| Hallowe'en Update
I know that dressing up for Hallowe'en has been a tradition at Vista Heights, and I know how much the students enjoy this day. In light of COVID-19, we need to adjust this tradition this year. In past years, students would change into their costumes at lunch. We do not have the space to accommodate this. In lieu of this, we will be holding a theme day on October 29 instead of dressing up for Hallowe'en. Students are invited to wear their favourite T-shirt to school. This could be a Super Hero, Cartoon Character, or even just a T-shirt that holds a special significance. Thank you for your understanding around the safety and protocols for Vista Heights School. It is my greatest hope that we can resume the tradition of dressing up for Hallowe'en for the 2021-22 school year.
Masks
We are having many students who are arriving to school without masks. Please ensure your child has at least one mask in their backpack. Thank you for helping us keep Vista Heights safe.
Hot Soup Hot Soup will begin on Tuesday, October 27. The program provides soup, crackers, bowls, and spoons. One bowl of soup is served to students whose families choose to participate. Please ensure you are sending additional items in your child's lunch as one bowl of soup may not be enough food to get them to the end of the day. If you have not returned the soup form, and you would like your child to participate in the Hot Soup Program, please let the school know.
Forms In September, we sent the Welcome Back package of forms (Demographics, Consent for CBE Use of Student Information, Student Health, and 3rd Party Consent for Use of Student Information) home with your child. If you have not returned this package, please send the forms back by October 29. If you require new forms, please contact the school. Protocol for picking up students early We have instituted a new protocol when parents come to pick up students early. We will have a hand to hand drop off. Please ring the buzzer to let Angela know that you are here to pick up your child. We will then bring your child out to you, and we will take care of signing the student out.
Cold Weather This week has been colder than we are used to for October. Please ensure your child is dressed for the very cold weather we have been experiencing. We will be going outside for recess, and gym unless it reaches -20.
Professional Day Please mark your calendar for October 30. This is a non-instructional day and there is no school for students.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen and Andrea
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| Dear Parents/Guardians:
I hope all families had an opportunity to enjoy the long weekend with family whether it was virtual or in person.
COVID-19 Protocols Students have been doing a great job of remembering to wear their masks to school. While we do give students mask breaks during the day, we continue to remind students that they must be wearing their masks in the hallways and bathrooms. The students are doing a really good job of distancing and following the arrows in the school. All high touch surfaces are disinfected multiple times a day by our Facility Operator. Cold Weather and Physical Education We have been spoiled with lovely fall weather, however, as the temperature is starting to drop; please ensure you child is coming to school dressed to be outside with a hat, mittens, and a coat. Students are outside for Recess and Lunch Recess. All Physical Education classes will be held outside until further notice. School Council Please join us for the next School Council meeting on October 13, 2020 at 6:30 pm. At this time, all of our School Council meetings are held virtually. Please see the link below for the School Council meeting tonight. This is the link for the meeting: https://join.skype.com/K4LhG3LTcpz3 School Messenger It is very important that you have subscribed to School Messenger. This is the primary means of communication for the Calgary Board of Education to notify parents of important information. Information from the school will be sent via School Messenger. Please let the office know if you will need a paper copy sent home with your child.
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Student Code of Conduct The CBE has a Student Code of Conduct, which students and families should know and understand. This information is posted to the Vista Heights School website, but we also wanted you be aware of its importance. Please read this information and review it with your child.
https://www.cbe.ab.ca/GovernancePolicies/AR6005-Student-Code-of-Conduct.pdf School Pictures School Picture Day is coming! We have booked October 19 for our school pictures. At this time, we will not have class photos due to COVID-19, but we will be doing individual photos. Students that are registered in HUB will receive an email asking parents to book an appointment to come into the school to have their picture taken on this day. Hot Soup Vista Heights is very fortunate to have a partnership with Meals on Wheels for a Hot Soup Program. Watch for the notice coming home this week to sign up! Safety Precautions We are required to hold 6 fire drills, and 2 lockdowns each school year. We held our first fire drill on October10, 2020. The staff and students were able to exit the building in 1 min and 17 seconds. We continue to refine our school safety procedures which include:
- Locking all doors
- A Fan-Out Procedure
- Substitute Teachers – are provided with emergency information upon entering the school
Upcoming Events October 30 – Professional Development Day ( No school for students)
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| September 21, 2020
Dear Vista Heights Families: I hope everyone had a restful weekend! I'm glad the smoke seems to have cleared. Please ensure that your child(ren) come dressed for the weather. We will be spending as much time outside as we can while the weather is nice. Physical Education with Mr. Pivarnyik is outside, and students often need a jacket depending on the time of day. School Messenger Please ensure you have subscribed to School Messenger so that you receive emails from Vista Heights and CBE System Updates. We are moving toward sending information through school messenger instead of sending paper copies home. If you require a paper copy, please let the office know. As well, parents are able to view Principal Updates on the Vista Heights school website and Mrs. Bose's blog. Forms Last week you received a package of forms. Please ensure you review the forms and send back the demographic, medical and media forms as soon as possible. The student health form needs to be returned even if no medical concerns exist – please put N/A and sign. COVID-19 Protocols As we navigate the new normal of COVID-19, parents are required.to assess their child(ren) for symptoms of Covid-19. Please refer to the checklist of symptoms that was sent home last week. If students exhibit any of the Covid -19 symptoms, they must not come to school. If students exhibit symptoms of Covid-19, they will be isolated in the infirmary, and we will be calling parents to come and pick up their child within an hour. Please ensure you have an emergency contact in the event your child becomes ill. If your child has symptoms of COVID-19, please call 8-1-1 or complete the AHS Self- Assessment for guidance and testing. Student Learning Conferences We will be having Parent Teacher Conferences on September 24 from 4:15-7:45, and September 25 from 8:00-12:45. Please log into PowerSchool and book your conference through the Conference Manager. The interviews will be a phone call. The teacher will call parents at the booked time. The phone will display NO Caller ID. There are no face to face interviews at this time due to COVID-19. Please do not come to the school. Nut Aware School We need your help to ensure we are keeping all students and staff members safe. As we are now eating lunch in the classrooms, we would ask that you please refrain from sending all nut products for snacks and lunches. Parent Handbook We are in the process of updating our Parent Handbook. Please stay tuned for information about the updated version for 2020-21. Thank you for your support!
Karen and Andrea
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| Dear Vista Heights Families:
Welcome Back! We had a very successful entry into school last week! With staggered entry, the students had an opportunity to learn and practice new routines. I was so impressed with how quickly the students are incorporating these routines into their day. This week you will receive a package of forms. Please ensure you review the forms and send back the demographic, medical and media forms as soon as possible. The student health form needs to be returned even if no medical concerns exist – please put N/A and sign. COVID-19 Protocols As we navigate the new normal of COVID-19, parents are required to assess their child(ren) for symptoms of Covid-19. Please refer to the checklist of symptoms that was sent home last week. If students exhibit any of the Covid -19 symptoms, they must not come to school. If students exhibit symptoms of Covid-19, they will be isolated in the infirmary, and we will be calling parents to come and pick up their child within an hour. Please ensure you have an emergency contact in the event your child becomes ill. If your child has symptoms of COVID-19, please call 8-1-1 or complete the AHS Self- Assessment for guidance and testing. Staffing We have a few new staff members at Vista Heights. Please welcome the following educators to Vista Heights! Ms. Andrea Robichaud – Assistant Principal
Mrs. Angela Klassen – Grade 1/2 Mrs. Risikat Agunbiade – Grade 5/6 Ms. Candice Pearsall is back at Vista Heights teaching Grade 3/4
School Council Our first school council meeting of the year will be Tuesday, September 15 at 6:30 pm. Please see the School Council link on our website for the link to the virtual meeting.
Teacher Blogs Classroom blogs are being set up. Please take a moment each day to review your child(ren)'s blog messages. Student Learning Conferences Please mark your calendars for Sept 24 from 4-8 and September 25 from 8-12:30 for Student Learning Conferences. There will be more information that will be forthcoming about how these conferences will be structured. Nut Aware School We need your help to ensure we are keeping all students and staff members safe. As we are now eating lunch in the classrooms, we would ask that you please refrain from sending all nut products for snacks and lunches. Late Arrivals Soft Entry begins at 8:35 until 8:50 am. If you arrive at school and the door is closed, please ensure you come around to the front door to be let into the school. Thank you for your support! We are looking forward to an amazing year! Karen and Andrea
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| Dear Vista Heights Families: I am looking forward to welcoming our school community to the 2020-21 school year. I want to assure you we are doing everything possible to ensure the health and safety of all our community members. As you are aware on July 21, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced that all schools across the province will return to classes under Scenario 1 – in-school classes resume (near normal with health measures). In response, plans are well underway in our school to welcome our community of students as we adhere to current health guidelines. CBE’s Scenario 1 Information can be found on our website and outlines the measures we are taking to provide for the health and safety of our students. Please refer to this document for detailed information on health measures, physical set-up of schools, cleaning of schools, daily operation of schools and transportation. The actions described in the document follow the guidelines provided by Alberta Education’s K-12 School Re-entry COVID-19 information: Guidance for schools re-entry Scenario 1. We continue to refine information in our re-entry planning based on provincial and CBE guidance. Please visit our school website www.cbe.ab.ca/vistaheights for information on the actions and processes that are being applied to the specific context of our school. Sincerely, Karen Bose Principal
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Dear Vista Heights Families:
We hope everyone is healthy and
safe as we begin to see a relaxing of restrictions. The playground is
now open, and it has been great to see some students coming to the school to
enjoy this.
Principal Blog
This week’s blog is a safety
video on crossing the street at the corner. I know this is a difficult
corner, and it is not very visible. I thought I would share a video
with the students about safety. I have noticed some students cutting
through the parking lot to get to the playground. This is an unsafe
practice. Please remind your children to use the sidewalk. Thanks for
helping to keep everyone safe!
https://principalvistaheights.blogspot.com/
Picking up Personal
Belongings/Report Cards
We will be asking parents to call
and book an appointment to pick up students’ personal belongings and report
cards. These will be available for pick up on the following dates:
June 24-26 – Kindergarten to
Grade Four
June 25-26 – Grade 5/6 – Rooms 5
and 6 (this is due to the Grade 6 Farewell on June 24)
You will also be able to log into
PowerSchool, and view your child’s report card as of June 24.
School Re-Entry
An email was sent to all CBE
parents on Friday about re-entry into school in September. If you did
not receive this email, please see the following link on our school
website.
http://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/VistaHeights/about-us/news-centre/_layouts/ci/post.aspx?oaid=bc5d0b11-f0af-4dc2-98f3-5130dd3e56c0&oact=20001
Kindergarten Registration
Did you know kindergarten
registration is ongoing? If you have a child who is going to be 5 years
old as of December 31, 2020 and live in the Vista Heights area, they can
register for Kindergarten. Please share this information with any Vista
Heights community members who you know may have a Kindergarten age child. It is helpful for us to have kindergarten
registrations as we plan for the 2020-21 school year. We are looking
forward to meeting our youngest learners in the future!
A
reminder that Kindergarten registration for the 2020-21 School year
continues, with registration now online. You can find information
regarding the registration process at:
Registration Process
During a Health Emergency
If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact our school office.
Planning for the 2020-21 School
Year
If you know that your child will
not be attending Vista Heights school in the 2020-21 school year, please call
the school office to let us know. This information will help us as we
move forward with our planning for next year.
We are in the
process of determining class lists for the upcoming school year. The
placement process is done with great thought and many voices are considered.
We work hard to look at all the possibilities: teachers’ passions, cohort of
children so the classes have diversity and become a community. This
will process will not be fully completed until August. Please know that we
have the best interests of your child, and we will inform you of your child’s
classroom teacher on the first day of school.
Supports during the Covid-19
pandemic
Nutrition Supports
When school buildings are
closed, regular breakfast and lunch programs will not be available. Here are
some resources and supports that can help your family if food or other
supports are needed during the upcoming weeks. It is important that you
always check the websites of organizations however, as their locations, hours
or procedures may change day to day.
Wishing you health and happiness
as we end the 2019-20 school year!
Best wishes,
Karen
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| Dear Vista Heights
Families:
We hope this
update finds you and your family safe and adjusting to our ‘new normal’. Please know that we are here to support you
through “Learning at Home.” Reaching out
to others through ‘virtual communication’ with your loved ones can help us feel
connected. We hope with warmer weather
you can access the outdoors while maintaining physical distancing.
Principal Blog
Please be sure to
have your children check out the Principal Blog. The focus is “Fill Your Bucket”. I have created a challenge for students, so
be sure to listen to the video until the end.
You just have to click on the picture of Mrs. Bose to get the video
started! I look forward to hearing from
lots of students! Please see below for the link.
https://principalvistaheights.blogspot.com/
Kindergarten Registration
Did you know
kindergarten registration is ongoing? If
you have a child who is going to be 5 years old as of December 31, 2020 and
live in the Vista Heights area, they can register for Kindergarten. Please share this information with any Vista Heights community members who
you know may have a Kindergarten age child.
It is helpful for us to have kindergarten registrations as we plan for the
2020-21 school year. We are looking
forward to meeting our youngest learners in the future!
A reminder that Kindergarten registration for the 2020-21 School
year continues, with registration now online. You can find information
regarding the registration process at:
Registration Process During a
Health Emergency
If you have any questions, please do
not hesitate to contact our school office.
Planning for the 2020-21 School Year
If you know that
your child will not be attending Vista Heights school in the 2020-21 school
year, please call the school office to let us know. This information will help us as we move
forward with our planning for next year.
Personal Belongings
We still have a
number of personal belongings at the school.
If you have not yet picked up your child’s indoor shoes and checked the
lost and found, please call the school to book an appointment.
Supports during the Covid-19 pandemic
Nutrition Supports
When school buildings are closed, regular breakfast and lunch
programs will not be available. Here are some resources and supports that can
help your family if food or other supports are needed during the upcoming
weeks. It is important that you always check the websites of organizations
however, as their locations, hours or procedures may change day to day.
Wishing you health
and happiness as we enter the month of May!
Best wishes,
Karen
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| Dear Vista
Heights Families:
I hope
this message finds you well as we work together to navigate these challenging
times. I wanted to send you a quick note so that you would be informed about
the continuation of learning for your children.
This week
teachers have been very busy learning new technologies that they are excited to
share with their students. This is a new
way of teaching and learning for teachers, students and families. We will
navigate through this process together.
Please know that we are here to support students and families while we
all learn together.
The
students in Kindergarten – Grade 2 will be using their Blogs, (which the
students are familiar with) as their main technological platform. The learning
plan will be posted on the blog.
Teachers will be communicating with students and families via phone and
email. Since the teachers are working remotely, when they call it will come up
as Private Caller or No Caller ID.
The
students in Grade 3-6 will be learning a new digital platform, called Google
Classroom. There is information to
follow about Google Classroom. Teachers will be communicating with students and
families via phone and email to ensure they are able to access the Google
Classroom. Since the teachers are working remotely, when they call it will come
up as Private Caller or No Caller ID.
Mrs. Bose
will also be adding to the Principal Blog, by posting a message each week and
reading a story. There may even be a ‘fun’ activity for students to engage in!
All teachers
have been able to reach most families via email and phone calls to check in. Please call the school if you have not
received and email or phone call from your child’s teacher, and we will work to
connect you.
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| Dear Vista Heights Families:
I hope this message finds you healthy, rested and taking good
care of yourselves and your families. I know you received a message from our
Chief Superintendent and I wanted to follow with a quick update around next
steps for student learning at Vista Heights School during these unprecedented
times in our lives. https://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/ongoing-learning-for-cbe-students.aspx
Staff will return to work on Monday with most working remotely
from their homes. The office will be open with very limited staff, Mrs. McKie
and myself, Access to the office and
the school is very limited. I realize there are some families that have
belongings they wish to pick up. Please call the school and we can coordinate a
time for you to come if necessary. The health and safety of our staff and you
are both priorities. Thank you for understanding.
On Monday, staff will be preparing to roll out on-line resources
and learning for students. Our first step will be contacting families to
ask how each student is doing, if your family needs any assistance at this
time, and about student level of access to on-line learning (access to a
digital device and the internet). Once we receive this feedback from families,
a plan will be put into place to support all of our students, including those
with limited or no access to on-line learning. This plan will include
information about how student learning will take place.
I also want to remind parents of the guidelines set out by
Alberta Education:
- Kindergarten
– Grade 3
- Education
content will focus on language/literacy and mathematics/numeracy outcomes
of the provincial curriculum.
- an
average of (5) hours of work per student per week
- Grade
4 – 6
- Language/literacy
and mathematics/numeracy outcomes, with opportunity to incorporate
science and social studies outcomes through cross-curricular learning
- An
average of five (5) hours of work per student per week
Thank you and take care of each other! Our staff are looking
forward to connecting with you very soon,
Sincerely,
Karen Bose |
| It’s hard to believe we are at the end of
February already! We have had a busy
month at Vista Heights!
Staffing Changes
In February, we said goodbye to Mrs. Joe Kong
(one of our L and L teachers in Grade 5/6) as she has gone on maternity
leave. In her place, we have Mrs.
Candice Riopel covering for her until the end of June.
Pink Shirt Day
February 26, 2020 is Pink Shirt Day. Students are encouraged to wear a pink shirt
(this is not mandatory) to celebrate
friendship and kindness. Students will
meet with their buddies for an activity.
Accountability Survey
The Accountability Pillar Survey was sent to
Vista Heights parents in Grades 4/5/6.
This survey provides feedback to Alberta Education on students’,
teachers’ and parent/guardians’ opinions about their school, their school work
and the opportunities their school provides. It also provides important
information on the quality of education students are receiving. The results are used by schools, school
authorities, and government to see what’s working and what needs to be
improved; and shared with the whole community.
If you have not yet completed the survey, it
would be greatly appreciated if you could go online with the code provided or
mail in the survey. The deadline is
February 28.
Student Led Conferences
As we look ahead to March, please mark your
calendars for Student Led Conferences.
These will take place on March 19 from 4:00-8:00 and March 20 from 8 am
-12:00 pm. The conference is an opportunity for parents to learn and engage
with their child around their learning.
Conferences will be in hour long blocks, and will include a time to meet
with the teacher.
SoundKreations
We had a great week with SoundKreations to
create Slam Poetry. We showcased our
‘work in progress’ with a Celebration of Learning. Thank you to School Council for this great opportunity.
School Council
Our next School Council meeting is March 10
at 6:30 pm.
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