Happy Friday, Raven families,

I will never get used to the long days in Calgary. As a former Ontarian, I am perpetually in awe of 10:00 PM daylight, which gets even longer this week!

National Indigenous Peoples Day:

For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on June 21 or around that time of year because of the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

National Indigenous Peoples Day was announced in 1996, through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of Each Year as National Aboriginal Day. This was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups:

• in 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood, now the Assembly of First Nations, called for the creation of National Aboriginal Solidarity Day
• in 1995, the Sacred Assembly, a national conference of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people chaired by Elijah Harper, called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Peoples
• also in 1995, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommended the designation of a National First Peoples Day – Government of Canada Website

Summer Solstice Facts:

• Solstice comes from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). On the summer solstice, the Sun’s path stops advancing northward each day and appears to stop in the sky before going back the other way.
• On the solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost position, reaching the Tropic of Cancer and standing still before reversing direction and starting to move south again.
• On the summer solstice, the Sun’s path across the sky is curved—NOT a straight line. It appears to rise and keeps veering to the right as it passes high overhead. This is quite different from the super straight path the Sun moves along in late March and late September, near the equinoxes.
• The midday Sun is highest up in the sky (or, lowest in the Southern Hemisphere). Interesting fact - the Sun’s highest point is getting lower and lower over time because Earth’s tilt is slowly decreasing. 
• Summer solstice may be the “longest day,” but it’s not the latest sunset or the earliest sunrise! The earliest sunrises happen before the summer solstice, and the latest sunsets happen after the summer solstice. 
• In India, the summer solstice ends the six-month period when spiritual growth is believed to be the easiest.  
• On this day, the Sun rises farthest left on the horizon and sets at its rightmost possible spot.  – The Almanac Website

RTA Staff Farewell:

At the end of this school year, the following staff members will be leaving RTA to pursue new opportunities. While we are saddened to see these amazing educators go, we are also incredibly grateful for the dedication and passion that they have brought to our school. Every one of these educators has made a lasting impact on our students, and there contributions to our school community will be deeply missed. Rest assured that we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and will be actively seeking a highly qualified replacement to continue the excellent work that been has started:

• Mr. Rigg – has accepted a teaching position at Lord Beaverbrook High School
• Ms. Steiger – has decided to sub next year, allowing her to spend more time with her young family
• Ms. Strother – is away on a maternity leave for the school year
• Ms. Meloche – has retired from the CBE
• Ms. Salma - has completed her current contract
• Mr. Bykoviskikh – has completed his current contract (we are hopeful that Mr. Bykoviskikh will return to RTA.)
• Ms. Peterson – will be pursuing a Masters in English at the University of Calgary
• Ms. Pearson – has completed her current contract (we are hopeful that Ms. Pearson will return to RTA.)

End of Year to do List:

• Please make sure to hand in any RTA library books, textbooks, and RTA athletic jerseys.
• Students will be tackling Locker Clean Up, so please make sure to bring an extra bag for learning materials and forgotten plastic containers!
• Next Year School Grade 7-9 Supply Lists will be posted on the RTA Website at the end June.
• Grade 5 & 6 School Supplies are purchased by the school.
• Students are encouraged to pop into the lost and found to retrieve lost items. All clothing will be donated to a school in need following next Friday.

Monday:

• Rotation 1,2,3,4,5,6
• Indigenous Awareness Week
• HR 803 Roots 2 Stem
• Grade 9 Off Campus Day
• Dungeons and Dragons Club at Lunch in the Library
• Grade 7 Math Final Exam PM

Tuesday:

• HR 802 Roots 2 Stem
• HR 701 & HR 702 Locked Room
• Grade 9 Math Part B PAT (9:00 – 10:20 AM)
• Gr. 9 Off Campus Day

Wednesday:

• Grade 9 Social Studies PAT (9:00 – 10:20 AM)
• Grade 6 Social Studies PAT (1:00 – 2:00 PM)
• HR 801 Roots 2 Stem
• HR 703 & HR 704 Locked Room
• Grade 8 Math Final Exam
• Grade 8 Off Campus Day
• Gr. 5-9 GSA Club at Lunch in Room 10
• Healthy Hunger – Grades 5 & 6 – Edo Japan

Thursday:

• SUMMER SOLSTICE
• World Refugee Day
• HR 705 & 706 Locked Room
• Grade 9 Science PAT (9:00 – 10:15 AM)
• Grade 6 Science PAT (1:00 – 2:00 PM)
• Grade 8 Science Final Exam
• Grade 7 Off Campus Day
• Healthy Hunger – Grades 7-9 – Edo Japan

Friday:

• Rotation 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B
• National Indigenous Peoples’ Day (wearing orange shirts is encouraged)

Upcoming Events:

• Monday, June 24, 2024: Student Locker Clean up (Students will bring their learning materials home and clean out their lockers; students should bring an extra bag just in case!)
• Monday, June 24, 2024: Grade 7 Reading Comprehension Final Exam
• Monday, June 24, 2024: Grade 8 English Language Arts Final Exam
• Tuesday, June 25, 2024: Grade 8 Social Studies Final Exam
• Wednesday, June 26, 2024: RTA Sports Day
• Wednesday, June 26, 2024: Yearbooks are handed out to students
• Wednesday, June 26, 2024: Report Card marks go live on PowerSchool
• Thursday, June 27, 2024: Last Day of School (Early Dismissal at 12:35 PM)

Kind regards,

Brenda Lewis