Elements' Weekly Update

This holiday season, we’re reminded of how fortunate we are to be part of such a supportive community. Your involvement makes all the difference, and we look forward to a new year filled with growth, learning, and connection.

Wishing you and your family a safe, joyful, and relaxing holiday break. See you in the new year!

Mrs. Pearn and Mrs. Zapesocki

• December 25 - Merry Christmas!
• January 1 - Happy New Year
• January 6 - School Resumes
• January 8 - Early Dismissal
• January 15 - Parent Council/School Society Meeting
• January 27 - Family Literacy Day
• January 29 - No School - Professional Learning Day for staff

Fort Saskatchewan Elementary will close for the Christmas break at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. The school will reopen on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. During this time, if you have any school-related questions or concerns, contact Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) Central Services at 780-464-3477.

EIPS Central Services Christmas Break Hours

Closed Dec. 25, 2024 to Jan. 1, 2025

Open Jan. 2, 2025; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

*for location and contact information visit www.eips.ca.

I wish to extend warm holiday wishes to all students, staff and families on behalf of the Elk Island Public Schools Board of Trustees.

As busy as we know this time can be, it’s nice to take a moment to look back with gratitude on the past year. We are thankful for the incredible parents and caregivers in the communities we serve, who consistently step up to support both students and educators—day in and day out. We appreciate our staff members, in schools and at Central Administration, for their commitment to excellence in learning. And we celebrate students across the Division, who work so hard and make us proud.

We hope you enjoy all the wonderful concerts, shows and festivities happening at your school, and that you get a chance for rest and reflection during the break. To all of you—have a joyous holiday season, and a healthy and happy New Year.

We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Jan. 6, 2025.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

Cathy Allen
EIPS Board Chair

Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2025? If so, it’s almost time to register for kindergarten.

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year opens on Feb. 1, 2025. To help families prepare, Elk Island Public Schools has put together an online EIPS Kindergarten Tool kit to make the transition as smooth as possible. The kit includes information on registration, important dates, programming options, what to expect, eligibility, how to find your designated school, transportation and more.

This past month Ms. Zapesocki has been working with classes on developing their own land acknowledgement. Land acknowledgements show respect, acknowledge the land on which we are on and are an important step in reconciliation.

Check out this month's newsletter from Recovery Alberta Addiction and Mental Health for the health benefits of spending time with those you love.

Phonemic Awareness is a fundamental building block to learning to read. Phonemic Awareness is a student's ability to notice and work with the individual sounds (phonemes) in words. Take a look at this video on Phonemic Awareness Fun from EIPS for fun and engaging ways to build phonemic awareness at home.

Did you know that asking questions about books helps to build comprehension and develop higher level thinking skills? Check out this video on 5 Questions for Talking About Books from EIPS.

Students have been learning about their "Incredible Brain" and how it helps us feel safe, calm and relaxed. Students have learned about the Prefrontal Cortex, or Wise Owl, the decision making part of the brain. The Wise Owl helps us think before we act and to solve problems. ​The Amygdala, also known as the Guard Dog, keeps your brain feeling safe and where you feel emotions. When it senses danger it tells your body to do one of three things, fight, flight or freeze. The Hippocampus, the Memory Saver, helps you to learn by remembering new information and connecting it to old information and memories. Learning about our brain and how it affects our actions and feelings helps us identify strategies to help when we are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, or frustrated. Students are learning that these feelings are normal and that everyone feels them. What we can control is how we act and react when we are experiencing these different emotions. Make sure to ask your student about the strategies they have learned about! You can also check them out in the Counsellor Corner section on our website. Links to community resources/services are also found here.

Please join us for our upcoming Parent Council/School Society Meetings. These meetings are a great opportunity to learn about what's happening in the school and support school initiatives. Meetings are held on Wednesdays at 5:30pm in the school library. We hope to see you there!

Upcoming meeting dates:

January 15

February 12

March 19

Under Alberta Education’s School Fee Regulation, schools must consult with parents prior to setting school fees for the upcoming school year. This will take place during our next parent council meeting on January 15, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. Administration will be sharing information about our current fee structure, posing specific questions about priorities, and asking you to provide your feedback as we plan for the next school year. While many of these activities and services enhance students’ educational experience, we want to ensure these fees aren’t cost prohibitive for families.

School administration will use feedback provided to help determine fees for next year, which will then be shared at the February school council meeting, posted to our website and shared via link through email.

We hope you can join us!