Leadership Club

Mrs. Harnett and Mrs. McCrory are excited to ‘lead’ our Sunalta School leadership club this year. Two representatives from each classroom will be coming together once a month. Their purpose is to share thoughts about what makes Sunalta a great place to be and plan events we can host to celebrate school spirit and a sense of belonging. Our first spirit day will be Thursday, September 19. Students are encouraged to style their hair in ‘silly’ ways. We will be sure to take pictures of the Crazy Hair!

Library

Sunalta School is proud of our collection and selection of library books. Each week students have the opportunity to sign out a book or books (older students) from the library. Ms. Haydu is our library assistant and often shares some favourite stories in our collection. Teachers will inform families about library day. Please assist your child in keeping track of their books and returning them on the designated day. In November we will have a book fair for families to purchase new books. More information and the opportunity to volunteer will be sent out in October.

Patrols

Mr, Clarke, Mrs. Clarke and Mrs. McCrory will be leading the School Patrols this year. Recruiting and training will begin next week. Students in grades 5 and 6 interested to be school leaders as patrollers will need to complete a consent form and return it to their teacher.

Reminder About Morning Drop Offs

Students should be accompanied by an adult until 8:30am. Staff supervision is from 8:30-8:38am. Please remind your children to dress for the weather as playing outside is important for student health and is encouraged at Sunalta School.

Google Classroom

Teachers will be inviting students and parents to join the individual Google Classroom to inform families about updates, learning celebrations, curriculum connections will all be included. Our youngest students are creating unique passwords and learning how to log into their accounts. All students are expected to follow our digital citizenship policy and follow appropriate, acceptable digital expectations.

Alberta Education Assessments

All K-3 students in Alberta will be doing universal screening assessments in literacy and numeracy. These mandatory screening assessments are completed at the start of the school year in Grade 1, 2 and 3 and in January for Kindergarten.

The following types of assessments will be completed by each student in Grades K-3:

  • The Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) Digits test requires naming digits as quickly as possible, thus revealing the automaticity of many of the same cognitive and linguistic skills central to reading. 
  • The Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) purpose is to assess phonemic awareness. Phonological awareness, or the awareness of and ability to work with sounds in spoken language is foundational for decoding, blending, and word reading.
  • Letter Name and Sound Test (LeNS), assesses knowledge of the names and sounds of letters, and common multi-letter graphemes. The LeNS is designed to screen learners for foundational phonics skills to develop into independent readers.
  • The Castles and Coltheart Reading Test 3 (CC3) is a word reading test of single word reading (decoding and whole word recognition). It is designed to identify the nature of reading difficulties and provides next steps for instruction and intervention.
  • Provincial Numeracy Screening Assessments look at knowledge of symbolic numbers. Results of the assessment can be used to help teachers identify and address gaps in foundational understanding of numbers. 

These universal screeners do not replace day-to-day teacher observations and classroom assessment and do not have any impact on formal reporting processes such as report cards. Rather, the results of universal screeners help inform planning for next steps such as targeted interventions or instructional planning and are not used to determine grades. Students in Grades 4-6 are completing other teacher assessments to gather this type of information. 

Truth and Reconciliation Event

Join CBE to commemorate Indian residential school victims, honour survivors and their families, and commit to acting on reconciliation. Remembering the Children.

Monday, Sept. 30, 9 - 10:30 a.m. at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, 750 9 Ave. S.E.

Enjoy presentations from various speakers, including the Mayor, Indigenous Elders and school board representatives at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (previously Fort Calgary). A blessing from an Elder will start the event and Indigenous dancers will entertain during. 

Everyone is strongly encouraged to wear orange as a sign of support and to honour the children who didn't return from residential schools across the country.

Looking Ahead

September 19: First School Spirit Day – make your hair look silly! Crazy hair day!

September 20: Terry Fox Run. Volunteers will be needed! Please consider signing up Terry Fox Run Volunteers  Toonies for Terry collection next week. To donate Online fundraiser: https://schools.terryfox.ca/sunalta 

September 23-27: Truth and Reconciliation recognition week

September 26: Sunalta open house 6:00-7:30pm. Families to sign up through PowerSchool for a timeslot. More information to come next week. Kindergarten will not have school as Ms. Kangles will have individual conferences with families.

September 27: Non instructional day No School

September 30: No School TRC

October 10: Lifetouch photo day Individual Photos

October 14: No School Thanksgiving