REPORT CARDS &

INTERVIEWS Report cards will be sent

home on March 18th.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

will be held on March 21 &

22. A schedule will soon be

sent home with the oldest/

only child in our school.

If you need to make

changes, please call the

school at 780-941-3927

as soon as possible.

NURTURING SUCCESS & EXCELLENCE

2016

MARCH

KINDERGARTEN

PRE-REGISTRATION Pre-registration for the

2016-2017 Kindergarten

class will be held on April 6,

2016 at 7:00 pm in the New

Sarepta Elementary School.

All parents with children who

will be 5 years old by

February 28, 2017 are

requested to attend.

Please bring your child’s birth

certificate as a copy of it is

required upon registration.

We will also be electing the

L.A.C. executive for next

year at this time. This is an

excellent way to be involved

in your child’s education and

meet new people. THE REGULAR L.A.C. MEET-

ING WILL BE ON THE SAME

DAY BUT START AT 6:30 pm.

Please pass this message on

to anyone you know who will

have a child attending

Kindergarten next year.

Having an accurate count of

students that will be attend-

ing Kindergarten next year

greatly assists us with

program planning.

CALENDAR EVENTS 2 - Early Dismissal (2:27 pm)

LAC mtg. @ 6:00 pm

3 - Family Dance (7 - 9:00 pm)

4 - PD Day - No School

10 - Golden Rules (Gr. 4 & 5)

12 - Gr. 3/4 Girls District . .

. Floor Hockey Tournament

13 - Daylight Savings Time

17-St.Patrick’s Day assembly—

- @ 2:25 *Wear green

18 - Report Cards home

18 &19- Gr. 5/6 Girls District

Floor Hockey Tournament

16 - 23 - School Book Fair

21 -*NO SCHOOL COUNCIL

mtg. in March. Council

members & Room reps. to

meet on March 21st to

assemble Silent Auction

Baskets

21 & 22 - Parent/Teacher

Interviews

24 -NO SCHOOL: PD Day

25 -NO SCHOOL:Good Friday

Mar. 26 - Apr. 3: Spring Break Classes resume April 4

April 6 - Early dismissal@ 2:27

& LAC mtg. @6:00

**Kindergarten Pre-reg. . .

. meeting April 6 @ 7:00pm

Principal: Mrs. Cheryl Hafso

E-mail: cheryl.hafso@blackgold.ca

Our monthly school

newsletter can also be found

online at:

www.blackgold.ab.ca/

Schools1/Schools/

NewSarepta/nse/default.htm

780-955-6025

ST.PATRICK’S DAY

An assembly will take place

at 2:25 p.m. on March 17th

to celebrate St. Patrick’s

Day. Parents are welcome

to attend.

*Remember to wear green!!

CAUGHT YOU BEING

GOOD!

During the month of

February students were

acknowledged by staff

members for their positive

student behaviors in our

“Caught You Being Good”

program. In this program

“tickets” were given to

students who were caught

in the act of showing good

character or demonstrating

good behavior.

Students receiving a

“ticket” entered a draw

for the chance to win an

individual prize and were

given a heart to hang on

our “Caught You Being

Good” tree.

Certainly there is much to

celebrate in terms of

positive student behavior in

our school! It is in the

doing of something good,

for yourself or others,

that the real reward is

found.

VOLUNTEER HOURS

We would like to thank all

the parents who helped with

the skiing field trips. We

greatly appreciate all the

extra supervision and

assistance!

Thanks also to all the parents

who helped out at school

in February!

FAMILY DANCE Our annual Family Dance

will be held on Thursday,

March 3rd from 7:00 -

9:00 p.m. We hope to see

you there! It is great

opportunity to share in

our community spirit!

Please remember to purchase your

tickets ahead of time as each

person who comes to the

dance must have a ticket.

Special thanks to

Mrs. Pedersen and the

SWAT team for organiz-

ing and preparing us for

the dance!

2016-17 SCHOOL YEAR

Next year’s school calendar has

been approved by our Board of

Education, and is attached to this

newsletter. It can also be found

on-line at the Black Gold

Website - www.blackgold.ca

Page 2 STUDENTS OF NEW SAREPTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUCCEED!

HAIR MASSACURE Thirteen students from New Sarepta Elementary School, shaved their heads to raise money for the fight against cancer at our school

Valentine assembly on Friday, February 12th. The boys had their pink locks sheared as teachers, classmates, and parents cheered

them on, for what has become an annual school event. Others

attended the Hair Massacure event at West Edmonton Mall to have their heads shaved. Combined, students at our school raised over

$6000 for Alberta’s Hair Massacure fundraiser which support children with life-threatening illness.

A proud and uplifting accomplishment indeed!

STUDENT OF THE MONTH Congratulations to the following

students for being chosen for their

practice of Habit #4 - “Win-Win”

in February:

1H - Nash Helsby

1KS - Kaylee Olson

2BJ - Anna Witkowski

2H - Kyler Brennan

3H - Ty Nessler

3Hi - Tashina Hirtle

4SB - Kennedy Lewis

4/5H - Kale Sagert

5E - Tayler Wagner

6B - Rebekah Knull

Thank you for being such great role

models in our school!

The Student of the Month theme

for MARCH is Habit #5 - Seek

first to understand, then to be

understood; involving listening with

your ears, eyes and heart before

speaking, and sharing ideas in a calm

confident manner.

Students recognized as “Student of

the Month” receive certificates and

an opportunity to have pizza with

the principal.

UNPLUGGED RESULTS

We congratulate all families who took part in the

Unplugged Art Contest on Family Day weekend. We

had impressive participation

results with the following students winning prizes:

Family Winner:

Kiera Benedict & Family Family Fire: Making Hotdogs

& Playing Outside

Age 5-8 Honorable Mention: Tashina Hirtle

Just 4 Ways our family likes to spend time together

Congratulations Kiera &

Tashina, and family!

BLACKGOLD SPELLING BEE Congratulations to Megan Woods

and Taylor Weiling for their

tremendous spelling prowess during

the District Spelling Bee Competi-

tion. Both girls can be commended

for their hardwork and preparation

for the spelling bee and for their

fine performance. Way to go, girls!

As part of qualifying for the

district spelling bee students also

earned a ticket into the Edmonton

Regional Spelling Bee which will be

held on April 16th, 2016 by

partners of the National Spelling

Bee of Canada. We commend Megan

for taking on this challenge and

wish her the best of luck!

SCIENCE OLYMPICS

The top three teams in each grade, from Grades 3—6, received certificates for their performance and cooperation at our Science Olympics. Teams recognized were:

Grade Six: First Place: The Jetzizes Manuel Braun, Dawson Hetman, Ty Kampen Second Place: The Brainys Tyler McLean, Rebekah Knull, Ashton Perry Third Place: The Flying Squirrels Kailyn Ross, Aidan Dunphy, Emma Senft

Grade Five: First Place: The Four Elements (4/5H) Mercades Fairlie, Taylor Martineau, Aiyanna Loren, Megan Woods Second Place: The Atoms Family (4/5H) Delainey Lewis, Isreal Harry, Carson Hinkle Third Place: The Four Scientists (5E) Jacob Soch, Clark Strynadka, Thomas Preece, Hunter Welsh

Grade Three: First Place: Mad Scientists Alissa Olson, Sawyer Nelson, Brettlyn Best, Jaxton Carter Second Place: Big Brains Britynn Fairlie, Lauren Goddyn, Marih Martel, Dawson Confurius Third Place: New Sarepta Science Academy Maddy Lingnau, Alyson Givogue, Hunter McDougall, Ty Nessler

Grade Four: First Place: The Tornado Twisters Sam Polei, Chase Newman, Atlee Helsby Second Place: The Scientific Geniuses Liam Burns, Donovan Grover, Cohen Langille, Brooklyn Soch, Hanna Stone Third Place: The Four Gears

Kale Sagert, Quincy Baldwin, Taylor Wieling, Ava Geldart

Page 3

SPRING BREAK & PD Day

There is no school on March 24th

as this will be a Professional

Development day for teachers,

There is also no school on Good

Friday which is March 25th. Our

Spring Break then starts on March

26th and runs through to April 3rd.

We wish you all the best while you

enjoy this break from school.

Classes will resume on Monday,

April 4, with Early Dismissal on

Wednesday, April 6th.

Take Note Music and Movement is our focus

for all grades this month and we

hope to keep it going at the start of

each music class. The students have

been learning about the amazing

benefits of daily movement to music

which include improving their moods

lowering stress and anxiety,

supercharging their brains for

better concentration and memory,

boosting their energy, and MY

PERSONAL FAVOURITE…

SLOWING DOWN THE AGING

PROCESS!!!

The Grade 1s & 2s will be starting

a Salute to Spring Unit right after

they participate in a St. Patrick’s

Unit involving jigging, singing, and

Luck of the Irish musical activities.

The Grade 3s are enjoying a Ring

of Mystery Unit which involves

Vivaldi, Violins, and Venice. Their

finished masks are on display in the

hallway near the music room for all

to enjoy.

The Grade 4s are being enriched

with a “Beethoven Lives Upstairs”

unit involving a composer’s life,

orchestra instruments, his music,

and a historical time period.

The Grade 5 & 6s are busy putting

a twist to Snow White and the

Seven Dwarfs by learning what it

takes to be given responsibilities

of costuming, making props,

choosing songs, designing back-

drops and so much more. They

will be presenting their musicals

during the second and third week

of March to the lower grades.

The Grade 6s have also started

their Airband Presentation Unit

and will be practicing in their

Music Studio rooms on Tuesdays and

Thursdays with music class support

and presentation skills until they

perform on April 13 at 1:00 in the

gym. Be sure to mark your

calendars!!!!

Feelin' GROOVY Spring Book Fair MARCH 16th - 23rd

Watch for flyers that will be coming home soon with the students, advertising a small number of the great books that will be on sale at the fair. Be sure to fill in the Family Event Door Prize ballot included in the flyer, and send it back by March 22! Once again, a schedule will be set up for classes to shop during designated recesses, so please watch for that on the back of the note attached to the book fair flyer, or check with your child's teacher to find out which days they are allowed to shop. The book fair will also be open for business dur-ing P/T interview evenings, March 21st and 22nd. Please stop by to take a look at all the terrific new books - and check out the guessing games at the counter! We ask that parents accompany their children when shopping or browsing during P/T Interview evenings. Thank you once again for supporting this library fundraiser. Your purchases help us bring many new books to our library! Librarians:

Mrs. Horvey & Mrs. Dotzlaf

LEDUC MUSIC FESTIVAL This year the speech portion of

the Leduc Music Festival will be

held from April 4-15. All perfor-

mances will take place at the

Leduc Community Baptist Church

(3205 Coady Blvd.). We have 10

individual students who are

competing from Gr.’s 2- 6.

We wish the best of luck to all

our participants!

CRAFT CLUB In February, we enjoyed

creating personalized valentine

cards! This month craft club will

go green. Creativity will be key

as shamrocks abound!

Join Mrs. Klassen in the Art

Room at lunch recess the second

week of March.

DIABETES PRESENTATIONS The Gr. 1 - 6 students attended an

education/information session on

Diabetes on February 25th. We

thank New Sarepta’s FCSS

Coordinator, Lucille Erickson, for

making arrangements with the

Canadian Diabetes Association for

this presentation to take place at

NSE.

March Speech Tip: *Did you know that children who have good listening skills are more likely to succeed in school?

*Teach your child to be an active listener by encouraging him/her to ask to repeat or explain the message in a different way when he/she does not understand.

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS P.I.I.E. FUNDRAISER: DONATIONS NEEDED FOR SILENT AUCTION THEME BASKETS Each year the New Sarepta Ag. Society hosts the "Crooked Ice Jugspiel” which is a milk jug curling bonspiel. The Ag. Society generously allows P.I.I.E. to run a silent auction during the Jugspiel. For several years, the silent auction has been a major source of our fundraising income. To help ensure a successful auction, we ask each class-room to collect donations of either cash or items for a "theme basket" by March 18th. Below is a list of this year’s themes for each class: Kindergarten(both classes) Easter Basket Gr.1KS Kitchen Basket Gr.1H Camping/Picnic Basket Gr. 2H Gardening Basket Gr. 2BJ Outdoor Recreation Basket Gr. 3H Barbecue Basket Gr. 3Hi Family Game Night Basket Gr. 4SB Movie Basket Gr. 4/5H Coffee & Tea Basket Gr. 5E Junk Food Basket Gr. 6B Gift Card Basket While we encourage everyone to get involved, participation in this fundraiser is, as always, voluntary. The theme baskets are just one aspect of the auction. We also approach businesses for donations of cash, services or products. In the past we have had bicycles, airline tickets and Oilers tickets donated. These larger items really increase bidding. If you know of a company or individual who would like to donate something for our Silent Auction, please use the corporate sponsor letter found in this newsletter to ask for donations. More copies of this letter can be obtained through the school office or from any school council executive member. Baskets will be available for viewing/bidding at the New Sarepta Ag. Society’s Jugspeil held on Saturday, March 26th, from 9:00a.m. - 7:00 p.m., upstairs at the Agriplex. Please feel free to call Crystal Murch at 780-941-3593 if you have any questions. Thanks for your continued support.

**MEETING CANCELLATION: Please note that there will NOT be a School Council meeting in March. However, School Council members and Room Reps are reminded to meet at the school on March 21st @ 7:00 p.m. to assemble the Silent Auction baskets. Our next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 21st at 7:00pm. We hope to see you there!

NEW SAREPTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Page 4

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

The Annual New Sarepta

Agricultural Fair will be held the

weekend of June 4th & 5th with

New Sarepta Elementary School

Council and P.I.I.E responsible for

running the Parade on Saturday,

June 4th. School Council

represents all the parents of New

Sarepta Elementary, and we are in

great need of your volunteer

support to assist with organizing

and running the parade.

Volunteer duties that are still

open include:

- Seeking parade registrants (x2)

- Judges (x3 people)

- Making of posters

- Parade registration table (x2)

- Lining up parade (x2)

- “Pooper scoopers” (x2)

- M.C. to hand out trophies

- Handing out candy bags to

children after the parade

- Getting tables and chairs from

the Agri-plex

Please let us know if you can help

us out by volunteering on the

Parade form in the office or by

contacting Crystal Murch at

780-941-3593.

N.S.E. PLAYGROUND

SUPERVISORS NEEDED We are looking for adult noon hour

supervisors. We are also in need of

substitute supervisors to fill-in, from

time to time, when our regular

supervisors cannot make it in. This is

a paid position ($15.00 per day) which

involves supervising students outside

over noon hour recess (11:55-12:20pm),

lunch recess (12:20 - 12:42), and then

reading with a student during SQUIRT

time (12:42 - 1:00pm).

Please contact Ms. Beaumont if you

are interested in working either of

these positions. Please note that parents

who volunteer on a regular basis may

be able to work this in by helping out in

their child’s classroom and then

working over lunch as a playground

supervisor or vice versa.

FLOOR HOCKEY NEWS The Gr. 3/4 & 5/6 Girls Floor Hockey Teams are

busy preparing for their District Tournaments (Gr. 3/4 Girls - March 12; Gr. 5/6 Girls - March 18 &

19). The Gr. 3/4 Boys Team and the Gr. 5/6 Boys

will soon have try-outs as their tournaments are in April: Gr. 3/4 Boys - April 15 & 16; Gr. 5/6 Boys -

April 8 & 9). We wish all teams the best of luck and know that

they will do a fine job of representing our school. Congratulations to the following students for

making the 2016 school floor hockey team formed thus far:

Gr. 3/4 GIRLS TEAM Katie Woods Hannah Stone Candace McLean Megan Wieling Chloe Buyzat Sydney Goddyn Ady Corbiere Piper Enright Marih Martel Britynn Fairlie Kennedy Lewis Ava Fedor Lauren Goddyn Julie Labonte Sophie Lapachuk Coaches: Mrs. Hammell & Mrs. Brown

PARENT RESOURCES:

Engaging Students is a co-operative effort of Central Office departments in BGRS to support student learning in our schools. Visit our website for resources and information. http:/engagingstudents.blackgold.ca/

Learn Alberta.ca is a website that supports

lifelong learning by providing online resources to

the Kindergarten to Gr. 12 community in Alberta.

Students, teachers, and parents can use this site

to find multimedia learning resources that are

correlated to the Alberta programs of study.

Students, parents and staff of Black Gold

Regional schools are authorized to use

LearnAlberta at http://www.learnalberta.ca/

To access these resources you need to use Black

Gold’s codes: Username: LA03 Password: 8049

My Child’s Learning & Curriculum Express My Child’s Learning is a new online resource that provides up-to-date information about what children in Grades K—12 are learning, the resources available to help them, and how they might be assessed. It can be found at: www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/ Curriculum Express for Parents provides a short explanation of school and what students learn in Kindergarten to Grade 3. This online resource can be found at: http://www.education.alberta.ca/parents/resources/express.aspx A POSITIVE, SAFE & CARING LEARNING

ENVIRONMENT Star Student Behaviour at NSE ...

Be Respectful to people and property Be Responsible for your learning and your

behaviour Be Safe

Be Kind & Play Fair

Do Your Best!

Page 5

Walk like a Penguin: Deep freeze temperatures and sheets of ice may not inspire feelings of safety and comfort. Most of us have known someone - if not ourselves - who has fallen and been seriously injured on ice. In fact, from April 2013 - March 2014, injuries caused by falls on ice and/or snow accounted for 16,910 visits to Alberta Emergency Departments. But, this doesn't mean that hibernating is the safer bet. Quite the opposite: being sedentary contributes to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and unhealthy weight gain. This winter, Alberta Health Services is encouraging all Albertans to leave the hibernating to the bears, and to take a cue from some web-footed friends instead.... Enjoy the winter wonderland safely by learning the penguin walk! Watch a great new short Penguin Walk animation from AHS (featuring our penguin friends) at www.penguinwalk.ca

GOLDEN RULES PROGRAM

Seniors from the New Sarepta Golden

Pioneers will visit our Grade 4 & 5 students

on March 10 to share stories of their life

experiences growing up in the 1940's and

50's. Special thanks to Lucille Erickson,

coordinator for Leduc County Family and

Community Support Services, for organizing

this wonderful community event.

BLACK GOLD REGIONAL SCHOOLS

HEALTH TIP OF THE MONTH Be a positive role model for your children.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Go for a brisk walk.

Try a new activity.

Park your car a distance away from the

shopping mall or arena.

Take your dog for a longer walk.

Keep active!

COMMUNITY NEWS

Volunteer Appreciation – New Sarepta and area volunteers are

invited to drop by the FCSS Office on

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

(9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

for coffee and cake.

Parent Link Budding Scientists This new registered program runs

Wednesday mornings from 10 to 11

a.m. at the Agriplex. It is a hands

on program that exposes young

children to science and how things

work. They will experiment with

things that go "Boom!",mix potions,

investigate cause and effect,draw

conclusions, and explore the nat-

ural element of the world in which

we live. Registration opens Febru-

ary 8, 2016 and the program runs

February 24 - March 30. To

register, please contact

Jill at (780) 868-2004 or

jills@leduc-county.com

SENIORS SERVICES provides

preventative social programs

that assist seniors and persons

with disabilities in maintaining

their independence and

enhancing their quality of life.

Two subsidized programs are

available to assist in supporting

clients to remain living in their

own safe,clean and comfortable

homes.

Outreach Home Support

(OHS) is a light housekeeping

service that clients may access

on a weekly or monthly basis,

and Home Help (HH) is

available in the spring and fall

to assist clients with heavier

cleaning chores within the

home.

To be eligible for either OHS

or HH service, individuals must

be residents of Leduc County

or of the following municipali-

ties: Calmar, Devon, New

Sarepta, Thorsby or Warburg.

For more information, please

contact:

CARLA LIEPERT

Seniors Services Coordinator

Leduc County FCSS

780-955-4554

carla@leduc-county.com

Could they be a benefit to

you?

Volunteer Income Tax Program –

New Sarepta FCSS will complete

2015 Income Tax Returns for

low-income individuals who have a

simple tax situation and are living

within rural Leduc County or the

municipality of New Sarepta.

Please contact Lucille at (780) 941

-2382 to make an appointment to

have your 2015 Income Tax

Return completed free of charge.

Please Note: we are not able to

complete complicated returns,

returns for the deceased, or

those with business, farming or

rental income.

Parent Link Stay’n’Play and

More Stay’n’Play is held Thursday morn-

ings, 9:00 - Noon @ the Agriplex.

This is a free drop-in program for

parents and children 0 to 6 years.

Enjoy an interactive playtime with

your child. By following your

child’s lead, you can support play

while building self-confidence and

self-esteem.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR

ANNUAL SPRING FUNDRAISER!

Saturday March 5th ~ 10am-4pm ~

New Sarepta Agriplex Gym (North doors)

~ SMILE for Easter Photos with Kimberley Laakso Photography!!

~ SHOP over 50 Hand Made & Home Based Businesses!!

~ DINE with Let's Eat Catering!! ~ VIEW the plans for the proposed Community Park Revamp! COMING

SPRING 2016!!!! ~ Free Admission ~

https://www.facebook.com/events/1558105051176709/

We have roughly $9,000 left to raise and we need your support!! Please tell a

friend and drop by! Thank you!

New Sarepta Out-of-School Care

Is open for business!!

We are accepting registrations and

continue to offer quality childcare for

your children; kindergarten to Gr. 6.

We are licensed with Alberta Child

Care Licensing Department

through

Alberta Human Services.

Child Care subsidy is available!

Reasonable rates, qualified staff,

nutritious snacks provided!

Full time, part time and drop in!!!

For more information on

what we have to offer please contact…

780-886-3515 / 780-902-8956 or

Drop by for a visit at 5013 Centre Ave

New Sarepta Family Enrichment ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING Saturday March 12th 1-3pm

@ the Lutheran Church More information can be found

at www.facebook.com/NSFEA or email NewSareptaFEA@gmail.com

or call 780-916-4325.

NSCHS BAND presents

“Pasta Pizazz & Jazz” Spaghetti Supper

Live Entertainment & Silent Auction

March 23, 2016

Doors open @ 5:30pm Supper @ 6:00pm

Entertainment by:

In Four Jazz Combo

Place: New Sarepta Agriplex

Tickets are $10/person, see

any NSCHS Band Member to

purchase a ticket.

More info contact:

Mrs. Catherine Farley @

780-941-3924

Social media advice for parents Teens and pre-teens have been active on social media sites for years, and their online presence is increasing. According to one study, 40 per cent of all Canadians use a social net-working site. If you look at social media use by teens, the number of users rises significantly. In a study by Common Sense Media, 90 per cent of 13-17 year olds have used a social media site. Seventy-five percent of teens have a profile on a social media site, and more than half visit social media sites daily. Social media is any site that provides a forum for posting and interacting. www.commonsensemedia.org/research/social-media-social-life/key-finding-1%3A-teens-are-avid%2C-daily-users-of-social-media Because of legal requirements, sites like Facebook require users to be 13 or older. Despite the age restrictions, many younger children have accounts on sites without separate privacy guidelines. Social media sites are evolving, and new sites pop up frequently. Whether a child is on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, a site through their school, or something else entirely, parents should continue to remind them about safe social media practices and should check in on their activity from time to time.

Concerns about social media

A recent study showed that social media use can have risks and benefits for youth. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/4/800.full.html

Risks Cyberbullying and online harassment.

Using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing or hostile information about another person.

Sexting. Sending or receiving sexually explicit messages or photos.

Facebook depression. Depression that develops in teens and preteens who spend significant time on social media sites such as Facebook.

Privacy concerns. Sharing too much information online.

Digital footprints. Putting future job and college prospects in jeopardy by leaving a trail of inappropriate messages, pictures and videos that stay online.

Benefits It’s not all bad though. Responsible use of social media allows teens and pre-teens to strengthen social connections, improve communication and technical skills and collaborate on homework and school projects. Some schools use blogs to help students improve writing skills and creativity. And many adolescents have become smart users of the Web to research their health concerns online anonymously and develop networks of people with similar concerns.

Teach your kids skills to stay safe online There are many websites that provide tips to help you keep your kids safe as they interact online. (See examples below) Basic guidelines for parents include:

Talk regularly to children about responsible social networking activity.

Teach children to think before they post.

Remind your child to be kind in their interactions.

Work with your children to set privacy settings on each site.

Tell children not to post their location or reveal personal information.

Get your own account and follow or friend your child to monitor their activity.

Some sites provide an outline of a class or workshop parents can do with their kids to broaden their understanding of responsible social media use. What kind of information is appropriate to share and what isn’t? www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-steinberg/social-media-and kids_b_2659434.html Author Scott Steinberg suggests that parents show their children their own social media accounts and discuss the following questions with their kids:

What kind of information do you hope to get from and share over social media sites?

What types of communication do you think social networks are best for?

What kind of information do you hope to get from and share over social media sites?

What kind of information is appropriate to share and what isn’t? www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-steinberg/social-media-and-kids_b_2659434.html

Find more tips on these sites

How to keep your child safe using social media – Canadian Pediatric Society http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/social_media

Web safety resources by Royal Canadian Mounted Police http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/is-si/index-eng.htm

Privacy Commission of Canada’s information about youth privacy http://www.priv.gc.ca/youth-jeunes/index_e.asp

On line safety tips by age http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/default.html

13 Tips for Monitoring Kids’ Social Media www.parenting.com/gallery/social-media-monitoring-kids

How to Spy on Your Child Online www.parenting.com/article/how-to-spy-on-your-child-online

The Secret Life of Kids Online: What You Need to Know www.parenting.com/article/kids-social-networking?page=0,1

Social Networking Tips www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/social-networking-tips

Box 160 New Sarepta, Alberta TOB 3M0

Phone: (780)941-3927 Fax: (780)941-2129

Dear Sponsor:

New Sarepta Elementary School has a volunteer parent run group called Partners Involved In Education (P.I.I.E.). This group is responsible for raising funds to support extra activities or events and to purchase upgraded technology for the children of New Sarepta Elementary School. Some of the activities that we support include: track meets, skiing and swimming; music and art activities, and field trips within Alberta. For the past 17 years P.I.I.E. has been invited to run an annual Silent Auction in conjunction with our local Agricultural Society Jugspeil event. This year this event will be held at the New Sarepta Agri-plex on Saturday, March 26. In order for our Silent Auction to be a success we require donations. We would welcome and appreciate any items that you may have to donate to our fundraiser. Any support that you may offer to our Silent Auction will be recognized at the auction and a letter of acknowledgement, which will serve as a tax receipt, will be issued to you.

It is through the generous support of our community and surrounding areas that P.I.I.E. can continue to raise funds for our children and give them that extra step to make their school years both memorable and educational.

On behalf of New Sarepta Elementary School, our parent council and the children of the school, we thank you for your consideration of this request. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Crystal Murch Crystal Murch

Chair of Partners Involved in Education - P.I.I.E.

clmurch@me.com