Jan 8 - 12, 2024
Weekly Gazette Jan 8-12
Principal's message
Welcome back! We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!
Our students will be settling back into lots of learning after two weeks off. Getting back into routines can be tiresome for some students. Often we find that our students are quite fatigued after a vacation. Throughout this week we'll be working with our students on the importance of getting a good night's sleep, eating healthfully and being extra patient with others when feeling tired. These reminders for our students will help them with their Social-Emotional Wellness learning, which is one of our school goals.
Reading at home, in either English or French is a fantastic way to support your child's education. When reading with young readers try the “Pause, prompt, praise” approach –
- Pause – if your child encounters a difficult word, then pause briefly. Wait for a few moments (count to five to yourself - silently and slowly) to give your child time to figure out the word.
- Prompt – if your child cannot figure out the work or does not read it correctly, encourage them to “Try again”. Work on sounding out the word or chunking it into parts. You could ask “What word would make sense here?” or say “Look at the picture to try to find a clue. If your child still cannot read the word correctly after two different prompts, say the word and ask him/her to repeat it. Continue with the reading.
- Praise - When your child reads the difficult word correctly, praise him/her for reading the word without help.
Don't forget that Wednesday is early dismissal and superhero spirit wear day!
Weekly Announcements - January 8
- Please follow this link to watch our announcement: Le 8 janvier
Dates
What's happening this week at École Parc:
Jan 8 - Classes resume
Jan 8 - Class of the week: PALS AM
Jan 10 - Early Dismissal
Jan 10 - Superhero day
Jan 12 - Monthly Award Assembly at 9:30 a.m.
Upcoming Dates to be aware of
Jan 15 -Class of the week: PALS PM
Jan 16 - Grade 6 Field Trip Legislature
Jan 17 -School Council and Fundraising Meeting 7:00 pm
Jan 19 - Lock Down Drill 9:45 am
Jan 22 - Class of the week 6A
Jan 25 - Grade 3 skating field trip 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm JRC Arena
Jan 31 - Professional Learning Day: No school for students
Citizenship at Ecole Parc
At Ecole Parc, we continue to build positive citizenship through the guiding principles of the Seven Sacred Teachings. Each month, we encourage students to focus on one principle or teaching. Our teachers are looking for students who display great examples of this teaching in the classroom and throughout their day. These students may be recognized by earning the Citizenship award for their class. During the month of January, we are focused on the teaching of Courage
Counsellor's Corner
Attendance
If your student is absent, being picked up early or will be arriving late, we ask that you please email our attendance email at EPEAttendance@eips.ca or call the school at 780-998-3741. Please send any DQ permissions to this email as well.
Medical and Personal Care Plan Forms
If your child requires any medication, please click here to access the form. Please note we have 2 medical forms. We have a Personal Care Plan and an Administering of Medication Form. Please do not send medication with your child for safety reasons.
School Fees
2023-24 Fees are now posted.
School fee information for the 2023-24 school year will be posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal in late September. 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 online using a credit card.
Don’t forget to 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 certain school activities such as field trips, class projects, athletic-team fees and more. Additionally, junior high and senior high fees can change as courses are added and deleted.
If you’re unable to pay your school fees, you can apply to have certain fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. The application deadline is Dec. 15, 2023.
For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines visit eips.ca. Alternatively, contact Sherri Prince, Business Manager at Ecole Parc at 780-998-3741.
Elk Island Public Schools
Respiratory Illness Guidance
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.
As per Alberta Health guidelines, staff, students, contractors and visitors who have symptoms of respiratory Illness or test positive for COVID, should stay home until:
- 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.
Kindergarten Registration Starts Soon!
Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2024? If so, it’s almost time to register for kindergarten.
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 Ecole Parc’s kindergarten program is available at www.ecoleparc.ca.
Returning Student Registration
Returning Student Registration: 2024-25
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.
Employment Opportunities
Spread the Word: EIPS is Hiring Substitute Educational Assistants
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.
Updating Contact Information
Has your contact information recently changed?
Have you recently moved or has your contact information changed? EIPS 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 780-998-3741.
Inclement Weather
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.
Cybersecurity Update: Important information for families
As part of EIPS’ ongoing commitment to maintaining a secure and effective digital learning environment for students, the Division is implementing an important update to its cybersecurity protocols Jan. 19, 2024.
Enhanced Location-based Security for Student Accounts
Starting Jan. 19, 2024, access to student user accounts—used for platforms like PowerSchool, Brightspace and Google—will be limited to within Canada's geographical boundaries. This change is an essential step in strengthening our cyber defenses and ensuring the digital safety of students.
What Does This Mean for You and Your Child?
Location-limited Access: Your child's account will be accessible only when they’re physically located in Canada. This includes all activities related to their schoolwork, such as submitting assignments, accessing study materials or sending EIPS account emails.
Seamless In-country Use: While in Canada, students will experience no change in how they access and use their accounts. The process remains as straightforward and user-friendly as always.
PowerSchool Access for Parents and Caregivers: This change will NOT impact parent and caregiver access to PowerSchool during periods of travel.
Why This Change?
The safety and privacy of students are paramount. This location-based access control is a proactive measure to prevent unauthorized access to students' accounts and protect sensitive information from potential cyber threats.
Questions?
For more information, contact the school office at 780-998-3741.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter. Together, we can ensure a secure and thriving digital learning environment for all students.
EIPS Annual Education Results Report 2022-23: Now available!
EIPS’ Annual Education Results Report 2022-23 is now available online. The report details how EIPS is doing relative to Alberta Education’s performance measures; how it’s supporting students to achieve the best possible outcomes; and its successes, challenges and priority strategies moving forward. What shines through in this year’s Annual Education Results Report are the myriad programs and initiatives taking shape throughout the Division to ensure high-quality education, support student growth and achievement, and develop learners with the skills and knowledge needed to help them succeed.
EIPS invites you to read through this year’s Annual Education Results Report 2022-23. Celebrate our collective achievements and discover how EIPS fosters environments for all students to learn, grow and thrive—and why it matters.
Annual Education Results Report 2022-23
Also available is a condensed version of the report: AERR 2022-23: Overview
RELATED INFORMATION
EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26
EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2024-27
Did you know?
The Education Act requires every public school division in the province to have a Board of Trustees. The Board is made up of elected representatives who are accountable to you, the families, and to the community members of a school division who have elected each trustee. For EIPS, the Board provides overall direction and leadership, accepting responsibility for the Division’s policies and procedures. You can view all current policies and procedures on the EIPS website.
Parent Council Information
Ecole Parc Playground Expansion Committee
During the 2022/23 school year staff identified that the playground structures were not meeting the needs of all the students, both in type of structure, and space available for students to play. When the playground structure was first built in 2013 there were 180 students in the school. We now have 326. The population has doubled and we have a larger group of students in the PALS and Division 1 (K-3) age group. The existing play structure is designed for ages 5-12. We need an additional play area that meets the needs of students aged 4-8. The goal is to have the project completed within 3 years.
We are excited to hit the ground running with this and officially kick things off this year. We are always looking for more volunteers to join the committee. We meet once a month, time commitment is flexible and there is always lots to do and input needed.
If you are interested in joining the committee or would like more information please feel free to email us at ecoleparcplaygroundexpansion@gmail.com.