st. clare school newsletter - calgary catholic school district · page 2 st. clare elementary...

Parent’s School Startup Checklist

St. Clare School Newsletter 12455 Coventry Hills Way NE

Calgary,AB T3K 5Z4 Telephone: 403-500-2102 www.cssd.ab.ca/stclare

September 2015 Principal: Mrs. Trisa Soroski Secretary: Mrs. Nancy Mattie Vice Principal: Mr. Mark Hickie Office Assistant: Ms. Cassie Novakowski Assistant Principal: Ms. Shannon Poulsen

Welcome!

We would like to welcome back all of our St. Clare students and their families, and extend a very warm welcome to everyone who is new to our school community. We are very pleased to have Mrs. Trisa Soroski (Principal), Mr. Mark Hickie (Vice-Principal), Mrs. Kathy Mah (grade 1), Mrs. Krista Schnick (grade 3), Ms. Ellen Finlan (grade 5), Mr. Robert Zakovicz (grade 6) and Ms. Justine Turner (Diverse Learning) join our staff this year. We are looking forward to a great year of learning and discovery, engaging all students for success!

Last year we celebrated as a school district the faith theme, “Love Kindness.” This year, we will focus on what it means to “Walk Humbly with God”. This is the third of three things that Micah said God requires of his people. We need to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. These three things are related to each other. We walk humbly with God by remembering that God, who is just, kind, merciful and loving, walks with us every day and asks us to treat others with the same justice and kindness that he shows to us. Last year the students and staff also explored the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. We will continue to develop these habits again this year, especially as we strive to walk humbly with God: 1. Be proactive (be responsible, take initiative, do the right thing without being asked) 2. Begin with the end in mind (plan ahead, set goals, look for ways to be a good citizen) 3. Put first things first (be organized and disciplined, spend time on the things that are most important) 4. Think win-win (balance getting what we want with consideration for what others want) 5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood (listen, try to see things from other people’s viewpoint) 6. Synergize (value other people’s strengths, get along with others) 7. Sharpen the saw (eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, find meaningful ways to help others) As we all settle in over the next few days, please consider that enrollment changes are still occurring and our final student count will not be confirmed until the end of the week. As a result, there may be some class and/or teacher changes. We will do our very best to keep changes to a minimum. We are looking forward to a wonderful year! Sincerely, Mrs. Trisa Soroski, Principal Mr. Mark Hickie, Vice-Principal Mrs. Shanon Poulsen, Assistant Principal

St. Clare Elementary School September 2015

Prayer to St. Clare

O St. Clare Flowering soul of heaven,

Spread your fragrance and your love of God Among all students of this school.

May we learn together the ways of kind-ness,

Pray together for God’s grace to spread among us,

Serving others and forgetting self As you did all your life.

Guide us as our Abbess, our teacher, our saint

And bless us in your memory Ever loving St. Clare.

Amen

Prayer life is an integral part of the program at St. Clare Elementary School. Daily prayer, prayer within our Religious Education component and planned liturgies help to shape our Christian atmosphere. A regular weekly hymn sing will be held to prepare students in song for our school liturgies on Day 6. Regular liturgical celebrations are planned with Father Avinash and Father Pil, our priests from Ascension Parish. We welcome parent attendance at these celebrations. Consult your monthly newsletter and calendar for dates and times and plan to attend if possible. As part of a Catholic Community of Caring, students have the opportunity to be involved in service to others during the year. Various activities to help the needy, the poor and the environment will run throughout the year. One of our first projects is the Terry Fox Walk/Run for Cancer. Pledges to go towards cancer research will be collected. Watch for more information as the projects are developed.

Liturgical Celebrations

Prayer Life

Service Learning Projects

2015 Faith Theme: Walk Humbly


Did you know that school fees cover the cost of the student agenda books? Did you know that school fees help cover the cost of field trips, guest speakers and classroom resources? Did you know that school fees can be paid on-line at www.cssd.ab.ca with debit and credit cards? Did you know that you can also pay fees at the school (cash or cheque payable to St. Clare School) or you could send the fees in with your child? Did you know that the deadline for fee submission is September 30 so we can better plan our programs? Did you know that no further fees will be collected this year? Did you know how much we appreciate your support?

Student Supplies

School Fees

Thank you to our parents who pre-ordered our students’ supplies. These materials have already arrived at the school and teachers have them in the classroom ready to give to the children. For those who did not pre-order, the school supply lists are posted on-line at www.cssd.ab.ca/stclare under Latest News and Information. Parents are asked to complete purchases as soon as possible. Please mark student names on all items using a permanent marker.

All students in Grades K-6 will receive a student agenda. The agenda includes a handbook at the front which details very important information including bell times, holidays, discipline and homework policies as well as other procedures and information. It is hoped that the use of the agendas will help students develop independence and responsibility. We hope too, that this will help facilitate communication between home and school.

Student Agendas

8:50 Entry Bell for Kindergarten—Gr. 6 8:55 Classes Begin 10:30—10:45 Morning Recess Grades 1-6 11:33 Kindergarten Dismissal 12:01—12:58 Lunch 12:01—12:25 Grade 4,5,6 students eat in the gym, Grade 1,2,3 students play outside 12:25—12:53 Grade 1,2,3 students eat in the gym, Grade 4,5,6 students play outside 12:53 Entry for Kindergarten 12:53 End of Lunch Bell for Grades 1-6 12:58 Classes Resume for Grades 1-6 3:25 Dismissal Kindergarten—Grade 6

We remind students and their families to always be prompt and arrive at school in a timely fashion.

School Bell Times


The school milk program will begin Thursday, October 1 for Grades 1-6. Milk forms will be sent home on Tuesday, September 22 for you to pre-order milk. These forms need to be returned to the school by Monday, September 28.

Milk Program

Lunch Time We currently have over 600 students enrolled at St. Clare school. In order to give all of our students a safe and comfortable space to eat, and in response to parent feedback, we are introducing changes to the noon hour routines. We will have the older students eat their lunch first in the gym and then go outside to play. Our younger students will play first and then come in to eat. This arrangement will give students more room to eat in the gym and free up the playground area to give our students more opportunities to use the equipment. Anytime there is change there is likely to be a few tweaks that are needed. Please be patient as we adjust to this new routine. We will continue to offer an intramural program , however, it will run outside. We will keep you posted! Please note that St. Clare charges a very nominal amount for every student who remains at the school over the lunch hour. The fee goes exclusively towards the salary of our noon hour assistants who work to ensure the students’ lunch break is as comfortable and safe as possible. You can help our assistants by ensuring that your child is prepared for lunch by packing food in containers they can open and sending a spoon or fork if needed. Remember we are not able to provide hot water or heating facilities such as microwave ovens. Students are expected to remain at school and under our supervision during the noon hour unless other parental arrangements have been made with the office.

Fun Lunch!

This year, St. Clare School will be using Healthy Hunger to help streamline our fun lunch order system. Healthy Hunger is a website where families where families can go to see upcoming fun lunch dates and can easily place their orders online. Parents pay using Visa, MasterCard, or Debit. You can place orders, delete orders, and view order history. It eliminates the paper order form, no longer requires money to be sent to the school and insures accuracy with orders. Since there is no more counting money and forms at the school, it reduces the workload for school council and our parent volunteers. The program is free to schools as it is paid for by the restaurants we order from! Watch for more information in the upcoming weeks.


St. Clare School welcomes parents in our Volunteer Program. The education of your child is a shared responsibility between parents and teachers. We are always very grateful for the commitment of parent volunteers in the classroom and throughout the school. Before volunteering at St. Clare School, you are required to attend a Volunteer Orientation and sign a Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement This is an opportunity for you to meet other parent volunteers and find out more about the role of volunteers in the school. We will have a Volunteer Orientation at 6:30 pm, just prior to our first School Council meeting on Wednesday, September 30. To ensure a safe and secure school environment, all visitors who spend time in the school, including parents, are asked to report to the office, sign in and put on a name tag. This tag lets staff and students know that you are a safe person and that you have checked in at the office. Thank you for your support.

Our School Council is integral in working with the staff to provide the best opportunities for the children in the school community. School Council works with the administration in an advisory capacity towards achieving yearly school goals, fundraising and offering special events. All parents are members-at-large, and we invite all parents to come to our meetings. It is very valuable to come meet other parents in the community, hear the happenings at your child’s school and take part in building a warm, rich environment for our children.

Our first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m.

There will be a Volunteer Orientation Session just prior to the meeting (beginning at 6:30) for

parents wishing to volunteer this year. All are welcome!

School Council

Parent Volunteers

The first parent/teacher conference takes place very early in the school year to provide parents with an opportunity to share any pertinent and relevant information about their child with his/her homeroom teacher. Kindergarten Conferences are held from September 01—08, and all conferences for students in grades 1-6 are held on the evening of September 17 and during the day of September 18. Please note there are no classes on September 18 (including Kindergarten and students in grades 1-6). To make your appointment for the Parent/Teacher Interview on the evening of September 17 and during the day of September 18, please follow the instructions that will be sent home with a reminder of this upcoming event. This information will also be placed on the St. Clare web page. If you do not have access to the internet or have problems with the program, please call the school office for assistance at (403) 500-2102.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Notice to Parent or Guardian: Student Groups & Human Sexuality

Topics Over the year, our school may establish a student group, which engages in discussion and activities related to diversity and justice issues, including support for students belonging to sexual minorities. In particular, within our Reli-gious Education and Family Life Catholic Communi-ty of Caring program, students may provide lead-ership and receive support to continue to build inclusive communities, aligned with our Catholic social teachings. If you wish further information, please contact the principal.


Student Belongings

Periodically, things go missing from the school. We ask parents to discuss the following with their children: Be wise about what you take to school. Ask why you are bringing it. Does it have an educational purpose? Is

it expensive? Our best advise is that toys, games and expensive items are to be left at home. (ie. trading cards, Ipods, DS’s, etc.)

Be sure all your personal property is marked with your name—even items of clothing. Use a permanent marker so items are less likely to be mistaken or stolen and are far easier to return.

Always be sure your possessions are in a secure place. Money is never to be left in coats, desks, etc. Parents are asked to periodically check at home for things that may belong to others. Items can be returned through the office.

Lost or Stolen Articles

St. Clare School utilizes the SchoolConnects Automated Notification Service provided through SynreVoice Technologies Inc. SchoolConnects quickly delivers a wide variety of messages by phone, email and SMS text to parents and our staff, enhancing communication within our school community and improving our emergency preparedness. We will be using SchoolConnects to notify you by phone and email if your child has an unexcused absence from class. For further information, please review the letter provided for you in the envelope your child is bringing home on September 1. Using SchoolConnects, we will send out announcements and emergency messages as required. If you have a cell phone, you can have SchoolConnects call your cell to ensure that you personally get the messages. Please keep your contact phone numbers and email addresses are up to date and notify the office of any changes.

SchoolConnects

Cell Phones The need for a student to have a cell phone is a determination which a parent must make. Please be aware that the school cannot be responsible for these if lost or stolen. We ask that cell phones remain off and stored in backpacks during the day. Parents/students are reminded that important messages can be relayed to students from the office and office phones are always available in emergencies. Bicycles and Scooters It is important to remember: Bikes must be stored in bike racks, back wheel in. Bikes must have locks. Remain at the bike racks only for as long as it takes to place/remove bikes. Do not ride bikes on school property.


We will have monthly safety drills (including fire drills and lock down drills) at the school. Students are expected to participate in a safe, orderly and quiet fashion. In the event that we need to seek shelter, our designated gathering area is Coventry Hills Elementary School.

Parents should be advised that EMS will be called when a student’s health is at risk due to injury, illness, etc., and the Principal (or designate) determines if this is an appropriate step. All efforts will be made to contact Parents/Guardians or Emergency Contacts. Parents/Guardians are eligible to claim for the cost of EMS services (whether or not the patient is transported) through the district purchased blanket accident insurance policy with IAP. Under the Student Accident Insurance policy claims are made directly by the parent/guardian. Claim forms can be downloaded from Industrial Alliance Pacific’s website at www.iapkidsplus.com.

Ambulance Calls

Safety Drills

Creative Playground

Office Phones

Playground rules will be reviewed with the students in the first few days of school. We will make every effort to ensure safe and fair play and we encourage parents always to support us in this endeavor. As the school year begins we will implement a practice whereby the following will apply in the morning before school begins and during morning recess: Day 1 Grades 1 Day 2 Grades 2 Day 3 Grades 3 Day 4 Grades 4 Day 5 Grades 5 Day 6 Grades 6 . These “days” are posted on all exit doors to the playground. The schedule is also announced each morning. Please note that with our change to the noon hour routines, this schedule will not apply to the noon hour recess.

Students will be permitted to use the office phones to call parents or caregivers as needed. Classroom teachers will have phone passes which the students may request when they need to make a telephone call. Teachers will review these procedures with students during the first week of school.


Schools rely on parents to ensure we are current with respect to particular medical needs of students. Health conditions (e.g. Diabetes, epilepsy, allergies, etc.) should be re-addressed to the school medical information and updated each September. Parents must be aware that medications cannot be administered by school staff unless appropriate paper work and medical authorization forms have been completed and is in place. This requires “lead time” on the part of the parent and involvement of a doctor in completing forms. Students with allergies are expected to have an epi-pen on their person at all times. Questions can be addressed to the school administration. Thank you for your support.

Medically Vulnerable Students

St. Clare School has a number of students who have severe allergies to peanut products (peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil, etc.). This means that if they come into contact with peanut products they may experience life-threatening reactions (anaphylaxis). Contact can be either through eating, inhaling or touching peanut products as well as through cross contamination. Cross contamination is particularly dangerous since the presence of peanut products is hidden. For a child with a severe peanut allergy, actions such as picking up a piece of wrapping paper from a food item containing peanut products, or eating a sandwich that has been touched with a knife used to spread peanut butter on another sandwich can be deadly. Without immediate medical treatment such a child could die within minutes. As members of the St. Clare School Community you are encouraged to help us make our school PEANUT AWARE by lowering the risk of an allergic reaction. Here is how you can be supportive: 1. When preparing lunches or snacks for your child that will be brought to school, please provide only foods which are free

of peanuts or peanut products. This means saving peanut butter sandwiches or peanut butter cookies for after school snacks at home. There are delicious alternatives to peanut butter such as soy spreads (“wow” butter) and almond butter. Please read the labels of other foods like muffins, granola bars and cookies before you put them in your child’s lunch or snack.

The school is taking the following steps to minimize risks: 1. Students with severe allergies and their families take the necessary precautions in order to prevent an allergic reaction. For severe allergies, we require students to have an epi-pen in their fanny pack at all times and on their person. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure the school is aware of the health hazards and to review this with the school annually as the school year begins. 2. All staff participate in annual reviews/inservices (provided by our school nurse) of the correct medical procedures regarding anaphylaxis. 3. Students with severe allergies will have their picture posted in a location accessible to staff (not students) in an effort to ensure that all supervisors know who these students are. 5. Students with severe allergies are invited to sit, with a friend, in a designated area of the gym to lower risks. Although we ask that all food brought to St. Clare be nut-free we cannot guarantee a nut-free environment. *If your child has a severe allergy and requires medication please ensure that you have completed the forms for the current school year and that the medication is available at the school and that the expiry date is checked before sending. Also, it is important that you speak with your child’s teacher directly to convey information regarding medical situations and treatments.

Allergy Awareness Information


In order to keep students safe, we remind you that the school parking lot is not to be used for the pick up and drop off of students. Please be considerate of our neighbors, and remember that it is illegal to block a residential driveway, and to block passage on the street. Choose safety over convenience! The parking situation outside the school can be very congested after school as parents come to pick up their children. In the cold weather, the number of extra vehicles can create some issues for our neighbors and can potentially put our students at risk. In your travels to and from school, please make sure to follow the following guidelines:

· Park on either side of Coventry Hills Way or either side of Covette Bay. · Please do not double or triple park your cars on Covette Bay. This is a “No Stopping” Zone! · Please do not park around the corners at Covette Bay and Coventry Hills Way. · Please do not block the driveways of our neighbors. You will be ticketed. · Please do not make u-turns in the school zone. · Please use the patrolled crosswalk to cross Coventry Hills Way. Please read signs carefully. Do not park illegally in bus zones!

Drivers, please make yourselves aware of safe and legal driving practices and parking spaces. Tickets may be issued for infractions. Please refer to the parking information on our web site. This has been an on-going concern and suggestions to improve the situation would be helpful. We want to be good neighbors in our community! Playground zones are in effect from 7:30 am until 9:00 pm. These hours are approved and put into effect by the City of Calgary in order to protect those students who show up to school early for extracurricular activities .

Parking Outside the School

Picking up and Dropping off Students

Once again our patrols will be out on the street shortly after the school opens. These grade six students work with the Calgary City Police Force, with the AMA and on behalf of our school community. It is an honor to be a member of the patrol. We appreciate the commitment and leadership these students provide. We expect all students to abide by the rules and procedures established by our patrollers. We appreciate that parents would also take a lead and provide a good example for all when crossing the street. Thank you for your support!

Safety Patrols

Playground Zones


IAP Kids Plus Life Insurance forms are distributed to students on the first day of classes. Families can get reasonable coverage for injury, accidents, etc. for a nominal fee. We highly recommend this coverage for students if they are very active, involved in sports or do not have any additional medical coverage. IAP Kids Plus Industrial-Alliance Pacific Insurance Company requests these be mailed back to the company as soon as possible. FYI—Our school district does carry limited additional insurance for students. The insurance covers ambulance fees in the event of accidents. It does not cover needs related to existing health conditions (e.g. Diabetes, allergies, etc.)

Forms are to be mailed directly to IAP Kids Plus Industrial-Alliance Pacific Life Insurance Company. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THEM TO THE SCHOOL.

SUTP Coupon Books are available at school at a cost of $20.00 each. Student Union Ticket Pak books can be purchased directly from the office or by filling out the order form below and sending it along with the money to the office. Cheques or cash are accepted. Please make cheques out to St. Clare School. Any individual selling 5 SUTP Coupon Books throughout our campaign will receive a 6th SUTP Coupon Book at no charge. Our SUTP campaign will run until the end of October. The school portion of the proceeds collected goes toward student incentives as well as technology upgrades to support learning. SUTP sales will continue until October 30. I, ____________________________________, would like to purchase ________ SUTP’s at $20.00 each for (please print name) a total of $_________. _____ cheque _____ cash (make cheques out to St. Clare School) Please send the books home with my child _______________________ in Grade _____________________ (print child’s name) (grade and teacher)

SUTP ORDER FORM

IAP Kids Plus Life Insurance

SUTP’S


Regular school attendance is vital to the academic success of our student. In order to ensure everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities in ensuring a student’s regular attendance, this summary has been prepared. If a child is going to be absent from school, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian of the child to contact the school to report the absence. When this information is provided to the school, the absence will be recorded as either excused, or unexcused. Under Section 13 of the School Act, a student is excused from attending school if they are unwell, suspended, or there exists an unavoidable cause. The school may request a meeting with the family to address the student’s learning needs if there is an excessive number of excused absences. A student will be recorded as unexcused if a student is: away without parental permission (truant); a student is absent and no contact has been made with the parent or guardian (unknown); or if a parent has contacted the school to report the absence and the reason provided does not qualify as an excused absence (no legitimate reason). An absence recorded as unexcused can be changed to excused if documentation is provided to support the absence. On occasion, there are circumstances whereby students need to leave school during the school day. In these circumstances, it is crucial the school office be notified by a parent if their child is going to leave the school during school hours. If your child becomes ill during the school day and needs to leave the school, the school will need a contact number where a parent/guardian can be reached. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to update this information if the contact numbers change throughout the year. By informing the school about your child’s absences, parents can go a long way in helping the child achieve academic success. When a parent shows an interest in their child’s attendance, and takes an active role in monitoring it, the child will more likely take attendance seriously themselves. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s attendance, or would like clarification about attendance procedures, please feel free to contact your school administration.

School Attendance and the School Act

Picture Day: Monday, October 19


As parents are aware, the District has determined there is a need for a transportation fee for students in Grades 1—6 who must come to school by bus. In order to qualify for bussing, families must reside more than 1.2 kilometers from the school. Students are reminded to adhere to all rules with respect to safety on the bus. Everyone on the bus needs to be safe and the bus driver must not be distracted by student behavior when driving.

STUDENT CONDUCT ON BUSES Rationale: Guidelines for student conduct are provided to ensure that the safety and well being of District students are being addressed while students are travelling on District provided charter service. Regulation: Students riding on a school bus will be under the immediate authority of the driver who will report all cases of student misconduct to the principal. The following guidelines apply: The driver is in full charge of the bus and the driver's directions must be obeyed. The driver may assign specific seats to students at any time. At no time will students extend parts of their bodies out of windows, or try to get on or off the bus, or move within the bus while it is in motion. Students must not throw paper or other material in or out of the bus. While on the bus, students must conduct themselves in a quiet, courteous and respectful manner, showing consideration for the comfort and safety of others. Students must not distract the bus driver. Continued student violation of rules for conduct on school buses may lead to loss of riding privileges or further disciplinary action. When leaving the bus, students who must cross the road are to do so after the bus has left the stop. Students must be able to have a clear view in all directions before crossing the road.

Transportation


Teachers: Kindergarten Mrs. Suzanne Skytt-Schmidt Mrs. Shivaun Miele Grade 1 Mrs. Charlotte Blundon Miss Rosalee Cimino Mrs. Dynelle Dunn Mrs. Kathy Mah Grade 2 Ms. Carrie Forster Mrs. Denise Henry Mrs. Carole Petrillo Mrs. Leah Schmidt Grade 3 Mrs. Andrea Hunter Ms. Jayne Pollock Mrs. Krista Schnick Mrs. Rosella Sarro Grade 4 Mr. Joe Gentile Mr. Adrian Holt Mrs. Anna Valentino Grade 5 Ms. Ellen Finlan Mr. David Lehman Mrs. Jocelyn Nicholas Mrs. Amanda Williams Grade 6 Mr. Adam Lahoud Mrs. Shannon Poulsen Mr. Robert Zakovicz Phys Ed Ms. Sherri Anwender Music Ms. Janine Bischoff Diverse Learning Mrs. Lisa Kerr Mrs. Thaya Gallant Mrs. Jean Prince Mrs. Justine Turner

Principal Mrs. Trisa Soroski Vice Principal Mr. Mark Hickie Assistant Principal Mrs. Shannon Poulsen Secretary Mrs. Nancy Mattie Office Assistant Ms. Cassie Novakowski Librarian Mrs. Sharon Olsen Special Ed. Assts. Ms. Iris Beardsworth Mrs. Jennifer Biegun Lunchroom Assistants Mrs. Angela Coptin Mrs. Laura Guzman Mrs. Jennifer Lippert Caretaker Mr. Joel Carbonel Cleaning Assistants Mr. Mario Coronel Mr. Jose Ramirez School Nurse Ms. Barb Sponder

Staff List

Healthy Children Parent Newsletter

September 2015

To find an electronic copy of this newsletter, visit: www.albertahealthservices.ca/csh.asp

Nurture with Nature!

Reconnecting kids with nature has been shown to help children focus in school, boost a positive attitude and increase physical activity. Children are certainly losing touch with the outdoors—a Canadian study shows that the number of kids who play outside at school decreases from 87% to 17% between grades 3 and 11. Seventy percent of youth spend an hour or less outdoors daily.

The effects of exposing and connecting children to nature are widespread and valuable. School grounds made greener by planting trees, building ponds and fostering gardens increases physical activity in elementary school children. Even having green space nearby has been shown to temper stressful life events in younger kids. Just 20 minutes walking in a park could ease ADHD symptoms and significantly improve concentration.

How can parents help:

Start slow and make it a family goal to have at least 15 minutes of ―green time‖ a day, even if that just means a walk together outside. Role modeling is essential to fostering a child’s positive connection to nature.

Advocate for more time outside for your children at school, be it through extra gym classes outside or making outdoor learning a part of the other class lessons.

Don’t let the cold or snow stop you in Alberta! Many communities have free access to a variety of outdoor activities – Just make sure to bundle up!

Nurturing your child with nature is an easy way to improve their entire well-being. For more information and ideas, visit the Children and Nature Network at www.childrenandnature.org.

Physical Literacy and Safe, Healthy, Active Kids

We’ve all heard that becoming literate in reading, math, writing and science is essential for children to be successful in life but did you know that it is just as important for your child to be physically literate. Physical literacy means children are competent and confident with movement and sport skills such as running, throwing, catching, skipping, balancing and jumping.

Sport and recreation injuries account for 40% of all injury related emergency room visits in school aged children. We can help reduce that rate by promoting physical literacy education in schools. Research shows that children who are physically literate are much less likely to be injured while playing sports. Children who stay safe while being active are also more likely to continue to have energetic, healthy lifestyles in adulthood.

Children learn to be physically literate in much the same way they learn to read and write. It’s a process of learning and developing skill over time with concepts building on one another other at each grade level. Just like other school subjects some children will find the concepts easy to grasp while others may require longer periods of time and extra help to become skilled.

School physical education programs offer all children the opportunity to learn movement and sport skills necessary to become physically literate. Curriculums are specially designed to ensure fundamental skills, knowledge and attitudes are developed. Provincial safety guidelines for physical activity have been developed to provide teachers with resources necessary to keep children safe during instructional practices.Talk to your child about how important gym class is and follow their progress with their teacher. The skills they learn in physical education class will keep them safe, healthy and happy for a lifetime.

Driving is

Does your child's school have an AMA Youth Run Club?

The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and Ever Active Schools have brought a free, award-winning program for school-aged children to Alberta schools. We can provide your school with resources and support – from scratch or to enrich an existing run club. Learn about how to get your child's school involved at www.everactive.org/alberta-medical-association-youth-run-club.

http://www.childrenandnature.org/

http://www.everactive.org/alberta-medical-association-youth-run-club

http://www.everactive.org/alberta-medical-association-youth-run-club

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