Flex Friday Gratitude Circles
This past Friday University School students went outside to share in mixed grade groups about the many things they are grateful for. This was a culminating activity to May’s Gratitude Month initiative and also a transition into June which is National Indigenous History Month.
There are many times throughout the year that classes engage in talking circles, we even do this during staff meetings. Circles represent the interconnectedness of all beings, the cycle of life, and the seasons. Circle teachings are connected to equality and balance. The talking circle process helps to hold space for respectful and reciprocal dialogue and allows everyone an equal opportunity to share their thoughts and questions. Someone begins the conversation and then we proceed in a clockwise direction, often passing an object to represent whose turn it is to share. Participants are afforded the opportunity to skip if they wish and then contribute later if they have something to say.
It was wonderful see everyone outside in circles engaging in meaningful conversations and getting to know each other even better.
Spring Pond School
This week University School took learning outside again to further our connection to community and place. Going to the pond every day encourages learning on the land by noticing changes all around us. Building an appreciation of our community leads to understanding and acknowledging the land that we live and play on.
Each day students had a different focus for the walk to the pond and an activity at or near the pond. Below are some examples of activities that classes participated in:
Monday - Can you find a bird's nest? What is it made out of? Can you make your own birds nest with materials you find in nature?
Tuesday - We read ‘Dear Dandelion’ to learn about the resiliency of plants in nature. This helped us understand the life cycle of plants too.
Wednesday - Students listened to sounds of nature and of human activity to try and compare them. How are trees and animals adapting to the noise in the world?
Thursday - Students did pond dippings and explored the aquatic life in the pond through magnifying glasses. They then used an identifying card to try and figure out what they found.
Friday - Finding math in nature. Look at how certain trees/bushes grow. Is there symmetry in their branches? In their leaf growth? What things in nature show symmetry? Where can you find parallel/intersecting/perpendicular lines?
We are grateful for the land where we live and learn and for what it teaches us about our world and ourselves.
School Council Meeting & School Updates
Thank you to all who attended the meeting last Wednesday. We have seen an increase in community participation and appreciate hearing from everyone. It was great seeing some new families who will be joining the school next year already participating too.
Below you will see the slides shared by University School which include information about classroom configuration and makeup. Click on the image to open the slides. Next year, all grades, Kindergarten to Grade 6, will be straight or single grades. After careful consideration, the staff feel as though this is the best direction to go with the demands of the current curriculum and the gaps in many students learning related to this and the disruption of learning resulting from the COVID pandemic.
We are also adding a third Grade 3 classroom to try and have class sizes beginning at a reasonable level. Due to a decrease in per-student funding, we are unable to add any further teachers and have had to reduce the number of support staff as well as the hours they work. The following are the approximate starting class sizes (Kdg = 21, Grade 1 = 24, Grade 2 = 20, Grade 3 = 20, Grade 4 = 24, Grade 5 = 28, Grade 6 =27, EES = 9).
We can also view the agenda and minutes here.
camaraderie
Family Movie Night
Thursday, June 6, School Council is hosting a family movie night and we would love to see you all there! We will be watching the movie Despicable Me.
The doors will open at 5:45, with the movie starting at 6:00. Bring a blanket, pyjamas, friends, and some cash for the concession!
Entry will be by donation. There will be a cash-only concession with treats like chips, pop, and other sweets. The University District Save-on-Foods has also donated popcorn!
Please help us plan properly for attendance by filling in this form in advance: https://forms.gle/vj3DPvU831kJdvnb7. Thank you to everyone who has already filled in the form. Remember - every child MUST be accompanied by an adult.
Interested in donating toward the concession or event? Reach out to universityschoolcouncil@gmail.com
See you all there!
Cut or Coins
Inspired by an eight-year-old boy named Colton and his story of courage facing his fight with cancer (Leukemia) and Hudson (one of our grade 4 students, his cousin) who has decided to cut and donate his long hair to support Wigs for Kids Canada.
To support this University School is participating in its first-ever year-end community outreach campaign connected to compassion, camaraderie, and community.
The goal of Cut or Coins is to raise funds for The Alberta Children’s Hospital and to also collect donatoin of hair for Wigs for Kids Canada.
We began with classroom presentations this past week from Cynthia, Colton’s Mom, connected to Colton’s journey with cancer and the Children’s Hospital.
Students have started collecting donations for the Children’s Hospital. If you wish to donate please go to this donation link: https://my.childrenshospital.ab.ca/UES. Donations are invested in the health and well-being of our kids in our community and the advancement of care for children across Alberta and the world: Patient and Family Centred Care, Advancing Child Health, Education, Training and Research.
They have also started recruiting students, parents, teachers, or family members who may be willing to donate their hair to Wigs for Kids Canada.
This will all culminate on June 17 with an assembly celebrating the success of the campaign together as a community, including Hudson, and hopefully, others, having their hair cut to donate.
Opa! Fun Lunch - June 13
Thursday, June 13 is the next Healthy Hunger Fun lunch if the year and it is from Opa!.
The last day to order this fun lunch is Saturday, June 8. Please go to Healthy Hunger to register for your lunches.
Please note there is no PM Kindergarten this day and all AM Kindergarten students are gone on a full-day field trip and will be unable to receive their food. Please do not order food for students in Kindergarten unless you make other arrangements for the food to be picked up. If PM Kindergarten student are attending Summit Kids food can still be ordered.
All students will be eating lunch at 11:40 and then going outside together for lunch recess.
LEGO for UES Maker Space
University School is looking for LEGO to add to our Learning Commons and Maker Space! This will allow students another tool to create and build with as a way of demonstrating their learning.
If you have any spare LEGO or LEGO that you no longer want University School would be happy to have it. All donations can be brought down to the office. Thank you for your help!
Wheel Week
For 2024, SHAPE’s Wheel Week is joining injury prevention partners in Alberta to celebrate Parachute’s Safe Kids Week with a focus on safe and active transportation. This is an opportunity to encourage students and their families to get active by walking or using bikes, scooters, and skateboards to travel to and from school, and around their communities. For resources and tips about keeping safe while using active transportation, see Safe Kids Week Alberta.
This Week
Monday, June 3
- Grade 1/2 Dance Club
Tuesday, June 4
- Grade 3 Room 17 - Field Trip
Wednesday, June 5
- Patrol Picnic
- Grade 4 Room 16 - Field Trip
Thursday, June 6
- AM Kdg Walking Field Trip
- PM Kdg Walking Field Trip
- Drama Club
- Family Movie Night - 6 PM at University School (Despicable Me)
Friday, June 7
- No School for Kindergarten
- School visit for 2024-25 Kindergarten students
Month Ahead
June 10 - 14 - Field Hockey Residency
June 13 - No PM Kindergarten
June 13 - Fun Lunch - Opa
June 13 - AM Kindergarten All Day Field Trip
June 17 - Whole School Assembly
June 19 - Frisbee Rob - Presentation and lessons
June 19 - Grade 6 PAT - Social Studies
June 20 - Grade 6 PAT - Science
June 25 - Grade 6 Farewell Assembly and Celebration (1:30 pm)
Dates of Significance
May - Asisan Heritage Month
May - Canadian Jewish Heritage Month
June - Pride Month
June - National Indigenous History Month
June - Italian Heritage Month
June - Filipino Heritage Month
June - Portuguese Heritage Month
June 3 - June 7 - Wheel Week
June 11 - Shavuot
June 17 - Eid al-Adha
June 20 - World Refugee Day
June 20 - Summer Solstice
June 21 - National Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous