The Bears' Blog... June 8-2025

This has been a very exciting and event filled school year. We have had so many wonderful opportunities for students to enhance their learning through field trips and other special events at the school. Students have continued to impress me with their positive attitude, strong work ethic and focus on making Pine Street Elementary a school of dignity and respect.

We have been very fortunate to have a number of volunteers at our school who donate hundreds of hours of their time to help us provide an outstanding learning environment. This volunteer involvement allows us to provide all of these additional activities and events. Your continued support this year makes this an exceptional learning environment for our students. Thank You!

I would also like to thank all our parents for supporting our school and the programming that we offer. Your kind and encouraging words inspire us to continue to excel. We truly appreciate your support and all the fundraising that you do.

I would also like to express my personal gratitude to the staff of Pine Street Elementary. You have continued to go above and beyond to provide outstanding educational programming for our students. The overwhelming number of extracurricular activities this year was astounding, and they all required significant time and effort from all involved. Thank you for your positive attitudes, dedication, commitment and giving so generously to our students because I know they all appreciate it.

Finally, thank you to the students of Pine Street Elementary for making this a wonderful place to learn and work. We are extremely proud of your accomplishments. Your enthusiasm towards learning makes our school such a wonderful place to grow and learn.

We have much to celebrate this year. We have accomplished so much, and we have all contributed to making this such a wonderful school. I wish you and your families a safe and restful summer.

School fees for the 2024-25 school year are posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted. Throughout the year, fees are often added to cover the costs for various activities, such as field trips, extracurricular activities, and late, damaged or lost textbooks.

To access your fee information, simply log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and go to “Student Fees.” There you can view fees and pay them online using a Mastercard or Visa credit or debit card. Make sure to monitor your child’s account on an ongoing basis.

For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines, visit eips.ca/schools/fees. And, if you have questions, think there’s an error or need help creating a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, contact your child’s school directly before the summer break. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pursuant to Board Policy 23: School Fees and Administrative Procedure 505: School and Administrative Fees, EIPS will forward any unpaid 2024-25 fee amounts to a collection agency. To prevent this from happening, remember to pay your fees before Aug. 31, 2025.

Thursday, June 12 - English Language Arts Part B P.A.T.
Friday, June 13 - Mathematics Part A P.A.T.
Tuesday, June 17 - Mathematics Part B P.A.T.

Wednesday, June 18 - Social Studies P.A.T.

The Grade 6 Celebration of Learning will be on Friday, June 20 at 2 p.m. in the school gym.

*Please remember that this is a grade 6 celebration so please have students dressed accordingly.

We are excited for the 2025-26 school year coming up. Our current Chair after doing an amazing job and serving our school for three years has decided it is time to move on to new adventures. So next year we will be looking for a new School Council and Society Chair. The rest of the school council and society positions have been filled (Thank you to those volunteering for those position). Below is a little information about the Chair position and the duties. If you read the below and are interested in becoming our School Council and Society Chair, please attend our September 18th school council meeting. 😊

The School Advisory Council is an avenue for two-way conversations to occur between parents/guardians and the principal. It allows the principal the opportunity to seek advice from parents and guardians on school policies and other matters that directly affect the school community.

The School Fundraising Society provides an opportunity for parents/guardians to facilitate fundraising activities for the school that can enhance the educational programming for our students above the basic level provided by Alberta Education.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are looking for a Chair for our School Advisory Council and Fundraising Society. If you can lend a hand, please attend our next meeting on September 18th.

Together, we can do great things at Pine Street to benefit our students. The great events and activities that occur here such as hot lunch, movie nights, and school dances are run by these amazing volunteers. Without school council and the fundraising society support, these activities may not happen.

School Council and Society Chair

It is expected that the chairperson will be a parent of a student currently attending the school. The chair should be someone who can work collaboratively and knows how to organize both programs and people. The chair should actively encourage others to become engaged in meaningful ways.

Typical chairing duties include:

· chair meetings

· coordinate with the principal to establish meeting agendas

· ensure that the operating procedures are current and followed

· be the official spokesperson of the school council and society

· ensure there is regular communication with the whole school community

· stay informed about school board policy that impacts school council

· comply with the School Councils Regulation by providing the school board with an annual report that summarizes the school council’s activities for the previous school year, including a financial statement relating to money, if any, handled by the school council/society

What School Councils are Not

As the name implies, the primary role of the School Advisory Council is Advisory to the Principal. It is important to have an understanding that school councils need to stay within their advisory preview and as such cannot take on any roles that involve School Governance, Employment Issues, School Management or Listening to complaints.

For more information please see the link to School Council Resource Guide, Alberta School Councils’ Association

Monday, June 9 -No PALS or Kinder Quest today (Staff Planning day)
Tuesday, June 10-KB Kindergarten to Strathcona Wilderness Centre 9:15 a.m.

Wednesday, June 11 - KA Kindergarten to Strathcona Wilderness Centre 9:15 a.m.

Thursday, June 12 - Gr. 4 Students to Fort Edmonton Park

• Grade 6 English P.A.T. Part B

Friday, June 13 - Theme Day - Canada Day Eh?

• Grade 6 Mathematics P.A.T.
• Grade 2 Field Trip to Sherwood Bowl 12:35 p.m.

Tuesday, June 17 - Grade 6 Math P.A.T.

• Grade 1 field trip to Telus World of Science

Wednesday, June 18 -Grade 6 Social Studies P.A.T.

Thursday, June 19 - Last day of PALS

• Kindergarten year end celebration 4:30 p.m.

Friday, June 20 - Grade 6 Celebration of Learning 2 p.m.

Saturday, June 21 -National Indigenous Peoples Day

Tuesday, June 24 - Last day of Kinder Quest and Kindergarten KB

Wednesday, June 25 - Last day of school!

Planning to use Student Transportation in the 2025-26 school year? If so, make sure your child is registered so Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) can plan routes and send your child a bus pass before the first day of school.

All students who indicated needing transportation services through the returning student or new student registration processes are now registered. Those families have also received tentative route schedules and invoices—fees are due June 30, 2025.

For those students who did not indicate needing transportation services during the registration process and want to now register, complete a Busing Setup form through the Transportation Service Desk.

NOTE: Families can pay fees online using the PowerSchool Parent Portal. To pay in-person, visit the EIPS Student Transportation building during its office hours—Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school closure days.

Every year, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) publishes an Annual Education Results Report, which outlines the Division’s Four-Year Education Plan, growth opportunities and how it supports students in achieving the best possible outcomes. Read through this year’s EIPS Annual Education Results Report 2023-24 and discover how EIPS fosters learning environments for all students to learn, grow and thrive—and why it matters.

June Spotlight: EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26 (Year 4), which details the Division’s priorities, goals and outcomes over a four-year period.

· Priority 1: To promote the growth and success of all students.

· Priority 2: To enhance high-quality learning and working environments.

· Priority 3: To enhance public education through effective engagement.

The plan also outlines the performance measures, key insights and strategies the Division will use to meet each priority, goal and outcome in the 2025-26 school year.

RELATED INFORMATION
Annual Education Results Report 2023-24: Overview
EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26
EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2026-29