Good News
The Peace Wapiti Public School Division (PWPSD)'s Good News is a collection of stories from schools throughout the division. Stories are published monthly, before the upcoming Board meeting. Please check back regularly for updates.
PWPSD News
APRIL
PWPSD Parent Assurance Survey
The 2024 PWPSD Parent Assurance Survey opens Monday, April 22! The survey is completely anonymous and results are used to help guide the Division toward its three priorities: student learning, equity, and wellness.
Your survey link will be emailed to you on April 22. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive your survey link. If you have any questions, please reach out to your school.
Leadership Explorations wraps up another successful year
Congratulations to Alysha Temple, Ashly Tenney, Jonathan Groff, Naomi Trieber, Orian Watson and Victoria Baker on their successful completion of the Leadership Explorations program!
PWPSD's Leadership Explorations is an annual program designed to help prospective leaders continue to become deeply committed instructional leaders who are able to find creative solutions to the most challenging school problems.
PWPSD News
MARCH
Kindergarten registration is now open!
Registration for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year is NOW OPEN!
To register online or in-person, you will need:
- Your child's birth certificate
- Proof of residency
- Copy of any court orders affecting your child
Junior Kindergarten and/or Kindergarten programming is offered at: Beaverlodge Elementary School, Bezanson School, Bonanza School, Clairmont Community School, Eaglesham School, Elmworth School, Harry Balfour School, Hythe Regional School, La Glace School, Penson School, Ridgevalley School, Robert W. Zahara School, Rycroft School, Savanna School, Spirit River Regional Academy, Teepee Creek School, Wembley Elementary School, Whispering Ridge Community School.
2024 Joint School Council Meeting
The 2024 Joint School Council is coming up and everyone is welcome to attend! Learn about Mental Health and Wellness supports throughout our division, hear from the Tri-District Career Coordinator, and participate in meaningful discussions with parents and staff from your school.
The deadline to register for the in-person dinner is Friday, March 15.
JANUARY
Staff donate $1000 to Sunrise House
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and Central Office staff, Trustees McIntosh, Grant and Turner, and Superintendent Stewart had the honour of delivering a $1000 donation to the Sunrise House. In early December, Trustees and staff held an auction to raise money for their chosen charity. The much appreciated donation was delivered just before the holidays and the Sunrise House's big move to their new location.
DECEMBER
2023 PWPSD Christmas Card, designed by Grade 5 student Charlotte Dembicki of Harry Balfour School.
Christmas Break is just around the corner. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year! Christmas Break will run from December 25 - January 5. Students return to class Monday, January 8, 2024.
Leadership Explorations
On Saturday, November 25, staff came together at PWPSD Central Office for a day of learning centered on the Leadership Quality Standard. The Leadership Explorations program is designed to help prospective leaders continue to become deeply committed instructional leaders who are able to find creative solutions to the most challenging school problems.
The PWPSD Leadership Explorations program runs every two years, and November 25 saw the first of five sessions.
NOVEMBER
PWPSD's first Indigenous Education teacher-led PD
On October 26, the first ever Indigenous Education teacher-led professional development day was held at Camp Tamarack. In partnership with Pembina through the University of Calgary, the PWPSD Indigenous Education Services team came together with 26 educators and educational assistants to spend the day building relationships and learning from Jason Bigcharles.
OCTOBER
PWPSD welcomes Minister of Education
(Left to right - Back row: MLA Ron Wiebe, MLA Nolan Dyck, Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides
Front row: Trustee Stefanie Clarke, Trustee Dana McIntosh, Trustee Wendy Kelm, Trustee Millie Turner, Trustee and Board Chair Lori Grant)
On Monday, October 23, the PWPSD Board of Trustees and members of the Executive team welcomed Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides, MLA Ron Wiebe, and MLA Nolan Dyck for a day of meetings. PWPSD was honoured to host the Minister and his team as he met with various school divisions from our area.
PWPSD Education Technologist wins provincial award
Congratulations to Memorese Walter, Education Technologist, for receiving the 2023 Passion Award from the Alberta Technology Leaders in Education (ATLE)! The ATLE Passion Award is awarded annually to recognize outstanding contributions to education through the convergence of learning, leadership, and technology. We are all extremely grateful to have Memorese as part of our team and are pleased to have her recognized on the provincial stage!
NRLC and PWPSD host Spelling for Life workshop
Earlier this month, 14 PWPSD teachers joined Lyn Stone, Australian linguist and author, in Edmonton, to learn about spelling strategies, patterns, and activities. Teachers left with multiple lessons to share with their students designed to advance students' spelling knowledge by integrating spelling and morphology together.
SEPTEMBER
Alternative Education
APRIL
Youth Career Discovery Expo
We are very proud of our students who volunteered their time at the Youth Career Discovery Expo!
Students visit local theatre
PWEC students attended a screening of The First Contact at Grande Prairie Live Theatre.
eSports take over PWEC
Students and staff had a great time competing in the PWEC eSports tournament!
FEBRUARY
Adulting 101
How do I adult? Led by Heather Dunsworth, Jaqueline Andrews, and Bradi Baker-Bowen, students participated in a three-part series with engaging hands-on activities, group discussions, and real-world simulations. The students walked away feeling empowered and with a toolbox of skills to help them thrive in the adult world.
Paws and People
Slow and steady wins the race. Tommy the Tortoise has joined the Paws and People course, and has quickly become a student favourite!
DECEMBER
A lesson in business
Natalie Cook practices her skills.
PWEC students had the opportunity to learn from staff member and photography business owner Deneika Frankie. In addition to honing their photography skills, they learned the ins and outs of running a small business. Ms. Frankie focused on the importance of exploring and embracing their unique talents and skills as a photographer to set them apart from the competition.
NOVEMBER
Students participate in tourism workshop
Bradi Baker-Bowen led a group of students in a two-day Tourism Workshop. As part of their learning journey, the students had the opportunity to tour the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum.
Indigenous art added to PWEC
On November 9, Fran Rogers, artist from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, presented her artwork to the students and staff at Peace Wapiti Enterprise Centre. Thanks to the support of the PWPSD Indigenous Education Services team, PWEC was able to acquire this beautiful piece of artwork.
OCTOBER
Students learn about health and movement
Over the course of three days, PWEC teacher Heather Dunsworth taught Human Health and Movement to a group of students. During class, they learned about the importance of keeping their bodies healthy and moving, so they don't end up broken like Steve the Skeleton. The students learned about their musculoskeletal systems and how physical activity keeps their bones and muscles happy and healthy.
SEPTEMBER
PAVE excited for a new year
PAVE teacher Kristina Temple
Staff at Peace Academy for Virtual Education (PAVE) has welcomed back students and is looking forward to another fantastic year of online learning! The school year kicked off with a highly successful online orientation for both students and parents to meeting the teachers, and now everyone is hard at work attending daily meets and completing coursework.
PWEC staff award Craig Lindsey Award
Assistant Principal Rob Robinson with Coleman Gitzel
Coleman Gitzel has been named the Craig Lindsey Award recipient! PWEC staff honoured Coleman with the award, which recognizes outstanding community spirit. Assistant Principal Rob Robinson says Coleman is always a willing participant in school and community activities. "He brightens up any event with humour, kindness, and joviality." Congratulations Coleman, from all of the PWEC staff!
Beaverlodge Elementary School
APRIL
Dakota Contracting donates to Edmonton trip
We'd like to send a big thank you to Dakota Contracting for their generous donation to our Grade 6 Edmonton trip!
BES visits Nitehawk
We enjoyed another fantastic trip to Nitehawk Adventure Park!
Making Math fun
Mrs. Nayko is very proud of her Grade 4 students for making math fun with their new learning strategies!
Badminton tournament a huge success
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the BES Trapper Badminton tournament! It was such a fun event with lots of laughs and teamwork. To view the full list of winners and their photos visit the BES Facebook page.
MARCH
Tri-Trapper Winter Games
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Tri-Trapper games! This year's winning teams were Team Badger (gold), Team Cougar (silver), and Team Wolverine (bronze).
Active living
Each month BES celebrates and honours its students for their active living participation. Thank you Ms. Hermina Brown for running such a fantastic program!
FEBRUARY
STEM Club receives TC Energy grant
The STEM Club has received a $5000 TC Energy grant, which they have used to purchase new Sphero items!
BES hosts Tri-Trapper Winter Games
Beaverlodge Elementary School hosted the Tri-Trapper Winter Games, where the eight Trapper teams went head-to-head in some fantastic competitive, cooperative activities. Some of the favourite events were floor curling, skating, biathlon and obstacle course, axe throwing and Jenga!
JANUARY
Students support Santas Anonymous
In December, the Grade 4 students worked together to spread holiday cheer and support the Family and Community Support Services. The students collected and delivered gifts for the Santas Anonymous program.
BES Christmas Lunch
On December 19, students and staff enjoyed a Christmas lunch catered by the Flyin' Hawaiian Food Truck and sponsored by Whitecap Resources Inc. Students were encouraged to wear their best luau attire while everyone had a great time!
DECEMBER
Indigenous Speaker Services arrives at BES
Students and staff were so happy to host Goota from the Indigenous Speaker Series - Inuit Connections, it was fantastic!
Classroom Champions
Students in 5B enjoyed hearing from Mimi Rahneva, Canadian Skeleton Champion, through the Classroom Champions program. They learned that even the experts deal with anxiety and disappointment, and that working toward your dreams takes dedication.
High school mentorship program visits BES
The Kindergarten students would like to thank Abbi W. and Martin M. from the High School Mentorship Program for all their help during the Tri Trapper Art Mentorship Day!
BES thanks NuVista for generous donation
BES would like to send a big thank you to NuVista Energy Ltd. for their $5000 donation to the School Snack Shack Program!
NOVEMBER
Trappers compete in Triple Ball tournament
Coached by Karissa Johnson, the BES Trappers were very successful in the Hythe Regional School Triple Ball Tournament! The students had a fantastic time, and brought home both gold and silver. Well done Trappers!
BES Remembers
BES students and staff would like to thank Andy Meggitt from the Royal Canadian Legion for attending and speaking at the school's Remembrance Day Ceremony on Thursday, November 9.
OCTOBER
Safety first
The BES Patrol Team has completed its training and is ready to help keep everyone safe!
BES honours National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
On September 29, students honoured the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by creating their own unique canvas, showcasing the message Every Child Matters and orange handprints.
SEPTEMBER
BES participates in annual Terry Fox Run
Mrs. Low's Monday/Wednesday Kindergarten class.
On September 21, students and staff laced up for the annual Terry Fox Run. Together, students raised over $1200 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
Students head to the pool
Skills students start the year off with some fun in the water!
Beaverlodge Regional High School
APRIL
Félicitations!
Left to right: Ashlynn Braseth, Alissa Amos, Brier Schoepp, Blaise Wilson, Bree Henry and teacher Lynn Nordhagen
Congratulations to our French 10 DELF A1 graduates! These students worked hard and successfully passed the international French proficiency test from France at the beginner level A1. Bravo!
FEBRUARY
BRHS to attend Regenerate Forest, Wildlife, and Climate Summit
BRHS has been selected as one of 20 Alberta and Northern BC high schools to attend the Regenerate Forest, Wildlife, and Climate Summit in Canmore from March 7-10.
This unique opportunity will bring four BRHS students to the outskirts of Canada's first national park to take part in keynote presentations, interactive workshops, field tours, and unique opportunities to learn with and from Alberta's leaders in forestry and wildlife; they will also have the opportunity to connect with student and teacher peers from across the province. Congratulations to our Beaverlodge Regional High School student representatives!
Students participate in Life Skills program
Students in the BRHS Life Skills program have been participating in a variety of meaningful work experience placements. A new partnership with the Town of Beaverlodge allows the use of the community bus once a week! We appreciate all the wonderful drivers who get our students to and from their work placements safely.
OCTOBER
Students prepare for Remembrance Day
Students have been working hard on their poems, essays, and posters for this year's Remembrance Day contest. The BRHS Remembrance Day ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 9 at 10:30 a.m., and parents and invited guests are welcome to join.
SEPTEMBER
CALM classes participate in career fair
On September 19, three BRHS CALM classes were invited to the first Kelly Lake career fair. Students heard about the Northern Lights Trades program, and met many local employers. They also enjoyed a free lunch and goodies that many of the employers were kind enough to hand out. Thank you Kelly Lake for inviting our students!
Bezanson School
NOVEMBER
Community connections
Mrs. Wanda Zenner, Legion Branch #244, and Renee Charbonneau from the Grande Prairie Veterans' Interpretive Centre welcomed the Grade 6 students to the Legion Hut where many local stories, artifacts, and photographs were shared. Students in Grade 6-9 then hosted Zoom meetings with Veteran Warrant Officer Glenn Miller.
Rock Your Mocs
Students participated in an opportunity to be united and celebrate tribal individuality by wearing moccasins, and honouring our ancestors and Indigneous peoples worldwide.
OCTOBER
Introducing Bezanson School's 2023-2024 Students' Union
Bezanson School promotes student representation and voice with the operations within the school. Bezanson Students' Union has already organized school spirit days, including Twin Day! The group is currently planning a school pep rally for the annual home volleyball tournament, and is very excited to be planning this year's Halloween activities and dance.
Check out these Trailblazers
Students at Bezanson School concluded their first school assembly awarding student Trailblazing Bulldog Awards. These students, from Kindergarten to Grade 9, demonstrated growth and leadership in a multitude of areas and truly blazed the trail for other students to follow. Congratulations!
Bonanza School
MARCH
Spirit Bears
With the help of our Indigenous Education Services team, the Grade 1/2 students created their own Spirit Bears. The students had so much fun, that we're hoping to make it a school-wide project next year!
Skiing at Worsley
On Friday, February 23, students in Grades 5-8 enjoyed a great day of skiing at Worsley Ski Hill.
Students learn about positive mental health
Students wrapped up their Big Life learning with Mrs. Dawson of the PWPSD Capacity Building Team by making their own unique t-shirts. The Capacity Building Team worked with students to build positive mental health literacy, and each shirt the students made showcased a positive slogan to remind them to be kind to themselves and others.
JANUARY
Keep moving
Thanks to Judith Lazenby, students from Kindergarten to Grade 4 now have an exercise bike. Set up with a worktable, the bike allows students to keep moving as they work!
A visit to Savanna Rec Centre
On December 18, students in Grades 1-4 had a fun day skating at the Savanna Rec Centre. After all that exercise, they even had the opportunity to warm up with a yummy lunch and decorate cookies provided by community member Theresa Akroyd.
DECEMBER
Students learn Braille
The Grade 5/6 students are well into their service project for CTF this year. They have learned about Braille cell and are currently brailling 100 picture books for students with visual impairments. Along with each brailled book, the students will be making an audio recording of the book. Saddle Hills County has generously donated the data sticks for the audio recordings. When the project is complete, the books and accompanying audio will be donated to Peace Collaborative Services to be used as the beginning of a Braille library.
OCTOBER
Busy with Bee Bots
Students in the Grade 1-2 class have been busy learning about coding! They've been using Bee Bots, programmable floor robots, in conjunction with literature to understand how to code.
Students participate in mock Council meeting
The Grade 5-6 students enjoyed learning about municipal government at a mock Council meeting at Saddle Hills County. Some of the students even had the opportunity to participate as the Reeve and Council members! Later, students received a tour of the County office and some of their services. A huge thank you to Saddle Hills County for their generous and engaging field trip!
SEPTEMBER
A trip to the pumpkin patch
The Grade 1-4 students enjoyed a fun field trip where they learned all about pumpkins! During their trip to the pumpkin patch they learned how pumpkins grow and what they are used for. Each student even had the opportunity to bring one home!
Clairmont Community School
MARCH
Pink Shirt Day
On February 28, students and staff at Clairmont Community School participated in Pink Shirt Day. Students either designed their own t-shirts or coloured pictures with anti-bullying messages. Thank you to Miss Kjemhus, our Grade 1 student teacher, for creating some beautiful bulletins near the gym with the students' artwork!
At CCS, students are expected to follow the Kodiak Code of Conduct, which emphasizes the importance of RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, and RESILIENCE.
Jump Rope for Heart
On February 29, CCS students enjoyed navigating a series of jumping activities during their gym class to practice various locomotor skills, and they all did great! Thank you Miss Kjemhus for helping set up all the awesome activities.
As a school, we raised $855 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A big congratulations to Koda M for raising $200, we hope you enjoy your prize!
Jump Rope for Heart raises awareness for students' heart and brain health, and has been organized across Canada for over 40 years!
NOVEMBER
CCS Remembers
On November 9, students and staff gathered to honour the brave men and women who fought for our freedom. The ceremony was opened by the junior high band, followed by the laying of wreaths. The Grade 1 class sang the song Make a Difference and the Grade 2 students read the poem Little Poppy. Grade 6 student Barrett Rogers read In Flanders Fields before everyone joined together for a moment of silence.
CCS Rocked their Mocs!
On November 15, CCS participated in Rock Your Mocs and enjoyed some class presentations with Alisha Lambert who explained the importance and significance of the day.
OCTOBER
Participarent Group provides tools for learning
The Grade 1 students would like to send a huge shout out to the Participarent Group for purchasing magnet boards! These boards are a great addition to the phonics program, and the students love building words and reading them out loud. We appreciate all you do for our school, thank you for all your kindness and support!
High school students build new schlockey boards for CCS
A BIG thank you to the shop students and Mr. Bogdanek from Sexsmith Secondary School for building new schlockey boards for our school! The students are thrilled to now have boards at every playground, and love using them during recess!
SEPTEMBER
Students visit the Clairmont Community Garden
The Grade 2 students started the year off with a fabulous afternoon at the Clairmont Community Garden. Every student walked home with a bag filled with fresh vegetables that they harvested themselves! A big thank you to the Clairmont Community Garden for making this happen every year!
Eaglesham School
JANUARY
Students celebrate the holidays
Students, staff, and families came together on December 15 to celebrate the holidays! The junior high students worked hard to cook an entire Christmas feast, while the Grade 12 students held a bake sale as their grad fundraiser. Elementary students enjoyed decorating cookies and making crafts with community volunteers before joining the rest of the school in an afternoon of carolling and watching a holiday movie. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it such a fun and successful day!
DECEMBER
Students gain hands-on experience
On Thursday, November 23, the junior and senior high students participated in a fun workshop hosted by Mr. Brian Burkhart from Saddle Hills Leatherwork and Mr. McKay. Mr. Burkhart introduced the students to leatherwork and Mr. McKay walked the students through building pond hockey nets for an upcoming event, they were both big hits!
NOVEMBER
A night in the trenches
Throughout the night of November 10, students honoured past and current troops by participating in a Night in the Trenches. Students spent time experiencing some of what soldiers would have experienced during the First World War.
Thank you everyone who joined our Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11.
Workshop Day
On October 31, junior and senior high students participated in a Workshop Day. Students chose between photography with Mrs. Lynn Connell, or shelter-building in the bush with Mr. McKay. Meanwhile, the Students' Union and grads worked hard to set up the Halloween Carnival!
OCTOBER
Kayaking down the Smoky River
The junior high Options class had a fantastic time kayaking down the Smoky River! Despite the wind that grew stronger throughout the trip, the students persevered and made great progress. Thank you Mr. McKay for the wonderful experience!
Elmworth School
APRIL
Quest Theatre visits Elmworth
Dani and Oliver from Quest Theatre spent a week with our students to put together a performance for each class, and on March 22, family and community members were invited to the school to watch the skits!
Grateful for Cenovus donation
We are extremely grateful to Cenovus Energy for their donation to our school. We've used their donation to purchase new desks, tables and chairs for our classrooms!
MARCH
Just Keep Swimming
Throughout February, students in Grades 1-6 participated in swimming lessons at the NuVista Energy Centre in Beaverlodge.
NOVEMBER
Cenovus Energy donates $10K to Elmworth School
A huge thank you goes to Cenovus Energy for donating more than $10,000 for new chairs and desks for our students!
OCTOBER
Eagles of the Month
Congratulations to the September Eagles of the Month! Kessler Funk (left), Bryer Miller (absent), and Brooke Funk (right) were honoured during an assembly earlier this month. Great work, we are so proud!
Harry Balfour School
APRIL
Pi Day
Harry Balfour School's Participarent held a Pie Throw to raise money for the new playground. Our Pie Throw raised $500 and brought lots of laughs and cheers! Thank you to our Participarent group for organizing, selling tickets, and helping with the cleanup!
Team Bengals
The junior high students celebrated the end of the semester by spending time with friends at a few local fun spots. Students chose to spend their day at Whiskers Cat Café, Hornbrook Hollow MiniGlow Golf, or Bowling Stones. They had a blast and enjoyed some time off campus.
Badminton wraps up
Congratulations to our badminton team! A huge thank you to Ms. Carroll and Mr. Groff for coaching and supervising.
Learning Science
Ms. Odenbach's Grade 6 students enjoyed exploring the properties of air. They quickly came to the conclusion that air takes up space and exerts pressure.
Learning about life cycles
Mrs. Edwards hatched chicks in her Grade 1 classroom, and shared them with the whole school. Students enjoyed holding the fluffy chicks and learning about the life cycles of chickens.
MARCH
Bengals hit the slopes
Students in Grades 4-8 enjoyed some fresh air and sunshine as they hit the slopes. Junior high students enjoyed an overnight trip to Jasper, while other students enjoyed their time at Nitehawk Adventure Park.
Playground fundraising
Harry Balfour School is extremely thankful to our local community for the generous support in making our playground dreams come true! Due to a number of donations, we have nearly hit our Phase 2 Playground Goal.
Once a Bengal, Always a Bengal
On May 15, Harry Balfour School alumni and community members are invited to tour the school one last time. We are lucky to have generations of families attend our school. To honour all the students and teachers who spent years walking our halls, we are hosting a Blast from the Past event. Decades of yearbooks will be available to flip through, and donations and memorial trees will be available for purchase.
Legacy Trees
Harry Balfour Volunteer and Participarent has partnered with Pelster Tree Farm and Rentco Equipment Ltd. for a tree fundraiser to create a windbreak at our new school. Community members are invited to plant a tree in memory, as a current or former staff member, as a legacy family, or as a community member. 40 out of 75 trees have already been sold! A permanent donor wall will be installed inside the new HBS foyer for all the donors names to be displayed.
FEBRUARY
Pancake Breakfast
A huge thank you to Tu Casa Group for sponsoring our school-wide pancake breakfast! We had lots of parent volunteers, who made and served over 800 pancakes and sausages. It was the best day ever!
Grade 3s go swimming
As part of the physical education program, the Grade 3 students had the opportunity to spend some time at the Eastlink Centre pool for swimming lessons!
Spreading the love
Our young Bengals created special Valentine's Day cards and sent them to local senior homes and neighbourhoods.
Replacement school well on its way
The Harry Balfour Replacement School is coming along nicely. The gym floor is now done and ready for all the future tournaments, and the walls are waiting for banners to be hung!
JANUARY
HBS hosts annual Christmas concert
Harry Balfour students helped spread Christmas cheer to families, friends and community members through their annual Christmas concert. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 4 performed on stage, while the older students help create the beautiful nutcracker decorations and volunteered their time to help make the event a success. It was heartwarming to see HBS families gather together to celebrate.
A silent auction was set up by Participarent and donations were taken at the door to raise money for the playground at the new Harry Balfour Replacement School. Thank you to everyone who helped with the event and came to support our students.
SADD Liquor Bag Winner
Congratulations to Madelyn Dembicki for her winning submission to SADD's (Students Against Drunk Driving) Alberta liquor bag campaign! Before Christmas, students were invited to decorate a liquor bag to help highlight the importance of drinking responsibly. Once decorated, the liquor bags were distributed to local liquor stores to use throughout the holidays.
Chess and Darts Club
Chess Club with Ms. Baker and Darts Club with Mr. Groff will be starting up soon! Students in Grades 5-8 will have more opportunities to get together and have some fun during lunch and indoor recesses. Students will have the chance to learn or improve their skills with these more unconventional school activities.
Chess Club is open to students in Grades 5-8, Darts Club is open to students in Grades 6-8.
DECEMBER
Bengal Brawl
Harry Balfour School's courts were full of young tripleball players during the first ever Bengal Brawl! Grade 5/6 tripleball players from HBS, Robert W. Zahara School, Teepee Creek School, and Whispering Ridge Community School came together for a fun tournament. Junior high students from HBS officiated and coached the teams. A big thank you to Mr. Wright for organizing such a fun event!
A trip to the Eco Centre
The Grade 4 students enjoyed their trip to the Eco Centre, where they learned all about recycling!
Getting creative in Foods
HBS is excited about all the new opportunities our new school will bring, especially the Foods room! How do you have Foods class without a Food room? You get creative in the science lab!
Mentorship opportunities
Our older students have been enjoying the opportunity to mentor younger Bengals. They read books, completed collaborative art projects, and spent some time outside. Bengals young and old enjoyed their time together!
NOVEMBER
HBS Remembers
Harry Balfour School hosted two Remembrance Day ceremonies that both saw lots of student participation. Students sang, read poems, and emceed the events. Many community members were in attendance, and students and staff honoured HBS family members who are veterans. Our very own Laynia won second place in the Legion's black and white poster contest!
Métis Week
Students spent some time this month learning about Métis culture. Ms. Price went into different classrooms and taught students about the Métis sash and flag, did some jigging and an Indigenous artist study, and taught students some Michif. Thank you Ms. Price for all your hard work sharing Indigenous culture and traditional ways of knowing with our young Bangals.
Mustaches for men's mental health
A few young entrepreneurs decided to raise awareness and funds for men's mental health by selling mustaches to students. Kids enjoyed their new facial hair and celebrating Movember together!
OCTOBER
Fall Fair
HBS hosted its Fall Fair with its School Family Teams. Family teams are multi-graded teams that students participate on for the entire time they are a HBS student, and focus on building community and connections through play, art, and food. During the Fall Fair, students played some games, donned some school tattoos, created a school-wide art project, and enjoyed a cheese bun and pepperoni snack. The students made new friends and shared lots of laughs!
Staff give back
Every year, the Draft Horse Light Club donates money to HBS's breakfast program, and this year, HBS staff decided to give back. Mrs. Lavallee and Ms. Clevette volunteered with the light show set up at Evergreen Park. They even met HBS alumni who shared stories about the school!
Culture Camp comes to HBS
Thank you Barb and Sandy Goodswimmer, and the PWPSD Indigenous Education Services team for sharing their knowledge with the students of 5V and 6O. The group made bannock over a fire, learned about transition herbs and berries, and made tea. The students were shown how to make many different things out of willow branches, and got to practice hunting with a bow and arrow and spear. The day ended with a moose call and Cree song. Students and staff were very grateful for this learning opportunity.
SEPTEMBER
Bringing Indigenous education into the classroom
Mrs. Hutchinson's Grade 2 class participated in an Indigenous Sharing Circle with Mrs. Badger. The Sharing Circle focused on active listening, taking turns, and showing respect to each other. The students will continue to practice what they learned throughout the school year.
Reading Buddies
Students in 4P have made connections with their reading buddies from 2H, and have been practicing being role models to the younger students. Everyone enjoyed the time they spent reading together!
Robotics
As the chosen option for this term, the junior high students have been participating in Robotics! Robotics offers hands-on experience with robotic kits while allowing students to explore engineering and mathematics through an artistic lens.
HBS Run Club
This year, 50 students signed up to be part of the Grade 3-6 Run Club! Ms. Pascut, Ms. Carroll, and Ms. Gibson run the club and help train participants for events like the Terry Fox Run, Roots and Rut Trail Race, and Bezanson Bog. Congratulations to Joey and Ben Ferguson, Addy and Penny Gander, and Ms. Pascut for completing the Roots and Rut Trail Race!
Helen E. Taylor School
JANUARY
A moment of Science
Grade 9 students learn about matter and chemical changes in Science.
HET Meteorologists
Students in 5/6B have been taking daily weather recordings and sharing the data to CoCoRaHS, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network. This organization collects recordings from volunteers to measure and map precipitation. The data collected is then used by various weather networks to support weather predictions and recordings.
HET's station location is CAN-AB-246.
NOVEMBER
Spooky numbers
The Grade 5 students combined math with Halloween by weighing pumpkins before and after they were carved, counting seeds, and graphing pumpkin weights.
Learning about echolocation
Lennon Bloxham was given the opportunity to spend two days with Daniel Kish (left), American expert in human echolocation and President of World Access for the Blind, and his friend Derrick (right). They spent time practicing echolocation at the school, Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, Eastlink Centre, and Prairie Mall. It was an amazing opportunity for Lennon and he has been enjoying using his new skill at school!
OCTOBER
Motivational Magic
Students enjoyed the Motivational Magic Show by Steve Harmer, which included meaningful messages that inspire, educate, and motivate.
HET donates to the Terry Fox Foundation
Congratulations to the students and staff at HET for raising $1400 for the Terry Fox Foundation!
Hythe Regional School
APRIL
HRS visits Italy
The HRS Travel Club spent Spring Break travelling Italy! 17 Grade 9 students and three fearless teachers spent 12 days visiting Verona, Venice, Florence, Pompeii, Capri, the Sorrento Region, and Rome! It was a whirlwind trip across Italy as the group experienced extreme downpours and beautiful sunny days of up to 25 degrees. The students learned a lot, took hundreds of photos, tried some new food, and enjoyed places they had only seen in pictures.
FEBRUARY
Basketball wraps up with gold medal
Congratulations to the A Girls Basketball team for playing hard and earning the gold medal at the Bezanson tournament! We are extremely proud of all our basketball teams for a successful season of skill development and sportsmanship. A big thank you to all our coaches for their dedication to our athletes. Excellent job everyone!
Congratulations Brie and Gabe!
Congratulations to our very own Brie Harris for being nominated for Athlete of the Year in swimming!
Another one of our students, Gabe Johnston, and his bowling team won bronze at the Youth Bowling Provincials in Calgary! We are so very proud of both our athletes!
Our own Passionate Hearts
Two of our valued Educational Assistants were honoured at the 2024 Passionate Heart Awards ceremony. They are extremely deserving of their nominations and we are so grateful to have them on our team!
Welcome to Canada!
The students in 7B have been busy learning about pre-confederation Canada in their Social Studies class. To wrap up their unit, they used mapping skills to choose a fur trade location, wrote a report describing the way of life in their settlement and created a visual representation of the settlement.
NOVEMBER
Students support Northern Spirit Light Show
On November 13, the HRS Travel Club went into Grande Prairie to help the Peace Draft Horse Club set up for the Northern Spirit Light Show Gala. The students worked hard and quickly to set up tables and chairs for the big event. They did an amazing job and had a great time. The members of the Peace Draft Horse Club were very thankful and impressed with their work ethic. Great job everyone!
Junior Jiggers perform during Métis Week
The HRS Junior Jiggers performed at Penson School to help celebrate Métis Week. They showcased their fancy steps for the Red River Jig and the Infinity dance to represent the Métis flag. After their performance, they taught the Red River Jig to the whole school. It was a wonderful time of fun and learning in honour of Métis heritage.
HRS Remembrance Day Ceremony
Students held their annual Remembrance Day Ceremony commemorating the more than 2.3 million Canadians who have served in the military, and more than 118,000 Canadians who have died in military service since Confederation.
On the afternoon of November 9, students in 3P, 4M, and 4/5G sang several songs from the Second World War era and the handbell choir performed at Pearson Place, Hythe Pioneer Homes, and Hythe Continuing Care Centre. Their visit was deeply appreciated by the seniors.
HRS hosts Girls Volleyball Zones
HRS was honoured to host the 3J Girls Volleyball Zones in early November. There was some extremely tough competition and the Sr. A Girls team came away with a hard-earned silver. Congratulations to all the players! We are very proud of our team, coaches and all our supporters.
OCTOBER
Go Panthers!
Congratulations to the Girls Golf Team for winning Gold, and to the Boys Gold Team for winning Silver at Zones! Sadie Deschipper also brought home Bronze for Overall Top Female!
Congratulations to the Senior A Girls Volleyball Team for winning Gold at the Comp Tournament in Grande Prairie.
Junior Jiggers perform for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
We are very proud of the HRS Junior Jiggers! They have been working very hard and have performed at the school and throughout the community. They did a wonderful job at Muskoseepi Park for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ceremony.
Ukuleles a new option for Music students
Our Music program has recently acquired ukuleles! We are very excited to see our students perform in upcoming classes and performances.
SEPTEMBER
HRS places first in Beaverlodge Heritage Festival Parade
On September 8, students and staff participated in the Beaverlodge Heritage Festival Parade where they won first place in the Spirit category! Students sang, danced, and ran the streets to promote HRS and share their school spirit. Go Panthers!
Grade 4s learn about waste
Students show off their souvenirs.
The Grade 4 class spent some time out and about when they visited the bottle depot and then the Clairmont landfill the following day as part of their Waste Unit. The students loved their field trips, and they even got to take home some 'souvenirs' from the Sharing Shack!
HRS hosts annual Terry Fox Run
HRS held its annual Terry Fox Run where students in Grades 1-9 and staff all enjoyed beautiful weather as they ran for an excellent cause.
Senior A Girls volleyball brings home silver
Congratulations to the Senior A Girls volleyball team for bringing home silver! The team participated in their first tournament of the year in Sexsmith, and represented the school at a high standard, while getting some valuable skill development.
La Glace School
APRIL
Jump Rope for Heart
We are very proud of our students and their efforts to fundraise for heart health. Our small, but mighty school raised $2925! Students' names were entered into a draw for some awesome prizes. Great job everyone!
Capture the Ring
On Sunglasses Day we played a school-wide Capture the Ring game. Students and staff braved the cool wind and intense competition ensued! Thank you Mrs. Moodie and the leadership group for organizing all these fun events!
One last ski trip
The Grade 4-9 students were fortunate to be able to hit the slopes at Nitehawk Adventure Park before the ski season wrapped up. Memories were made and fun was had by students, staff and our parent volunteers!
Testing our skills
While the older students are away, the Grade 3s will play! The Grade 3 students baked muffins and completed a fun STEM challenge while the Grade 4-9s were skiing.
Pi Day
On March 14, the Junior High Culinary Academy decorated some Pi Day-themed cookies to celebrate.
Easter Egg Hunt
A big thank you to Vision Credit Union for sponsoring an Easter egg scavenger hunt for all our students! Your gift of time and some really fun prizes was greatly appreciated!
MARCH
Cookie Decorating 101
Grade 7-9 students had the opportunity to learn how to decorate cookies with the help of Cate of Grate Sweets and Treats. They had a great time learning the ins and outs of royal icing!
Kindergarten goes curling
The Kindergarten class had an awesome time during Curling Try-It Day! The students were very enthusiastic and can't wait to go again!
Coding with Botleys
Grade 1 and 2 students got a coding lesson with robots! They will be exploring how to program their Botleys to follow paths, move around objects, and complete mazes.
Students create their own electric cars
As part of their Options class, students in Grades 3/4 made their own electric cars. They learned the basics of electricity and the components of a simple circuit.
FEBRUARY
Arctic Adventurer John Dunn visits La Glace
La Glace School welcomed John Dunn to share about his Arctic journeys. Mr. Dunn shared some amazing photos, alongside stories of innovation and perseverance. Mr. Dunn, thank you for joining us and allowing us to experience a part of your travels!
Wolverines Wheelchair Sports Association
Our junior high students had a blast with the Wolverines Wheelchair Sports Association learning how to play wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey! What an amazing opportunity to try something new. It was an intense upper body workout and the students had an awesome time!
La Glace Basketball
Our upper elementary and junior high students have been working hard to improve their basketball skills and knowledge. At recess they can be found getting extra shooting practice in order to sharpen their game. Thank you to coaches and teachers Mr. Campbell and Mrs. Buhler for supporting their efforts!
Cookie Grams
To share notes of appreciation, while helping out a good cause, students and staff purchased cookie grams from the Junior High Leadership team. Our small school purchased over 210 cookies, with all proceeds going to Jump Rope for Heart! We will also be collecting donations and participating in jumping activities to raise even more money for this amazing cause.
Iroquois Longhouses
The Grade 5/6 students created longhouses to help them understand the significance of the Iroquois Confederacy's communal living and unique culture that played an important role in the creation of the Canada we know today.
Students create their own Medicine Wheels
This month, the Grade 1 and 2 students had the opportunity to learn about the Medicine Wheel. Alisha Lambert, our Indigenous Service Provider, visited and explained the different seasons, animals, plants, and colours of the Medicine Wheel. It was a great learning opportunity, and the students had a great time!
Baking cookies
The Grade 3/4 students put their culinary skills to the test - baking cookies! As part of their options class, students made use of the cooking lab to bake a tasty snack.
JANUARY
Santa's Workshop
Students made crafts and purchased gifts for friends and family at Santa's Workshop. Organized by leadership students, members of the community donated gently used or new items for students to purchase. All proceeds raised were donated to Bandaged Paws.
Students go skating
In December, the junior high students had the opportunity to join the Kindergarten class on the ice. Thanks to La Glace Agricultural Society, students in Grades 1-6 have also been enjoying the local rink!
Drum Workshop
Students and staff were excited to have Al Crawford visit the school. As an avid singer and song composer originally from Bigstone Cree Nation, Mr. Crawford taught our students all about drumming!
Engaging Science
To start off their Chemistry unit, the Grade 9 students completed a Foam in a Cup chemical reaction lab.
The Grade 7/8 students created cell models out of any material they wanted; some were very tasty!
Viewsonic TVs arrive
Grade 5 Math students were thrilled to use one of the school's new Viewsonic TVs for vertical surface work! Four new Viewsonic interactive televisions were generously donated to La Glace School by the La Glace Booster Club, and were installed right before the Christmas Break.
Creative Math
The Grade 7/8 Math class completed a final project where they built a city using different 2D and 3D shapes. The students came up with some very creative designs!
DECEMBER
20 years of hot lunch
La Glace School community members have been serving hot lunch to the junior high students every Wednesday for the past 20 years! Thank you to the generosity of local volunteers for improving our school culture and providing healthy lunch options to our students!
Trickster Theatre
For the month of November, La Glace School welcomed Trickster Theatre for a residency program. With the help of a team of artists, students presented Farming, Past, Present & Future. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to create and perform a show using physical theatre styles!
La Glace gives to the food bank
For the month of November, our Leadership Team organized a food drive to benefit the Sexsmith Food Bank. In total, over 1000 items of food were collected. We are very proud of our students and community's generosity!
NOVEMBER
Remembrance Day Ceremony
The La Glace community came together to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war. Students sang, recited poems, shared original writing, and the Performing Arts Academy performed a tableaux. Thanks to our special guest Steven Chateauneuf for playing the bagpipes.
Hands-on Science
The Grade 7/8 class did a density bottle lab in Science, which was really interesting! The kids found out the different densities between rubbing alcohol, water, UV beads and coloured beads. The Grade 3/4 class made kaleidoscopes to explore how reflecting light creates patterns of colour.
Student of the Week
Congratulations Selah Buhler for being named La Glace School's Youth of the Week in the Town and Country News! Selah is always willing to help out in any capacity at school - from helping supervise the Kindergarten Terry Fox Run to organizing school-wide events. She is compassionate, dedicated to her academics, athletics and music.
The Ghostly Rap
Performance Art Academy students put on a Halloween play, The Ghostly Rap, for their fellow students and guests. It was a hauntingly good time!
OCTOBER
Frisbee Rob
La Glace School welcomed "Frisbee Rob" Macleod and his teammate Sailor! Frisbee Rob currently holds 13 Guinness World Records, 14 World Championships and the Canadian Distance Record. He spent the day teaching the students about physical literacy, resiliency, kindness, and self-awareness, while demonstrating his awesome frisbee skills!
Performance Art Academy
The Performing Arts students put on a display for their fellow classmates and guests! The students performed and worked on sound and set design.
Athletic Academy visits Champion Gym
The Gator Sports Academy had an intense workout at Champion Gym! They learned how to properly throw a jab, right hand, hook, and uppercut from experienced boxers Randy and Alex.
La Glace raises over $5000 for Terry Fox Foundation
On September 22, students and staff ran in support of the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research. Together, the students raised $5,175 for the foundation, and the top earning class won a chance to drench Mr. Campbell with water balloons! Top earner Raylee Meijaard even had the opportunity to present Mrs. Moodie with a pie in the face. We are very proud of our students and community for coming together for a great cause.
SEPTEMBER
Students give back
Something new has arrived at La Glace School! Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the school community, students, staff, and families can now enjoy a beautiful new gazebo from Heritage Barns!
Sports Academy
Gator Academy is offering plenty of new opportunities for students in Grades 5-9 this year! The Sports Academy headed out to the South Bear Creek trails on its first outdoor trip of the year. It was an amazing opportunity for students to experience mountain biking with Nitehawk!
Swimming lessons at Beaverlodge pool
Students in Grades 1-4 have been hopping on the bus and heading to Beaverlodge for swimming lessons! Thanks to a grant from the County of Grande Prairie, students are able to participate in lessons and learn this very important skill.
Nutrition Program gets boost from TAQA North
Thanks to the generous $4000 donation from TAQA North, the school is able to offer snacks and subsidized meals to students! Thank you TAQA North, your donation has made a huge impact at La Glace School!
Talking sticks with Indigenous Education Services
Students in Grades 1 and 2 created their own talking sticks with the guidance of PWPSD's Indigenous Service Provider Alisha Lambert. The unique talking sticks will be used for restorative practices and sharing circles.
Coding Ozobots
The Grade 3/4 students learned how to code Ozobots using different colour combinations. Next, they will be using online coding to make their Ozobots move in different ways and change colours!
Peace Wapiti Academy
APRIL
Students visit Greece
Some lucky PWA students spent their Spring Break in Europe, exploring Greece!
Girls basketball team heads to Provincials
The Senior Girls Basketball team was sent off to Provincials with a hallway full of cheers and support.
Spring training begins
Our football team's spring training is in full swing!
Spring concert
After plenty of practice, our school band participated in the Peace Wapiti & District Spring Concert.
Practicing for the DELF
The Grade 9 French class performed a bakery skit to practice for the upcoming DELF oral exams.
MARCH
Senior Girls take Zones
Congratulations to our Senior Girls Basketball team on their Zone Championship win! We wish them luck at Provincials!
PWA represented at Alberta Honour Band
Six PWA students participated, along with 200 students from across Alberta, in two different bands for Alberta Honour Band. They spent a weekend practicing, attending instrumental clinics and performing at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton.
Junior Boys bring home bronze
Congratulations to the Junior Boys Basketball team on their well deserved bronze medal! Players traveled to High Level where they competed in the Zone Championships. The boys fought hard, but with just two points behind came in second to Charles Spencer, which sent them to the bronze medal game. The Titans played hard and beat the Composite Pheonix to bring home the bronze.
Cosmetology welcomes special guest
Guest artist Sarah Jane joined Mrs. Brown's Cosmetology class to teach students how to wax eyebrows.
Pink Shirt Day
Art Client Services
FEBRUARY
Wilderness Walk
On Friday, February 9, Dr. Vavrek took the Outdoor Education 20 students for a lovely walk to start the day!
Fire Cadet Program
Members of the County of Grande Prairie's Fire Service came to share information about its new Fire Cadet program. Students were engaged and asked thoughtful questions!
GLSP students gain unique work experience
Students in the General Learning Support Program have been working with the County Fire Department as part of their work experience. Everyone from the County has been phenomenal and the students have thoroughly enjoyed their time!
DECEMBER
Cosmo students get hands-on experience
Brooke shows off her 17-18-19 strand braids, Presley learns to wax eyebrows
Emma colours Mrs. Kalmbach's hair, Emma gives Mrs. Nielsen pink hair
Cosmetology 10
NOVEMBER
Linebacker of the League
Coach Kyle Kalmbach and Dominic Bryce
Congratulations to Dominic Bryce for being named Linebacker of the League during the MPFL year end football banquet!
Boys volleyball having successful season
The Senior Boys Volleyball team has been working hard this season. Placing in the top three in their last four tournaments, the boys are currently ranked second in Alberta!
Tournament results:
U of A tournament - 2nd out of 32 teams
Tri Volleyball Tournament, Sherwood Park - 3rd
Northwestern Polytechnic Howler Cup - 1st
Barrhead Invitational - 1st
Students visit Cutbank Falls
The Outdoor Ed classes had the opportunity to hike to Cutbank Falls, where they enjoyed the view while cooking their own backpack meals.
Women in Trades
Students participated in the ATCO Women in Trades event.
OCTOBER
PWA honours National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Students and staff dressed in orange to spread the message that Every Child Matters.
Fred Curatolo visits PWA
On September 28, Fred Curatolo, who is considered to be one of Alberta's foremost cartoonists, presented to students. Throughout the presentation, students gained insight into interpreting and understanding editorial cartoons.
Foods students prepare for parent-teacher interviews
Foods 20/30 students Dawson Reum and Michael Livingston practiced making caramel carrot cake to share during the PWA parent-teacher interviews.
Developing the past
Media Design student Kairi High learns how to develop film the old school way.
Science 20 students head outside
The Science 20 students participated in a community involved field trip hosted by Inside Education, where they conducted a Forest Field Study at Evergreen Park!
Cross country wraps up
Congratulations to the Titans who participated at this year's Cross Country Zones! Alana Paziuk claimed bronze in the senior women's 5km, and all of our high school participants qualified for Provincials!
Senior Volleyball players mentor future stars
The PWA Senior Boys Volleyball team hosted the Hythe Regional School boys' team for a mini volleyball clinic. The older players worked with the younger boys on skills and drills. PWA staff are very proud of these boys for their good citizenship and service.
Junior volleyball teams win silver
Congratulations to both junior volleyball teams for finishing the volleyball season strong. The girls and boys' teams both came home with silver medals!
Senior boys win Barrhead Invitational
The PWA Senior Boys Volleyball team swept the competition at the Barrhead Invitational Volleyball Tournament. They played hard and came out victorious with a 15-10 win over the Beaverlodge Regional High School Royals.
PWA Titans and BRHS Royals
Family ties
During the Barrhead Invitational final we saw family members on opposite sides of the court! Brothers Ethan and Raeden Villiger played for BRHS, while cousin David Villiger played for PWA and was coached by his dad René Villiger.
Senior girls place third in Barrhead
Congratulations to the Senior Girls Volleyball team for winning bronze at the Barrhead Invitational Volleyball Tournament, where they beat Saint Albert Catholic High School in the final match.
Titans head to playoffs
The PWA Titans Football team has headed to the playoffs with a 4-3 record. Photo courtesy of JM Burke Photography.
SEPTEMBER
PWA Showcase
On September 8, students and staff took an hour off of school work for some fun!
Students help improve PWA cafeteria
Before
After
Thank you to the student focus group for their input on how to improve the cafeteria area; the results are fantastic!
Outdoor Ed. students hit the water
The Outdoor Ed. students enjoyed paddling around the Muskoseepi Park reservoir.
Junior girls volleyball wins bronze
Congratulations to the Junior Girls volleyball team for bringing home bronze from the Sexsmith Secondary School tournament!
PWA golf team earns second place
Congratulations to the PWA golf team! After 18 holes they had a combined score of 240, just slightly behind the first place score of 237.
Chase Zavacky - 79
Grady Clarkson - 81
Lucas Doerksen - 92
Broden Lebrun - 97
Chase and Grady both scored their personal best in a tournament setting, and among all the others individually placed second (Chase) and fourth (Grady)!
Penson School
MARCH
Students donate to Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation
The Penson School Student Council is so excited to share the incredible success of its Teddy Bear Drive! This annual event invites students to collect new teddy bears to donate to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation. Many sick kids have benefited from these bears, and Penson School is so proud of the community support it received for this event.
FEBRUARY
Reading Buddies
Written by students Emersyn Berens and Jacob Hillis: This month, we had grade 6 and kindergarten reading buddies. The grade six students helped the kindergarten class with spelling, reading, and writing. They all had a lot of fun!
Along with Reading buddies we also had Family Literacy Day at the school this month, it was a blast!
OCTOBER
Penson thankful for local donations
The students and staff at Penson School would like to thank Pipestone Energy for their contribution to a new scoreboard for the school! They'd also like to thank TAQA North for its $4000 donation, which will go toward extra sports programming.
Welcome to the family
Thank you Wendy and Cory Gundersen for kindly donating two turtles to the school!
Small engine program
We'd like to send a big thank you to Riley Hillis for supporting our students in the small engine program.
Ridgevalley School
FEBRUARY
Ridgevalley School celebrates Literacy Week
Students and staff had a wonderful time celebrating Literacy Week!
Kindergarten students dressed up as their favourite authors
Students learn to curl
From mid-January to mid-February the Ridgevalley School PE classes took to the rink. Students in Grades 4-10 had the opportunity to learn the basics of curling at the DeBolt Centre Curling Rink and they had a great time!
On February 11, students had the opportunity to test their new skills in a bonspiel against Bezanson School.
King Arthur's Quest
The Missoula Children's Theatre stopped by Ridgevalley School to work with over 50 students to prepare two performances of King Arthur's Quest for the community to enjoy.
100 days of school
The Grade 1 students made 100th day trail mix, which they had to sort and skip count, to celebrate 100 days of learning!
Lighting of the Cauldron
Former Ridgevalley School student Sebastian Anderson was asked as a Special Olympics athlete to participate in the Lighting of the Cauldron for the Alberta Winter Games. On February 10, Sebastian, accompanied by fellow athlete Emma Holton, participated in the Torch Relay at Muskoseepi Park in Grande Prairie.
Robert W. Zahara School
SEPTEMBER
Back to School BBQ
Thanks to the generosity of Amy and Jesse Morgan from Dynamic Energy, on September 11, RWZ held its Back to School BBQ for students, staff, and families. The event gives families a chance to meet the staff, tour the school, and make connections with other families. It is a wonderful event that made possible by the kindness of one of the RWZ families.
The power of one person
Students and staff participated in the annual Terry Fox Run and worked together to collect donations for the Terry Fox Foundation. Classes discussed the importance of goal setting, perseverance and resilience, and how one person can make a big difference, just like Grade 6 student Evan Sellwood.
Evan has been instrumental in the school's fundraising success. He lost his grandfather to cancer and has spent years raising money for cancer research. This year, his personal goal was $2000, and he ment it with the support of his friends and family.
Congratulations to Evan and the rest of the RWZ students for their fundraising efforts. The school's 2023 goal is set at $5000, and thanks to everyone's support and hard work that goal has already been surpassed!
Class Buddies
The RWZ Class Buddy program sees older and younger classes buddied up to read, work on math, or play games. The students also help each other when there are school-wide events and walks. The older students enjoy being mentors and the younger ones enjoy having an older friend at school.
(Left to right) Kinley and Mya last year Mya and Kinley this year
Mya and Kinley, who are now in Grades 2 and 6, got to know each other when their classes were buddied up last year. Mya recently celebrated her birthday and was excited to announce that her friend's birthday was the day before hers. No one expected her friend to be in Grade 6! The two students even met up during recess and posed for an updated photo.
To the Post Office
The three Grade 2 classes enjoyed the story, To the Post Office with Mama, written by local author Sue Farrell. The story was written when the author lived in Sexsmith, and inside the cover is a map of Sexsmith in the mid-90s. The students followed the map and took pictures at the different locations featured in the book. They are now working to recreate the map and share them with their classmates.
Cross-Country Running
On September 21, 60 cross-country runners participated in the Dreamer's Lake Race. The students showed great determination and perseverance. Thank you Mr. Warr for working with this great group of students this year!
Rycroft School
DECEMBER
PJs and Pancakes
On November 27, to kick off Term 2, students enjoyed pancakes in their PJs!
Savanna School
OCTOBER
Savanna School set to build $30K sensory room
Catalogue photo of sensory room from National Autism Resources
Savanna School has partnered with the Savanna Daycare to build a $30,000 state of the art sensory room designed to support and enhance the learning and developmental experiences of its students and daycare children. This project has been made possible by the $20,000 Program and Activities Grant from Saddle Hills County.
Children and individuals with sensory processing disorders, ADHD, Autism, and other exceptionalities often find sensory rooms to be beneficial in providing a safe space where they can explore, develop, and engage with their senses in a controlled manner. They also aid in developing key skills such as motor skills, spatial orientation, and social interaction while providing a tranquil environment where they can retreat when the sensory input of the regular environment becomes overwhelming.
Stacey Warrick, Board Chair of Savanna Daycare, expresses immense gratitude. "We are sincerely thankful to Saddle Hills County for their generous grant, which has brought us a step closer to realizing our vision of a sensory room. This facility will not only serve our immediate community, but set a precedent for how schools and daycare centres can collaborate for the betterment of our children's developmental journeys."
Mr. Chris Young adds, "It is collaborations like these that pave the way for impactful developments in our educational frameworks. The sensory room will be a haven for our students, ensuring they have the right tools and environment to navigate through their sensory experiences and learning journeys."
Construction of the sensory room is anticipated to begin soon and the room is expected to be operational in the new year.
SEPTEMBER
Rock climbing wall now open!
The Savanna School rock climbing wall is now open! Thanks to a very generous donation from Saddle Hills County, and a construction-filled summer, students now have something extra special to enjoy.
Left to right: Deputy Superintendent Darren Young and Ward 2 Trustee Blaine Riding test the rock climbing wall.
Sexsmith Secondary School
APRIL
Students visit Italy and Croatia
The SSS Travel Club spent Spring Break in Europe! Students travelled to Italy and Croatia, and soaked up the amazing views and incredible history, and made memories to last a lifetime.
Successful building semester
Students enjoyed their time building their own construction projects!
MARCH
Introducing Scummins
Mr. Brundige's Automotive 30 students hit their first engine pull milestone of the semester. The C60, now a hollowed out husk of (not so) scrap metal is ready for a cleanup and rebirth into a diesel burning masterpiece that will henceforth be known as the Scummins. You may remember this shop as also being the creator of the well-know RamCharger that was featured in Diesel World Magazine.
Senior Girls Provincial Three-Peat
The SSS Senior Girls Curling team has brought home the Provincial Gold for the third year in a row. Hayden Young, Lola Rasi, and Alexandra Collins played all three years and recently picked up Emma Heringer for this final year of high school. The girls played amazingly, with a lot of close games that came down to the final rock.
Our mixed team was also there representing our zone, losing out on the semi-finals by a millimeter!
From Rurals to Provincials
Upon completing a very long weekend to Stirling, Alberta, SSS had two individuals qualify for Provincials on March 8 and 9. In addition, we have two athletes leaving for the Arctic Winter Games in Alaska!
JANUARY
Leaders of Tomorrow
Holly Ruigrok and Robert Nelson
Alyssa Brown and Jenna Peterson
The City of Grande Prairie and VolunteerGP recently announced the 2023 Volunteer Award recipients, and among the winners were four Sexsmith Secondary students. Congratulations to Holly Ruigrok and Robert Nelson for being recognized for their leadership, Alyssa Brown for her volunteerism, and Jenna Peterson for her advocacy.
The Leaders of Tomorrow awards help celebrate all the community volunteers for their contribution to a more inclusive and caring community.
Bogdanek Horse Shelter
The Building Construction 20/30 class designed, built, and sold a horse shelter to the Radomske family. The students did an amazing job and are very proud of what they have accomplished. Building structures to sell is a big part of the Building Construction 20/30 program. Having someone trust their carpentry skills is a great motivator to build a product they are proud of for a client.
Future Space Workers
The Grade 9 students enjoyed creating and testing lunar rover mission plans to search for water on the moon. It's a magical moment when every single student is engaged, working together to problem solve, ask questions, and strategize. They will be writing up proposals for submission to win a chance to operate an actual rover in a simulated lunar environment.
Making Biodiesel
Ms. Creighton's Chemistry students and Mr. Brundige's Mechanics students bravely ventured into the cross-curricular world of Science and Mechanics as they created biodiesel fuel from used fryer oil. This simple three ingredient recipe will soon be ready to be turned into fuel for the Ramcharger, and its by-product (glycerine) into hand soap!
DECEMBER
Senior volleyball celebrates another great season
The SSS men's team wrapped up the season with a bronze medal at Zones, while the women's team lit things up with a bronze finish at Provincials!
Both Aimee Nelson and Holly Palfy received individual Sportsmanship Awards from the host committee. Aimee's award highlighted her attitude and sportsmanship toward the other teams, as well as her leadership as she initiated helping the host committee clean up after the banquet. Holly received her award for her amazing team attitude and cheerful, contagious spirits during each match throughout the weekend.
We are so proud of both our teams and their coaches, congratulations!
Football Provincials
Congratulations to our Football players on another successful season! The team made it all the way to the Provincial semi-finals!
Annie Jr. coming in January
Our inaugural musical will be presented at SSS on January 14, 15 & 16, 2024. Performers from our Musical Theatre class will be singing their way through songs of optimism and humour. Sandy's dog will even be in attendance.
Tickets can be secured by contacting our ticket ambassadors:
Emily or Adam Lozeron: 780-882-4910
Cherylin Garland: 587-726-2802
Jessica Jaspers-Fayer: 780-832-2126
Reagan or Lana Siebert: 780-814-2501
NOVEMBER
Painting Frescoes
The Grade 8 Social Studies students made their own "plaster" and used food colouring to paint it while it was still wet. This fun activity tied into discussions about painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling for four years while laying on your back, on a scaffold, with stuff dripping on you.
Remembrance Day
On November 8, students and staff were joined by special guest Lieutenant Earl Phillips, the Zone Training Officer for the Canadian Armed Forces, as they recognized both the losses and contributions soldiers made during WWI and WWII, as well as the Korean War and the many Peacekeeping missions. On National Indigenous Veterans' Day, the school honoured Canadian soliders through presentations, poems, and a moment of silence.
OCTOBER
Baking bannock
One way the students at SSS recognized the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was through food. Foods students baked bannock pizzas, and the Social Studies 10-2 students cooked their bannock over an open fire. All the students learned about Indigenous culture and enjoyed the fruits of their labours.
A deep dive into DNA
The Grade 9 students spent the day extracting DNA from fruit and then made their own slides to examine the DNA under microscopes!
SEPTEMBER
Senior girls win gold
Congratulations to the Senior Girls volleyball team for bringing home the gold! They played hard and enjoyed the competition at the Spirit River Regional Academy Early Bird Tournament.
Interact Club
The SSS Interact Club, a branch of the Rotary Club, is up and running for another year. Interact brings young people together to develop leadership skills, while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Students in Grades 7-12 learn how serious leadership can be seriously fun!
SMART Program comes to SSS
The Student Medical Assistance Response Team, formerly known as the High School First Responders, offers participants top class medical training before even finishing high school! Open to students in Grades 10-12, those who participate will serve the school and community with their skills, while having a chance to earn credits.
Spirit River Regional Academy
NOVEMBER
Outdoor Ed goes camping
In October, the 20/30 Outdoor Ed students went camping! 12 students went to Spring Lake and roughed it for a night. Most students stayed in shelters, whereas one group stayed in a tent. Students had the opportunity to cook over an open fire, go canoeing, and haul and split firewood. The students were challenged with temperatures dipping below zero, but everyone performed astoundingly, and Mr. Majoros and Mrs. Bell couldn't be more proud.
A big thank you to Mr. Majoros and Mrs. Bell for chaperoning and braving the cold with the class. They had a lot of fun and made some great memories!
SRRA pays tribute to Canadian heroes
Students, staff and community members payed tribute to the sacrifices made by Canadians during this year's Remembrance Day Ceremony. The school came together to reflect on the profound impact of Canadian veterans who have served our nation with courage and resilience. The solemn ceremony filled our hearts with gratitude and respect. Lest we forget.
Movember
Mr. Stone, Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Majoros, Mr. Ezio, and Mr. Pullishy have been raising money for Movember and men's mental health. Great job!
OCTOBER
Annual PJ Day and pancake breakfast
SRRA welcomed students back with its annual Pajama Day and pancake breakfast! The new administrative team, Mr. Stone, Vice-Principal, and Mr. Pullishy, Principal, served up juice and pancakes for everyone!
Welcome to SRRA, where Every Child Matters
Students and staff observed Orange Shirt Day and honoured Indigenous people and their residential school experiences by joining together to make a giant orange heart. The Foods class later made fresh bannock for the elemtentary students to enjoy.
Terry Fox campaign brings pink hair
This year's Terry Fox campaign was a great success! Mr. Pullishy promised to dye his hair pink, and Mr. Ezio vowed to dye his beard pink if the students met their $1000 fundraising goal. The students came together and smashed their goal by raising $2,625.25!
Students enjoy Stone Soup
Thank you to our amazing parent volunteers for helping make our Stone Soup a great success! Students in Kindergarten - Grade 6 brought in ingredients to add to the Stone Soup after reading the old folk tale about sharing and community spirit. Students and staff joined together for a delicious meal!
Teepee Creek School
SEPTEMBER
Students recognize Orange Shirt Day
Leading up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, students and staff took some time to reflect on the importance of the day. In honouring the history and path forward, they tied orange ribbons outside the school in three knots, each representing the past, present, and future.
Wembley Elementary School
APRIL
Learning with Tale-Bots
The Grade 1 class had the opportunity to work with Mrs. Leah Montes, PWPSD Education Technologist, to learn about Tale-Bots as part of the Computer Science section of the new Science curriculum. The Tale-Bots will spend three weeks at WES, and students will have more time to learn about coding and how they work!
Alberta Musical Theatre
On April 11, the Alberta Musical Theatre visited WES with their 80s adaptation of Cinderella; both students and staff loved it!
MARCH
100 days of Grade 1
The Grade 1 students celebrated their 100th day of school by participating in various activities in their classroom, in the gym, and around the school. One teacher even used an app to age children and show them what they'll look like when they're "old"!
Happy Leap Year!
We would like to thank the Wembley Public Library for bringing a fun event to our school! For the Leap Year, Mrs. Underwood brought over 100 little leaping frog figures to our school and hid them around the hallways and library. On February 29, students searched for the frogs and, once combined with their class, got to see which class found the most. The winner was 3B and they will get to go to the library for a fun activity!
JANUARY
Pancake Lunch
Students were treated to a pancake lunch, complete with turkey sausage and fruit. Students gave lots of thumbs-up and smiles while being served their meals. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped cook and serve pancakes!
WES donates to the Food Bank
The Grade 3 students challenged the rest of the school to bring in 1000 items for the local food bank. To encourage participation, they dangled a delicious pizza party for the class that brought in the most items.
Over the first few days, the Grade 1 classrooms had brought in well over 100 items each, which motivated the Grade 2 and 3 students to pick up the pace. In the end, Ms. Anderson's Grade 1 class won the pizza party by bringing in 459 of the 2646 items! As excited as they were to earn the party, they didn't think it was fair that despite the hard work from everyone they were the only ones getting pizza. So, after they went to Miss Lieverse with a special request, the entire school enjoyed a pizza party!
It was beautiful to see students, staff and families come together to help those who need it most. Congratulations everyone!
DECEMBER
Al Crawford visits WES
With help from Meghan Badger, PWPSD Indigenous Service Provider, students and staff welcomed Al Crawford to WES. Originally from Bigstone Cree Nation, Al Crawford visited the school and shared his talent with songs and stories. Each grade had a chance to sing along with him and ask questions!
Pizza lunch
Students had the opportunity to order pizza for lunch. They received two naan bread pepperoni or cheese pizzas from Corner Grocery, and they all shared great reviews!
NOVEMBER
A spooktacular Halloween
Spooktacular returned to WES for another fun Halloween! The School Council organized another successful event for our students. Various stations were set up in the gym and included a dance floor, potion making, crafts, jewel tattoos, a photobooth and much more! Students and staff had a wonderful time and would like to thank everyone who helped make this possible!
WES welcomes Slumberkins
Members of the PWPSD Mental Health Capacity Building Team presented on the Slumberkins program, a social-emotional learning program that empowers children to be caring, confident, and resilient, to WES parents. There was a great turnout with over 20 parents in attendance!
OCTOBER
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Indigenous Education Service Provider, Meghan Badger worked with WES students on an activity to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Students used their handprints to create a unique canvas and it turned out great!
Veggie Share & Stone Soup
Students celebrated the season of giving thanks and sharing by having a Veggie Share! The following day, students enjoyed a free lunch of Stone Soup, which is based on a traditional folk tale and promotes community and sharing. All the students agreed that it was lots of fun!
SEPTEMBER
Welcome back!
On August 31, staff hosted an open house and Back to School BBQ for all WES families. It was a huge success, and the students were eager to see their classrooms and meet their teachers!
Slumberkins comes to WES
WES is very excited to have Danielle Vavrek, a member of the Mental Health Capacity Building team, visit the school once a week throughout this school year. She will teach the Slumberkins program, which is a story-based social-emotional learning program. It employs a 'Connect-to-Grow' approach that allows students to connect to the basic concepts of emotions, reflect on how they are feeling, practice skills and tools, and finally grow in their emotional competency by feeling empowered, confident, and resilient.
Danielle will also be meeting with small groups to work with students on topics such as healthy friendships, showing respect, improving their interpersonal skills, and empathy building. Grade 2 and 3 students are invited to join Danielle in the gym during recess to do yoga!
Cross-Country Running Club
This year, students in Grades 1-3 had the opportunity to join the Cross-Country Running Club! On September 21, 16 students attended the Dreamer's Lake Slog, where the Grade 1 and 2 students ran 500m, and the Grade 3 students ran 1km. Congratulations to everyone!
Whispering Ridge Community School
APRIL
Duct Tape Day
Students and staff participated in our annual Duct Tape Day.
Art lessons
The Grade 7 students visited the Centre for Creative Arts.
Slow and steady
The Grade 4 students enjoyed a hands-on field trip at the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum.
Students visit IGA
Our Kindergarten students got out into the community and stopped by Friesen Bros. IGA to get a behind the scenes tour of the grocery store.
Carnaval de WRCS
The Grade 6 students hosted a French Winter Carnaval for WRCS students to enjoy.
MARCH
Pink Shirt Day
On February 28, students and staff participated in school-wide activities to show their support for Pink Shirt Day.
Students vs. Staff & Parents
To wrap up the basketball season, the junior high teams challenged staff and parents to a fun game of ball.
WRCS heads to Jasper
Grade 7 and 8 students and staff enjoyed their annual trip to Jasper!
FEBRUARY
Family Literacy Week
Mrs. Wieler's Grade 3 students dressed as their favourite book characters for Family Literacy Week!
Winning submissions by each grade for WRCS's annual Literacy Week bookmark competition!
Basketball teams have busy month
Congratulations to our junior high girls for bringing home the bronze medal from their recent tournament!
The junior high boys had a great time attending a basketball tournament at the Composite High School.
Students celebrate La Chandeleur
Miss Kaytor's French class celebrated La Chandeleur, a religious holiday marking the midway point of winter, by making crêpes! It is also known as le jour des crêpes (Crêpe Day), and the French celebrate it by eating lots of crêpes!
WRCS loves to read!
A display of hearts representing students' favourite books for the month of February
DECEMBER
Driver's Education
Mrs. Scott's Grade 8 Driver's Ed option class enjoyed a trip to City Centre Automotive.
Students get a behind the scenes view
Kindergarten students stopped by Boston Pizza to learn more about their community. They learned about how pizza is made and got to explore different parts of the restaurant they don't normally get to see!
School Community Prides
Students and staff enjoy a team building activity during the first School Community Pride event.
School Community Prides are intential periods of time when students and staff get together to focus on building a strong sense of community and belonging within our school.
NOVEMBER
WRCS hosts Remembrance Day Ceremony
Students from different grades hosted and led the annual WRCS Remembrance Day Ceremony.
Kindness Counts
Congratulations Nykolas Guthrie for being named the October Kindness Counts winner!
Volleyball wraps up
Willy the Wildcat joins the Boys Volleyball Team as they wrap up their season.
OCTOBER
Running for Terry
On September 22, students and staff came together and participated in the annual Terry Fox Run. The students did a wonderful job fundraising for the Terry Fox Foundation, and Mrs. Warr's Grade 2 class came out on top with a fundraising total of $1,300! Congratulations everyone!
Honouring Indigenous history
The whole school worked together on a special art project dedicated to honouring Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Volleyball players participate in clinic
The junior high volleyball teams participated in an afterschool volleyball clinic with the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves Volleyball teams! Everyone had a great timne and learned some new skills.
Students visit PARDS
On October 4, a select group of WRCS students had the opportunity to participate in PARDS therapeutice riding activities.
SEPTEMBER
On the house
A big thank you to Browns Socialhouse for graciously providing food services for the annual WRCS meet the teacher and open house night!
Welcome back!
The Grade 1 teacher team excitedly waited for their students on the first day of school.
Students visit VO2 Max
The junior high athletic enrichment option class took a trip to VO2 Max Health and Performance to test their skills.
In the name of science
Mrs. McDonald's Grade 5 students spent some time learning about the states of matter through the infamous Oobleck experiment.
Upcoming Events
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Education Week: April 15-19
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PWPSD Board Meeting: Thursday, April 18
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No school: Friday, April 19
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PWPSD Parent Assurance Survey Opens: Monday, April 22
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School Principals' Day: Wednesday, May 1
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Bus Driver Appreciation Day: Monday, May 6
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PWPSD Parent Assurance Survey Closes: Tuesday, May 7
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Hats On! for Mental Health: Wednesday, May 8
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Mother's Day: Sunday, May 12
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Grade 6 & 9 PATs: Monday, May 13 & Wednesday, May 15
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Victoria Day - no school, PWPSD offices and shops closed: Monday, May 20
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PWPSD Board Meeting: Thursday, May 23 at the Spirit River Sub-Office
Recent Announcements
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Apr. 11, 2024 Sexsmith students present Mary Poppins Jr. May 10, 11, 12
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Apr. 10, 2024 Penson School receives $8,000 NuVista Energy Ltd. donation
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Mar. 27, 2024 Penson School community eager to help shape young minds
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Mar. 26, 2024 PWPSD announces new assistant principals for 2024-2025
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Mar. 20, 2024 PWPSD announces new Inclusive Education Coaches
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Mar. 20, 2024 Julian Camsell will join Peace Wapiti Academy's Administration this fall
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Mar. 19, 2024 Peace Wapiti Public School Division announces Robin Bailey as Literacy Coordinator
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Mar. 19, 2024 PWPSD continues to work toward new high school
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Mar. 19, 2024 Bonanza School creates braille books for local students
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Mar. 14, 2024 PWPSD announces boundary change for Whispering Ridge Community School
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Mar. 13, 2024 Clairmont Community School welcomes new assistant principal
Recent Media Coverage
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Apr. 10, 2024 Penson School uses $8,000 donation on new equipment, EverythingGP
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Apr. 10, 2024 Penson School receives $8,000 NuVista Energy Ltd. donation, Reach FM
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Apr. 01, 2024 Penson School community eager to help shape young minds, Reach FM
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Mar. 27, 2024 Peace Wapiti Public School Division continuing plans for a new high school, EverythingGP
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Mar. 26, 2024 Two more PWPSD schools make administrative changes, EverythingGP
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Mar. 26, 2024 Sexsmith and Hythe schools welcome new principals, Reach FM
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Mar. 21, 2024 PWPSD continues to work toward new high school, Reach FM
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Mar. 21, 2024 Bonanza School creates braille books for local students, Reach FM
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Mar. 20, 2024 PWPSD appoints Clairmont Grade 3 Teacher Literacy Coordinator, EverythingGP
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Mar. 20, 2024 Bonanza School students donate 100 student-translated books to Crystal Park School library, MyGrandePrairieNow
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Mar.19, 2024 Bonanza School students create Braille books for visually impaired youth, EverythingGP
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Mar. 15, 2024 PWPSD releases new Whispering Ridge & Harry Balfour boundaries, EverythingGP
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Mar. 14, 2024 Clairmont Community School welcomes new assistant principal, Reach FM
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Mar. 14, 2024 Clairmont Community School administrative team gets a new addition, EverythingGP
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