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Susan Close visited SES

By Amore du Toit

Stettler Elementary School was extremely honored to welcome world renowned educator Susan Close to the school.

Susan is the founder of the teaching method “Smart Learning”. Accompanying Susan was Barbara Carriere. This was Susan’s second visit to the school. Smart Learning is a nine-step approach that allows learners to access both sides of the brain.

This method uses the latest in brain research to stimulate higher levels of thinking and understanding and allows all learners to experience amazing growth in their reading and writing.

This week, Mrs. Close and Mrs. Carriere worked in various classrooms from kindergarten to Grade 5. Reading and writing skills were enhanced by using the Smart Learning framework. Teachers from Stettler elementary as well as other Clearview teacher observed the lessons. The results were amazing! Higher level thinking skills were highly evident in the children.

Staff and students are very excited to continue using this approach throughout this year. We all look forward to Susan’s next visit.

We were also very fortunate to receive a visit from performer, puppeteer and actor Erik de Waal. Erik de Waal is a South African storyteller who has been touring fringe festivals throughout Canada since 1999. Stettler Elementary School was thrilled to have him perform “African Folktales” on Wednesday, Nov. 3. ECS, Grade 1 and Grade 2 watched Erik tell two folktales. Erik’s masterful use of puppets had all the children engaged in the first story and they readily took part in the audience participation section which required them to answer questions as a group. Erik told two different stories for grades three, four and five after lunch. The students were enthralled by Erik as he used a mask and physical comedy to tell his stories. This was a unique opportunity for our children to watch stories from another land presented by a masterful storyteller from that land. Erik will continue to tour this show throughout Alberta and the prairie provinces, before going home to South Africa. He will return in the summer with new folktales.

We are also proud of our students’ hard work this past term. They were able to take their report cards home on Monday to show off their great work. We also reminded our students to remember our fallen soldiers and veterans on Remembrance Day, Thursday, Nov. 11.

There will be no school on Friday, November 12. Please be safe and enjoy the time with your

children.

Have a great long weekend.