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SCHOOL NEWS
Welcome to the School News Page!
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We make it our priority to keep families up-to-date on relevant news happening within our school. This is why we have decided to bring you a School News Page! In this way, information can be relayed to families in real time without delay. We will always send School Messenger updates when a new item or event is added to our page.
PRINCIPAL'S UPDATE:
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May 1, 2024
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Good day, Aurora Parents.
Just a few new items and reminders as we enter the last 2 months of school. Things get very busy so please be sure to read emails and information sent home.
1. Important Dates:
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Wednesday, May 1: Alternative Dress Day : Hats on For Mental Health and casual clothes. Popcorn order is being set up but note that it is NOT a hot lunch. It is just for a snack so students still need to bring a regular lunch.
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Saturday, May 4: Grades 7 competing at the Edmonton Regional Heritage Fair
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Tuesday, May 7: Grades 6 Immunization round #2 all day in Fitness Room. Gr. 6 students are to wear a short sleeve shirt that day.
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Wednesday, May 8: Alberta Emergency Alert System is testing at 1:55pm on all cell phones.
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Sunday, May 12: Mothers’ Day
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Monday, May 13: Friday, May 17: Uniform fittings by Top Marks in the Primary School gym
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Tuesday, May 14: Open House #2 at the Secondary School at 6pm - OPTIONAL and students have to register via G Form sent to them already
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Wednesday, May 15: Grade 6 ELA Part A Final Exam.
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Thursday, May 16: Jr. High Track and Field Zones (only some students will be competing)
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Friday, May 17: PD Day (No School)
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Monday, May 20: Victoria Day (No School)
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Tuesday, May 21:
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AFS meeting at 6pm virtually.
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Board of Directors Meeting at 7pm
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Wednesday, May 22:
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Monday schedule
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ADD: Spring casual
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Spring Photos
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Thursday, May 23: Kindergarten grad photos
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Saturday, May 25: Primary School family picnic event at the Primary School field (11am-2pm)
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Tuesday, May 28: Grade 5 Orientation Night (5:30pm) **Note new starting time and more details soon.
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2. Jump Rope for Heart:
We have officially kicked off our Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser! Our Event Date is scheduled for May 24th, 2024. This event teaches our students the importance of giving back and encourages them to learn the EASY healthy habits, so they understand the importance of staying active, eating well, and taking care of their heart and brain health. The funds our school raises will help support important heart and stroke research. Let’s work together as a school community and show how generous we can be! Join our school online and get your child set up with their own fundraising page by clicking here: https://jumpropeforheart.crowdchange.ca/52207. Thank you for your support!
How to Register for Jump Rope for Heart - 2024.pdf
Jump Rope for Heart Registration Page - 2024.pdf
3. Plant volunteer:
We are looking for a volunteer to come take care of the plants in the classrooms, lobby, offices, and the Learning Commons. Duties include watering, trimming, repotting, and purchasing new plants for the school. If you love plants and have the time to come in once a week or once every 2 weeks or once a month, please contact Mr. Dang. pdang@auroraschool.ca
4. Parents Input: Worried about your children entering Grade 8? Excited that your kids are graduating from Grade 4? Student & Community Advocate Jesse Henton invites parents to come discuss the challenges and opportunities that come from students advancing to a new grade, as well as topics on academic pressure, barriers to success, and many others! Learn how other parents weathered these storms and embraced the winds of change, and let your voice be heard to school administrators. Join us Wednesdays every two weeks from 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM, starting May 8, link below: meet.google.com/uod-dsbp-xae
5. Casino still volunteers needed: Monday, May 27
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Shifts from 11am -7:15pm
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cashier in evening 6:30pm - 3:15am
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account room 10:45pm - 3:35am
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over 18 years old
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no criminal record
https://volunteersignup.org/QR3MM
This is the biggest fundraiser we do every 3 years. This helps reduce costs for students for field trips and purchases materials and resources for students in all grades! Your help is needed!
6. Pizza fundraiser:
Little Caesars pizza kit on sale for our school fundraiser. All proceeds go to funding family events at school. Form and details sent home with your child(ren). If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Jen O’Connor at joconnor@auroraschool.ca.
7. Uniform fitting from Top Marks:
Monday, May 13 - Friday, May 17 at Aurora Primary School. It is for students in both Primary and Secondary School. Appointments are required. Note that May 17 is a PD Day so appointments are available all day. See the email sent by the secretary for more details.
8. Math 6 and ELA 6 Provincial Achievement Test (PAT):
Over Spring Break, Alberta Education unexpectedly announced that the Math 6 PAT and the English Language Arts 6 PAT are not going to be administered this June. No reason or explanation has been provided at this time, although we expect to receive more information soon. In their place, the Math 6 and ELA 6 will have a school-created final exam in June. Science 6 will also be writing a school-created final exam. Only Social Studies 6 is currently still scheduled to write the PAT. The dates for the final exams and the policy on missed final exams (as sent in a previous email) all remain unchanged. More details will be shared once we have more information.
9. Yearbook:
The 2023-2024 Aurora Yearbook is now available for purchase on PowerSchool! This year, enjoy a stunning hardcover edition with additional pages to feature every student and class in the Primary School from kindergarten to grade 7. Don't miss out on preserving these cherished memories! The cost is just $36, and your beautifully crafted yearbook will be ready for pickup in fall 2024. The deadline to purchase is May 31, 2024
10. Aurora Secondary School Open House:
Grade 7 families are invited to tour the Aurora Secondary School campus so they can start to feel at home for next year. We are hosting a special Open House night on Tuesday, April 9 from 6:30pm-7:30 pm for Aurora families with students currently in grades 7, where we will discuss the Aurora grade 8 program and have a guided tour.
If you are unable to attend April 9, another Open House is set for Tuesday, May 14 from 6:00pm - 7:00pm at the Aurora Secondary School (12050 - 95A Street) for all new students from grade 8-12. See the school, be informed, meet the teachers to prepare for grade 8! Contact Secondary School principal, Mrs. Jacquie, Harman (jharman@auroraschool.ca) for more details or if you have questions.
Register for the Aurora Secondary School Open House here.
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11. Please: No parking alongside the school: Click here for the MAP
a. DO NOT park in front of the school (red line on the map). It is only for drop and go (the driver should not even get out of the vehicle or else that would be called parking), deliveries, or emergencies. Even when the pylons are not there, please do not park there.
b. DO NOT park in the handicap parking zone (blue line on the map) in front of the buses. The small loading zone (enough for 2 cars) in front of the bus zone is being removed by the City of Edmonton.
c. Do NOT stop in the bus zone along the red line on the map (even to drop off someone) at any time except after the buses leave. That area is the bus zone all day until the buses leave.
12. Final Exam schedule (Grades 3-7): Click Here for the Final Exam Schedule
As we work towards final exams, please note that our final exams are not always aligned with other schools’ exam schedules, including Aurora Secondary School. Also note the missed Final Exam policy below.
From Policy AR 6170: Missed Final Exams Philosophy:
The Education Act, the Aurora School Board Policy 6170, and the Administrative Regulation 6170 all discourage any extended absences and missed final exams.
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If a student misses a Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) or a non-PAT final exam, they may write it upon their return if it is still within the mandated provincial writing period.
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For all PATs and non-PAT final exam(s) that are not written at all, a grade of UA will be given and only Terms 1, 2, and 3 will be used to calculate the final course grade. A description will be given in the report card to outline the reason for the UA.
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No final exams will be written prior to the scheduled writing.
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All final exams are required to be written prior to attending any year-end activities.
To support student success, promotion to the next grade is dependent on students’ knowledge of the curricular outcomes for the year.
A reminder that the Grade 6 Math, ELA (English Language Art), and Science PATs are NOT being written this year. A school-created final exam will be written in their place. Currently, only the Grade 6 Social Studies PAT is being written.
Sincerely,
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Peter Dang, Principal
Newest News!
1. The Term Two Awards Ceremony was held virtually on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024. These students are recognized for their diligence and hard work throughout the year. Congratulation to all of the Term 2 Award Winners! Keep up the amazing work!
If you missed the ceremony, you can view the slideshow here.
2. Exciting News! The 2023-2024 Aurora Yearbook is now available for purchase on PowerSchool! This year, enjoy a stunning hardcover edition with additional pages to feature every student and class in the primary school. Don't miss out on preserving these cherished memories! The cost is just $36, and your beautifully crafted yearbook will be ready for pickup in fall 2024. The deadline to purchase is May 31, 2024
2. Aurora students participated in the Choices Conference at the U of A on February 22nd. Click here to see what these students had to say!
Each year, 600 Grade Six girls and gender-diverse students along with their teachers come to this event. WISEST has impacted over 19,304 students and 4525 teachers since beginning in 1991. Teams of up to four students from each school plus their teacher or principal spend the day at the University of Alberta.
3. Aurora Primary School hosted the 2024 Science Fair Showcase and Awards Presentation on Monday, February 5th. Thank you to all the students for their incredible displays and hard work, and thank you to all the teachers and administrators who dedicate long hours to make this event something memorable each year!
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Congratulations to this year's Science Fair Winners! Please click this link to view the Science Fair Awards Slideshow
4. Fundraising announcement! Aurora school is happy to be partnered with Operation Education. During this campaign you can save your Boston Pizza receipts and submit them to your child's school.
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5% of each before tax sale will go directly back to the school to help support our programs and activities. Receipts can be dropped off at the office.
5. Aurora Academic Charter Primary School is privileged to work with this Alberta-based company to access quality materials to support students, teachers, and parents.
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Please note: Students are not to order the Grade 6 science materials. Those science resources are still for the current curriculum and resources are not available this year for the optional implementation curriculum that Aurora is doing in Science 6. All other materials are relevant.
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Click here to access the PDF version that details the ordering information.
Recent Schoolwide Events
1. Aurora Academic Primary School participated in the acknowledgement of National Truth and Reconciliation Day. Students in Social Studies 5, 6, and 7 participated in a feather decorum focused on how we at Aurora can stand with all Indigenous peoples.
Not new, but
Noteworthy!
01.
Your Child's Lunch:
We ask that you do not send glass food containers or water bottles to school. These often get dropped and broken, leaving a dangerous mess to clean up, and your child without a lunch.
Please remember to send your child with a water bottle and pack utensils in the lunch if needed.
The school does not offer utensils, cups for water or extra lunches.
03.
Hot Lunch Program
Dear Families,
Our hot lunch program has started again for the 2023-24 school year. Once again, we will be offering a variety of options online through Healthy Hunger. There will be an average of one hot lunch per month on Alternative Dress Days.
Parents are encouraged to order early for each hot lunch, as orders close 5 days prior. Be sure to order under our new name: “Aurora Primary School”!
Healthy Hunger is a great way for our school to fundraise and provide a fun lunch for students. Each hot lunch doubles as a fundraiser. In previous years, we have used the money raised to help pay for presentations, treats, and special activities that make our school a dynamic and happy place to be!
Click here for ordering information
Thank you for your continued support!
02.
Music
We continue with our music program in grades 5-7, and the focus will be on playing instruments this year. As well, we will have some music clubs starting at lunch in October.
Please reach out to your child's music teacher directly if you would like to donate instruments or contribute to this amazing program!
04.
Stay Healthy!
We would like to remind parents it is important that everyone monitors their own health daily, and stay home when feeling unwell, no matter what the cause may be.
We urge you to keep your child home if they are experiencing any symptoms of respiratory of gastrointestinal illness.
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Children who arrive to school exhibiting any symptoms of illness will be sent home. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our school community healthy.
