December 9 BUZZ

Happy Monday!

The Winter Showcase week is here! We look forward to welcoming our school community to Glen Allan for the students' musical performances. 

As was shared in a school messenger Friday evening, we are excited to welcome Lana Lastiwka to Glen Allan as the new principal. Mrs. Lastiwka joins us from F.R. Haythorne, where she is currently principal. She has also been principal at Ardrossan Elementary School and Win Ferguson Elementary school in Fort Saskatchewan. Mrs. Lastiwka brings with her a wealth of leadership and teaching experience! 

It's a great week for a great week!

Please read through the following blog post articles for important Glen Allan information. 

Week-at-a-Glance 

Action 

• Winter Showcase Reminders
• Did you Read your Child's Report Card yet?
• Principal Feedback and Evaluation Survey

Opportunity

• Literacy at Home
• Numeracy at Home
• Regulation Strategies: Rollercoasters and Snakes

Information 

• Countdown to Winter Break
• Family Resource Network Opportunities
• Benefits Of Family Time

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Information

• Indigenous Author - Thomson Highway

Photo Galleries

• Glen Allan Highlights

WEEK AT A GLANCE - December 9 - December 13

ACTION

Winter Showcase Reminders

Our concerts are almost here! We can't wait to see what our students have in store for us! Under the direction of Mrs. Delainey, Glen A;;an students have been hard at work getting ready to wow you with their musical talents!

Performance Day #1: Tuesday, December 10

Performance Day #2: Wednesday, December 11

Additional Information:

• Parents may use visitor parking across the street or park in the neighbourhood without blocking driveways
• Coats and belongings stay with parents
• After the performance, students will go to their classrooms for parent pick up. Please leave through the exit doors nearest the classrooms. Please do not use the front entrance where the next show is lined up.
• When you pick your child up, please let the teacher know you have your child before you leave so we don't worry about where they are.
• Parents may stay in their seats if they have a child in the next grade performance.
• Siblings sit with their parents!

Did you Read Your Child's Report Card Yet?

Life is busy, we're not judging you! If you didn't have a chance yet, we encourage you to take a peek at your child's report card. Each child worked so hard in the first term of school and we want to celebrate their achievements with you! 

Just login to Parent Portal and you are good to get reading! If you need support accessing your child's report card, call us at the front office and we'll walk you through it.

Principal Feedback and Evaluation Survey

As part of my professional growth, I am always seeking ways to improve. This year, your feedback carries special importance—not only for my professional evaluation but also as I reflect and prepare for my transition to the role of principal at Fultonvale School.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete a brief survey using the link below: Complete the Survey

Your feedback will provide valuable insights into my strengths and areas for growth. As an educational leader, I aim to model self-reflection and continuous improvement—the same values we strive to instill in our students and staff.

Key Details About the Survey:

• If you’re unsure of an answer, feel free to leave it blank.
• After clicking “Submit” on the first page, you will be directed back to the start of the survey. Be sure to click “Submit” again at the end to complete your submission.
• Responses are collected on a secure SurveyMonkey site to ensure confidentiality.
• The survey is open from December 4–18, 2024.

I sincerely look forward to reading your comments and reflecting on ways to implement your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to discuss this or any other topic further.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. 

Warm regards,
Jen Ference

OPPORTUNITY

Literacy at Home

12 Days of Christmas - Literacy Edition!

You can do one activity per day or pick and choose ones that you want to do as a family as you
countdown to the holidays.

• Day 1: Cozy Read-Aloud Day: Snuggle up under blankets or in front of a fire and read a favourite book aloud. Discuss the story, characters, and lessons learned.
• Day 2: Word Hunt Adventure: Go on a word hunt around your home or neighborhood. Look for words on signs, labels, and in books. You could create a challenge or theme - such as words that start with a certain sound or words that have a prefix or suffix.
• Day 3: DIY Storybook Creation: Create your own storybook. You could do one as a family or have each create their own. Illustrate your story and read the story aloud.
• Day 4: Letter Writing Extravaganza: Write letters to friends, family, pen pals, or Santa. Practice writing skills and how to put an address on an envelope.
• Day 5: Poetry Cafe: Perform original poems or read favourite poems from books. Create a cozy cafe environment with hot chocolate and snacks.
• Day 6: Board Game Night: Play board games that involve reading and following instructions.
• Day 7: Movie Night: Watch your favourite holiday movie. Have a discussion about characters, plot, and lessons learned.
• Day 8: Cookbook Challenge: Choose a recipe from a cookbook and cook it together. Take turns reading the instructions and following the steps.
• Day 9: Library Day: Visit your local library to check out their programing and borrow books, magazines, or audiobooks.
• Day 10: Audiobook Adventures: Turn on a family- friendly audiobook or podcast. Talk about the stories and ideas you hear.
• Day 11: Puppet Theatre: Work together to create a script or find one online. Perform it as a family - puppets are optional, but fun to create!
• Day 12: New Years Resolutions: Write out your goals for the upcoming year. Encourage older children to write out a plan for achieving their goal.

Numeracy at Home

Mental math and estimation are essential skills that help students make quick, reasonable decisions in everyday situations. From estimating time and costs to comparing sizes and quantities, these skills build number sense and encourage flexible thinking. By developing these abilities, students gain confidence in solving problems and applying math in real-world contexts, laying a strong foundation for lifelong numeracy.

For more information, check out these Elementary Numeracy Tips - Mental Math & Estimation.

Regulation Strategies

Rollercoasters and Snakes

Here at Glen Allan we are aimed at enhancing capacity to nurture emotional resilience and well-being among students. We are actively involved in collaborating with our staff to introduce effective regulation strategies and deepen understandings of brain development. We continue to work on integrating these strategies into everyday classroom practices.

Each week, we will share the strategies being practiced as an entire school in the announcements as part of our Wellness Wednesdays. The strategy that students and staff practiced this past week was "Rollercoasters and Snakes".

Start by moving your right-hand up and down in a rollercoaster-like motion, then at the SAME time move your left-hand side to side like a slithering snake. Try keeping these motions going for 20-30 seconds (if you can!) If you reach Expert mode, try switching arm movements while in motion!

INFORMATION

Countdown to Winter Break

The last week of school we will celebrate the holiday season with a theme day each day. Pull out your favorite holiday apparel and accessories to countdown to the last day of school before winter break.

Family Resources Network - December Opportunities

• Digital Well-Being: For Parents and Caregivers of Youth Ages 9 - 14 years -- Learn how to help your teen with the social and technological pressures they face in the world today.  Together we will go through research-based ways we can support teens when they are feeling the pressure of their digital lives. Issues addressed include interacting with strangers online, understanding their digital identity, and healthy relationships. The content of this workshop is geared for parents and caregivers with children between 9-14 years of age. The presentation is from 6 to 7:30 pm, with an opportunity for Q & A from 7:30 to 8 pm.  
• Confident Kids - For Grades 1 to 2. January 23, 30. February 6 & 13 -- For children to develop confidence and strong social-emotional skills, they need opportunities to experience peer interactions in a safe and encouraging environment. This interactive program will create space for your young person to connect with others and learn new skills in a fun way!
• Navigating Sibling Rivalry-For Parents & Caregivers with children ages 2-12 - Learn why sibling rivalry happens and how to foster healthier relationships at home. This program will help parents build skills to reduce sibling conflict and create a harmonious family environment.

Recovery Alberta: Addiction and Mental Health Newsletter

The December edition of the Recovery Alberta Addiction and Mental Health Newsletter focuses on the benefits of family time - Benefits Of Family Time

FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS, AND INUIT INFORMATION

Indigenous Author - Tomson Highway

Glen Allan students and staff are proud to support Canadian Indigenous authors and share their stories in our classrooms. Tomson Highway is an Indigenous Canadian playwright, novelist, children's author and musician. One of his books, Dragonfly Kites has a bilingual text, written in English and Cree. The story brilliantly evokes the very essence of childhood as it weaves a deceptively simple story about the power of the imagination.

Joe and Cody, two young Cree brothers, along with their parents and their little dog Ootsie, are spending the summer by one of the hundreds of lakes in northern Manitoba. Summer means a chance to explore the world and make friends with an array of creatures, But what Joe and Cody like doing best of all is flying dragonfly kites. They catch dragonflies and gently tie a length of thread around the middle of each dragonfly before letting it go. Off soar the dragonflies into the summer sky and off race the brothers and Ootsie too, chasing after their dragonfly kites through trees and meadows and down to the beach before watching them disappear into the night sky. But in their dreams, Joe and Cody soar through the skies with their kites until it's time to wake up.

PHOTO GALLERIES

Glen Allan Highlights