November

• Nov. 29 - Deadline for Grade 5 Swimming Forms
• Nov. 29 - Report Cards (Term 1)

December

• Dec. 4 - Early Dismissal/Holiday Wear

• Dec. 6 - Hot Lunch: Opa! - Orders close Nov. 29

• Dec. 10 - Kindergarten and Grades 1-3 Christmas Concert at the Agora
• Dec. 11-13 - Wee Wonderland
• Dec. 18 - Grades 4-6 Sunridge Ski Trip (Forms due Dec. 12. Payment due Dec. 17)
• Dec. 19 - Hot chocolate & cookie day
• Dec. 20 - Last day of classes for 2024
• Dec.20 - Hot Lunch: Italian Centre - Orders close Nov. 29
• 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.

Hot Lunch orders can be placed using the Munch-a-lunch platform. If you are interested in volunteering for hot lunch, please can sign up here. If you have any additional questions please email wbfpa.hotlunch@gmail.com.

Dec. 6 - Opa! - Orders close Nov. 29

Dec. 20 - Italian Centre - Orders close Nov. 29

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.

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

• A Permission Click form was emailed on November 22 and 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.

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.

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 1: The Impact of Executive Functioning

In this session, we will look at what executive functions are, their importance in our daily lives, and how executive skill difficulties may impact our children.

• Date: Monday, December 2, 2024
• Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
• Target audience: For caregivers of children in grades K-6; for adults only.

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.

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

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year opens 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.

Have you recently moved or has your contact information changed since the start of the year? Woodbridge Farms Elementary 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. Updates completed by December 10 are especially helpful as the Division prepares for 2025-26 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 780-464-3330.

Do you know someone who may be interested in part-time, flexible work as a substitute educational assistant or substitute teacher in the specialty areas of French Immersion or CTS/CTF? Elk Island Public Schools is hiring. Spread the word!

Substitute teaching and non-teaching staff are critical to filling planning and unexpected vacancies when Division staff are away. Substitutes are needed to fill various positions at all school locations until the end of the school year. Upcoming application deadlines are December 12 and 13. If you know someone who’d be great in this role, encourage them to apply today.

The Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education team invites you to the upcoming Métis Kitchen Party. The evening will include food, fiddle, dancing and activities. All EIPS First Nations, Métis and Inuit families and their allies are welcome to attend.

Monday, December 9; 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Salisbury Composite High, 20 Festival Way, Sherwood Park
With special guests, Métis fiddlers Brianna Lizotte and Ethan Graves

Refer to the invitation for more details. RSVP by December 6.

If you have any questions about the upcoming gathering, or the ongoing First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education work within EIPS, reach out to the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education lead at 780-464-3330.