HPS Dec 19 Weekly Update

Hello HPS Families! Here is your weekly update for the week of Dec. 19.

School Calendar

Please stay up-to-date with school activities and events by following our school calendar here: https://highpark.psd.ca/about/calendar

Pancake Brunch - Dec. 23

High Park School is pleased to serve a pancake brunch for students on Dec. 23. Our wonderful volunteers will be flipping pancakes starting at 9:00 am that morning - please contact our office if you might be available to help. We plan to start serving our youngest students at 10:30 am and work our way up the grades, finishing by noon. Please note that we are not able to accommodate for all food allergies or sensitivities, however, will have a gluten-free option available. If your child has food allergies or sensitivities, please let your child’s homeroom teacher know as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate these if we are able to. We ask students to eat breakfast as usual before school, and students may wish to still bring lunch and other snack items to keep energy levels up throughout the day. 

Christmas Concert Parking

We are very excited for the return of in-person Christmas Concerts this year. Traffic in our neighbourhood can get very congested at this time. Please do your part to respect our neighbours in the community by parking only in appropriate spots, by carpooling where possible, and watching carefully for children and families in the area. We appreciate your respect and attention to this matter.

Crosswalk and Parking Lot Safety Issues

We ask for your cooperation to help keep everyone safe during dropoff and pickup times. The bus lane is closed to traffic between 7:30 - 9:30 am and 2:30 - 4:30 pm. This is for everyone’s safety, as students cross this lane from our dropoff zone. Please be extra cautious when entering the staff parking lot to access the dropoff lane. We remind caregivers that the dropoff lane in the parking lot area is a “drop and go” area - there is no parking here. Please assist us with keeping traffic flowing by exiting the area as soon as your child(ren) have departed the vehicle. If you need to park temporarily, please use the parking lot, or park along the street in a safe location. We also ask that you do not park in front of the fire hydrant in front of the school when dropping off students, even if temporarily. This is not a loading zone and the area is to be kept clear for safety reasons. Likewise, on the west side of the crosswalk crossing the bus lane, please avoid parking within 1.5 m of the corner. This creates a visibility hazard for students crossing the street. We also ask that vehicles kindly wait until the crosswalk is completely clear before entering the intersection. There have been several close calls with vehicles cutting the corner close to students/parents who are actively crossing the road, and this is a safety concern for all involved. Thank you for your cooperation which will help keep everyone safe on their way to and from school. Please be aware that bylaw officers have been making more frequent visits to our school to assist with safety during peak times. 

Christmas Hamper Collections

Thank you to all who supported the Kinsmen Christmas Hamper campaign. We were able to provide a lot of support for families in our community, and your support means the world to us!

Winter Weather

This coming week the forecast is expected to be quite cold. Keep up to date with busing notifications on the PSD website at psd.ca. Please ensure your child comes to school dressed for the weather, with appropriate jacket, snow pants, toque, mitts, and face covering. Please assist us with reuniting items with their rightful owners by clearly labeling your child’s mittens, toques, etc. with their name and grade. 

Hot Lunch Notification Change

If your child will be absent and you’d like to pick up their lunch or send it to another child, please call or email the office at 780-963-2222 or highpark@psd.ca no later than 10:00 am the day of hot lunch. Any leftover lunches will be donated to our nutrition nook, and please note that refunds are not available.

Sun Run Caramel Fundraiser

Orders are now closed. Thank you to all who supported our Sun Run team with your orders. These will be available for pickup during the week of Dec. 19-23.

Christmas Concert K-3 and Choir: BUGZ: A Holiday Infestation

• The K-3 and Choir Christmas Concert is scheduled for December 21st at 6:00PM! We are so excited to share our show BUGZ: A Holiday Infestation with parents, family, and friends! The story is a cute tale of some insects that invade a Christmas party, eat all the decorations and learn some manners along the way. Can’t wait to share the fun songs and dances with you! 

• On the night of the concert the school doors open at 5:30PM. Students will go to their classroom for attendance and the Choir will come to the Music room. Students will stay in their classrooms during the show and runners will bring classes to the gym for their performance. At the end of the concert, all classes are on stage for the finale, we dismiss classes back to their homeroom, and parents pick up students from their classrooms at the end of the night. 

• If you know your child will not attend the concert, please communicate this with your classroom teacher as well as Mrs. Schellenberger at alexandra.schellenberger@psd.ca. There are many roles and jobs for the concert and we need to plan for students that are unable to attend. 
• Below is costume information for each grade. If you have specific questions, please feel free to email Mrs. Schellenberger. Costumes do not need to be expensive or stressful and can be simple with the colour of the class and a few homemade accessories. You are welcome to purchase additional costume items but it is not necessary. Please do not have large logos or writing on clothing. 

COSTUME INFORMATION: 

Christmas Concert: Gr. 4-6 and BAND - SLAPSHOT SANTA SCORES AGAIN

• The Gr.4-6 and BAND  Christmas Concert is scheduled for December 22nd at 6:00PM! We are so excited to share our show Slapshot Santa Scores Again with parents, family, and friends! The story is a hilarious tale of Santa wanting to play in the NHL and getting very behind on his toy making! Can’t wait to share the funny, heartwarming songs and dances with you! 

• On the night of the concert the school doors open at 5:30PM. Students will go to their classroom for attendance and the Band will come to the Music room. Students will stay in their classroom during the show and runners will bring classes to the gym for their performance. At the end of the concert, all classes are on stage for the finale. We dismiss classes back to their homeroom, and parents pick up students from their classrooms at the end of the night.

• If you know your child will not attend the concert, please communicate this with your classroom teacher as well as Mrs. Schellenberger at alexandra.schellenberger@psd.ca. There are many roles and jobs for the concert and we need to plan for students that are unable to attend.
• Below is costume information for each grade. If you have specific questions, please feel free to email alexandra.schellenberger@psd.ca Costumes do not need to be expensive or stressful, and can be simple with solid colours and a few accessories. You are welcome to purchase additional costume items but it is not necessary. Please do not have large logos or writing on clothing. 

COSTUME INFORMATION: 

As always, should you have questions or require more information please feel free to reach out to Mr. Oldham or myself at the school or via email at dave.oldham@psd.ca or adrienne.owen@psd.ca. Please follow us on Facebook/Instagram and our website for updates and information throughout the year.

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Dec. 20 - Grinch Day - wear something green
• Dec. 21 - Whoville Hair Day - wear your wacky and wild hairstyles
• Dec. 21 - BUGZ: A Holiday Infestation! Kinder-Gr.3 Christmas Concert and CHOIR 6:00PM 
• Dec. 22 - Ugly Holiday Sweater Day - dig out your holiday sweater treasures
• Dec. 22 - Slapshot Santa Scores Again Gr. 4-6 Christmas Concert and BAND 6:00PM 
• Dec. 23 - Pancake Brunch served for all students
• Dec. 23 - Pajama Day & locker cleanout
• Dec. 26 - Jan. 6 - Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
• Jan. 9 - Term 2 CTF courses begin for grade 7-9 students