HPS May 1 Weekly Update

Hello HPS Families! Here is your weekly update for the week of May 1st.

High Park School Spirit Wear Online Shop

Last chance to order your School Spirit Wear! We will be placing an order for items at the end of April. Order forms will be available online and all orders must be received by our office no later than May 1. Once submitted, parents will have the cost added through the fees portal on Powerschool. These fees must be paid no later than May 8, through Parent Portal, for the order to be processed. The order form is available here. 

To our “Popping” Volunteers - You’re Invited!

With our heartfelt thanks, we invite you to enjoy some light snacks in honor of the tremendous amount of support and time you’ve given to our school. Please join us in the school gym at 1:30pm on May 17th. Please be sure to RSVP to Mrs. Pollock in the office by phone or email at audrey.pollock@psd.ca by May 8th. We look forward to seeing you there!  

Mental Health Week and Hats Off for Mental Health

May 1-7 is Canadian Mental Health Week, and classes may be participating in a variety of related activities. On Wednesday, May 3rd, show your support for Mental Health Awareness by wearing a funky hat to school.

School Fees

Term 3 CTF fees for grade 7-9 students are now updated and have been assigned through Powerschool. Please login to your Parent Portal to pay these fees. Fees are due by May 1. 

Something Fishy is leaving High Park!

We are a few short weeks away from releasing our Rainbow Trout. Our release date has been set for the afternoon of May 19, 2023 which is a non instructional day. We would like to send an open invitation for families to join us at Chickakoo lake at 1pm for a bring-your-own-picnic and to help us release the fish. Students in attendance will have the opportunity to be chosen to release one of our fish into their new homes.

Energy Drinks and Sports Drinks

As a school, we have observed an increase in students bringing energy drinks and sports drinks to school with them. Please note that caffeinated energy beverages (i.e. Red Bull, Monster, Prime, etc.) are not permitted at school due to the significant health risks these pose for children and youth. However, at least one brand of these beverages also markets a “hydration” drink, similar to sports electrolyte drinks like Gatorade, however, with added ingredients. Please be aware that many of these drinks, while desirable to children and youth, specifically indicate that they are not intended to be consumed by children. Prime Hydration, for example, has similar packaging to its caffeinated energy drink counterpart, and both of these beverages indicate on the label that they are not intended for children. Despite this, these have become quite popular and are beginning to cause competition and other challenges at school. For this reason, we ask for parent support in also discouraging the consumption of these sport beverages, and promoting healthier alternatives such as milk and/or water instead. 

Allergy and Anaphylaxis Prevention

In our school, we have students with severe, life-threatening allergies to food products, including milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, mustard, shellfish and sesame. We ask that parents and students please discuss together how to help keep students with allergies safe in our school. Several common foods contain these allergens, and so we ask that students consume food only in designated areas in our building, such as their classroom, to help us be able to clean these areas appropriately after eating times. The best way to prevent cross-exposure, which can cause an allergic reaction, is by washing hands well with soap and water before and after eating. Please help us keep our school environment safe for all students by talking with your child at home about food allergy prevention.

Hot Lunch

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. Please note that refunds are not available. The deadline to order hot lunches for the upcoming month is the 25th of the current month. The link to order is https://hpspal.hotlunches.net/admin/ and the code to register is always HPHL.

Stay in Touch!

Follow us on our various websites and communication platforms:

• High Park School Website
• HPS Facebook 
• Instagram (high_park_school) 
• HPS PAL (Parent Advisory League) Facebook page - fundraising information, hot lunch details, and other reminders
• HPS School Calendar 

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:

• May 1- PAL Hot Dog Lunch
• May 1 - School Bus Driver appreciation day
• May 3 - Hot Lunch - Dairy Queen
• May 3 - Hats on for Mental Health Day - please note date correction
• May 4 - Skills Canada competition field trip for Grade 9 students
• May 8-12 - Grade 5 swimming lessons
• May 9-10 - Visual Arts Celebration at Memorial Comp 4pm - 7:30pm
• May 11 - Sun Run Concession 
• May 15 - Grade 9 ELA Part A (Writing) PAT
• May 16 - Elementary Track Meet (K-6)
• May 16 - 6:00 - PAL Meeting, 7:00 - School Council Meeting, both virtual at the links embedded
• May 17 - Grade 6 ELA Part A (Writing) PAT
• May 17 - Volunteer Tea at 1:30 pm
• May  18- PCAA Zone Track Meet (7-9)
• May 19 - PD Day - No School
• May 22 - Victoria Day - No School
• May 24 - High Park’s Got Talent - 1:30 showtime
• May 25 - Sun Run Concession 
• May 26 - PCAA Parkland School Division Track Meet
• May 26 - School Spirit Wear Day
• May 30 - Metro Unified Jamboree at Memorial High School
• June 2 - Parkland School Division Try Me Try-athlon