Bison Tales June 16, 2023

Good afternoon Bison families,

We welcomed quite a bit of rain this week, and had a few field trips. Believe it or not they were actually a go, and the rain cooperated. Hopefully we see the sun next week as we have many classes off the have fun at the spray park.

As you know there is going to be a change in administration next year. We would like to welcome Carla Kokotailo as our new Assistant Principal.

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My name is Carla Kokotailo, and I am so lucky to be joining the Ardrossan Elementary team this coming school year as the Assistant Principal. The 2023-24 school year will be my 16th year with Elk Island Public Schools. I am coming to Ardrossan Elementary after the past year and a half of working on a team developing resources for the new curriculum. In my career, I have taught Kindergarten, Grades 2-6, and spent some time teaching junior high. I am so excited to be joining the staff and students at AEL and learning alongside your children next year.

Ardrossan is a wonderful community and one that I am familiar with. I grew up on an acreage about a 10-minute drive away, spending many winters at the Ardrossan Arena figure skating and watching hockey games. The community has definitely grown since then!

I am looking forward to meeting all the kids, families, and staff that make Ardrossan a great place to be. Wishing everyone an amazing last few days of school and a great summer ahead.

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Have a great weekend everyone and we might see you at the parade!

Lana Lastiwka and Tandy Atchison 

Principal and Assistant Principal

WEEK AT A GLANCE

June 19 - 23, 2023

Upcoming Dates

June 26 - Grade 6 Social Studies PAT

June 27 - Grade 6 Science PAT

June 27 - Year-End BBQ (beginning at 11:15 a.m.)

Year-End BBQ - Parent Volunteers Needed!

Canadian Parents for French Ardrossan Chapter will be hosting the Ardrossan Elementary Year-End Family BBQ on Tuesday, June 27 at 11:15 a.m. This event is for all students and families to enjoy. Orders can be made for parents and siblings under student hot lunch account, and extras will be for sale the day of the BBQ.

In order to make this event possible we rely on the help of volunteers. Sign up for a position here and if you have any questions please contact ardrossancpf@gmail.com.

Thanks for your support.

I wanted to give you the construction timeline for the playground (weather dependent), if you have any questions please let me know

Bottle Drive - June 26 and June 27

Our AEPSA will be running their last bottle drive of the year.  The trailer will be parked near the bike racks at the front of our school on Monday, June 26 and Tuesday, June 27.  Please save your empties for us! 

Lost and Found Items - June Collection

Please check out our current Lost and Found items.  They will be on display until Friday, June 23, after which time any remaining items will be donated to charity.  

Playground Replacement and Installation Timeline

This summer playground 2 (the smaller playground on the hill) will be replaced.  Our Ardrossan Elementary Parent's Support Association worked tirelessly to support this replacement and we thank them immensely for their work!  The approximate timeline for the replacement of this park will be:

• July 10: Playground closed
• July 10-28: Demolition, site prep & retaining wall pour
• July 29-Aug 13: New playground equipment install
• Aug 14-25: Playground sand install & landscaping
• Aug 25: Playground opens

Picnic tables and garbage cans will also be added in the area to creating a nice outdoor seating and learning space.

Indigenous Learning Space Enhancement

Our Indigenous Learning Space will also be getting some enhancements over the course of the summer. This enhancement will include the installation of more greenery, trees, rocks, seating spaces etc.  

School Supply Lists for 2023 - 2024

Supply lists are already one our website for next year for all of you eager beavers who like to get your school supply shopping done early! Please click on this link Supply Lists to get more information. You can also order through Write On Stationary and have the supplies delivered to your home address. 

Parents Make the Difference

Each month we will include some articles with some great tips and strategies for parents. Here is this week's featured article:

Regular review helps your child strengthen math skills

Success in math is built on mastery of basic skills. Help your child establish math review habits that reinforce these skills. Here’s how:

• Regularly quiz your child on basic math facts: 2 x 9, 12 - 4, 6 + 6, etc. Together, make a set of flash cards with math facts your child needs to know. Review them together often—at the breakfast table, in the car or while waiting at the doctor’s office. Your child has mastered a math fact when it takes less than three seconds to give the correct answer.
• Resist providing the answers. Your child will learn better if you demonstrate how to find them instead. For instance, if your child doesn’t know what 3 x 5 is, draw three parallel horizontal lines. Cross them with five vertical lines. Then have your child count the intersections to get the answer.
• Have your child practice writing numbers neatly. Many of the math errors students make are due to messy number writing. Your child could use graph paper to make sure numbers are neatly lined up. A sharp pencil and a clean eraser can help, too.
• Encourage your child to work more problems than the teacher assigns. Strong math skills come with lots of practice.
• Issue mental math challenges. See if your child can figure out a problem without using pencil and paper or a calculator. Ask questions that encourage estimating, too.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2023 issue of Parents make the difference!^®  (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2023 The Parent Institute^®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.