Hawk's View
October 1, 2021
Up Coming Dates and Events
October 4-8 - Read in Week
October 5- World Teacher's Day
October 5- Smudging of our Indigenous Spaces at 3:30pm OUTSIDE
October 6- Early dismissal (2:11)
October 8- Hot Lunch (Nitza's Pizza)
October 10- World Mental Health Day
October 11- Thanksgiving (NO SCHOOL)
October 18- Professional Learning Day (NO SCHOOL)
October 20- School Council 6 pm (virtually)
October 22- Picture retakes
October 28- Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews (sign up information to come)
November 3: Take Our Kids to Work Day
November 3: Early dismissal
November 8-12: November Break (NO SCHOOL)
Read-In Week 2021
Help us celebrate Read-In Week this year! This year’s theme is “To Each Their Own Story”, and we are asking for your feedback! Complete this quick survey to share some of your favourites with us. The survey will be open from October 2nd – 8th.
Read In Week is a division wide initiative held annually to encourage a lifelong love of reading and to enhance literacy awareness among students, staff, families and community members. F.R. Haythorne invites all families to participate in Read In Week by reading yourself, with your child or with someone in the community.
Don’t forget to share what you’ve learned. Throughout the week, you can post your own stories about Read In Week using the hashtag #eipsreads.
First Chapter Friday
The novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, is Angeline Boulley’s debut YA thriller. The project took ten years to complete and has already been optioned by Netflix, even though it was only released in March. It’s also been nominated for a mulititude of awards and achievements, including being named “A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time Selection”.
This captivating read is about eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine, who has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look take care of family. Then, she is the witness to a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation. Reluctantly, she agrees to go undercover. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars.
You can read an excerpt of the first chapter here: https://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index.cfm/book_number/4242/firekeepers-daughter#tab-2.
Fees are live
School fee information for the 2021-22 school year is now posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. 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 them online using Visa, 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 are often added to your child’s account to cover the cost of various school activities such as field trips, class projects, extracurricular activities fees and more.
If circumstances exist where you are unable to pay your fees, you can apply to have fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. The application deadline is Dec. 15, 2021.
For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines, visit www.eips.ca/schools/fees and https://www.frhaythorne.ca/about/fees. Alternatively, contact Karen Bidniak, Business Manager, at F.R. Haythorne School at 780-467-3800.
Smudging of our Indigenous Spaces
This summer we completed both our indoor First Nations Metis and Inuit space as well as our outdoor land-based learning circle and we are very excited to begin using these spaces.
Hot lunch
The deadline to submit orders is Sunday, October 3rd.
Please be aware if you have a CREDIT on your student account that you must click on the shopping cart icon and select "confirm" to complete your order.
You will receive a receipt as your confirmation of order. Orders WILL NOT be submitted unless confirmation has been submitted.
Individual, 8” Pizzas will be available for $6.50/pizza. Students will have the choice of cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian or gluten-free cheese pizzas to order.
Orders can be placed through your PowerSchool Parent Portal account. https://powerschool.eips.ca/public/home.html
Should you have any questions or difficulties accessing your Powerschool account, please contact the school office at 780-467-3800.
Celebrating World Teachers’ Day: October 5
October 5 is World Teachers’ Day! Launched in 1994 by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Teachers’ Day is celebrated annually around the world as a way to recognize teachers and the integral role they play in providing quality education to students. On October 5, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) encourages all of its students, parents and community members to show their appreciation for their teachers and the positive impact they make on our lives.
EIPS extends its heartfelt thank you to all Division teachers for their dedication, hard work and commitment in guiding and educating students through their kindergarten to Grade 12 years.
Water Bottles and Masks
Thank you for your ongoing support in reminding your children to bring both water bottles and additional masks each day.
Student Support
Mental Health has been identified as an EIPS priority this year and in response, we are working on ways for students to access supports.
For students to access support please do any of the following:
Scan the QR codes that have been posted around the school and here
Fill out the Need To Talk form
Email any of the administrators or Mrs. Knott
Visit us in person in our offices
Let ANY staff know that you need to speak to someone.
Mrs. Knott is our School Counsellor. She will provide mental health, social, academic and behaviour support for all students. Mrs. Knott will be the primary contact for ISP and special programming-related questions. She can be contacted at carol.knott@eips.ca or by phone at 780-467-3800.
Mr. Curbelo is in the new role of Mental Health Supports for students this year. He is currently teaching our SEAS program but will be connecting with and supporting students in his support time.
Asma (pronounced Esma) comes to us from Strathcona County and is our Mental Health Capacity Builder. We are very excited to have her in the building and joining our team at FRH.
Asma will be in classes working with students and staff on strategies and covering topics. https://www.frhaythorne.ca/programs/mhcb
Monday's at lunch will be Mental Health Monday with Asma in Room 174.
Municipal Election 2021: Vote October 18
The next municipal election, which includes the election of local school board trustees, takes place on Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. It’s your opportunity to get involved in public education by casting your vote for a public school trustee.
EIPS Trustee Election information
Electors can cast their votes for municipal candidates—mayors, reeves, councillors, as applicable—and school board trustee candidates—public or separate. Voting stations are typically open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Each municipality conducts the election for its residents and establishes formal voting station hours and procedures.
YAC Join the Strathcona County Youth Advisory Committee!
Are you passionate about life in Strathcona County? Share your voice by serving on one of the County’s boards and committees. Join other dedicated residents with varied skills, backgrounds and life experiences. Members provide advice to Council on issues that are important to you, your family, your neighbours, and the County. Online applications, and links to more information about the boards and committees, are available at www.strathcona.ca/makeadifference.
Application deadline is October 13, 2021
Enhancing Literacy and Numeracy
As part of Elk Island Public Schools’ (EIPS) ongoing efforts to enhance the literacy and numeracy of students in all grade levels, the Division is once again administering the Star Early Literacy/Star Reading and Math Intervention/Programming Instrument (MIPI) assessment tools in the 2021-22 school year. The tools focus on literacy and numeracy, are digitally based and offer an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning. The goal: To provide timely information to teachers, help enhance classroom instruction and ensure student learning needs are identified.
Three times a year—in September, January/February and May/June—EIPS students in Grade 1 complete the Star Early Literacy assessment and students in grades 2-12 complete the Star Reading assessment. The assessments take approximately 20 minutes and are administered on a digital device. Also, in September, students in grades 2 through 10 will complete the MIPI assessment, which is a mathematic screening tool used to inform teachers about a student’s math skills—students enrolled in math for Semester 2 will complete the MIPI assessment in February. For students in grades 7 through 10, the MIPI takes approximately 50 minutes, and for students in grades 2 through 6 it takes approximately 20 minutes. The results offer the teacher a clearer picture of a student’s learning needs and help determine if subsequent instructional planning is required.
The scores of the assessments aren’t used toward a student’s grade, and there is no need to study ahead of time. The tools simply provide the teacher with information to better understand where each student is in terms of reading comprehension and mathematic ability. If, after analyzing the results, it’s determined a student can benefit from extra support, the teacher will contact the family to discuss possible support strategies.
For more information about the Division’s Star and MIPI assessment tools, contact EIPS Supports for Students at 780-464-3477.
Family and Community Services program guide
Check out the Family and Community Services program guide to learn about upcoming free and low-cost programs and services for seniors, youth, families, and individuals, whether or not you have children. Find opportunities to connect with others, access support and resources, keep learning, and take care of ourselves and those we love.
The guide contains information about:
- Access counselling services and supports
- Courses and workshops for parents, caregivers and their children
- Activities and supports for teens and pre-teens
- Resources for those who are new to the County, and more!
Visitors in Schools- Please make an appointment
Non-essential visitors and contractors ARE NOT permitted in the school or workplace without an appointment. To make an appointment, contact the school directly. If permission is granted and an appointment is made, the visitor or contractor must complete the verbal COVID-19 Screening Questionnaire. If any of the answers to the questions are “YES,” DO NOT enter the school or workplace. Similarly, if feeling unwell or have COVID-19 symptoms—fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste, aches, pink-eye, nausea —DO NOT enter an EIPS-operated school or workplace.
All visitors must wear a mask when entering our school.
About F.R. Haythorne
FRH School Motto- Well rounded. Well grounded. Well respected. Committed to learning.
Contact Us and Report an Absence and/or Late
Email: general.frh@eips.ca
Website: frhaythorne.ca
Location: 300 Colwill Boulevard, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-467-3800
Twitter: @FRHaythorne