Sister Alphonse Academy Newsflash!
1/April/2021
Dear Sister Alphonse Academy Families!
Dear Parents/Legal Guardians:
As we send out this message on Holy Thursday, we remember:
"The last three days of Holy Week are referred to as the Easter or Sacred Triduum (Triduum Sacrum), the three-part drama of Christ's redemption: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
Holy Thursday is also known as "Maundy Thursday." The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation:
These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after he completed the washing of the feet. We should imitate Christ's humility in the washing of the feet" (https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2021-04-01).
Wishing you a peaceful and joyous Easter long weekend. We look forward to seeing all of our families again on Tuesday.
Blessings,
God bless and take care.
Christine Samson, Principal
Cindy Phillips, Vice Principal
Farewell Mrs. Kleparchuk!
Thank you!
Blessings on your new journey Mrs. Kleparchuk!
SAA Upcoming events:
Upcoming events: Month of April, 2021
Tuesday, April 6th - Students return to classes. PROGRESSIVE KINDERGARTEN STARTS!
First day of new options.
Wednesday, April 7th - Jersey Day! Wear the jersey or shirt of your favourite team or wear their team colours! Exciting Day of Learning.
Thursday, April 8th - SAA Spirit Day - Wear your SAA spirit wear or blue and green colors!
Friday, April 9th - Faith filled Friday - Easter Mass at SAA.
Exciting Day of Learning.
Wednesday, April 14th - School Council meeting: 6:30 p.m. Please see our website to join the virtual meeting. All parents/guardians are invited to attend!
Term 3 is starting!
We are entering into Term 3 Options for Grades 4 - 9 students when we return on April 6, 2021. We are excited to be offering our students options such as a Snacks, Drama, Foods, and Drafting and Design options. Students expressed their preferences in an Options Google form that was shared with them in February.
Students will participate in these options through working in their cohort groupings. Cohort groups will be rotated through the options so that all students have an opportunity to work in the beautiful, new lab spaces at Sister Alphonse Academy.
Thank you to all of the parents/guardians who have already registered their children for returning to SAA! Early registration enables us to start planning for staffing and programming for the fall. If you need any assistance with the registration process, please contact our office at (780) 809 - 2996. Thank you!
Mrs. Phillips, our new Vice Principal will be joining our SAA family at the beginning of May. During the interim, Mr. Sean Brass will be teaching Grade 5/6 in addition to assisting our office in an administrative role. Ms. Megan Hillier will be teaching the courses and options that Mrs. Kleparchuk was teaching, with Mrs. Phillips continuing to teach these subjects when she returns.
Please also check out the GSACRD Voice Parent Cafe, which provides families with resources in supporting physical and mental health. There are some interesting sessions that take place through zoom! Please feel free to click on the link to explore some of these sessions and resources.
Progressive Kindergarten is starting April 6, 2021
Please note that Progressive Kindergarten is starting for those who registered for this option for the 2020/2021 school year on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
If you know someone who is interested in our Kindergarten program at SAA, stay tuned for more updates/opportunities to connect with staff members in our spring event which is being organized to take place during the month of May.
Student Health & Safety
We are happy to report that we conducted a safe and orderly Lockdown drill with our students on Thursday, March 25, 2021.
Lock-Downs are usually used in response to acts or threats of violence to students and/or staff directly impacting the school. During a Lock-Down all doors to and within the school are locked. No one is permitted in or out of any area once it has been locked. Students and staff must respond very quickly to a Lock-Down command to get to a safe location before doors are locked. No one, other than law enforcement, is permitted access to the building until the Lock-Down is over.
During the spring season we will also be conducting a few more fire drills. The procedures and protocols will be reviewed with staff and students prior to the drill. Thank you!
GSACRD Summer School
Please visit summerschool.gsacrd.ab.ca
Confetti Cookies - Thank you!
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Thank you to all of the members of the SAA Friends Society for the work they did in organizing this staff appreciation event.
Blessings.
SAA Friends Spring Fundraising Event!
ORDER FORM: https://forms.gle/KSwAchUVAoqtmwA96
The deadline to purchase flowers and plants is April 15, 2021.
Message from the SAA Friends Society
Science 7 in Action!
Order your 2020/2021 SAA School Yearbook today!
Career and Technology Foundation Options
What does it mean to be a Knight?
SERVE
ACHIEVE
ASPIRE
Our school-wide approach to positive behaviour promotes a safe, orderly and predictable environment for learning and teaching. This approach has significant effects within the school community: it creates a positive school culture that students, parents and staff perceive as safe and caring.
Covid - Health & Safety Updates: Important message
Parents/Guardians:
Please check our our Covid-19 protocol updates in our parent handbook each week. Thank you so much for your continued diligence and support.
https://www.gsacrd.ab.ca/schoolreentry/parentguidebook
The Alberta Government has established stronger mandatory province-wide public health measures to help slow down the spread of the COVID-19.
Please open the link below to see an important change in the symptoms and isolating:
Alberta Health Daily Checklist - Please continue to screen your children for any symptoms BEFORE choosing to send them to school.
Covid-19 - How long to stay home from school
Thank you so much for your support!
Junior High Final Exam Information
Dear GSACRD Junior High Families,
For the 2020-21 school year, we will be approaching our final exam process differently. As a result of the very unusual year we have experienced, we endeavour to ensure that our students have maximum learning and preparation, without the pressure of high stakes final exams. We have therefore taken an approach that focuses on exam writing in a context of support and this approach is inline with our senior high counterparts:
All grade 7-9 students will be expected to write final exams. The rationale for this is to teach students how to prepare for exams, both mentally and academically. We believe that exam writing is a skill in and of itself and that students require practice to be confident in their ability to approach exams in the future.
All exams will be treated as a replacement exam. This means that students will be allowed to use the exam grade to replace their lowest unit test grade over the course of the year. As a result, the exam can only serve to benefit the student.
Parents will be able to see how their child(ren) performed on the final exam.
All GSACRD junior high students will write exams for each subject and grade.
Note for grade 9 families:
Final exams are a useful tool for grade 9 teachers to make accurate course recommendations for students entering high school.
Please note that teacher recommendations for high school course selections will be listed in the report card comments for each subject in June.
We encourage all students to approach these exams with diligence and care, and ask that as parents, you reinforce the importance of taking the process seriously.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Yours in education,
GSACRD Junior High Administration Teams
SAFETY PROTOCOL STUDENT RE-ENTRY REMINDERS
Before coming to school each day, all staff and students must complete the Alberta government’s COVID-19 Information Screening Questionnaire, which is available in multiple languages, to determine whether they can attend or must stay home. The form does not need to be submitted to the office. If your child has any symptoms, contact your school office to let your child’s school know. Everyone who enters a school will see a sign that reminds them to complete the daily COVID-19 Information Screening Questionnaire before entering the building.
Please remember to bring with you all of your books and supplies that are needed for school on Monday morning. Monday is a regular, full day of classes.
Please remember that we have four entrances for students. When you arrive at school please report to the same school door that you were using before the Christmas break.
On August 4, grades 4-12 students and all staff have been asked to wear masks and mask use will be mandatory in common areas and when physical distancing of 2m is not possible. K-3 students are not required to wear masks, but mask use is encouraged as much as possible. Masks are to be worn while riding the bus as well.
Students with pre-existing health conditions that cause symptoms of illness should be tested for COVID-19 at least once before returning to school. A negative test will help show that symptoms are related to their pre-existing conditions, and not to COVID-19. This will establish what their baseline for being healthy looks like. Families should notify their school about any pre-existing condition and the symptoms it causes. As long as these symptoms remain the same, the student can attend school.
Additional hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed in every school and division office and additional hand sanitizer has been provided to schools to enable individuals to practice good hand hygiene.
It is recommended that individual-sized hand sanitizer bottles be purchased for your children so that they have this with them throughout the day. If you need to purchase another one for Monday please do so. Thank you.
Students please bring your own water bottle to school and do not share them. Water fountains will remain open and be cleaned regularly.
All students are asked to wear a mask to wear upon entry at school and when riding a school bus. Teachers will provide mask breaks. Prior to the break, students needed more reminders of continuing to do this so let’s have a new start again.
Grades 4 - 9 students: Please remember to wear your mask at all times when walking in the classroom and/or hallway and continue to maintain physical distance between one another.
Approved cleaning protocols have been put in place in all Division buildings. Custodial staff have been trained to identify high touch areas and to know how to clean, sanitize, and disinfect them.
If your child becomes ill at school, your child will be placed in a safe space until you or your emergency designate picks up your child.
Lunch Hour: All students in the elementary and junior high school need to eat their lunch in their own classrooms. We have always had this guideline in place, but students needed a few reminders to adhere to this prior to the break. Students in Junior High who are leaving the building for lunch please follow all safety protocols with masks use, physical distancing and sanitization upon exit and entry.
Junior High - Nutrition break: You are to eat your snack at your desk in your classroom. If you would like to go for a short walk in the school, wear your mask and continue to maintain a physical distance of two metres while walking.
Gym use - Students will have grade cohort assigned time to use the gym. Please listen for the announcements for your day of use.
SIGIS Childcare available
Please note that we have SIGIS Childcare within our building at SAA! If you are in need of before school or after school childcare, please read some information below. This may be a convenient service you may be interested in. Thank you.
Sister Alphonse Academy!
Email: info@sisteralphonseacademy.com
Website: https://www.saa.gsacrd.ab.ca/
Location: 1 Joyal Way, Sturgeon County, AB, Canada
Phone: 7808092296
Facebook: facebook.com/sisteralphonseacademy
Twitter: @sisteralphonseacademy