Happy May!!!  

Book Fair - May 5-14
CLMS will be running a Scholastic Book Fair from May 5-14 both in the library and virtually online! Students will have an opportunity to make purchases in person, and parents will be able to place orders online at https://virtualbookfairs.scholastic.ca/pages/5159715. Thank you for supporting literacy in our students! 

Mental Health Week at CLMS 

• Monday - Classroom activity for grade 6 and 7, pop-ups in each classroom with an art activity that relates to mental health/giving hope and creating post-its that outline what or who makes them hopeful
• Tuesday - Classroom activity for grades 4, 5, and 8 ^^
• Wednesday - Hats on for Mental Health. Wear a hat today!!! On the first Wednesday in May, Albertans are invited to wear a hat to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health.
• Thursday - Hall of Hope - Post-its from the classroom activities will be used to make "Halls of Hope" where we will place the post-its on each locker. Students will be allowed to walk with their class through the halls to locate their post-it. Students who find their post-it will let their grade level EA know. They will be entered for their grade level draw and have a chance to win a prize! There will be 5 prizes total, one for each grade.
• Friday - Hall of Hope

The Monday following Mental Health week all post-its will be put on a bulletin board called "The Wall of Hope" that will be displayed in a common area for all students to see to create a long-lasting effect of Hope at Cold Lake Middle School.

A special thank you to Miss North, our SAC, and Ashley from Successful Families, Successful Kids for organizing these events.

Mental Health Week - It Starts With Hope 
Northern Lights Public Schools is pleased to launch its new It Starts with Hope project, which will include a variety of activities and initiatives focusing on hope and the positive impact it has on mental health. For more information visit https://nlpsab.ca/our-division/news/post/it-starts-with-hope

We would like to express our appreciation to Imperial Oil for supporting our “It Starts with Hope” project, which will include a variety of initiatives in our schools that focus on hope. We are very excited to introduce this to our staff, students, and parents!

Statement on Draft Curriculum 
Northern Lights Public Schools will not be participating in piloting the new draft Kindergarten to Grade 6 provincial curriculum during the 2021-2022 school year. 

“The last two school years have been very challenging for our students and staff and we need to focus on addressing the academic and mental health impacts of the pandemic and try to restore a sense of normalcy for our students,” explained Board Chair Arlene Hrynyk. “We support Administrations’ decision not to proceed at this time, as this will only add to the stress and anxiety our students and staff are already experiencing.”

Alberta Education is currently seeking feedback on the new draft K-6 curriculum through a survey: Draft K-6 Curriculum Survey. The full Draft K-6 Curriculum is available on learnalberta.ca. The division will also be looking at ways to engage parents in discussions about the draft curriculum and collect feedback. Further details will be shared once they have been finalized.

For the full statement visit https://www.nlpsab.ca/our-division/news/post/statement-on-draft-curriculum 

Upcoming Events

• May 4-14 - Scholastic Book Fair
• May 21-24 - Victoria Day Long Weekend (No School)

Special Days

• May 3-9 - Mental Health Week
• May 1 - School Principal's Day
• May 5 - Cinco de Mayo
• May 10 - Mother's Day 
• May 24 - Victoria Day

Awareness 

• Asian Heritage Month
• Physical Fitness Month
• May 30 - World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day 

Board approves Multi-Configuration option for Cold Lake schools 
The Northern Lights Public Schools Board of Trustees has approved the recommendation of the Cold Lake Configuration Committee to proceed with the proposed Multi-Configuration Scenario for the division’s schools in Cold Lake. For more information, visit https://www.nlpsab.ca/our-division/cold-lake-configuration/post/board-approves-multi-configuration-option

STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN DURING COVID-19

ACKNOWLEDGE FEARS & BE REAL
• Be honest and give age-appropriate information
• Occasionally be open about your own emotions
• Help children see it is okay to have feelings AND show them that you can manage them

HELP MANAGE NEWS INTAKE
• Children look to the adults around them to learn how frightened they should be
• It’s helpful if adults take in the news and then convey it to children, rather than children viewing
news on their own
• Discuss news in the context of a supportive relationship and in manageable bits
• Help children learn about credible news sources

BE CURIOUS WITH THEM
• Ask about what they are hearing and thinking
• Respond to their questions with facts
• Use developmentally appropriate language and relatable examples
• Follow their lead of where their thoughts are going, and help them limit the amount of time spent focusing on them.

YOUR PRESENCE AND ATTENTION ARE KEY
• Be available for questions or expressions of emotion
• It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers; your presence can help them tolerate not knowing
• Find simple activities to keep busy and shift attention when they’re ready

ROUTINE!
• Participate in regular activities as much as possible
• Eat, sleep, bathe, and play at regular times that children are used to
• Help children know what they can do – this builds self-efficacy (this may include chores around the house, creating new things, continuing to play, etc.)

*Strategies provided by the Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute (2021)

Covid-19 Safety Section
Please use the most up-to-date Daily Checklist before sending your child to school. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call the school. 
Our school has always been committed to keeping students, staff, and families safe. Our COVID-19 safety measures are outlined in the NLPS Re-Entry Plan, which can be accessed at nlspab.ca. Here are some highlights:

• We have increased sanitization in our school, especially in high touch areas
• All staff and students in grades 4-12 are required to wear masks
• Hand sanitizer is available at all entrances and in all classrooms
• Staff and students are encouraged to practice physical distancing at all times
• Staff and students use the Covid-19 Daily Checklist before coming to school

Safe Arrival/Students Absent from School
Parents are asked to call the school, 780-594-5623, prior to the morning registration at 8:35 am if your child will be absent. If your child is ill, please call the school. Parents must register their child to ride the bus. Please contact the transportation department 1-877-826-6038

School Cash Online
Please go to https://nlsd.schoolcashonline.com to pay for various school activity fees, to order hot lunch, or to purchase concession cards.

CLMS Clothing Order
Get your Spirit Wear Now at https://clmsspiritwear.itemorder.com/ Items can be purchased online all year long and picked up at K3 Promotions. We have so many items to choose from! Masks, tees, long-sleeves, jackets, toques, ball caps, and more! Get your CLMS Spirit Wear today and rep the best middle school ever!

CLMS School Education Plan

1. Supporting Student Mental Health and Wellness; increase positive mental health and wellness and reduce anxiety.
2. Increasing student achievement and competencies in numeracy

Fun Fact of the Week: Guinness World Records lists the Mona Lisa as having the highest insurance value for a painting in history. On permanent display at The Louvre museum in Paris, the Mona Lisa was assessed at US$100 million on December 14, 1962. Taking inflation into account, the 1962 value would be around US$780 million (CAD$967,941,000) today.