Knightly News

Our student tutors are starting up! This means a leadership opportunity for our grade 9 students, and an extra learning opportunity for all students, including out tutors! If your student could benefit from some tutoring, and is interested they can connect with any of their teachers, or Mrs. Yeo.

On Wednesday, December 18 we will be having a CLB Staff Luncheon. We are asking for some parent volunteers to support us with some lunchtime supervision. If you are able to volunteer during our lunch time (12:20pm to 1:20pm) please complete the form by clicking on the link below.

Thanks in advance!

Parent Volunteer Form Link

Every month on early dismissal Wednesday we have a Food Bank donations competition between grades. The grade with the most donations get to sit on chairs during our Pep Rally that we hold that same day. This month that competition is even more important with the holidays right around the corner. Please consider helping the Strathcona Food Bank out, and the side effect is that your student will have a better chance at a chair for Pep Rally! Below is a link to the most needed items.

Strathcona Food Bank Donations List

Next week will be running a campaign for the Strathcona Christmas Bureau and we are hoping to stuff an office full of toys! Please consider donating a toy during the week of December 9 to 13.

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 and https://www.cloverbar.ca/about/fees. Alternatively, contact Mrs. Lynette McElheran at lynette.mcelheran@eips.ca or at 780-467-2295.

We have noticed families using the Disabled parking stalls and Staff parking stalls to stop and drop their kids in the morning. A reminder that student drop-offs should be:

• On Main Blvd in front of the school. This is the best place for the drop-offs.
• Or
• In our parking lot by either stopping in Visitor parking or looping to the back.

Thank you for your support with this.

Mr. Parmiter is our Mental Health Lead teacher. He works with Mrs. Sorel, our Guidance Counselor, our Admin team, as well our as our entire staff to provide resources, and strategies to support student regulation. He is also sharing resources and insight with families so that we can work together to support our best learning environment for students and staff.

Self-regulation is the ability to respond and regulate oneself to the ongoing demands of life through a wide range of emotions. Examples of self-regulations strategies are breathing techniques or using the reset space in the library to regulate or self-talk, so you help yourself understand that everything will be alright. There has been lots of research shown to help support this term. The use of regulation strategies has been shown to have many positive benefits such as academic achievement, positive social relationships, attention, and self-efficacy. If your child would like some additional information, we have many resources, such as:

• Our hallway display pictured below.
• Information in our library Re-Set space.
• Students can also speak with any adult in the building, including Mrs. Sorel, Mrs. Yeo and Mrs. Shudra, or Mr. Parmiter. The key is to find someone they connect with.

Monday, December 2 - Day 2

8:15am - Meeting - Mr. Shudra

9:00am - CLB Admin Meeting

3:30pm - Meeting - Mr. Shudra

Tuesday, December 3 - Day 3

10:00am - CLB Finance Meeting

3:30pm - AbEd Digital Assessment Tool Professional Learning - Mr. Shudra

Wednesday, December 4 - Day 4 - EARLY DISMISSAL for Staff Meeting

10:00am - Front Office Stand up Meeting

2:30pm - Staff Meeting

Thursday, December 5 - Day 5

9:00am - Meeting with SFS Associate Superintendent - Mr. Shudra

Friday, December 6 - Day 6

December 6 - Early Dismissal - Staff Meeting

December 18 - Locker Clean out

December 20 - Activity Afternoon

December 23 to January 5 - Winter Break

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

Knightly Kudos Form

I wish to extend warm holiday wishes to all students, staff and families on behalf of the Elk Island Public Schools Board of Trustees.

As busy as we know this time can be, it’s nice to take a moment to look back with gratitude on the past year. We are thankful for the incredible parents and caregivers in the communities we serve, who consistently step up to support both students and educators—day in and day out. We appreciate our staff members, in schools and at Central Administration, for their commitment to excellence in learning. And we celebrate students across the Division, who work so hard and make us proud.

We hope you enjoy all the wonderful concerts, shows and festivities happening at your school, and that you get a chance for rest and reflection during the break. To all of you—have a joyous holiday season, and a healthy and happy New Year.

We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Jan. 6, 2025.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

Cathy Allen
EIPS Board Chair

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 Clover Bar, Mr. Clay Haman at clay.haman@eips.ca.

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.

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.

Have you recently moved or has your contact information changed since the start of the year? Clover Bar 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 780-467-2295.

Alberta’s publicly funded systems—public, Catholic and francophone—serve the educational interests of almost 720,000 kindergarten to Grade 12 students across the province. Funding diverted to alternative educational institutions, both for infrastructure and programming, negatively impacts the public system’s ability to provide comprehensive, equitable, accessible and mandated programming for 90 per cent of the province’s students.

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.

LASTING CONNECTIONS

Information for professionals to determine program fit: Lasting Connections is best suited for adult caregivers and youth experiencing conflict and challenges in their relationship, and, are looking to strengthen their bond. Caregivers could include parents, guardians or other family members responsible for the overall well-being of the youth, in grades 7-10.

Information for participants:

Caregivers and youth will come together for a shared meal before separating into two sessions; one for the caregivers and one for the youth. The session will end with everyone coming back together as a larger group and engaging in some activities where families can practice their skills in a safe and fun environment.

Topics discussed:

October 23 - Relationships and Repair

October 30 - Care, Communication and Consequences

November 6 - Independence, Control and Power of Self

November 20 - Realistic Expectations, Resiliency and Adversity

November 27 - Final celebration, connection and closing

The deadline to register is Wednesday October 16th and spots are limited. We have more copies of the promotion cards.

Lasting Connections Info Sheet Link

The Caregiver Newsletter provides resources, sessions, and support to families on a variety of topics. Click on the link below to access to latest Newsletter.

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