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 P RINCIPAL‟ S

SUPERINTEN-
2016
Fairview & Area Learning Store
DENT‟S
MESSAGE

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SEPT
MESSAGE
STUDY
HABITS
Bridging Gaps
Notes From the Underground
PRINCIPAL‟S MESSAGE
focus on building
resiliency among
our youth
Building Futures
IMPORTANT DATES:
Welcome to the
2016-2017 school year! It‟s
 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Sept 1
been a very busy start-up,
enrolment is looking good,
 PHOTO DAY (FALS Students will go to FHS)
and we‟ve got a great bunch of young people to work with
Sept 14.
this year. Students have already been very busy with
 GRAD MEETING: Sept 20 6:00 pm at FALS
coursework, and Mr. Vasudevan and I are both busy
 JOSTENS RINGS @ FHS:
marking.
You may have noticed that the building is under12:16—1:01 and 3:30-4:00
going some exterior beautification. Mr. Cory Lancaster of
 PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS:
Fairview purchased the building in late June, and he‟s
Oct 5, 6:30—8:00
committed to turning it into a first rate office building for
 PARENT COUNCIL ESTABLISHMENT MEETING:
our town. FALS will continue as the building‟s largest occupant.
Oct 12, 6:30 PM
This school year, the Fairview and Area Learning
Store will continue its focus on building resiliency among
our youth, helping them to develop the skills to both overcome the challenges of life and manage successfully the rewards. As part of that strategy we are strengthening our partnerships with Crossroads and AHS, as well as seeking ways
to most effectively utilize the supports within Peace River School Division.
Once again, I want to stress the need for parents and guardians to stress regular attendance at school, and to
encourage parents and guardians to stress the importance to their students of doing school work at home for at least an
hour per night. There is simply no such thing as “I don‟t have homework.” FALS is a self-paced educational platform, so
students are free to, and are strongly encouraged to, move through course work as quickly as they are able, while still
ensuring deep learning; that should look like constant review and practice at home of essential learnings.
Our potential grads and their parents and guardians are requested to attend a meeting September 20, 2016, 6:00
pm at the Learning Store. At this meeting we will review graduation requirements, as well as discuss issues associated
with grad. In addition to the notice in this newsletter, you should be receiving a letter by September 9 th. Ask your student
for the copy sent home with them.
The first Parent/Teacher interview will be held October 5th, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Fairview and Area Learning
Store. Meetings will be held on a first come first served basis, and we strongly encourage all parents and guardians attend; please bring your student with you.
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Bag 2700, 10316 – 109 Street FAIRVIEW, Alberta T0H 1L0
Phone: (780) 835-3800 Fax: (780) 835-3850
www.FairviewLearningStore.ca
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In the next week we will also be sending home notification for the establishment of a Parent Council. We ask that
you consider carefully taking an active role in the governance of our school. All schools are a partnership between a school
division and parents, and we look to your voice to help make us better. Public education means just that: it is an outgrowth of
the public will. We all pay to make it happen for the benefit of our children and our society. We all have a voice in its direction. Joining a parent council is your way to make your voice heard. Please come out October 12, 2016, 6:30 pm for our Parent Council establishment meeting and make your voice heard.
I would encourage all students, parents, and guardians to visit regularly our website. The URL is http://
fairviewlearningstore.ca. Our school calendar will let you know about upcoming meetings and events, and our newsletters
and other significant school documents can be found there. If you have suggestions for improvements to the website, please
do pass them along. Don‟t forget that you are always welcome to stop in during the school day to check on your student‟s
progress, to bring your suggestions, or to ask your questions.
We are very proud of our program, of our students, and of our community. Thirteen or our students from the 20152016 school year earned their high school diplomas, including a young man of just 56 years of age. The Fairview and Area
Learning Store is committed to life long learning and bettering our community. Bridging gaps and building futures is our mission, and we believe in making education fit our students, rather than trying to make our students fit education. I want to take
this opportunity to thank our parents, guardians, students, and community for sharing and supporting our mission.
A special thank you goes out to our community partners who supported us through partnerships, funding, and work
experience placements. The Lions Club has been a strong supporting of our program since it first started in 2005. Subway
last year partnered with us to bring the Nods for Mods awards program to our students. Crossroads has provided us with
counselling services for students, work experience placements, and a venue for our students to give back to the community.
A number of local businesses also provided opportunities for our students to gain work experience credits. For your help and
support, we cannot thank you enough. Fairview is, indeed, a small town with a big heart. It‟s little wonder that Fairview is
known as the Heart of the Peace, a place we can all be proud to call home.
Returning staff at the Fairview and Area Learning Store include myself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Vasudevan, our maths and
sciences specialist, Mrs. Carole Leathem, arguably the finest E.A. in in the school division, and Mrs. Little, Office Manager
and the woman who keeps all of our wheels turning and without whom we would be lost. Mrs. Shannon Logan has joined our
team this school year, and we feel very privileged to call her one of our own. Please join with us in welcoming Mrs. Logan to
FALS (we‟re thinking we may have struck gold with her).
Given the number of students, including blended students from both FHS and HCS, we are hoping to bring an additional E.A. on staff, as we want to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our students. However, we will need to wait
a few more days to adequately assess both our needs and our financial capabilities. Be assured, however, if we can bring
more resources to our students we certainly will.
In closing, thank you all for supporting our program and providing greater choice in education for the students of
Fairview and the surrounding area.
Yours in education,
Mr. Lorne Brown, Principal
Fairview and Area Learning Store
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SUPERINTENDENT‟S
MESSAGE
It is my pleasure to welcome students, staff and parents to Peace River School Division for the 2016-2017
school year.
Our focus remains to ensure students are provided with
engaging, relevant and current learning opportunities
while ensuring they learn important life skills as they
grow and evolve. We will achieve this through our continued implementation of the Response to Intervention
process in all our schools, flexible learning environments in our high schools, wellness initiatives, technology integration, ensuring our students are involved in
the community, through leadership programs and by providing staff with professional development opportunities.
Education truly is everyone‟s business and we are very grateful for the support of parents, family, community members, organizations and businesses. Together we provide students with a wide range of engaging
learning opportunities and experiences. We are very proud of the collaborative nature of our school communities as it models to our students that they are supported and what can happen when we work together.
On this note, I invite you to review our latest „report card‟ from the government. We have exceeded provincial averages in many areas and we share in this success with you.
Like our communities, our schools consist of a variety of backgrounds, cultures and religions joined together
as one and we are proud providers of high quality public education. Thank you for choosing Peace River
School Division, we are happy to serve your family and we wish you a wonderful school year.
Paul Bennett, PRSD Superintendent
The Fairview and Area Learning Store will be holding Parent/Teacher interviews October 5,
2016, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Fairview and Area Learning Store.
Your attendance is strongly encouraged. Interviews will be held on a first come first served
basis. If, however, you wish to book another time to meet with us, please call 780-835-3800.
We strongly encourage parents and guardians to call or to stop in at anytime you have questions or concerns.
This is your child’s school. This is your school. We are working for both your student and for
you.
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Kristy Shilka,
PRSD Health & Safety Coordinator
EMERGENCY READINESS AT SCHOOL
Emergencies are unpredictable and may cause disruption
in our lives and our communities. They can be caused by
natural disasters, medical emergencies, environmental
Health and Safety
hazards, or by intentional acts.
Schools are places where emergency management planning is
vitally important to the well-being of students and staff. When an emergency arises, the first consideration for every staff member is the safety of our students and staff. Training and drills conducted
throughout the year at facilities and on buses test our emergency management planning and prepares staff and students on how they are to respond during an emergency. This is why it is mandatory in all our schools and offices that all visitors are asked to report to the front desk and sign in. It
is vital for us to know who is in the building at all times.
Parents and guardians can assist with our emergency management planning by ensuring contact
information is up to date with the school and the transportation office. Parents can also discuss alternative arrangements with their child in case any situation prevents parents from being home at
the time of an emergency. In the event of an emergency we strongly encourage parents to remain
calm and cooperate with school and public safety officials and NOT to come to the school as this
may interfere with response efforts. Keep phone lines open by not calling the school office or your
child, excessive phone calls can jam the phone system and impede emergency communications.
Parents will be contacted with information as it is available. School cancellations will be posted on
the Division Website and announced on local radio stations.
The more we are able to prepare for emergency situations the more likely we will be able to ensure
the safety and well-being of our school communities, save lives, reduce damage and return home
safely to our loved ones.
Do you know a Transportation Department employee that deserves to be recognized for their outstanding service and
support during the 2015-2016 school years? Peace River School Division is filled with passionate and committed staff
that make PRSD a great place to be. The Transportation Award of Excellence is an annual award designed to celebrate the contributions of staff. Considering submitting a nomination today for this important award.
Send your nomination along with a brief description of why you feel the nominee you have selected deserves this special
recognition to David Rushton at [email protected] by June 30, 2016.
Award Nominee Attributes
Fosters a collaborative culture that engages people and creates positive working relationships
Shows initiative and resourcefulness
Finds unique ways to support students
Has a positive, helpful and caring attitude
Instils a sense of pride and respect for the learning environment
Promotes a collective responsibility for student success
Provides exemplary client service
Is a role model for co-workers and others
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Drivers play a key role in back-to-school safety. Be alert and extra cautious in and around school zones and playgrounds as
well as near school buses.
Young students should remember these safety tips:
 If you can't see the driver, the driver can't see you either.
 Be alert at intersections and always look for danger when crossing the street.
 Arrive early at your bus stop and stand back on the sidewalk until the bus stops.
If you walk to school, learn and practice the safety rules for pedestrians. Cross at cross walks; obey all traffic signs, traffic
lights and safety patrol instructions.
Back to school facts
 Nearly 50 per cent of the drivers involved in collisions with school buses committed an error. The most common error
was following too closely.
 On average each year, approximately 238 children under 15 are killed or injured as pedestrians or cyclists (2010-2014).
 School buses in Alberta travel an estimated 450,000 kilometers a day - that‟s more than 10 times around the earth!
 The penalty for failing to stop for a school bus with its alternating flashing red lights activated is $543 and six demerit
points.
70 per cent of casualty collisions and nearly 90 per cent of property damage collisions involving a school bus occurred in urban areas.
Yield to pedestrians. Remember to yield to children/parents in crosswalks. When a pedestrian is in a crosswalk they
have the right-of-way.
Do not drive while distracted. Always be alert of your surroundings.
Speed limits in school zones and playground zones: The speed limit in a school zone is 30 kilometer‟s per
hour unless otherwise posted. School zone times are in effect from 8am to 9:30am – 11:30am to 1:30pm – and 3 to 4:30pm;
unless otherwise posted.
The speed limit in a playground zone is 30 kilometers per hour unless otherwise posted.
This message is brought to you by Alberta Transportation
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10 Highly Effective Study
Habits (Part 1 of 10)
By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
http://psychcentral.com/lib/top-10-most-effective-studyhabits/?all=1
Effective study habits -- studying smarter -- can be learned to improve your ability to better
retain reading material. These habits include approaching study with the right attitude, choosing the right environment, minimizing distractions, setting a realistic schedule, and employing
memory games, among others.
Students grapple with many issues in their lives, and because of all of the competing things for your
attention, it‟s hard to concentrate on studying. And yet if you‟re in school, you have to do at least a
little studying in order to progress from year to year. The key to effective studying isn‟t cramming or
studying longer, but studying smarter. You can begin studying smarter with these ten proven and
effective study habits.
1. How you approach studying matters
Too many people look at studying as a necessary task, not an enjoyment
or opportunity to learn. That‟s fine, but researchers have found that how
you approach something matters almost as much as what you do. Being
in the right mindset is important in order to study smarter.
Sometimes you can‟t “force” yourself to be in the right mindset, and it is
during such times you should simply avoid studying. If you‟re distracted
by a relationship issue, an upcoming game, or finishing an important project, then studying is just going to be an exercise in frustration. Come
back to it when you‟re not focused (or obsessed!) by something else going on in your life.
Way to help improve your study mindset:




Aim to think positively when you study, and remind yourself of your skills and abilities.
Avoid catastrophic thinking. Instead of thinking, “I‟m a mess, I‟ll never have enough time to study for this exam,” look
at it like, “I may be a little late to study as much as I‟d like, but since I‟m doing it now, I‟ll get most of it done.”
Avoid absolute thinking. Instead of thinking “I always mess things up,” the more objective view is, “I didn‟t do so well
that time, what can I do to improve?”
Avoid comparing yourself with others, because you usually just end up feeling bad about yourself.