October 2015

Experience the Success!

Peace River School Division #10

Issue 2

Principals Message

This is a very busy time of year at Peace High! We see a tonne of athletics happening with our

volleyball, football and cross country running teams all hosting and travelling all over the province to

compete and represent our school community. Thank you to all of the students and volunteers (staff

and community) that help to keep our teams busy and active all year. Along with athletics, we have

our Interact Club that has been busy with the Turkey Shoot for Thanksgiving, and now paired with the

town and the library will be hosting the annual Haunted House for kids at the library on Halloween

night!

Our League of Leadership also been very active with planning our Spirit Week October 27-30, with

events like Retro Day, Tricks and Treats Day, Oh Canada Day and finally a door decorating and costume

contest happening on Friday, October 30. With all of the business happening outside of the classroom

we need to make sure that students and parents are aware that midterms are coming up in early

November, followed by our midterm report cards the following week. There needs to be a good

balance between school and extra-curricular in order to be successful in all areas. Like all things,

communication is very important to the success of our students academically and in our clubs and

teams. If there are any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the school so that we can all

work together to make sure that all of our students are able to have success; inside and outside of the

classroom!

Mark Owens

Principal

Cross Country Team

Superintendent’s Message -

Academic Results

Each year Alberta Education reports on numerous performance

measures for Alberta school divisions in a report known as the

Accountability Pillar Report. Our updated results show that

69.6% of students (combined in grades 6 and 9) achieved the

Acceptable Standard on the Provincial Achievement Tests, and,

10.3% achieved the Standard of Excellence.

Updated results on the Provincial Diploma Exam courses show that 82.6% of students achieved the Acceptable Standard,

and 9.1% of students achieved a Standard of Excellence.

Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Exams are only one measure of student achievement and results are best

examined at the school level where the local context can be considered. Each school will be sharing school results within

their local community.

I wish to congratulate students, staff and parents on working so well together on improving student achievement.

Achievement Test and Diploma Exam results will be further analyzed to help inform instructional decisions that will lead

to increased student achievement.

I invite you to view a detailed summary of the division’s overall results on our website at www.prsd.ab.ca.

Paul Bennett Superintendent of Schools Peace River School Division No. 10

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School Council

At the October meeting of the School council we were able to review the Three Year School Plan and Accountability

Pillar Survey Results with staff and parents that were present at the meeting. Some highlights from this are:

Improvements in:

1. Acceptable standard on Provincial Achievement Tests (Grade 9)

2. Standard of Excellence on Provincial Achievement Tests (Grade 9)

3. Decreased dropout rate

4. Diploma Exam Participation Rate (4+ diploma exams)

5. Rutherford Scholarship Eligibility rate

6. School Improvement

We would like to thank all stakeholders in the Peace River High School Community for their help and support! This is

a team effort to help our youth achieve success in school and prepare them for the next stage in their life.

Our next meeting is a Joint School Council meeting (Springfield, TA Norris and Peace High) hosted by Springfield

Elementary on November 18 at 7 pm.

Watch our school website and Facebook

pages for information!

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Scholarships & Student loans

Featured this month:

Fred West Memorial Scholarship

Fred West was the operations manager at Shell’s Peace River Complex. To honour Fred’s memory and

his contributions to our community, a $25, 000 scholarships was created. The scholarship will be

distributed over ten years with $2500 given out to a Peace River High School graduate each year at our

graduation ceremonies.

What are the eligibility criteria?

Peace River High School grade 12 student who is graduating or who is upgrading courses with the

intention to attend post-secondary.

Must be enrolled in a post-secondary institution and be accepted full time for the upcoming school

year.

Must be attending a program in technical school/ college/ university leading towards a career in

the oil and gas industry.

Application deadline is Tuesday, May 2, 2014.

What is the application process??

Grade 12 students must provide a completed application form and a typed letter briefly describing in

500 words your specific goals and ambitions for the next two years. It should also outline how your

area of study would relate to the gas and oil sector.

Please see Mr. Pobuda for the application forms and all the details!

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Spotlight on Health and Safety

Kristy Shilka, PRSD Health & Safety Coordinator

When wintry weather wafts will you be prepared?

Winter brings some special challenges and one primary concern is heavy snowfall and the ability of extreme

cold to knock out heat, power and communication services - possibly for days at a time. Emergency provisions

should include enough food, water and supplies to last 72 hours. Remember, to prevent carbon monoxide

poisoning, never use portable fuel-fired appliances indoors.

Winter transportation can mean coping with ice and snow that can make navigating roads hazardous. Before

traveling, make sure your vehicle is winter ready, contains emergency supplies and ensure the gas tank is at

least half full at all times. Clear all snow from the vehicle and keep the windows defrosted. Make allowances

for increased travel times and communicate your route to others.

Before venturing outdoors check the weather and dress appropriately for the temperature and activity. Keep

walkways and driveways clear for winter visitors and Emergency Services. Recognize and treat any early signs

of hypothermia or frostbite.

Winter sports bring hours of enjoyment however continuously stay alert for dangers. Keep activities suited to

children’s age and abilities and always use maintained and properly fitting equipment, including the

appropriate helmet.

Stay safe and warm, be prepared.

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Graduation 2016

This year’s Executive consists of:

President- Christin Foot

Vice-President –Lara Agapow

Secretary- Brandt Dollekamp

Head of Decorating – Kate Gustafson

Head of Ceremonies – Carter Hulme

Congratulations to these students who have been elected by their graduating class! Reminder to Families:

Grad this year will be held on July 2, 2016. There will be Parent Meeting held here at Peace High in the next 3 weeks to discuss general information about

graduation planning as well as graduation requirements to be eligible to attend the ceremony. When an exact date has been confirmed, there will be a phone message sent to families which will give the date

and time of this meeting. Committee Meetings:

Both Ceremonies and Decorating Committees have begun having meetings and have been making progress with

tasks that need to be done. Watch for updates on the work of each committee which will be in future

newsletters

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Mental Illness Awareness in October and Year Round!

The week of October 4 to 10 2015 is when we work to build awareness around and understanding of mental illness.

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the

eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. The week was established in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatric

Association, and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in

cooperation with all its member organizations and many other supporters across Canada. It is important that we all

recognize that mental illness, like other forms of illness, can impact any of us. Reducing stigma and gaining an

understanding of how mental illnesses can be prevented and managed is critical to wellbeing.

Strategies for Good Mental Health and Wellness

Some good coping skills when stressed include:

Meditation and Relaxation Techniques: Practicing deep breathing techniques, the relaxation response, or progressive muscle relaxation are ways to help reduce stress and induce relaxation.

Time to Yourself: It is important to set aside time every day to allow yourself to relax and escape the stress of life. Give yourself a private, mini vacation from everything going on around you.

Physical Activity: Moving around and getting the heart rate up causes the body to release endorphins (the body's feel good hormones). Exercising provides some stress relief.

Reading: Escape from reality completely by reading. Reading can help you to de-stress by taking your mind off everyday life.

Mental Illness in the Classroom

What can you do?

As a classmate Educate Yourself Treat people with respect Confront stigma Support your classmates

As a person with mental illness Get assistance and treatment Don’t allow self-doubt and shame Inform others Be a champion

Project Peace

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Friendship: Having friends who are willing to listen and support one through good and bad times is essential.

Humor: Adding humor to a stressful situation can help to lighten the mood.

Hobbies: Having creative outlets such as listening to music, drawing or gardening are great ways to relax and relieve everyday stress.

Spirituality Actively believing in a higher power or divine being can have many health benefits. In recent studies, it has been found that people who pray have better mental health than those who do not.

Pets: Taking care of a pet helps distract the mind from stressful thoughts. Studies Show that pets are a calming influence in people's lives.

Sleeping The human body needs a chance to rest and repair itself after a long and stressful day. Sleeping gives the body this chance so that it is ready to perform another day.

Nutrition Eating foods that are good for you not only improve your physical health, but they play a major role in your mental health. l

There are also negative coping skills which can get in the way with positive approaches to dealing with stress. Actions

that are harmful to both mental and physical health include:

Drugs

Excessive alcohol use

Self-mutilation

Ignoring or storing hurt feelings

Sedatives

Stimulants

Excessive working

Avoiding problems

Denial

These actions offer only temporary relief, if any, from stress. Ignoring or covering up how you feel does not solve the

problem and the next time the situation comes up, you will still have no way of dealing with it.

The next time you find yourself faced with a difficult or stressful situation, remember to practice your new and positive

coping skills.

Adapted from CMHA Mental Health Facts, 2014

Project PEACE is one of 37 projects in a province-wide Mental Health Capacity Building in Schools Initiative. The

Initiative is funded by AHS – Addiction and Mental Health, in partnership with Alberta Education and other

partners and community agencies. For more information please contact: Linda Stevens, Project PEACE

Success Coach at (780) 624-4221 or by email at stevenli@prsd.ab.ca

Pride, Empowerment, Acceptance, Capacity, Encouragement

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We will be offering targeted programs that address needs that we often see impacting some our youth

in ways that need more attention than universal programming, If you feel your child could benefit from

participation in any of the targeted programs offered OR you have an idea for a program, please call

Linda at 780-624-4221 to discuss your thoughts further.

AVAILABLE PROGRAMS

The Success Coach also works with teachers to carry universal programming into the classrooms to

promote social/emotional wellness. This Fall Grade 9 p.Ed/Health students are receiving the Fourth R

program. The Fourth R is a program aimed at promoting healthy adolescent relationships and

reducing risk behaviours. At school we all recognize the importance of learning the “three Rs”,

reading, writing and arithmetic. With the Fourth R the aim is to promote the neglected “R”(for

relationships) and help build this Fourth R in school climates.

Fourth R initiatives use best practice approaches to target multiple forms of violence, including

bullying, dating violence, peer violence, and group violence. By building healthy school environments

we provide opportunities to engage students in developing healthy relationships and decision-making

to provide a solid foundation for their learning experience. Increasing youth relationship skills and

targeting risk behaviour with a harm reduction approach empowers adolescents to make healthier

decisions about relationships, substance use and sexual behaviour.

“Too Stressed to Think” Aimed at

helping youth build their own “toolkit” to

manage stress and anxiety.

Available throughout the school year

“GOOD GRIEF” A program aimed at

helping teens grieve and grow after

loss (be it through divorce, death,

relocation etc…)

Available November

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Athletics

Cross Country Running Season 2015

4 Runner attended the Glenmary meet Oct 1st. It

was cold and raining but they pushed through with

good results.

Zones were in Rocky Lane east of High Level and 6

runners attended. Tessa Schlack and Arianna

Loogman placed 1st in Junior Women, Brice Wilkes

placed 6th and Lachlan Bell placed 12th in

Junior Men, Taysha Dunnington placed 5th in Senior Women and

Killian Bell placed 3rd in Senior Men.

All 6 runners qualified for Provincials which were held at

the Wapiti Ski trails in Grande Prairie. Our runners placed

well, achieving some personal best times. Each group

had between 100 and 120 runners.

Volleyball:

The Jr. Girls volleyball team has had a great season so far. They were 4th of 20

teams in the Jr. Nomad Invitational.

They will be heading to zones on

November 6-7th in Fairview. Thank

you to the coaching staff, Jayden

Gorham, Pearson McGillivray, Mrs.

Cloake-Millar and Ms. Hanley for

being their teacher rep at zones.

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Good work this season so far for the Sr.

Boys. They have worked really hard this

year to improve their skill. They earned a

silver medal in Fort St. John and are looking

forward to their tournaments in Fairview

and then Peace Classic and then zones in La

Crete. The boys helped officiate the Jr.

Nomad Invitational as well. Good work

Boys!

The Sr. Girls Volleyball team has had a really strong start to the season with a silver

medal in Spirit River and Rocky Mountain

house, a bronze medal in Whitecourt and

another silver in Fort St. John. They took a

break from playing to help officiate in the

Jr Nomad Invitational. They are now

heading south to Vegreville and then to

Edson. After that is Peace Classic on

November 13-14 and zones in Spirit River

the following week.

Football:

The Pioneers Football team has finished up the regular season with a convincing victory

over the Grande Prairie Warriors to finish in 3rd place in the 8 team Mighty Peace

Football league. The Pioneers will play the Sexsmith Sabres on October 31 with the

winner advancing to the Peace Bowl Championship on November 7. In the next

weekend the Pioneers start their provincial playoffs with a first round hosting of the St

Albert Storm at Glenmary Field on November 14 at 1 pm. The winner will advance to

the Northern Alberta Finals the next weekend, and the Provincial Finals are hosted in

Edmonton at Foote Field on November 28.

Please follow us on Twitter @nomadathletics for updates on schedules and results!

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Our Vision: Preparing Individual Citizens for Tomorrow.

Our Mission: Peace River High School, Experience the Success!

Peace River High School

10001 91 Avenue, Peace River Alberta T8S 1Z5 Phone (780) 624 4221

http://www.peaceriverhigh.ca/