February 2012 Newsletter
Mustang Musings
Hello everyone!  I hope you are enjoying the mild winter weather we have been getting.  I know that the teachers and supervisors doing outside supervision sure have!  However, so far our sledding enthusiasts have been somewhat disappointed by the lack of snow.  Once again our school has been full of activity in what has seemed like a short month upon our return on January 9^th.  On Thursday January 12^th Kerrie Edgerton came to speak to the grades 7-12 students about the consequences of Drug and Alcohol abuse.  The presentation was about the value of making positive lifestyle choices and how these decisions effect people both in the present and often times well into the future.  The following Tuesday the SCC and school administration hosted an invitational bullying information meeting that was really well attended by members of the community.  The committee decided upon an Eston definition for bullying that is readily visible in school hallways and will soon be seen at the rink and other town venues.  We will soon be releasing dates for the committee meeting that addresses the “bullied” and the “bystander”.  Great work everyone!  We would like to extend a big thank-you to the Eston Lions Club for purchasing an AED for the school!  This life saving device will be visible in our school shortly.  The junior Girls basketball team has been having a great season.  Ms. Olafson and the girls hosted a tourney this past weekend which ended in a Mustang 2-2 finish.  Great work Ladies!  I would like to once again congratulate all the actors, directors and offstage help for the successful production “Wooing Wed Widing Hood”.  The Dinner theatre and performances were fantastic.  What a talented crew! Brian Trainor will be here on Monday, February 6^th at 1:30 p.m. to speak to the students about cyberbullying - parents are invited to attend.  We will also be having a M.A.D.D. presentation for students on February 7^th at 9:00 a.m.  The power school parent portal is up and running.  We now have the ability to help you set up your account so that you can see your child’s progress whenever you want!  Wow, things have changed since I was in school!   We will be doing a training session for the SCC at our next meeting and will be helping parents set these accounts up at our next round of interviews in March!  Plan on being there!

Yours in Education and Mustang Spirit,
John J McPhee, Principal
 

 Junior Girls Basketball - submitted by Marea Olafson, Coach
We are half way through our season and the Junior Girls are doing a fabulous job!  They have played seven games so far and the stats are as follows:

We hosted a tournament on January 27^th and 28^th with 5 teams in total.  Biggar, Davidson, Kerrobert, and Eatonia were the visiting teams.  A big thank-you to the parents who worked in the booth at our tournament and a huge thank you to the staff who helped out with supervising, scorekeeping, booth set up and maintenance and all the little jobs required to make the tournament a success.

There is one more home game: February 14, 2012 against Eatonia.  We have two away games; February 16, 2012 in Biggar and February 27, 2012 in Rosetown. 

 Bullying is ... Repetitive, negative behavior/action, physical, emotional, verbal, mental abuse of one party towards another party in order to gain dominance through fear or exclusion.

(Definition developed at Eston school parent/student meeting – January 17^th, 2012)

Arts Smarts Grant Awarded to Eston Composite School – Submitted by Marea Olafson
On December 22^nd, 2011, Marea Olafson received word that her application for a $7500.00 Arts Smarts grant with a Treaty Smarts initiative was successful.  She also received a $500 planning grant.  The grant application was submitted at the beginning of November, with Eston School receiving the full amount for which Marea applied.  The purpose of the project is to create a Stop Animation video looking at a History 10 course concept.  The students will be learning about Aboriginal and 18^th century European  economic world views and how the treaty process changed world views.  Together they will write a story where each student has a character. The students, while working with two artists, will create their characters out of modeling clay; the class will then create a Stop Animation video.  The grade ten class will be doing this project in Art, History and English Language Arts.  The grade seven, eight and nine art classes will be creating the backdrops for the project.

ArtsSmarts Saskatchewan provides grants of up to $7,500 for teachers and students to engage in special projects in partnership with professional artists in any arts discipline.  The program helps build partnerships that link young people, artists, organizations and the broader community and promote young people’s access to and participation in the arts.

ArtsSmarts Saskatchewan is managed by the Saskatchewan Arts Board in partnership with SaskCulture Inc., Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation, and the Ministry of Education.

Saskatchewan has led the country in including arts education in its core curriculum. ArtsSmarts grants provide teachers and students with the opportunity to learn from artists and engage with them in projects of their own design in their own communities. Teachers report that these artists help enrich their arts education programs and help students understand the value of a creative approach to thinking and learning.

The Arts Board’s mission is to cultivate an environment in which the arts thrive for the benefit of everyone in Saskatchewan. It serves the people of the province through programs and activities designed to build a strong and vibrant arts sector. For more information, visit www.artsboard.sk.ca.

  

Treaty Essential Learnings … from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner
Brother-To-Brother Relations  - The First Nations peoples saw the treaty arrangement as a partnership in which the two parties would live together as brothers, side by side.  They emphasized that the treaties were made in an atmosphere of mutual respect, and that the parties made solemn commitments to live in peace and to help one another.  They also stressed that the treaties began a relationship which requires that both parties benefit, that both parties are involved in decision-making and that consultation occurs regularly to ensure that the relationship remains strong.

In their description of their relationship forged by the treaties, First Nations peoples emphasized that they expected the treaty partners to come together regularly to discuss matters of mutual concern.  While circumstances and issues might change, the basic commitment to respect each other and to help one another was expected to endure as long as the sun shines and the rivers flow.

Grade 8 Class Declared Ultimate Class Field Trip Regional Prize Winner – Submitted by Marea Olafson
Congratulations to our Grade 8 Social Students on winning the Ultimate Class Field Trip for our Region!  In order to take part in the Ultimate Class Field Trip contest, each Social Studies 8 student had to write a 500- word story about a visit (real or fictitious) to a National Historical Site in Canada, and include an illustration to go with their story.  Shortly before Christmas the class submitted 15 stories and illustrations.  On January 12^th, 2012, the class received word that they had won the regional prize for the Prairie provinces!  The prize consists of a round-trip charter-bus rental for a one day trip from our school to a National Historic Site in the Prairie region.  Planning for the trip has not yet begun, but plans are for it to take place in June, 2012.  Below is a copy of one of the submitted stories.  This one was written by the entire class as a group …

The class hits the Fortress!  Written by:  Ms.Olafson and the Social 8 Class
The Eston grade eight class found themselves standing at Fortress Louisbourg in Nova Scotia, with their teacher Ms. Olafson, on a spring day.  Ms. Olafson had taken her class to one of her favorite National Historic Sites to illustrate all the stories that she had been telling them.  When they arrived at Fortress Louisbourg, some of the students decided that they were hungry.  Ms. Olafson took them to the Peasant Restaurant for lunch.  Split pea soup and salad was ordered for everyone.  Of course the students were whining that there were no “ribs”, but soon learnt that eating with their fingers was appropriate. All the students were trying to eat their salad with their only utensil, a spoon.  The waitress came by and told them “Just use your fingers!”  Cole, Emily, and Jordana thought that it was cool that they were actually eating like the peasants would have.

After lunch, the class broke up into small groups and went touring the Fortress.  David, Jason, and Maddie headed over to the cannons and were pretending that they were in battle with the British.  Cole, Brett, and Evan went to the soldier’s barracks and found “the horse” that Ms. Olafson had been warning them about all school year.  They entered the barracks and realized that the soldiers had a very regimental life.  Jaylene, Jeff, and Angel were wandering around through the streets of the Fortress when they found Ms. Olafson peering into the restaurant that had silverware.   She seemed sad that she had missed out eating like the upperclass. Whitney, Madison, and Julian found themselves marching behind a group of soldiers in period costume, imitating them.  Little did they know that their behavior was considered “out of line” and that punishment was going to be issued.  They became very concerned when they were marched closer and closer to the barracks.  When they were lined up at the wooden horse, a historical site interpreter approached them and informed them of the punishment that they may face: sitting on the wooden horse with their hands tied and bags attached to their legs for a 24 hour period.  Mason, Jordana, and Emily overheard this and quickly went to find Ms. Olafson to save their fellow classmates.  She was found touring through the restored buildings, and quickly headed over to save her students from peril.  A crowd had formed in front of the wooden horse and soon it was apparent that the students would not be punished, but learnt life in the 1700s was very different than today.  Ms. Olafson gathered her students and headed to the fortress wall to look out towards the ocean before they left for home.  All the students realized that being at the site was more exciting than reading about it in a book! 

 Upcoming Events:
February 1
– Grade 10-12 Report Cards
February 3
– Sub Lunch (pre-orders only)
February 6
– Brian Traynor, Cyber-bullying presentation at 1:30 – 3:00 in the gymnasium (all parents welcome to attend)
February 7
– M.A.D.D. presentation for Students
February 10
– Grade 10-12 Valentine’s Day Dance
February 14
- S.A.D.D. Valentine’s Day Carnation Sale
- Jr. Girls Basketball at home vs Eatonia
February 16
- Jr. Girls Basketball game at Biggar
February 20 – 24
- Family Week Break – no school
February 27
- Jr. Girls Basketball to Rosetown
February 28
- Jr. Girls Basketball Sectional playoffs vs Eatonia and Kindersley  (Place TBA)