Elements' Weekly Update

As we welcome the month of December, we reflect on the wonderful progress our students have made so far this school year. This is a time filled with learning, growth, and the excitement of the upcoming holiday season.

December brings unique opportunities to celebrate achievements, embrace community, and share the joy of giving. Our calendar is packed with activities, including holiday theme days, food drive, Christmas concert practices, cookies and milk day, Christmas carolling in the gym and lots of fun in the classrooms!

As always, your support plays a vital role in your child’s education. Let’s continue working together to inspire learning, foster kindness, and nurture the success of every student.

Mrs. Pearn and Mrs. Zapesocki

• December 9 - Holiday Headwear Theme Day
• December 12 - Christmas Concert, 1:00PM & 6:00PM
• December 13 - Kindergarten Group A
• December 13 - Favourite Holiday Outfit Theme Day
• December 16 - Kindergarten Christmas Concert, 1:00PM - Group A
• December 17 - Kindergarten Christmas Concert, 1:00PM - Group B
• December 18 - Holiday Sweater Theme Day
• December 20 - Cookie and Milk Day from School Council
• December 20 - Christmas Carolling in the gym
  
• December 20 - Pajama Theme Day & Last Day of School

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming Christmas concert, "Snowmen at Christmas," which will take place on Thursday, December 12. This festive performance will be a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their hard work and holiday spirit!

To ensure everyone’s safety and compliance with fire code regulations, each family will receive 2 tickets for the afternoon show and 2 tickets for the evening show, which went home today with the youngest student in each family. This allows us to manage the gym's capacity effectively while ensuring you have the chance to enjoy this special event. Tickets can be traded with other families as families see fit to accommodate audience needs. Should you not be using your tickets, we ask that you please return them to the school by Tuesday for families that put in a request for additional tickets. Requests for additional tickets can be made by emailing general.fse@eips.ca. Please be aware that we will try our best to accommodate requests for more tickets, but for safety reasons we must remain within our fire capacity limits. Requests for extra tickets will be entered into a draw and families will be notified on Wednesday. Every person in attendance at the concert will require a ticket, including infants and children.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to make this performance both memorable and safe for everyone. We look forward to celebrating the season together!

As the holiday season draws near, we are reminded of the value of coming together as a community to support those in need. This year, we are hosting a Christmas Food Drive to bring food and joy to families facing challenges during this festive time. Donations for the food bank will be accepted from December 9 to 18, with collection boxes conveniently located near the front office for students to drop off their contributions. Every donation, no matter the size, will have a meaningful impact.

Thank you for helping us spread hope and warmth to those in need this holiday season. Together, we can make this Christmas a special one for everyone.

We kindly remind everyone to refrain from parking in handicap-designated parking stalls unless you have the appropriate permit displayed. These spaces are reserved for our families who require accessibility accommodations, and it’s important that we keep them available for those who need them.

Your cooperation ensures our school remains welcoming and inclusive for all members of our community.

Check out the December First Nations, Metis, Intuit Newsletter here.

Alberta’s publicly funded systems—public, Catholic and francophone—serve the educational interests of almost 720,000 kindergarten to Grade 12 students across the province. Funding diverted to alternative educational institutions, both for infrastructure and programming, negatively impacts the public system’s ability to provide comprehensive, equitable, accessible and mandated programming for 90 per cent of the province’s students.

If circumstances exist where you’re unable to pay school or transportation fees, you can apply to have fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. The application deadline is Dec. 16, 2024. If you’re new to the Division, the deadline is the latter of Dec. 16, 2024, or 45 days after registration. To access your fee information, simply log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and go to “Student Fees.” There you can view your fees and pay them online using Visa or MasterCard. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted.

Don’t forget to also log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal regularly throughout the year. Fees are often added to your child’s account to cover the cost of various school activities such as field trips, class projects, extracurricular activities and more.

For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines, visit www.eips.ca/schools/fees and https://www.fortelem.ca/about/fees. Alternatively, contact Mrs. Cheri Peichel, FSE Business Manager at Fort Saskatchewan Elementary at 780-998-7771.

Has your contact information recently changed?

Have you recently moved or has your contact information changed since the start of the year? Fort Saksatchewan Elementary encourages families to review the information the Division has on file to ensure it’s up to date. Using the Student Information Update available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal, families can review the current information on file for each student—including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, parent and guardian information, emergency contacts, medical details and other related information—and submit any updates needed.

Reviewing and updating the form ensures the school and Division have the most up-to-date information regarding your child. Updates completed by December 10 are especially helpful as the Division prepares for 2025-26 registration processes beginning in the new year.

NOTE: Only submit updates for the changes that have already taken place. If you’re moving later this school year, you’ll submit the necessary updates to your information through the Student Information Update after you’ve moved.

If you have questions about the form or any trouble with your Parent Portal account, contact the school office at 780-998-7771.

FSE Parent Society has set up a 50/50 Raffle! Proceeds raised will be used to update the projector screen in the gymnasium. Click below for more information and to purchase tickets!

FSE Parent Society 50/50 Raffle

Alberta Education allocates funds to school boards to fulfill their delegated responsibilities of providing education programs for students in kindergarten to Grade 12. As part of Elk Island Public Schools’ (EIPS) commitment to stakeholder engagement and to continue allocating resources according to local priorities, the Division conducts an annual budget planning survey to seek input from staff, families Grade 12 students and community partners.

The survey is voluntary, anonymous and takes about five to 10 minutes to complete. The survey questions suggest possible budget areas for EIPS to focus its resources, which align with the Division’s current Four-Year Education Plan. If you believe there are other areas where the Division should concentrate its resources, you can also indicate what these are. EIPS will consider all budget planning input to guide future decision-making. COMPLETE THE SURVEY NOW Survey closes Dec 18, 2024 Grade 12 students will complete the survey at school.

Thank you for sharing your input to help inform Division planning.

Do you know someone who may be interested in part-time, flexible work as a substitute educational assistant or substitute teacher in the specialty areas of French Immersion or CTS/CTF? Elk Island Public Schools is hiring. Spread the word!

Substitute teaching and non-teaching staff are critical to filling planning and unexpected vacancies when Division staff are away. Substitutes are needed to fill various positions at all school locations until the end of the school year. Upcoming application deadlines are December 12 and 13. If you know someone who’d be great in this role, encourage them to apply today.

Join your family and friends with Fort Saskatchewan Elementary School at Rogers Place to watch the Edmonton Oil Kings take on Prince Albert. Tickets are $25 per ticket, plus fees, and $5 from each ticket sold will go back to FSE! Game day is Friday, January 10 at 7:00PM. Use the QR code for more information and to purchase tickets. We hope to see you there!