​School Update 
To the students and families of MRS,  
It was a true pleasure to virtually meet the parents of MRS these past two days.  While it would be ideal for our families to be able to come into our school to visit the classroom and observe student work, we are pleased that our virtual meetings allow for some form of face-to-face interaction. 
As an important reminder, next week the Government of Canada has proclaimed Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The intention of the day is to recognize and honour residential school survivors, their families and communities. It will also ensure that public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. 
As part of Truth and Reconciliation week, Maple Ridge School will be recognizing Orange Shirt Day on September 29th with an early morning assembly to acknowledge the land and there will be an outdoor visual story walk for classes to access throughout the day on Wednesday. 
We are excited to continue moving this important work forward alongside our students. 
Wishing you a wonderful weekend. 
David Laidlaw and Sandy McNeil 
Upcoming Important Dates 
Sept 29 Orange Shirt Day Sept 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (No School) Oct 1 Healthy Hunger (Booster Juice) Oct 5 Terry Fox Run Oct 11 Thanksgiving Day (No School) Oct 13 Healthy Hunger (Little Caesars) Maple Ridge PTA Casino  
Dear Families of Maple Ridge,  
We are pleased to announce that we have been selected for an AGLC Casino fundraising event on Wednesday, December 1st and Thursday, December 2nd at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino (114 Avenue and Barlow Trail SE). 
Casino fundraising events are a large part of the fundraising done through the Parent Teacher Association, with money raised going to curriculum-enriching activities for the students at Maple Ridge School. 
We are seeking several volunteers for this Casino opportunity.  Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and will be required to present picture I.D. at the Casino check-in. No experience is required to volunteer for these shifts, and you may work more than one shift across the two days. 
If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805044AA4A92DAAFC1-maple to view the list of available shifts and sign-up.  
If you have any questions, please contact Cara Polujan, Casino Coordinator, at mapleridgecouncil@gmail.com.  
On behalf of the Maple Ridge School Parent Teacher Association, thank you for your support. 
Lunchroom Registration 
Any student that stays at school for lunch is required to be registered for Lunch Supervision.  If you have yet to register your child, please do so by Friday, October 1.  For information related to the Lunch Supervision Program click here.  Registration is completed within your MyCBE/PowerSchool account. 
Terry Fox Run 
We will be participating in the Terry Fox Run on Tuesday, October 5th. Classes will be running outside within their cohorts throughout the day (weather permitting). Information about the Terry Fox Foundation can be found on the following website. Donations can be made by bringing a "Toonie for Terry" on or before the day, or online here. Go Maple Ridge! 
Diagnostic Assessments  
The Government of Alberta announced one time funding for additional supports for Grade 1 to Grade 3 students focused on literacy and math. This initiative is intended to help school districts and educators measure how classroom disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are affecting student learning and to provide some additional supports.  
Assessing students early in the school year to determine their educational needs and to plan for instruction is a regular part of every school year. Much like a diagnostic assessment your doctor gives you during a visit (like checking your blood pressure, or taking your temperature), for educators, the diagnostic assessments that we traditionally use are designed to offer a quick “temperature check" several weeks after the start of classes to prioritize instructional content and identify students for whom more personalized learning may be required. This year is no different, except that instead of using some of the tools we may have used in the past, we will be using available diagnostic tools provided by Alberta Education as part of this initiative.   
Our Grade 2 and 3 classes have been collecting information about students and assessing their literacy and numeracy skills and knowledge. These assessments are activities that will be done by your child's teacher, during school time, before the end of September. Grade 1 students will be assessed in January 2022. 
At the individual school level, diagnostic assessment results can be used by teachers to help identify and address gaps in student foundational understanding of numbers and skills required for reading. Given the nature of diagnostic assessments, these inform planning for next steps. Diagnostic assessment information is not used when determining report card grades.   
Healthy Hunger  
Healthy Hunger is a way for interested parents to provide their child with a snack or lunch at school.  As an added benefit, a portion of the money raised comes back to the school and be used to benefit student learning.  On behalf of our School Council, we would like to take this opportunity to share the following message: 
Simple Online Ordering for Maple Ridge's School lunch program. 
Help Maple Ridge fundraise and take a day off from making lunches!  
Register your child at: https://healthyhunger.ca/parent-register 
Upcoming dates:  
October 1- Booster Juice  
October 13- Little Caesars 
*Kindergarten can order when it falls on a Friday for a snack*