Principal’s message January 2017

Nancy Lovenjak,

Principal

Happy New Year every-one! Every time it snows, our playground gets transformed into a new place to explore. We talk about respecting each other’s snow forts and having fun building amaz-ing structures! We are looking forward to Family

Literacy Day on January 27 and I Love To Read and Write Month! Stu-dents will have the oppor-tunity to enter a draw to be ‘Principal of the Day’ if they complete some read-ing and writing challenges!

HAPPY THOUGHT SCHOOL

659 Quarry Rd. East Selkirk, MB

Box 6 Group 35 RR1 East Selkirk, MB R0E 0M0

PHONE: 482-4521 FAX: 785-2872 www.lssd.ca/hts/ E-mail: hts@lssd.ca

FAMILY LITERACY

CELEBRATION Remember-Friday, January 27, 2017 (Day 1) is Family Literacy Day and parents are invited to join their children at 3:00pm to read and write!

Skates! We would gladly accept any donations of skates, especially sizes 3-5!

Ukrainian Kindergarten Orientation If you are registering your child for Kindergarten in the fall and would like to know more about the English Ukrainian Bilingual Program, please come to the

EUBP Kindergarten Orientation on Wednesday, March 22 at 7:00

in our library. Hear some songs from our present Kindergarten class

and learn more about this excellent program.

Kindergarten Registration for 2017-2018 We are now accepting kindergarten registrations for both our English and Eng-lish-Ukrainian Bilingual programs for children born in 2012. The English-Ukrainian program is available to all children in the Lord Selkirk School Divi-sion. We are asking our parents to register as soon as possible because we pro-vide readiness packages for children prior to their entering kindergarten. school. Please bring your child’s birth certificate when you register. For additional information, please contact the school at 482-4521.

Legacy Wall Something we would like to celebrate for the LSSD and HTS 50th is a Legacy Wall and generations of families who have attended HTS. Mr. Chody will be taking pictures and creating a display, so if you attended HTS and now your children do, please stop by to get your picture taken!

Awesome Article We were featured in a Manitoba Marathon Newsletter recently. Here it is:

Happy Thought School in East Selkirk is one of the most engaged run clubs in the Champions in Training

family: they have participated for over ten years and currently have approximately 100 runners in the pro-

gram! I had the chance to see how great their program is by joining them last spring for a presentation

and a run around their beautiful school. Their energy and enthusiasm was awesome! Club leader, coach and

inspiring student leader Natalie McConnell tells us a little about the Run Club and her awesome crew of

participants.

What time of day does your club normally run?

Our school runs on a balanced day. Marathon Club runners run their mile at 10:40 AM, enjoy a healthy snack fol-

lowing their run and head outside to enjoy the remainder of their recess. We are very fortunate at Happy

Thought School to have a paved fitness trail around our school grounds that our students can run on.

Does your club have any “traditions” that you incorporate with your training sessions (special snack, team

cheer, stretching routine, etc.)?

We love to celebrate our runners’ success with a BBQ luncheon following the completion of our program. Prior to

the BBQ we hold a pep rally in the gym followed by runners running their last mile while our nonrunners cheer

them on at the finish line.

What is your best Manitoba Marathon event memory?

Every year we attend the Manitoba Marathon to complete the Super Run. We load a bus at 5:30 AM and head into

Winnipeg. The students are excited to be a part of such an amazing event. Some highlights over the

years….watching marathon runners cross the finish line, students excited to run with their families by their side

and the peaceful ride back to the school as most students have fallen asleep.

What do you think is the best part of the Champions in Training program?

The best part of the Champions in Training program has to be getting so many kids excited about running! Running

is a lifelong activity that anyone can partake in with so many amazing health benefits.

Any hints you can give on keeping the students motivated and staying engaged in the run club?

To motivate our students to join Marathon Club we educate them on the health benefits of running and how it’s

our responsibility to take care of our body. During our training we use small motivational tools such as card runs,

extra recess time and guest runners. We also incorporate healthy eating through our Health curriculum, in our

Spotlight articles and with incentives throughout the year. To conclude our program we end with our BBQ wind up.

What is the average mileage that your run club completes per week? Do you have “homework” for the stu-

dents to run away from run club meetings?

Our students run a mile a day at school for 26 days to complete a full marathon. We educate our students that

our bodies aren’t prepared to run a full marathon because we are still growing and developing so we break it down

into smaller chunks.

What is your best tip/advice for a school that is just starting a Champions in Training run club?

For new schools wanting to start a Champions in Training run club keep it fun, offer incentives along the way to

keep the kids engaged and celebrate their success at the end of the program. Every child is involved for differ-

ent reasons. Some kids just love to run, some like to be with their friends, some are looking for health benefits

and some are there for the incentives. Start with one to two people organizing the club and have everyone jump

on board to support you.

continued on next page……...

Awesome Article continued

Do you have any “shout outs” you would like to tell our readers about? Especially amazing volunteers

(parents or teachers), administrative support, etc.?

We wouldn’t be able to run such an amazing program with this many students involved without the support from

our incredible staff! We have numerous teachers and EAs who run and supervise the students throughout the

program down to our caretakers who barbeque on the day of our wind up. It is definitely a team effort!!

Here is more timely information from our HTS/ESMS Food and Nutrition committee

who meets every second month at 9:30 in the ESMS office area.

Our next meeting will be in April 26, 2017.

Please join us!

Hold the Salt: Choosing and Preparing Healthy Foods with Less Sodium

Sodium is a mineral found in all foods, largely found in salt. It is needed for your body to function, but most Canadians eat more sodium than they need. Here are some tips to help you choose and prepare foods that are lower in sodium.

∗ Enjoy fresh foods more often, such as fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, and poultry. These tend to be

naturally lower in sodium.

∗ Use herbs, spices, lemon juice, garlic, onion, and salt-free seasoning mixes to add flavour to foods.

∗ Read food labels and look for the phrases, “sodium-free”, “low sodium”, or “no added salt” when buying

canned or frozen foods. The % Daily Value is a quick overview of how much or how little of a nutrient is in the food.

5% or less: a little bit of the nutrient (for sodium, choose these foods more often)

15% or greater: a lot of the nutrient

Choosing and preparing healthy, lower sodium foods can be a fun family activity. Challenge yourself to try different substitutes for salt in favourite recipes to discover and enjoy new flavours!

Mrs. Neil’s Two Sense! During the month of January I have been focusing on the term perseverance, which is the ability to keep trying even when things get tough. By connecting the challenges students have faced with the goals they have reached, they have been able to reflect on the hard work they have done and can see how it has paid off. I know during this time of year it can be hard to keep my boys motivated to go to hockey, especially if they haven’t been winning many games. By changing the perspective of going with the mindset of winning, into the mindset of going to work hard to see how much better they have be-come, my boys are starting to learn the value of hard work. When children learn how to get them-selves out of the “dip”, they learn that anything is possible. Ask your child about Mojo and “The Dip”!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at the school 204.482.4521 or email: bneil@lssd.ca.

Bonnie Neil,

Guidance Counsellor

Love to Read and Write Month

All types of activities have been planned for I Love to Read and Write month. We kick it off with an assembly on Wednesday, February 1. All classes will be participating in the Reading and Writing Challenge. Students are asked to complete 15 out of 20 challenges (Kindergaten-6 out of 10) to be able to enter the ‘Principal for a Day’ draw.

We will also do a Group Write with Mrs. McDonald. She will also be inviting guest readers to the library. Staff will participate in Selfie to Shelfie where students will be challenged to match staff to books they read. We will also have these weekly activ-ities:

♥ Feb. 1-2 - DEAR and DEAW-Drop Everything and Read/Drop Everything and Write

♥ Feb. 6-10 and 21-24 - Guess the book from the props-There will be two separate dis-

plays where students have to guess the book from the props they see in the trophy case. They can enter their guesses at the office.

♥ Feb.17-Read Me Day-Wear something with words.

♥ February 28-Dress as your favourite book character.

Family Literacy Day

At Happy Thought School we will be celebrating

Family Literacy Day

and the kick-off to “I Love to Read and Write ” month on

Friday, January 27, 2017.

� We are asking family members (parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings), who are able, to visit our school at 3:00pm to read and write with their children until 3:30pm.

� Family members will meet in the room of the youngest sibling and then find a spot in the school to sit and read together. They will have books with them but please feel free to bring favourites from home.

� You will also be asked to fill out a yellow slip on favourite school memories, celebrating 50 years of Lord Selkirk School Division. This slip will be deposited in a box in the main hallway for the chance to win a prize!

HTS Parent Council The Parent Advisory Council would like to thank every-one for their generosity in supporting the Front Row Seat Raffle. We raised $393.00. We would also like to congratulate the winners of the 50/50 draws ($262.00 and $394.00) at this years' Christmas concerts as well. The money raised will help offset costs for various programs that are offered to all HTS students.

A reminder, if you are interested in donating your Co-op gas points, please consider using our HTS PAC number 299362.

Also, watch for our upcoming Kernels 'Pop into Spring' Popcorn Sale next month! Order forms will be distrib-uted to students early February and popcorn bags will be available for pickup during the March parent-teacher interviews. It is another yummy way to sup-port your school!

Dear Petrusia:

I hear you have a Zabava coming up. Who can attend?

From, Mrs. Bowman

Dear Mrs. Bowman,

Everyone in the school is invited to join us on Feb. 24!

From, Petrusia

Allergy Aware Valentine’s Celebrations As class parties approach, we discourage baked goods as cross contamination is an ever-present challenge. Sending safe snacks that have labels, as well as fruits, veggies, safe crackers, and cheese is recommended. Please continue the great job you are doing reading labels! Thank you!

All families are invited to the EUBP sponsored

ZABAVA

Friday, February 24, 2017

6:30-8:00pm

Happy Thought School Gym

$2.00 admission

DJ’s Mrs. Wasney and Mr. Chody will provide the music and dance instructions. It’s a great way to break up a long, cold winter.

Featuring modern, novelty and Ukrainian dances!

There will be spot dances, a 50/50 draw and a canteen! Students (K-7) and their families from both the English and EUBP programs are invited!

EUBP PAC The EUBP PAC would like to thank everyone who came out to support our students at the Annual Christmas Concert and Tea. The students’ performances melted our hearts; brought smiles to our faces and made it feel like Christmas. Great job! Thank you again to everyone who volunteered before, during and after the concert. This event is a big undertaking and it would not be possible without all of the helping hands!

The Christmas Concert’s silver collection was donated to the Schellenberg Family. Two-year-old Brenna Schel-lenberg, the precious daughter of Candace and Jason Schellenberg and beloved sister of Keira and Caleb, was diagnosed with brain cancer on July 28th, 2016. Brenna’s mother graduated from the EUBP at Happy Thought School in 1996. Dyakuju for your generous donations. A total of $675.00 was raised for the family.

It’s Zabava time again! Please join us on Friday, February 24th from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the big gym at Happy Thought School for some fun and dancing. Everyone is welcome and admission is only $2.00/person. There will be a canteen, spot dance prizes and 50/50 draw. Dust off your dancing shoes and come support our EUBP.

Ria Semenowich, EUBP PR

HAPPY THOUGHT SCHOOL

English-Ukrainian Bilingual Program

invites you to a

Kindergarten Information Evening & Open House

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017

at 7:00 pm (school library).

Interested in an enrichment program for your

youngster, or know someone who is?

Come and learn about the English Ukrainian Bilingual Program at our school! Meet our dedicated teachers, parents, and listen to our cur-rent Kindergarten students perform a special song for you! You are al-so welcome to take a tour, visit our classrooms, and ask any questions that you might have!!

For more information call Nancy Lovenjak (principal) at 482-4521.

December - Athlete of the Month Every month an athlete from each class is recognized in our assembly. Students chosen demonstrate good sportsman-ship, consistently appropriate behaviour and strong effort and excellent participation.

Awards

December 2016

Falisha Klassen, Taylynn Trumbley, Hudson Irwin, Katelyn Prochorow, Annika Zitting, Devin Gerylo, Violet Baschuk, Griffin Carels, Liam Masi, Soraya Monkman, Rita Bunk, Hayden Sinclair, Cole Munday, Calla Kennedy, Mady Sagar, Cylie Renaud, Ella Smolinski, Royce Dubon, Grace Fortier, Jordan Lischyn-ski, Mason Liebrecht, Ava Veitch, Fiona Bai-ley, William Waterman, William Hordyski, David Diewert, Jorja Parasidis, Katelyn Bar-liski, Jude Kroeker, Jade Vitt. Gavin Moldwon, Evan Muth

W.O.W

Golden Shoe Award

Ms. Penner Loeppky’s class

K-1 Jackson B. K-2 Torin B. K-3 Rhianne B. K-U Jono A. 1-1 Xavier S. 1-2 Larson G. 1-U Calla K. 2-1 Sean C.

2-2 Daniella P. 2-U Grace F. 3-1 Mason L. 3-2 Chelsea C. 3-U Lily B. 4-1 Riplee F. 4-2 Reece F. 4-3 Jade V. 4-U Tim P.

SunSunSunSun MonMonMonMon TueTueTueTue WedWedWedWed ThuThuThuThu FriFriFriFri SatSatSatSat

1 day 4

Assembly @ 9:00

2 day 5 3 day 6

NO SCHOOL

4

5 6 day 1

EUBP PAC mtg.

@ 6:30

7 day 2

8 day 3

PAC mtg @ 6:30

9 day 4

10 day 5

11

12 13 day 6

14 day 1

Skating Day

15 day 2

16 day 3

17 day 4

Read my Shirt

day

18

19 20

NO SCHOOL

21 day 5

22 day 6

23 day 1

24 day 2

25

26 27 day 3

28 day 4

Dress as a charac-

ter from a book

day

- March 17

No School

- March 27 - 31

Spring Break