Weekly Update Newsletter
Thursday, March 23, 2023
In this weekly update, you will find important information about upcoming events including the Grade 9 Wake-a-thon and Stollery fundraiser, Grade 9 Farewell and Awards Night, Grade 7 and 8 Awards Night plus much more.
LLR staff challenged our junior and senior basketball teams to a game today at lunch. It was a high energy event with great sportsmanship and participation. The staff will be bragging about this win for awhile, but most likely will not be recovering as quickly as our students! Well done wolves!
Also, a reminder that there is no school tomorrow. Classes will resume on Monday, April 3. We hope all our families have an enjoyable Spring Break.
Upcoming Dates and Events
Mar. 24 - Donation page for Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation Fundraiser Opens today (See information in Weekly Memo Below)
Mar. 25 - No School (Spring Break starts)
April
Apr. 3 - First Day back after Spring Break
Apr 4 - Field Trip Art 8 & 9- Art Gallery
Apr. 4 – Student Voice (Grades 4, 5 and 6) meeting at noon hour in library with AdminApr. 5 – Student Voice (Grades 1, 2 and 3) meeting at noon hour in library with Admin
Apr. 5 - Early Dismissal (Neon Day)
Apr. 6 – Student Voice (Grades 7, 8 and 9) meeting at noon hour in library with Admin
Apr. 7 - Good Friday - No School
Apr. 10 - Easter Monday - No School
Apr. 11 - School Council Meeting @ 6:30pm; PAS Meeting 7:30 pm
Apr. 14 - Field Trip Class 1-2 John Walter Museum
Apr. 16 - 22 - National Volunteer Week
Apr. 17 - Class 1-1 John Walter Museum
Apr. 20 - Field Trip Gr. 7 - Art Gallery, Field Trip Gr. 5 Modo Yoga
Apr. 21 - Field Trip Class 6-3 - Aviation Museum
Apr. 24 - Field Trip Class 6-2 - Aviation Museum; Field Trip Gr.5 TWOS
Apr. 26 - Junior High Information Night - 6:30 p.m./Field Trip Class 6-1 - Aviation Museum
Apr. 28 - Gr. 9 Wake-a-thon & Bottle Drive in Support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
May
May 3 - Kindergarten Information Night - 6:30 p.m./Early Dismissal
May 5 - No School - Professional Learning Day
Volunteer's Needed
Reset Room Update
After Spring Break, the Reset Room will be open to Grade 6 students! We encourage students to talk to their teacher if they feel this is a place that would benefit their learning needs.
The Reset Room is a space where grade 6, 7, 8, and 9 students can visit when they feel overwhelmed to focus on what they’re experiencing at the moment—all under the supervision of an EIPS teacher who’s trained in mental health literacy and supported by the Division’s counseling team. Mrs. Cohn and Mrs. Hale, our Reset Room teachers, visited the grade 6 classrooms today to share information about the space and answer questions. Students then had an opportunity to visit the room during morning recess. Students can also visit the room on Monday, April 3 during the morning break if they wish to see the room. If you have any questions about the Reset Room, please reach out to Mrs. Cohn or Mrs. Hale at 780-416-9018.
Junior High Information Night
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023, 06:30 PM
101 Crimson Drive, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Grade 9 Wake-a-thon Friday, April 28 & Stollery Fundraiser Drive
Grade 9 students approached school administration requesting the school host a Wake-a-thon as part of their Grade 9 Farewell activities. Therefore, we have decided to have a Grade 9 Wake-a-thon on Friday, April 28, 2023. Students would like to give back to our community and fundraise for the Stollery Hospital. All Lakeland Ridge Families and community members are invited to help support this worthwhile fundraiser and donate if possible. There are two ways families can get involved and donate. The first is by bringing your empty bottles to school after school on April 28 and donating to our Bottle Drive. We will have a trailer set up at school to collect any empty bottles. The other way is to donate money directly to the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. The link can be found here:
https://stollerysuperstars.crowdchange.ca/wakeathon All proceeds will be benefiting the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. If you are a parent or caregiver of a Grade 9 student and wish to volunteer during the wake-a-thon, please let the school know by emailing general.llr@eips.ca. More details of the event will be shared following Spring Break, but we wanted to let families know about the Wake-a-thon, so that you can start saving those empties.
Save the Date: Grade 9 Farewell and Awards Ceremony
More details to follow closer to the date of the event.
Friday, Jun 16, 2023, 07:00 PM
101 Crimson Drive, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Save the Date: Grade 7 and 8 Awards Ceremony
More details to follow closer to the date of the event.
Monday, Jun 19, 2023, 01:30 PM
101 Crimson Drive, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Complete your Parent/Guardian Information Verification Form
Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is currently reviewing and updating all parent and guardian contact information within the Division’s student information system. This one-time, full-scale review is to ensure the Division has complete and accurate data on file as Alberta Education moves to a new way of capturing information in the provincial database.
As part of the data review, EIPS requires all families to carefully review the parent and guardian information on file for each student in your family—even if you’ve recently completed a Student Correction and Verification Form. Families can quickly and easily indicate no updates are needed, if that’s the case, or provide updated contact information as needed. The form also includes a handful of new questions to help the Division understand each parent and guardian’s relationship to the student and their preferences for receiving communication from the school and Division.
To review your information, simply log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal and open the “Parent/Guardian Information Verification Form” from the left-hand menu or notification at the top of the page. Review all information carefully, provide updates where needed and submit your form by April 30. One form is required for each student currently registered at an EIPS school. Only one parent/guardian will complete the form for each student—all associated parent/guardian information for each student is available to review on the same form.
If you have any questions about your Parent/Guardian Information Verification Form, reach out to the school at 780-416-9018.
Summer School 2023
Registration for EIPS Summer School opened March 15, 2023. The Summer School program offers a number of senior high courses that allow students to earn credits, upgrade marks, lighten workloads for the year ahead or finish pre-requisite courses.
Registration is open to:
- current EIPS students (grades 9-12)
- students who will enter an EIPS high school for the 2023-2024 school year, as of Sept. 1, 2023.
Pre-requisite course requirement: In consultation with Alberta Education and senior administration at EIPS, if there is a pre-requisite course needed for the student’s summer class (for example, Social 20-1 to prepare for Social 30-1), that pre-requisite must have been successfully completed by June 25, 2023.
NOTE: Students are only able to register in one course for summer school as all classes run at the same time. The only exception is a student taking self-paced CALM 20, students could then register in one other course, or the classes are taught in different sessions. For example, taking CALM 20 in session 1 and Phys. Ed 10 in session 2.
March Madness Event
Over the month of March, 16 picture books faced off in a head-to-head, single-elimination bracket to be crowned the LLR 2023 March Book Madness Champ! The competition was fierce with some books making it to the next round by only one vote. The winner of this year’s bracket is… MY PET FEET by Josh Funk and Billy Young!
All the picture books will be placed on our school library shelves for students to enjoy. Below is a list of all the books that participated:
- Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and Daniel Minter
- Music Is A Rainbow by Bryan Collier
- Shy by Deborah Freedman
- My Pet Feet by Josh Funk and Billy Young
- Blips on a Screen by Kate Hannigan and Zachariah Ohora
- El Cucuy is Scared Too! By Donna Barba Higuera and Juliana Perdomo
- This Joy by Shelley Johannes
- The Cool Bean by Jory John and Pete Oswald
- Action!: How Movies Began by Meghan McCarthy
- That's Not My Name by Anoosha Syed
- Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings! By Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat
- There are No Bears in this Bakery by Julia Sarcone -Roach
- Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Tiffany Rose
- Gibberish by Young Vo
- Runs With the Stars by Darcy Whitecrow, Heather M. O’Connor and Lenny Lishchenko
- Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter and Oge Mora
Kindergarten Registration is Now Open!
Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2023? If so, it’s now time to register for kindergarten. To register, simply complete the online registration form at eips.ca/kindergarten.
To help families prepare, Elk Island Public Schools has put together an online EIPS Kindergarten Tool kit to make the transition as smooth as possible. The kit includes information on registration, important dates, programming options, what to expect, eligibility, how to find your designated school, transportation and more.
Additional information regarding Lakeland Ridge’s kindergarten program is available at https://www.lakelandridge.ca/.
Get ready for Kindergarten
Do you have a child registered in kindergarten next year? If so, make sure to attend Lakeland’s upcoming Kindergarten Information Night on May 3. You’ll get to:
· tour the school;
· meet the teachers;
· gain insight on play-based learning; and
· see what a typical day looks like.
Kindergarten Information Night 2023:
Date: May 3
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Lakeland Ridge School
To make the transition to school as smooth as possible, Elk Island Public Schools has put together a toolkit for families. The kit includes information about registration, important dates, programming options, what to expect, eligibility, finding your designated school, transportation and more. Find it at: Welcome to EIPS Kindergarten.
Additional information about Lakeland Ridge’s kindergarten program is available on the school website.
A big THANK YOU to EIPS Volunteers
National Volunteer Week takes place April 16-22. On behalf of the Board of Trustees at Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS), I want to say a huge thank you to all EIPS volunteers and school families who help make the Division what it is today. Whether you volunteered for the first time this year or have committed many years to EIPS, your initiative, hard work and dedication are invaluable. You build a legacy for others to follow and a memory for students to cherish as they journey into their futures.
So, thank you again for your overflowing support. Your actions are a direct reflection of the kindness and compassion found in all the communities EIPS serves. This National Volunteer Week, I encourage everyone to celebrate the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours put into making schools across the Division places for students to learn, grow and succeed.
Trina Boymook
Chair, EIPS Board of Trustees
EIPS Annual Education Results Report
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.
April Spotlight: Student Growth and Success
· Early Learning: Ensuring early learners reach developmental milestones
· Culture of Literacy: Dive deep into the data and learn how students are developing strong literacy skills
· Math Matters: Enhancing reasoning, understanding and achievement through numeracy-rich classrooms
· Boosting Educational Outcomes: Discover how EIPS supports the growth and achievement of students who self-identified First Nations, Metis and Inuit
· Beyond high school: Supports and strategies that are creating real-life career pathways for learners
RELATED INFORMATION
EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26
EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2024-27
Download the SchoolMessenger App
Lakeland Ridge and the Division use the SchoolMessenger platform to communicate with families—through both phone and email. Be sure to add communications@eips.ca and amy.desaulniers@eips.ca and sherry.janke@eips.ca to your safe sender list to avoid having important messages funneled into your junk mail folder.
The easiest way to stay connected is to download the SchoolMessenger app. Get the latest updates from both the Division and your child’s school 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 their inbox. Download the SchoolMessenger app from the App Store or Google Play today.
INDIGENGOUS NEWS
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
Family Gatherings | April and June
The First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education team will be hosting family gatherings again, but we’ll be in person this year. Gatherings are a time in the evening when we can meet together to share, learn and connect. All family members are welcome and dinner will be provided at all gatherings. More details and registration will be shared with families closer to each event, but for planning purposes, the dates are as follows:
Thursday, April 20 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Art with Métis knowledge holder Connie Kuhlhavy (hosted at EIPS Central Services, Sherwood Park)
Thursday, June 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Land-based Learning (hosted at EIPS Central Services land-based learning space, Sherwood Park)
Cultural Programs | Late Winter and Spring
The First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education team is busy working with Elders and knowledge holders to plan a variety of cultural learning experiences for students and families. More details will be shared as plans are finalized, but know there are many exciting opportunities coming soon!
Direct Student Support
Study Help for Métis students Rupertsland Institute has secured access to Alberta ExamBank for K-12 Métis students to test their understanding through online practice. Métis students can sign up for the RECC Room to find the login for their MNA Region. Questions? Contact education@rupertsland.org.
Beautiful Michif Album
Métis singer/songwriter/actress Andrea Menard recently released her latest album, Anskoonamakew lii Shansoon, meaning Giveaway Songs. The collection of 10 songs are sung in and translated into the different languages and dialects of Michif people and are a way for Andrea to help share and preserve the Michif language. The songs can be streamed from a variety of platforms. A short video, the album and the lyric sheets are available on her website. Did you know: EIPS teacher Shelly Grauman’s daughter, Tai Amy Grauman, is a Métis playwright, and a song from one of her plays is included in the collection? Amazing talent!
At-home Supports for Métis Youth and Families
Are you a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA)? The MNA Children and Family Services team offers a variety of supports, programs and resources at no cost to citizens.
Winter Land Learning at Métis Crossing
Whether you and your kids are outdoor enthusiasts or like to keep busy and warm indoors, one thing is true, Metis Crossing has it all. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, skating rink and so much more! Enjoy our signature, locally sourced barista coffee at the Bistro in the Lodge or indulge in Métis-inspired lunches at the Cultural Gathering Centre. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 780-656-2229 or visit metiscrossing.com.
LLR Athletics!
Want to know when things are happening? We have an athletics calendar on the LLR school website. https://www.lakelandridge.ca/athletics/athletics-calendar. Please visit often as our Athletics staff will update as often as they can. Please feel free to contact Mr. Fisher (our Athletics Director) if you have any questions or require more information.
Math Homework Support for Parents and Caregivers
Looking to support your child in their math learning? The Community Adult Learning and Literacy Society (CALLS) is here to help! A CALLS instructor can walk you through kindergarten to Grade 6 math homework online so that you can feel confident in fostering your child’s math skills. Support sessions take place virtually every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Simply call or text 780-667-8441 for a Zoom meeting link.
Caregiver Resources
- Wellness Together is free mental health and substance use support for people in Canada and Canadians abroad
- https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA
- Hope For Wellness is free mental health and substance use support available 24/7 to all Indigenous people of Canada.
- https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/
Quick Links
Attendance (Please specify if absence is due to Illness or Parent Excused)
Email: general.llr@eips.ca
Website: https://www.lakelandridge.ca/
Location: 101 Crimson Drive, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-416-9018
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lakeland-Ridge-School-1490402014609661
Twitter: @LakelandRidge