The Heights Headlines

December 20, 2024

Message From the Principal's Desk

Dear Families,

As we approach the holiday break, I wanted to take a moment to express how grateful I am to be part of such a warm and welcoming school community. Over the past few months, I've had the pleasure of meeting many of you, and I can honestly say that this is one of the nicest groups of students and families I've ever encountered.

A special highlight for me was our recent Festive Lunch, where we all came together to enjoy a delicious turkey dinner prepared by our wonderful parent volunteers. It was a beautiful reminder of the dedication and support that makes our school such a special place.

Thank you all for your kindness and involvement. I wish you all a safe, joyful holiday season, and I look forward to seeing all our students in the new year.

Warm regards,

Dan Requa, Principal
drequa@sturgeon.ab.ca

Words of Wellness

December 2024 Newsletter

During the months of November and December, our school has focused on the value of generosity. This was the second quadrant of the Circle of Courage. The spirit of generosity is especially prevalent during the holiday season and can be shown in a variety of meaningful ways.

Students have been generous with their time, their talents and their kindness throughout December. Our Winter Concert was full of talented elementary students as well as many Jr. High students who volunteered their time to help backstage and perform with the band. We have also had many generous donations from families to both our Food Bank and Coats for Kids campaigns. Elementary and Jr. High Leadership students visited Chartwell Seniors Residence recently to share their time and talents making crafts with seniors and spreading joy within our local community. Many of our clubs and student groups also share their time within our school community by helping with recycling, taking care of our beautiful plants and helping keep our school clean and tidy.

We also need to thank the countless parents and family volunteers who generously help with field trips, hot lunches, festive lunch, and many more activities throughout our school! We are so lucky to be surrounded by such a generous group of people. Thank you to everyone for sharing your time, your treasures and your talents with those you care about, including all of us here at Sturgeon Heights School.

Generosity at Home

How to Teach my Child to be Generous?

https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=acj2067

15 Activities to Teach Generosity

https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/generosity-activities-for-kids

We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season.

If you have any comments or questions related to counselling, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Rachelle Lyster

Acting Counsellor/Learning Coach

rachelle.lyster@sturgeon.ab.ca

Community Supports

St. Albert, Sturgeon & Surrounding Areas

Neighborhood Connection Program: https://stalbert.ca/city/fcss/neighbourhood/

St. Albert Food Bank: https://stalbertfoodbankandcommunityvillage.com/

Coats for Kids: https://www.myunitedway.ca/how-we-help/basic-needs/coats-for-kids-and-families/

EAGLES SPIRIT WEAR DAYS

Sports Rec is encouraging everyone to wear their Eagles clothing. At approximately the end of each month, all students are encouraged to wear Eagles wear or black and yellow! Every student participating will be given a ballot to enter for a draw to win some Eagles Swag.

Lucky winners of our recent draw were: Duncan Hobbs, Freya LeBlanc and Sophie Stephens. Congratulations!

A couple of creative junior high students decorated a door so students could do "Elfie Selfies" if they wanted to.

What fun the students had!

The Board of Trustees ran an artwork contest throughout the Division to have students make and submit holiday cards.

Congratulations to Cara Mumby, from Sturgeon Heights, for winning the Grade 7 to 9 portion!

What an amazing time we had at our Festive Lunch this week. Our volunteers did a great job of preparing and serving to all.

AND - made even better by our surprise visitor!

A HUGE thank you to all who donated to our Food Bank collection. Items were all packed up in boxes, hauled out to a vehicle by some trusty elves, and taken to the St. Albert Food Bank.

Much appreciation to all!

WOW = 385 pounds of food items!!!

Well done, everyone.

Such generosity shown by our families!

We sent off many, many bags of clothing items to the Coats for Kids campaign that the United Way is handling.

THANK YOU!

January 8 - Subway - order by January 3

January 14 - Bar Burrito - order by January 9

January 22- in house Hot Dog Day - order by January 17

January 28 - OPA - order by January 23

www.HealthyHunger.ca

Basketball season is up and running.

Congratulations to the Senior girls' team for their first place win in the "Soar for the Stars" tournament at

Sturgeon Heights recently.

Well done, Eagles!

Winter is here!

As colder weather approaches, families are reminded of Policy 320: Inclement Weather, which outlines shared responsibilities among the Board, staff, school bus operators, and parents/guardians to ensure student safety during hazardous weather conditions. The policy emphasizes that while schools remain open, the final decision to send children to school or the bus stop rests with parents/guardians. Bus services may be suspended under specific conditions, such as temperatures reaching -40°C, poor visibility, or hazardous road conditions. Families will be notified of any cancellations or alterations through local media, the Division website, and social media. Parents are also reminded to ensure their children are dressed in weather-appropriate clothing. This policy, shared annually in school newsletters, underscores the Division’s commitment to student safety during the winter months.

January 6 - Classes resume at regular times

January 10 - Jr High Ski Club to Rabbit Hill

January 10 - After School Musical Theatre Rehearsal

January 23 - UNPLUGGED Presentation 6 pm

January 24 - Eagles Spirit Wear Day

January 28 - After School Musical Theatre Rehearsal

January 30 - Kindergarten Open House - 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

January 31 - PD Day - No classes for students

Board Meetings

Public Board Meeting - January 29, 2025 10 a.m.

STURGEON HEIGHTS IS A NUT FREE AND

SCENT FREE SCHOOL

Sturgeon Heights has strived to be a “peanut and nut free environment.” Our school has several

children with severe peanut and/or nut allergies. To these students, the taste, touch or smell of peanuts

and/or nuts could cause an anaphylactic reaction (severe allergic reaction that could lead to death if

untreated), which would require the injection of epinephrine by an Epipen, and a 911 call immediately.

We ask that parents of children in our school and staff open their hearts

to these children and their families. We need everyone’s co-operation to

minimize the risks that these children face on a daily basis. As caring

individuals and collectively, as a school and a community, we need to

diligently do our best to keep all children safe.

Peanut and nut oils are easily transferred onto other items, such as

doorknobs, computers, books, playground equipment, etc. This is known as

cross-contamination. That is why it is so important not to have any peanut

or nut products anywhere in the school.

Please check labels carefully before any food items are sent in to the school.

Many people are extremely sensitive to perfumes, colognes, aftershaves and other scented products.

Please do not wear them at any time in the building.

Thank you to all students, staff and community members for your attention to both of these sensitivities.

Thank you to all students, staff and community members for their

attention to both of these sensitivities

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