Principal’s Message—Mme Marla Tonita
Oh, how fortunate we
are to be able to spend
our days with your chil-
dren! Young people
bring such vibrancy to
everything they do, even
when this vibrancy can
also be challenging!
Everything is felt with
such depth, from social
relationships to academ-
ic progress. When grow-
ing up brings its strug-
gles, as it invariably
does, Shawn Achor sug-
gests that adults can
guide students to navi-
gate these waters in sev-
eral ways.
Achor’s research
demonstrates that posi-
tivity can in fact have a
significant impact on the
wiring of our brains. As
a staff, we began the
school year exploring
these ways, and some of
our classes regularly
implement some of
these strategies. In par-
ticular, Achor asserts
that the following small,
behavioural changes
daily can have signifi-
cant impact on positive
mindsets:
1) Write, say, or share
three different grati-
tudes 2) Think about a mean-
ingful experience and
write it down (double
benefit from thinking
and writing)
3) Do something active
that you enjoy for fif-
teen minutes (walking,
gardening, sports, skate-
boarding, swimming
etc)
4) Be mindful/meditate
for two minutes
5) Be compassionate
with conscious acts of
kindness
I explained to one of my
daughters one day that I
was going to be con-
scious of identifying
three things each day
that I am grateful for.
She thought that would
be good for her, too, and
asked if we could text
them to each other daily.
One day shortly after, I
shared one of my
“gratitudes” with one of
my sons, as I thought he
would enjoy the funny
story of something that
had occurred at school.
Lo and behold, he said
he would join in our
morning “gratitude tex-
ting”. It has been several
weeks now that we three
have been starting our
morning in this way, and
I must say, it is a great
way to begin each new
day, even when the
times seem more chal-
lenging than others.
Perhaps you already do
something similar at the
dinner table or before
bed. If not, I encourage
you to encourage your
children to share their
“gratitudes” with you in
some way!
OCTOBER / OCTOBRE 2016
Mission:
To empower students
to reach their poten-
tial through quality
learning opportunities.
Vision:
ÉJELS is a school
community that hon-
ours a strong peda-
gogical foundation and
that fosters an empa-
thetic and productive
learning environment
through innovation and
teamwork.
Parent Council / PAA
2
Counselor’s Corner
3
Library News/Hot lunch
4
Sports - Volleyball
5
Music Notes 6
Miscellaneous 7-13
Calendar 14
Inside this issue:
SABRE SCOOP École J .E . Lapoin te School
Phone: 780-929-5977 Web page h t tp://eje ls .b lackgold .ca
Off ice email : je loff i ce@blackgold .ca
THE
Page 2 SABRE SCOOP
On behalf of JE Lapointe's School Council and Parent Advisory Association we are
happy to be back for another great year! Our AGM was in early September and we
have voted on our 2016/2017 Executive. We are still looking for a Vice Chair for
our council. If you are interested in joining our council, and/or would like to join
in on our meetings our next meeting is October 18, 2016 at 7pm. All are welcome
and encouraged to attend! Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Sharon Fehler
JE Lapointe School Council/PAA Chair
Parent Council / Parent Advisory Association
MedicAlert’s No Child Without Program is at Our School
The No Child Without program offers a free MedicAlert membership to students who attend our school and are
between the ages of 4 up to their 14th birthday. If your child has a medical condition, allergy or is required to
take medication on a regular basis then you should consider a MedicAlert membership through this program.
MedicAlert is your child’s voice in an emergency, MedicAlert membership;
• Gives emergency first responders immediate access to a your child’s medical information on their MedicAlert
bracelet or necklet
• Enables first responders to quickly obtain up to date medical information by means of the child’s Electronic
Health Record
through the 24 Hour Emergency Hotline.
• Communicates with the parent or emergency contact upon activation of the Hotline
Allows free updates of the child’s medical record as needed
MedicAlert identification can alert school staff, friends, coaches and others about your child’s medical condition
should an emergency occur.For further information come to the office for a brochure or go to
www.nochildwithout.ca.
To register your child you will need a No Child Without brochure from the office.
If your child is already part of the No Child Without program and there have been changes to their medical con-
dition, medications
or emergency contact information, call MedicAlert at 1-866-679-3220 Ext 1 to update your child’s file.
PowerSchool Information Session We are going to be offering a short PowerSchool information ses-
sion on October 18th at 6:30pm. We will be showing how to access assignments, grades, comments, fees and much more! Parents and Students welcome .
Page 3
EJELS SWAT is beginning its fourth year of stu-dent involvement. This group has been formed to focus its efforts in promoting positive physical and mental health for students and our school community. SWAT is made up of students from grades 7-9 who will promote , educate, facili-tate and sponsor activities that foster wellness. SWAT will meet Mondays at lunch and 1 or 2 times a month during FLEX . This student led group will help determine the direction SWAT takes in the areas of physical and mental health. Come and be a part of this amazing opportunity to personally make a difference!
Hat day every early dismissal day.
Counselor's Corner [email protected]
The J.E. Lapointe GSA, in support of LGBTQ students and their friends and allies, will meet every Fri-
day in room 122 at lunch. GSA offers a safe, comfortable place for students to discuss issues, gain ac-
cess to community resources and connect with other students in our school. GSA is not exclusive to
other LGBTQ students; friends and allies are also most welcome to attend. Listen to announcements
for a start date!
S.W.A.T
Family School Liaison Work (FSLW)
"FSLW" provides school and community support for our students. This program offers a coordinated approach to the
delivery of school-based health and support services for students so that our children are better prepared to attain
their potential. FSLW offers a variety of programs to facilitate social skills education and, if necessary, strategies for
parents to develop and implement behavior plans for their child. It also supports families in accessing appropriate agen-
cies, acting as a liason among students, families, schools, and community agencies.
Candace Berlinguette is our new FSLW contact person. She comes with much experience working with children in a vari-
ety of settings. Some of the skills that Candace helps students develop include: Anger Management, Self-esteem, Peer
interaction, Conflict resolution, Non-compliant behavior at home or school and Recognizing social cues.
If you feel your child might benefit from some special skill development in the listed areas, con-
tact [email protected] or [email protected]
GSA
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Hot Lunch — October Lunches
Oct 14– Booster Juice
Oct 21- Edo Japan
Oct 28- Maina’s Donair
Questions regarding hot lunch can be directed to jelapointehot-
Read-In Week October 3-7
The Read-In week theme this year is ‘One World Many Voices.’ ‘We share one world and fill it with our
many voices. Through reading, we learn from other people’s lives and stories.”
Students have been reading books from our “Read around the World” display. All the books on display take
place in a different setting all over the world!
Book Fair The book Fair is coming in November! We will have the Book Fair November 14th – 18th from 8:30-11:30.
The book fair will also be open Wednesday, November 16th during parent teacher interviews for your con-
venience!
On Wednesday, September 14th the staff and students at ÉJELS participated in our
annual assembly and walk/run in support of Cancer Research. The weather was ter-
rific and it is always a great time to reflect upon the ways that Cancer has impacted
those around us. Thanks for the donations that were received in our “Toonies for
Terry” campaign and it was great to see parents that were able to join us. They were
donated to a very important cause.join us. They have been donated to a very im-
portant cause.
What is FLEX? It is a flexible, 3 block, opportunity on day 3 for students to
choose how to support their program needs. For example, they can choose from a
variety of complementary sessions such as athletics, art, drama, games or they can choose core support in all
subject areas in French and in English. Each Friday students are asked to sign up for the following Wednes-
day. Sign up links and session descriptions are available through the program menu on the school website. It
is important for each student to choose their selections carefully and sign up on time for the best variety of
courses!. We encourage parents to touch base with their kids to see what selections they are making each
week. The sessions offered will vary each week and we do not have FLEX on early dismissal days to accom-
modate for the lost afternoon instructional time. If you any questions regarding FLEX feel free to email Mrs.
Dorash at [email protected]
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Sports—Volleyball
Congratulations to the Senior Ladies' volleyball team! We began the process of picking our team last
year through some developmental camps in May and June. We finished our tryouts the first week in
September and participated in the University of Alberta tournament where we placed 2nd in our divi-
sion. Excellent start to what promises to be a great season! Thank you to all of the girls who came to
try out for the team!
Taryn Terpsma, Alexis Bernier, Arianna Klar, Reagan Deatherage, Danica Blanchette, Jocelyn Ku-
blik, Joelle Klassen, Reese Clark, Jordyn Matson, Tori Klapstein, Brooke Warner.
The season runs from September 29 until the end of November- game days are Thursdays.
Mme K. Stewart and Mrs. K. Kay
Congratulations to the following girls on making the Junior girls volleyball team:
Ariana Dodds, Jocelyn Duhaime, Paige Engelman, Ashley Fehler, Aliya Giesbrecht, Lauren Hawtin,
Mattea Krug, Rachel Lozinski, Camryn Munchrath, Tiara Pihrag, Gina Royer & Khari Weber
M. Morin
Congratulations to the following students who made the Senior Boys' volleyball team:
Logan Gierke
Nyasha Mubayiwa
John Krieger
Craig Black
Issac Hokanson
Ryo Quinton
Owen Nord
Akashdeep Nijjar
German De La Garza
Daniel Hall
Ben Crawley
Good luck this season! Mrs. Duru
Congratulations to the following individuals on making the junior boys volleyball team: Carson Chap-
man, P.K. McCrackin, Austin Morrissette, Jake Gerhardt, Ty Bouyea, Esten Osness, Braedyn Galen-
za, Jake Sloan, Ben Hobday, Jacob Engram, Ian Sloan.
We are looking forward to a successful year! A big thank-you to all of those who worked so hard
throughout the try-outs!
Mr. Raymond
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.
MUSIC ROOM PRACTICES!
Thursday—Choir (Grade 7-9) @ 12:14
*Students bring lunch to music room, sing, then eat (microwave is available)
Tuesday— Jazz Band (Grade 8 & 9) @ 7:30 am
Monday, Tuesday & Friday—Open Band Practice 12:34 – 12:54
*This is an optional practice time for all students taking band. It is a time to just practice or
get help if struggling.
BAND PRACTICE! Over the first term (Sept – Nov), students in band (grades 7-9) are asked to fill in a practice
calendar. Students can get practice minutes during; FLEX time, noon hours and during jazz
band practices before school. This calendar is to be handed in at the end of the term.
Practice goal: 45-60 minutes per week. *The practice page requires a parent signature. Please take a minute to ask your child about practice and if they are having trou-
ble reaching their goal each week, help them figure out how it could be easier to attain. (see note above about possible practice
times at school) **Please note: Practice includes playing the instrument, but could also include buzzing on the mouthpiece, watching YouTube
videos about their instrument, reviewing note names, learning new notes, reading the book to learn new signs and symbols or
even playing a game online that helps reinforce note names or theory we are working on in class. Students can use a private mu-
sic lesson once per month on their practice sheet as well.
BAND FIELD TRIPS!
Members of the EJELS band program will be travelling to Edmonton to hear the Royal Canadian
Artillery Band in concert. This trip will take place on Wednesday, October 19th, leaving the
school at 9am and returning by 12:14. The concert is free, but there is a small fee of $3.25 for the
bus. There are only 50 spots available for this trip, so it will be first come, first served.
Members of the EJELS grade 7 band will be travelling to Camp Evergreen, near Sundre, Alberta on Oct. 20 & 21, 2016 for a
band/outdoor education field trip. A more detailed note of what to bring and departure/arrival times will be sent home in the next
few weeks. Thank you to the parent volunteers that are donating their time and vehicles to transport our gear!
Members of the EJELS grade 8 & 9 bands have the opportunity to travel to Niagara Falls, ON this May for
Musicfest Nationals. The invitation to this festival was due to a superior ranking given at the provincial
festival two years ago. This is a great accomplishment for our junior high band members, as only the best in
Canada are invited to this festival. Congratulations!
BAND BAKE SALE!
Friday, October 28th (over the lunch hour)
*All items will be $1.00 with proceeds going towards the Jr. High MusicFest Niagra
Falls trip this May
Music Notes
Page 7
We have a number of students that get dropped off at our
school in the morning and picked up in the afternoon. We
ask that parents driving their children to school drop them
off at the Far East end of the parking lot near our play-
ground. We hope this will eliminate traffic congestion in
front of our school.
As our new bus drop off and pick up is located at the front
of our school (55 avenue) near the fence line, there will be
No Parking in that area during the times of 8:00 a.m. –
9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Please remind your child to use the crosswalks when they
are dropped off on the street. They should proceed to
their proper school entrance from either side of the park-
ing lot.
Scent Sensitive School
Here at JE Lapointe we have students and staff members who have severe reactions
(bronchoconstriction) that result in breathing difficulty, swelling of the throat and
vocal cords, as well as dizziness, itchy eyes and headaches. Bronchoconstriction is
caused by exposure to perfumes, air fresheners, bug spray, sun screen, and other
heavily scented products such as hair sprays, gels and deodorants. Canada’s
SPEIACE, suggests that ‘fragrance users are strongly encouraged to be courteous
and respectful in their use of fragrance and to keep the fragrance within their per-
sonal “scent circle”, about an arm’s length away.’
On Friday, Sept 30, JE Lapointe participated with
schools across Alberta in Orange Shirt day.
Orange Shirt day is a day dedicated to remembering
and honoring the First Nations students who attend-
ed Residential Schools in Canada. We thank staff
and students for participating in this event and we
continue to seek justice and reconciliation for this
part of our Canadian history.
Page 8
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É COLÉ J.É. LAPOINTÉ SCHOOL 4801 - 55 Avenue, Beaumont, Alberta T4X 1K2
Telephone (780) 929-5977
Regional Collaborative Service Delivery
Team School Visits
October 2016
Dear Parents/Guardians:
We are working together with our partners in the Leduc and Area Regional Collaborative Services Delivery area [LA RCSD] to support learning opportunities for students at our school.
Members of the LA RCSD team will visit our school during the year. The team
includes:
Speech-Language Pathologist
Occupational Therapist
Addictions and Mental Health Therapist
The team may also include:
Family School Liaison Worker
Other developmental, social, emotional and behavioural services accessed by the school to support learner needs.
This team will work with the School-Based Team (teachers, support staff, and administrative staff) to support all children. They may visit classrooms and share ideas with the teacher. They will contact you as a parent / guardi-an directly if any follow up is required for your child.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
M. Tonita
Directrice/Principal
Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 11
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Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 13
BCOM Computer Centre has extended education discounting for parents of students attending Black Gold School Division on education-qualified Google Chromebooks for student use. Chromebooks are versatile and cost-effective computing devices which meet the recommenda-tions for student BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device).
The Lenovo N22 Chromebook including 1-Year BCOM Same-Day Warranty is current-
ly available for parent purchase at $249.95 (discounted by $50 from MSRP $299.95), plus $1.20 Alberta Electronics Recycle Fee and GST. BCOM’s complimentary Same-Day Warranty ensures that any warrantable problem is repaired or replaced the same day you bring it in to our service department (when brought in 9:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Saturday), so you won’t have to make multiple trips into the city, and you won’t have to ship it away and wait for repair as with other stores. The Lenovo N22 Chromebook provides up to 10 Hours of computing powered by Intel® Tech-nology. This system is designed for education with reinforced casing, ports and hinges to stand up to student wear and tear. A reversible web-camera allows the camera to face forward or back, enabling students to use apps like Skype, in addition to taking video or pictures of sci-ence projects or whiteboard notes. A full size US-English keyboard enables full productivity and a laptop computing experience - Google Docs are at your fingertips! To purchase (or for more information), parents may Register on BCOM’s Education Portal (link below).
Be sure to use the School Access Code below while registering to access the discount!
School Access Code:
Inspire&Succeed@bgrs
Education Portal:
https://www.b-com.ca/education/register.php
BCOM Computer Centre 15051 118 Ave. Edmonton, AB
T5V 1H9
Your Representative: Dustin Plant
780-485-8800 Ext.409 [email protected]
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