Parent/Teacher interviews will be held on Tuesday, March 18 & Wednesday, March 19. Parents will be able to book an interview appointment with their child's homeroom teacher, using the school interview online booking system.

Parents can expect to receive an email the first week of March with step by step instructions on how to book appointment(s) using our school interview system. The interview booking site will open on Monday, March 10 at 6:00 pm.

Kindergarten Parents: We ask that you consider booking your interview for Monday, March 17.

This option is only available for booking with our kindergarten teachers. This extra day helps them to

accommodate all kindergarten families over the 3 days of interviews. *Please note, there is no child care provided on Monday.

There will be childcare available both evenings (March 18 & 19) during interviews from 5:00 - 9:00 pm in the gym for all elementary and pre-school aged children that are here during their parent interview time.

There is no charge for this service, however donations are gratefully accepted and will be put

towards our Missions program.

This is for your convenience during interview times only. We would request that no children be wandering around or playing in the hallways while you attend your interview.

During interviews, parents will be allowed to park in our bus lane parking as well as in our regular visitor parking.

Our parents generously support our teaching staff each year with a meal before Parent/Teacher Interviews.

If you would like to contribute food items for this much appreciated meal on Tuesday, March 18, please sign up here.

Term 2 report cards will be available on Friday, March 14 at 3:15 pm.

Parents and guardians can access report cards through PowerSchool—simply log in

to your account and click on the “Report Card” button in the lefthand sidebar.

Each year, we invite students and staff to wear their favourite green attire on March 17! It can be as simple as one item of green clothing, or as extra as Mr. Peter's yearly ensemble below. 🙂

All these dates (and more) are listed on our monthly calendar located on our school website here.

• March 5 - Early Dismissal @ 2:15 pm
• March 5 - School Council Meeting @ 7:15 pm
• March 6 - Kindergarten Father/Child Night (Details sent from Kindergarten teachers)
• March 7 - NO SCHOOL - PD Day
• March 14 - Hot Lunch
• March 14 - Report Cards Issued @ 3:15 pm
• March 17 - Green Day
• March 18 & 19 - Parent/Teacher Interviews
• March 18 & 19 - Library Book Fair
• March 19 - Chip Day
• March 20 - Reading Day
• March 21 - 28 - NO SCHOOL - SPRING BREAK
• March 31 - School Resumes
• March 31 - Last day to order a yearbook for the 2024-25 school year (instructions below)

March 12 - KA/KC (Deadline March 7)

March 13 - KB/KD (Deadline March 8)

March 14 - Grade 1-6 (Deadline March 9)

Visit Healthy Hunger to place your order!

There are 2 ways to sign up:

1. When you place a hot lunch order through Healthy Hunger, there is an option to sign up as a volunteer when checking out.
2. If you have already placed your hot lunch orders for the year and did not sign up through the Healthy Hunger website, please click this link to sign up: Hot Lunch Volunteering (2024-2025)

March 19 - (Grade K-6)

March 20 - (KB/KD)

If you did not prepay for chip days for the year, your child can bring a loonie on chip day to participate.

Students have been working hard on their Book Bingo contest sheets! Many students have collected their initial prize and are working on their blackout. Fully completed Bingo sheets need to be handed in by March 19 to be entered into the grand prize draw, which will happen the morning of March 20, another way to celebrate our Reading Day!

Parents are welcome to come in before and after your interview times from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 18 & 19, to shop at Scholastic and Lamplighter Books & Gifts. We look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair and thank you in advance for your support of a great fundraiser!

-💕Mrs. Wielinga

Are you a past, present, or future grandparent of a student who attends SCA Elementary or Secondary Schools?

We would love your prayer support! An update is emailed out each week of ways you can support our school in prayer. If you are able, we meet once a month to pray for our students.

Please email Pastor Driedger at darren.driedger@eips.ca or phone the school office at 780-449-2787 to get involved.

We meet the first Thursday of every month at 1:00 pm at SCA Elementary. Our next prayer meeting is Thursday, March 6 at 1:00 pm and you are welcome to join!

We want to cover the schools and the children with prayer. Your wisdom and experience is needed for this.

Psalm 71:16 says: “I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD!”

Read the rest of Psalm 71 to discover your mandate as a spiritual grandparent for all of our students.

Congratulations to everyone for the great participation in our 23rd annual Jump Rope for Heart on February 21. It was an exciting day! Every class in elementary jumped for 25 minutes throughout the day in the gym. The elementary school raised $1272.70 for the Heart Foundation. Thanks for your giving hearts! 🥰

Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) wants to hear from you. Every year, EIPS conducts a feedback survey to gauge its progress toward meeting the goals and priorities outlined in its Four-Year Education Plan. Collectively, the Division uses the survey feedback to help guide future planning, decision-making and strategies—all aimed at enhancing student learning and better serving the wider community.

Complete the 2024-25 EIPS Annual Feedback Survey: For Parents and Caregivers by March 21.

The Alberta Education Assurance survey gathers feedback on the quality of education provided by school authorities and their schools. Schools and school authorities use this information to understand how they are doing and plan for the future. Grade 4 parents and caregivers have received information directly from the school on how to complete the survey. Complete the Alberta Education Assurance survey by March 21—learn more. For questions or concerns, contact the school.

Is there a preschooler in your life experiencing developmental delays or challenges with speech-language or motor-skill development—big or small? If so, Elk Island Public School’s Play And Learn at School (PALS) program could help.

Early learning lays the foundation for success in primary grades and beyond. As such, EIPS offers the pre-kindergarten PALS program in five of its elementary school locations. Applications are now open for free speech-language assessments for those interested in registering in the PALS program this fall. The assessment helps determine if PALS is appropriate for your child.

If you know a preschooler, born in 2021 or 2022, who could benefit from pre-kindergarten programming or want to book an assessment, fill out the PALS Program Request Form or call 780-417-8219. For more information, visit eips.ca.

Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) has updated EIPS Administrative Procedure 146: Social Media, as per the new legislation from the provincial government. The procedure includes rules for using personal devices at school and banned social media platforms. Learn more

Every year, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) publishes an Annual Education Results Report, which outlines the Division’s Four-Year Education Plan, growth opportunities, and how it supports students in achieving the best possible outcomes. Read through this year’s EIPS Annual Education Results Report 2023-24 and discover how EIPS fosters learning environments for all students to learn, grow and thrive—and why it matters.

March Spotlight: Student Growth and Success

· Early Learning: Ensuring early learners reach developmental milestones

· Culture of Literacy: Dive deep into the data and learn how students are developing strong literacy skills

· Math Matters: Enhancing reasoning, understanding and achievement through numeracy-rich classrooms

· Boosting Educational Outcomes: How EIPS supports the growth and achievement of self-identified First Nations, Métis or Inuit students.

· Beyond High School: Supports and strategies that are creating real-life career pathways for learners

RELATED INFORMATION
EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26
EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2025-28

EIPS is seeking two volunteer community members to serve on its Audit Committee. The Audit Committee reports to the Board of Trustees and is comprised of three elected trustees and two volunteers residing within EIPS boundaries. This opportunity provides valuable experience in the financial oversight of one of Alberta’s largest school divisions with an operating budget of approximately $210 million. The committee keeps EIPS accountable for every dollar spent to enhance student success. The closing date for this opportunity is March 7, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit the EIPS website.

Grade 6 students are invited to join SPAC Junior High Youth Group!

Wednesday’s at 7:00 pm.

Find out more here.

To enhance building safety and minimize classroom disruptions, we kindly ask that parents dropping off items for their children during the school day do so at the office.

As a friendly reminder, if you’d like to walk your child into school during morning drop-off, please accompany them to the rotunda and allow them to make their way to the classrooms independently.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in helping our school days run smoothly!

Did you know you can sync the monthly school calendar to your own calendar?

1. Visit http://scaelementary.ca/about/calendar using the device you would like to sync the calendar to.
2. Click on the applicable subscription option at the top of the page and follow the instructions

• Download to iCal
• Add to Google Calendar
• Subscribe to Calendar (Recommended for iPhones, Android, Outlook)

Within seconds, your calendar will contain all SCA Elementary' s important dates including holidays, early dismissal days, school-closure days, planned activities, events and more!

Have you recently moved or has your contact information changed since the start of the year?

SCA Elementary encourages families to review the information the Division has on file to ensure it’s up to date. Using the Year Round 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.

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 Year Round Update after you’ve moved.

Did you know there is a School Messenger app (or website) that parents can use?

School Messenger is the program Elk Island Public Schools use to share information directly with families by phone or email.

Emails from the following areas are sent through School Messenger:

• SCA Elementary (except emails sent directly from your child’s teacher)
• EIPS Transportation
• EIPS Central Office

This app can be helpful for parents as it allows you to view all emails sent from the above areas in one location. Parents can also manage their email subscription and contact preferences in regards to these messages.

App Instructions:

1. Download the App (available through the App Store or Google Play)
2. Sign up by using your PowerSchool Parent Portal email address and the EIPS District Code ‘HXWF’
3. Once in the app, all received emails can be viewed under ‘Messages’
4. Click the 3-lines in top left corner > Preferences > select Elk Island Public Schools > from this page, you can manage your contact preferences and select how you would like to be notified in different contact scenarios.

Website Instructions: (exactly the same information as the app, just a different way to view it)

1. Select ‘Sign up’ in the top right corner. Use your PowerSchool Parent Portal email address and the EIPS District Code ‘HXWF’
2. Once logged in, the instructions are the same as using the app (see #3 & 4 above)

For further information or support with issues, please visit: https://www.eips.ca/contact/subscribe

Click the link below to check it out!