Bobcat News

Hello Brentwood Families!

We recently marked the 100th day of school—a significant milestone for our students, especially in the younger grades. This day is not just about counting to 100; it’s about celebrating perseverance, growth, and the incredible progress our students have made since the start of the year. From mastering new skills to building friendships, each day brings new learning, and we are so proud of their accomplishments.

February also brings the joy of Valentine’s Day, a time to emphasize kindness, friendship, and appreciation for one another. Our classrooms are buzzing with activities that encourage students to express gratitude and show care for their peers. It’s always heartwarming to see the small gestures—notes, artwork, and kind words—that make a big impact on our school’s positive atmosphere.

Of course, winter weather continues to be a factor in our daily routines. With cold temperatures keeping us indoors for recess, we are making every effort to keep students engaged and active. Indoor recess activities include movement breaks, games, and creative projects to ensure students still have time to refresh and reset during the day. We also encourage parents to send extra layers for those days when outdoor play is possible.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and as always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Wishing you a warm and wonderful February!

Mr. John Murphy, Acting Principal

Instagram @BrentwoodEIPS

Facebook @Brentwoodschool

Tuesday Feb 18 Chapel moved to Feb 25

Thursday Feb 20 Jersey Hat Day (Canada Pride) / WISEST Conference

The Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) returning student registration process for 2025-26 takes place Feb. 10-24, 2025. Through the online form, all families will confirm the school and program their child will attend next year or advise the Division if they aren’t returning. For students who want to attend a non-designated school next year, these requests must be submitted through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space.

On February 10, the parent/guardian on file in PowerSchool identified as the Permission Click contact for each pre-kindergarten to Grade 11 student will receive an email through Permission Click with a link to the form. If your family hasn’t received any Permission Click forms this school year, contact the school office so we can investigate any technical issues before registration season.

Kindergarten Registration Now Open!

Logos Program - Calendar/Schedule B

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

Kindergarten registration opened for the 2025-26 school year 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.

Numerous field trips have been added to PowerSchool, please log on to PowerSchool and pay. Thank you for your support.

Do you have supplies or toys you would like to donate to SCARS? Have a look at our wish list for the items currently needed by SCARS. https://www.scarscare.ca/

Our wish list:

• Dog or Cat food

• Small blankets

• Cat litter

• Stuffies

• Kitten food, especially wet food

• Puppy training pads

• Toys for cats and dogs (durable and interactive kinds)

• Cleaning supplies and bleach

**There will be a tree inside the front doors where you can drop off your donations**

Hi Families,

We have noticed an increasing number of lunch deliveries to the school, which has become overwhelming and disruptive to the office.

However, if you must order please ensure it states the students FIRST and LAST name. We have had circumstances that food has been delivered and received by the wrong student.

Thank you everyone for your understanding.

https://www.eips.ca/download/480907

One measure of keeping students safe is ensuring students have safely arrived at school. If your child is going to be late or absent for any reason, please contact the office as soon as possible via attendance.bwd@eips.ca or by calling the main office and leaving a voicemail (available 24hours/day).

We will be working through attendance letters and reports for Alberta Education shortly and appreciate being able to have all attendance recorded accurately. Thank you everyone for your co-operation and support.

Did you know?

If your child misses just two days a month for any reason for ten of their school years, they’ll have missed the equivalent of one entire year of school. Students who frequently miss school, even as early as kindergarten, are also more likely to have di­fficulty in school, at post-secondary and in their career. As every family has unique circumstances, EIPS uses a multi-tiered approach to re-engage students with chronic absenteeism. In addition, the Division promotes strategies to support and encourage regular attendance for all students. If you’re concerned about consistent student attendance for your child or youth, contact the school for support. An informative video is also available.

EIPS’ Annual Education Results Report 2023-24 is now available online. The report details how EIPS is doing relative to Alberta Education’s performance measures; how it’s supporting students to achieve the best possible outcomes; and its successes, challenges and priority strategies moving forward. A brief overview of the report is also available.

With the winter season in full effect, 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.

Our next Hot Lunch date is:

Feb 27- Carl's Jr The ordering deadline is Saturday, Feb 22.

Mar 12 - Nitza's Pizza The deadline for ordering is Friday, Mar 7.

Apr 3 - Pasta Pantry The ordering deadline is Saturday, Mar 29.

Apr 16 - Subway The deadline for ordering is Friday, Apr 11.

May 1 - Boston Pizza The ordering deadline is Saturday, Apr 26.

May 14 - KFC The deadline for ordering is Friday, May 9.

May 29 - Carl's Jr The ordering deadline is Saturday, May 24.

Jun 11 - Dairy Queen The deadline for ordering is Friday, Jun 6.

https://www.brentwoodelementary.ca/home/news/post/hot-lunch-is-back

QUESTIONS?: besc.info@gmail.com

Is now posted on the website under quick links. To find out if a class is skating, please contact the teacher directly. The office cannot find out if there will be skating that day. Thanks in advance. https://www.brentwoodelementary.ca/

We are reaching out to request your help in ensuring all of our students have access to proper safety equipment for upcoming school programs and activities. Specifically, we are seeking donations of ice hockey and ice skating helmets that meet the following criteria:

• Approved and certified for safety(please see below)
• Non-expired (check the expiration date inside the helmet).
• In good condition, with no visible cracks or damage.

If you have any helmets that your family no longer needs, we would be grateful if you could donate them. Your contributions will help ensure every student can participate safely.

Students must wear a CSA-approved hockey helmet or an ice skating helmet with the ASTM F 1849 certification or a ski/snowboard helmet meeting ASTM F 2040, CEN 1077, Snell RS-98, or CSA Z263.1 certification.

Dear Families,

We would like to remind you of a few important policies to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and the smooth operation of our school.

1. Sick Students and Outdoor Supervision
   Please note that we do not have inside supervision for students during the day. If your child is not well enough to go outside during recess or other activities, they are considered too sick to be at school. Exceptions may be made in certain circumstances, but these must be discussed and approved in advance.
2. Visitor Procedures
   All visitors to the school must come directly to the office upon arrival. Families are not allowed to go to classrooms unless prior arrangements have been made with the teacher.

We appreciate your understanding and support in keeping our school a safe and productive environment for everyone.

A notification will be sent home if a book remains unreturned for approximately two weeks. After the third week, we will consider the book lost, and a replacement fee will be added to the Parent Portal. Please be sure to get your books returned or renewed if they aren't lost!

February is a month of kindness, inclusion, and connection. With Valentine’s Day and Pink Shirt Day both highlighting the importance of love, respect, and standing up for others, this is a perfect time to remind our children about the power of positive relationships. Simple acts like lending a hand, welcoming someone new, or standing up for others can create a lasting positive impact. Let’s encourage our students to show kindness every day and build a school community where everyone feels valued and supported.

Visit the Counsellor’s Corner on the school’s website!

https://www.brentwoodelementary.ca/about/fees Fees are due within 30 days (October 27th) of the invoice date (September 27th), and parents/guardians will receive a notification when new fees are added on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. The simplest, and most convenient, way to review and pay school and transportation fees is by logging in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and clicking on "Student Fees." There you can view your fees and pay them online using Visa or MasterCard or debit card - when available from your financial institution. Don’t forget to also log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal regularly throughout the year. Fees may be added to your child’s account throughout the year to cover the cost of various school activities such as field trips, class projects, athletic-team fees and more.

More information:

EIPS fees and waivers

Brentwood Elementary school fees (2024-25)

Student Transportation fees For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines, contact Renae Cameron or Tracy Beaudry, Brentwood Elementary at 780-467-5591.

February 24 Returning Student Registration Closes

February 25th - Chapel

February 26 Pink Shirt Day

February 27 Hot Lunch/BESC Meeting

March 5 Early Dismissal

March 7 PD Day No School

March 8 International Women's Day

March 11 Logos Society Meeting

March 12 Hot Lunch

March 14 Report Cards

March 18 Chapel/Parent Teacher Interviews

March 19 Parent Teacher Interviews

March 21 School Closure

March 24 - 28th Spring Break

Our phones and office are busy! If you don't get through, please leave a message and all calls will be returned in a timely manner. Also, please use:https://www.brentwoodelementary.ca/contact

to get messages to the office through our website!

Report an Issue

If you notice any concerns related to our school grounds or facilities, please feel free to report them directly to Strathcona County using the link above. Your vigilance helps us maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.

www.brentwoodelementary.ca

If you find there is missing information from our website, please let us know.

Please DO NOT park in numbered parking stalls - these are all staff assigned. Staff have staggered start/end and break times. Thank you kindly!

Did you know you can sync the school calendar to your own calendar? Simply, click on the link above and then choose your subscription option. Within seconds, your calendar will contain all Brentwood's important dates including holidays, school-closures days, planned activities, events and more.

PowerSchool Parent Portal

The PowerSchool Parent Portal is an interactive web-based platform where parents and guardians can access attendance, grades and fee information for all students registered in the Division, as well as provide updates to family contact information as needed. One account provides access to the information about all students in your family, and the account remains active for as long as you have students registered in EIPS—there’s no need to create a new account each year.

The Guide to Reporting Student Achievement (GRSA) and School Education Plan (SEP) for the 2024-25 school year are available now! The GRSA explains how we assess student achievement, how we determine grades and more. The SEP details our school goals for the year—with key strategies and measures in achieving these outcomes. You can access our GRSA and SEP through the two corresponding home page tiles at www.brentwoodelementary.ca.

Download these bus apps for a successful ride! Is your child riding the bus this year? If yes, download the My Ride and Bus Status apps to stay in the know about your child’s bus stop location, route, pickup time and whether their bus is running on schedule.

EIPS has three administrative procedures (APs) that address the Division’s code of conduct:

· AP 311: Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning Environments for Students

· AP 350: Student Code of Conduct

· AP 351: Student Conduct on School Buses

The Division, and Brentwood Elementary, are committed to ensuring all members of the school community are provided with welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments that respect diversity and foster a sense of belonging.

Did you know?

The Board of Trustees meets throughout the school year to discuss and make decisions regarding matters important to students, families, schools, communities and public education overall. Community members are encouraged and welcome to attend in person or to tune into the public livestream on the EIPS YouTube channel. For 2024-25 Board Meeting dates, visit the EIPS website and subscribe to the Division calendar.