Search Me 123

Newsletter | Winter 2019

Principal Message – Marlene Ray

We’ve had many complaints about dangerous traffic situations happening around our school where there exists a strong potential for a student to get hurt. We consistently see parents jay walking with their children, U-turns right in the middle of the street and students cutting through the staff or community parking lots. I fear that at some point this is going to result in serious injury.  Please, please, please follow these safety tips from AMA to keep our kids safe:

Extra Attention in Drop-Off & Pick-Up Zones

·        Avoid jaywalking and illegal U-turns. (Our police resource officer has informed us that any U-turn within a playground or school zone is illegal.)

Avoid School Parking Lots

·       Poor visibility and cramped spaces make parking lots dangerous for pedestrians. Please respect the ‘No Student Drop Off” signs in our staff parking lot and encourage your kids to walk around, rather than cut through. 

Point, Pause, Proceed at Crosswalks

·       Tell your children how to cross safely using the Point, Pause, Proceed method, and then show them you mean it by setting a good example. Use the crosswalk, cross at the corner, and make eye contact with drivers. Make sure the vehicle stops before stepping off the curb.

School Bus Zones

·       Buses have big blind spots and poor manoeuvrability, which is why we put the bus loading zones as close to the school as possible. Parking in the bus zone, even for a few moments, just adds to the congestion. 

Set a Respectful Example

·       We’ve all heard the expression “Do as I say, not as I do,” but it’s time to start walking the talk in school zones. From obeying speed limits and no parking zones, to hopping off our bikes at crosswalks, and making eye contact with drivers, setting a good example teaches our children be safety leaders.

Led by Mrs. Michaud, our Grade 5/6 Technology Club was able to secure a financial grant from Education Matters of $4118 dollars.  This grant has allowed our school to significantly upgrade our Robotics Program.  Grade 4-6 students in our Technology Club are now able to work with Botley, Sphero, and Lego Robotics.  The students in this club are working hard at understanding the coding language and design behind the new devices and intend to share this learning with younger students.

Calgary Opera:

On February 21^st at 10 AM, the Calgary Opera will be performing Nemorino and the Magic Potion.  This is a fully staged production with keyboard accompaniment, sets and costumes. It will be performed by the young professional singers of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program.  As always, parents are welcome to join us to watch this performance. 

Mission Impossible

During the week of February 4^th to February 8^th ask your kids how they did in Mission Impossible. This obstacle course is something students look forward to every year and they become very serious about setting goals to improve each time they enter the course. Your kids will entertain you with stories about how well they did and the strategies they used for getting further along the course.

Winter Walk Day

Every winter thousands of Albertans celebrate winter and walking by participating in Winter Walk Day, which for Deer Run will be on Friday, February 22^nd.  Walking is great for health, the environment, reducing traffic and building community. We will be encouraging our students to dress warmly, get outside, and enjoy the fresh, crisp winter air with us.

Math Literacy Night

You’re encouraged to join us for our first Math Literacy Night on ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 9^th.   Parents will be invited to join students and teachers in math activities that will demonstrate how automaticity goes beyond just memorizing basic facts.

SaturPLAY:

At SaturPLAY we enjoy breakfast together and then the whole family joins in for active co-operative games; the dodge ball game called Fortress being key among them! Watch for a notice coming home in late February for our next two scheduled SaturPLAYs on March 9^th and March 16^th and register early - these days fill up in a hurry!

Family Fun Night:

School Council is busy planning another Family Fun night on April 12^th. This is a great opportunity to have an evening out with your family and socialize with your neighbours. Watch for notices coming home to be sure not to miss out on getting tickets at as premium rate.

Library

Thank you for your support of the five fund raising book fairs we have held over the last two years. It has made a tremendous positive impact on the book choices your children have in the library. $2,528 worth of books have been selected from the cases at the fairs. An additional $4,216 earned was used to purchase highly evaluated story and non-fiction books. Book selections are based on student interest and to support the curriculum taught in the classroom.

All of these activities help build a strong Deer Run community and would not be possible without the dedication, caring and extra effort provided by our staff, School Council and volunteers. I am constantly amazed at the time and effort individuals put in to making a difference in our school and I am extremely grateful to be working with such an incredible group of people.

Accountability Survey:

The Accountability Pillar provides a new way for school authorities to measure success, and assess progress towards meeting learning goals. Grade 4 students, their parents and all teaching staff, will be provided with this survey to help provide school authorities a wide range of data that shows how the school is performing. Students will complete this survey online during school time and parents will receive a paper copy of this survey through the mail. Please take the time to complete this survey - the information we gain through a survey like this helps us make informed decisions regarding needs and the future direction of our school

PLEASE NOTE:   AT MINUS 20 DEGREES AND BELOW (including wind chill)

or if ROAD CONDITIONS ARE UNSAFE

there will be NO SCHOOL PATROLS ON DUTY!

 ​