February 3 - Early Dismissal (Wear Red, Pink & White)

February 4 & 5 - North Central Teacher's Convention (No Classes)

February 9 - PAS Meeting 6:30pm & School Council Meeting 7:30pm (via Google Meet)

February 9, 10 & 11 - Parent-Teacher Conferences (Information to follow shortly)

February 10 - Bev Facey Virtual Open House @ 6pm

February 11 - Salisbury Composite Virtual Open House @ 6pm

February 15 - Family Day Stat. Holiday (No Classes)

February 24 - Pink Shirt Day

Unlike previous years, we will not be able to host in-person Parent/Teacher conferences at the school. Therefore, we will be hosting conferences via Google Meet for families and teachers on Tuesday, February 9, Wednesday, February 10 and Thursday, February 11 from 3:15pm to 7:51pm.

Elementary (Kindergarten to Grade 6) conferences will be a Google Meet with your child’s teacher and are scheduled for 10 minutes each.

Junior High conferences will be a Google Meet with your child’s teacher and are scheduled for 5 minutes each.

We use an online booking system and parent(s)/guardian(s) are able to schedule their own conferences at a time that is convenient for you to video call your child’s teacher. The website is www.schoolinterviews.ca. Our event code for both elementary and junior high is 64m4y and the booking site will open on Monday, February 1 at 4:00pm and close on Monday, February 8 at 4:00pm.

Simply log onto the website and enter the access code for your child and follow these 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Enter your details (parent name, student name, email address & phone number you can be reached at)

Step 2: Choose the teacher

Step 3: Choose an available time

When you are finished, an email confirming your time will arrive in your inbox. If something comes up and you are unable to keep your scheduled conference time, you can return to the site and cancel or change your booking. If you are having trouble accessing the website or if you do not have access to a computer, please contact the school office (780) 416-9018.

Procedures for parents to attend interview session via Google Meet:

1. Go to www.lakelandridge.ca to access the Google Meet code for your child’s teacher (all codes will be listed on the school’s homepage in a table).

2. At your specific time slot (booked on school conferences site), click your child’s teacher.

3. Once you have clicked the link, you will be in the virtual “waiting room” until the teacher invites you in.

a. Please be aware that parents, who use their EIPS employee email will automatically enter the Google Meet. With that, we asked that you enter the Google Meet exactly at your appointment time.

4. Please note, that you may choose to keep your camera turned off during the interview timeframe.

Registration for the 2021-22 school year is now open!

To register for kindergarten in the 2021-22 school year, your child must be five years old on or before Dec. 31, 2021.

For full instructions and tips on filling out the form, refer to How to Register a New Student.

For more information about the EIPS kindergarten program, see the EIPS Kindergarten Toolkit or contact the school.

Returning Student Registration 2021-22

The returning student registration process for all current EIPS students who are returning in 2021-22 takes place Feb. 1-28, 2021. On February 1, at 9 a.m., all current EIPS families received an email with the link to complete the Returning Student Registration Form available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

If your child currently attends school within EIPS and is returning next year, you will go through the returning student registration process to confirm your child’s enrolment in a school for the upcoming school year using the online Returning Student Registration Form. At that time, families indicate the school their child plans to attend and apply to attend a non-designated school, if applicable.

To be considered for enrolment in a non-designated school in the upcoming school year, families must make that request during the returning student registration process. Acceptance at a requested non-designated school is based on available space. Some EIPS schools have closed boundaries because of high enrolment numbers and are not accepting registrations from non-designated students.

NOTE: All requests to attend a non-designated school or out-of-boundary program for returning students in grades 1-12 must be completed during the returning student registration process to be considered for the next school year. The only exception: students who move into the Division from outside the geographic area, or another community within the Division, following the deadline. The Division will contact all families who apply to attend a non-designated school to advise of the outcome during the week of March 8-12, 2021.

• Our next PAS meeting and School Council meeting will be on February 9 and will be held virtually through Google Meet. Please note the times of the meeting, as we are having our PAS meeting first. Our PAS meeting begins at 6:30 pm and our School Council Meeting begins an hour later at 7:30 pm. Parents are welcome to attend one or both of the meetings. The agenda for the School Council Meeting along with the Google Link can be found here.
  

To help you make an informed decision about high school, senior high schools throughout Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) are hosting virtual information sessions for all Grade 9 students and their families. The sessions allow students and families to meet the staff; virtually tour the school; learn about the curriculum, course offerings and alternative programming available; discuss diploma requirements and various career paths; plus, more. Make sure to take part to learn everything you need to know about the Division’s senior high programs and courses.

Dates and times for each senior high open house are available at eips.ca/registration/senior-high. For general information about EIPS senior high programming visit eips.ca.

The First Nations, Métis and Inuit education team has planned a three-part series— Developing Foundational Knowledge of First Nations, Metis and Inuit cultures, histories and contemporary contexts—designed for all EIPS parents and families who are curious to learn about First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures, perspectives and histories. The sessions are designed as entry points to understanding as we work toward learning our collective truth on the path of reconciliation.

Join the session

Session 1: February 2; 7-7:30 p.m.

• Who we are and why this work is needed
• What reconciliation looks like in EIPS

Session 2: February 23; 7-7:30 p.m.

• Addressing common roadblocks to understanding and relationship
• Terminology; bridging the gap between what language parents may be used to hearing and what children are learning in schools

Session 3: March 16; 7-7:30 p.m.

• Language of this land: The importance of highlighting Indigenous languages; deepening understanding of relationship to land through language; what exploration of Indigenous languages can look like in schools

Details Here

January can be a notoriously tough month for us all and January 2021 is no exception. We know the pandemic and the restrictions are taking its toll on us and some of our families may be experiencing significant hardship right now. We wanted to let our entire community know that we are here to support you and there are resources available in our community for you.

Strathcona County has a helpline that anyone in our community can call. The number is 780-464-4044. They offer support in all areas:

• Free counselling for you and your children
• When you call this number, you can be talking to a counsellor in under an hour. There is no intake or wait list. You can have help exactly when you need it.
• Parenting Support
• 1-on-1 support and free (virtual) classes are available if you are struggling with your child at home
• Financial Support
• Funding is available to help you with groceries, utility bills or emergencies if this is a tight financial season for you
• Accessing other community agencies
• The county can help you access CERB, AISH, FSCD or any other agency that may help your family
• If English is not your first language or you are new to our community, the county can help you find what you need
• 
  

Please don’t hesitate to call the helpline directly: 780-464-4044.

More information can be found on the Strathcona County FCS website.

Everybody Can is a guide to affordable services published occasionally by Strathcona County.

Strathcona County has provided their January and February family programs and resources. Attached are posters that you may be interested in. The online registration information is on each poster.

Get Your Game On

Parent Programs

Springing Back from 2020 with Resiliency

If circumstances exist where you are unable to pay your students fees you can apply to have certain fees waived using the:

Application for Waiver of Fees (505-1) (Parents)

If parents/independent students are not eligible to have fees waived, payment options may be made with the school’s administration and/or the Director of Student Transportation.

A completed application form with supporting documents, marked CONFIDENTIAL, can be sent by:

1. Scan and email PDF files to fees@eips.ca, or
2. Deliver to any EIPS school office in a sealed envelope addressed to the Secretary-Treasurer, or
3. Mail to Elk Island Public Schools
   Attention: Secretary-Treasurer
   683 Wye Road
   Sherwood Park, AB T8B 1N2

Phone: 780-417-8200 for questions relating to your application.

Allow three weeks to process your application.

For the 2020-21 school year, the deadline for receipt of applications is extended to Feb. 15, 2021, or if new to EIPS, the latter of Feb. 15, 2021 or 45 days after registration.

No applications will be accepted after this date.

An extension will be granted for students transitioning from out-of-school learning to in-school classes.

We want to thank all parents, students, and staff for doing their part to ensure everyone is safe and healthy. Every morning before coming to school all students must complete the daily COVID-19 Screening Questionnaire. Parents are reminded that they need to make an appointment to enter the school, as non-essential visitors and contractors are not permitted in the school or workplace without an appointment. Please call or email the school ahead of time to book an appointment. Individuals should not enter an EIPS building if feeling unwell or have COVID-19 symptoms—fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, loss of smell or taste, nausea, pink-eye. Visitors must sign in at the office (after having made an appointment), practice physical distancing while here and wear mask. The Stay_at_Home_Guide_for_Parents.pdf is a good resources that provides parents with information on what to do when children exhibit COVID symptom.

K-9

If you know your child will be absent, late, or leaving early from school, please send a note in their agenda, email or phone the school explaining the reason for that day.

EIPS Division calendar 2021-22

EIPS kindergarten calendar 2021-22

School Education Plan and Results Report 2019-2022

In November and December, we sent out a short survey to get sense of how families were doing during the pandemic. Here is a summary of what we heard. Thank you for your input.

Brightspace platform

All staff and students will be using the Brightspace online platform. Students will require a digital device with a camera and should have received instructions from teachers on how to log on and navigate the learning platform.

Brightspace Support Videos

Please see the links below for both student and parent guides.

Student Brightspace page:

https://eips.brightspace.com/

Username: Use the EIPS student email address

Password: Use the EIPS student password

If a student needs help with a password reset, contact the school for assistance.

Watch this video to learn how to navigate the Brightspace environment

Parent/Guardian Brightspace page: This is GREAT information to help your children.

https://eips.brightspace.com/d2l/local

Brightspace Parent/Guardian guide Click here