Elements' Family Weekly
September 15, 2023
What is new this week?
Dear FSE Families,
Yay! Our first full week of school was a smashing success! Students are adjusting well to their new classrooms, routines, and class mates. A huge thank you to all the families who were able to attend our Welcome Back ~ Meet the Staff night, School Council and Parent Society meeting on Thursday! It is always such a pleasure to bring our school community together and spend time connecting!
This week, I would like to share a note from our counsellor, Ms. Pieterse, introducing herself:
Hello! My name is Sarah Pieterse (pronounced Peter-suh) and I am honoured to continue in my role as school counsellor for a second year at Fort Elementary. I have been an educator with Elk Island Public Schools since 2009 and taught primarily Junior High English before becoming a school counsellor in 2022. I grew up in Sherwood Park and currently live in Strathcona County with my husband, our two children and our dog, cat and bunny. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, camping, exploring in the mountains and reading. I am so excited to continue learning alongside our staff and students and can’t wait to see what this school year brings!
We are looking forward to our Terry Fox Run next Friday! Be sure to fill out your child's Permission Click form so they can run on the track.
This week I wanted to draw attention to the importance of students attending school regularly! Life happens and there are good reasons for students to be absent, such as illness or important appointments. However, we all know that students who attend school regularly demonstrate greater growth overall and have stronger connections to their classroom and school community. Click on the graphic below to learn more!
As always, if you have any questions, please email me directly at shelby.labrecque@eips.ca or call 780-998-7771, during regular business hours.
With the fall leaves turning colours I am looking forward to spending time outside this weekend enjoying the art of nature. I hope you find time this weekend doing something you love!
Kind regards,
Shelby Labrecque, M. Ed.
Principal
Fort Saskatchewan Elementary School
ACTION!
Correction and Verification Form
Have you completed your child's annual Correction and Verification Form? Even if your information hasn't changed, review and submit the form to verify EIPS has the correct information on file. Log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal to access and submit the form by September 22.
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 Ms. Jones, our Business Manager, at 780-998-7771.
OPPORTUNITY!
If you are interested or want more information please email fseparentsociety@gmail.com. Steph and Veronica would love to hear from you!
Did you know...the Fort Saskatchewan Parent Society has an ongoing fundraiser called Mabel's Labels; Labels for the stuff kids lose! Check out www.fortsask.mabelslabels.com to place your order and support this fundraiser!
INFORMATION!
September 30 marks Orange Shirt Day & Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
FSE will be acknowledging the history and impact of residential schools on September 29 through a variety of age-appropriate activities. Staff and students will be invited to wear orange in support of Orange Shirt Day on this date, as well.
Sync the School Calendar to your calendar
Did you know you can sync the school calendar to your own calendar? Simply, visit https://www.fortelem.ca/about/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 Fort Saskatchewan Elementary’s important dates including holidays, school-closures days, planned activities, events and more.
- September 18: School Pictures for Kindergarten A class and grade 1 to 6 students
- September 19: School Pictures for Kindergarten B class
- September 19: Off-Campus Education/Dual Credit Information Session
- September 22: Terry Fox School Run Day
- September 25: Bus Evacuation for grade 1 to 6 students
- September 25: Little Elks Bus Orientation for Kindergarten A class
- September 26: Little Elks Bus Orientation for Kindergarten B class
- September 29: FSE will recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
- September 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- September 30: Orange Shirt Day
- October 4: Early dismissal @ 2:15 p.m.
- October 5: World Teachers’ Day
- October 6: Professional Learning Day (schools closed to students)
- October 9: Thanksgiving (school closed)
- October 19: Grade 6 Immunizations
- October 25: Conferences 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- October 25: Picture Retake Day
- October 26: Conferences 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Caregiver Series: September Sessions
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.
About Us
Email: general.fse@eips.ca
Website: www.fortelem.ca
Location: 9802 - 101 Street
Phone: 780-998-7771
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortSaskElementary
Twitter: @FortElementary