PWPSD Good News Report – January 2022

Sunrise House thanks PWPSD for support in 2021

The Sunrise House in Grande Prairie, an emergency shelter for youth ages 12-17, expressed its gratitude for PWPSD’s support throughout 2021. A donation of $250 made its way to the shelter to support its programs and initiatives designed to help our local youth.

In addition to acting as an emergency shelter, the Sunrise House provides family support, an intensive outreach program that supports youth 15-24 with housing and/or funding, coping skills, life skills, etc., and case management which aims to increase life skills development.

If you are, or know someone, between the ages of 12-17 and need emergency shelter, you can contact the Sunrise House 24 hours a day at 780-539-3287 for support, or visit sunrisehouse.ca for more information.

Literacy Book Study Group kicks off 2022 with The Art & Science of Teaching Primary Reading

Mrs. Harris, Grade 4 Language Arts teacher and Assistant Principal at Hythe Regional School

The Literacy Book Study Group, a group of 15 elementary teachers who volunteered to meet online, held their first meeting of 2022. The group meets monthly to participate in literary discussions surrounding the ideas presented in The Art & Science of Teaching Primary Reading by Christopher Such.

The aim of this book is to detail the science related to reading instruction and to consider how it can be intertwined with the art of classroom teaching. The book provides value to teachers of all elementary grades as the spread in student reading levels is wider than ever before.

Different points of view expressed during the group’s conversations made the first meeting interesting, thought provoking, and reflective of professional practice.

United Way Alberta Northwest provides menstrual products to BRHS

The United Way’s Period Promise campaign has made a special delivery to a third PWPSD school; Beaverlodge Regional High School has received a free dispenser and the products to fill it.

The first two dispensers were delivered to Clairmont Community School and Peace Wapiti Academy in November. Staff report that the dispensers and products have been well received and are being used since their installation.

For more information on the United Way’s Period Promise campaign visit unitedwayabnw.org.

School News

Beaverlodge Elementary School

Students learn about construction through gingerbread

Lisa Joachim and Olivia Rundle show off the gingerbread houses they built as part of their Bridge/Construction/Building unit in science!

Pancake breakfast

With the guidance of Mrs. Hauger and Mr. Mechanuck, the Grade 6 students prepared a pancake breakfast for students and staff to enjoy by donation.

Beaverlodge Regional High School

BEAVGO!

Students and staff participated in a fun competition to collect items for the food banks that serve the Beaverlodge community.

The BRHS Student Leadership team, with the support of Ms. Stamp, Mr. Rourk, and Mr. Edgar, created BEAVGO!, the BRHS version of BINGO! Each class was given a BEAVGO! card filled with items that the food banks were requesting. Prizes were given for straight lines, and a grand prize of waffles, made by the advisors, and a Christmas movie in the gym, was awarded to the winning class. The event was very successful and BRHS is very grateful to the students, parents, and community members for all their donations!

Bezanson School

Bulldogs welcome new mascot

Students and staff have welcomed a new friend to the Bezanson Bulldogs family. The mascot's name went to a school-wide vote, and with extremely close results, will go to a second vote with the top two names as options. The mascot's name will be announced shortly. A big thank you goes to the Booster Club for purchasing the new mascot!

Bonanza School

Bonanza Agriculture Society delivers turkey dinner

The Bonanza Agriculture Society and volunteers made a delicious turkey dinner for all of the students and staff at Bonanza School.

Holiday signs make for a successful fundraiser

The Grade 5-8 students created beautiful holiday signs and then auctioned them off to fundraise for the junior high class; they raised $2160!

Students decorate cookies for the entire school

The Grade 5/6 students were busy baking and decorating cookies for all the students and staff at Bonanza School!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Students and staff presented The Twelve Days of Christmas leading up to the holiday break. Each day a new video was shared on the school’s Facebook page for the community to enjoy.

Snowshoeing around

The Grade 5-8 students enjoyed testing out Bonanza School’s new snowshoes!

Building for the birds

The Grade 5/6 students built and wired their own birdhouses as part of a CTF project.

A conversation with Her Honour, Salma Lakhani

The Grade 5/6 students had the unique opportunity to have a conversation via Zoom with Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Salma Lakhani.

Hythe Regional School

Students take science to new heights

Mrs. Klassen’s Grade 2/3 class constructed volcanoes for science. The students had a great time watching their volcanoes erupt!

Hythe Food Bank receives donation from Grade 2/3 class

Mrs. Klassen’s students collected 205 non-perishable food items for the Hythe Food Bank. Way to go!

3J Girls bring home Sportsmanship Award

(Front row, left to right): Paytn Fjeld, Quinn Field, Tayte Nordhagen, Scarlett Pomeroy, Laney Smith, Danice Sipe, Isabella Vant Erve (Back row, left to right): Brynn Martin, Sienna Benson, Kaylee Bain, Shae Martin, Sarah Orrick, Kiera Kuchma, Sadie DeSchipper (Photographer): Coach Mr. Fredland

The HRS 3J Girls volleyball team left quite the impression at the Northwest Alberta Schools Athletic Association (N.W.A.S.A.A.) zones tournament held at Charles Spencer Public and St. Joseph Catholic High Schools. The team showed outstanding sportsmanship towards other teams, coaches, officials, and each other. “The coach did an excellent job of giving all players opportunities to play, remained positive, and supportive. They treated the opposition and officials with respect and showed the same respect for teammates.” Congratulations girls! Way to represent HRS!

Peace Wapiti Academy

Foods students successful at Festival of Trees

46 students from the Foods Program submitted 17 projects for the Gingerbread Lane fundraiser at the 2021 Festival of Trees.

Of the 17 projects submitted to the Gingerbread Lane contest, “GP Curling”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, and “Cabane a Sucre” took home first, second, and third place respectively. Congratulations on a job well done to everyone who participated!

Grade 9C students learn about their legal rights

Grade 9C students learned about the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) and discussed their rights as young people in the legal system as part of their social studies curriculum. The students did a lot of homework and played their parts very well!

Ridgevalley School

Grade 2 class places in top 10 in Canadian Number Rumble challenge

Grade two students at Ridgevalley School placed in the top 10 of the Canadian math challenge Number Rumble. The competition is an online based mathematics competition on basic math facts and is open to elementary students in Grades 1-4. The students won a weekly prize pack for all the points they achieved in a single week; and after eight weeks of competition the Ridgevalley Grade 2 class placed 8^th out of 44 groups! Congratulations!

Students show off their school spirit

Students and staff participate in Ugly Sweater Day.

Carpe Diem

Students seized the day and headed outside to enjoy the mild temperatures and fresh powder!

Grade 4/5 cookbook

The Grade 4/5 students brought in their favourite recipes from home to create their very own cookbook!

Robert W. Zahara School

Students take to the ice

Being located right beside the Sexsmith Arena has its perks! Each student in Kindergarten through Grade 6 gets the opportunity to skate every week as part of their Physical Education Program. The students love getting on the ice with their friends!

Snow much fun!

Students at RWZ have been enjoying the snow with several school-made forts! Each shovel has spent every recess in the hands of a busy builder, shoveling and creating! Students even had a snow McDonald’s where they sold snow treats to friends!

Sexsmith Secondary School

Sabres ring in the New Year as champions

The Sexsmith Sabres defeated the W.R. Myers Rebels in the Alberta Tier IV championship 51-7 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton to earn their first provincial title since 1996!

Choir students perform at Sexsmith Christmas Market

Local residents enjoyed the performances presented by students of the Sexsmith Secondary Choir at the local Christmas Market.

Building Construction 20/30 students put their knowledge to the test

TyLynn Hollingshead and Bryce Kent restored a beautiful, but neglected coffee table for Ms. Hoggan. The project was labour intensive, but rewarding for both students.

Mr. Bogdanek’s Building Construction 20/30 class built an 8’ x 40’ cement pad for the school to house two sea cans on the football field. It was a wonderful learning experience where the students learned how to shoot elevations, build forms, drive stakes, level and tamp gravel, install and tie rebar, and pour, screed, float, and place a brushed finish on concrete.

Special thank you goes to Cam Palfy for his expertise, and to Karma Stark from Sexsmith Rentals for the use of the skid steer.

It was a lot of hard work and there were a lot of sore muscles, but with the help from the community the cement pad turned out great!

Whispering Ridge Community School

Playschool and Grade 1 students and staff welcomed back

With the new modular classrooms ready for students, everyone at WRCS was excited to welcome back their playschool and Grade 1 friends!

Upcoming events

• Bell Let’s Talk Day: Wednesday, January 26
• Family Literacy Day: Thursday, January 27
• Semester 2 Begins: Monday, January 31
• Groundhog Day: Wednesday, February 2
• Professional Learning Day, no school: Friday, February 4
• Administrator Meeting: Tuesday, February 8
• Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence: Nomination deadline is Tuesday, February 8. Nomination information
• Passionate Heart Awards Virtual Ceremony: Monday, February 14
• National Flag Day: Tuesday, February 15
• Louis Riel Day: Monday, February 21
• Family Day, no school, all PWPSD offices and shops closed: Monday, February 21
• Pink Shirt Day: Wednesday, February 23
• Next Board Meeting: Thursday, February 24, 10:30 a.m.

Recent Announcements

• January 17, 2022 Students excited to be back at Whispering Ridge Community School
• January 10, 2022 UPDATED: School Re-Entry Plan 2021-22
• December 15, 2021 COVID-19 Hazard Control Administrative Procedure in effect
• December 13, 2021 Congratulations Kaori Doble – Winner of the 2021 PWPSD Christmas Card Art Contest
• December 10, 2021 Peace Wapiti Academy under Hold and Secure