Mar. 4: Professional Learning Day: No School

Mar. 8: School Council 6:30 pm ("In-Person" in the School Library) Agenda Here & International Women’s Day

Mar. 13: Time Change - Spring Ahead

Mar. 14: Hot Lunch - Press'd & Pi Day

Mar. 14- 18: Week of Inspirational Math

Mar. 18: Term 2 Report Cards Online

Mar. 21: World Poetry Day

Mar. 25: Day-in-Lieu: No School

Mar. 28-Apr. 1: Spring Break

April 4: Classes Resume

Our cast and crew have been hard at work preparing for this year’s production of Matilda. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has made it difficult to rehearse and prepare for this year’s show. Students were unable to rehearse for several weeks in January and many cast members have been ill and unable to attend rehearsals. Therefore, we have made the decision to postpone the show. The show will now take place during the last week of April. This additional time will allow Ms. Dahl and her students the opportunity to rehearse and put on a spectacular show! LLR students will view the show during the day from April 26-29. Tickets purchased for March shows can be used for the shows in April. If you need to exchange your tickets for another date and/or time, please contact the school at your earliest convenience. The evening performances will still take place at 5:30pm and 8:00pm. Doors for the show will open 30 minutes prior to the performance.

NOTE: Tickets Purchased for:

Wednesday, March 16 is valid for Wednesday, April 27 only

Thursday, March 17 is valid for Thursday, April 28 only

Friday, March 18 is valid for Friday, April 29 only

*Please contact the office if you need to make changes to the date or time of the performance you wish to attend. You can visit the school website and select the ‘Programs’ tab and then the ‘Drama’ tab to see a list of the revised dates and times, along with the cast schedule or click here.

If circumstances prevent you from attending an evening show, we will adjust your Parent Portal student account accordingly. Please return tickets you cannot use in an envelope to the office, with your child’s name and grade written on it. This credit will be first applied to any outstanding fees on the student account. In the event this creates an overpayment on your child’s student account, the overpayment will be applied to next year’s fees. If you would like to request a refund cheque, please send an email to cathy.eyben@eips.ca. Please include your child’s name, grade, Matilda tickets date change and that you would like a refund cheque issued.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Don't forget to purchase your tickets!

Matilda Tickets are now on sale on PowerSchool Parent Portal, through Optional Fees

• Maximum of 4 tickets per show per student
• $8 per ticket
• limited seating is available.

Recently we have had an influx of students using their Personal Communication Devices (phones) during school time.

As per our Lakeland Ridge School Personal Communication Device Policy, students in Kindergarten through Grade 6 are not allowed access/use of a PCD at school at any time during regular school hours including morning and lunch breaks. If

devices are brought to school, they are to remain in student lockers or backpacks.

Students in Grades 7 through 9 are not allowed access/use of a PCD at school at any

time during regular school hours except during morning break (between periods 2-3)

and during lunch hour. Devices that are brought to school are expected to stay in

student lockers at all times except during the two aforementioned breaks.

The consequences for students who are in violation of the policy above are as

follows:

● First offence - The student will be asked to hand over their device. The device

will be placed in a sealed envelope and stored in the office. The student can pick

up their device at the end of the day.

● Second offence - Parents will be contacted and the device will be placed in a

sealed envelope and stored in the office until a parent can pick it up.

● Third offence - The student will serve one half-day in-school suspension.

● Further infractions will be dealt with on an individual basis as students will also

be in breach of Elk Island Public School Student Code of Conduct (Administrative

Procedure 350)

Once again, Alberta Education is surveying teachers, students and families through its annual Alberta Education Assurance (AEA) Survey. The survey acts as an annual check-up on the province’s education system. Every year, Alberta Education conducts the survey to gather information about the quality of education provided by Alberta schools and school authorities. The survey looks at various measures such as education quality, citizenship, family involvement, engagement levels, school climate and student wellness.

Throughout March, grade 4 and 7 students and all teachers at Lakeland Ridge School are completing the survey online at the school. Student participation is voluntary and completely anonymous. Students are assigned a random username and password to ensure survey responses aren’t linked to any individual student. The survey doesn’t take long to complete and is done within the school day during regular class time.

Additionally, parents and guardians of students in grades 4, 7 and 10 are also asked to take a survey, either online or by mail. Alberta Education will send families information about the survey directly. As with the student and teacher survey, it’s anonymous and asks questions about your school experiences. If you have a child in grades 4, 7 or 10, we encourage you to participate. The survey deadline is March 25, 2022.

Results from the AEA Survey are provided to Elk Island Public Schools each spring. The Division then uses the data to inform its four-year education plan, school education plans and strategies for continuous improvement. Each fall, the results are also shared with EIPS families and school communities in the Division’s Annual Education Results Report.

RELATED INFORMATION
AEA Survey: Parent letter

AEA Survey: Methodology for rate calculation

Assurance and Accountability: Alberta’s K-12 education system

Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) wants to hear from you. Make sure to complete the 2022 EIPS Parent Survey—open from March 14-27.

Annually, EIPS conducts a parent survey to gauge its progress toward meeting the goals and priorities outlined in its Four-Year Education Plan. Families are asked a series of questions about their experiences with EIPS and the school their child attends, the overall performance of the Division, the quality of education being provided to students and areas for improvement. The survey feedback helps the Division develop new strategies to better serve students and the wider community.

VISIT EIPS.CA TO TAKE THE SURVEY: March 14-27

NOTE: The survey is anonymous and only takes a few minutes to complete. If you want to share the experience of more than one child attending an EIPS school, simply complete the survey again.

Due to second semester timetable changes for our junior high students it is possible there have been adjustments to your child’s school fees. Typically, fees are due within 30 days of being added to the student's account. You can pay school fees by coming into the school directly or conveniently by logging in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal account. Fee payments can be made online via the PowerSchool Parent Portal using Visa, MasterCard and Debit. If you require assistance accessing your Parent Portal account, contact our office at 780-416-9018. We recommend logging into your account regularly as changes may occur throughout the year.

Families who would like their child’s provincially provided masks can email Mrs. Desaulniers at amy.desaulniers@eips.ca. Please indicate how many students you have attending Lakeland Ridge School and if you prefer the adult or child size masks. The office will then prepare your request and send the masks home with your child. Information about changes to mask requirements in schools is available online at https://www.alberta.ca/k-12-learning-during-covid-19.aspx.

Thinking about attending post-secondary school after graduation? Exploring career options? Not sure on the career or sector? Plan to attend the hybrid spring session of Your Future: Post-Secondary and Career Fair—taking place on March 10, 2022.

The in-person portion of the event brings together a variety of colleges, universities, polytechnic, private schools and sector experts in one place. Meanwhile, the virtual component includes additional opportunities to attend sessions from several colleges, universities and sector experts. Both events are free and open to all students in grades 9 through 12.

Participating students and family members—attending both the in-person and virtual sessions—will have the chance to meet with representatives from each attending post-secondary institutions, ask questions, talk to experts about various career sectors, learn about future career trends, plus much more.

Event Details:

Date: March 10, 2022
In-person: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: Strathcona County Agora
401 Festival Lane, Sherwood Park

Virtual: Times and schedule to be confirmed

Visit www.eips.ca/students/your-future for the list of vendors.

As per the updated COVID-19 Alberta Health Daily Checklist, children who are fully immunized are required to isolate for 5 days from the onset of symptoms or until symptoms resolve, whichever is longer. If a child is not fully immunized, the child must isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms or until they resolve, whichever is longer.

"Fully vaccinated" individuals that return after 5 days after being ill must continue to wear a mask for up to 5 days after their isolation period in the following situations:

• when outside of the home in a public place
• when participating in physical activities (i.e. Phys. Ed or outside at recess)
• when in the company of others not within their household.

Therefore, students returning to school from a 5 day isolation period have two options for eating at morning break and at lunch.

Morning Break - During the morning break, elementary students will eat their snacks in the breakout rooms within their classroom or outside the class. Junior high students can eat in the Kona gym where they will be supervised and socially distanced from one another. After eating, students can wear their masks and return to their regular school routine.

Lunch - Students will have two options at lunch.

1. Students can eat in the Kona gym where they will be supervised and socially distanced from one another. After eating, students can wear their masks and return to their regular school routine.
2. Students can eat lunch at home for the 5-day period.

Families may also choose to keep their child home from school for the additional 5 days and access schoolwork using the Brightspace platform. It is the responsibility of the parent/student to inform the school if an alternate eating arrangement is required. Please email Amy.Desaulniers@eips.ca or call 780-416-9018.

The official 2022-23 EIPS calendar is now available. The calendar includes important dates during the 2022-23 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 2022-23 EIPS calendar include:

First day of school – Aug. 30, 2022

November break – November 7-11

Christmas break – December 21 to January 3

Second semester starts – January 31

Teachers’ Convention – February 9-10

Spring break – March 24-31

Last day of classes – June 27, 2023

To view the 2022-23 calendar, visit eips.ca. You can sync the Division calendar to your personal calendar by visiting www.eips.ca/calendar and clicking on “subscribe to calendar.”

Remember, be aware of thin ice this time of year. Depending on changing temperatures, ice can form and melt to varying degrees on outdoor bodies of water. Try to remind your child about the dangers of thin ice, obey all posted signs, take proper care and remain a safe distance from the ice.

For more information about ice safety, visit the Canadian Red Cross.

Did you know?

The colour of ice may be an indication of its strength. Clear blue ice is the strongest. White opaque is half as strong as blue ice. And, grey ice is unsafe—greyness indicates the presence of water.

EIPS First Nations, Métis, and Inuit team invite you to join their upcoming virtual gatherings. It is a grea tway to make connections, create a supportive environment for dialogue, share hopes and ideas, and learn what’s happening around the Division. We’re grateful to Elder Wilson Bearhead for attending the virtual gatherings last school year and agreeing to open each gathering again this year.

Gathering 3:

March 15, 2022; 7–8 p.m.

· words from Elder Wilson

· topics to be determined based on wishes, hopes and interests expressed in previous gatherings

Sessions will take place online using Microsoft Teams Meetings. For more information visit our Division website or reach out to the school at 780-416-9018.

EIPS Division Calendar 2021-22

EIPS Kindergarten Calendar 2021-22