November 25 - 29 is ASEBP Education Worker Recognition Week. Join us in celebrating by sharing your stories or photos of how an education worker has made a difference in your school community! 💜💛 #foremostschool #weareallfalcons #myprps #kindlehearts #youmakeadifference

<p>The November 26, 2024, PRPS Public Board Meeting will take place at the Prairie Rose Public Schools Division Office starting at 12:45 p.m. The meeting is only available in-person.</p><p>The complete agenda package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14JeKUqpBvxtHBdrjulTK7oBZ6dB5SlSd/view?usp=drive_link">https://drive.google.com/file/d/14JeKUqpBvxtHBdrjulTK7oBZ6dB5SlSd/view?usp=drive_link</a></p>

Christmas Market coming up December 4! Parent Council is looking for donated new or gently used gift items. If you have a donation, please have it to the school by December 3. The Christmas Market is an annual event sponsored by Parent Council in which students can shop to purchase gifts for loved ones. The kids have so much fun doing their own shopping while parent council volunteers assist them and wrap their chosen items for them to take home. A loonie or toonie to purchase items is appreciated and donated to the local food bank, but is not necessary for students to choose an item. #foremostschool #weareallfalcons #myprps #kindlehearts

<p>Students at Seven Persons School (SPS) in Grades 7 through 9 who choose to take the option in construction and mechanics now have a new shop to learn in. Previously, the class was taught in a one and half car garage that was unheated and not insulated. This year they moved over to the old firehall in Seven Persons and, with money raised by the SPS Parent Council and some funds from Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS) division office, the shop is now in operation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The building is divided into two bays and one side is being used for the construction part of the option and the other side for mechanics. Teacher Mark Resch and the students in the two classes have been setting the shop up since September while also working on new projects. Along with purchasing new equipment and tools, along with installing some new wiring in the building, all items from the old shop were moved over. Recently purchased was a hydraulic lift for the maintenance side and a tire change machine along with a balancer will be arriving shortly.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>On the construction side there were some recently completed projects, such as some cat houses and a septic tank cover, along with some new projects in progress. Other students were helping to set up and organize the shop by hanging tools and small equipment on boards or cleaning up the work areas.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“It says mechanics and construction, but they have the flexibility to choose what they want to do,” explained Resch. “The students tend to have an idea of what they would like to work on and then we build it.” Resch is hoping everything is set up by May 2025 and then he plans to start a welding module, explaining the courses are an introduction to various trades for the students.&nbsp;</p><p>Toby Fisher is in grade 9 and has taken shop all three years because he enjoys it and said he is considering enrolling in the School of Trades next year. He and Grade 7 student Jaxon Arnal were working on getting a carburetor out of an ancient International 55 ride on mower. “It’s basically all I do at home,” stated Fisher, “you kind of figure it out yourself. If you take something apart and figure out how it works, it’s self-explanatory.”&nbsp;</p><p>Arnal explained someone was taking the lawnmower to a scrap yard near where he lives and agreed to let him have it for $10. “We got it home that night and it started right up, but then it started to power down, so we have to take out the carburetor,” said Arnal.&nbsp;</p><p>Chanel Bergen is also in Grade 9 and has taken the shop option since her Grade 7 year. She wants to train to be a vet tech after high school but also wants to live on a farm. &nbsp;“I grew up on a farm and it’s something I enjoy. My friends are in this option, so I do it with them. Sometimes we build things for us and sometimes for other people when they order it. This is the second septic tank cover we’ve built.”&nbsp;</p><p>Trustee Graeme Dennis initially brought the idea of a new shop for SPS to the board. “I am excited for the students of SPS with this shop and learning facility. The shop program will allow students to get a hands-on start with an early experience into many of the different trades. This is a win for students as they will be able to enter a separate building which will allow them to have that true working shop experience. Students’ safety is extremely important in any shop environment and the larger dedicated space will certainly help keep students safe. The Seven Persons Community (via fundraising), Hydraco Industries (who helped outfit the entire shop),&nbsp;and Cypress County (with the building) has certainly helped PRPS make this shop for the school a reality. PRPS can’t express thanks enough to all that have helped bring this shop to life for student learning.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two years ago, Tracy Frank, Vice Principal at I.F. Cox School, started a program called TNT, Try New Things. The options program runs twice a year for six weeks on Friday afternoons and allows the students to select from 12 different courses.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“We’ve just started our first session now and then we do another one in the spring,” explained Principal Linda Asham. “We ask the teachers to do something they are excited about and would love to share with their students. We have karaoke this time, I’m doing puppetry, we’ve got basketball, a mixed-media class along with some other crafts.”&nbsp;</p><p>Each six-week session could offer some of the same options as last time along with some different ones. “We’ve now, with the new classes we’ve implemented, we have about 40 different options we’ve offered since the start of the program,” stated Frank.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Asham brought in some borrowed hand puppets for the students to play with on the second week of the fall program. The students each took one of the puppets and there was some play time amongst the tables. Keira and Daxton both wanted to be in the class because they like puppets. “I like playing with them and you can act with them,” said Keira who likes to try giving them different voices.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Students in the Pixel Art class were learning that a pixel is a picture element and watched a short, fun video created by Cosmo and Friends before beginning a project. The week prior, students had learnt about using a grid and creating a picture on it. This week, they needed to pay attention to the different rows and columns so they could recreate a picture using the coloured blocks, to represent pixels, on a grid board.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 2 student Reese enjoys using the different coloured blocks and building the picture on the grid. Ashlynn wanted to take Diamond Art and was put in Pixel Art instead but is enjoying the process of making pictures.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In coding, the students were split into four groups. One group was on the floor working with an electronic centipede they were coding to make it remain on the carpeted area. A second group was at a table where they were creating a maze for a mouse to navigate, and the third group was working with tablets where the login process was taking longer than expected.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Logan and Alexa wanted to take coding because neither had done it before. “I wanted to do coding because I thought it was interesting,” added Daniella “and I’ll learn lots of stuff.”&nbsp;</p><p>All TNT options are provided by staff at the school, allowing them to share with classes activities they enjoy. It also enables community members to become involved, broadening the horizons of the students. Additionally, the classes are cross-graded, helping to build leadership skills in the older students as they provide support to the younger ones. More information about TNT can be found at <a href="ifcox.myprps.com/tnt-try-new-things">ifcox.myprps.com/tnt-try-new-things</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer</p>

Thank you to Mrs. Cowie and the Grade 5/6 Class for organizing and presenting our Remembrance Day Ceremony. Thank you to community members who attended and joined us in honouring those who served and sacrificed for our country. 🇨🇦 🌺 #igniteminds #foremostschool #myprps #kindlehearts

Foremost School Falcons Clothing Sale Students will be taking orders at the Trade Fair @ Community Hall today starting at 1:00 pm! Tomorrow is the last day to get your orders in!! Foremost School’s Athletic Program is selling clothing to support our school sports teams. Get your Falcon’s gear to show support for our school on spirit days, game days and while out in the community. It is always great to see students, families and community members wearing our logo and colours. The clothing would be a great gift for the holiday season for students, parents, family members and community members! All clothing comes in mens sizes and youth sizes (except crew neck sweaters). Tee shirts and sweatpants can come in ladies sizes. To pay for your order please send cash or cheque payable to Foremost School back to the school with the order form. Final day for orders is Friday, November 15th, 2024 Please get your gear to support Foremost Athletics! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f3t0OiYfk_-dOKtKGA_HaXg-yq0wEUv490B726vajQs/edit. #foremostschool #weareallfalcons #myprps

<p>Three classes of Grade 5 students from Senator Gershaw School and Irvine School are working together on a cross-school project that will culminate in building three trading post next year.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The first time the students collaborated was a Google Meet where Irvine students explained to those at Gershaw the process of harvesting corn from the garden of the Agricultural Discover Centre (ADC), removing the kernels from the cob and freezing the corn for later use. At the beginning of October, all classes met in person for the first time at Neubauer Farms to harvest pumpkins.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Students met again on October 18 at Senator Gershaw School, where the pumpkins harvested by Gershaw students had been carved and were on display at the front of the stage. Nichole Neubauer was there to teach the students about companion planting and regenerative agriculture. The day started off with an icebreaker using pinto beans in acknowledgment of Pinto Macbean, the town mascot of Bow Island, and the importance of growing beans for agriculture in SE Alberta.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Regenerative agriculture is managing soil erosion from wind and rain either by covering soil or using cover crops. “It’s important to conserve our soil. Topsoil goes down about six inches, probably only about four inches here in SE Alberta. It takes about 100 years to grow one inch of topsoil, this is where all the macronutrients and micronutrients are, which has all the living things we grow our food in,” Neubauer explained to the students.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Following the presentation, the students headed outside to conduct experiments on soil erosion. Neubauer showed the students what happens to bare soil during a heavy rain, particularly for soil on a slight slope. Students were divided into ten groups of six students each, with each group preparing a tray of soil and then covering it with different combinations of materials, such as leaves, grass clipping, coconut fibre, and sawdust.&nbsp;</p><p>Following lunch, students created a garden using seeds for corn, beans, and squash (the Three Sisters), which thrive when planted together. Students watched a video about the legend of the Three Sisters and the importance of collaboration. Neubauer explained how beans fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into nodules on their roots, which provides natural fertilizer to the corn and squash.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“That is what companion planting and regenerative agriculture looks like and how we can use companion planting and the power of nature to grow more food in a harmonious way. That’s what we will learn about today when we go out later today and create our very own Three Sisters Garden,” said Neubauer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In late November, students will meet at Irvine School with an architect to have a blueprinting session for the trading post buildings. Weather permitting, the first build is scheduled for January 21, 2025, with two more building days to follow. Students from both schools will also do a fundraiser where they will prepare a hot lunch using crops harvested from the ADC garden and the Three Sisters Garden. Money raised from the fundraiser will go toward an end of year overnight stay in Elkwater for all three classes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Jessica Shigehiro, Grade 5 teacher at Senator Gershaw, said, “the project has been going well on all ends, with students coming up with names, (for their trading posts) and inquiry-based questions and discussions on the fur trade. The students have learned coding on Minecraft Education and developed their trading post on there, which is a part of the Grade 5 science curriculum. Students were very engaged and interacted extremely well with each other on Friday (Oct. 18). The three sisters’ crops are planted, watered and we are hoping for some growth over the winter months so we can harvest our vegetables. My students and all of the parents are extremely excited about this project.” &nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

Tuesday, November 12 Pink Shirt Day Assembly at 10:30 am #foremostschool #weareallfalcons #myprps #kindlehearts

Foremost School Falcons Clothing Sale Foremost School’s Athletic Program is selling clothing to support our school sports teams. Get your Falcon’s gear to show support for our school on spirit days, game days and while out in the community. It is always great to see students, families and community members wearing our logo and colours. The clothing would be a great gift for the holiday season for students, parents, family members and community members! All clothing comes in mens sizes and youth sizes (except crew neck sweaters). Tee shirts and sweatpants can come in ladies sizes. Please fill out the attached order form with any clothing you wish to purchase. To pay for your order please send cash or cheque payable to Foremost School back to the school with the order form. Final day for orders is Friday, November 15th, 2024 Please get your gear to support Foremost Athletics! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f3t0OiYfk_-dOKtKGA_HaXg-yq0wEUv490B726vajQs/edit. #foremostschool #weareallfalcons #myprps

It was such a fun Halloween Day at Foremost School! Everyone looked great in their costumes! Thank you to Junior Students’ Union for organizing the costume parade and pie eating contest! Congratulations to the winners! Senior High students deserve a big round of applause for their amazing Haunted House that the whole school enjoyed taking part in….even if they were pretty scared!

Please join us for our Remembrance Day Ceremony Tuesday, November 5 10:30 am Big Gym #foremostschool #myprps #kindlehearts #lestweforget

<p>Grade 3 students in Jennifer Tiffin’s class at Bow Island Elementary recently completed a project on oral storytelling to share the culture and/or traditions of each student’s family. Over a series of school days, time was set aside for three or four students to give their presentations. On Wednesday, October 9, the three students presenting were Lucas, Spencer and Braden.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Rather than have the students present in the classroom, Tiffin moved the class down the hallway to an open area so they could sit in a storytelling circle. Prior to lining up to leave the classroom, Tiffin and the class reviewed listening and presenting skills. “The person who is speaking is giving us a little bit of their heart and we want to be respectful of that,” explained Tiffin. Presenters were reminded to speak clearly, make eye contact, and engage their audience. Suggestions by the students on how to be a good listener included not talking during the presentation, watching the presenter, sitting still, and waiting until the end for questions along with asking good questions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Tiffin recognized Lucas as being the one student who had asked each presenter thus far a great question. “I love that we are not only listening but are asking questions because that shows me that you are really listening,” Tiffin told her class.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Once the students were sitting in the storytelling circle, with pillows in the middle for the presenter to sit on, Tiffin asked the class to tell her why they had undertaken this project. One student said so they could learn how to listen and speak to an audience. “Listening for me is one of the hardest parts of this but also one of the most important parts because listening is tricky,” stated Tiffin. Additionally, sitting in a circle lets the presenter know the other classmates care about them and want to hear what they have to say.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Lucas was the first presenter and told the circle that each Christmas Eve his grandpa makes yummy Rice Krispie Squares. His mom and dad invite all the family to their house for a gift exchange, which results in the house being full and boisterous. Answering questions from his audience, Lucas said his favourite part of the day was the gift exchange and then he explained how Rice Krispie Squares are made, opening the box he brought to show the class the treats he was planning to share with them.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Spencer brought a storybook of pictures to use his during his presentation and talked about the tradition of feeding their cows using heavy horses hitched to a large wagon load of hay. This tradition has been in his family since the 1980’s, long before Spencer was born. Since Spencer was old enough, a rope has been tied to the back of the wagon so Spencer, along with any friends who are over, can ride in a toboggan behind the wagon. The cows are only fed this way in the winter, Spencer explained, because they can graze in other seasons. When asked his favourite part, Spencer said it was going into the ditches, where the snow is the deepest, on the toboggan, although if he doesn’t manage to steer it onto the tracks, he often tips over.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Braden was the last presenter of the day and explained his family is Mexican Mennonite. One tradition his family practices is to take an annual visit to his grandparent’s house to help with butchering the cows and chickens then making sausages. Another one is travelling to Mexico each Christmas to spend time with family and friends. Braden brought some sausages his family made with him to class for sharing. When asked how difficult they are to make, Braden said he didn’t know because his grandma makes the sausages each year. His favourite part of these two traditions is the travelling.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The class had briefly discussed earlier in the year that making connections is one way we can comprehend the world around us. Tiffin explained to her students that this project is about making connections through personal stories, highlighting how Braden and Spencer shared similarities in their stories. Another similarity is having large family get togethers at Christmas or making Rice Krispie Squares with a family member, which most students in the class could identify with. While the project examined what is unique for each student, it also showed each other what they have in common.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

REPORT CARDS GOING HOME ON NOVEMBER 6, 2024 GRADES 9 - 12 ONLY Parent Teacher Conferences to follow on November 13. Time slots available 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm Use the attached link, scan the QR Code or call the school to book your time. https://schoolinterviews.ca/code/rf7uu #foremostschool #igniteminds #weareallfalcons #forgefutures #myprps #kindlehearts

Fire Safety Day was a huge success! Younger students had a great time watching and participating in the “Sing Out Fire Safety” show with Mary Lambert while older students were given an opportunity to tour the fire trucks and even try their hands at operating some equipment. Big thanks to Mary Lambert and the County of 40 Mile Fire Department for bringing this event to Foremost School! #foremostschool #igniteminds #weareallfalcons #forgefutures #myprps #kindlehearts

Tuesday, October 29 @ 6:00 pm Come on out to the Falcons’ Nest for the girls Senior Night! Cheer them on as they take on Crescent Heights in their final home game of the season and help us celebrate our graduating players! Sam, Dyllan & Elody are our graduates joining our team from St. Mike’s Bow Island, but very much a big part of our Falcon Family! Congratulations girls! 💜 #foremostschool #weareallfalcons #myprps

<p>While enrollment with South Alberta High School (SAHS) is in constant fluctuation, the number of students accessing the online school continues to climb. Some choose to take all their high school courses through SAHS while the majority take one or two courses at a time. Sherry Craven has been involved with SAHS since its creation two years ago. Changes this year include bringing on Corey Steeves as principal along with hiring a math/sciences teacher so all marking can be done in-house.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Our school is tailored to the individual and every student is unique. There was a student last year who realized in the second semester he needed CHEM 30 to get into an education program,” explained Craven. “He didn’t have it, wasn’t registered for it, and couldn’t have completed the course by the registration deadline. He decided to enrol in our school, took CHEM 30 and completed the course in about 90 days. Each student can go through courses as fast or as slow as they want.”&nbsp;</p><p>The benefit for this student was his post-secondary education wasn’t delayed by having to wait another year to complete the CHEM 30 course at an in-person school. SAHS is also ideal for students who are involved in extra-curricular activities that consume much of their time.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Rodeo, dance, ballet or hockey, they are totally invested in that, and they need everything else to fit around what is essentially a full-time job. Instead of having to take all the option classes and attend school with required attendance, they are able to choose what they want to take, and the program is individually tailored to what fits them with interest levels, profile, extracurricular, and future plans/goals,” stated Craven.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>For each student who is enrolled, Craven starts a text thread with them as that works better than emails. Each student has access to her phone number and, on initially contacting her, only has to give their name and what class(es) they are enrolled in. As many of the students don’t work on their schoolwork during regular hours, it is expected texts will come in during evenings and weekends.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>As Craven explained, “one student is in ballet five days a week, it’s a huge commitment. We have to expect that sometimes students will text at 10:30 p.m. because that’s when they are doing schoolwork and when they have facilitation or logistical questions, such as how to book a test, or accessing different booklets, links, or grades.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In a regular school, if a student misses a class, they never get that back. With SAHS, all lessons are pre-recorded and have a slide deck with a teacher in the corner of the screen going through the lesson.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Another type of student we get are those who struggle in a physical school setting and find it difficult sitting in a classroom but will thrive online. One student took several classes and at the end provided a testimonial that said when he’s sitting in a normal class and zones out, he never gets that back. In a class of 30 students, if he doesn’t understand something, he’s not going to ask a question because the teacher doesn’t have time to slow down, and he feels stupid asking. The next day it builds and builds, and he would get frustrated along with having increased anxiety.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>With the online lessons, students can do as much or as little as they want. Additionally, they can listen to lessons more than once and complete extra practice problems depending on their needs. The formative work isn’t as heavily weighted as the tests for online courses, so students must do the work to pass the tests.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Craven was teaching high school social studies at Eagle Butte when she got involved with creating online courses during the pandemic, learning from others how to use the platform and create instructional videos. “After teaching for 20 years, I thought it would be a fresh and exciting thing to try something different. For myself, being on the other side of education now, instead of being concerned about improving a student’s writing or get my planning and prep done, or marking essays, now my train of thought is completely different. Now, I’m trying to think of ways to grow and expand and what other opportunities we can create, what else can we provide that students would want to take to better themselves.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>SAHS is continuously developing courses and Craven’s favourite part about teaching is the creating part, either new lessons or new learning. “I was always reading books on pedagogy along with all the latest trends and styles in teaching and now I still find myself excited about that, but it’s different. It’s finding a niche for what students need and trying to make that work.”&nbsp;</p><p>Being a SAHS teacher and course creator is only part of Craven’s job. She is also the Student Experience Designer for the School of Trades as well as secondee for CAREERS The Next Generation. Going into her role with SAHS, Craven was concerned it would be like teaching during the pandemic, where students were disengaged.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“It was painful, and most teachers would agree it wasn’t a good teaching environment. It was forced upon us and a situation nobody wanted to be in,” stated Craven. “This is completely voluntary, the students who choose to take these courses want to be online and they want to do it this way. I would say the biggest thing that has impressed me is how polite and respectful the students are, how considerate they are of my time and how dedicated and driven, and grateful they are. They know exactly what they want, and they are good at asking for what they want and that has been impressive.”&nbsp;</p><p>Learn more about South Alberta High School online: <a href="https://southalbertahighschool.com/">southalbertahighschool.com</a>&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

Congratulations to our JV Junior girls!! Swamp champions at the Gershaw tournament!! 🏐 💜 #foremostschool #weareallfalcons

TONIGHT in the Falcons’ Nest!! Catch junior volleyball action in their League Playoffs! Boys @ 4:15 pm Girls @ 5:45 pm Best of luck also to our other Junior Girls team heading to Gershaw tonight for League Playoffs! They play at 4:15 pm if you are in the Bow Island area! GO FALCONS! #foremostschool #weareallfalcons

<p>Jacalyn Poncelet joined Prairie Rose Public School (PRPS) this year as principal at New Brigden School and knew from her first day there she’d made the right decision in taking the position. Originally from Kinistino, Saskatchewan, a small town less than an hour southeast of Prince Albert, Poncelet enjoys the strong connection to community and families in a rural school.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I went there from K-12 then away for university at the University of Saskatchewan and back to Kinistino where I taught elementary for almost 17 years. The last five years there I was focused on literacy and numeracy intervention, so I love that kind of work and working with elementary and rural education. I was so excited to return back to this.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Poncelet moved to Alberta six years ago to be closer to her much younger sister, who had children just starting school within PRPS in Redcliff. She worked with the Medicine Hat Public School Division (MHPSD) for six years but last year involved much driving between Medicine Hat and Oyen after her boyfriend took a position at South Central High School with the hockey academy. Now living in Oyen, Poncelet enjoys watching the prairie roll by during her 20-minute commute to New Brigden.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I love it, every day I come here very grateful I decided to take this opportunity,” stated Poncelet. “At first, I was a bit scared because everyone was saying how long it takes to get into MHPSD and now I was leaving. I knew on day one I made the right choice, it’s like a dream job.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In addition to being principal, Poncelet teaches grade 4-6 students. There are 11 students in Poncelet’s class, who receives help from an educational assistant (EA) when teaching math and language arts. The Grade 4-6 EA at New Brigden is also the secretary and bus driver for the school. The K-3 class has 10 students and the teacher in that class has an EA helping four days per week. Along with the custodian, New Brigden has five staff members in total.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“It’s really nice and everyone seems to be working well together, I enjoy the family atmosphere. That was the biggest part I missed when moving from a rural to a city school, that family feel in a classroom, and you can feel it the minute you walk in the door here. Even with the older students and the younger ones, I love seeing that leadership within from the students. They treat each other like brothers, sisters and teammates.”&nbsp;</p><p>Currently, there are nine families sending children to New Brigden School and Poncelet met all of them during May and June this year when she came out for a few of the school events. Additionally, there was a pancake breakfast on the first day of school where she was able to interact with the families again.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The pancake breakfast started at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 10 a.m. We only have one kindergarten student, who left when the parents did and started school the following day. In the classrooms, we went over school rules as a group and a few other things and then went into our classrooms to start. We do buddy activities once a week, reading or other activities the younger students might need some help with from the older ones. We do wellness usually on Fridays, we are doing lots of stuff on growth mindset right now. The family school liaison worker (FSLW) and mental health capacity come in regularly and some of that is together as a group, it depends on what they are focusing on,” explained Poncelet.&nbsp;</p><p>This year, Poncelet is intending to immerse herself into the school culture and is looking forward to getting to know the students, families and community better. The first parent council of the year is coming up soon, which will be a new experience for her now that she is in an administrative role, and she is excited to be involved.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>