The Bison Bugle
January 15-19
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 at SKT!
Jan 15 - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE CONTINUES! (last week)
Jan 15 - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Jan 15 - Student Assembly
Jan 16 - Academy & Gr 4 & 5 Options (Tues/Thurs)
Jan 16 - Gr 1-3 Reading Groups (Tues/Wed/Thurs)
Jan 16 - RAINBOWS Div I & Div II group with Mrs. Palidwar
Jan 16 - Gr 3-5 Mrs. P's Club @ lunch recess
Jan 16 - Gr 4 Team Games @ lunch recess with Mrs. Zadunayski
Jan 16 - Gr 5 Leadership Club with Mrs. Zazulak
Jan 17 - Gr 5 Team Games @ lunch recess with Mr. Paik
Jan 17 - Gr 2 Mindful Club with Mrs. Zazulak
Jan 17 - Healthy Hunger (Mr. Sub)
Jan 18 - 10:00am Gr 4 & 5 John Reid Field Trip to Servus Place
Jan 18 - Gr 3 Team Games @ lunch recess with Mrs. Zadunayski
Jan 18 - 6:30pm School Council Mtg (ALL PARENTS WELCOME)
Jan 19 - Gr 5 Team Games @ lunch recess with Mr. Paik
Jan 19 - Gr 1 Games Club @ lunch recess with Mrs. Miller
Jan 19 - 6:30pm SKT Family Movie Night! "Monsters Inc"
- 6:00pm DOORS OPEN
- ALL FAMILIES WELCOME
Jan 23 - THEME DAY "Winter Whiteout!" (WEAR WHITE)
Jan 24 - 8:45am Gr 4 & 5 BISON Breakfast
Jan 24 - Grade 4 & 5 Running Club begins! (lunch recess)
Jan 25 - 6:30pm Pre-K & Kindergarten Expo at MCHS
Jan 26 - 12:40pm Gr 1-5 BISON McDonald's Lunch Winners
Jan 26 - NO KINDERGARTEN classes
Jan 31 - GSACRD PD Day - NO CLASSES for all students
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Every year, from January 18-25th we celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We have done so for over 100 years. It is one of the oldest, most widely observed events in the world that brings Christians together in prayer. We give thanks for the many ways we are united to each other as disciples of Christ. And we pray together that we may be even more united with one another, and all of us with Christ.
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.
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
Dress For the Weather!
As we move into the new year, outdoor temperatures are set to drop. Families are encouraged to review GSACRD's Inclement Weather Policy AP 132 & AP 133 linked below. Please note that it is Board Policy that students will be participating in outdoor activities when the the temperature (including windchill) is warmer than - 25 degrees Celsius.
Students are expected to come to school prepared for outdoor activities daily. Students should arrive at school with warm coats, snow pants, winter boots, warm mitts/gloves and headwear. Students will be going outside for all recess breaks unless temperatures are below -24 (including windchill).
When conditions are deemed too cold (-25 and cooler) students will be staying indoors for all activities.
Arrival Procedures:
On days when the temperature is below -25 at the start of the day & busses are running, all boot room doors will be open by 8:15 AM for students to enter the school. Students are to enter the school via their regular boot room doors. A supervisor will be present at all doors to ensure students enter the school.
On days when the temperature is below -25 at the start of the day and busses are NOT running, students will be able to enter the school via the front doors or the east entrance boot room (kindergarten entrance).
On all day's when the temperature is below -25, the office will be open and accessible via the front doors by 8:00 AM
Dismissal Procedures:
At the end of the day, students will exit the school via their specific boot-rooms and head directly to either the 'Parent Pick Up' area or to their respective bus line ups. If a student is unable to find their guardian for pick up, they will be directed to wait inside at the office and a staff member will assist them.
All students have been informed that at anytime they are outside during inclement weather and they are unsure of where to go or are waiting on a parent our guardian, they are to make their way directly to the front office for support.
As always, should you have any questions, please contact the office.
Pre-K and Kindergarten Expo! SAVE THE DATE!
Join our community where everyone knows your name!
Our annual Pre-K and Kinder EXPO is an opportunity for parents/legal guardians and families to learn about our Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten programming.
When is the upcoming expo?
Morinville Expo: Thursday, January 25, 2024- 6:30 p.m. Morinville Community High School
GSACRD Assurance Survey
Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools values your opinion. As part of our Assurance process, we ask that you share your perspective through our Division Assurance Survey at the link or QR code below. Results from this survey will be used to inform planning and make decisions at both the school and divisional level for the 2024/2025 school year.
All parents and staff, as well as students in grades 4-12, will be given the opportunity to complete the survey. Surveys are completely anonymous.
Families with children at more than one GSACRD school are asked to complete a survey for each site.
The survey will remain open from January 11, 2024 to Friday, February 2, 2024.
Please note: If you have a child in grade 4, 7, or 10, you may receive a similar survey from Alberta Education at a later date. If so, we would encourage you to complete both surveys.
We thank you in advance for sharing your feedback; your time is appreciated.
LINK HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SKTParent2024
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 THURSDAY JANUARY 18th. 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 (Click HERE)
Join a Great Community of Parents on our ST. KATERI ACADEMY PARENTS facebook page!
SKT Family Movie Night - ALL FAMILIES WELCOME!
SKTA FUNDRAISING
Mabel's Labels
You can buy Mabel’s Labels for your child's items - they are waterproof, durable labels to help reduce classroom mix-ups and keep your items coming home! CLICK HERE for more information on how to order. This fundraiser is ongoing and doesn't have a deadline to order.
Thank you so much for supporting our school and Friends of SKT Association.
Friends of SKT
GSACRD Voice
Teaching Your Child to Be a Good Listener
When children and teens have difficulties with active listening, it can impact how they do at school, their relationships, extracurricular activities and more. Just like emotional regulation, active listening is an important life skill. When you’re talking with your child, model active listening by:
Putting away your phone
Looking them in the eye and really being there in the conversation
Repeating back what they say: “So it sounds like you’re saying…”
Asking questions to understand better
When we listen to our children, it makes them feel important and respected. When they feel valued in this way, they’re more likely to listen attentively and respectfully in return. This creates a positive cycle of communication which makes your interactions more pleasant and productive. To dive deeper, find a relaxed moment and talk with your child or teen about what it means to listen.
Check out this week’s tip from Big Life Journal about the ways we can teach our children to be good listeners.
Kara Meloche: kmeloche@gsacrd.ab.ca (END & GHP)
Caitlin Josey: cjosey@gsacrd.ab.ca (SKT & Legal)
Marina Casavant: mcasavant@gsacrd.ab.ca (MCHS & Communications)
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. Please visit our website (Click HERE) for detailed instructions under the MENU.
Ongoing Reporting - Viewing your students marks
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 your child's 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.
Please watch video on our website (Click HERE) for a step by step on how to access.