a feeling of belonging for everyone.
Mustang Mentions are a paper that celebrates the great things we noticed students doing. It will include their name, what expectation they were showing and a brief description of what they did that was so awesome and be signed by the person who nominated them.
Students will find out that they got a Mustang Mention during our morning video announcements. They will then take their Mention to the office so that we can celebrate them and cheer for them. Students can then enter a draw for a small prize as a little perk for making our school a great place!
Keep your eye out on those back packs for Mustang Mentions that go home throughout the year!
Counsellor's Corner
Hello DCE Community,
My name is Madison Bashaw and I am thrilled to be one half of your counselling team at Davidson Creek Elementary again this year. And I am Kelley Mitchell, the second member of your counselling team this year. Madison's journey with EIPS began in 2013 and includes many years spent in early learning, as a PALS teacher, as well as previous experience as a literacy support teacher and school counsellor. Kelley began teaching at EIPS in 2008 and completed her Master of Educational Psychology in School Counselling in 2011, focusing on school transitions.
Kelley has taught kindergarten through Grade 6 since 2005 in a variety of settings before transitioning to becoming an educational psychologist in 2015. Madison completed her Master of Education in School Counselling, with a focus on supporting wellbeing for neurodivergent populations. Specifically, mental health support for students with ADHD and/or autism, is a long-standing area of passion for her.
This will be our second year here as the counselling duo here at DCE. In our work, we are guided by the understanding that all children need to feel a sense of belonging in order to thrive, and we are so excited to collaborate with students, parents, and staff to support our inclusive learning environment at Davidson Creek this year.
Madison Bashaw, M.Ed. and Kelley Mitchell, M.Ed., R. Psych. CHT
Davidson Creek School Counsellors
Meet Our Mental Health Capacity Builder
Hello caregivers!
I'm Julia, and I'll be joining your child’s class once a week as a Mental Health Capacity Builder. My role is to support positive mental health and enhance social-emotional skills. Starting next week, we'll be diving into how the brain works, exploring how different parts help us think, feel, and act. Students will also engage in mindfulness practices to manage stress, understand their emotions, and learn strategies for self-regulation.
Check out this resource to support their learning Understanding the brain program parent resource lid Flipping infographic.pdf
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at julia.knudsen@eips.ca or text me at (780) 504-0077.
Parents Make the Difference
Each week we will share an article with helpful tips for families. Here is our first offering:
Set the stage for effective communication
Family-school communication is crucial to students’ success. Whether your child is a stellar student, an average student or has special needs, it’s important to establish a meaningful relationship with teachers and the school. To nurture a beneficial connection:
- Stay in touch with school staff. Attend meetings and follow up to see how things are going. Always contact the teacher if you have questions or concerns.
- Arrive prepared. Before meetings, write down notes so you can be sure to remember everything you want to say and ask.
- Be optimistic. Remind yourself that you and the school have the same goal: your child’s success. A positive attitude makes conversations more productive.
- Listen attentively. Keep an open mind as you hear the teacher’s views, which may be different from yours. Ask for clarification about anything you find confusing.
- Remain calm. It’s natural to feel defensive if your child is criticized. But the goal is to help your child, so focus on solutions.
- Offer suggestions. You know your child best. Explain factors the teacher may not know about and what you think would help your child most.
- Never give up. If an initial meeting doesn’t get results, try again. You can also ask for another staff member to join you.
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.