5 Days Until School Starts!
The Teachers and Staff are busy getting ready and we can’t wait for the halls to be filled with our amazing boys!
SAVE THE DATE (please note date change) – Thursday, September 26 – Checkpoint Meeting! Checkpoint Meetings are an opportunity for parents and students to meet with teachers to discuss progress and address questions/concerns. Online booking is usually available starting 2 weeks prior to the meeting dates.
Quick Reminders
Uniforms
The first day, Sept. 3 is Standard Uniforms, first day of Formal Uniforms is Wednesday, Sept. 4.
Busing
Both bus routes start on the first day of school. To register please contact Dave Jackson ASAP.
School Supplies
North Point provides school supplies to all students in grades 1-9.
Before and After School Care
Contact Summit Kids to register – www.SummitKids.ca/Registration or Bob, the Campus Lead at 403.477.1165
TUE Sept. 3 – FIRST Day of classes!
TUE Sept. 3 – PARENTS – please join us for a WELCOME coffee and snack in the Staff Lounge after 8:30 AM on the first day.
THU Sept. 5 – PARENT ORIENTATION @ 6:30 PM – please join us for our annual orientation evening. Meet the faculty staff and find out what is planned for the 2019-20 school year. Students are not required to attend this evening session.
Head of School Message
Mr. Devost
Letter to Parents,
The new school year is fast approaching and we are excited to welcome you all back for what will be our 5thanniversary for North Point School. The North Point staff team has been working hard all week to get ready for the first day of school.
We are pleased to welcome Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi and Mrs. Dorothy Reimer to our North Point family. Mr. Q will be leading our PE program in addition to being the Gr. 4 mentor teacher and teaching Grade 4-9 math and science with Mr. Redick and Mr. Kostecki respectively. Mrs. Reimer takes over as our marketing and communications manager. In addition, Mrs. Nancy Fairhead will be joining us 3 days a week this year to teach LA and Social studies with Mr. Fagan and Mr. Hirtle to grade 4-9. Mrs. Fairhead will also spend some time on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings working in Grade 1-3.
This year for the vast majority of our core academic blocks, students will be split into single grade groupings with the Grade 7 class being our largest academic group at 16 students. We will combine classes for PE, Financial Academy and Fine Arts.
Action Fridays will also be split up into morning and afternoon groupings to make our numbers more manageable. Grades 7-9 students will be off campus in the morning with our grade1-6 students off campus in the afternoon.
Our Technology policy has been revised somewhat to reduce the amount of screen time for the boys. Phones and personal devices will only be used to contact parents briefly at breaks and lunch from Monday to Thursday each week. One day per week, on Action Fridays, boys will have the choice of being outside, reading, interacting socially, playing traditional games etc. or using technology during their break and lunch recess if they so choose.
This year our Financial Academy and STEM programming will take place on Mondays with Fine Arts options taking place on Fridays around our Action Friday scheduling. PEP Hockey will start at the beginning of October with registration starting next week. The PEP Academy will take place on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in line with our PE program this year. All of our Grade 4-9’s will be at SAIT for PE or Hockey on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Please join us on Thursday evening Sept. 5that 6:30 pm for a meet and greet with all of our staff and at 2:30 pm on Friday afternoon the 6thfor an Ice Cream Social to celebrate our first week back and school. Also, we will again be hosting our First Day back Coffee in the staff room for parents who drop off and would like to meet other NP parents. One of the policies we have is that parents drop off their sons in the mornings without entering the school and then we welcome parents inside the school in the afternoons for pick-up. This allows our mornings to be distraction free to focus our full attention on welcoming all of the boys in the morning as opposed to getting tied up chatting with parents in impromptu meetings (which we enjoy doing!) while boys are streaming into the school.
We are excited about starting a new school year and seeing everyone soon. Should you have any questions at all, please reach out directly to your mentor teachers, Dave or myself, anytime.
Sincerely,
Brent
PROGRAMME News
Our fabulous teachers are eager to share with you what your son will be learning this Fall. Here some messages from our teachers on what the curriculum looks like.
Mrs. Jenn
Grade 1-3
A great portion of September will be spent getting to know each other, learning classroom routines and expectations.
This year we will be focusing on the Growth Mindset Program throughout the entire year with the main focus on our schools theme. Our months will be taught theme based.
Our themes for the next few months will be All About Me, Apples, Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day.
In Language Arts we will be focusing on our sounds and spelling our sight words and our printing along with our phonic skills to develop a strong base in literacy. A huge part of our Literacy Program will be Animated Literacy. We will be using Narrative writing. We will be starting the Daily 5 Program along with Guided Reading Groups. Our Author study will be on Robert Munsche and the book Flat Stanley.
In Math this year we will be using the Jump Math program. We will be doing daily math problems along with mad minutes to develop basic skills. We will be working on the main focus of numbers, patterns, addition and subtraction. We will also be using IXL this year.
In S.S we will be working on our mapping skills, Our Community and the main focus of what life is like in other countries compared to us here in Canada. We will be also focusing on the Country of India.
In Science we will be focusing on seasonal changes, liquid and solids and small crawling and flying animals.
In Health we will be focusing on keeping our body and mind healthy, Nutrition, Inner self.
Mr. Hirtle
Grade 4-9 Language Arts
Welcome back Everyone! I look forward to working with both returning and new students this year in further developing their reading and writing skills to develop a greater appreciation and understanding of various types of written, oral and visual expression. During the first term students will be begin their adaptive technology programs for grammar (NoRedInk) and reading comprehension (Newsela) for their yearlong individual programming. As well, writing concepts (journaling), writing strategies (sentence starters) will be introduced or reviewed. Lastly, a unit on short stories will be integrated into the first term to reinforce concepts learned above.
Mr. Redick
Grade 4 – 6 Math
Our first term will consist of 2 Major Themes – 1. Patterns and Equations – where students are introduced to patterns created in number charts from 1-100 and 2. Number Sense – where students are introduced to whole numbers and their place in everyday commerce. Students will also be reviewing and memorizing number facts (multiplication and division tables to 12) as a part of a refocusing on basic math skills. (Flash cards and Mad Minutes)
Grade 7 Math
Our first term will consist of 2 major themes: 1. Patterns and Relations – where students are creating tables with numbers and graphing these numbers when appropriate. 2. Integers – where students are introduced to the concept of adding and subtracting, positive and negative whole numbers.
Grade 8 Math
Our first term will consist of 2 major themes: 1. Square Roots and Pythagorean Theorem – where students will investigate how square roots play a role in right angle triangles. 2. Integers – where students continue building on concepts from last year and are introduced to multiplying and dividing of positive and negative whole numbers.
Grade 9 Math
Our first term will consist of 2 major themes: 1. Rational Numbers – where students categorize and sequence Rational numbers. 2. Integers – where students continue building on concepts from last year and generalize all mathematical operations to positive and negative whole numbers.
Mr. Kostecki
Grade 4 Science
Students will begin the year examining aspects of Light and Shadows. Concepts to be covered include the behaviour and transmission of light, human sensitivity to light, extending human vision, the interaction of light with various materials, and the sources of light on Earth with a focus on the Sun. Wheels, levers, and building objects and devices that move, will also be explored through our partnership with the Roots 2 STEM (R2S) lab!
Grade 5 Science
Grade 5 will begin this year studying life in a local pond, slough, marsh, fen or bog. Through classroom studies, and studies in the field at Blue Lake, students will learn about organisms that live in, on and around wetlands and about adaptations that suit pond organisms to their environment. Through observation and research, students learn about the interactions among wetland organisms and about the role of each organism as part of a food web. The role of human action in affecting wetland habitats and populations is also studied. Augmenting our program, the Roots 2 STEM (R2S) lab activities will be focused on electricity and magnetism. We will also be designing and building mechanisms that use electricity to perform useful tasks!
Grade 6 Science
Students will kick-off their year at North Point learning about trees as individual plants and as part of a forest ecosystem. At our Blue Lake retreat, students will examine local species, and learn to recognize the characteristics of different trees and develop skill in describing and interpreting the structural features of trees. As part of their studies, students learn about a broad range of living things found on, under and around trees and study the complex interaction between trees and the larger environment. In examining human use of forests, they become aware of a broad range of environmental issues and develop an awareness of the need for responsible use. Through our partnership with the Roots 2 STEM (R2S) lab, students will also be working on building devices that utilize the properties of air, examining principles of flight, and exploring technologies used in space (satellites, rockets, probes, etc…).
Grade 7 Science
This term our grade 7 students will begin to understand that ecosystems develop and are maintained by natural processes and are affected by human action. This unit develops student awareness of ecosystem components and interactions, as well as natural cycles and processes of change. Building on this knowledge, students investigate human impacts and engage in studies that involve environmental monitoring and research. By reflecting on their findings, students become aware of the intended and unintended consequences of human activity, and recognize the need for responsible decision making and action. At the Roots 2 STEM (R2S) lab, your son will be designing and testing equipment to manage thermal energy (insulation, conduction, radiation, convection, measurement) as well as exploring construction techniques through a variety of structures.
Grade 8 Science
In grade 8 students will begin to recognize that the materials we use—including natural and manufactured ones—often take the form of fluids. Students will learn that such diverse substances as air, natural gas, water and oil are fluids. In further investigations, they will discover that many common household materials are aqueous solutions or suspensions in which the main component is water. Students learn that the properties of individual fluids are important to their use, including such properties as density, buoyancy, viscosity and the fluid’s response to changes in temperature and pressure. The particle model of matter is introduced to help students make a conceptual link between the nature of matter and the specific behaviour of fluids. Simultaneously, during our Roots 2 STEM (R2S) lab visits, the boys will be investigating and building hydraulic and pneumatic systems as well as exploring the physical properties of light.
Grade 9 Science
This term, the grade 9 boys will explore biological diversity and how it is reflected in the range of species found in local and global environments and by subtle variations in characteristics found within individual species. Students will learn that diversity is maintained through natural processes of sexual and asexual reproduction, though the survival of individual species—and variations within those species—may be influenced by ecological and human-caused factors. Students will examine trends toward loss of diversity and examine related issues concerning environmental quality and the impact of technologies. Through our partnership with the Roots 2 STEM (R2S) lab, the boys will also be designing and building devices that utilize electricity and exploring concepts in space flight and exploration.
Mr. Fagan
Grade 5 Social Studies
Learners in grade 5 will explore Canadian geography and appreciate how Canadians are shaped differently by the land, and appreciate the abundance of space and natural resources, and diversity in their Country. By the end of term 3, students will also know the provinces and capital cities in Canada.
Grade 6 Social Studies
Grade 6 social studies will begin with an inquiry into how group’s make decisions and evolve into an understanding and appreciation for Canada’s political structure and an understanding of its functions and relationships with citizenship.
Grade 7 Social Studies
Social Studies in term 1 leads off with grade 7 students exploring the early relationships between Europeans and First Nation’s that includes research into early communities and will evolve into discussions about First Nation’s in Canada today.
Grade 9 Social Studies
Our grade 9’s start Social Studies learning about the various aspects of Canada’s justice system which includes discussions which explore issues related to young offenders, restorative justice, and the court system in Canada.
Mr. Qureshi
Grades 1-3 Phys. Ed.
In Physical Education in the first term, we will be learning different ways that we can engage in physical activity to maintain a positive and healthy lifestyle. We will be completing a variety of fun activities designed to help build our locomotor movements and better improve our abilities to manage our bodies through physical activities. This will include a variety of modified play-based learning units such as cooperative games, obstacle courses, gymnastics, jump rope and dance fitness. We will couple this with learning about different health topics related to maintaining a healthy active lifestyle and how the 5 R’s of North Point fit into the fitness curriculum. For a more detailed look at what we will be working on this year, please visit the Alberta program of studies for health located here: https://education.alberta.ca/media/160196/health.pdf
Grades 4-9 Phys. Ed
In Physical Education in the first term, we will be learning different ways that we can engage in physical activity to maintain a positive and healthy lifestyle. We will be completing a variety of fun activities including different sport-based units such as cooperative games, volleyball, basketball, floor hockey and handball, while also focusing on other methods of fitness such as cardio-respiratory exercises, gymnastics and dance. We will couple this with learning about different health topics related to maintaining a healthy active lifestyle and how the 5 R’s of North Point fit into the fitness curriculum. For a more detailed look at what we will be working on this year, please visit the Alberta program of studies for health located here: https://education.alberta.ca/media/160196/health.pdf
Mr. Groberman
Financial Academy
The Financial Academy inspires students to make smart, safe, and financially responsible decisions. Core subjects of Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies are intertwined throughout our digital curriculum in topics like Personal Finance, Learning to Budget, Entrepreneurship, Business Planning, Economics and more. Courses are integrated into Google Classroom to deliver money management videos, quizzes, assignments and assessments. For more information on Financial Academy activities and events including the 5th Annual “Boys In Business” Business Fair on June 6th 2020, contact Bruce Groberman, Director of Financial Education.
ATHLETICS & SQUADS
~~~ Golf , & Cross Country
The first team sports to kick off the year are golf, volleyball & Cross Country. Stay tuned for tryout dates coming soon from the coaches here at North Point!
For more information email Mr. Qureshi.
All athletes involved in a team must have a waiver form signed. You can download it here.
~~~ Navigators Squads
It’s a brand new year and the slate starts fresh. Who will be this year’s winner of the Navigator Cup?
Annual Retreat
October 2-4
Outdoor Education is a key element of the North Point program. Each year, students in Grades 4-9 attend a camp outside of the city for a few days. Experience in the wilderness fosters courage, self-reliance, cooperation and resilience. As students’ mature, risk and achievement are necessities in forming their identity and confidence. Taking on challenges and overcoming adversity strengthens character.
This year the Grades 4-6 will attend the Camp Goldeye near Nordegg, AB and the 7-9 will attend the Columbia Outdoor School (also know as Blue Lake Camp) near Columbia Lake, BC.
Week at a Glance
Summit Kids is open on professional development days; offering day camps right out of North Point! Day camps may include off-site outings where Summit Kids explore the community, Summit Science camp, and so much more! Our child-led initiatives aim to empower the children we serve by teaching independence and providing further opportunity for a variety of skills to build upon!
To register today:
- Visit us at www.SummitKids.ca/Registration
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Non-Members Grade 1-6 Registration
- Under the School Year Programssection, select Click to View Offerings
- Under the Grades 1-6 section, select Click to View Offerings
- In the search box, type in North Point
- Click the check box under the Grade 1-6 After School and/or Grade 1-6 Before School sections
- Fill out your child’s registration form and proceed to cart!
Further questions? Contact Bob, our Campus Lead at 403.477.1122
It’s never too early to start dreaming of your business venture for this year’s Boys In Bu$iness. Our annual business fair will be June 6th, 2020!
