Iinii Insights
May's full moon is called Aapistsisskitsaato's. This is the time of flowers in Blackfoot territory. Elder Anita Eagle Bear, Kainai Nation, has shared that after the flowers is when the long rains come which is called Ito'tsisamssootaa. This moon is the first of the summer moons and the solstice (June 21) will mark a significant shift in seasons. Summer is Ksistsikoom's time of the year. Elder Saa'kokoto,Kainai Nation, has taught us that the first thunder is significant in Blackfoot culture and is acknowledged with ceremonies and songs.
At NLC this Week...
|
|
Mon. May 4 | Regular Day of Learning |
Tues. May 5 | Elder Visit Soccer Residency |
Wed. May 6 | Regular Day of Learning |
Thurs. May 7 | Kainai Pow Wow Dancers Visit |
Fri. May 8 | Early Dismissal 12:00pm |
Looking Forward | 15- Non-instructional Day- No School for Students 18- Holiday No School 21- Knowledge Holder Visit 22- Honour Tea- For Volunteers June 8-11 Swimming Lessons K-2 16- Elder Visit 18- Knowledge Holder Visit 19- Transition Ceremony 22- Kinder Field Trip- Telus Spark 23- Grade1 Field Trip- Zoo 23- Grade 2 Field Trip-Land of Dreams 24- Grade 2 Field Trip- Heritage Park 25- Niipo Games- Sports Day |
Nutrition Plan
MON | Breakfast: Cereal and milk, fruit, cheese Lunch: Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids lunches |
TUE | Breakfast: Muffins, Hardboiled Eggs, fruit Lunch: Soup, Grilled Sandwiches, fruit & veggies |
WED | Breakfast: Yogurt, Nutrigrain Bars, fruit cups, fruit Lunch: Métis Stew, veggies & fruit |
THUR | Breakfast: Pan Granola bars, yogurt, cheese, fruit Lunch: Soup, Toasted buns, fruit & veggies |
FRI | Breakfast: yogurt & granola parfaits, banana bread, fruit |
Word of the Week
Speech and Language Pathologist | Ms. Kailey
Each week, we will be focusing on a new “Word of the Week” (WoW) at school to help boost language skills. The WoW will be chosen to encourage vocabulary growth, strengthen communication skills, improve grammar, and help your child increase their understanding of language. Throughout the week, we encourage you to emphasize the WoW in everyday conversations and activities at home. Families can do this by reading books and finding the WoW, playing games, or simply chatting about your child’s day together. Helping your child think about the WoW at home will make learning even more meaningful!
Word of the Week | Conversation Ideas | Books | Games! |
“who”
“Who” is a question word. It is important when asking or answering questions. Children usually begin to understand and ask who questions when they are around 2-3 years old.
|
Talk about your favourite people!
After school, ask your child who they spent time with during their day. Who are their friends?
Look through old photos together (either printed copies or older photos on a phone) and talk to your child about who they see.
|
In any book that your child reads, talk about who is in the story. Look at the pictures together and ask them questions about the characters in the book.
The following read aloud book contains many repetitions of the WoW:
|
Play Guess Who by providing characteristics about a person and seeing if your child can “guess who” you are talking about!
The people might be someone in your family or even some of your child’s favourite characters from shows.
Let your child take a turn providing clues so that you can try guessing!
|
Resource
May 5 is Red Dress Day which is inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black and her art installation called the REDress Project. Red dresses are hung in outdoor spaces to remind us of Indigenous women and girls who are missing or who are no longer with us.
Fierce Aunties! by Laurel Goodluck, illustrated by Steph Littlebird
As we honour Red Dress Day, this story helps us gently understand why it matters to care for and protect one another. It reminds us that every person is important, deeply loved, and should always feel safe and valued in their community.
Soccer Residency with Soccer John
We are excited to welcome Soccer John back to Niitsitapi Learning Centre this May and June! ⚽
Soccer John will be working with our students every Tuesday to build skills, confidence, and a love for the game through fun, engaging sessions. His positive energy and focus on teamwork, perseverance, and respect align beautifully with the values we nurture in our school community.
Students will have the opportunity to develop their soccer skills while learning the importance of working together, supporting one another, and staying active.
Lockdown Practice
On May 1, our school completed a planned lockdown practice, as required for all CBE schools. These drills are conducted in the same way as fire drills to help ensure that students and staff are prepared to respond calmly and safely in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Our lockdown procedures are developed in collaboration with the Calgary Police Service and are part of our school’s Emergency Response Plan.
The drill was carried out in a calm, age-appropriate manner, with staff supporting students throughout the process. Practicing these routines helps build confidence and ensures everyone understands what to do.
If you have any questions about lockdown drills or our procedures, please feel free to contact the school.
Dismissal and Pick-Up Procedures
End-of-Day Dismissal
The instructional day ends at 3:05 p.m.
Students taking school transportation are escorted by staff to their assigned bus.
Students who are picked up are escorted to the front main doors and handed directly to their parent, caregiver, or designated driver by the classroom teacher or the staff member supervising dismissal using the student pick-up binder.
For safety reasons, all student pick-ups must occur at the front doors. Please do not pick up students at side doors or along side sidewalks.
Early Pick-Ups
If your child needs to leave school early, please report to the main office.
A parent, caregiver, or designated driver must sign the student out.
The student’s attendance will be marked LE (Left Early).
Early pick-ups do not occur at classroom doors or dismissal areas.
Changes to End-of-Day Transportation
If your child will not be taking their assigned bus and will be picked up instead, please call the main office at least 30 minutes before the end of the instructional day. This allows staff to notify the classroom teacher and ensures each student is safely transitioned according to their dismissal plan.
