February 9-10 - Teachers Convention - NO SCHOOL

February 15 - Final Day for Timetable Changes

February 16 - OPEN HOUSE for Incoming Grade 10's

February 17 - Random Act of Kindness Day

February 20 - Family Day - NO SCHOOL

February 22 - Pink Shirt Day

February 28 - Returning Student Registration for 2023-2024 Closes

Hello Fort High Parents,

Please remember to complete your child's Returning Student Registration Form on your PowerSchool Parent Portal. This form must be completed for each child for the 2023-2024 school year. Access for you to complete this form will close on February 28th.

Should you have questions or require assistance in accessing your Parent Portal, please contact the school at 780-998-3751.

Thank you very much.

Serena Carleton

Registrar

Congratulations to Mason Tomchyshyn who entered the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest held by the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing at the University of Waterloo.

Mason received a Certificate of Distinction! This is a great accomplishment.

If students wish to enter this contest, please see Mrs. Orchard.

If you are interested in attending the below information session, please come see Mrs. Bennett in the office.

On February 23, Family and Community Support Services is hosting a free screening at the Shell Theatre of “The Great Disconnect” at 7pm. We would love to have staff, students and families join us! Please read below for more information about this important documentary. Booths will be set up in the lobby before and after the show highlighting different ways to connect with each other and in our community. It would be fantastic if this was something you could share in your newsletters, etc. as it covers an important topic that affects so many.

The Great Disconnect uncovers why, in a world seemingly more connected than ever before, people are feeling more and more socially isolated – and the true cost this has on our lives and communities. Watch wellness expert Tamer Soliman as he journeys through North America to meet with local citizens, community activists, and leading authorities on social, economic, and urban planning to discover the true factors that have profound and lasting impacts, not only on our health, but the health of the communities in which we live. This timely documentary invites us to reflect on the relationships we have with those around us and raises the question: is it possible to overcome our modern culture of disconnectedness and rediscover how truly essential we are to one other?

Since its official launch, the film has screened across Canada through multiple municipalities, and has been shown in ten countries across Europe. It has also been featured in over twelve independent film festivals, and in October 2020, the documentary won the award for Best Feature Film at the prominent Better Cities Film Festival.

Watch the trailer here

Free tickets can be obtained by visiting Ticketpro, calling 780-992-6400 or in person at the Dow Centennial Centre and City Hall front desk.

Fidget Making

Learn how to make your own puzzle cube fidget toy. Fidgets are a great way to improve focus and help with stress management.

4-5pm, Monday, February 27

Women's History Month Scavenger Hunt

Search the library building to find clues about revolutionary women and then make your own themed buttons.

March 1-31 (during library hours)

Students and families, please click on the link below to open The New Career Pathways Newsletter.

https://mykickstand.ca/

Kickstand is an integrated youth service initiative that is currently available online (through Kickstand Connect) with the goal of opening in-person services at sites throughout the province.

AMH, AHS and other community partners are working together to provide this integrated community service for those aged 12-25.

Here is some info from the Quick Facts document attached:

What is Kickstand Connect?

Kickstand Connect offers a virtual walk-in clinic with trained professionals and a safe space for group sessions, exclusively for young Albertans aged 12-25 and their parents or caregivers. It is a free online portal and mobile app where young people can virtually ‘walk in’ or pre-book appointments (up to a week in advance) with a mental health professional, peer support worker, employment specialist or participate in group activities and workshops. Based on a single session model, Kickstand Connect offers various walk-in and pre-booked services, none of which require a healthcare card, referral, or any form of payment.

What services do we offer?

• Mental Health and/or Substance Use Counselling

• Peer Support for young people

• Employment Services

• Groups and Workshops

• Coming in the future: primary/physical care appointments, pharmacy consultation, family peer support and more!

Wellness together Canada was created 2 years ago in the beginning of the pandemic. WTC is funded through the Government of Canada. They have a large amount of counsellors throughout every province ready and available to support. When someone calls in they reach intake right away and can be put through to a counsellor in the moment. If there is a high volume of calls, they may have a wait time of an hour (counsellor calls you back) but this should be rare as they have many counsellors on hand. Phone counselling is available 24/7 at 1-866-585-0445. You can also connect through your computer by using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) such as Skype, Facetime, or Google Voice. If you don’t already have a VoIP installed, you can do an online search to find an option that works for you. In addition to a VoIP, you’ll also need: speakers/headphones and a microphone, or headphones that have a microphone built in, a reliable Internet connection, and a quiet, private place to talk.

If it is crisis calls are bumped to immediate.

In addition to WTC, Hope for Wellness is the same service but for the Indigenous community and is offered only by phone or text. Supports are available in Cree, Ojibway (Anishinaabemowin), and Inuktitut. Combined with WTG, it can provide many options.

The Basics:

· This is a free service available 24/7

· Once you have a single counselling session you can receive 5 sessions with that same counsellor, no wait times. 1 week in between sessions

· If you want ongoing counselling, you can simply close your case after 5 sessions and then call to reopen and request the same counsellor or a new one. There’s no limit. They work with everything! Addictions, trauma, crisis, grief, gender identity, etc… etc… I asked if there was anything they wouldn’t work with – no they work with everything.

· Counselling available in multiple different languages and regions

· Specific supports, Healthcare workers/ frontline, Kids, grief and loss coaching, Peer support,

· Available phone, video, text and live chats

https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/

https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/

Immediate/distress

Adults text WELLNESS to 741741, Youth test WELLNESS to 686868

Frontline workers text FRONTLINE to 741741

Indigenous peoples 1-855-242-3310, chat online through hopeforwellness.ca

If someone you care about is in distress 1-866-585-0445

From Feb. 24-26, 2023, Strathcona County will host the 2023 Special Olympics Alberta Winter Games. The County is seeking enthusiastic volunteers from the community to join in the celebration. They welcome students and adults 16 years of age and older to sign up to be part of the event. View all volunteer positions on the 2023 Games website.

Check out the picture gallery containing many of our Grad Composites that is posted on our website. The composites from years 2001-2012 will be added in the future as they have not yet been digitized.