WOLFVILLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Principal Steve Keddy Middle School Office 542-6050

WEBSITE: http://wolfville.ednet.ns.ca

Vice-Principal Ruth MacLeod Elementary Office 542-6055

EMAIL: ws@avrsb.ca

May 31, 2013

Principals Message
Finally, some beautiful summer weather to enjoy as the end of the school year is only a few short weeks away. So much to do and so little time, but what an exciting time it is! The focus now seems to be finishing important pieces of the curriculum, celebrations, class trips, and so much more! In some areas lessons and activities are coming to a close while at the same time things are ramping up for year end and planning for next year is well underway. Next year we are planning for 6 elementary classes and 8 middle level classes. If you have information that would help us place your child in a class submit that in writing to an administrator by Friday, June 7th and we will consider it along with other information we use in determining class placement. Enrollments are holding steady at this time and we anticipate starting the year with a few more students that last year which is a positive trend. Be sure to mark Friday, June 28th on your calendars for our year end closings taking place in the gymnasium (Elementary at 9:00 am and Middle Level at 10:30 am). This is a time when we reflect on the year and celebrate the many accomplishments of our students in classrooms, on the stage, in gyms and on the fields! Once again, I would like to remind families of the importance of being on time in the morning. This is a time where students learn organization skills, receive important information and get settled and prepared for the day ahead. Students who are consistently late do not benefit from this homeroom time which is extremely important to their success, give your child and advantage by arriving on time! Take care and enjoy the many exciting events during the month of June! Steve Keddy, Principal

This will be the final SAC meeting of the year. We look forward to seeing you there. Please watch for an information sheet regarding the status of the renovation and scoping process.

HOME & SCHOOL CORNER FUN FAIR! Thursday June 6th, 4:30-7:00 pm. Fun Fair 2013 is less than 1 week away! We still need donations of small clean toys, new or gently used, for prizes. We also need large stuffed animals. Large baskets that are in good condition that you no longer need are also welcomed. Your donations would be greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at the Elementary school office no later than June 4th. We still need volunteers to help run games/activities, and/or do some baking. Please complete the sign-up form that came home with your child or contact Maria at the number below. We suggest pre-ordering tickets to save time on Fun Fair day. An order form came home with your child. If you need another order form, please contact the School Office. Fun Fair Committee: Maria Zacharias 542-9339 Elisabeth Knein 542-1599 Nancy Newcomb 697-2029 Shauna Coldwell Sweeney 542-7368
CLEAN-A-THON Once again, our annual Clean-a-thon was a success! It was held on May 14th and had a great response from the elementary students and the staff of Wolfville Elementary School. All were excited about giving back to the environment and their community. Many streets and park areas around Wolfville had the benefit of having the students picking up the litter and making our environment healthy. All funds collected from the student pledge sheets went to the Home & School. Thanks to all those volunteers who supported our school activities and our environment! We raised $638.40.
CLASSLISTS SEPTEMBER 2013

SAC NEWS The next SAC meeting will take place on Tuesday June 11th at 7:30 pm, in the Family Studies Room.

We will soon begin the process of creating our class lists for September 2013. In order to ensure the best learning environment for all of our students, staff has developed a very specific list of criteria which is used in order to determine the creation of its classes. Our goal is to create balanced and equitable classes, which we believe, will help ensure ALL students will be provided with the best educational opportunity possible. Some of the criteria considered when creating class lists include: gender, academic ability, behavior , ability to work independently, health concerns, friendships, etc. In addition to classroom teachers, specialist teachers, resource staff, guidance counselor, feeder school, and administration, we also provide parents with an opportunity to be part of the process by making a request in writing. The deadline for these requests is June 7th. Please submit requests to the office. SEPTEMBER 2013 ENROLLMENT We are in the process of doing class configurations for the upcoming school year. If your child will not be returning to Wolfville School or if you know of any new students that will attend our school in the fall, please call the school at 5426055. PRIMARY ORIENTATION New primary students starting school September, 2013 will have Primary Orientation on Friday, June 7th. Mrs. Moores and Mrs. Careys students will not attend school June 7th. IWK

END OF YEAR DANCE The Middle School End of the Year Dance will be held on Thursday, June 20 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The Bounce from Halifax will be providing the music and video show. The cost for the dance will be $7.00 per person. Tickets will be sold in advance starting on June 13. See Ms. Fulton for tickets. Our chaperone list is full so we will not be looking for parent chaperones for this dance. GRADE 8 END OF YEAR RECEPTION The grade 8's will be holding a reception prior to the dance on June 20, from 6 to 7pm. This event is for grade 8's from Wolfville school only. We will be asking parents if they would like to donate an appetizer tray for this event. A sign up sheet has been started. Please email Heather Fulton at hfulton@staff.ednet.ns.ca if you would like to provide something. Heather Fulton, Grade 8 Teacher 2012 2013 MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARBOOKS Yearbooks will be available at a cost of $20.00 each. Order forms will be distributed to all middle level students and are due on June 7th. The winners of the front cover was Brianna Darton and the back cover Lydia Wilks. Congratulations girls on your works of art! They will each receive $25.00. Dena MacDonald, Grade 8 Teacher NOTES FROM THE MUSIC ROOM There will be an elementary concert on June 5 at 1:00 pm. Parents/Guardians are invited to attend these concerts. NOTES FROM THE BAND ROOM .. The school year is coming to an end but there are still events planned that you wont want to miss: Final Concert Wednesday, June 5th, 7:00 pm Full concert dress please, white collared shirt and black bottoms (pants, socks, shoes), vests and ties to be picked up during warm up. Students, please arrive at 6:30 pm. If you know your student will be unable to attend the concert, please inform Mr. Nelson by Monday, June 3rd. Grade 8 Celebration of Music Wednesday, June 19th at 7:00 pm Please come out and enjoy an evening of music, song and dance performed by students in Grade 8. Performances will take place in the Wolfville School Garden starting at 7:00 pm. Bring a chair or blanket. Light refreshments available. Rain location, Wolfville School gymnasium. Wolfville Concert Band Association Band Meeting: The last band meeting of the year will be on June 11 th, at 6:30 pm in the band room. All are welcome. Parent Volunteers Needed: Wolfville Concert Band Association is in need of parent volunteers for the 2013/2014 school year. The following executive positions will be vacant: chair or co-chairs, secretary and volunteer coordinator. If interested in any of these positions, please plan to attend the last band meeting on June 11 at 6:30pm or contact Suzie Blatt for more information. BAND TRIP 2013-2014 Fundraiser Be prepared for the hot summer days ahead, be sure to place an order for ice cream. 11.4 litre ice cream for $30. Order from a

The delicious fudgesicles/revellos raised $169.48 for the IWK. Throughout the past school year, Wolfville School students and staff raised a total of $1000.00 which will be donated at The IWK Telethon. The IWK Telethon will take place on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, 2013. For more info. on the telethon, please go to https://iwkfoundation.org WE ARE EMPOWERED The Vow of Silence was a great success. Approximately half of the schools population participated in the event and $644.35 was raised. Well done! We are once again holding the Water Walk at Acadia University track on June, 21st. Students will leave the school in the morning and walk around the track for approximately 2 hours. Any donations that students would like to make would be very much appreciated. All monies collected will go to building a well in Sierra Leone.

Angie Rushton, Grade 7 Teacher

THANK YOU Thank you to all parents, staff and the Home and School for supporting the Family Studies Program this year. I have been able to upgrade all 8 kitchens, provide fabric to all students and provide the Breakfast Room with cooking utensils. Without everyone's support through donations, grants and time, this would not have been possible. STUDENT GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS The student government would like to thank all the parents and staff for volunteering their time to help chaperone the dances over the year. Without your support we would not have been able to hold one dance every month.

grade 7 or 8 band student, at the June concerts, or you may contact Tamara Campbell at 542-4050. Order by June 10 th. Pick up June 24th. TEXT BOOKS Students are reminded that they are responsible for lost text books and/or library books. If lost, students may pay the replacement cost at the office. REPORT CARDS Students will not be given their report cards until the final day of school. If you will be away and wish to have your childs report mailed it is necessary to give their teacher a large stamped self addressed envelope. LIBRARY NOTES All students should have their library books returned by Friday, June 7th. Please help your child find and return their books. Any students who have not returned their library books by the end of the school year, will not receive their report cards. If you cannot find your books, please arrange for payment with me. Jose Gladwin, School Librarian MAGAZINE CAMPAIGN A huge thank you to the students, staff, parents and everyone who participated in making this year's QSP Readers Digest Magazine Campaign such a success. The total sales of $7863.90 far exceeded our expectation and will go a long towards helping the Wolfville School enhance the learning environment that you will all enjoy. Well done! The winners of the QSP sponsored class ice cream party's which were held on May 22 were Mr Belliveau's Grade 5 Class and Ms Pray's Grade 6 Class. Gary MacNutt, Campaign Organizer HERITAGE FAIR WINNERS Congratulations to Lauren Rushton, Nicole Grass and Anna Killham for being selected to go the Provincial Heritage Fair! Lauren Rushton (Grade 5) was also asked to create a video based on HER Heritage Fair Project, "Appetites of Aboriginals" that she and Nicole Grass had created and Ellie O'Driscoll helped in presenting. As a result, her video was submitted in the Young Citizens of Canada competition. This national competition involves panel of judges and public voting. The top 2 winners will earn a trip to Ottawa to present their video at the History Forum in the fall. If you would like to vote, go to the school's website www.wolfville.ednet.ns.ca and click on the link. Voting ends on June 3rd! http://canadashistory.ca/Kids/YoungCitizens/Profiles/2013/Lau ren-R W.I.T.S. POSTER CONTEST WINNER (Walk away and tell

Don't let registration costs prevent your child from taking part in sports or camps this summer. There are organizations that can help cover registration costs and even equipment. There are camps available through Wolfville Recreation as well as Acadia University. If there is something your child is interested in, see your classroom teacher or Mr. Veinotte (5426058) about funding opportunities.

Wolfville School is a Scent Smart School Wolfville School is a Nut Smart School

L.I.F.E. (Learning Is For Everyone)

At Wolfville School, we believe that all students should be able to participate fully in school. We are pleased to have a LIFE benevolent fund to assist with specific student needs related to learning. This fund is used to ensure that no student is prevented from participating fully in their classes or school-based experiences because of their financial situation. It is only through the generous financial support of local businesses and residents that the LIFE fund can exist. Heres how you can help: Provide us with your business card and for only $20 we will include it in our monthly newsletter. Its low-cost advertising for you and the proceeds go to a great cause! Call Mrs. Davison or Mrs. Fox in the school office at 542-6055, or drop by with your business card. If you dont have a business but would like to make a donation, that would be great too. Thank you in advance for your support.

Wolfville Integrated Health Care

Professional Treatment Options & Health Education -Registered Massage & Laser Therapists -Doctors of Chiropractic -Registered Acupuncturist -Foot Care Specialist -Naturopathic Doctor

an adult, Ignore and tell an adult, Talk it out and tell an adult, and Seek help", if they are confronted with an aggressive situation)
Congratulations to Brianna Darton (Grade 8) as one of the top 10 poster winners! Wolfville School will receive a $500.00 gift card for Chapters Book Store. Thanks Brianna! ATHLETIC/CLUBS AWARDS ASSEMBLY This will be held on Tuesday, June 20th at 1:30 pm for middle level students. All parents/guardians are welcome to attend. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

189 Dykeland St

902.542.2000

www.wihc.ca

Covered in full or in part by most extended health care plans

COMMUNITY ITEMS:
NS International Student Program Host Families Needed! Students from Korea, Brazil, Columbia, Japan and Germany Would you like to provide a cross-cultural experience for your

family by welcoming an international student into your Home? Junior High or High school (5 10 month) placements are available; ongoing support and monthly payment to homestay families. Contact Homestay Coordinator Jennifer Pineo, JPineo@hortonhighschool.ca Wolfville Area Youth (WAY) Initiative: Local churches will run a free Friday-night drop-in program for youth grades 6-8 on May 31, Jun 7 and Jun 14, 7-9 pm, at the Wolfville Rec Centre (beside tennis courts & Rotary Field). Program will include snacks, physical activity and other fun. For more info, please contact Holly Woodworth (woodworth.holly@gmail.com; 6905338).

Memo Date:
To: From: Subject:

May 2013 Wolfville School community Wolfville School Advisory Council Update on the status of renovations to Wolfville School

Many of you have asked when the much needed renovations to Wolfville School will begin. We dont know the answer, but decisions on which schools will be next to receive money for renovations will be made by the government between now and this fall. If you are interested in this issue and would like to help we encourage you to contact Ramona Jennex, our MLA, to express your concern that Wolfville School receive the several million dollars that was promised in April 2009. At that time, construction was to begin in 2014, which is fast approaching. Below is information on the effort to secure funding for capital improvements for our school. Background The current Wolfville School facility was built in 3 phases. o Wolfville High School was built in 1956 and serves as the Middle Level today. o The central section which includes the gymnasium was added to the building in 1965. o The elementary wing was completed in the fall of 1972. It was 40 years old last year. There have been no significant renovations to the building over the 40 to 57 years that it has been serving students from Wolfville and surrounding communities. During the 2009 election, Mr. Dexter stated he would honour all commitments of the previous government. Following the election, the funding commitment for Wolfville Schools renovations was confirmed by Ramona Jennex, our newly elected MLA. In December 2011 the government withdrew its commitment to funding for renovations to Wolfville School. According to the new process, each year, the School Board must resubmit previously approved projects as well as new priorities to the Department of Education. Wolfville School was submitted on a list of 7 schools in April 2012 and was not approved for funding. Annapolis West Education Centre, (originally approved in 2009) received funding in 2012 and their renovation process is underway. In April 2013, the Board resubmitted Wolfville School and approvals will be made shortly from this years list. In December 2012 the AVRSB was approved for funds (approximately $25,000) to hire a consultant for scoping potential Wolfville School renovations - to better understand the extent of what renovations are needed, develop initial design options

and prepare cost estimates for the potential project. The scoping project took place in March 2013 during which time the SAC, staff and community members provided feedback on the initial design options. The information provided by the project consultant was used as part of the business case submitted by the School Board to the Department of Education last month. Also in support of the business case, the SAC submitted comments to the Board as to what we, as a school community, feel makes a strong rationale for why Wolfville School needs to be renovated.

Current Situation The government will decide, in the near future, whether or not Wolfville School gets the promised renovation funding. The Provincial Cabinet will make the final funding decision. Our MLA, the Hon. Ramona Jennex, is a member of Cabinet. We need her support as our elected representative to ensure that the needs of Wolfville School are well understood by all members of Cabinet prior to the decisions being taken. Key points: Wolfville School has significant deficiencies regarding safety and security, fire code, accessibility and program delivery which have a negative impact on staffs ability to deliver quality programming, and students ability to focus on curriculum and learning. Our students and staff deserve a healthy, safe building that is, quite simply, a better place to learn in every way. There is an extremely high level of community involvement in, usage of, and support for Wolfville School by local residents, Acadia University students, faculty and staff, and local organizations. Extensive after-school and weekend use of the school by both school activities and other community organizations makes for a well used facility and an effective use of public funds. What's Next We need the support of Minister Jennex, our elected MLA. Minister Jennex visited Wolfville School in May 2012 so she is aware of its current condition. We need the government to reinstate funding to revitalize Wolfville School so that construction can begin as planned in 2014. It is essential that Minister Jennex hear from you that Wolfville School needs to be renovated to provide a positive learning and teaching environment for our students and staff. If you have the opportunity to speak with Minister Jennex, please share your thoughts and concerns about our schools condition, and the importance of its renovation for our students education. Until funding is announced, ask every local candidate you meet for their position on the promised funding for Wolfville School renovations. Minister Jennex can be contacted at her constituency office.

Phone: (902) 681-3741 Fax: (902) 681-6261 E-mail: ramonajennexmla@bellaliant.com Address: 8985 Commercial Street,Suite 2 New Minas, NSB4N 3E3

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Steve Keddy, Principal, Wolfville School