STETTLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL -- The 2016-17 school year at Stettler Elementary School has started out fast and furious and has been a great deal of fun already. Our enrolment is up this year and we are very excited to welcome all of our new students as well as welcome back all of the other students who make up the SES family. As well as having new students, we also have four new staff members. We are thrilled to welcome Aimee Roste in Grade 5, Alix McDonald and Kayla Wood in Grade 1, and Kevin Leis in Kindergarten.
In our classrooms the students have been busy learning new skills and new curriculum. Our Grade 3 students have been learning about rocks and minerals. Students are learning about Igneous Rocks in the first part of the unit and have learned that rocks are formed from volcanoes, and the students in 3KR have made their own volcanoes and are eager to "erupt" them during this upcoming week.
Mrs. Prehn's LA class organized a 'Human Library' during the first week back. Human libraries function similarly to other libraries except that in a human library, people — rather than books —are available for checkout. Ample experiences and smiles have been shared with this project. As well, during 6BP's leadership time, the students have decided to commit their efforts to the Beads of Courage program. Every month, these Grade 6 students will take a bead on an adventure. This will entail sending the bead, a photo, and supportive notes to a child coping with a serious illness. A number of these Grade six student leaders have also been learning about fixed and growth mindsets. It is our hope that encouraging a growth mindset and bringing awareness to the detriments of a fixed mindset will not only benefit our students throughout this academic year, but also throughout many years to come.
It has definitely been a busy week or so for our Grade 6 classes, and the adventures will continue this week as these students travel to Des Crossley Demonstration Forest on Sept. 13-14. A group of educators who are passionate about natural resources will work with our Grade 6 students to enhance student education. This program (and field trip) is specifically designed for the Grade 6 Trees and Forest unit. Check next week's paper for highlights and photos.
Our students have not only been busy in the classrooms, but our extra-curricular activities have already begun as well, with our cross-country runners in full stride. Mrs. Poapst, Ms. Limpert, Ms. Tod, Ms. McDonald and Mrs. Kirby have been working to train these young athletes during the lunch recess on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The first cross-country meet is the annual Peace Hills Run which is held in Wetaskiwin on Saturday, Sept. 17. Again, check next week's article to see how our students performed at this meet.
We definitely have an exciting week in store with field trips, cross-country meets, our first School Council meeting of the year and we are pleased to be hosting our annual Open House (and meet your child's teacher night) this Thursday, Sept. 15. All parents, students, and teachers will meet in the gymnasium for a 6:30 p.m. start and after introductions and information there, all of our guests are invited to tour the school and visit the classrooms to see what our students have been busy doing thus far in the school year. We look very forward to seeing everyone there.
We are also pleased to announce that we are going social. Please follow our Twitter handle @StettlerElemen to find clips and pictures of some of the exciting things happening at our school. This forum will be used to keep all followers abreast of the events and activities happening in the school each week.
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