Friday, April 26, 2019

Hello Ranchlands School Community!

The annual AMA School Safety Patrol Picnic will be held on Thursday, June 6. Please watch for more information to be coming home soon as well as posted on the blog.

Here is the schedule for May:

RANCHLANDS SCHOOL PATROL SCHEDULE

May 2019 

Monday - Thursday

(Arrive at patrol station)   May 6-10           May 13-16

(8:50)     8:55 – 9:10           Team 1               Team  3 

(12:20)   12:25 – 12:40       Team  9             Team 10 

(12:55)   1:00 – 1:15           Team  18            Team 19

(3:45)     3:50 – 4:05           Team 2              Team 4

Friday: only before and after school teams go out.

(8:50)     8:55 – 9:10           Team  1             Team 3

(1:15)     1:20 –1:35            Team 2             Team 4

Monday - Thursday

(Arrive at patrol station)  May21-24          May 27-31

(8:50)     8:55 – 9:10           Team 5              Team  7  

(12:20)   12:25 – 12:40       Team  12           Team  11  

(12:55)   1:00 – 1:15           Team  14            Team  15

(3:45)     3:50 – 4:05           Team  6              Team 1

Friday: only before and after school teams go out.

(8:50)     8:55 – 9:10            Team  5             Team 7

(1:15)     1:20 –1:35             Team  6              Team 1

*Please arrive at the patrol station 5 minutes before you scheduled time in order to be ready.

The following is the link to the patroller handbook to review the procedure!
https://amaabcainternal.blob.core.windows.net/2018/12/SSP-comic-book.pdf

Friday, April 19, 2019

Hello Ranchlands School Community!

This week Quest Theatre was at Ranchlands School for a presentation on the history of the Indigenous people of Alberta. Students were engaged by the storytelling, visuals, and music that accompanied the presentation. After the presentation, students had an opportunity to ask the presenters questions as well as to participate in a round dance.

The Centre for Newcomers is holding an Indigenous Elders Connections series for newcomer families that would like to learn more about the Indigenous people of Canada every Thursday for the month of May. 

More information on registration for the series is given below.

 There is no school for students on Monday, April 22 as it is a Professional Learning Day for staff. 

Friday, April 12, 2019

Hello Ranchlands School Community!

Patrol News: Our next patrol meeting will be this Thursday, April 18 at lunch in Room 22. We will be sharing information about the upcoming patrol picnic on Thursday, June 6, 2019.

Small-Group Interventions
English language learners that require systematic instruction in English language development are best supported in a small-group setting. Providing small-group reading instruction in five core reading elements (phonological awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) can really help English language learners in the elementary grades. In a small group, the ratio between student and teacher is drastically reduced allowing the teacher to identify individual student needs and easily differentiate instruction. It allows students to feel comfortable expressing their ideas and asking questions, more opportunities to talk, and time to interact with the teacher. Working in small-group interventions has the added benefit of building the teacher-student relationship which is key to any learning situation. 

Friday, April 5, 2019

Hello Ranchlands School Community!

Oral Language

When learning a new language, listening and speaking generally precede reading and writing. There are many ways as a parent you can help your child develop their listening and oral language skills, even if you are learning English yourself. Here are a few ideas:

Storytelling

Storytelling can be more of a natural activity than reading a bedtime story together. By telling stories, parents are developing their children's vocabulary and oral language skills. Parents can also encourage children to add to stories or make up their own. 

"Read" wordless picture books

Wordless picture books tell stories through pictures. This can be a fun way for parents and children to sit down together with books and talk about stories. Children can learn how stories progress, make predictions, and develop a love for books. 

Say rhymes and sing songs

Rhymes, songs, and chants can develop oral language skills such as intonation and word stress. 

Make frequent trips to the public library

In addition to a variety of books, your local library often has literacy events for families. 

Engage in meaningful conversation

For oral language development, it is important that parents engage their children in meaningful conversation. Whether at the dinner table or at the grocery store, parents can ask children questions that require more than a simple yes or no answer. 

Watch educational children's programs together

There are a number of wonderful children's television programs that promote English language and literacy development. This can be a great way for both parents and children to learn English together.