As we settle into the school year, we will begin to practice various drills with our students as part of our emergency preparedness plan. These drills include fire drills, lockdown drills, and shelter-in-place drills. An email will be sent home informing parents when these drills have occurred so you can discuss them with your child. More information about the RVS emergency response plan is found below.

Parents and Guardians are asked to ensure that they have updated all their child(ren) 's annual authorization and re-enrollment form in PowerSchool as soon as possible. These forms provide the school with updated emergency contact information and give consent for your child(ren) to go on field trips, use school technology, participate in school events like community walks, etc.

As we saw last week, the weather can be unpredictable. As such, we encourage all parents and guardians to check the daily weather forecast and dress their children appropriately. At this time of year, we can have sun, rain, or even some flurries, and being dressed for changing weather makes recess much more enjoyable for students. Sending extra clothes, including socks, in your child's backpack is a great way to help ensure they are prepared for whatever Mother Nature has in store for us, as we do not have any extra clothing at the office for students.

Parents and guardians are reminded that there is no morning supervision before 7:55 am. After school, there is supervision until the busses depart the school, which is at 2:55 pm. After busses depart, the supervisors bring any students who are still waiting to be picked up to the office to wait for their parent or guardian. There is no supervision on the playground after buses depart after school.

All supervisors wear orange vests for easy visibility.

If your child is late or absent from school, families are asked to call the Safe Arrival phone number at 1-933-244-5565 or use the attendance tab on the SchoolMessenger app to report their child's late absences (if five days or less). The SchoolMessenger app is available for both Android and iPhones.

RJ has a supply of new backpacks for students in need thanks to a generous donations from Costco and other community agencies. If any families need a backpack for their child, please reach out to the school at 403-948-3939.

A small grab and go breakfast is available for students who need it at the office. Breakfast includes items such as cheese strings, mini muffins, and yogurt tubes. Students are free to drop by the office at the entry bell to get some food.

Throughout the school year, there are various opportunities for parents, guardians, and other family members to volunteer at R.J. all volunteers require a criminal record and vulnerable sector check. Criminal records checks are valid for five years, provided you sign an annual declaration. Please get in touch with the school office at 403-948-3939 if you have any questions about your criminal record check or annual declaration.

If you are interested in volunteering in your child's classroom, don't hesitate to contact the teacher directly to learn about what opportunities are available.

September 26, 2023

R.J. Hawkey staff and students will recognize Orange Shirt Day.

Orange Shirt Day was created as an opportunity to discuss the effects of residential schools and their legacy. It honours the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, celebrates resilience and affirms a commitment that every child matters (University of British Columbia). The day is officially commemorated on September 30, as that was the time when Indigenous children were taken from their homes to attend residential schools across Canada.

Terry Fox Run 2024 

R.J. Hawkey Elementary School will be joining more than 9,000schools from coast to coast to coast for what promises to be one of the best Terry Fox School Runs ever. At R.J. Hawkey, we will be holding our Terry Fox Run on the morning of Friday, September 27th at around 10:30AM. Morning Kindergarten students willcomplete their run on Thursday September 26th at around 10:00AM and parents are welcome to joinon the route.  The morning kindergarten classes will run in the soccer fields.  

You can join in when the students arrive at the backpath to start the run at approximately 10:30 a.m. (just behind the schoolsoccer fields). The walk will be done by 11:25 for recess.  

If you’re interested in volunteering please contact Anne-MarieCzember at aczember@rockyview.ab.ca ASAP.

Safety Patrols Starting Soon

Grade 4 and 5 students will soon be helping our community cross the street safely before and after school. Students who took home patrol permission forms last week, must return them completed and signed Monday, September 16. Training will be on Wednesday, September 18 at the the school.

Come Join Us

School Council meetings are not just gatherings; they are an important way for parents and guardians to ensure the success of all students at R.J. Hawkey and have an active voice in our school community.

You will hear updates from our RVS School Board Trustee and our teachers at council meetings. In addition to the updates, you can share your thoughts and opinions on school goals and community events, and we can support our students.

Join us on Tuesday, September 17, at 6:30 pm in the learning commons for our first school council meeting. In this first meeting, we will discuss the new Administrative Procedure 148 regarding personal mobile devices and what this new procedure means for R.J. students. We will also hear from our learning support team about how student needs are supported at R.J. and how to access support for your child.

We look forward to another great Chapel this Tuesday, September 17th. We will look closely at the difference between grapes and raisins and why it is important to be connected to 'The Vine.' as Mr. Holteen leads chapel and Mr. Dipert leads a time of worship. On September 24th, Grade 4 will lead our chapel time as we explore Matthew 7-1:8, when Jesus tells the Pharisees that their lips honour him, but their hearts are far from him. They are asking the question, 'What does it mean to have our hearts (thinking, feeling and choosing place) set on Jesus?

RJ Hawkey is part of the A-1 Receipt Program with Sierra Springs CO-OP in Airdrie.  RJ is now collecting Co-op receipts and receives 1% of the tally of the receipts to receive a gift card to use towards the school snack program. 

If you would like to help us with this, please bring in your co-op receipts to the school and place them in the co-op box at the front office. The store honors all receipts from all lines of co-op business.