Chronicle for June 19, 2024 – Last One!! – Covenant Christian School (2024)

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents,

Monday, I had a meaningful conversation with our Grade 9 graduates that basically culminated with the idea of “End Well.” With only 6 days of school left, we reflected on the importance of finishing the school year in a way that truly honours our values of Flourishing Learners, Delighting in God, and being Inspired to serve.

As we approach the end of this academic journey, it’s essential for all of us—students, parents, and staff alike—to strive to end well. I understand that, much like our students, we as parents might also be experiencing less sleep, shorter tempers, and the tendency to magnify smaller issues that are happening in our or our kids’ lives. During these final days, let’s focus on ensuring we and our children remain engaged, respectful, and loving.

When report cards and class lists are released, I encourage you to receive these results with grace, gratitude, and prayer. Ending well is not just about the grades or the placements, but about fostering a positive and supportive environment as we close this chapter and start a new one.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication this year. Let’s all work together to finish the school year in a way that truly exemplifies our commitment to our core purpose. Let’s all “end well”.

Announcements

Alberta Government Bans Student Cell Phone Use K-12

On Monday, the Alberta Government announced a province-wide ban on cell phones in schools for the 2024/25 school year, including the use of Smart Watches, and AirPods. At Covenant Christian School, we are proud to share that we have already taken this proactive step for the benefit of our students, having implemented a similar policy back in 2022.

Our decision to ban cell phone use has always been driven by our commitment to fostering a focused, engaging, and enriching learning environment. Numerous studies support the positive impact of such measures on student well-being and academic performance.

For example, research conducted by the London School of Economics found that “student performance in high-stakes exams significantly increases with a cell phone ban” (Beland & Murphy, 2015). This study highlights how reducing distractions can lead to improved academic outcomes.

Moreover, a study published in the Journal of Adolescence revealed that “students who did not use their phones during school reported higher levels of academic engagement and achievement” (Lepp, Barkley, & Karpinski, 2015). By limiting cell phone use, we ensure our students remain attentive and engaged in their studies.

In addition to academic benefits, our policy also addresses social and emotional well-being. According to research by Twenge and Campbell (2018), “excessive screen time is linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression among adolescents.” By minimizing cell phone usage, we aim to create a healthier, more supportive school environment where students can thrive both academically and emotionally.

Next year, we will have extended our policy to include Smart Watches AirPods, recognizing the potential for these devices to become a distraction as well. We believe that clear, consistent boundaries regarding technology use are essential for maintaining the focus and integrity of our educational environment.

We appreciate your continued support in upholding these standards, as they are integral to our mission of providing an excellent and holistic education for our students. By prioritizing their well-being and academic success, we are ensuring that Covenant Christian School remains a leader in innovative and effective educational practices and that we hold to our core purpose of Flourishing learners, who Delight in God, and are Inspired to Serve.

Important Library Book Return Information

As the end of the school year approaches, we kindly request that all library books be returned promptly. Please check your homes, backpacks, and study spaces for any outstanding materials. Here are the key details:

Return Deadline: All library books must be returned as soon as possible.

Lost Books: Any unreturned books will be marked as lost, and the corresponding fee will be added to the student’s PowerSchool account. However, if a book is returned by June 26, the fee will be removed.

Textbook Returns: Junior high students can return their textbooks either before or after their final exams. Textbook returns will take place from June 19th to June 24th.

Communication: We will send out emails to both parents and Homeroom Teachers regarding any unreturned items. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at [emailprotected].

Lastly, I wish you all awonderfulSummer Vacation! 🌞📚

Lucie Jackson, Librarian

Year-End Celebrations

We are looking forward to celebrating another year of learning! For the last day of school, Wednesday, June 26, the itinerary will be as follows:

• 8:35 am – Classes Begin
• 11:30 am – Year-End Celebration (awards/scholarships, prayer for those leaving CCS, announcements for next year)
• 12:00 pm – Lunch (Year-end pizza lunch and Kona Ice-more details to follow below)
• 2:00 pm – Homerooms/cleanup etc.
• 3:15 pm – Staff wave goodbye as buses/students leave for the summer!

School-Wide Pizza Family Picnic

We will once again be doing a school-wide pizza lunch. We will be ordering pizza from Nitza’s Pizza. There will be cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian, and a gluten-free option for ordering as well as assorted pop or Bubly. This is not a hot lunch sponsored event but will run similarly to hot lunch.The pizza order form is now up on PowerSchool and ready to be completed. The deadline for orders (and payment-which MUST be made at the time of filling out the order form) is Thursday, June 20, 2024, at NOON.All parents and younger siblings etc are invited to join us! Our LSCE PR committee will also be providing a KONA ICE treat for all of our staff and kiddos! Visitors will be able to purchase their own Kona Ice treat if they choose as well.

Snack Menu:

🥔 Chips: $1.00

🥤 Cans of Pop: $2.00

🍭 Candy Bags: $1.00

Schedule:

Div. 1 (Gr. K-3): Thursday, June 20

Thank you so much for your support!

Exam Schedules

Grade 6 PAT/Exam Schedule

Grade 6 students will begin writing PAT/Exams at 9:00 am each day. They will have regular classes following their exams.

Junior High Exam Schedule

• Exams will begin at 9:00 am and Jr. High students must stay until 11:00 am. Students must bring a book to read while they wait. Phones/Gaming devices will not be permitted due to exam protocols.
• At 11:00 am Jr. High students are free to leave provided they have the signed documentation —A PLEASE complete the permission form on PowerSchool.
• Jr. High students without documentation will be in ‘study hall’ in their own classroom area. Once all exams have been completed teachers will go back to their homeroom to supervise.
• Beginning at 11:00 am there will be three check-out tables (7,8,9) in three areas around the foyer or just outside the main doors-if weather permits. At 11:00 am, once students have completed their exam they will go to their check-out area to wait for their ride.

** Students must take at least 60 minutes to write their exam. At 10:00 am (or 60 mins after you begin the exam), students who have completed the exam will make their way to the gymnasium to wait until all others are finished. While in the gymnasium, there will NOT be any athletics going on, it will simply be a large space for them to socialize/hang out until they are picked up or move to the study hall area for the afternoon. (No athletics is due to the large number of students in the gymnasium area). Phones are still not available for them at this time. If the weather allows, Mr. Drader is willing to move to the fields to allow those willing to participate in athletics out there. If this occurs, someone will supervise the gymnasium area**

Staff Teaching Assignments for 2024-2025

I extend my gratitude to the parents who reached out to share their thoughts on student placements for the upcoming academic year. While it is challenging to meet every individual request, please be assured that we carefully considered all concerns regarding placements and classroom dynamics.

I would like to clarify that we do not accommodate parent requests based on specific teacher preferences, and the deadline for student requests has passed. I have the utmost confidence in our outstanding staff, whose strong pedagogical skills ensure that each student receives the appropriate instruction.

We are mindful of the unique qualities each teacher brings and how they effectively engage with different students. This thoughtful consideration is integral to our class placement process, as well as studentdynamics,and structure for each room.We ask parents to trust our professional judgment in making placement decisions, as we aim to create the best possible learning environment for every student,academically, socially, and spiritually.

Below is our teacher list for next year.

*Obviously, there are times and circ*mstances where these can change if enrolment changes.*

• KA – Kindergarten Monday/Wednesday – Mrs. Alice VandeKraats
• KB – Kindergarten Tuesday/Thursday – Mrs. Heather Luchak
• Gr. 1A – Mrs. Sharon Koopmans
• Gr. 1B – Mrs. Laura Glesman
• Gr. 2A – Mrs. Joanne Gulley
• Gr. 2B – Mrs. Danielle Woloschuk & Mrs. Caroline Clark
• Gr. 3A – Mrs. Nicole Hennink & Mrs. Heather Luchak
• Gr. 3B – Mrs. Lynette Johnston
• Gr. 4A – Miss Katie Molzan
• Gr. 4B – Mrs. Jennifer Lozeau & Mrs. Charlene Veldkamp
• Gr. 5A – Mrs. Rebecca Vriend
• Gr. 5B – Mr. Andy Jenkins
• Gr. 6A – Ms. Robynn Moody
• Gr. 6B – Mrs. Stacy Bruinsma
• Gr. 7A – Mr. Colin Ward
• Gr. 8A – Mrs. Michelle Clark
• Gr. 8B – Mr. Jeremy Schindel
• Gr. 9A – Mr. Chris Hennink
• LST – Mrs. Charlene Veldkamp
• LST Jr. High – Mrs. Jenna Haugen
• Student Advocate – Ms. Jennifer Lozeau
• TfT Lead – Ms. Jennifer Lozeau
• PE Specialist – Mr. Philip Drader
• Music Specialist – Mrs. Ann McDonald
• FSL Specialist – Madame Nicole McConville
• Assistant Principal – Mrs. Jenna Haugen
• Principal – Mr. Donavin Simmons

Class Placements and Supply Lists

Class placements will be emailed out next Thursday with instructions on how to access report cards.Please remember– much time, thought and prayer went into class placements, and were done in the best interest of all students and staff. Rather than take issue, please encourage your child that these are great opportunities to grow in their friendships, and then pray about these opportunities with your children.

Supply lists are posted on our website and a copy will be emailed out to parents along with their child’s class placement letter on June 27th.

Staples will be continuing theirSchool Tools Package programwhere parents can order all of their child’s school supplies online and they will be delivered to their home address so they can skip the back-to-school supply shopping in the fall. Once you learn which class your child(ren) will be in, click on the link above, and then find your child’s grade/class. You can deselect items you don’t need/want and add them to your cart. Go to the checkout to make payment and add your home address for shipping and you’re done!

Hot Lunch

Last Hot Lunch TODAY!

Thank you for supporting our hot lunch fundraiser throughout the year! A big thank you to those who volunteered their time to run our hot lunch program! We appreciate your servant hearts and all you do for our students and staff!

Upcoming Hot Lunches:

June:

• 19 – KFC

If you would like to see which hot lunches are coming up in future months, you can find out on our school events calendar found here.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Hot Lunch, you can reach our Hot Lunch Coordinator, Mrs. Hofstra, via emailat:[emailprotected]

Celebration

We hold weekly assemblies, which we call Celebration. We alternate between Wednesday and Thursday mornings each month so our kindergarten students are each able to join us every other month.

Celebration will be held on Wednesdaysfor the month of June.

Lost & Found

Please take a minute to look and see if any of the items belong to your household and either get your kids to stop by and pick up your items or email the office and we will try to send them home with them. We will have a table of all the lost and found items displayed on the last day of school.

We will have tables set up on the last day of school for parents to stop by and claim any items belonging to their household!

All unclaimed items will be donated to a second-hand store by the end of the month.

Athletics:

For a calendar of events including home and away games etc. please click HERE.

Please familiarize yourself with our athletic handbook when you have a spare moment. It speaks to important issues such as parent conduct as well as athlete conduct. While we know that the school year is almost done, we mustn’t lose our high expectations for our athletes, parents, and coaches.

CCS Athletic Handbook

LSCE News:

New Bus Driver

We would like to welcome Cindy Feldbusch as our new bus driver for the 2024/2025 school year. Cindy’s children attended Covenant and Cindy worked as an EA and a bus driver at Covenant for several years. We are excited to welcome her back!

Bring in your Boston Pizza receipts and the school can earn cash back!

Purchase CO-OP gift cards from us and part of the proceeds stay in our school!

All money raised will go towards a re-do of our school parking lot. For more informationplease contact Afton Goldsmith at[emailprotected].

Social Media

To keep up to date on all fundraising opportunities, please follow us on social media.
https://www.facebook.com/covenantchristianschoolfundraisingpage

https://www.instagram.com/fundraising.lsce/

Calendar:

June:

• 21 – Grade 5J & 5M Alexandra Outdoor Pool Field Trip
• 24 – Grade 1-3 Millet Spray Park Field Trip
• 26 – Year-End Pizza Family Picnic
• 26 – Last Day of School
• 27 – Report Cards & Class Lists Emailed to Parents
• 27-28 – Teacher Workdays

August:

• 26-27 – Teacher Workdays
• 27 – Back to School BBQ
• 28 – School Commences for All Grades 1-12 Students
• 28 & 29 – Kindergarten Staggered Entry Days

Community Events:

Mental Health Capacity Building: Summer Programs

Below is the MHCB summer programs link. The programs include activities for most age groups and families.

The links are closed until registration on Friday, June 7 at 9:00.

All details are on the posters, and all camps are FREE.

https://sites.google.com/gshare.blackgold.ca/mental-health/?authuser=0

BREAD TO THE MAXX

I want to start this business because I love to bake and it’s a very big passion and hobby of mine. I want to save up for a standard mixer, a set of chef knives, cake pans, and a full set of chef’s pots and pans.

Please support me in my baking business and passion!!!

We have the following breads that I am baking:

1. SOURDOUGH BREAD………………………………………………….……………$12.99
2. CARAMEL BANANA BREAD………………………………………………………….$6.99
3. GARLIC AND HERBED FOCACCIA……………………………………..…………..$8.99

Please contact Maxx at [emailprotected] for all your baking needs and orders.

Thank you for your support in my baking passion!!!!

Leduc Library Summer Reading Program

Rehoboth Camp Ministry is a Christian summer camp for people with special needs from young children to seniors. We want to share the love of Jesus, provide a summer camp experience, build relationships, and give parents or guardians a week of respite. We need volunteers to make this happen and are looking forward to having you
be a part of this! A willingness to be a friend and help someone have a positive Camp experience is all that is needed. If you are 14 years old and up, have a heart for serving others, have a week to spare this summer, then we are the place for you! Check us out at www.rcmflourish.ca/camp to get more information!

Gull Lake Centre Summer Camp

Gull Lake Centre is a Christian camp where the vision is to create a space for campers to connect with Christ and with each other.

This is done through:

– summer camps for children of all ages (5-18), family camp, winter camps (grades 4-12)

– LTD program (Leadership Training and Discipleship) for high school students, 3-year program. The key elements of the LTD program are mentorship, experience, and community. The teens are taught to lead while being given space to grow their relationship with God.

– new FED program (Faith Experience and Discipleship) which is a volunteer program for teens during the summer where you both contribute to the operation of camp and also get to enjoy all the fun activities they offer, 1 week commitment

Website:https://www.gulllakecentre.ca

Pembina Bible Camp

Pembina Bible Camp registration is now open for 2024!!

Week 1 July 7-13

(Family & Teen Camp)https://thefathershousechurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2291417

Week 2 July 14-20

(Family & Teen Camp)https://thefathershousechurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2256107

If you have any questions please contact:

Jody Nelson
Pembina Bible Camp
780-974-2801

Odds & Ends:

Sign In/Out Form:

Scan Me

Please use the above QR code, orthis link, to sign your child in or out of the building. You can also come into the school and use the Chromebook provided in the office. Please make sure to let the office know you have collected your child before leaving the parking lot (phone call/eye contact) and ask your child to check in at the office when they enter or leave. This ensures everyone is accounted for appropriately in the case of an emergency.

Facebook Page:

As always, Facebook is a great spot to see some of the fun things going on at the school!