Hawk's View
January 6-8, 2021
Up Coming Dates and Events
January 6- First day back after winter break
January 6- Early dismissal (staff meeting)
January 6-8- Continue with online learning (Exceptions are our program students)
January 11- All student back in the building
January 27- Virtual School Council 6pm
February 11- Salisbury's Virtual Open House 6 pm (more info to come)
February 12- Bev Facey's Virtual Open House 6 pm (more info to come)
School Council Updates and Information
Our next School Council meeting will be on January 27, 2021, at 6pm virtually.
Everyone is invited to these meetings, and coming to one meeting does not mean you need to attend all meetings. We want your feedback and would love to hear from you!
At the January meeting, we will be voting in a new chair. If you are interested in this position or have questions please contact Jessica Smith for more information (780-467-3800). During this meeting, we will also be starting a conversation around school fees.
Returning Student Registration for 2021-22
Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) will once again conduct an online returning student registration process to confirm student registrations for the 2021-22 school year. Families of all returning students must complete the process to confirm the school their child plans to attend in the 2021-22 school year. Additionally, students who want to attend a non-designated school need to make that request through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space. The 2021-22 returning student registration takes place between Feb. 1-28, 2021.
Access to the Returning Student Registration Form is provided through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you don’t have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, you need to set one up before Feb. 1, 2021.
Create a PowerSchool Parent Portal account
For more information contact the school directly.
Mental Health Check In
The Strathcona County Boys and Girls Club—through the Canteen Youth Hub—is introducing a new program aimed at offering virtual mental health check-ins with students in grades 7 to 12. The program would typically run during the lunch break for any schools interested in participating. The primary goal is to provide youth with a (virtual) safe place to talk to someone about their mental health.
For more information or to register, call 780-416-1500.
EIPS 2021-22 Division Calendar: Now available!
The official 2021-22 EIPS calendar is now available online. The calendar includes important dates during the 2021-22 school year, such as school-closure days, breaks, the first and last day of classes, professional learning days, early dismissal days, plus more. Highlights from the 2021-22 EIPS calendar include:
- September 1 – first day of classes
- November 8-12 – November break
- December 22 to January 4 - Christmas break
- February 1 – second semester begins
- February 10-11 – Teachers’ Convention
- March 28 to April 1 – spring break
- June 28 – last day of classes
- June 29 – last operational day before the summer break
To view the 2021-21 calendar, visit eips.ca.
Did you know you can sync the Division calendar to your personal calendar? You can. Simply, visit eips.ca/calendar and click on “subscribe to calendar.” It’s that easy.
School and Transportation Fee Waiver Applications: Deadline extended
Elk Island Public Schools recognizes the global pandemic has put a strain on some families’ finances and available income can change quickly in the current situation. As such, the Division has extended the deadline for requesting a waiver of your 2020-21 school and transportation fees. If you encounter circumstances where you’re unable to pay your fees, you can apply to have fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. Because of the pandemic, the new deadline is Feb. 15, 2021—if you’re new to EIPS, the deadline is the latter of Feb. 15, 2021, or 45 days after registration.
Each quarter—or trimester, as applicable—you’ll receive an email notification letting you know fees are posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. To access your fee information, go to “Student Fees” on PowerSchool. There you can view your fees and pay online using Visa, MasterCard or INTERAC Online—when available from your financial institution. All fees are due within 14 days of being posted. NOTE: School Fees apply to in-school learners only.
For more information about school fees, transportation fees, waivers and payment deadlines, visit eips.ca or contact the school at 780-467-3800.
Inclement Weather
With the winter season well underway, we want to remind families to dress children appropriately for the weather when getting ready for school or the bus. The weather often changes unexpectedly throughout the day, so please select suitable outerwear and ensure your child is prepared for changing conditions.
If inclement weather conditions occur, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) will advise families of any bus cancellations using various communications tools, including automated-telephone messages, alerts posted on eips.ca and school websites, Twitter, Facebook, local radio stations, and on Versatrans My Stop.
Decisions regarding bus cancellations are guided by EIPS’ Administrative Procedure 131: Inclement Weather, which states: “school bus service may be suspended … when there is a forecast or current temperature of -40 C including wind chill, in one or more regions.” Other reasons for suspending or delaying school bus services include adverse weather and poor road condition.
When school bus services are suspended, schools remain open to students. EIPS believes families have the right and responsibility to make choices for their children based on what they feel is safest during times of inclement weather.
For more information, contact EIPS Student Transportation at 780-417-8151.
Another way to stay connected: Follow EIPS on Twitter and Facebook
With 43 schools and close to 17,000 students, there’s a wealth of events, activities, and stories taking place across the Division every day. You can find these stories and more by following Elk Island Public Schools on both Facebook and Twitter. Each uses a combination of news articles, videos, and photographs that showcases the latest news, updates, events, and alerts taking place across the Division.
Stay in the loop, follow EIPS on Facebook and Twitter.
NOTE: Communications Services manages the Division's Facebook and Twitter accounts. The account is updated and monitored intermittently during regular office hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. The Division welcomes feedback and ideas from followers but does ask everyone interacting on the EIPS Facebook page to be respectful. Personal attacks and offensive language are not allowed and may be deleted.
Important EIPS Links
About Us
Email: general.frh@eips.ca
Website: frhaythorne.ca
Location: 300 Colwill Boulevard, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-467-3800
Twitter: @FRHaythorne