Dear Families,
Although this has been a shorter week at school, there has been a lot happening in our EES classrooms!
As we have been leading up to the Easter long weekend, we have focused a lot of our learning on the theme of Easter and what things we see in the world around us at this time of year. The students have learned about Easter vocabulary through writing sentences, sequencing and matching words, matching pictures, listening to songs and exploring stories. Our classes also thought about different types of eggs in science lessons. We made nests out of natural materials, explored the inside of hard boiled eggs, and also dyed eggs using shaving foam and food colouring - very messy, very fun, and it helped us to make real life connections to Easter eggs! In math the students have been practicing counting, recognizing numbers, sequencing numbers, and adding. These skills are practiced using songs, visuals, manipulatives and actions.
Our students created some beautiful spring and Easter-themed art this week using a variety of materials and techniques. Art allows us to explore our learning in a hands-on way and to connect with the wonderful world around us. We also had a visit from some baby chicks this week, that the students got to see, pet and hold!
We were very lucky to spend some time this week with Hal Eagletail, a TsuuT'ina Knowledge Keeper. He joined our classes to tell stories, help us explore indigenous art and clothing, and we got to hear him sing and drum. It was an incredibly engaging experience for our students, and we got to end it this week through taking part in a smudge ceremony with the rest of the school. We look forward to having Hal Eagletail visit us again!
Important Information
Special Days at MTS
Autism Awareness Month
April is Autism Awareness Month. In recognition of this month and in an effort to promote understanding about this community and our specialized EES setting, McKenzie Towne school teachers will do some learning and activities over the course of April to deepen their understanding of Austism Spectrum Disorder. In order to celebrate the culmination of this learning, we are inviting staff and students to wear blue on April 30th. The color blue, associated with peace, calmness and acceptance, is the primary color designated for autism which is the reason for wearing blue.
Mental Health Week
May 5th to 11th is Mental Health Week. McKenzie Towne School, led by our excellent Resource Teacher Ms. Blake, will participate in an Alberta wide series of activities and challenges designed to Move Your Mood. In addition, we are inviting all students and staff to wear hats on Wednesday May 7th in order to raise awareness and promote the importance of mental health.
MTS Yearbooks
To order go to: https://ybpay.lifetouch.ca/
Use Yearbook ID code: 10614125
Regular Pricing: $34 (NOW - May 24, 2025)
Last day to order: May 24, 2025
We would like to invite parents to submit photos of their child for the yearbook by emailing them to yearbook@mtsparents.com. Submissions can include pictures from the first day of school, Terry Fox Run, Halloween Dance, Tropical Beach Day etc.
Fun Lunch
The next Fun Lunch will be on Wednesday, April 30.
Fun Lunch is only for grades 1-4 and our EES students.
- Go to healthyhunger.ca
- Log into you existing account or create a new one.
- Add your child’s information in the “add child” box – name, province, city, school, grade and class.
- All Fun Lunches will then populate – select the order now button!
Please make sure to send a morning snack with your child on Fun Lunch Days.
**The cut off date to place an order is the Friday before the Fun Lunch.
Upcoming Dates
April 18 Good Friday - NO SCHOOL
April 21 Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL
April 30 Wear Blue for Autism Month
April 30 Fun Lunch - Little Caesars
May 7 Hats on for Mental Health
May 7 Class Photo Day
May 16 Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL
May 19 Victoria Day - NO SCHOOL
May 28 Fun Lunch - Subway
As the weather continues to vary, please note that students are outside every day. Please continue to send coats and warm layers to keep up with the fluctuations in temperature.
Have a safe and fun Easter long weekend!
Ms. Emma, Ms. Veronika & Ms. Swapna
