Called to More @ OLA
Week of September 13, 2021
How our saints were called to more
Learning about our Saints
This month we learn about St. Teresa of Calculta who is also the Patron Saint for Elk Island Catholic Schools!
Twins! We are so connected @ OLA, we dress alike!
Updated EICS School Calendar
At OLA we will be honouring Orange Shirt Day and Every Child Matters Day on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
The updated EICS School Calendar is also located on our OLA website linked here for your convenience.
Revised Kindergarten Calendar
The updated OLA Kindergarten calendar is also available on our website linked here for your convenience.
Change of Clothes
Thank you for your help!
Medical Forms
Please sign into your PowerSchool account to update any medical information wfor your child. This includes Epi-Pens, Inhalers and other prescription medications that need to be at the school and administrated to your son/daughter.
Below is an information PDF on how to find these forms on your PowerSchool account. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Desaulniers at 780-998-3716.
Forms to Complete
Please take the time to sign into your PowerSchool account and review the following items.
- Demographic Forms
- Student Consent Forms
If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Desaulniers at 780-998-3716. She is happy to help!
1M Creating Colour Collages
This Week @ OLA
- Library with Mrs. Buban opens this week!
- K-2 Assembly
- 3-4 Assembly
Tuesday, September 14
- Regular Day
Wednesday, September 15
- Fort Saskatchewan Opening School Year Mass - 9:15am - Click here to participate
- REAL Foundation Golf Tournament
- OLA School Council & School Leadership Connect
Thursday, September 16
- A great day to learn together!
Friday September 17
- Today and every day, we answer the "Call to More!"
First Day of Kindergarten
Terry Fox Run
Stay tuned and thank you in advance for your generosity!
Lucky Ducks
If you have any trinkets or little prizes you would like to donate to our Lucky Ducks birthday program, thank you for sending them to the school with your child, or popping by the front doors of our school and we will happily, and gratefully, accept your generosity!
Kings of Kinder!
Bus Lane
Please note, in front of OLA school along Sherridon Drive is reserved for buses. Thank you for not parking in the bus lane out front of the school.
Parking is available for pick up and drop off:
- on the West side of Sherridon Drive past the crosswalk lights
- on the East side of Sherridon Drive (thank you for modelling great traffic safety by using the lighted crosswalk to cross the street)
- on the North side of the school in the parking lot
- on the NW corner of the playing field on 96st
- on the SW corner of the playing field on 97/98st
Moms & Dads, If you are dropping your child off, thank you for using the three drop off and pick up points identified on the map above (white arrows). Thank you also for organizing a meeting place inside the play area, to meet your child after school so that together you may exit the school field together.
Rainbow Day
We see you!
During the first month of school, as we get into safety and classroom routines and establish strong positive connections with children, OLA is currently a closed campus. As such our exterior doors remain locked.
Fret not! If you are coming to OLA to pick up or drop off children or items, we invite you to approach the front door and press the silver button on our new intercom system. Our secretary will happily connect with you and help you with whatever you need! No need to call the office when you arrive! Simply press the silver button on the front door!
October Welcomes Volunteers!
Beginning in October, teachers, staff and School Council may begin to reach out to our OLA community and invite you to participate in volunteer opportunities in or for your child's class or for school activities. Thank you for keeping your eyes open for these reach outs.
We thank you in advance for your patience as we slowly, thoughtfully and strategically open to volunteers while continuing to maintain our high standards for our safe and joy filled learning and growing environments. More details will follow regarding safety protocol expectations for volunteering.
In October, as we slowly begin to open opportunities to assist at the school, our exterior doors will continue to be locked. We will continue to use our fancy intercom system to connect with you when you arrive for your pre-arranged volunteering time. If you are dropping off/picking up children or items, we will continue our current practice and meet you at the front doors to retrieve items or meet you with/for your child.
Should you have any questions, please contact Mme Gravelle at 780-998-3716.
On the hunt for...
- soccer balls
- basket balls
- skipping ropes
- Frisbees
- hula hoops
- footballs
- bubble making containers/sticks
- leather/faux leather foot stools
- sturdy short shelves (average height of a desk)
- fun pencils, erasers, balls for Lucky Ducks
Thank you in advance for your help and support! You are welcome to send small items with your child so they can bring them to the office, or feel free to drop them off at the school and connecting with us through our fancy new door intercom system!
Mentorship Program with St. André Bessette Catholic High School!
We missed our mentors last year! We are so excited to bring this amazing program back this year!!
The Peer Mentor opportunity is a program offered at the high school where students can earn credits for being a mentor. Training, ongoing support and monitoring are important elements for the high school students. Course components align with the mentorship expectations from Alberta Education. "Mentoring relationships are a natural and supported opportunity for both the mentor and mentee to enhance their social-emotional learning" (Alberta Education, 2018).
Mr. Sean Reader is the coordinating teacher from St. André Bessette. Mr. Reader and Mme Gravelle work closely together to plan and support effective and positive relationships between our high school mentors and elementary mentees. Our Peer Mentors will be visiting OLA twice a week for one hour beginning mid-October. Peer mentors and OLA mentees will continue to follow all school health and safety protocols.
Physical Literacy, Social skill building, Numeracy/Literacy, and building positive connections will be the focus. Peer mentor time will be monitored by both Mr. Reader and OLA staff.
Benefits of mentoring relationships are:
building students’ sense of belonging within the school community
enhancing attendance and motivation to learn
helping individual students feel more connected and valued in their school community
helping students learn about and value diversity
encouraging individuals to get to know one another, identify common interests and concerns, recognize one another’s strengths and contributions
Mentoring also contributes to a positive school culture by:
creating authentic and engaging opportunities
modelling and teaching the skills essential to healthy relationships
strengthening school bonds
enhancing students’ feelings of safety and belonging
decreasing bullying behaviours
(Alberta Education, 2018)
So Exciting!
Who Can Participate in the Peer Mentorship Program?
As outlined above, there are so many benefits to mentorship! It would be fantastic to have a mentor for every OLA student. As this is a class and program offered at St. André Bessette, there are approximately 20 mentors currently taking the course and currently engaged in intensive in-class learning prior to their connection with our OLA students.
Teachers will work closely with the OLA School Leadership and Student Support Teams to determine who in their class will benefit from this mentorship program. Once OLA mentees are selected, teachers will reach out to you, moms and dads, to share more information and details for your child's participation in this amazing opportunity!
Classroom of the Month!
We continue to welcome new students to the Family
Yes! You heard right! OLA continues to welcome children from Kindergarten to grade 4!
You are welcome and invited to share registration information with friends and family. We also welcome inquiries from interested families. We look forward to connecting with new families.
Please click here for registration information.
Feel free to email ola@eics.ab.ca
Or connect with us by phone at 780-998-3716
Attendance Reporting Procedures
1-877-246-9970 or leave a message on our voice mail. Attendance Reporting Procedures
See you on October 5th!
Welcome back parents!
The OLA School council would like to invite you to attend our first online meeting of the year happening: Tuesday, October 5th @ 7 PM.
This meeting is the most important of the year: ELECTION day!
If you have a desire to make OLA the best it can be, as well as a little time to attend meetings and learn your role; you should consider nominating yourself to a position.
During the meeting you will have the opportunity to share with everyone why you feel you would be good for the position and if there are multiple people nominated for a position, all in attendance will take a vote.
If you think you may be interested in a role on the executive team and/or have questions please email the school council at schoolcouncil.ola@gmail.com
A link to this meeting will be sent out the day of the meeting. Be sure to check your junk mail, it sometimes ends up there.
Hope to see you all there!
Joining School Council allows you the opportunity to be in the know, to work closely with parents, teachers and the school leadership team to plan and implement enhanced programming and special events for students and our school community!
Click below to order your OLA Spirit Wear!
Caregiver Education
Handout for caregivers “Going Back to School during COVID-19 - Fall 2021”
Looking Ahead...
Looking Further Ahead...
September 22
- EICS Public Board Meeting @ 2:30pm
- CEPAC Meeting @ 6:30pm - Virtual
- Bus Safety Practices in AM
- Orange Shirt & Every Child Matters Day celebrated at OLA
- School Closed - National Truth & Reconciliation Day
- World Teacher Day
- Virtual School Council Meeting & Elections - 7:00pm
October 6
- Early Dismissal - 2:19 pm
October 11
- Thanksgiving Day - No School
October 14
- Picture Day
Outdoor Fun
Eating @ OLA
Thank you for all your help ensuring your child comes to school with a healthy lunch, and several snacks. Healthy food is great for children's bodies and brains, and will help to set them up for learning success. Please let us know if sending healthy snacks is a challenge for your. We are happy and ready to help. We are your village!
Picnic @ OLA
Yes! A picnic every day! You are invited to send your child to school with a clean tea towel that they can use as a little picnic blanket on their table. This helps to keep their work space and eating spaces more clean.
Nut Aware
Thank you for your helping keeping all nuts and foods that contain nuts at home as we have several staff and students with severe nut allergies. Should a food containing nuts arrive at school, we will send it back in your child's lunch with a kind note reminding you of our goal to keep the school as nut aware as possible. Thank you in advance for your help!
Approved School Fees for 2021-2022
Health and Safety @ OLA
Please click here for EICS's news release on the updated masking requirement which outlines that all staff and all children in Kindergarten to Grade 12 are to wear masks at school. The specifics are outlined at this link. Please click here for more information from the Alberta Government.
The new masking update has also been translated into the following languages. Please feel free to share with families who may benefit from them:
Tamil Version (for families from India)
Our Lady of the Angels School
Fort Saskatchewan, AB
T8L 1W7
Email: ola@eics.ab.ca
Website: https://ola.eics.ab.ca/
Location: 9622 Sherridon Drive, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada
Phone: (780)998-3716
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/OLASchoolFtSask/photos/?ref=page_internal
Twitter: @OLAFortSask