DATES TO REMEMBER

Dates requiring child care are highlighted.

Apr.2 Inservice Day NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS Apr.3 Good Friday NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS Apr.6 Easter Monday NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS Apr.13 Home & School 6:30pm Apr.21 EARLY DISMISSAL 11:30 am Apr.23&24 Primary Registration - No school for P/1 Kachur, PBaltzer, PDrew & PBurke Apr.29 International Day of Dance Assembly @ 1:00 pm

Principal’s Message - Nancy Illsley: At some point

during this month, we may welcome Spring. We are hop-

ing sooner than later! With the warm weather, will come

mud and muck, so we ask students to be extra vigilant in

wearing their outside sneakers outside. The mud certainly

likes to be tracked indoors! We encourage any family who

knows they will not be returning to AEES to contact the

office as soon as possible to help solidify our numbers for

next year. As a reminder, we do not take teacher requests

for the following year placements, but we will entertain

conversations around what type of classroom would be a

best fit for your child. We, of course, cannot honour all

accommodations, but we will certainly look at the most

serious concerns. Consistent attendance and late arrivals

continue to be a worry. If you are on the fence as to

whether to send your son or daughter due to illness, send

them. They can lie down in the sick room, and if they con-

tinue to get worse, we will give you a call. It is essential

good habits are developed early and students arrive to

school on time. On Enrichment Fridays, if your child ar-

rives late, they will have to stay in the office until enrich-

ment time is over. Some enrichment activities are off site

and we will have no one to escort your child to his/her

activity. If you have any concerns or questions, as always,

I ask you to contact the classroom teacher first and then

me. Bring on the crocuses and daffodils!

AEES NEWSLETTER

AEES is a PEANUT, NUT and SCENT SENSITIVE School

Ph (902) 825-5330 Fax (902) 825-5333

aees@avrsb.ca http://aees.ednet.ns.ca

APRIL 2015

2015-16 Primary Registration

If you have a child who will be 5

years old on or before December

31, 2015, please contact the

school office (902-825-5330) so

that we can add your child to our

list for Primary Registration, to be held on April

23 & 24, 2015. Please pass this information on

to anyone you may know who has a Primary

aged child.

Book Fair News

Scholastic Book Fair

The March Scholastic Book Fair was very successful, with just over $3600 in total sales which resulted in just under $2000 in books for the grades Primary to 2 classrooms, resource classrooms and school library. Many thanks to all the people who volunteered their time to help run the book fair. I'd also like to thank the students, staff, par-ents and AEES community for their wholehearted support of this lit-eracy fundraiser for our school.

Congratulations to Aiyana M in 3 Mosher for winning the Book Fair Door Prize, which was $25 in books for her-self and $25 in books for her classroom.

Stacy Bugden Library Technician Book Fair Chair

When Your Child is Absent…..

If your child is not going to be in school, please call the

office (902-825-5330) to let us know. This can be done

24 hours a day by leaving a message on our machine.

Page 2 AEES NEWSLETTER

Student of the Month Awards

P Baltzer - Kiera C, Dayton H, Teyla T P Burke - Hailie B, Noland H P Drew - Raelin B, Bradley C P/1 Kachur - Lucas D, Violet D, Bradley T 1 Little - Wyatt B, Nova C, Joseph M 1 Veinot - Parker J, Carley M 1/2 Lightfoot - Autumn D, Alexis P, Bazyl R-S 2Danttouze - Olivia B, Noah H, Violet R 2 Higdon - Jonah B, Derek I, Meara N 2 Ryan - Sophia D, Ethan T, Haley W 2/3 Wiseman - Matthew B, Jadyn D, Eric S 3 Handley - Gabrielle L, Kaylee S, Josh S 3 Mosher - Mia B, Madysun E, Aiden H 4 Tidman/Diggins - Damien C, Nate M, Hayden M 4 Gosse - Stephanie B, Joshua S, Lucy W 4 Priddle - Courtney A, Michael H, Avery W 5 Perry - Caleb I, Nora M, Sarah W 5 Rand - Kendra B, Rob B, Tyson D, Bayleigh G, Holly N, Chandler P 5 Wheeler - Alexis D, Emma G, Bobby W

AVRSB Volunteers in School Policy

The AVRSB updated its volunteer policy on

January 1st, 2015. As stated below it does

the following:

clearly defines volunteers versus visitors;

requires volunteers to complete a standard

application form for any volunteering;

will continue to require the completion of

Criminal Records Check and Child Abuse

Registry checks prior to working with students

but will now require re-checks be completed

every (3) three years; and,

includes reference to procedures for monitoring

volunteers in schools.

The recommended changes to the Volunteers in Schools

policy are not to discourage volunteering in the

AVRSB. It is to employ the best practices to ensure

our policy is effective as possible for decreasing the

chances of student harm from volunteers.

**As noted above, it is now necessary for all volun-

teers to have current checks (within the past 3

years). If your checks are not within the past 3

years, they must be updated for you to participate in

any class trips or classroom activities. Please visit

the school office asap to start this process before

class trips and more chaperoned activities begin.

2015 ENRICHMENT CLUSTERS

Each spring at AEES, we provide four

weeks of school-wide enrichment for the

students at our school. The clusters are

designed to provide exciting and creative

opportunities for students to extend learn-

ing beyond the provincial curriculum out-

comes. Students choose an activity and work in small

groups on Friday mornings for a block of time (75 minutes

for P-2, 90 minutes for Grades 3-5) under the direction of a

staff member or community member volunteer. Enrichment

dates are May 8, 15, 22 and 29. At the end of the four

weeks, the students will present their projects, talents and

accomplishments at a school showcase on June 4 at 6 pm.

We are currently looking for community volunteers who

might wish to be involved with enrichment clusters either as

a leader or an assistant. If you have a talent or an area of

interest you would like to share with a small group, please

contact Susan Connell at 902-825-5330. For those with a

willingness but who are short on ideas, the students recently

completed surveys identifying many interests they would

like to pursue. A sample of those interests include archery,

cooking and baking, dance, different types of artwork, model

building, chemistry, jewelry-making, rug-hooking, electrical,

carpentry, gymnastics, puppet-making, martial arts, pottery,

plants and nature, magic, animals and pet care.

All volunteers must have completed the Child Abuse

registry process for the Annapolis Valley Regional

School Board and have a recent Criminal Records

Check prior to working with students. School board

policy requires this process be completed by volun-

teers every three years.

FREE Yoga classes for Grades 3 – 5 at AEES

Are you in grades 3 – 5 and interested in trying out yoga? Mrs.

Kachur is offering FREE yoga classes for 6

weeks from 2:45 – 3:45 in Room 120 at

AEES. Classes will begin April 22 and run

every Wednesday until May 27th, 2015. If

you don’t have your own mat or can’t bor-

row one, mats are available at school to borrow. Only 25 spots

are available, and it will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Deadline to register is April 17th, 2015. Please call the office

(902-825-5330) to register. If you’re not sure what yoga is,

take a look at these websites:

http://www.yoga4kids.org/ - The Benefits of Yoga for Chil-

dren

http://www.cosmickids.com/yoga-tweens/ - Yoga for ages 8-

12

http://www.yogajournal.com/article/family/yoga-kids/ - Bene-

fits of yoga for kids

Page 3 AEES NEWSLETTER

Achievement Certificate in Writing

P Baltzer - Olivea D P Burke - Alex B P Drew - Charles S P/1 Kachur - Ella D 1 Little - Hannah S 1 Veinot - Caden M 1/2 Lightfoot - Coen C 2Danttouze - Lauren T 2 Higdon - Hailey S 2 Ryan - Meadow B 2/3 Wiseman - Hannah C 3 Handley - Matthew L-P 3 Mosher - Natalie P 4 Tidman/Diggins - Jessie L 4 Gosse - Skyla G 4 Priddle - Trinity D 5 Perry - Seth S 5 Rand - Anna M 5 Wheeler - Elijah M

Caring, Cooperation & Courtesy Awards

P Baltzer - Sara P P Burke - Ryann C P Drew - Vincent B P/1 Kachur - Ava B 1 Little - Travis F 1 Veinot - Ethan W 1/2 Lightfoot - Jillian S 2Danttouze - Sam R 2 Higdon - Garrett H 2 Ryan - Oliva W 2/3 Wiseman - Isabelle B 3 Handley - Zoey L 3 Mosher - Emma M 4 Tidman/Diggins - Emma B 4 Gosse - Olivia C 4 Priddle - Abby C 5 Perry - Sacha B 5 Rand - George B 5 Wheeler - Korbin C-B

“Bravo” French Certificates

4 Diggins/Tidman - Nate M 4 Gosse - Annette F 4 Priddle - Wyatt D 5 Perry - Sarah W 5 Rand - Tyson D 5 Wheeler - Isaac W

GOLDEN BROOM AWARD

Congratulations to Primary Burke, 3 Handley and 4

Gosse who are the recipients of the “Golden Broom”

Awards for the cleanest classroom for the month of

March! WAY TO GO!!

International Day of Dance

April 27th marks the start of National Dance Week in

Canada. Dance improves cardiovascular fitness, cre-

ates and explores children's abilities of various move-

ment and helps demonstrate interaction with their

peers.

During Dance Week, AEES will be offering fun dance

activities for the children. The week will end on April

29th at 1:00 with an “International Day of Dance

Show” with performances from their own Dance Club,

and classroom dances.

Visitors are welcome to attend!!

AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

AEES is promoting autism awareness in our school during Autism Awareness Month in April. The Annap-olis Valley Chapter of Autism has put out a challenge to schools in the valley to come up with their own spin on Light It Up Blue Day. In the process, our school could win $500.00 in the competition. Check out all school portfolios on the Annapolis Valley Chap-ter Facebook page between April 11th to the 23rd. Stu-dents, staff, family and friends can vote for their fa-vorite portfolio. Please support AEES by checking out portfolios and voting for your favorite portfolio, which hopefully is ours. Thanks for your support with this matter.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Page 4 AEES NEWSLETTER

Vitamin D and Health Vitamin D plays an important role in bone growth and mainte-nance by helping the body absorb calcium and phosphorus which are two minerals that are necessary for healthy bones. Naturally parents aware of these potential benefits want to en-sure their children are getting adequate amounts of vitamin D What can parents do to ensure adequate vitamin D lev-els in young children? 1. Provide a diet rich in vitamin D Milk, egg yolks and fatty fish such as tuna and salmon are foods known to be high in vitamin D. 2. Encourage outside activity Safe and appropriate sun exposure (with sun screen) is nature’s way of helping us to ensure optimal levels of vitamin D. 3. Consider fortified beverages Soy, rice and almond beverages for families using alternate forms of “milk”. Always consult a family Physician before using vitamin D supplements For information about Breakfast for Learning please visit our website at breakfastforlearning.ca.

ACTIVE PLAY!

This school aged program (ages 5-12) is geared towards

keeping a healthy lifestyle through fun play! From parachute

games to races, there is fun for everyone! It is now being

offered in 2 locations!

New Minas Elementary Greenwood Community

Centre 34 Jones Road Building 110, Church St

Tuesdays from 5pm-6pm Monday from 4pm-5pm

Starting April 7th Starting April 13th

4 weeks for $10 6 weeks for $15

To register please contact our office at 902-242-2019 or

annapolisvalley@autismns.ca

Important Information from the AVRSB Transportation Division

What Does a “Bus Drivers Using Discretion” Announcement Mean? When AVRSB announces “bus driver discretion” in the morning, this means that a school bus driver may decide not to trav-el on a road if conditions are not safe.

What Happens in the Afternoon When a Bus Driver Uses “Discretion” During a Morning Bus Run? When a bus driver makes this decision during their morning bus run, the bus will not travel that road during the afternoon run unless AVRSB Transportation staff decide otherwise and notify the school office. This also applies if a bus route does not operate at all in the morning.

In short, unless you are otherwise notified, if a bus does not travel on a road in the morning it will not be traveling that road in the afternoon.

What if Road Conditions Worsen During the School Day? Sometimes, certain roads can be fine in the morning but conditions become unsafe by the afternoon bus run. If this happens and affects your child(ren)’s afternoon bus stop, school office staff will try to contact you to arrange a different drop-off location or to have you pick up your child(ren) from school. If we can’t reach you, your child(ren) will be brought back to school until you or a desig-nated contact can be reached to pick them up.

AEES NEWSLETTER Page 5

COMMUNITY NOTICES cont’d...

Interested in attending Acadia Summer Sports Camps?

Acadia University is partnering with Jumpstart (Canadian Tire)

and the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board to support

youth from ages 4-18 to attend Acadia Summer Sports

Camps. If your family is facing economic barriers and your

child is interested in attending summer sport camps at Aca-

dia, please inquire at your local school. Pick up a pamphlet

and an application form. The process is clearly outlined in

the pamphlet. Deadline for applications is May 15th. You will

be notified within 2-3 weeks if your child is eligible and has

been accepted. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for

your child to be active and fit during the summer.

Invitation AVRSB Long-Range Outlook - Plan Presentation

To All AVRSB School Community Members:

You are invited to attend a presentation of the AVRSB 10 Year

Long-Range Outlook as part of the next AVRSB Regular Board

Meeting. The presentation will take place at the beginning of the

business portionof the meeting.

Wednesday, April 1 , 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

Second Floor Boardroom, AVRSB Regional Office

121 Orchard Street, Berwick

Please RSVP to board.secretary@avrsb.ca

or 902-538-4675 if you plan to attend.

About the Long-Range Outlook:

The Long-Range Outlook is a planning document that examines

every school in our region.

School boards are now required to update information annually on

current and developing circumstances in their schools through this

Long-Range Outlook.

The Long-Range Outlook takes into account:

- Enrolment and demographic trends

- Programming

- Building use, capacity, and maintenance

HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH ADHD Winter 2015

Thursday mornings, 10:00 am – 11:30 am May 21, 28, June 4, 11 and 18

Chipman Building, 15 Chipman Drive, Kentville or

Thursday evenings, 6:30 pm– 8:00 pm May 21, 28, June 4, 11 and 18

Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Middleton

A 5 week course for parents/caregivers of children with ADHD.

Topics include: ADHD, what it is and how it shapes your child’s life Medications for ADHD and how they work Living with ADHD, knowing what works best for your child Behavioural challenges; school, home, learn what’s behind the behaviour and how to manage it. More behavioural challenges and learning difficulties

For whom:

Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD,

Parents looking for education, support and assistance

We hope that some of you will be interested in being in-volved in a support group for parents in the valley. This will be discussed during the five weeks.

Please let us know if you would like to attend but trans-portation is an issue. We will help as much as possible. There is no fee to participate. For more information, call 679-2873 or 825-4825.