Plastic Bag Round Up

This month, we have been collecting plastic bags through the Take Pride Winnipeg Program in order to get them out of our community and recycled into useful items. In the past, we have received, frisbees, bird houses, and planters all made out of recycled plastic.

So far, we have collected over 2000 bags! Thank you for your support in sending your plastic bags to the school. We are done our plastic bag round up for this year. Start collecting your bags for this time next year!

Reminder

Tuesday, Nov. 1 is an Early Dismissal Day at 3:10pm.

Stress Management Workshop

Introduction to Stress Management

Join us for a two session workshop on the topic of stress management.

The first session will provide an introduction to stress and an opportunity to explore how stress effects you personally.  The second session will provide some practical everyday strategies to cope with stress so that you can enjoy life more.

Registration

Your attendance at both sessions is recommended. 

To register:  Call Michelle @

204-940-2453 or email

mhoude @wrha.mb.ca

Next Classes

Access Winnipeg West – 280 Booth Dr., Room 209 – 2^nd Floor

Dates: Wednesdays,

Nov. 9^th & Nov. 23rd

Time: 5:30-7:00 PM

Dance-a-thon

 

On Monday, students are welcome to wear their costumes all day if they wish. 

It is the last day to bring in donations for our school fundraiser. There are prizes for the top fundraisers and the classroom that brings in the most money! All donations are going toward continuing to develop our playground into a more natural space for the whole community to enjoy!

We will celebrate with a Dance-a-thon on Monday afternoon (1:00 - 2:00pm)! 

Families are welcome to join us.

 

Happy Diwali

To all our families celebrating Diwali, may you have a happy and healthy Festival of Lights!

 

Project Thursdays/Hockey Days Have Arrived!

We are very fortunate to be chosen as one of the Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation's Hockey Schools. Each year, we select new students for Grade 2 to enter the program and stay in it until Grade 12! We choose students who we feel would not have the opportunity to be in hockey outside of school. We can only select a limited number of students.

Thursday was the first day of our hockey season! Some students have never skated before. It was such a fun day. The students all worked hard. These students will go to the Ice Plex every Thursday until May for hockey instruction.

While some students are at hockey, the rest of the school is involved in Project Thursdays. On these days, we build, create, think, collaborate, and learn how to persevere at tasks. Teachers and students come up with unique projects to try. It is important to us on this day, that all of our students learn social skills, problem solving skills, and have fun!

Picture Day

Reminder:
It's Picture Day on Monday!
Everyone gets their picture taken.
Families can decide if they want to buy pictures from Life Touch.

NO SCHOOL on Friday

Reminder that there is NO SCHOOL on Friday.
It is a Provincial Inservice Day for all teachers.
We are all working and learning together on this day.
Have a great day off everyone!
See you on Monday.

Dance-a-thon Fundraiser

A note and pledge form was sent home on Tuesday for a school fundraiser. We are asking all students to ask families and neighbours for help in raising funds for playground improvements. We are collecting any donations people feel they can make. Our fundraiser will run until Oct. 31.
We will have prizes for top fundraisers.


We will celebrate with a Dance-a-thon for our students!

Circus Arts

On Monday this week, we were fortunate to enjoy a performance by Robin Chestnut. He is a world class juggler from Winnipeg. He has been promoting Circus Arts for many years. We had a lot of fun watching him try many different skills and tricks!

This year, Mr. McKinnon was chosen to take part in studying about Circus Arts in education with the National Circus School. We would like to acknowledge the extra time and effort Mr. McKinnon put into all of the practical as well as theoretical studies this year. Now for the fun part! We are implementing the Circus Arts into the Physical Education Program this year in various degrees. We are part of a national research study at the Grade 5 level for 2 reasons: To improve the physical literacy skills of our students; To improve the confidence levels of girls in their abilities in physical literacy. We are very excited to see the results at the end of the year. You may be invited to a Circus performance!

 

Reminder

It is an Early Dismissal Day today at 3:10pm.

4 Year Old Event

Reminders for This Week

On Monday:
We will have Robin Chestnut performing at our school at 1:00 - 1:30pm.
Families are most welcome to join us for the performance.
Then, Robin will do juggling clinics for our Grade 4/5 classrooms during the rest of the afternoon.

On Tuesday:
We will have a school-wide assembly where each classroom will present what is important to them. We will also enjoy a few performances. Families are always welcome to join us in the Gym at 9:00am.

Also, it is an Early Dismissal Day at 3:10pm.

On Wednesday:
We will host a Restitution Parent Evening. This will be a repeat of the workshops offered last year. We are offering them again for all families to come learn some new techniques to help you and your children become more confident in making decisions and in managing your child(ren)'s behaviour.
Come to the school for 5:30pm for pizza. There is free babysitting.
The workshop will be from 6:00 - 7:00pm.

On Friday:
There is NO SCHOOL. It is a Provincial Inservice Day for Teachers.
 

New Nature Playground

We are very excited to see our new playground design beginning to take shape. After a few years of planning and fundraising, we can finally begin to make our playground a more beautiful and natural space for the whole community.

We are working with Alladins Landscape Design.

Bus Ridership

Today at school, Bus Driver Bob came to teach us all about Bus Ridership  (how to ride a bus safely). He taught us about the stick that comes out in front of the school bus, to protect us from the "Danger Zone". He told us about all 7 emergency exits on the bus, (plus the main door makes 8 ways to get off the bus quickly). We all practiced getting out of the bus quickly and safely - by going out of the back door!

We all must remember that our job on a bus is to sit quietly and enjoy the ride. The bus driver's job is to drive the bus safely. We need to know these rules if we ride the bus regularly to school as well as for when we go on field trips on the bus.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have a lot to be thankful for at Stevenson! We have such incredible students to work with and such wonderful families to support us. We appreciate each and every day that we get to spend with your children and we are grateful for the lessons we learn from our students. Thank you! 

Remember there is no school on Monday, Oct. 10.

Winter Clothing

It is now getting colder outside. Please remember that students spend 1 hour total outside at recesses when they are at school.  Please help your child(ren) dress for the weather before you send them to school. Students will be going outside for recess rain or shine. The only reason we would have indoor recess is if it is pouring rain, or if there is lightning. Also, we stay indoors if the temperature is -28 or colder. When it is below -25, we have shortened outdoor recess.



Koats for Kids is collecting all sizes of gently used winter jackets (clean with working zippers), snow pants, boots, hat, scarves and mittens. Donations can be dropped off at any Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Station or Perth’s location.



You may also donate gently used, clean winter outerwear directly to the school. Just drop off items at the office. We will put them to good use.

If your child or children require winter outerwear, Mrs. Smith will happily assist you. Please call 204-832-1359 or email her at tsmith@sjsd.net indicating your child's winter clothing need and sizes. Orders from Koats for Kids must be placed through the school and will be delivered to Stevenson.

Helpful Hints for Managing Head Lice

Head lice commonly occur in young children and as such, at the beginning of the school year, it is good practice to remind parents about detection and management.  The best way to detect and manage head lice is for parents to check their children's heads on a regular basis throughout the year.  The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has prepared information for parents available here and here.  Parents may also contact a public health nurse at 204-940-2040.

Also, there is a new product out there called Nyda.  It is brilliant and very effective!  It is not a pesticide like the other products so there is no chance of the lice building resistance and we avoid the harmful effects of using pesticides over and over.  It’s an oil based product.  Lice have 13 breathing holes on their backs and eggs have one.  Basically what this product does is penetrates the respiratory system of the live lice and eggs and suffocates them.  It is a 2 dose treatment like the others, given 7 days apart.  It comes in a small spray bottle- one usually is enough for both treatments depending on the length of the hair.  It is simply sprayed onto dry hair, combed through, and left on for 8 hours.  Then the hair is combed through with a lice comb and all the dead lice and eggs literally fall out.  Then hair is washed and the treatment is repeated in 7 days.  The product is more expensive than the others but it is 100% effective if done properly.  Approximately $36.00 for one bottle- generally enough for two treatments. If your family needs help affording treatments, please call the school. We would gladly help: 204-832-1359.

Picture Day is October 24

Lifetouch will be at the school on Monday, Oct. 24 to take everyone's pictures. A flyer will be sent home with information. If you have any questions, you can call Lifetouch at 1-866-457-8212. You can order your portraits online at: Lifetouch

Parent Council

Thank you to everyone who was able to come out to our Parent Council AGM last Tuesday!

We officially have a Parent Council. Here is the Executive for this school year:

Co-Chairs: Elena Campos and Theresa Moore
Secretary: Jennifer Williams
Treasurer: Rebecca McDermott

Remember: Every parent is welcome to attend Parent Council meetings to have a voice.
The next meeting is Oct. 25 at 6:00pm

Practicing for Emergencies

During the course of a school year, we are mandated to practice 10 fire drills, 2 lockdown drills and 1 tornado drill to prepare our students in the event there is an emergency. Staff will have reviewed procedures with children before emergency measures practices take place. We will only notify home in the event of a real crisis. We have already held our first 4 fire drills of the year. Please do not hesitate to call the school if you need any clarification.

Early Dismissal

Reminder that it is an Early Dismissal day on Tuesday, October 4 at 3:10pm.