TIGER News
May/June, 2024
Principal's Message
Happy April everyone!
It's that time of year again where it seems as though we've got something new and exciting happening at the school every day! We have many class trips planned, Track and Field events, and information sessions that will be happening for students entering Grade 1, Junior High and Senior High. We are currently in the planning stages for these events, so please make sure to continue to check your email for information from the school.
As a school division, Battle River Schools are now using online permission forms for all events. There are details below on how this process is completed. Using online permission forms makes it much easier for teachers to track whose forms have been completed, and also allows parents to complete the forms at any time and from anywhere! It also will lead to less forms being lost!
A letter was sent home at the beginning of the week about our move to Real Time Reporting. Traditionally, report cards served as a snapshot of your child's performance at specific points in the school year. However, with our transition to PowerSchool four years ago, we are now able to offer a more dynamic and informative way to keep you updated on your child's academic journey.
As was communicated in the letter, beginning now, printed report cards will no longer be sent home as a progress report. Instead, we are embracing digital reporting through the PowerSchool platform. Teachers will be reporting online and will make direct comments on assignments where your child may have had particular success or significant struggles. They will provide feedback to parents on a more regular basis, and you will be aware of areas of growth for your child on a more regular basis, rather than just 3-4 times a year. As this is new for us as a school, we will continue to keep you informed on any changes that might be occurring, but what's most important to know is that at any time, if you are struggling to get connected to PowerSchool, please contact the office.
There is a lot of great information in this month's Newsletter, so please take some time to read it!
Night of the Arts
Please join us at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, April 30th as we celebrate the accomplishments of our Band and Art classes. Doors will open at 6:45.
The grade six beginner band will play, as will the grade five class on ukulele. The junior and senior band groups will be playing selections they will perform on their upcoming trip to Banff and Jasper. We will also take this opportunity to recognize and thank several community groups who have supported our music programming in recent years.
We also welcome you to come and experience the extraordinary artwork created by Hay Lakes art students. Our exhibition will showcase artwork from our grade 5-12 students, however, artwork from all our students is on display in our hallways so please feel free to explore the elementary hallway.
Field Trip Consent Forms
As we near the end of the school year it means that field trip season is also quickly approaching. Battle River School Division has moved to online consent forms, and these consent forms/permission forms are located on your child's Rycor account (the same place you order hot lunch and pay for School Fees).
You can find the link on the Hay Lakes School Website here:
- Once on the Website click the black box on the right hand side - Quick Links
- Click Online Payments/ordering
- Click Online Payments & Ordering
- Sign in to your account - here you will see all the items available (hot lunch, milk and permission forms etc)
- Select the form you are looking for
- Fill out all the information (many fields will be marked mandatory and will not allow you to proceed until the form has been completely filled out)
- Once this form is filled out, select the blue box in the bottom right hand corner "add to cart"
** Please note this next step**
Once the form has been added to the cart you MUST sign it out of the cart - if there is a fee assigned it will prompt you here for payment. If no payment is required you will still need to confirm the items in your cart to finalize the completion of this form.
**If you do not finalize the items in your cart the form will not be processed and will not be completed.**
If you have any questions please contact the office (780-878-3368) and we will gladly assist you.
Fudge and Beef Jerky Fundraiser
A reminder of our ongoing fundraiser for the Hay Lakes Society for Youth Development. Students are encouraged to sell some Fudge or Beef Jerky to family and friends to support this group. The top 3 sellers will receive a $50 gift card to a location of their choice as a prize!
We are so thankful as a school for the continued support of this dedicated group of parents, so we hope that you will take some time to sell a few things to support them.
All order forms and money collected are due back to the school on Monday, April 29th.
Diploma/PAT Exam Schedule
May 13th - ELA 9 PAT Part A
June 11th - English 30 Diploma Part A
June 12th - ELA 9 PAT Part B
June 13th - Math 9 PAT Part A
June 18th - English 30 Diploma Part B
June 18th - Math 9 PAT Part B
June 19th - Social 6 & 9 PAT
June 20th - Bio 30 Diploma
June 20th - Science 6 & 9 PAT
June 25th - Physics 30 Diploma
Community Garden coming this Spring!
We are very excited to announce a great learning experience for our students that we are planning to start this Spring. Once the weather gets nicer, we will be creating a large garden in the field behind the school! Our hope is to plant a variety of vegetables for our community to access during the summer months. Our students will be able to learn about the growth process of different vegetables and learn how to care for their own food.
We are starting from scratch so we are hopeful that if families have any garden tools they are no longer using that they may consider donating them to the school. Also, we may need help turning the soil and fertilizing it for this first summer. We are hopeful to begin composting at the school eventually, but may need some help for the first year!
Please contact Mrs. Erickson, Mrs. Horlacher, or Mr. MacKenzie if you have anything you might be able to donate or if you are able to help with the preparation of the soil once the weather gets nicer!
Badminton
Music Festival
Our Grade 3 and 4 Music students had the opportunity to attend the 40th Annual Camrose and Area Music Festival on Tuesday, April 16th. The Grade 3's sang a lively tune called "Welcome to Burmooda" and the Grade 4's presented a tune on the recorder called "Au Clair de la Lune". Both groups represented Hay Lakes extremely well. Mrs. Lunty received several comments from festival spectators that our classes were well-prepared, respectful and well-behaved participants. Congratulations Grade 3's and 4's and thank you for demonstrating your positive TIGER qualities to the larger community. We are very proud of you!
Mom's Pantry Fundraiser
Pickup for the Mom's Pantry fundraiser will be after school next Wednesday, May 1st. If you ordered more than your student can get home on their own, please plan to pick up your order that day after 3:20 (please wait for the buses to leave before coming to the door).
Grade 12 Celebration
The Hay Lakes School Class of 2024 Commencement Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 31st at 4:30 PM in the school gym. Congratulations and best wishes to our grade 12 class!
Upcoming Dates
April 30th - Night of the Arts
May 1st - Mom's Pantry Pickup
May 2nd - Staff Meeting - Early Dismissal
May 6th - Staff Collaboration - No school for students
May 10th - Free Comic Book Day
May 16th - 18th - Jr/Sr Band Trip
May 20th - Victoria Day - Schools Closed
May 22nd - Grade 6 & 9 Open House
May 23rd - Grade 5 & 6 at Miquelon Lake
May 29th - 31st - Ranch Camp
May 31st - Grade 12 Celebration
June 6th - Staff Meeting - Early Dismissal
June 27th - Last Day for Students
Transportation Registration
For information and to register your child(ren) who will be traveling on the bus for the 2024-25 school year, check out the link below:
Hot Lunches
Just a reminder that hot lunch, milk, and ice cream cards are available for purchase on our online payment system. Purchases must be made by the Sunday prior to the hot lunch, except for hot dog cards, which can be purchased at any time.
Please see below for hot lunch dates or check the School Calendar.
If you are available to help on Fridays with hot lunch, please reach out to the School Council at feedbackhlsc@gmail.com. These programs cannot run without the help of parents, and we as a school are very appreciative of your help!
Dates for Hot Lunch:
- April 26 - Skyway
- May 3 - Hot Dogs
- May 10 - Subway
- May 17 - Hot Dogs
- May 24 - Panago Pizza
- May 31 - Hot Dogs
- June 7 - Booster Juice
- June 14 - Hot Dogs
Online Summer School
BRSD is excited to be offering summer school from July 2-26, 2024. Courses will be offered online with weekly in-person support. Registration is open to students who have completed Grades 10-12. Diploma exams will be written from August 1-9, 2024, at Battle River Alternative Centre for Education (BRACE) in Camrose.
- All courses must be completed in July with students writing diploma exams as per scheduled dates in August. No extensions will be granted.
Registration: Registration Open from April 24 to June 19
Please login to Rycor to complete course selection and payment. New users will need to create an account. After this step is done BRACE will contact you with further instructions to complete your Power School/School Engage registration. After both steps are completed , you will receive a welcome email.
Cost:
$45/course fee (BRSD students)
$65/course fee (non-BRSD students)
Important Considerations:
- All core subjects require approximately 3 -8 hours of work per day
- Students are only allowed to enroll in one core course
- All courses are offered subject to enrollment and availability
- All courses will be taught online with in-person help available
- Teachers are available during the day for help. There is no additional EA support so students must be able to work independently.
- The pace of Summer School is quick, with students working in a compressed learning atmosphere
- Students must have access to good quality wifi/internet and provide their own Chromebooks/laptops to access and complete courses
- Students' daily focus is required for optimal learning and success
Summer Day Camp Opportunity
Comic Book Day
Friday, May 10th is Comic Book Day! Students are encouraged to wear their favourite comic book character/superhero t-shirts, etc. and will receive their free comic that they ordered earlier this year. We will also find out the winners of the comic strip contest!
Financial Literacy Presentations
Students in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 learned about budgets, credit cards, and good vs bad debt this week during presentations given by Angel Zarowny from the CPA Canada Financial Literacy Program.
Follow us on Instagram
We've recently created an Instagram account to help keep us connected through multiple resources. Please follow us at @haylakestigers
Sora - The Reading App for Students
Sora provides the quickest and easiest way to get started with digital titles from our school. Students can simply log in using school credentials (Google SSO) and instantly access hundreds of eBooks and audiobooks on virtually any device. Get started today at https://soraapp.com or download the free Sora app for Android or iOS.
What’s great in Sora:
- Easy onboarding
- One-tap borrowing and reading
- Fun reading achievements and avatars
- Quick access to assignments
- Unified experience across devices
You can find an instructional 2-minute video on using Sora here.
International Rural Exchange Canada
Career Counsellor Newsletter
Check out the latest newsletter from our Career Counsellor, Mrs. Carla Practicante here:
Camrose Family Resource Centre
Please check out the latest newsletter for the Camrose Family Resource Centre.
Parents can find information for many different resources and programs (both in person and online) within this document. These include Triple P parenting programs, information and sessions about helping students with their mental health, and activities and drop-in opportunities for students and parents.
School Fees
Please don't forget to pay your current school fees for athletic programs, field trips, and other activities, as well as Division Technology fees, by following this link.
This is also the link that will let you order hot lunches as well hotdog, milk and ice cream cards!