The Bison Bugle
Nov 20 - Nov 24
MISSION STATEMENT
At St. Kateri Tekakwitha Academy, we are a spiritual, Christ - centred community that nurtures resilient, responsible, lifelong learners through love and service.
Connect - Inspire - Achieve
UPCOMING EVENTS
Nov 20 - SKTA BISON morning assembly
Nov 21 - RAINBOWS Div I and Div II student group begins
Nov 21 - Gr 1-3 Reading Groups (Tues, Wed, Thurs)
Nov 21 - Gr 4 & 5 Academy & Options (Tues, Thurs)
Nov 23 - Parent Grinch Tree Night DEADLINE TO REGISTER
Nov 26 - 9:00am SKTA Catholic Education Sunday Mass @ END ALL FAMILIES WELCOME
Nov 27 - SKTA BISON morning assembly
Nov 28 - Gr 1-3 Reading Groups (Tues, Wed, Thurs)
Nov 28 - Gr 4 & 5 Academy & Options (Tues, Thurs)
NOV 29 - FUNDSCRIP gift cards DEADLINE TO ORDER
Nov 29 - Gr 4 & 5 BISON Breakfast
Nov 30 - Gr 1-5 BISON Lunch Winners
Dec 1 - Staff Meeting/PD Day NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
Dec 4 - 8:45am ADVENT LITURGY @ SKT with Father Trini (led by Gr 5's) ALL FAMILIES WELCOME
St. Jean Baptiste Parish
As partners in faith with our local St. Jean Baptiste Parish, please see the link below to find out mass times and locations, upcoming parish events and more.
SAVE THE DATE: Catholic Education Sunday SKTA Mass is Sunday November 26th @ 9:00am (Ecole Notre Dame). We welcome all of our families to join us!
Please note, if you are interested in learning more about having your child participate in Sacramental Preparation, please see the following link: https://www.sjbp.ca/sacraments.htm
SKTA YEARBOOK!
YEARBOOKS are available to PRE-ORDER for only $20.00 on your PARENT PORTAL!
Don't miss out on your child's memories for 2023-2024 as there are only limited copies available!
Parent Council
Thank you to all parents and guardians who joined us at our last Parent Council meeting, it was wonderful to so many engaged families! OUR NEXT MEETING IS WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6th (date change). Parent Council is a wonderful way for parents & guardians to get involved and support our school. All parents & guardians with children registered at SKTA are welcome to join! Participating in Parent Council will allow individuals to share their voice and their talents with the school community and serve our students.
Any families who would like to review Parent Council Agenda's and Minutes can access them on our SKTA website or by clicking the link below!
SKTA FUNDRAISING Opportunities
1. Parent Grinch Tree Workshop Night (By Deb's Greenhouse) We have 2 amazing opportunities for our families this Christmas.
The first one is a take home Grinch Tree to decorate in the comfort of your own home, or a Grinch Tree in person Workshop at Deb’s Greenhouse. Although we would love for all the SKT community to get a Grinch Tree we only have 40 available to take home and 40 available for the in person workshop. Both of these will be on a first come first serve basis. You will need to fill out the corresponding google form and send payment to fundraisingskta@gmail.com in order to secure your spot.
TAKE HOME trees will be $35 per tree. We will send out details as to when they can be picked up as soon as we know. Please see website to sign up. https://shorturl.at/cnw01
IN PERSON workshop at Deb’s Greenhouse (25505 Hwy 642) will take place on December 7th, 2023 at 7PM. This event will be a 14 and over event and will cost $40 per person. Please see website to sign up. https://shorturl.at/ewZ27
DEADLINE TO SIGN UP IS NOVEMBER 23/23
2. Gift Cards-Fundscrip
You have received information on how to order a wide variety of gift cards online if you were buying gift cards for anyone for Christmas or if there are stores offered that you normally do your shopping. FundScrip is a fundraising program that lets Friends of SKT raise funds simply by purchasing gift cards to the stores you are already shopping at. For example, if you purchase a $100 grocery card, you will receive a $100 gift card and then a percentage of your purchase will be donated to our fundraising campaign. Perfect opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done as these will be here before Christmas.
DEADLINE TO ORDER IS NOVEMBER 29/23 - cards received within a week of purchase.
GSACRD Voice
How to Reduce Power Struggles
There are good reasons for expectations, boundaries, and rules in the home, but sometimes these expectations (like putting electronics away for dinner) are met with statements like “I’m still playing!!” or “I’m not done yet!!” Any time there is a power struggle between you and your child, nobody “wins”. Power struggles just end up causing feelings of upset and frustration for everyone involved.
One strategy that helps to reduce power struggles at home is: Providing two options (that you, as the adult are okay with)
For example, when it’s time to turn off screen time, two options could be “Would you rather turn off the TV or would you like me to turn it off?”
Giving two choices helps your child feel heard while still accomplishing what needs to be done and still being firm in the boundaries you set.
Here is a guide from Big Life Journal on things you can say to reduce power struggles in the home.
If you have any questions about mental health and mental illness you can reach out to our Wellness Coaches:
Kara Meloche: kmeloche@gsacrd.ab.ca (END & GHP)
Caitlin Josey: cjosey@gsacrd.ab.ca (SKT & Legal)
Marina Casavant: mcasavant@gsacrd.ab.ca (MCHS & Communications)
Supports for Families
We at SKTA are a community school and as such very family oriented. We would like our family community to know we are here to support you beyond the classroom. As a Division, we have access to many resources that may support families, from financial assistance to navigating community supports, we are happy to help. Please know that all families can reach out in confidence to our admin and we will work with you in a non-judgmental, compassionate manner to help all through challenging times.
Methods for Recording Student Attendance
Dear Parents,
Ensuring your child's attendance is accurately recorded is essential for us to provide the best educational experience. To make this process convenient for you, we offer three user-friendly options:
1. School Messenger App (Most Popular): Download the School Messenger app, the preferred choice of many parents. It offers a hassle-free way to report attendance and stay connected with school updates.
2. Parent Portal: Accessible through our website, the Parent Portal provides a secure platform to submit attendance information.
3. Safe Arrival Phone Number: Alternatively, you can call our school phone line to report your child's attendance.
Choose the method that suits you best!
Ongoing Reporting
As communicated with families on Sept. 25, GSACRD schools is moving to an 'ongoing reporting' model. This new model will include the following elements:
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Current grades in PowerSchool (updated frequently and regularly) which is found in the Parent Portal.
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Clear descriptions of which key learnings that were evaluated with each assessment
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Indication if the assessment is formative or summative
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Growth as a Learner* to be assessed three times per year (November, March, and June)
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Formative assessments may show a 1-2-3-4 or a M-NYM** grading scale or
SI-SM-SD***.
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Summative assessments will show a 1-2-3-4 or a M-NYM grading scale.
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One culminating report card at the end of June with comments that include:
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recommendations for further class placement (typically in grade 6)
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any accommodations that were given for the final exam (typically for the
Provincial Achievement Tests in grade 6)
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if the student is on an Individual Program Plan (IPP)
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We encourage all parents to use PowerSchool as a tool to remain informed about student progress. Questions or concerns about student assessments should be directed to the homeroom teacher. Interviews to discuss student progress will continue to be a valuable opportunity for collaboration between home and school. In addition to this, reciprocal emails and phone calls will also be essential to maintaining a solid relationship that is focused on student success.
In the near future, we will be providing a video that outlines how to navigate the Parent Portal. This will provide instructions on how to create an account, view student grades, pay school related fees and sign permission forms. In the meantime, should you have any questions please contact the school office at: 587-764-0420
Information for families Families
As we enter a new school year, we would like to remind families of a few items to help ensure a successful year.
Pick Up & Drop Off
- For those families driving to school we ask that the drop - off lane be for 'quick' drop off's and pick ups.
- If you are choosing to walk your child(ren) to their specific doors, please park in the parking lot and NOT park in the drop off lane.
- Parents/Guardians are asked to remain outside of the school when dropping off and picking up students.
- Parents/Guardians who require assistance at the office are to 'ring' the door bell at the front and come directly to the school office for assistance.
- Parents/Guardians wishing to volunteer with the school are required to fill out annually our 'Volunteer Form' which can be obtained from the office.
- Parents/Guardians who need to contact their child(ren) are to call the school office and we will notify the student(s).
- Parents/Guardians wishing to meet with administration or staff may reach out via email or call to make an appointment during office hours.
- Regular communication is key for all school stakeholders.
- If you require information or clarification please reach out to your child(ren)'s teachers via email or you may call and leave a message for them at the office.
- If you require assistance from the administration please feel free to communicate via email or call the school office directly.
- Please remember our children are always watching us and we expect our parents and guardians to be co-teachers with us, teaching them appropriate community relations by treating everyone with respect, compassion and kindness.