Lakeland Ridge Weekly Update!
Friday, February 18, 2022
Dear LLR families,
We live in a highly digital world and young people have access to a wealth of information at their fingertips. With the increasing use of digital platforms and social media Sherwood Heights and Lakeland Ridge have partnered with Saffron to host two virtual sessions for our families to learn about safe and responsible online practices. The sessions are:
- Feb. 23: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Foundations of Connections
- Feb. 24: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Cyberworld: What Happens When Youth Press Send?
For more details about these sessions, please see the information outlined below.
Also, rapid test kits went home on Monday with students. If your child was absent or has not received their test kit yet they can collect it in the school office. Here is a how-to video for caregivers on how to use the rapid test kits.
And finally, if you have not done so already, please take time to complete the Returning Student Registration on PowerSchool using the Parent Portal prior to February 28. All students planning to attend a school within Elk Island Public Schools for the 2022-2023 school year should complete the registration information.
This weekend is the Family Day weekend and there is no school on Monday, February 21. We look forward to seeing students back on Tuesday! Have a wonderful weekend!
Upcoming Dates and Events
Feb. 1-28: Student Registration for 2022-23:
- Returning Student Registration
Kindergarten and Grades 1-12 - New Student Registration
Feb. 15-23: LLR Book Fair
Feb 21: Family Day: No School
Feb. 23: Pink Shirt Day
Feb. 23: Foundations of Connections 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Microsoft Teams Link
Feb. 24: Saffron Parent/Caregiver Virtual Session: Cyberworld: What Happens When Youth Press Send? 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Microsoft Teams Link
Feb. 27: Hot Lunch Order Deadline
Feb. 28: Hot Lunch: Popeye's - Volunteers assisting with our hot lunch program, please arrive half an hour early to complete the onsite rapid test kit as per our new volunteer protocol.
Feb. 28: Returning student registration closes today
Mar. 2: Early Dismissal - 1:55 pm
Mar. 4: Professional Learning Day: No School
Mar. 8: PAS Meeting/School Council 6:30 pm
Mar. 14: Hot Lunch - Press'd
Mar. 18: Report Cards Online
Mar. 25: Day-in-Lieu: No School
Mar. 28-Apr. 1: Spring Break
April 4: Classes Resume
Spectators Update
The following changes regarding spectators at school events are currently in effect.
- Spectators are permitted at indoor practices, games and performance events.
- All spectators, except EIPS students and children 12 and younger, must wear a mask and physically distance, whenever possible.
- EIPS recommends spectators are limited to family only, at this time.
- EIPS reviews its protocols for spectators on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
Please visit the EIPS Operations Guidelines 2021-22 for a more detailed look at the most recent changes.
School Volunteer Requirements including Hot Lunch Helpers
Visitors, volunteers and contractors are permitted in the school or workplace as long as they have a specific reason for being there and follow the site-visitor protocol—appointments are recommended. EIPS schools no longer require proof of vaccination. However, given the continued presence and high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, onsite rapid testing is mandatory for all volunteers when entering an EIPS building—kits are available at the school.
Volunteers assisting with our hot lunch program, please arrive half an hour early to complete the onsite rapid test kit as required by our new volunteer protocol.
As well, anyone entering an EIPS school or building must complete the COVID-19 Alberta Health Daily Checklist, sign the visitor log, sanitize hands, physically distance and wear a medical-grade mask.
Parent Action Society (PAS) Fundraising
The Parent Action Society (PAS) has been working diligently to raise funds to benefit our students and school community. Our PAS has organized a number of fundraisers including our Hot Lunch program, Casino events, Loyalty Cards and Little Caesars.
Recently, our PAS graciously allotted the funds to support Lakeland Ridge in the following ways:
- purchasing books for our school library and the Jr. High Book Club,
- supporting the Fun Run Club,
- to buy additional Chromebooks and charging carts,
- for Staff Appreciation initiatives,
- providing a teacher allowance to purchase supplies for classroom use, and
- supporting the Grade 6 and Grade 9 Farewells.
For more information about PAS, please go to https://www.lakelandridge.ca/parents/parent-action-society
Provincially Provided Masks Available
Families who would like their child’s provincially provided masks can email Mrs. Desaulniers at amy.desaulniers@eips.ca. Please indicate how many students you have attending Lakeland Ridge School and if you prefer the adult or child size masks. The office will then prepare your request and send the masks home with your child. Information about changes to mask requirements in schools is available online at https://www.alberta.ca/k-12-learning-during-covid-19.aspx.
Safe Online Practices - Information Sessions
Foundations of Connection
Sherwood Heights is partnering with Saffron Centre and Strathcona County Family and Community Services to deliver a free parent session on February 23, 2022 at 6:00-7:30 pm.
The presentation will focus on helping parents learn about healthy relationships including boundaries and consent. They will explore the language you can use and how to develop healthy habits with your children. They will also discuss how to teach your children about consent, conflict and how to recognize healthy or unhealthy behaviours in others.
We invite all EIPS parents to join us virtually through a Teams Meet and look forward to seeing our EIPS parents in attendance.
Cyberworld: What Happens When Youth Press Send?
Lakeland Ridge is partnering with Saffron Centre to deliver a free virtual parent/caregiver session on February 24, 2022 at 6:00-7:30 pm. The session focuses on internet safety and awareness. We invite all EIPS families to join us for the informative presentation: Cyberworld: What Happens When Youth Press Send? The presentation will take place virtually through Microsoft Teams.
Bottle Fillers
Book Fair February 15 – 23
Students will preview the fair with their classes on February 15, 16 & 17.
Students can shop in their cohort groups at designated times during the school days on February 18, 22 & 23.
Parents can shop online starting on February 11 at https://virtualbookfairs.scholastic.ca/pages/5158952
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer,
please contact Ms. Lake at trisha.lake@eips.ca
Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Day
Semester 2 Student Fees
Due to second semester timetable changes for our junior high students it is possible there have been adjustments to your child’s school fees. Typically, fees are due within 30 days of being added to the student's account. You can pay school fees by coming into the school directly or conveniently by logging in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal account. Fee payments can be made online via the PowerSchool Parent Portal using Visa, MasterCard and Debit. If you require assistance accessing your Parent Portal account, contact our office at 780-416-9018. We recommend logging into your account regularly as changes may occur throughout the year.
Parking Lot Safety
Here are some friendly reminders to promote the safety of students, drivers and staff:
- Do not use cell phones or drive distracted
- Remind children to be cautious when entering and exiting the car
- Refrain from speeding or cutting in front of other cars
- Review parking lot safety with your children regularly
Hot Lunch - Order Deadline: February 27, 2022
The hot lunch program continues to be something that our Wolfpack looks forward to and we are happy to announce that round 3 ordering for March and April opened on Friday, February 4.
We would like to remind you that, should your child(ren) be absent on hot lunch day, we are NOT able to refund the cost of pre-paid lunches or to reassign them to another student.
While the administration staff are always willing to take your calls and emails, the program is run by volunteers and not the school. We ask that should your child(ren) be absent on hot lunch day, please email lakelandridgehotlunch@gmail.com no later than 10:30AM that day to arrange to pick up your child's lunch that day or you may choose to donate it. Please include the full name of your child and the class that they are in so we can locate their lunch on the day and handle it appropriately. After 10:30 on the day of hot hunch, you can contact the school and they will let us know as we will be busy getting the lunches ready and not checking our e-mail.
Without our volunteers this program would not exist. A VERY heartfelt thank you to all who have volunteered so far. If you would like to volunteer, we require about an hour of your time on the day of hot lunch to help sort and distribute the lunches to our students. You can sign up when placing your child's order or after ordering closes by contacting Kathi Engel at lakelandridgehotlunch@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Lakeland Ridge Hot Lunch Program
Kindergarten Registration Now Open!
Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2022? 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 Lakelandridge.ca
Complete the Returning Student Registration: Feb. 1-28
Elk Island Public Schools’ (EIPS) returning student registration process is now open. All returning students must complete the online Returning Student Registration Form to confirm their child’s enrolment in a school for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. Additionally, students who want to attend a non-designated school need to make that request through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space. All returning EIPS students are required to complete the form by Feb. 28, 2022.
To access the Returning Student Registration Form, simply log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
If you don’t have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, you do need to set one up. For help see: Create a PowerSchool Parent Portal account
For more information contact the school directly.
RELATED INFORMATION:
Returning Student Registration Process
Frequently Asked Questions
EIPS School Boundary Maps
Closed boundaries 2022-23
Find my designated school
Applying to a non-designated school
Grade 9 Families: High School Registration Information
To help you make an informed decision about high school, senior high schools throughout Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) are hosting information sessions for all Grade 9 students and their families. The sessions allow students and families to meet the staff; tour the school; learn about the curriculum, course offerings and alternative programming available; discuss diploma requirements and various career paths; plus, more. Refer to the Senior High Information Nights: Dates and times EIPS senior high programming on our Division website for details.
EIPS 2022-23 Division Calendar: Now available!
The official 2022-23 EIPS calendar is now available. The calendar includes important dates during the 2022-23 school year, such as school-closure days, breaks, the first and last day of classes, professional learning days, early dismissal days, plus more.
Highlights from the 2022-23 EIPS calendar include:
First day of school – Aug. 30, 2022
November break – November 7-11
Christmas break – December 21 to January 3
Second semester starts – January 31
Teachers’ Convention – February 9-10
Spring break – March 24-31
Last day of classes – June 27, 2023
To view the 2022-23 calendar, visit eips.ca. You can sync the Division calendar to your personal calendar by visiting www.eips.ca/calendar and clicking on “subscribe to calendar.”
Students Returning to School After Illness
As per the updated COVID-19 Alberta Health Daily Checklist, children who are fully immunized are required to isolate for 5 days from the onset of symptoms or until symptoms resolve, whichever is longer. If a child is not fully immunized, the child must isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms or until they resolve, whichever is longer.
"Fully vaccinated" individuals that return after 5 days after being ill must continue to wear a mask for up to 5 days after their isolation period in the following situations:
- when outside of the home in a public place
- when participating in physical activities (i.e. Phys. Ed or outside at recess)
- when in the company of others not within their household.
Therefore, students returning to school from a 5 day isolation period have two options for eating at morning break and at lunch.
Morning Break - During the morning break, elementary students will eat their snacks in the breakout rooms within their classroom or outside the class. Junior high students can eat in the Kona gym where they will be supervised and socially distanced from one another. After eating, students can wear their masks and return to their regular school routine.
Lunch - Students will have two options at lunch.
- Students can eat in the Kona gym where they will be supervised and socially distanced from one another. After eating, students can wear their masks and return to their regular school routine.
- Students can eat lunch at home for the 5-day period.
Families may also choose to keep their child home from school for the additional 5 days and access schoolwork using the Brightspace platform. It is the responsibility of the parent/student to inform the school if an alternate eating arrangement is required. Please email Amy.Desaulniers@eips.ca or call 780-416-9018.
Matilda Tickets are now on sale on Powerschool Parent Portal, through Optional Fees
- Maximum of 4 tickets per show per student
- $8 per ticket
- limited seating is available.
March 16 5:30 pm
March 16 8:00 pm
March 17 5:30 pm
March 17 8:00 pm
March 18 5:30 pm
March 18 8:00 pm
Literacy at Home
In honour of Black History Month, here are some junior high book recommendations that speak to past, present and future of powerful, young black lives. All of these books have been written in the last three years and some have Canadian content.
1. Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi - This inspiring memoir, chronicles Top Chef star Kwame Onwuachi's incredible and odds-defying fame in the food world after a tough childhood in the Bronx and Nigeria.
2. Punching the Air by Ibi Aanu Zoboi - Written in poetry, Zoboi and Salaam hold no punches when detailing the dehumanizing experience of an unfair trial and prison sentence for wrongly convicted 16 year old Amal.
3. The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed - Affluent Ashley Bennett struggles with her identity, her family, and figuring out where she belongs in this compelling novel set in 1992 during the immediate aftermath of the Rodney King trial.
4. Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillipe - To fulfill his dream of attending Columbia University, Henri creates a dog-walking business for the New York City elite in this clever fiction that explores moral ambiguity alongside racial and class struggles.
5. A Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Phillipe - A fish-out-of-water story about Norris Kaplan, a Black French Canadian teen suddenly navigating high school in the suburbs of Austin, Texas – a story that’s intelligent, hilarious, and surprising.
Also, here are some recent articles about the history of Black people in and around Alberta.
Black Albertans You Should Know
Alberta’s Black Pioneer Heritage
Tips for Reading Narrative Text
The reading tips below are helpful for students who are reading narrative texts. These skills are useful to practice at home when students are completing activities.
First Nations, Métis and Inuit Update
EIPS First Nations, Métis, and Inuit team invite you to join their upcoming virtual gatherings. It is a grea tway to make connections, create a supportive environment for dialogue, share hopes and ideas, and learn what’s happening around the Division. We’re grateful to Elder Wilson Bearhead for attending the virtual gatherings last school year and agreeing to open each gathering again this year.
Gathering 3:
March 15, 2022; 7–8 p.m.
· words from Elder Wilson
· topics to be determined based on wishes, hopes and interests expressed in previous gatherings
Sessions will take place online using Microsoft Teams Meetings. For more information visit our Division website or reach out to the school at 780-416-9018.