817 - 13th Street NE Weyburn, SK S4H 3M5

Phone (306) 842-2414 or (306) 842-2323 Fax (306) 842-7030

contact.apes@cornerstonesd.ca

Assiniboia Park Elementary School

December News 2014 Dear Assiniboia Park Families, It is hard to believe that December is here!

Celebration of Learning The staff would like to thank everyone for attending and participating in our Celebration of Learning. This is such a wonderful way for our students to show their parents what they have learned during the first term. Teachers will be rescheduling with those families where illness or other unforeseen circumstances caused an absence.

Monday, December 22 Monday, December 22 is the last day of classes before the Christmas break. Classes resume after Christmas holidays on Monday, January 5, 2015 (Day 5 – K Blue).

December Spirit Days Our Student Spirit Leaders (SSL) have organized our December school spirit days. Monday, December 1 and Monday, December 22 will be Pyjama/Comfy Days. Wear your Pyjamas/Comfy clothing to school!

“Pack-a-Parent” - Turkey Hot Lunch (12:03 p.m.)

The SCC has organized another hot lunch for our students on Friday, December 5th (K Blue day). This is also our “Pack-a-Parent” lunch day; parents are invited to eat with their children in the gym. If you didn’t pre-order a Turkey hot lunch and you bring your own lunch, please make sure that you do not bring peanuts, sesame seeds, or any other nuts or nut products to the school. Having sesame seeds on a hamburger bun is even dangerous for some of our students. Thank you for keeping all students safe.

January 9th Hot Lunch There will be a hot lunch on Friday, January 9 (Day 3) at noon. This is the first Friday after the Christmas break. Hot lunch forms will be due back on Thursday, December 18!

Volleyball & Boundball Season Wraps Up The Volleyball and Boundball seasons have ended for this year. Thanks to the coaches – Mr. Butz, Mrs. Pierce, Miss Calder & Miss Ermel. The grade six volleyball teams played several games and the grade 4-5 boundball teams held several practices.

Remembrance Day Assiniboia Park held its annual Remembrance Day program on November 10. Thank you to Rev. John Ferrier, our guest speaker, who did a wonderful job of explaining the significance of this day to our students. We would also like to thank the Royal Canadian Legion Colour Party for its participation in this important event and to Rekina Browatzke for her trumpet solo during our program. The grade six students did a great job leading our Remembrance Day ceremony as well. We collected $193.00 in Poppy donations for the Royal Canadian Legion! Thank you!

SCC – Fruit Order Pick-Up The SCC would like to thank everyone that participated in their recent Fruit Fundraiser. They raised approximately $2,400.00 in profit! Orders will be available for pick up from the school gym on TUESDAY, December 2nd. You can pick up before school (8:00 – 8:45 a.m.) or after school (3:10 – 6:30 p.m.). The next SCC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 2nd at 8:00 p.m. in the library. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Basketball Season Starts Basketball for Grade 4-6 boys and Grade 6 girls will begin in December. Coaching the grade 6 boys and the grade 4-5 boys will be Mr. Butz and Mr. McLeod. The grade 6 girls will be coached by Miss Wiks and Miss Ermel. Check the calendar for practice dates and times.

Kindergarten Class List for 2015/16 We are in the process of preparing our Kindergarten class list for the 2015/16 school year. If you have a child, or know of any children, that will be attending Kindergarten at Assiniboia Park this coming fall, please call the school if you haven’t already done so. Our projected enrolments affect our staffing numbers, so it is important that we have accurate numbers as soon as possible.

Christmas Concert!

The Christmas season is upon us and students and staff are gearing up for our annual Christmas Concert. As you know, this year’s concert date is Thursday, December 18. The grade 5/6 classroom along with the Kindergarten and grade 1 and 2 classes will be performing the play “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. They will be the first part of each of our concerts. For the second part, the grade 6 classroom together with grades 3, 4, and 5 will be presenting the musical “Lights! Camera! Christmas!”

Each year our school population gets a little bigger, and our gymnasium during the concert gets fuller and fuller. It’s at the point where there is not enough room for everyone to sit, it is difficult for many people to see, and the overcrowding is a concern. To help alleviate these problems we have decided once again to run two performances. Both will be on Thursday, December 18, one in the morning and one in the evening. Family members are welcome at either of these performances. There will also be a dress rehearsal on Wednesday, December 17 in the morning. Students will have an opportunity to watch each other during this dress rehearsal. Family members are welcome as well. We would really like to encourage anyone who can to attend the morning performance on Thursday, December 18. You may also attend the dress rehearsal. If we spread people out more evenly among the performances, everyone will be more comfortable. A more detailed note will follow as we get closer to the concert date.

APES DECEMBER News – page 2

REMINDER We are again noticing long line ups at the microwave ovens in the classrooms at noon, so please send items that do not require much time to heat up (2 minutes or less).

AM1190 - My Favourite Christmas AM1190 will be airing My Favourite Christmas stories by grade 4 – 6 students again this year. Stories selected were recorded in mid-November and will air on AM1190 during the month of December.

KidSport Fundraiser Weyburn KidSport’s major fundraiser again this year was a raffle. Assiniboia Park raised $190.00 in ticket sales! First Prize (Signed Weyburn Gold Wings Jersey from the 2013/14 season) was won by Katie G. (Haig School) and Second Prizes (Autographed Weyburn Red Wing Hockey Sticks) were won by Keaton H. (Haig School) and Megan D. (Queen Elizabeth School). Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who purchased a ticket!

Winter Weather is Here! As the weather turns colder, please remember to send your children to school dressed warmly (boots, winter coats, ski pants, toques & mitts). We want to encourage the children to get fresh air and exercise even in the winter months. It is our policy to have outdoor recess until the temperature or wind chill reaches -25oC. Please put names or initials in your children’s boots, mitts, coats, bunny hugs, etc. – it makes finding their owners much easier. The “Lost and Found” box always has a variety of sweaters, hoodies, mitts, ski pants, etc. Please check for lost items the next time you are in the school. Items not claimed by December 22 will be taken to the Salvation Army.

Saskatchewan In Motion & APES SCC The grand prize winner of a Razor Kick Scooter in the Saskatchewan In Motion “How Our Family Stays Active” contest was Jarret H. (Gr. 2). Congratulations, Jarret! Let’s hope everyone “Stays Active”!

APES DECEMBER News – page 3

Dates to Remember: Monday, December 1 – Polar Express Day (Gr. 1) - Pyjama/Comfy School Spirit Day Tuesday, December 2 - SCC Meeting – 8:00 p.m. (Library) Friday, December 5 – “Pack-a-Parent”-Turkey Hot Lunch Monday, December 15 – Mrs. Claus Day (Grade 1) Wed, December 17 – Concert Dress Rehearsal (a.m.) Thurs., December 18 – Christmas Concert Performances (9 a.m./10:30 a.m. & 6:30/7:45 p.m.) - January 9th (Day 3) Hot Lunch orders are due! Monday, December 22 – Last teaching day of 2014 - Pyjama/Comfy School Spirit Day

Monday, January 5, 2015 – Classes resume – Day 5 (K Blue) Wednesday, January 7 – Gr. 5, 5/6 & 6 Curling (a.m.) Friday, January 9 – Hot Lunch at noon Wednesday, January 14 – Gr. 5, 5/6 & 6 Curling (a.m.) Monday, January 26 – School Carnival (6 – 8 p.m.) Monday, February 16 – Family Day (No school) February 17 – 20 – February Break – NO SCHOOL

REMINDER NOTICE

NO FOODS WITH SESAME SEEDS, PEANUTS, NUTS OR TRACES OF NUTS TO

BE CONSUMED ON SCHOOL PREMISES Please read packages carefully. . .

Also, if a product “MAY CONTAIN” nuts, DO NOT send it to school.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe.

Reading Fluency at APES For the past four years elementary students in South East Cornerstone Public School Division have participated in a universal screen, AIMSweb, which targets early literacy, reading fluency, comprehension skills, and early numeracy. The results of this screening tool assist the school staff in providing targeted academic programming for all students. In September all students in grade 2 to grade 6 were screened for their reading fluency with AIMSweb. We recently received our school data which states that the vast majority of our students are considered established readers! That is fantastic! Being an established reader means that the student is reading with the fluency that is expected at or above his/her grade level. We should all be very proud of these results. It is obvious that reading is a priority at home every day and that great teaching is taking place at APES!!

The AIMSweb screening for reading fluency will be given again in the winter between January 21 and February 11. The spring screening is scheduled to take place between May 14 and June 5. Keep up that great reading!!!

Street Safety around APES We have noticed quite a bit of dangerous driving at the front of the school during student drop-off time in the morning and student pick-up time after school. To keep the streets around our school safe for your children, please make sure that you:

• Make no U-turns anywhere around our school

• Slow down when driving by the school • Do not double-park • Do not park in the cross walks • Obey bus signals

(Toys for Toddlers – continued) •Seek out toys that encourage children to be active. Toddlers are doing all kinds of physical tricks as they are stronger and more confident with their bodies. Look for toys that help your child practice current physical skills and develop new ones. Toys such as: balls of different sizes, three-wheeled scooters, pull-toys or a wagon to fill and pull help gross-muscle development and coordination.

Most importantly, join in the fun and play with your child!

South East Cornerstone

Early Learning and Care Coordinator: Sandi Klatt Email: sandi.klatt@cornerstonesd.ca

Toys for Toddlers Ages 1- 3

Toddlers are little explorers who learn by doing. Play gives children a great opportunity to develop and practice new skills at their own pace by following their unique interests. The toys and playthings children have available to them can shape their development in important ways. Below are some ideas for choosing toys that will grow with children, challenge, and nurture children’s overall development (thinking, physical, language and social-emotional skills). •Choose toys that can be used in a variety of ways. Toddlers love to take apart, put back together, pull out, put in, add on, and build up. Choose toys that are "open-ended" in the sense that your child can play many different games with them. For example, wooden blocks or chunky plastic interlocking blocks can be used to make a road, a farm, a house or a vehicle. Toys like this spark your child's imagination and help him develop problem-solving and logical thinking skills. •Look for toys that will grow with your child. Plastic toy animals and action figures, toddler-friendly dollhouses, trains and other vehicles, stuffed animals and dolls can be used by children for dramatic play which as they acquire more language will evolve into acting out stories from a book or stories they have created themselves. •Select toys that encourage exploration and problem-solving. Play gives children the chance to practice new skills over and over again. Toys that give children a chance to figure something out on their own, or with a little coaching, build their logical thinking skills and help them become persistent problem-solvers. They also help children develop spatial skills (understanding how things fit together), hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills (using the small muscles in the hands and fingers). Toys like puzzles, shape-sorters, nesting blocks or cups, art materials like clay, paint, crayons and play-dough are wonderful for building these skills. •Look for toys that spark your child’s imagination. At around 3, children become more creative in their play. They will often take on the role of someone else. Look for toys that your child can use as he develops and acts out stories. Pretend play builds language and literacy skills, problem-solving skills, and the ability to sequence (put events in a logical order). Dress-up clothing, toy food and plastic plates, toy tools, and even a large cardboard box are always a big hit for toddlers A box may become a house, pirate ship, tunnel or anything else your child's imagination can come up with!

APES DECEMBER News – page 4

THANK YOU! THANK YOU to all the volunteers that came out and

braved the frigid temperatures and winds on November 10 and 11 to help install our new

Play Structure and Swing Set. The students are definitely enjoying

the new play equipment!