December

• Dec. 10 - Kindergarten and Grades 1-3 Christmas Concert at the Agora
• Dec. 11-13 - Wee Wonderland - Volunteers Needed
• Dec. 16 - Wear Holiday Colours
• Dec. 17 - Wear Cozy Socks and/or Slippers
• Dec. 18 - Wear Festive Accessories
• Dec. 18 - Grades 4-6 Sunridge Ski Trip (Forms due Dec. 12. Payment due Dec. 17)
• Dec. 19 - Wear an Ugly Holiday Sweater
• Dec. 19 - Hot chocolate & cookie day - Volunteers Needed
• Dec. 20 - Last day of classes for 2024
• Dec. 20 - Wear Pajamas
• Dec. 20 - Hot Lunch: Italian Centre
• Dec. 21 - Jan. 5 - No School: Christmas/Winter Break

January

• Jan. 6 - Classes resume - Welcome back!
• Jan. 8 - Early Dismissal/Twin Day/Dress as a Staff Member
• Jan. 10 - Grade 5 Swimming Lessons (Every Friday until March 14)

Be sure to check out our school calendar.

Term 1 report cards are now posted online and can be accessed through Parent Portal! We encourage families to check them out so that you are staying current on student progress so far. Forget your login? Can't remember how to find it? Call the office and we'll walk you through it!

As always, if you have questions about the report card or any other topics related to your child's education, reach out to their classroom teacher. All staff emails follow the pattern: first.last@eips.ca

Teachers are happy to set up a phone call or a meeting. Student success is a team effort!

It's the most wonderful time of the year... Wee Wonderland is coming up December 11, 12 and 13! Wee Wonderland is a shopping experience for your child to find and purchase the perfect gift for the special people in their life.

To participate you must fill out this google form wish list (one for each child) and ensure you pay using Zeffy by December 1. Please be mindful that your child only has 20 minutes to shop and wrap gifts. Our suggestion is to limit shopping to immediate family members or under 6 people.

If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here.

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. 16, 2024. If you’re new to the Division, the deadline is the latter of Dec. 16, 2024, 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 or MasterCard. 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. Alternatively, contact the school at 780-464-3330.

Students in grades 4, 5, and 6 will have the opportunity to ski/snowboard at Sunridge Ski Area on Wednesday, December 18.

• The Permission Click form is due by December 12.
• Fees for this field trip are to be paid prior to the field trip and can be paid in your Parent Portal.

Students will travel to Sunridge by bus. All students must ride the bus to and from the ski area.

*Skis and snowboards are not allowed on school buses. Please make arrangements to have them delivered to, and picked up from, the school on December 18, or meet your child at Sunridge.

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 18, 2024
Grade 12 students will complete the survey at school.

Thank you for sharing your input to help inform Division planning.

Recovery Alberta offers free online programming for parents and caregivers of children and youth. Sessions are offered through Zoom. The list of November and December 2024 sessions is now available. A link to access the online session will be sent by email to those who have registered for the session. To register, go to: www.cyfcaregivereducation.ca.

Upcoming Sessions: Building Executive Functioning Skills to Support Success in Learning

Part 2: Supporting Executive Functioning Development

In this session, we will focus on three foundational executive functions and strategies for supporting our children as they grow in their skills.

• Date: Monday, December 9, 2024
• Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
• Target audience: For caregivers of children in grades K-6; for adults only.

Mention Woodbridge Farms Elementary School next time you’re picking up fresh bread and treats from COBS Bread, either location in Sherwood Park (Sherwood Centre or Lakeland Ridge). Then our school will receive 5% back at the end of the year. Last year this program helped raise over $80. The Woodbridge Farms Parent Association will use these funds to support our memory making activities and other school initiatives.

With the winter season almost here, we have a few reminders for families:

• Ensure students have clothing appropriate for expected weather conditions.
• If weather conditions are bad enough to impact student transportation, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) advises families directly, as well as posting on social media and eips.ca as early as possible.
• Decisions regarding bus cancellations are guided by an EIPS administrative procedure that states, “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.

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