October

• Oct. 4 - No School - Professional Learning Day

• Oct. 5 - World Educators Day

• Oct. 7 - Fiddle Leaf Photography - Student Photo Galleries Open

• Oct. 7-11 - Read-In Week

• Oct. 7 - Bring your favourite book from home to kick-off Read-In Week.

• Oct. 8 - Bring a stuffy or flashlight and find a new place to read.

• Oct. 8 - School Council and Parent Association 6:30 p.m.

• Oct. 9 - Wear clothes with words or letters.

• Oct. 10 - World Mental Health Day

• Oct. 11 - Dress like your favourite book character.

• Oct. 14 - No School - Thanksgiving Day

• Oct. 15 - Return your Reading Bingo sheets for a chance to win reading related prizes.

• Oct. 16 - Grade 6 Immunizations

• Oct. 23-24 - Scholastic Book Fair

• Oct. 23 - Parent Teacher Interviews 4-7 p.m.

• Oct. 24 - Parent Teacher Interviews 4-7 p.m.

• Oct. 25 - Family Halloween Dance

• Oct. 31 - Happy Halloween!

Be sure to check out our school calendar.

School fee information for the 2024-2025 school year is now posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted. 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.

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 fees and more.

If circumstances exist where you’re unable to pay your fees, you can apply to have certain fees waived by submitting an application for fee waiver, found at www.eips.ca/schools/fees/waiver-of-fees. The application deadline is Dec. 16, 2024.

This year’s Read-In Week theme “reading is for everyone” encourages making reading accessible to all. This week activities at WBF are designed to spark curiosity by exploring reading in unexpected places, engaging in unique activities and discovering the joy of books beyond traditional settings.

Monday

• A Reading Bingo sheet will be sent home for the week. The sheets are due Tuesday, October 14. Students will be entered into a draw to win reading related prizes!
• Bring your favourite book from home to share with a buddy!

Tuesday

• The Sherwood Park Crusaders will read to Division 2 classes.
• Bring a stuffy or flashlight and find a new place to read.

Wednesday

• RCMP Officer will read to Division 1 classes.
• Marty Chan Virtual Book Launch for Division 2 classrooms.
• Wear clothes that have words or letters to school.

Thursday

• Design a bookmark and exchange with your buddy class during a reading visit.

Friday

• Dress like your favourite book character.
• Strathcona County Firefighters will read to Division 1 classes.

Soon we will host our Scholastic Book Fair. Families can purchase books in person during our Parent Teacher Interviews. Our Library Learning Commons will receive a percentage of all sales and earn Scholastic Dollars that can be redeemed for classroom furniture, resources, and (of course) more books! Thank you for your support!

More information will be shared in the coming weeks if you would like to volunteer to help with the Book Fair.

Fiddle Leaf Photography student photo galleries will be ready for you to view on Monday, October 7.

To receive an email as soon as the photos are ready to view, pre-register via the link here: https://fiddleleaf.shootproof.com/gallery/wbffall2024/. Alternatively, when the photos are ready, an email will also come from the school with details on how to view and purchase the photos.

If your child missed photo day, has an older or younger sibling who is not at the school, or if you’d like photos of siblings together, you can book a session in the Fiddle Leaf Studio in Sherwood Park. Please use the coupon code: WBF2024 to clear/waive the session fee.

Thank you!
The Fiddle Leaf Photography Team

The overall objective of World Mental Health Day on October 10 is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.

The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

Mental Health Literacy (MHL) is the knowledge and understanding that helps us become responsible, effective and successful in living full and healthy lives. With good mental health literacy we learn how to take better care of ourselves, our loved ones and our communities. We are empowered and provided with the skills that we need to help us build better lives, better systems of care and a better society.

AHS Public Health Nurses will be coming to Woodbridge Elementary School on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 to provide the first set of immunizations to the Grade 6 students. For your child to be immunized in the school, a consent must be signed by a legal guardian.

For tips on preparing your child for immunizations, please refer to https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/hp/cdc/if-hp-cdc-ipsm-tips-make-imm-easier-child.pdf

If your child is not present on the round dates they may receive immunizations on other dates throughout the school year.

Any questions or concerns please call our School Nurse, Deborah at 780-342-4689.

We have many students with wonderful, creative ideas about what costumes to wear. What is important to remember, though, is costumes that portray stereotypes about a specific group, culture or race can be hurtful. While we are confident our students would not intentionally try to offend their classmates or teachers, we need to be sensitive to the fact that having one’s background or identity depicted as a costume can be viewed as disrespectful.

Elk Island Public Schools is committed to providing a welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning and working environments. It is important that celebrations being held at our schools can be enjoyed by everyone - please help us ensure Halloween is fun for all our students! If you have any questions about whether a costume would be appropriate, please contact the school.

We are looking forward to a Spooktacular day!

Here are some valuable resources and contacts to support your children and family. If you have any questions or would like more guidance on how to support your child, please contact our school counsellor at 780-464-3330 or by email christina.ganert@eips.ca.

Alberta Health Services Child and Youth Mental Health Intake

780-342-2701 (Intake line for parents to call for their children)

This is a great starting point for accessing mental health supports for your child, especially if you are unsure where to begin or what type of support to seek out.

Child Adolescent and Family Mental Health Through CASA

CASA offers a family therapy program, as well as programming options for children and youth. You can also look at an overview of CASA programs here, as well as information about how to access CASA services here.

Anxiety Canada website

This website is a great resource for anyone struggling with anxiety symptoms. There are handouts, quick links and activities for youth and adults, including audio and video links to help guide people through various activities. A self-help section is available with a wealth of resources including articles, personal stories and information on evidence-based interventions that are helpful for anyone experiencing general anxiety.

Strathcona Family and Community Services

If you’re stressed about money, groceries, relationships, parenting, mental health custody issues or you just need to talk, call Strathcona Family and Community Services at 780-464-4044. Family and Community Services staff will support you and connect you to free resources in the County.

Services include:

• Solutions Navigation
• Counselling
• Family Resource Network (information on child and youth development, discussing challenges and individualized parenting plans, referrals to other agencies, connecting to community resources, In-home parenting support)
• Family Justice Navigator (guidance regarding parenting/custody and other family court applications and court processes)

Call-in hours:

• Monday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Who: Boys and Girls Club: Community drop-in programs open to all children in Strathcona County.

Where: Virtual or Spruce Club BGC location - #3 Spruce Ave, Sherwood Park

When: October, 2024 to May, 2025

Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Cost: All programs can be accessed for $2 per session with our punch pass system or a fee of $40 covers all sessions between October and May.

Options:

• Minecraft Monday: Drop-in to Minecraft Mondays to build, create and explore! Minecraft Mondays is a virtual program where children can explore math, engineering and problem solving skills in the world of Minecraft. Participants can log in to our BGC world every Monday evening to build, explore and complete challenges with their friends!
• Art Night: (Tuesday) Drop-in to Art Night for fun, scheduled art projects that get to come home with you! Art Night provides a space for children to expand their art skillset and try new methods and mediums. Projects are designed to support children's development as artists as well as allow creativity to flourish.
• MasterChef: (Wednesday) Drop-in to MasterChef to create a masterpiece meal! BGC's MasterChef program provides children the opportunity to develop their culinary skills while participating in a fun competition. Participants are split into 2 teams, a recipe and ingredients are provided, and then the cook-off begins! The best part is, everyone gets to eat the tasty dish they've created!
• Sports Night: (Thursday) Drop-in to Sports Night to learn new sports, partake in favourites and most of all, have fun! Participants play different sports each night with a focus on fun and skill development. Participants are exposed to new sports and can get active in a fun and casual sports environment.

Did you know that you can find many FREE programs and services for families in Strathcona County?

They offer sessions for kids of all ages as well as programs for Fall Break (like a family pumpkin carve-off)! They also offer classes for parents such as No Such Thing as a Bad Kid and Emotional Coaching for parents/caregivers!

Click here to read Strathcona County's Fall Program Schedule.