Here at Stettler Elementary School (and throughout the rest of the province) we have been busy finding ways to survive this extended cold spell. Nothing brings out an appreciation for centralized heating and remote starts in vehicles like multiple weeks of -30 temperatures. However, in spite of that that staff and students have found ways to remain positive and to continue to have fun at school.
On Friday, January 25, we held a hat day at school and the students raised close to $700 for Saving Grace Animal Society. All students who chose to wear a hat that day brought in $2 and all money raised went directly to that very worthy cause. Then later the students in 5AR had a guest speaker come visit them from the Saving Grace Animal Society and with Kim came a surprise visit from Sweetpea (the Saving Grace Dog).
Other very worthwhile and charitable work was initiated by some of our grade 6 students. Lexie, Farrah, Jillian, Trista, and Laia all worked together to make hundreds of friendship bracelets and then sold them for $1 each. All money raised through their endeavour is being sent to the Safe Harbour Society. These girls felt strongly about wanting to help the homeless, so they took on this project all on their own.
In other Grade 6 news, 6EP has been working hard in the area of literacy and has been working to find various ways of experiencing the power of words throughout the year. They have been creating audio-books, hosting book tastings, and participating in social communities to share book reviews. During this past week, they G, sharing their voice (and a few delicious treats). It is a fun and tasty way to learn language arts.
Our Grade 3 students are also finding many ways to make learning even more enjoyable as well. The Grade 3 students have been learning about rocks and minerals, and as a culminating activity, 3EM just completed a crystal growing project. These students formed BORAX crystals on a pipe cleaner in the shape of a heart for Valentine’s Day, and then posed proudly for the camera to show off their great work.
Valentine’s Day also brought with it many classroom parties, the exchanging of valentines, and lots of joy and laughter. For the Grade 5 and 6 students, it also meant putting their new-found moves into action as they held a dance during the last two periods of the day on Thursday, February 14. During the month of February, all students in kindergarten through Grade 6 have been learning different dances as part of their physical education curriculum. The students have enjoyed the music and are becoming more and more talented all the time under the instruction of our phys ed specialist, Mrs. Poapst.
Along with dancing, our students in Grades 4-6 have been polishing up their basketball skills during our extracurricular basketball practices, games, and mini-tournaments. Other extracurricular events include our skiing program. We have had over 100 students in Grade 4 through 6 take part in skiing at Canyon this year. Our first dates were Wednesday, January 16 and Thursday, January 31. Our third and final ski date was scheduled for Wednesday, February 13, unfortunately because of the cold we have had to postpone that trip. Instead our students will be skiing on Wednesday, March 13. Nonetheless, the reviews from the ski trips have been incredible. Skiing is not the only area in which we have had to make some accommodations due to the weather. Our Winter Walk Day on February 6 had to be held indoors this year. Not exactly what we had hoped and planned for, but our teachers made it work. And, there are lots of fun things that can be done indoors. Our students have likely found most of these since they have spent many, many recesses inside over the past few weeks. I know for certain that our Grade 1 students found many items around the school as they celebrated 100 Day on Monday, February 11.
So, there is but a sampling of the fun we have been having during the past few weeks at Stettler Elementary School. Our teachers joined in the learning side of fun on Friday, February 15 as they took part in a division wide Professional Development Day held at Wm. E. Hay Stettler Secondary Campus. We look forward to many other learning opportunities over the next few weeks.
-Submitted by Stettler Elementary School