News From the Nest

January 21, 2025 - School Council Meeting 6-7pm at School

January 24, 2025 - Hot Lunch

January 27, 2025 - Jersey Day

January 29, 2025 - No School Professional Learning Day

January 31, 2025 - Hot Lunch

We are working on getting things back on track with a Monday newsletter. No too much to report since our last letter. Just a reminder that school council will meet on Tuesday to discuss all things Mills Haven. January is a great time to come check it out as we begin planning for next year and you can be the first to know of any changes or initiatives we are looking at for the 2025-26 school year. Otherwise, we are looking forward to the week warming up and continuing the momentum from a great stretch of learning in January. Have a great week everyone.

The Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) returning student registration process for 2025-26 takes place Feb. 10-24, 2025. Through the online form, all families will confirm the school and program their child will attend next year or advise the Division if they aren’t returning. For students who want to attend a non-designated school next year, these requests must be submitted through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space.

On February 10, the parent/guardian on file in PowerSchool identified as the Permission Click contact for each pre-kindergarten to Grade 11 student will receive an email through Permission Click with a link to the form. If your family hasn’t received any Permission Click forms this school year, contact the school office so we can investigate any technical issues before registration season.

Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2025? If so, it’s almost time to register for kindergarten.

Kindergarten registration opens for the 2025-26 school year 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.

Additional information regarding kindergarten at Mills Haven is available here.

If you have any questions regarding Returning Student Registration or Kindergarten, please call Mrs. Marshman at 780-467-5556 or email her at denise.marshman@eips.ca.

Just a friendly reminder that the bus lane is not a student drop off location. We have busses coming and going until 9:00am, so even if it appears to be empty there are buses expected. According to the Strathcona County By-Law, there is to be no stopping or dropping-off students in the bus lane from 8:15am to 9:00am and we've been told that bylaw will be out enforcing this in the new year.

Thank you so much for your support and understanding in keeping our bus lane clear and safe for all students.

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 21, 2025 at 6:00p.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:

· Optional courses and associated fees

· Noon hour supervision

· Field trips and associated fees

· Extracurricular activities

· Non-curricular goods and services (for example, student union and yearbooks)

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, information will be shared in upcoming editions of News From the Nest.

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

Important Information for Families

• School fees are assessed at the start of the school year and were posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal in September. Mills Haven Fees are now posted.
• As soon as school fees are posted, they can be paid online using the PowerSchool Parent Portal. School fees are due within 30 days of the invoice date.

We are excited to launch our new online store where you can order your custom Mills Haven Elementary Spirit Wear. This store is always open and 10% of all sales go back to the school!

Shop Now!