FATHER SCOLLEN SCHOOL
November 2016
For the most up to date information: www.cssd.ab.ca/schools/fatherscollen
Message from the Principal
The Fall weather is beginning to move aside and the first signs of colder weather are emerging. With that, our elementary and junior high
students are beginning to plan for their annual Christmas Concert, which will be held on Thursday, December 8th at 6:30 pm. in our school
gymnasium. There is a great deal of preparation involved and our students are very excited to share their work with you. It is an expectation
that all elementary children and Band Concert students participate in the evening performance. Without 100% attendance, the entire
production is affected. We look forward to seeing you all at this event and we thank you in advance for supporting your children in this valuable
fine arts experience! Please RSVP so that we may prepare an appropriate number of seats.
We just received our annual Accountability Report from Alberta Education and teachers are in the process of analyzing the 2016 Provincial
Achievement Tests for Grade 6 and 9. Each year, schools receive this report based on data collected regarding our performance on various
standards.
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Creating a Safe and Caring school environment

Delivery of Program of Studies (curriculum)

Overall Education Quality

Developing Student Citizenship

Grade 9 Provincial Achievement Tests
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The report also helps us identify areas for growth which will become the focus of our annual School Plan. You can find a completed copy of our
School Plan at the end of the month on the school website.
We are all looking forward to the upcoming Remembrance Day Celebration at our school on Thursday, November 10th (11:00 am). Please join
us as we pay tribute to those who have served and continue to serve our country with great dignity and sacrifice. I hope you all have the
opportunity to spend some time with your children and discuss the classic poem, In Flanders Fields (Lt. Col. John McRae 1872-1918).
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields
Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium
Mrs. Sonia Stapleton
Principal, Father Scollen School
Catholic Community of Caring (CCC)
Father Scollen School prides itself on being a “Catholic
Community of Caring” School. Our students and staff make extra
efforts to demonstrate that they “care”, both within our school
community and outside of it.
STUFF A SOCK
The ES1 class along with the Leadership
Committee are stuffing socks for the
Calgary Drop-In Centre. Each pair of socks
will be filled by the students with hygiene
items and warm winter wear. We are
hoping to fill 10 to 15 sets. To accomplish this
we are asking for your help. If you can send
in anything from the following list, we would
appreciate it and will make sure it gets to a
deserving person.
Please bring to your home room teacher by
November 30.
WARM SOCKS
Hygiene Items - Items such as: facecloth,
toothbrush, comb, and soap. Please place
soap in a sealable bag
HATS, GLOVES AND SCARVES
Personal Note - Include a personal note
and/or a photo in your shoebox
BAND FUNDRAISER [see attached document on the school website
https://www.cssd.ab.ca/schools/fatherscollen/Pages/default.aspx ]
Our first annual Fall Fundraiser for grades 7-9 Band runs from Monday, October 24th
through Friday, November 4th. ALL band students are expected to reach their individual
sales goal of $170 – 200 per student, in order to fund a band camp and band
equipment. Sales include advance sales of chocolate, kitchen supplies, and small
gifts. Order are due with money on or before Friday, November 4th. NO
EXCEPTIONS!! Orders are expected to arrive the first week of December. Please call the
school with questions (403) 500-2088.
Shop online at Online at www.shopdfscanada.com . (Delivery charges apply.)
OR you can find the items you want and order them on the form
PLEASE ASK a band student what they have for sale!! 
BUS PASS SCANNING BEGINS NOVEMBER 14;
11:30 – 12:00
 Grade 7… November 14
 Grade 8… November 15
 Grade 9… November 16
September, October and November passes will
be scanned at this time.
SCHOOL FEES ARE DUE!!
Payment online is preferred.
Cash or Cheque accepted at the
school office.
Spotlight on Staff
I am BJ Coflin. I am entering my 10th year as a school
administrator, having been the Vice Principal of Holy Spirit
and St. Joan of Arc Schools. This will be my third year as the
Vice Principal of Father Scollen School and I am excited about
the 2016-2017 school year. I have a Bachelor of Physical
Education, Bachelor of Education and a Masters of Education
in Administration.
When I not at school, I am involved in a myriad of activities.
I am an avid swimmer and a member of a Masters Swim
Club. In the summer, I am a golfer and a cyclist and in the
winter I love to cross country and downhill ski. I come from
a large family and one of my favorite activities is to sit
around the dinner table, with family and friends, enjoy a
great meal and share the stories of our lives
My name is Nicole Brandsgard and I am thrilled to be the
DLCT at Father Scollen School. This is my eighth year of
teaching and my third year at Father Scollen. In 2009 I
completed my combined Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of
Education degree, at the University of Lethbridge. The focus
in my Bachelor of Science degree was Physical Geography,
Biology and Neuroscience. Throughout my teaching career I
have developed a passion for Special Education which led me
to the decision to begin my Masters in Special Education.
I have an adorable puppy named Moose who has never
ending energy. I like to take Moose camping and to the
mountains - one of my favorite things to do. In addition to
camping, I also enjoy watching movies, reading, and
spending time with family and friends.
Monday, November 28th
Monday, January 30th
Monday, February 27th
Monday, April 24th
Monday, May 29th
FS Learning Commons
4:00pm – 5:00pm
All Father Scollen Parents are Welcome to attend.
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER!
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
October 31
Professional
Development Day
November 1
Faith Day
November 3
Picture Retakes
November 10
Remembrance
Day Liturgy
November 11
Remembrance
Day
November 25
Progress Reports
Go Home
Classroom Birthday Celebrations
It is wonderful for students to be recognized on their birthday by their teacher
and classmates, however, it should not be disruptive to the instructional day
and the learning environment in the classroom. If you would like to send a
special treat to the school on your child’s birthday, you are welcome to do so.
We do ask that you follow our guidelines below.
Parents, when bringing in treats for your child’s birthday,
please ensure the following:
The Calgary Catholic School District has a regulation which states that
schools must follow health guidelines when serving treats or food to
students. We ask that parents also support this regulation when bringing in
treats for their child’s birthday.
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Instead of the traditional birthday cake, consider bringing Healthy
Treats – I.e. fresh vegetables and/or fruit and dip, cake with limited
sugar, small cupcakes made with apple sauce containing no or limited
sugar, chocolate covered fruit, etc,.
Drop off the treats at the office. We will make sure that the teacher
gets the treat and hands it out during an appropriate time.
Identify and label ingredients - we ask that you avoid bringing nut
products into the school (be aware some children have food allergies
or may be gluten, milk or egg intolerant).
Loot bags are not acceptable - they are a distraction to students and
not part of the instructional day.
Classroom Visits are not permitted- Some parents may ask to be part
of the classroom celebration. Please remember that the school day is
dedicated to teaching and learning. The classroom birthday is a small
part of the day. Family celebrations should be kept in the home
environment.
Once a month Father Scollen
School practices Emergency
Procedures. Our most
commonly practiced
emergency procedures include:
Fire Drill, Room Clears and
Lockdowns. We practice these
drills to ensure that in the
event of a real emergency our
students and staff will know
automatically how to respond.
We ask that you speak to your
children about the importance
of practicing these drills in order
to normalize and reduce any
anxiety students may express
during this drills. Thank you.
SCOLLEN ATHLETICS
V-Ball
The Jr boys and girls have finished their season for the
year. The coaches are very proud of both teams. They
played with amazing sportsmanship!
Both boys and girls won their final game against John
XXIII.
Thanks to our coaches
Mrs. Lydiatt, Ms. Brandsgard and Mrs. Messenger
Congratulations to the Sr. Boys volleyball team! With a
very impressive round of season game, they boys
ended up winning 5 of their 7 games. The boys
advanced through two rounds of playoffs. The season
ended in semi-finals where they played St. Basil. The
boys played with great heart and determination. It has
been a pleasure watching these athletes grow in skill
and learning to play as a team. Great job Broncos!
Thank you to Ms. McCusker for coaching!!
As the Sr. Girls volleyball team comes to a close, we
reflect on the wonderful season we have had. The Sr.
Girls have grown tremendously over the season with
their skill and confidence. These young ladies have
been wonderful role models to future volleyball
players with their positive attitudes and continued
willingness to better themselves each day.
Congratulations Sr. Girls on a job well done. Go
Broncos Go!
Thank you to Ms. Ahart and Ms. MacLellan
for coaching!
Cross Country
On Thursday October 6th, Cross Country had the
City Championship race. Abang, who qualified for
the race, ran an impressive race. She finished 8th
for all female grade seven students in the city!
Great job Abang and all athletes. We look forward
to next year.
Thank you to our Coaches Ms. McCusker
and Ms. Russo!
Vietnamese Meal – Beef or
Chicken Vermicelli Served with
rice noodles and lettuce
$5.00
Subway – 6” Roast Beef or
Turkey Sandwich with lettuce,
tomato, cucumber, mayo and
subway sauce
$4.00
Jugo Juice – Turkey wraps – turkey
breast, cheddar cheese with light
mayo.
Chicken wraps – chicken breast,
cheddar cheese with sweet and sour
sauce.
Smoothies – Strawberry/banana or
mango.
Combos – Any wrap and a smoothie
$2.00
$3.00
$5.00
Swiss Chalet – Once piece of
chicken (dark/white meat)
served with rice or mashed
$5.00
potatoes.
Little Caesars – Pizza (2 slices)
Hawaiian, cheese or pepperoni
Salads (include dressing)
$3.00
$2.00
Kindergarten by Ms. Deck… In October we made Thanksgiving cards for our
families and had interesting discussions surrounding family rituals at Thanksgiving,
as well as what we are thankful for.
A centres-based approach allows the children to enjoy a variety of learning tasks
throughout the week. We start off typically with a story that engages the children
and leads to some interesting discussion about what we will be learning about that
week. Fall leaves, pumpkins and Halloween were topics we explored in our class.
At the science centre, the children tested a hypothesis of whether their pumpkins
would sink or float, as well as made smart guesses using their senses as to what
they thought was inside a pumpkin. For the kinesthetic learners, they enjoyed
playing around with the “pumpkin guts” and seeds and finally labelling their
pumpkin pictures.
Writing in kindergarten can be a challenging task, however It is clear there are
some talented future authors in our class this year. During our journal writing time,
the students are eager to share their imaginative stories and personal experiences,
not to mention presenting it to the class in the author’s chair.
Another highlight of October was our Harvest Party! Celebrating all things “fall”,
we enjoyed playing fun Halloween-inspired games such as pin the nose on the
pumpkin and musical monster chairs and finally enjoying fall treats like pumpkin
pie, apple cider and fresh farm apples! It was a wonderful close to an amazing
month!
Elementary
Grade 1 by Ms. MacLellan… In November, the Grade 1 class will be continuing to learn a lot of new and exciting
concepts. In English Language Arts, students will continue working on reading strategies such as predicting what will
happen next in their story. They will be learning how to and practicing building words with the letters they brought to
school. The students will also continue learning about starting a sentence with a capital letter and ending their
sentence with a period. In Math, students will continue working on counting, recognizing and representing numbers.
A few examples how they will be doing this by using ten frames, tallies, drawing pictures, showing 10 blocks or rocks.
Students will also begin learning how to add and subtract. We are wrapping up our colors unit in Science and will soon
begin exploring our 5 senses – hearing, seeing, tasting, touching and smelling. In Social Studies, students are learning
about their roles and responsibilities in their school, family and community. Students will also continue exploring their
community with Walking Wednesday’s from 1:30-2:30pm on Wednesday afternoons.
Grade 2 by Ms. Pederson… class is working
 on reading skills, reading to self and to another person, writing words and building sentences in Language
Arts
 on Numeracy – numbers to 100 and basic addition and subtraction to 10
 in social Studies we are learning about geography in our three focus communities
 in Science we are beginning boats and buoyance
Our classroom theme of “our garden” is developing well.
Grade 2/3 by Ms. Brereton… Hello Grade two and three families, we are doing exciting things in the grade 3/2 class.
Both grades are working on their writing in the month of November. The continuous goal for November is to include
descriptive words into their writing. We are continuing our novel study on Robert Munsch this month. We will
continue doing our Daily 5 in our classroom. In Social Studies the Grade 3s will continue learning about Quality of Life
and studying India. The Grade 2s will begin learning about Communities in Canada. The Grade 2s will begin to learn
about the community of Meteghan. In Science the Grade 3s will take their knowledge from Testing Materials and
Design and they will start to build towers and bridges. The Grade 2s will start learning about Boats and Buoyancy. In
Math the Grade 2s and 3s are wrapping up their number sense unit. The Grade 2s will be reviewing one digit addition
and subtraction. The Grade 3s will be reviewing 2 digit addition and subtraction with regrouping. For Grades 2s and 3s
we will continue learning about being part of God’s family and being part of the catholic community. We will learn the
importance of prayer.
Grade 3 by Ms. Iavasile… Hello to grade 3 parents from Mrs. A. Iavasile class. The month of November will be an
exciting month in the classroom. In Language Arts students will be starting with the novel study Freckle Juice by Judy
Blume, a humorous story of a child wanting freckles. In Math we will continue working on Number Concepts up to
1000. In Science students will finish off Rocks and Minerals and begin the Topic D Hearing and Sound. In Social Studies
we will be studying India and the factors that will effect quality of life in that country.
Grade 4, Ms. Santoianni… Students will focus on the reading strategy of making inferences through our novel study
“Varjak Paw”. In writing workshop, we will be learning research strategies and the process of expository/informative
writing. In Math, we will begin our study of Addition and Subtraction of 3 and 4 digit numbers. In Social Studies, the
students will continue to journey through the geographic regions of Alberta and recognize what makes each region
unique. In Science, we will be completing our unit on Waste in Our World and begin exploring Light and Shadow. In
Religion, we will explore Jesus as a storyteller through the parables.
Grade 5 by Mr. Russell and Ms. Kowalchuk … The grade 5’s cannot believe it is November already! Lots of learning
has taken place over the last two months. Mr. Gary Strother, the Chief Superintendent of our school district
challenged all students to write a letter on mercy to Pope Francis. The grade five’s took a different spin on the
challenge and made a mercy video. We used a green screen and I-movie to complete the task. Students are
completing their novel study projects of their choice. The novels include “Underground to Canada”, “Bridge to
Terabithia”, “Sounders” and “Holes”. The students are really enjoying their novels! Currently in Language Arts
students are engaged in Barbra Mariconda’s, Empowering Writers. Students have engaged in the expository writing
piece and are beginning the construction of essays based on their novels. In Physical Education we have completed a
soccer and a low organized games module. Currently we are engaged in a volleyball module where students are
involved learning skills and cooperation through the teaching games for understanding model.
In Math, we are working on Numeracy, representing and describing numbers to one million in a variety of ways. We
will also be comparing and ordering decimals. In Social Studies, we are studying Canada. We have started looking at
the different regions in greater detail. We have also been working on picking an interesting region and presenting ten
facts and important information about it. In Health, we are talking about Wellness. We have been focusing on
Healthy Eating. We have been looking at food labels and will continue to look at healthy food choices.
Grade 6 by Mr. Viani… It is hard to believe that two months of school has already come and gone. These two months
have already been filled with lots of excitement and learning. In the following month we can expect much of the
same. In Language Arts, we have been reading a novel called Raven Quest in our predicting unit. Students, will
continue to predict the next events of the story while completing other reading, writing and listening tasks, related to
this theme. In Health, we are continuing on with our inquiry project on how music affects the brain. In Math we just
finished our unit on Numeration and are beginning our unit on Number Relations; including factors, integers, prime
and composite numbers. In Science, we are almost done our unit on air and will be starting aerodynamics shortly. In
Social Studies, we will be looking at the democratic process in action, dealing with rights and responsibilities of
citizens. In Physical Education we have just started our volleyball unit. I look forward to another hardworking and fun
month in grade six.
Mathletics and Raz-kids… Parents did you know?
 Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, students have an account for Raz-kids. www.raz-kids.com
 All student Kindergarten to Grade 9 have a Mathletics account. www.mathletics.ca
Check your student’s agendas for student login accounts for Raz-kids and Mathletics.
DLT Team
Junior High
GRADES 7, 8, 9 RELIGION STUDIES… This year’s school district faith theme is the concept of treating others with
mercy. In October, students from Religion 7, 8, 9 explored their understanding of the concept of being merciful to
others. Each and every student completed a writing project whereby they responded deeply and honestly to
questions about kindness and mercy, encouraging someone in need, their greatest role models, and feeling close to
God. Stay tuned for various games, activities, and challenges that will further bring this theme to fruition in the
school and community.
~ Ms. Ahart, Mr. Appave, Mr. Cruz, Ms. McCusker, Ms. Scurr
GRADES 7, 8, 9 MATH… Students from Math 7, 8 and 9 have been continuing to solidify their understanding and
expand on their knowledge of numbers. Students have also began to explore topics under the strand of Number
Sense. The grade 7 students have been working on converting fractions into decimals and vice versa. Our Math 8
students have been busy exploring how to calculate a percent of a number. The grade 9 students have been exploring
how to use powers to represent repeated multiplication, as well as evaluating a power.
~ Mr. Appave, Mr. Cruz, Ms. Min, Ms. Nichols, Ms. Russo, Mr. Taing
GRADE 7 SCIENCE… During the month of November, we will continue working on the Plants for Food and Fiber
unit. In the next week, the students will be learning about the reproduction of plants and then move onto sustainable
forms of agriculture. Mr. Lyons will be offering tutorial sessions Thursdays after school. As always, he is available after
school or at lunch if he is not busy with other school duties.
GRADE 8 SCIENCE… Students have been continuing to develop their understanding of Mix and Flow of Matter. As
we enter into November, students will be working through the concepts of viscosity, density and buoyancy, as we
expand our understanding of solids, liquids and gases. Students on the traditional time schedule just finished an
introduction into Freshwater and Saltwater Systems.
GRADE 9 SCIENCE… We are still working through the Matter and Chemical Change unit and are currently looking at
the periodic table and what it can tell us about the atomic structure of an element. During the 2 week, year-round
break, the traditional only students started a unit on Space Exploration in which we learned about celestial bodies in
our universe such as stars, planets, and asteroids, as well as practiced using astrolabe’s to determine the position of
an object in the sky. Moving forward into November we will be discussing how chemical compounds are made based
on our knowledge about the subatomic particles of the elements being combined.
GRADES 7, 8, 9 SOCIAL STUDIES… Students created European Explorer trading cards, an engaging activity that taught
the students the historical relationship between Europeans and North America; it was quite an eye-opening activity
and truly brought history to life. Students have also been actively participating in the Canadian Geographic challenges
– these challenges taught the students local, national, and international current events as well as all facts related to
Canadian physical and cultural geography.
GRADE 9 LA… During our Traditional Only time, students were hard at work completing their own creative writing
assignment, inventing a fictional dinner party and inviting any two guests of interest, helping students build their
research and information management skills. The end of October brings with it the next stage of our novel study,
Touching Spirit Bear, where students will have the chance to reflect upon major themes, moods and reflection as they
complete their own final assignment, ranging anywhere from creating their own spirit animal to designing their own
totem pole!
~ Ms. Messenger, Mrs. Scurr
COMPUTER SCIENCE… The computer classes have been working through the first unit of an online program called
“21 Things 4 Students.” They have been exploring how to use the website and to perform basic tasks such as key
shortcuts. Moving forward we will look at the cloud and how to use it, as well as basic word processing.
GRADES 7, 8, 9 Physical Education…
This month all students engaged in volleyball and Omnikin ball. While the
year round students and staff had a two week break, students in the traditional calendar participated in Ultimate
Frisbee. We look forward to students learning the skills and strategies of handball. Parents, please review the
importance of changing for physical education class with your son or daughter.
~ Mrs. Lydiatt, Ms. McCusker, Ms. Ahart
GRADES 7, 8, 9 Health… Students have been deeply engaged in Healthy versus Unhealthy Choices. Students have
enjoyed researching and presenting with a variety of media on a wide range of topics in this unit. Students
thoroughly enjoyed learning and teaching each other about Healthy and Unhealthy food choices and
relationships. Students continued to help plan healthy canteen choices. Stay tuned for the results!
ES1: Math… Students have just completed their patterning unit in math. They created some beautiful quilt block
designs as their final assignment that are on display in the classroom. They are starting their numeration unit, and
have started learning how to read written and stand form numbers into the millions.
Language Arts… The students have been working hard learning how to combine simple sentences in to
compound sentences. They will be moving on to learning how to compose a paragraph. We have also been working
on a novel study using The Witches by Roald Dahl. The students are becoming more confident in their predictions and
in their visualization activities.
Social… The students have completed learning about the Inuit community in Northern Canada and are moving
on to learn about the Acadians. They are enjoying the stories and looking at artifacts.
Science… The students have been learning about how much rocks rock in our rocks and minerals unit. We have
been doing a lot of hands on activities such as building the Earth out of modelling clay, weighing samples on a balance
beam scale, and examining the luster of different samples close up.
***Please make sure you sign up for our Class Dojo to see all the wonderful picture.
GRADES 7, 8, 9 Instrumental Music “Band” Option… ALL students would benefit from regular at-home practice 3-
4 times weekly for 20-30 minutes each time as new notes and exercises are introduced for the Christmas concert
scheduled for 6:30 PM on Thursday, Dec 8th in the school gymnasium. RSVP forms were due Friday October, October
26th. NEW students to band in grades 8 and 9 are encouraged to see Dr. Schneider for extra help before school in
groups of 2-4.
GRADES 7, 8, 9 Liturgy Choir… Approximately 30 students in grades 7, 8 and 9 lead our school in congregational
singing. They meet with Mr. Cruz and Dr. Schneider at lunchtime on days 1 and 5 to prepare for our upcoming
liturgies, including the Remembrance Day Liturgy at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, November 10th, in the gymnasium; our
First Advent Liturgy at 10:00 AM on Thursday, December 1st; and our Advent Mass at 1:00 pm Thursday, December
22, both in the gymnasium.
GRADES 7, 8, 9 Drama… Students have had a very thrilling, action-filled October. The students are continuing to
enthusiastically engage in “Intro to Drama” games and activities, highlighting important outcomes such as physical
control, teamwork, creativity, and spontaneity. The students especially enjoyed the "Practical Jokes and Telephone
Pranks" and "Twisted Television News Interviews" mini units.
GRADES 7, 8, 9 Art… During the month of November, grade 7 art will to continue to focus on various drawing
techniques. Currently, the students have just started a still life assignments in which they must draw shoes in various
positions on a single sheet of paper. Their previous assignment explored effective ways to draw objects that have
interior spaces and should provide a stronger insight as to how to approach this next project. Currently, the
students in grade 8 art are completing a drawing assignment that focuses on various aspects of perspective. Later this
month, the students will move on to a still life project that places emphasis on proportion, use of value and the
depiction of organic forms. Throughout the year they will periodically analyze their art work, as well as the work of
prominent artists. These critique sessions will help them become more analytical and sophisticated artists. Currently,
the students in grade 9 art are learning how to create the illusion of depth by using various forms of line and value.
Once this assignment has been completed, they will move on to an assignment that places emphasis on positive and
negative space. This exercise will focus on background rather than foreground and will strengthen their ability to
create complete drawings. Throughout the year they will periodically analyze their art work, as well as the work of
prominent artists. These critique sessions will help them become more analytical and sophisticated artists.
Grade 7 French… Students have worked on describing their Halloween Monsters. The focus was on using adjectives
correctly in sentences. Students also presented their creative and amusing skits using basic greetings and expressions.
Leadership… Congratulations to Father Scollen for raising $250.00 in our “Toonies for Terry” campaign in September,
in honor of the Terry Fox Run and Walk. October has been a busy month as our team has been preparing for WE DAY
on October 26 and our Celebration of Fall Sports on Friday, October 28 with Blue and Yellow Day – what a great way
to show school pride! Go Broncos Go!!
Enterprise… Go Broncos! The Enterprise class will once again be selling Father Scollen hoodies this year to help build
school spirit! Purchase yours and show your Bronco pride! See Mrs. Scurr for more details!
Danceworks… Our program will be starting in November at Father Scollen! All students who love to dance or
choreograph are invited to attend this fun filled team from November until April. We will have our final showcase of
talent at Father Lacombe High School. Anyone is welcome to join, and our practices will be one-two times a week.
Stay tuned for more information as November roles around!
Mathletics and Raz-kids… Parents did you know?
 Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, LD and ES1 students have an account for Raz-kids. www.razkids.com
 All student Kindergarten to Grade 9 have a Mathletics account. www.mathletics.ca
Check your student’s agendas for student login accounts for Raz-kids and Mathletics.
DLT Team
Family/School Support… The goal of the Family/School Support program is to provide support to students and
families around issues that are disrupting the student’s ability to learn or be successful at school. Sometimes
these problems are school-based and can include issues like conflict with peers or a teacher; or anxiety around
learning challenges. Other times, students may be facing challenges outside of school, possibly at home or in
the community. Regardless of the size of the problem, these challenges can make it difficult for students to be
happy at school and learn.
Each month we will feature an imaginary letter, where we address issues that are relevant to the students and
families at our school.
Dear Ms. G:
My daughter is very unmotivated when it comes to school. It seems like all she wants to do is watch TV and play
videogames. Sometimes I feel like she doesn’t care and she’s just plain lazy. How can I help her put more effort into her
school work?
-Fed Up Mom
Dear Fed Up:
It can be really frustrating for parents when they see their child giving up, but it’s important to remember that children,
when they are not angry or discouraged, want to do well. They want to feel good about themselves - and about others.
They want to earn our praise and approval, and they want us to be proud of them. Children say that they don’t care, but
they do care. Most often children are feeling discouraged and they mask these feelings with anger and defiance. It’s
easier for your daughter to pretend she doesn’t care than to admit to her real struggles. When you understand your
child’s lack of motivation as a problem of demoralization, you will be able to look for the real causes of her lack of
enthusiasm and effort, and you will be more likely to find helpful solutions.
Here are some things to try:
1. Find out what does motivate your child and spend time showing an interest in these activities. Motivation begins
with interest. Interest leads to exploration and learning, and to the development of projects. Projects then
become ambitions and goals. Like all of us,
children want to do what they are “good at.” They want to shine and feel proud. And, again, they want us to be
proud of them.
2. Find the source of their discouragement and frustration. Acknowledge their frustration, discouragement, and
disappointment. Let them know that you understand their feelings, because we have also been frustrated and
discouraged. For young children especially, more than anything else, it may help them to know that we have
also had these feelings.
3. Encouragement, encouragement, encouragement. Acknowledge every increment of effort and improvement,
even when his effort falls far short of our goal, and express confidence in his eventual success. This may be the
essence of encouragement: We make note of a child’s improvement and his progress toward goals, not his
mistakes.
4. Focus on their strengths.
5. Speak to your child’s teacher. Undiagnosed (or under-appreciated) attention and learning disorders are the most
common source of discouragement and lack of motivation in children. Your child’s school can help you navigate
the assessment of her learning abilities.