Dear HDC Families,
Please find the weekly message below. We look forward to seeing some of you in person tomorrow night for our October School Council meeting.
Have a fantastic week!
Jim & Brandie
Important Upcoming Dates
- October 28: School Council Meeting IN-PERSON – 6:30 PM
- October 31: Halloween Activity Afternoon & Dance
Dates of Significance
- October 31: Diwali
- October 31: Halloween
HDC School Council Meeting – Monday, October 28
Our October School Council Meeting is on Monday, October 28 at 6:30 PM in the school learning commons. This in-person meeting is open to ALL parents and guardians of HDC students. Being involved in School Council is a great way for parents to be involved in our school community!
We are still in need of a Treasurer for our parent groups this year. This position is critical for our school council and parent association. If you are interested in volunteering for this position or have questions about what it would entail, please email Mr. Parent at jlparent@cbe.ab.ca.
HDC Halloween Spooktacular – Thursday, October 31
Halloween is heading to HDC! Tuesday afternoon during periods 5 & 6, students will have the opportunity to choose from a few different activities to participate in:
- Dance in the Gym
- Movie in the Learning Commons
- Board Games
- Quiet Space for Homework or Reading
Students are welcome to dress up in their Halloween costumes if they choose to as long as costumes are appropriate for school: no excessive blood/gore, weapons, and no full-face masks. If students are wearing their costumes to school, they will need to be able to sit and be able to do schoolwork in it.
CBE Radon Testing
This fall the CBE will be conducting tests for radon gas in a number of schools across our system, including ours. Radon gas is odorless, tasteless and comes naturally through the soil. When the gas reaches unsafe levels, over many years of exposure, the gas is known to have harmful effects on health. If testing reveals a heightened presence of radon, various mitigation strategies can be implemented to reduce the gas concentration to safe levels.
Testing involves hanging a small, round testing device (alpha tracker) for 91 days from the ceiling in areas of the school that are occupied 4 or more hours a day. The device is passive, which means it omits no information, sounds, or smells.
The device will be installed on a non-instructional day, evening or weekend, so it will not interrupt learning.
If you would like to learn more about radon, please visit Health Canada’s website.
HDC Veteran's Food Bank Drive
From October 21 – November 7, HDC will be collecting nonperishable food items (dry goods, canned items) or household products (laundry detergent, fabric softener, cleaning products) in support of the Veterans Food Bank. Donations can be dropped off in the office.
Donations to the Veterans Food Bank go to supporting all military and front line emergency personnel regardless of whether they are retired or currently serving.
HDC Band Camp Fundraiser – Purdys Chocolates
Our Purdys Fundraiser has started! Please use the following link to support our HDC Band for Band Camp and various events during the year!
Details
- Website
- Deadline: Dec. 1
- Pick up: Dec. 13 between 12pm-3:30pm
Please email Ms. Huang at hehuang@cbe.ab.ca if you have any questions. Thank you for your support of the HDC Band program!
Grade 9 Sailors Perogie & Sausage Fundraiser
We are now selling Prairie Gourmet Perogies. All money raised will directly benefit the Grade 9 Sailors 2024 trip, All funds raised will go to reducing the overall cost of the trip. We realize that there were issues with the links sent out last week – we apologize for the confusion. The link below is now up and running!
Details:
- Website
- Fundraiser runs from October 8 - November 14
- Pick-up your purchase on November 21 3 - 5 pm from the HDC
Get some tasty perogies and sausages while you can!
HDC Parent Library
Over the past two years, our HDC School Council has used their school enhancement grant funds to help create a parent library. Our HDC families are welcome to sign out books in the library. If you are interested in signing one of the books out, please email Mr. Parent at jlparent@cbe.ab.ca with your name, your student’s name, and the book title. The following books are available in our HDC Parent Library:
- “Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain” - Daniel Siegel
- “Building Resilience in Children and Teens” - Kenneth Ginsburg & Martha Jablow
- “How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk” - Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
- “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens” - Danah Boyd
- “Mom and Dad – I Need You to Calm Down” - Catherine Abbott
- “Overcoming Dyslexia” - Sally Shaywitz
- “Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety” - John Duffy
- “Parenting Without Power Struggles” - Susan Stiffelman
- “Positive Discipline for Today’s Busy (& Overwhelmed Parent)” - Jane Nelsen, Kristina Bill, & Joy Marchese
- “Raising Good Humans” - Hunter Clarke-Fields
- “Raising Healthy Teenagers” - Thomas Kersting
- “Smart But Scattered Teens” - RIchard Guare, Peg Dawson, & Colin Guare
- “Smart But Scattered Guide to Success” - Peg Dawson & Richard Guare
- “Stop the Cap – You Don’t Care! Talking to Teens About Tough Topics and Showing You Care” - Sabrina Hart
- “Social Citizens: A Positive Approach to Social Media & Parenting in a Digital World” - Nancy Smith
- “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” - Sean Covey
- “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers” - Lisa Damour
- “The Explosive Child” - Ross Greene
- “The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired” - Daniel Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
- “The Whole-Brain Child” - Daniel Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
- “The Teenage Brain” - Frances Jensen
- “Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood” - Lisa Damour