EE Oliver Elementary
May 2020 Newsletter
These crazy times
Mental Health Week
Grade 5 Lego
Grade 2
In math we have been focusing on addition and subtraction, measurement and 2D and 3D shapes. The students have also been playing some cool math games and are creating some interesting projects at home.
Every week the students have an opportunity to meet with their teachers and other students in the classroom on google meets.
Grade 1
The Georgia Aquarium
The Houston Zoo
Hawaii
Paris
New York
Different farms (including milk & cheese processing plants, grain & oat farms, and egg & pig farms)
and The Museum of Natural History.
Next week we will be going to the San Diego Zoo and the week after to the Amazon Rainforest.
Then we have a big surprise field trip coming up in June! Stay tuned!
Grade 4 FinS
The Fish in Schools (FinS) program provides students with a firsthand (and hands on) look at fish and aquatic habitats in their very own classroom. The program involves raising trout from eggs to fry before releasing them in a provincially stocked waterbody.
Our grade 4 students were excited to act as fish investigators as soon as our eggs arrived on January 20. Their role was to feed the fish, test the water temperature and ph levels daily and change the aquarium water twice a week. Ms. Shaw and Mrs. Casselman took over these duties mid-March until release day, May 20 (at Wilderness Park). We were so happy that students could join us through Google Meet. Many thanks to Brian, our Alberta Fisheries technician, for transporting our trout and teaching us about fish and their habitats.
We were also excited to see the Alberta Fisheries Stocking program releasing 1000 rainbow trout into each pond at Wilderness Park.
Grade 3
Speech
Mrs. Burns has been busy doing speech sessions with a number of grade 1 and kindergarten students. They have lots of fun practicing words and finding objects, too!
Home Learning with Grade 6
It’s hard to believe we’ve already finished 6 weeks of home learning! June seems to be approaching so quickly, but teachers and parents are working hard to get students ready for Grade 7 in the fall.
Students in grade 6 have been receiving and submitting assignments in a variety of ways. Many are using the Google Classroom, some are working on paper packages, and a few are receiving and submitting their assignments through email.
Home learning assignments have focussed on Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Math (Fractions, Ratios, Percents, and Patterns), but students have also had a chance to explore local and provincial governments in Social Studies and Trees and Forests in Science. Several Art projects have also gone home for those who need a little break from hard core academics!
It’s been very different (and quite difficult) to be away from our students physically but we’ve had some good visits and lots of laughs during our scheduled Google Meets. Monday mornings at 10:00 AM we’ve been getting together for a general classroom visit, while Tuesdays at 10:00 AM and Thursdays at 1:30 PM have been set aside for tutorial help with assignments. Somehow those sessions seem to turn into visits as well, once the school work is finished. Students have also been calling and emailing for help when needed, and we encourage them to continue using whatever ways they can to keep in touch.
We know it’s not ideal for the kids to be out of school, but the quality of the work being turned in shows that parents and caregivers are really doing a great job of keeping students focussed and engaged in their home learning programs.
Thank you, everyone!
Sun Safety
Summer time means sunshine and warm weather! In the midst of enjoying our time outdoors it is important to keep safety at the forefront of our planning. Heat-related illness can happen easily, especially when participating in physical activities during hot weather. The best defense is prevention. Avoid sunburn by covering up, using sunscreen and dressing in lightweight, light-colored clothing. Hydration is important – be sure to drink plenty of water and take frequent rest breaks. Ensure that young children are well supervised and have opportunity to recharge. With our long summer days it is easy to get caught up in outside time!
Please visit http://www.redcross.ca/training-and-certification/first-aid-tips-and-resources/first-aid-tips/heat-related-emergencies--staying-cool-and-hydrated-in-canadian-summers for more detailed information regarding sun safety.
PRSD Safety Advisory Committee
School Improvement in Peace River School Division Schools
On behalf of Peace River School Division, I am pleased to share survey data from our students, parents and staff that reveal high levels of satisfaction in our school division in the area of school improvement.
The October 2019 Alberta Education Accountability Pillar Report (APR) data shows that 84.4% of our students, staff and parents feel that our schools have improved.
Specifically, when students were asked if they are proud of their school and if they would recommend their school to a friend, 83.15 percent of students agreed and 84 percent of our parents and staff agree that their school has improved in the past three years. I am also pleased to share that PRSD’s score in the area of school improvement exceeds provincial averages and has been given the highest possible rating of “very high” and “excellent”.
The APR is provided by Alberta Education and serves as a “report card” for the division. It contains test results, completion and transitional data and results from student, parent and staff surveys.
As I am sure you can appreciate, the definition of school improvement is unique to every person. For some, school improvement means increased academic success, students being provided with a wide variety of options, satisfaction with staffing, technology in the classroom, increased wellness and positive school culture programs, changes to timetables, physical upgrading to schools and athletic equipment.
School improvement encompasses many aspects of a child’s educational experience and creates a ripple effect. This ripple effect is clearly noted as PRSD’s results are rated “high” or “very high” in the measures of Safe and Caring, Program of Studies, Drop Out Rate, Work Preparation, Citizenship and Parental Involvement. These ratings are given by the Alberta Government and are based on the input of students, parents and staff through surveys distributed in February of each year.
View the one page summary of PRSD’s results here.
We celebrate these great results with you and thank you for your partnership in education. It truly does take a community to raise a child and we appreciate your contributions that are clearly helping with continuous improvement in our schools – thank you.
Paul Bennett
Superintendent of Schools
Peace River School Division No. 10