Although the year has been challenging, our staff and students have stepped up to the Knights code and remained safe, respectful and doing their best throughout the many challenges laid before us. We are all looking forward to a wonderful break and then a return to school in the Fall!

June also brings us the chance to wish our amazing grade 9 students the very best as they transition into high school. This does brings tears, but know that they will be successful as they face the next challenge! To all the students, staff and families leaving Clover Bar, we wish you all the best in whatever the future holds for you!

Enjoy your summer each and everyone and all the best-

• June 2: Early dismissal
• June 3: Mental Wellness Day for Schools
• June 9: Parent Council Meeting 6:00 p.m.
• June 11: Grade 9 Farewell (pm)
• June 21: National Indigenous Peoples Day
• June 22-25: Exam week
• June 25: Last day of classes
• June 28: Last school operational day (schools closed to students)

Summer Holidays!!

• August 25: Clover Bar Junior High school reopens - 9:00 a.m. (schools closed to students)
• August 31: Grade 7 (New Student) Orientation 1:00 pm - 2:00 p.m.
• September 1: Classes resume
• September 7: Staff Meeting / Early dismissal

Clover Bar Junior High would like to invite you to our virtual June School Council meeting on Wednesday, June 9th at 6:00 pm where you’ll be welcomed to our school community by our Chair, Becky Mitchell.

During the meeting you’ll receive reports from Collen Alpern, our principal and Annette Hubick, our School Trustee and have the opportunity to discuss topics related to education. We hope to see you then.

Zoom Link to Cover Bar School Council/Fundraising Meeting

Wednesday, June 9 at 6pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84404431856?pwd=bzJSK0kxWTJza1VWVnhhK3d5a1ZqZz09

Updating Your Contact Information
Have you recently moved, or has your contact information changed throughout the past year? EIPS encourages families to review the information it has on file to ensure it’s up to date. Using the Correction and Verification Form, available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal, families can review the current information on file for each student—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 Division has the most up-to-date information regarding your child. Your review is especially important if there’s any communication the Division or school needs to send out over the summer months related to classes next year.

All EIPS families are asked to review their child’s Correction and Verification Form by Monday, June 14 at noon. After this time, the form will be turned off for the remainder of the school year and not available again to families until the start of the 2021-22 school year.

NOTE: Only submit updates for the changes that have already taken place. If you’re moving this summer, you’ll submit the necessary updates to your address through the Correction and Verification Form at the start of next school year after you’ve moved.

If you have questions about the form or are having trouble with your PowerSchool Parent Portal account, contact the school at 780-467-2295.

Alberta’s government announced the Child and Youth Well-being review. An expert panel, co-chaired by MLA Matt Jones and Minister of Children Services, Rebecca Schulz, will work to understand the psychological, social, educational and physical impacts of the pandemic on children and youth under the age of 19.

Through engagement such as town halls and surveys, the panel will hear and learn from children and youth, parents, guardians and caregivers, researchers, educators, health care and mental health professionals, and other subject matter experts. The panel will then provide government with a summary of impacts in fall of 2021.

Albertans are invited to share their thoughts and ideas with the panel through a survey at alberta.ca/child-and-youth-well-being-review.aspx until July 31.

The 2020-21 EIPS Parent Survey results are now available. In April, the Division conducted the annual survey, which helps EIPS gauge its progress toward meeting the goals and priorities outlined in its Four-Year Education Plan. Families were 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.

Thank you to all families who took the time to share their feedback with the Division. Overall, the survey received 3,198 responses from parents and guardians across EIPS—up by more than 230 responses from the previous year. EIPS will now review the feedback in detail and use it to develop new strategies to serve students and the wider community better.

The full results are available online:

2020-21 Parent Survey results: EIPS
2020-21 Parent Survey results: Clover Bar Junior High

Clover Bar Junior High has once again partnered with the United Way for the 2021-22 Tools for School campaign. Annually, Tools for School provides backpacks and school supplies to students in kindergarten through Grade 12 whose families have limited resources. If you’re a parent or know a parent who needs access to the program, contact the school directly. Staff will discretely provide the backpack to the child at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

Alternatively, if you’d like to donate to the program, you can pick up a few extra supplies when you’re out shopping for back-to-school. Drop-off boxes are located at various businesses in the community during the summer months—including Staples and the EIPS Central Services office.

All supplies donated within the community are invested back into the region.

For more information about Tools for School, contact Sherry MacIsaac at sherry.macisaac@eips.ca or call the EIPS Central Services at 780-464-3477.

Because of the multiple challenges of this school year for all of our students, we will not be running final exams the last week of school. Instead, teachers will be completing a last assessment of some kind during this time. The week will look something like this:

June 21 – 25

Monday: last full day of regular classes

Locker clean out, and library book return at the end of day

*** please encourage your child to return textbooks on their test day to their homeroom

*****schools remain open for students to remain at school and study each afternoon. Please be sure to contact the office if you wish your child to be excused for the afternoons.

Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ELA assessment

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. break

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. - 3:10 p.m. Study groups in home room

Wednesday: Same schedule with SS assessment

Thursday: Same schedule with Math assessment

Friday: Same schedule with Science assessment

1:00 p.m. - 3:10 p.m. Final cleanup / final textbook return

Optional homeroom activities

The June edition of the AHS Addiction & Mental Health School Newsletter is now available. It focuses on helping kids grow up great. Companion resources are also available for sharing each of the four themes through your social media platforms.

• Helping kids grow up great
• Every child has a spark
• Show kids you care
• 40 developmental assets

On May 27, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced it located the remains of 215 children who were students at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Our hearts are with the families of each child whose death at the school went unacknowledged. The loss of these young lives is a tragedy beyond words.

To honour the 215 children, and every child whose life was taken, schools throughout EIPS are organizing ceremonies, including a moment of silence and encouraging staff and students to wear orange on Wednesday, June 2. As well, all EIPS buildings will fly flags at half-mast for 215 hours—an hour for each child—from May 31 to June 8.

As a Division, we stand in solidarity with everyone who suffered, and continues to suffer, because of trauma inflicted by the Canadian residential school system. Elk Island Public Schools has undertaken programs and initiatives based on respect, co-operation and partnership that embrace Indigenous teachings, heritage and contributions to enhance our understanding. But this news is a solemn reminder there remains much work ahead to comprehend the full truth of what occurred at residential schools so we can move forward with meaningful reconciliation—and a positive future.

Elk Island Public Schools

NOTE: The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available for former residential school students and includes emotional and crisis referral services. Services are available around the clock and can be accessed by calling 1-866 925-4419.

Throughout the summer break, Clover Bar Junior High is closed. It reopens on August 25 at 9:00 a.m. If you have any school-related questions or concerns while the school is closed, contact EIPS Central Services—the office is open all summer to complete year-end activities and prepare for the 2021-22 school year. Students return to school on September 1.

EIPS Central Office Summer Hours: June 28 to August 24

Open: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 780-464-3477
Address: 683 Wye Rd., Sherwood Park

Statutory Holidays

Closed July 1 Canada Day
Closed August 2 Heritage Day

NOTE: Student Transportation also remains open during the summer months—operating during the same hours as EIPS Central Services.

The Grade 9 farewell activity has been rescheduled to the afternoon of June 11. We are committed foremost to the safety of staff and students, and as such, following the guidelines from Alberta Health Services and Elk Island Public Schools, we anticipate the day to look like the following:

We will order lunch for the students (Nitza’s pizza) and begin the afternoon a bit early at around 11:45. Weather permitting, students will be able to eat outside in groups of no larger than 10.

The afternoon will be a series of rotating activities that students will participate in with their homeroom classrooms. These activities may include:

-a photo booth (individual pictures only are allowed at this time, or small groups of students (maximum 5) that must remain masked.)

-time to visit and relax in the drama room

-certificate presentation in the gym with their homerooms (we are investigating the possibility of livestreaming this event and will share the link for this with you at a later date)

-outdoor activity time

We are excited to be able to celebrate this milestone with our Grade 9 students and look forward to a fun afternoon! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Please take some time to read this plan and to join us on June 9th for our final Parent Council meeting as we look at these goals together.

Mrs. Allen, Academic Counsellor

Mrs. Charuk, Educational Assistant

Miss James, Educational Assistant

Mrs. Martinez, Educational Assistant

Mrs. Mercer, Librarian

Ms. Reimer, Teacher

We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome back Ms. Kowalchuk (Teacher) and to welcome Mrs. Kellar (Librarian).