AJS Weekly Bison Tracks

• February 23 - Senior Band Pops Concert
  
• February 28 - Pink Shirt Day
• February 28, 11:37 a.m. - Student Council Events for Pink Shirt Day in Grad Hall
• February 29, 6:30 p.m. - Grad Parent Meeting-Theater
• March 1 - PD Day - No School
• March 6, 2:16 p.m. - Early Dismissal
• March 6 to 9, 7:00 p.m. - ADC Variety Show
• March 7, 5:00 p.m. - Concordia University Info Night (at Concordia University)
• March 14, 11:37 a.m. - Student Council Pi Day Events
  
• March 15, 11:37 a.m. - Student Council St. Patrick's Day Events
• March 15 - Jr. High Report Card Term 2
• March 15 - Summer School Registration Opens
• March 15, 6:00 p.m. - Band Jazz Night
• March 16, 10:00 a.m. - Norquest College Open House
• March 18, 6:00 p.m. - Canadian Parents for French Meeting
• March 18, 6:30 p.m. - School Council Meeting
• March 19 & 20 - Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews
• March 19, 10:30 a.m. - La semaine de la francophonie - Cristian De La Luna
• March 20, 2:00 p.m. - La semaine de la francophonie Robert Walsk et Pierre Sabourin
• March 22 - PD Day - No School
• March 23 - April 1- Spring Break & Easter Holiday - No School
• April 2 - Back to school (Day 2)

Once again, Alberta Education is surveying teachers, students and families through its annual Alberta Education Assurance (AEA) Survey. The survey gathers feedback on the quality of education provided by school authorities and their schools, which they then use to help understand how they’re doing and plan for the future.

Throughout February, Grades 7 to 12 students at Ardrossan Jr. Sr. High School are completing the survey online at the school. Student participation is voluntary and completely anonymous. Students are assigned a random username and password to ensure survey responses aren’t linked to any individual student. The survey doesn’t take long to complete and is done within the school day during regular class time.

Additionally, parents and guardians of students in these grades are also asked to take a survey online. Alberta Education has mailed families information about the survey directly. As with the student and teacher survey, it’s anonymous and asks questions about your school experiences. If you have a child in these grades, we encourage you to participate. The survey deadline is March 1, 2024.

Results from the AEA Survey are provided to Elk Island Public Schools each spring. The Division then uses the data to inform its four-year education plan, school education plans and strategies for continuous improvement. Each fall, the results are also shared with EIPS families and school communities in the Division’s Annual Education Results Report.

RELATED INFORMATION
AEA Survey: Information for parents and guardians
AEA Survey
Assurance and Accountability: Alberta’s K-12 education system

Pops Concert Feb 23 - We will need a few parent volunteers to run the concession (ideally parents who have band students in Jr. High as the Sr. High parents will want to attend this concert). It's only one shift, from 5:30 to 8pm. Sign up below at Signup Genius. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4DADA92DA2FFC07-47330190-pops

Archery Tournament Concession - Mar 1 & Mar 2 - will require MANY volunteers. Students can volunteer for this one to add cash to their student accounts!
Ardrossan Music Parents Society: AMPS Concession at Archery Tournament (signupgenius.com)

If you ordered, Bandwear is available for pick up in the band room

AMPS has again partnered up with CTS/Mechanics our 2nd annual Car Show & Shine, it will be held on June 1, 2024. Please save the date to show off your ride, attend upcoming meetings to be a part of the planning, or plan on helping us out with the many volunteer positions that will need to be filled for day of.

Director of Fundraising and Director of Grant Writing positions are still open. If you have an interest in either of these positions, please reach out to Kas Spiker at ampspres@gmail.com.

If you have any questions, please email Kas Spiker at ampspres@gmail.com

Parents can purchase tickets through their PowerSchool parent portal:

https://powerschool.eips.ca/public/home.html

For guests without a PowerSchool account:

https://www.studentquickpay.com/EIPS/

Instructions on how to create a guest account:

EIPS Guest Account Instructions

Please join us for the Grad Parent Meeting on February 29 at 6:30 pm in the Ardrossan Theatre. During this meeting we will update parents on the general details of the commencement and dance, information about tickets, and updates on remaining tasks that the students still have to complete. We hope that you will be able to join us!

• Grad Slideshow photos - Students should be submitting group photos from elementary school, junior high and high school. These can be photos of field trips, birthday parties, athletics, band, drama, etc. Send in any and all memories students have together as a graduating class. Deadline is May 22.
• February 7- March 13 - Students should submit their baby photo and their grad quote for the yearbook.
• February 26 - March 8 - Grad song voting
  
• February 29, 6:30 pm - Grad Parent Meeting in the Ardrossan Theatre
  
• March 4 & 5 - Jostens ring and other Grad product sales at lunch
• March 4-6 - Grad portrait retakes
• March 4-15 Nominations for guest speaker and class historian
• April 1-12 - Grad ticket sales through PowerSchool Parent Portal
• April 29 - May 3 - Table seating selection

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.stefiuk@eips.ca

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

Ray Basaraba - raymond.basaraba@eips.ca

Don't forget to order your yearbooks for this school! You can order and pay for them on PowerSchool Parent Portal - Student Fees. Yearbooks are all pre-ordered so don't forget to add them to your cart so that you don't miss out!

Please return all outstanding textbooks and novel studies from semester 1 to the library to avoid any late fees and charges.

Remember, be aware of thin ice this time of year. Depending on changing temperatures, ice can form and melt to varying degrees on outdoor bodies of water. Try to remind your child about the dangers of thin ice, obey all posted signs, take proper care and remain a safe distance from the ice.

For more information about ice safety, visit the Canadian Red Cross.

Did you know?

The colour of ice may be an indication of its strength. Clear blue ice is the strongest. White opaque is half as strong as blue ice. And, grey ice is unsafe—greyness indicates the presence of water.

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)922-2228.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter. Together, we can ensure a secure and thriving digital learning environment for all students

Every year, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) publishes an Annual Education Results Report, which outlines the Division’s Four-Year Education Plan, opportunities for growth and how it’s supporting students to achieve the best possible outcomes. Read through the most recent EIPS Annual Education Results Report 2022-23 and discover how EIPS fosters learning environments for all students to learn, grow and thrive—and why it matters.

February 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: Discover how EIPS supports the growth and achievement of students who self-identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit

· 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: 2024-27

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

Registration Opens March 15, 2024 through the

PowerSchool Parent Portal Registration Closes June 24

4-week and 2-week sessions are available

Full Session 4-week classes: July 2-26

Session 1: July 2-12 (8:30am-1:30pm)

Session 2: July 15-26 (8:30 am-1:00pm)

For more information, see the Summer School page on Next Step’s website.

Thank to our generous sponsor, Delnor Construction, for donating AJS with new tools through the Tools For School program!
The students are excited and very appreciative of this amazing donation.
Can't wait to see the new projects coming from our CTF Construction classes!

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

• February 23 & 24 - Jr. Jr. Boys and Girls Basketball Hoof Fest Classic Tournament
  
• February 26, 5:30 p.m. - Sr. Womens Basketball @ Holy Trinity
• February 26, 4:00 p.m. - Jr. Jr. Girls Basketball vs CLB
• February 26, 5:15 p.m. - Jr. Jr. Boys Basketball vs CLB
• February 27, 4:00 p.m. - Jr. Sr. Girls Basketball vs CLB
• February 27, 5:15 p.m. - Jr. Sr. Boys Basketball vs CLB
• February 28, 4:00 p.m. - Jr. Sr. Girls Basketball @ RHJ
• February 28, 5:15 p.m. - Jr. Sr. Boys Basketball @ RHJ
• February 29, 4:00 p.m. - Jr. Jr. Girls Basketball @ RHJ
• February 29, 5:15 p.m. - Jr. Jr. Boys Basketball @ RHJ

Archery

• February 24 - Wetaskiwin Archery Tournament
• March 1 & 2 - AJS Archery Tournament

Handball Tryouts

• February 26, 3:30 - Sr. Mens Handball Tryouts
• February 28, 3:30 - Sr. Mens Handball Tryouts
• February 29, 3:30 p.m. - Sr. Womens Handball Tryouts
• March 5, 3:30 p.m. - Sr. Womens Handball Tryouts

To register for the Open House, use the QR code and follow the "Register for Open House" button on the website.

High School Youth Researcher Summer Program (HYRS)

The Alberta Innovates High School Youth Researcher Summer Program (HYRS) offers paid, six week summer research experiences for Grade 11 students in health and medical sciences, including priority areas in digital or data driven health research, commercialization, and health system transformation. For more information, click on the QR code!

Discover CUE at our Info Night

Thursday, March 7, 2024 | 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm

See the opportunities that await! Create a big future at our small campus. This event will be in person on campus as well as live-streamed.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Grade 11 students can apply now for Fall 2025 through our Jump Start program.
• Grade 12 students who have already applied.
• Grade 12 students who are undecided; applications are open for Fall 2024 until June 30, Winter 2025 applications now open.
• Family, supporters, counsellors, and anyone interested in finding out more about CUE!

WHY SHOULD STUDENTS ATTEND?

• Application fee will be waived – Admission Advisors will be on hand to assist with the online application (fee waived for domestic students only)
• Registration Advisors will also be on hand to assist Fall 2024 admitted students with registration in courses.
• Faculty presentations from the Deans and in-person booth fair; live stream link will be emailed ahead of time and available on our event webpage: https://concordia.ab.ca/infonight
• Campus tours!
• Students who sign up will receive an application code by email to apply for free!

PLUS, new this year:

• Students who pre-register AND attend will be entered to win a FREE CUE hoodie!

Grade 11 Students in Financial Need and Planning on Post Secondary School after High School apply online at https://www.horatioalger.ca/en/scholarships

To apply for the Horatio Alger Association of Canada Scholarship Programs you must have completed your online application by March 15, 2024.

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
X : @ArdrossanJrSr