AJS Weekly Bison Tracks

Wondering what code to use to view your child's school pictures? Use their student number to gain access to the Icon/Lifetouch site.

Student ID cards are available at the office for pick up.

Thank you for your patience during school pictures this year.

• September 18, 6:30 p.m. - School Council Meeting, Learning Commons
• September 19: Off-Campus Education/Dual Credit Information Session
• September 21, Bison Thunder Run (Jr. High Cross Country Run)
• September 22, Bison Thunder Run Rain out day (Jr. High Cross Country Run)
• September 26, 11:37 a.m. - Concordia University Visit
• September 27, 9:00 a.m. - Bus Evacuation
• September 27, 11:37 a.m. - Norquest College Info Booth
• September 29, 9:30 a.m. - Truth and Reconciliation Ceremony
• September 30, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• September 30, Orange Shirt Day
• October 2-6, Read In Week
• October 3, 11:37 a.m. - Augustana Info Booth
• October 3, 11:37 a.m. - Campus Saint-Jean, U of A Info Booth
• October 4, 2:16 p.m. - Early Dismissal
• October 5 - World Teachers’ Day
• October 6 - Professional Learning Day (schools closed to students)
• October 16 - Retakes - School Pictures

Mr. Hicks will be starting up the Jr. Bison Grand Council soon. What is the Jr. Bison Grand Council? It is a fantastic opportunity for grade 7 students to get involved in school life. This informal, lunchtime club gives grade 7 students an opportunity to work with their grade level administrator to make AJS an even better place. Students will undertake leadership projects that allow them to build their sense of belonging. Make sure to listen to the daily announcement for the time and place of the first meeting!

Join us on September 18 at 6:30 p.m., in the Learning Commons for our first School Council meeting of the 2023-2024 school year. Be a part of the exciting happenings at AJS! Come check it out for yourself!

Did you know you can sync the school calendar to your own calendar? Simply, visit Ardrossan Junior Senior High Calendar and click on the applicable subscription option:

• Download to iCal
• Add to Google Calendar
• Subscribe to Calendar

NOTE: Options are located above the calendar.

Once you click on the desired subscription option, follow the instructions. Within seconds, your calendar will contain all Ardrossan Junior Senior High’s important dates including holidays, school-closures days, planned activities, events and more.

The EIPS Correction and Verification Form is available online through your PowerSchool Parent Portal. Use the form to access and update your child’s records information—including address, parent and guardian information, emergency contacts and medical information. Reviewing the form and submitting updates ensures the school has the most up-to-date information regarding your child.

When reviewing the form, pay close attention to all listed phone numbers, email addresses and emergency contact information. Also, if you recently moved, now is the time to ensure the Division has your updated address. Throughout the year, the Division and school uses the listed information to communicate with families about important information, including updates, the latest news and events.

EIPS Correction and Verification Form

Review and update the form by Sept. 22, 2023.

For more information about the PowerSchool Correction and Verification Form, contact the school office at 780-922-2228.

Pay school fees online! School fee information for the 2023-24 school year will be posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal in late September. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted. 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 online using a credit card.

Don’t forget to 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 certain school activities such as field trips, class projects, athletic-team fees and more. Additionally, junior high and senior high fees can change as courses are added and deleted.

If you’re unable to pay your school fees, you can apply to have certain fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. The application deadline is Dec. 15, 2023.

For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines visit eips.ca. Alternatively, contact Mrs. Suzanne Cleet, Business Manager at Ardrossan Junior Senior High at 780-922-2228.

Every year, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) publishes an Annual Education Results Report, which outlines the Division’s Four-Year Education Plan, opportunities for growth and how it’s supporting students to achieve the best possible outcomes. Read through this year’s EIPS Annual Education Results Report 2021-22 and discover how EIPS fosters learning environments for all students to learn, grow and thrive—and why it matters.

June Spotlight: enhancing public education through effective engagement

· Rules of Engagement: Using a collaborative approach to improve student achievement and success

· Driving change: Strengthening public education through Board advocacy

RELATED INFORMATION
EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26
EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2024-27

Ardrossan Junior Senior High and the Division use the SchoolMessenger platform for communicating with families—through both phone and email. Be sure to add communications@eips.ca and general.ajs@eips.ca to your safe sender list to avoid having important messages funneled into your junk mail folder.

You can directly manage your phone and email subscription preferences through SchoolMessenger. Simply log in to your account—or create one if you don’t already have one—and select the message types you’d like to receive to each phone number and email address on file.

The easiest way to stay connected is to download the SchoolMessenger app. Get the latest updates direct to your mobile device and enable push notifications to never miss a message. Families can also check back on past messages—for up to 30 days—directly in the app rather than searching to find an old message buried in your inbox. Download the SchoolMessenger app from the App Store or Google Play today.

Check out the new and improved athletics web site here or click the button above. All information regarding teams, including schedules, tryout dates, games, and forms will be located here.

Football

• September 21, 5:00 p.m. - Bison Football vs. McNally Tigers (Clark Stadium)
• September 28, 6:00 p.m. - Bison Football vs. M.E. LaZerte Voyagers (J.P. Bowl)
• October 5, 6:00 p.m. - Bison Football vs. Lillian Osbourne Legends ( J.P. Bowl)

Volleyball

• September 14-16 - EIAA Jr. Sr. Volleyball Tournament
• September 15-16 - Sr. Varsity Tri Volley Tournament
• September 21-23 - EIAA Jr. Jr. Volleyball Tournament

Cross Country

• September 21 - Bison Thunder Run

Our AMPS Annual General Meeting is being held on September 19, 2023 at 6pm with a short board meeting to follow in the band room. All Parents are encouraged to attend!

If you have not filled out a free AMPS membership form yet - please use QR code.

AMPS is a society and only 'members' can be involved. Membership is free and a great way to ensure you have all the information needed to help build your child’s band account!

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out at any time to AMPSPres@gmail.com or Mr.B.

Look for us at “Ardrossan Music Parent Association” on Facebook and on Instagram!

Kas Spiker

Acting President of AMPS

Elk Island Public Schools and Ardrossan Jr. Sr. High use a handful of key systems to share information with students and families. Depending on the information you’re looking for, it’s important to know where to look.

PowerSchool is the primary student information system within the Division. There is an associated app, but the functionality is limited, and families don’t need to download it. From the PowerSchool Parent Portal, you can:

• Access student grades and report cards;
• Review student absences;
• Pay school and transportation fees; and
• Submit official updates to student or family information.

The PowerSchool Student Portal provides similar access to grades and absence information for students directly.

Brightspace provides more of a day-to-day look what’s happening with your child’s learning communicated directly from your child’s teacher. From Brightspace Parent & Guardian, you can see your child’s:

• classroom activity feed,
• grade items and grade feedback from instructors,
• upcoming assignments,
• portfolio evidence, and
• quizzes,

depending on which of the program functions are specifically used by your child’s teacher.

Brightspace for Students is where teachers share updates, calendar reminders and learning materials with students. Compatible with Google, it also allows students to submit assignments, complete quizzes, and see grades and teacher feedback. The Pulse app for students is associated with Brightspace for Students.

SchoolMessenger is the system the Division and schools use to send email and phone communication to families. The contact information in SchoolMessenger is populated from PowerSchool. Through SchoolMessenger, families can:

• receive general, emergency and attendance messages by phone, email or both; and
• manage their subscription preferences for these types of messages.

Ardrossan Junior Senior High has once again partnered with the United Way for the 2023-24 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 2023-24 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 in August. Drop-off boxes are located at the EIPS Central Services office, all Staples locations and various businesses in the community. Any supplies donated within the community are invested back into the region.

For more information about Tools for School, contact at (780) 922-2228 or call EIPS Central Services at 780-464-3477.

United Way Tools for School Requests: Family Orders

Download these bus apps for a successful ride!

Have a child taking the bus this school year? Download the following apps to stay up to date with all the busing information you’ll need throughout the year.

Bus Status

A new version of the Bus Status app is available: Bus Status 4. The app provides the same features and functionality as before, but faster and more reliable for users. Families who previously used the Bus Status 3 app will need to download the new version from the App Store or Google Play. You won’t be able to update directly from one version to the next. New users can download Bus Status 4 directly now.

Through the Bus Status app, families can access information about buses that are running late or cancelled throughout the year. Simply save your child’s bus routes as favourites and turn on push notifications to stay up to date.

Refer to the Bus Status: Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the update, and plan to download the new version now.

Ride 360

The Traversa Ride 360 website and app enable parents and students to access their own secure data for bus stop location, route and pickup time. With Division buses equipped with GPS hardware, Ride 360 uses GPS geolocation to let users know when to expect their bus each day. Parents and students log in with their own information to access their specific routing information and details.

Ride 360 will be updated in the coming year. Families are encouraged to download the current Ride 360 app from the App Store or Google Play for the start of the school year and set up their account. When the update takes place, login information will seamlessly roll over to the updated app.

Refer to additional instructions and the tutorial video on the Division website for more details about setting up your Ride 360 profile.

For more information about transportation services, refer to the Student Transportation section of the EIPS website.

Did you know each EIPS bus is equipped with video surveillance?

Video surveillance and equipment help:

· ensure the safety of all students, drivers and property; and

· discourage destructive acts.

On a regular basis, EIPS Student Transportation reviews the video recordings, in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act. The recordings assist the department with monitoring student and driver conduct and may be used as evidence in a disciplinary matter.

EIPS buses are also equipped with Tyler Drive tablets. The goal: To enhance safety, improve communication, increase efficiency and provide oversight. These tablets allow bus drivers to stay on time with turn-by-turn route directions and show student pictures and information when bus drivers get to stop locations. To ensure students get where they need to go, there are now two distinct audible tones when students scan their bus pass boarding or leaving the bus. One tone indicates they’re getting on the correct bus or at the correct stop, and the other tone indicates they’re on the incorrect bus or leaving at the incorrect stop. By using live information, Tyler Drive tablets provide more accuracy than paper schedules.

For more information about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, contact the EIPS FOIP Co-ordinator at 780-464-3477.

Are you interested in learning more about the Registered Apprenticeship Program, Green Certificate, or Work Experience program? Do you have questions about Dual Credit courses? Join EIPS Career Pathways for an informational evening. For more information, contact careerpathways@eips.ca.

Tuesday, September 19

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Virtual

Join Session

NAIT is excited to be hosting a Next in Trades Event on September 25, 2023, open to any high school students in grades 10-12.

Join us for a day of discovery at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) on September 25, 2023, as we open the doors to exciting career opportunities. The Next in Trades: Apprenticeship Day event is designed to introduce high school students to a world of possibilities in the trades, creating pathways to highly rewarding careers.

This event will feature hands-on workshops, opportunities to meet industry experts, and insights into apprenticeship programs that can lead to fulfilling and prosperous futures. Don't miss this chance for your students to chart their course towards success in the trades! For more information visit www.nait.ca/nextintrades

The Educational Liaison Association of Alberta (ELAA) is hosting a post-secondary fair at Ardrossan Junior Senior High School on November 17, 2023. Students will have the chance to learn more about post-secondary opportunities available in Alberta, exploring a variety of career options, programs and course offerings.

For more information about the school’s ELAA Post-secondary Fair, contact the school office at 780-922-2228.

Please scan the QR code to fill in the online form to receive your parking pass. Passes will be available during lunch in the office.

• Traffic flow is one way entering and exiting the student parking lot.

• Grade 12's can park in any of the parking stalls available. This will be enforced.

Grade 10/11 students may park in any of the areas highlighted in orange.

Alberta Health Services offers free online programming for parents and caregivers of children and youth. Sessions are offered through Zoom. Upcoming topics include understanding anxiety and parenting teens in the 21st century. The list of September 2023 sessions is now available.

Email: general.ajs@eips.ca
Website: https://www.ardrossan.ca/
Location: Ardrossan Junior Senior High School, Range Road 222, Ardrossan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-922-2228
Twitter: @ArdrossanJrSr