Knightly News

Our front office space has gone through some changes! Our Business Secretary, Mrs. McElheran is now in the front office area, and the main reception desk has moved too!

We are also working to slowly update our technology around the building. Our Construction space is now an energy saver and you need sunglasses with the new low energy lights! Thanks to EIPS Facilities for taking care of that project! We also updated some projectors from 2008 with some high efficiency TV's. When we told the students, they couldn't believe the projectors were older than them!

Our gym wall got updated as well. We painted over the old old logo's on the wall and updated the purple! Our custodians were also hard at work cleaning our classrooms and common areas. The hallway is so clean right now that it reflects like a mirror!

The Clover Bar Farewell for Grade 9's is scheduled for Thursday, June 13, 2024 and the Grade 9 Farewell Field Trip will be Friday, June 14, 2024. More information to follow!

Our Athletics Calendar is now on our webpage and you can subscribe! This means that as our Athletics Calendar updates, it does the same in your family calendar. Click the link below to get to our calendar and subscribe!

Athletics Calendar

Now that students have chosen their school for next year, we are onto our course registration process! This will be when students coming to Clover Bar for the 2024-25 school year will choose their option courses. Mrs. Orr and Mr. Shudra went around and spoke with our next year grade 8 and 9 students this week to explain the process and go over the different courses students can choose from.

We sent out the Clover Bar planning form on Thursday, March 15. This form does not need to be returned to Clover Bar as students will register for their option courses at home with their families through the Parent Portal of PowerSchool. We opened up registration on March 15 and it will close on April 1 (April Fools Day, and no, that is not a joke! 😄). You will see a link on the left side of the Parent Portal that says 'Course Registration'. If you need help with your Parent Portal PowerSchool access, please contact the school for support.

New this year, we will also be sharing a form where students will be able to request 3 friends to be in their homeroom class. Our Clover Bar staff build our homeroom classes, but this will be part of the consideration and we will do our best to accommodate at least one of the requests wherever possible. We know how important connections are for students at junior high and want to support that!

Any questions, please reach out to the school!

We have updated our Option Course Registration Guide for the 2024-25 school year. We have added a few new potential options for next year, but that depends on student interest. We will be building out schedule around student choices for their options, so it is important to be informed.

Check out our Option Course Guide below, or check it out on our website at www.cloverbar.ca under the Quick Links.

Option Course Guide Link

If parents or guardians have any questions about our options, feel free to reach out to our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Orr at cherum.orr@eips.ca or our Principal, Mr. Shudra at matt.shudra@eips.ca.

Is your student looking for a little extra help? Clover Bar is offering Peer Tutoring! Students can come to Mrs. Yeo's classroom every Tuesday for some extra help!

Thanks to our Grade 9 Students showing leadership skills within our school community!

School will be closed March 22 to April 1 for Spring Break and will re-open on Tuesday, April 2

Monday, April 1 - SCHOOL CLOSED

April Fool's and Easter Monday

Tuesday, April 2 - Day 4 - SPRING BREAK OVER, School is open!

9:00am - CLB Admin Meeting

10:00am - CLB Finance Meeting

2:00pm - EIPS Principal Meeting - Mr. Shudra away

Wednesday, April 3 - Day 5 - EARLY DISMISSAL - STAFF MEETING

Bev Facey Registration Forms Due into Clover Bar Office

8:30am - Clover Bar ReSet Meeting

2:30pm - Staff Meeting in Library

Thursday, April 4 - Day 6

Bev Facey Registration Day at Clover Bar

Friday, April 5 - Day 1

12:30pm to 1:30pm - Visit to Davidson Creek Grade 6's

To send a Knightly Kudos, you can click on the image above or the link below. Thank you!

Knightly Kudos Form

National Volunteer Week takes place April 14-20. On behalf of the Board of Trustees at Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS), I want to extend my most heartfelt thanks to all EIPS volunteers. Every time you’ve contributed, whether it was helping on a class field trip or planning a school event for families to enjoy, you were there at a moment when we needed you. Students needed you, staff needed you, the community needed you—and you answered the call. These are moments that matter and are ones that make a difference in a student’s experience at their school.

So, thank you again for being there. Without you, EIPS would not be what it is today, and schools wouldn’t be able to do all the wonderful things they do. This National Volunteer Week, I encourage everyone to celebrate the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours put into supporting student growth and achievement at schools across the Division.

Cathy Allen Chair, EIPS Board of Trustees

Alberta Reserves are accumulated surplus funds that may be designated to a school, department or priority. The Board of Trustees approves the transfer of funds to and from reserves and has a yearly plan on how those reserves are used—to the benefit of students. EIPS identifies high-demand areas and uses its operating reserves for initiatives like student learning, new curriculum work, consultant support, mental health initiatives, technology upgrades, public-health best practices and other one-time projects. Operating reserves are also used to furnish and equip new schools and classrooms. With its capital reserves, EIPS replaces ageing equipment, purchases technology, modernizes and expands student learning spaces, and funds emergent capital needs.

Learn more:

· Board Policy 2: Role of Board

· Administrative Procedure 501: Financial Management

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 this year’s 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.

April Spotlight: enhancing public education through effective engagement

· Rules of Engagement: Using a collaborative approach to improve student achievement and success

· Driving change: Strengthening public education through Board advocacy

RELATED INFORMATION EIPS

Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26

EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2024-27

The March edition of the Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health Newsletter focuses on breathing. Newsletter

Themes include:

• Managing stress through breathing
• Practice makes perfect
• Breathing exercises to try with your child
• Breathing exercises to try with your child (cont’d)

Please click HERE for the March edition of the AHS Caregiver Education Newsletter.

Family Resource Network

The local Family Resource Network (FRN) is a partnership between the County's Family and Community Services, Boys and Girls Club (BGC) Strathcona County and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Strathcona County. The FRN provides programs and services for families with children and youth ages 0-18 years that focus on well-being and resiliency, including:

• Programs to support healthy child development
• Reliable parenting information
• Connection to other local resources

Website Link

Connections Guide for Spring

Link to Spring Guide

Learn about upcoming free and low-cost programs and services for seniors, youth, families and individuals in the Family and Community Services Connections Guide! Find opportunities to connect with others, access support and resources, keep learning, and take care of ourselves and those we love.

The guide contains information about:

• Connecting with others in your community
• Inspiring community stories
• Access counselling services and supports
• Courses and workshops for parents, caregivers and their children
• Activities and supports for teens and pre-teens
• Community resources for everyone at every stage of life
• Resources for those who are new to the County, and more

Website Link

Affordable Services

Strathcona County offers a number of subsidies to residents with low incomes. Residents can access certain County operated programs and services at a reduced cost or for free.

Website Link

EIPS has a partnership with Alberta Health Services to support students and families with coordinated health services. This includes immunizations, but also goes beyond that. Below is a resource page so that you are informed of what that partnership brings.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at general.clb@eips.ca or 780-467-2295.

Community Supports

Family and Community Service

(FCS) call-in hours 780-464-4044

Monday, Fridays: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868

The Distress Line 780-482-4357

Strathcona Food Bank - 780-449-6413

• March 22 to April 1: Spring Break
• May 8: CLB School Council Meeting
• June 13: Clover Bar Farewell Evening
• June 14: Grade 9 Farewell Field Trip