AJS Weekly Bison Tracks

• December 11-13, 11:37 a.m. - Student Council Candy Grams Sales
• December 11 - Bison on a Shelf (posted on Instagram)
• December 11, 11:37 a.m. - Student Council Lantern Painting
• December 12 - Sherwood Heights French Immersion Grade 8 Visit
  
• December 12, 11:45 a.m. - Grade 8 Field Trip - Japanese Cultural Centre
• December 13 - Bison on a Shelf (posted on Instagram)
• December 15, 8:40 a.m. - Physics 30 Field - University of Alberta Physics Lab
  
• December 18 - Bison on a Shelf (posted on Instagram)
• December 18, 9:00 a.m. - Science 9 Field Trip - Telus World of Science
• December 18, 8:00 a.m. - Hot chocolate in the morning by Student Council
• December 19-22, 11:37 a.m. - Student Council Gingerbread House Competition
• December 19 - Student Council Candy Gram Deliveries
• December 20 - Bison on a Shelf (posted on Instagram)
• December 20 - Ugly Sweater Day
• December 20,10:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.-Gr. 7 & 8 Historical Drama presentations for ARD Gr. 3 & 5
• December 21 - PJ Day
• December 21 - Jr. High Locker Clean Up Day
• December 22 - Formal Day
• December 22, 12:25 p.m. - Jr. High Christmas Ball
• December 25 to January 5 - Christmas Break (closed to staff and students)
• January 8 - Back to school (Day 1)
• January 10 - Part A High School Exams begin (see exam schedule above or on website)
• January 10, 2:16 p.m. - Early Dismissal
• January 10 - Grades 10 and 11 Exams - ELA Part(ie) A
• January 10 - Diploma Exams - ELA 30-1 & 30-2 Part A
• January 11 - Diploma Exams Social Studies 30-1 & 30-2 Part A, ES 30-1 & 30-2 Part(ie)A
• January 11 - Grades 10 & 11 Social Studies Part A
• January 12 - PAT Socials 92 & 93 - Part A
• January 15, 6:00 p.m. - Division High School Information Session (Park Church)
• January 17 - PAT Exam - ELA 96 & 97 Part A
• January 17 - ELA 82 & 86 - Part A
• January 17, 6:00 p.m. - Secondary French Immersion Session
• January 19 - Last day of classes for Sr. High

With the winter season almost here, we want to remind families to dress children appropriately for the weather when getting ready for school or the bus. The weather often changes unexpectedly throughout the day, so please select suitable outerwear and ensure your child is prepared for changing conditions.

If inclement weather conditions occur, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) advises families of any bus cancellations using various communications tools—automated-telephone messages, email, SMS, alerts posted on eips.ca and school websites, Twitter, Facebook, local radio stations, and notification through both the Bus Status and the Ride 360 apps. Morning bus cancellations are posted on eips.ca by 6:30 a.m.

Decisions regarding bus cancellations are guided by EIPS administrative procedures that state, “school bus service may be suspended…when there is a forecast or current temperature of -40 C, including wind chill factor, in one or more regions.” Other reasons for suspending or delaying school bus services include adverse weather and poor road conditions. When school bus services are suspended, schools remain open to students. EIPS believes families have the right and responsibility to make choices for their children based on their beliefs and perceptions of safety during times of inclement weather.

For more information, contact EIPS Student Transportation at 780-417-8151.

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. 15, 2023. If you’re new to the Division, the deadline is the latter of Dec. 15, 2023, 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, MasterCard or debit card—when available from your financial institution. 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.ardrossan.ca/about/fees. Alternatively, contact Suzanne Cleet at Ardrossan Jr. Sr. High School at 780-922-2228.

Courses are designed for preparing students to write their Grade 12 diploma exams. The material presented is based on a 12-hour schedule over a weekend. Courses will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a half hour break for lunch. Courses will be offered at Salisbury Composite High School (20 Festival Way) in Sherwood Park. Students can only register for one review course each weekend. Cost is $125 per course, $75 for Science 30. Registration will close on January 2 for English and Social Studies sessions, and on January 16 for Math and Sciences sessions. Register at www.eipscontinuinged.ca

January 6 and 7: ELA 30-1 and Social Studies 30-1

January 20 and 21: Math 30-1, 30-2, Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Physics 30

January 27: Science 30

If you have questions regarding Diploma Exam Prep sessions, please reach out to nextstep@eips.ca or 780-992-0101.

We have some amazing items for sale that would make great Christmas gift ideas! Please log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal account to view these great items. When you log in, please go select Student Fees to find the forms for purchasing of some AJS Swag. The form will be available from November 27 to December 15, 2023. Payment must be made at the time of order. Orders will be filled the week of December 18, 2023.

Please note there are limited quantities available. Order soon so you don’t miss out.

Yearbooks for 2023-2024

You can purchase a yearbook for this school year through your Power School Parent Portal, then go to "Student Fees".

Cost of yearbooks are $43.00.

You must pre-order yearbooks as we only make what is ordered.

Yearbooks for 2022-2023

We have 9 additional 2022/2023 Yearbooks for sale in the office. If you forgot to order one last year, bring $43.00 to the office and pick one up today - first come, first served!

A huge thank you to all people involved for the wonderful band concert on Tuesday evening.

Watching & hearing the students play and families enjoying the beautiful music

reminds us of why A.M.P.S work so hard to ensure we can continue to support our amazing band program!

Our 50/50 is growing and you have until Dec 22 to get your tickets!

Good Luck!

Poinsettia plants should arrive sometime during the week of December 11. An email reminder will be sent out to let people know when they should come to pick up their plants from the back door of the Foods room.

So far we have raised $7,000 of our $10,000 goal.

We really appreciate all of the hard work that our grads and their families are putting in to make sure these events are successful!

• February 12-16 and March 4-6 - Grad photos will be taken in our theatre lobby. Appointment booking will take place in early-January. More information to follow.

More information can be found on our Grad 2024 website or by emailing any of the staff members on our graduation committee:

Trudi Williamson - trudi.williamson@eips.ca

Nadine Stefiuk - nadine.stefuik@eips.ca

Chrissy Parker-Young - christine.parker-young@eips.ca

Ray Basaraba - raymond.basaraba@eips.ca

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 20, 2023
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 (EA)? Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is hiring—spread the word!

EAs are integral to the school team, assisting teachers with instructional and non-instructional tasks in the classroom and other school activities. Whether it’s working one-on-one with individual students or with a small group of students in a class or special program, EAs provide support and assistance to help students achieve success.

Substitutes are needed to fill positions at all school locations until the end of the school year. The application deadline is December 8. If you know someone who’d be great in this role, encourage them to apply today.

Have you recently moved or has your contact information changed? Ardrossan Jr Sr High 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. Your review is especially important as the Division prepares for 2024-25 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 780-922-2228

Mark your calendars! Returning student registration for the 2024-25 school year will take place Feb. 8-21, 2024.

Families of all current students—with the exception of graduating Grade 12 students—must complete the process to confirm the school their child plans to attend in the 2024-25 school year or advise the Division of their plans not to return to EIPS. Additionally, students who want to attend a non-designated school need to make that request through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space. Watch for more details in the new year.

Check out the new and improved athletics website here or click the button above. All information regarding teams, including schedules, tryout dates, games, and forms will be located here.

Basketball

• December 11, 6:30 p.m. - Sr. Varsity Mens Basketball vs Bellrose
• December 12, 5:30 p.m. - Jr. Varsity Mens Basketball @ Fort Saskatchewan
• December 13, 5:00 p.m. - Sr. Varsity Mens Basketball vs St. Joseph
• December 13, 6:30 p.m. - Sr. Varsity Womens Basketball vs Edmonton Christian
• December 14, 5:30 p.m. - Jr. Varsity Mens Basketball vs Archbishop MacDonald
• December 14-16 - Sr. Varsity Mens and Womens Basketball - Bert Church Airdrie Tournament
  
• December 15 & 16 - Jr. Varsity Mens Basketball - Dr. Anne Anderson Tournament
• December 15 & 16 - Jr. Sr. Basketball - Bison Ball Tournament
• December 18, 5:00 p.m. - Sr. Varsity Womens Basketball vs Holy Trinity
• December 18, 6:30 p.m. - Sr. Varsity Mens Basketball vs Millwoods Christian
• December 19, 6:30 p.m. - Jr. Varsity Mens Basketball @ Memorial
• December 20, 5:30 p.m. - Sr. Varsity Mens Basketball @ Eastglen
• December 20, 6:30 p.m. - Sr. Varsity Womens Basketball @ Mother Margaret Mary
• December 21, 5:30 p.m. - Jr. Varsity Mens Basketball vs Dr. Anne Anderson

The health and safety of staff, students and visitors is a top priority. Continue to reinforce the following hygiene habits to protect staff and students from spreading respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.

• Stay home if you’re feeling sick.
• Wash or sanitize your hands often.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces regularly.
• Wear a mask if you get sick or develop symptoms while at school or work.

• symptoms have improved,
• they feel well enough to resume normal activities, and
• they have been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medications.

For anyone who has a respiratory illness or has tested positive for COVID, it is recommended that they wear a mask for a total of 10 days from the onset of symptoms—even if the symptoms have resolved or improved—when in indoor settings with other individuals.

Please scan the QR code to fill in the online form to receive your parking pass. Passes will be available during lunch in the office.

• Traffic flow is one way entering and exiting the student parking lot.

• Grade 12's can park in any of the parking stalls available. This will be enforced.

Grade 10/11 students may park in any of the areas highlighted in orange.

We are excited to announce that you can now use your debit card to pay for your delicious lunches in our cafeteria!

Alberta Health Services hosts a variety of virtual caregiver information sessions throughout the year focused on ways to support students’ mental health. The sessions are free and geared toward parents, caregivers, teachers and community members who want to learn more about challenges impacting children and adolescents. Session topics include anxiety, ADHD, depression, self-harm, technology, teens and teaching leadership skills, communication, resiliency and more. Visit Caregiver Education to see the monthly caregiver sessions.

Email: general.ajs@eips.ca
Website: https://www.ardrossan.ca/
Location: Ardrossan Junior Senior High School, Range Road 222, Ardrossan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-922-2228
Twitter: @ArdrossanJrSr