The Bears' Blog.. December 15-2024

🎶 Hark! The district angels sing,

Vacation’s near—it’s happening!

Parties, projects, kids run wild,

Counting days till grades are filed.

Dear Pine Street school families,

Under Alberta Education’s School Fee Regulation, schools must consult with parents prior to setting school fees for the upcoming school year.

Our next school council meeting will be taking place on January 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. During that time, I’ll 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.

Specifically, we will be asking for input on the following:

· Noon hour supervision

· Field trips and associated fees

· Extracurricular activities

· Non-curricular goods and services (for example, agendas)

I understand not all families will be available to attend the meeting but it’s still important we get as much input from the school community as possible. Following the meeting, please email Mrs. Waselenkoff in the school office with questions/comments lisa.waselenkoff@eips.ca

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

I look forward to hearing from you in January.

Sincerely,

Tracey Arbuthnott, D.LE, B.Sc., B.Ed., M. Ed.

Principal
Pine Street Elementary

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.pinestreet.ca/about/fees. You can also talk to Lisa Waselenkoff at Pine Street at 780-467-2246 extension 6315.

Monday, December 16 - Last day for fee waiver request!

Friday, December 20 - Theme Day - wear your Christmas Sweater or Shirt!

• Unclaimed lost & found donated 1p.m.

December 23-January 5 - School Closed for Christmas Break

Wednesday, January 8 - Early Dismissal 2:15 p.m. (no PALS or Kinder Quest)

Thursday, January 16 - School Advisory Council Meeting 6pm with School Fee Consultation for the 2025-26 school year.

Wednesday, January 22 - Special performance of Rapunzel 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, January 26 - Last day to order hot lunch for January 31!

Monday, January 27 - Family Literacy Day

Wednesday, January 29 -Professional Learning Day

Friday, January 31 - Hot lunch 11:32 p.m.

• Theme Day! Comfy cozy day
• Movie Night!

Year at a Glance Calendar

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

We’re grateful to have school communities full of hard-working families committed to the success of their children. Education doesn’t just happen in school, it happens at home too—in every homework assignment completed, every textbook chapter read and every test reviewed. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to cultivate learning at home, so that students are eager to strive for their best at school the next day. We also appreciate the countless hours school councils put into planning events and appreciate all the people who volunteer at and attend them. Your support is invaluable.

We hope you enjoy all the holiday concerts and festivities happening at your schools, and that you get some well-deserved rest during the break. To each and every person, have a wonderful 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.