Safe Schools Plans were uploaded today to school sites as they are completed. I’ve created a tab above for the webpage that will be used for any updates or other items related to our work on this part of the in-school education at Hanley.
Once again, thank you for your support as we all work through this together. The emails and phone calls we’ve all received have been totally appreciated. We want the best for your children as you do and that includes their safety as much as their education.
Schools in the PSSD will start the first week of school with a “Soft Start” in efforts to help students and staff get used to some of the new routines in the school and classrooms. We have worked with Dundurn Elementary to make an alphabetical split that can be arranged for both schools and be similar for families. In the case of any student family members with different last names that cause a conflict, please contact your homeroom teacher to arrange.
Tuesday and Thursday, Sept 8 and 10, students in Hanley School with last names starting in letter A through K can attend school.
Wednesday and Friday, Sept 9 and 11, students in Hanley School with last names starting in letter L through Z can attend school.
Also for your information, Safe School plans are being reviewed by PSSD this week and then I will post those details on our school webpage by the end of the week.
Lastly today – with families making decisions about what’s best for their students and variety of in-school attendance or Spirit eLearning options, there will be some class adjustments happen in the next couple weeks to keep class sizes similar for splits, etc. Thanks for your support as we adjust and change with current information.
After a not-regular end to last school year, we’re moving ahead with plans for classes starting on September 1. Parents, please continue to check your email on file with the school for further updates and information details about new policies and practices that we’re putting into place to help keep all our students and our staff safe and healthy.
As always, I look forward to working with you all this year and also to the next time we can talk, although it might have to be through a mask. Please enjoy the rest of the summer days ahead of us all and we’ll see you soon.
Chris Tucker
Hello Hanley School Parents and Students. The events of the last couple weeks really are something new for all of us to deal with and make adjustments for going ahead with education this year. Please know that we are in the planning process for going ahead with the supplemental learning as described in Friday’s email to families from Prairie Spirit School Division. You can access it again here at the following link:
March 30 will have our school staff connecting as a group online to discuss what that looks like and how best to support our Sabers families at home with our students. That may look different at each home based on your needs and abilities and your resources. There will be some degrees of uncertainty on all of our parts at some point in the next few weeks and months but we will be doing everything we can to help with clarity there.
Starting Tuesday, school staff will reach out to make contact with our school families to check in and emphasize that we are here to support families – students AND parents. We’re looking forward to connecting with you in the upcoming days and weeks and checking how you’re doing. Every K-9 student will progress to the next grade and every grade 10-12 student already enrolled in a subject will receive that credit. All students will have opportunity to increase their understanding of the course content within the remaining time of this school year and high school students will also have an opportunity to improve their current mark. Teachers will connect with each home to discuss how that will look. What we can all be sure about this spring is that learning is everywhere and it will look very different than it does in a classroom.
As a line in the Supplemental Learning Plan states, we will “Continue to learn, connect and grow together!’
Details of the Provincial Government’s Monday morning announcement to the province about plans to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to suspend school classes beginning March 20 are included in the following:
With the “winding down” of classes this week from March 17-19, the understanding is “This means that parents who are able to keep children home should do so immediately, with no absence or grade impacts. Parents with limited childcare options have a window to plan for class suspensions.” This is in the spirit of ‘flattening the curve’ and decreasing the risk of COVID-19 from spreading. If childcare or medical response needs to be arranged, they have three days to try and put that together.
We will continue to support our students and community as we progress through these uncertain times. Please know that as we move forward through this process you will continue to get information wit updates from Prairie Spirit School Division as it becomes available.
I’m a little late getting this out this week – my apologies for that. It feels like we’re already getting started on a busy spring and the weather seems to be cooperating with that I’m happy to say! I think our Cold Cats club has now been able to hang up our Really Cold Weather gear and we’re going to recognize two students who went out and had fun in the cold no matter how chilly those days got – and we really did have a couple doozies that dipped below minus 40. I do believe that it’s been a good practice we started a few years ago and I know the kids that do come outside with me have big smiles on their faces as they slide and run around and stay warm. With March starting after this weekend, I assume we’ll have continuing warmer weather ahead.
Just a reminder about the Saskatchewan Rush presentation on Monday – a player from the team will be in the school talking about proper online use. They’ll be offering ticket vouchers for a future game as well! We also will highlight the game in March we emailed about a few weeks ago – There are seats set aside for sale online that a portion of the ticket purchase goes to our school as a fundraiser.
March will again bring with it a busy schedule of days including the spring Tri-Conferences taking place the nights of March 18th (5-7:30pm) and March 19th (3:30-6pm). As always it’s a great time to come to the school with your student and celebrate the great learning they’re doing. Please call the school to book your interview if you haven’t already done so. Another reminder also that with the two evenings of interviews here there is no school then on Friday, March 20th. K-9 report cards will be coming home March 12th. The next 10-12 report cards go home in April.
Our grade 6-12 school Ski Trip scheduled to Table Mountain is Thursday, March 26th. It’s a great day for the students and we look forward to seeing them all on the hill.
Our grade 12s are finishing their second week of Career Work Experience today. It’s a great opportunity to try a career on for size and see if it’s what they were looking for. Many times in previous years those placements have turned into part time jobs or career opportunities for the future as well as chances to start an apprenticeship. At minimum it’s a great chance for them to get a 30 level credit.
For those students planning on pursuing a trades career and looking to apprentice with a tradesperson, the Youth Apprenticeship Program is a simple program to complete for a step ahead of other apprentices. We’ve also helped send students in past summers to a Summer Youth internship in a trades area where they receive very good pay and up to 2 apprenticeship credits on their transcripts. See Mr. Tucker for further information for either program as we had a presentation this week regarding all of this and I’ve now signed up another seven students to work towards completing the program.
Badminton has started up for both juniors and seniors – playoffs are in April so it will be a short season. See Mr. Tucker and Mr. Tyndall to sign up! Our annual Knight to Remember evening isn’t taking place this year in the way it has in past years – the explanation I’ve been given has to do with the Coronavirus across the world that has closed down some warehouses and factories overseas and has effected the availability of those promotional supplies. We instead will create our own version of that same fun badminton evening and hold it on March 19 after school during Tri-Conferences. It will end at 6:00pm and we’ll be asking for sign up next week.
Drama performances will be taking place in April but the Drama club has been practicing and learning lines and performance details for weeks already. I’m sure it will once again be an amazing show!
Well, that’s all for now. For further information and updates from the students and classrooms, check out our school website at http://blogs.spiritsd.ca/hanley/. As always, Mr. Anderson and I would love to talk to you if you have time to drop by the office or give us a call. Take care and I’ll talk to you soon.
Hanley School SRC is selling pink shirts and hoodies for Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, Feb 26th to recognize and celebrate inclusion. The sales of these shirts will also support SRC school programs that foster support and self-esteem. Shirts are on sale for $10 and hoodies for $25.
It’s been cold this month. I do love that many of us use the term “brisk” when the temperature drops that low. I think it’s true that the cold weather in Saskatchewan brings us together – I find myself in conversations at the gas pumps with people I don’t know, talking about how cold it is and questioning when it’s gonna warm up.
Once again our Cold Cats club has a lot of names of K-7 students listed and I have about 12-15 students who will consistently head outside no matter what the temperature is. I will continue to run this as an option to staying inside – please make your own wishes known to your elementary students about if you’d like them to head outside. We don’t force students on the list outside if they want to remain indoors. That said if they intend on going out, please make sure they have warm clothes and understand they have to wear them.
Semester one exams start next Monday and many classes are reviewing and studying to prepare, especially in light of so many cancelled buses last week. Friday January 31st is the midway point of the year and a day for report cards to be prepared and planning to begin for Semester two. There are no classes on that day for all K-12 students. Semester two classes begin on Monday, February 3rd. Man, we’ve gotten here quickly again this year!
I want to encourage all grade 11 and 12 students who are interested to see me about finishing a Youth Apprenticeship Program. It sees students working through some simple apprenticeship assignments that will give them a step ahead of others who might be also looking to enter an apprenticeship agreement to start their career. It’s also important to note that we have had a few grade 12s already receive conditional acceptance to university programs starting in the fall. It’s an exciting time for them all as their life after grade 12 begins to take shape. I’ve also sent home information about a MyBlueprint website for grade 12s to check out that can also help steer them in the right direction if they’re unsure what to do. I encourage you to check out that website with them.
February break will start on Family Day, February 17th. The Grade 12 Work Experience Week 2 will take place following the break as we’ve had in practice for a few years.
The School Community Council would like me to mention that we still have copies of the Community Calendars available at the office that families ordered this fall. The cost remains at $10 each.
I was very proud of the school, SRC and community to see so much raised to donate clothes and food items to help those in need. What a great example for our students to see and witness the generosity and assistance for others.
That’s all for now. For further information and updates from the students and classrooms, check out our school website at http://blogs.spiritsd.ca/hanley/. As always, Mr. Anderson and I would love to talk to you if you have time to drop by the office or give us a call. Take care and I’ll talk to you soon.
We are just reminding students and families that the Hanley School Christmas Dinner is scheduled for this Friday at 12 noon and is planned for staff and students only, along with some school division staff by invitation.
We are also planning on presenting the high school awards for highest averages in grades 10 through 12 from last year. That should start at about 12:45 before the afternoon clean up takes place.
Have a wonderful holiday everyone, as well as time to rest and relax and most importantly have time with family and friends. Merry Christmas to each of you.
Mr. Tucker
We had a bit of a hit to the system with some chilly temperatures this month so I’m going to cross my fingers that it stays away until January. It’s been a busy month of activities in the classrooms and the hallways as the hustle and bustle of the season is upon us.
Last week we enjoyed our Christmas Family Fun Night as well. It was once again a wonderful evening for the students and their families filled with singing and acting, time for activities and an opportunity for everyone to stop and catch up with other families and friends in what is always a busy time of year. I know many families took advantage of the photo booth as well so that was a nice new touch. Thanks for attending if you were able to be here. Thanks also to the SCC for the hot chocolate and for helping pay for the photo booth.
Plans have again been under way for a while to have our annual Christmas Dinner on Friday. Mrs. Schraeder has everything organized and jobs are in hand for everyone here including the high school students who are always expected and expecting to take part. Thanks again to everyone for your food and various contributions that make the day and the lunch a good time for everyone. We’ll again have some School Community Council Members, and some School Division members in attendance as they always enjoy these kind of student days at Hanley Composite School.
This month starts some changes in our staffing again. We’ll be needing to say good-bye to our two interns, Mr. Hall and Mr. Prokopchuk. Thanks for all your work and planning and preparation and good luck with the remainder of your studies next semester and your plans for future employment!
Just a reminder that the Hanley School Community Council-produced Community Calendars are in at the office, and can be picked up any time. The cost is still $10 and it looks great. Thanks for all your support to the SCC as the funds raised are directly spent by the SCC on something for the school and students.
We’ll be back after the holiday with a short three weeks to finish off some units and prepare for final exams for high school students. Exams will fall in the last week of January, with a PD day scheduled for Friday, January 31st so teachers can work on marking finals and preparing grade 10-12 report cards set to go home on February 5th.
That’s all for now. For further information and updates from the students and classrooms, check out our school website at https://blogs.spiritsd.ca/hanley/. As always, Mr. Anderson and I would love to talk to you if you have time to drop by the office or give us a call. Talk to you soon.