Bison Tales February 3, 2023

Happy Friday Bison Families,

Well, if the groundhogs are correct, we have another 6 weeks of winter ahead of us. Who are we kidding? We live in Alberta, of course we have more winter. Also, it wouldn't be the Bison Tales if we didn't make a comment about the weather!

Next week is a short but full week with Parent Teacher Interviews/Demonstration of Learning and our Book Fair on Monday and Tuesday, and Teacher's Convention on Thursday and Friday. If you missed the deadline and were unable to book a time, please connect with your child's teacher or call the school office at 780-922-2066, we would be happy to help you.

Have the most amazing weekend!

Lana Lastiwka and Tandy Atchison

Principal and Assistant Principal

WEEK AT A GLANCE

February 6 - 10, 2023

Upcoming Dates

• February 14 - School Council/AEPSA 6:30 p.m.
• February 16 - Hold and Secure Drill - more info to come
• February 20 - Family Day - school closed
• February 22 - Pink Shirt Day

Jump Rope For Heart

Our school is excited to be participating in Jump Rope for Heart this year for the month of February! Join Ardrossan elementary and help Heart & Stroke save lives by jump-starting your fundraising. Here’s how: 

Visit www.jumpropeforheart.ca and click “Register” and search for Ardrossan Elementary or copy and paste the school link https://jumpropeforheart.crowdchange.ca/17874 to register right from our school page. Help your child set up their fundraising page online. 

Jump Rope for Heart is more than a fundraiser. It teaches students 4 EASY Healthy Habits to help protect their heart and brain health – for a lifetime! Check out the EASY Online Challenge at www.jumpropeforheart.ca – it’s full of fun activities that you can even do as a family at home!

Tidbits from the LunchBox

The March menu for ordering is currently open until Thursday, February 9. All orders and payments will be due then. Check out special menu items for March in celebration of the French Carnaval! 

Grade 6 Mini Handball Tournament

The grade 6 students are having a mini tournament the afternoon of Wednesday, February 8.  We will be having a concession for students to purchase a treat as they get to watch in the gym for a bit of time.  

Concession:

Chocolate bars $2.00

Chips $1.00

Gatorade (grades 4 - 6 only) $2.00

Measuring Success: Complete this year’s Alberta Education Assurance Survey

Once again, Alberta Education is surveying teachers, students and families through its annual Alberta Education Assurance (AEA) Survey. The survey acts as an annual check-up on the province’s education system. Every year, Alberta Education conducts the survey to gather information about the quality of education provided by Alberta schools and school authorities. The survey looks at various measures such as education quality, citizenship, family involvement, engagement levels, school climate and student wellness.

The AEA survey is sent to

· Small schools (fewer than 120 students in grades 4-12)—based on jurisdiction requests for more reportable survey data at the school level, the survey is expanded to include all students in grades 4 and above and their parents and guardians.

· Large schools (120 or more students in grades 4-12)—only students in grades 4, 7 and 10 and their parents and guardians are included in the survey. These grades are considered to be a reasonably representative sample of students.

Throughout February, Grade four students at Ardrossan Elementary are completing the survey online at the school. Student participation is voluntary and completely anonymous. Students are assigned a random username and password to ensure survey responses aren’t linked to any individual student. The survey doesn’t take long to complete and is done within the school day during regular class time.

Additionally, parents and guardians of students in these grades are also asked to take a survey, either online or by mail. Alberta Education will send families information about the survey directly. As with the student and teacher survey, it’s anonymous and asks questions about your school experiences. If you have a child in these grades, we encourage you to participate. The survey deadline is March 3, 2023.

Results from the AEA Survey are provided to Elk Island Public Schools each spring. The Division then uses the data to inform its four-year education plan, school education plans and strategies for continuous improvement. Each fall, the results are also shared with EIPS families and school communities in the Division’s Annual Education Results Report

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.

Complete your Returning Student Registration: February 1-28

Elk Island Public Schools’ (EIPS) returning student registration process is now open. All current students, except Grade 12, must complete the online Returning Student Registration Form to confirm their enrolment in a school for the upcoming 2023-24 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 current EIPS students are required to complete the form by Feb. 28, 2023.

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 2023-24
Find my designated school
Applying to a non-designated school

Fee Survey

It is that time of year where we start planning for school fees for the 2023 - 2024 school year. Please take a moment to respond to our Fee Survey. We will be looking at the results and feedback to help inform our decision making process. 

Parents Make the Difference

Each month we will include some articles with some great tips and strategies for parents. Here is this week's featured article:

Research shows nutrition is linked to academic performance

Have you heard the expression “food for thought”? Well, it turns out to be, quite literally, the truth. 

Good nutrition really does feed the brain. And it starts with breakfast. Research shows that eating breakfast helps students stay on task and recall information. Eating breakfast regularly is even linked to improved overall school performance.

What can you do? If your child doesn’t eat breakfast at school, keep easy options like low-sugar, whole grain cereals and fruit on hand. And be prepared for a rushed morning with items your child can eat on the way out the door, like a hard-boiled egg.

Whether you’re packing lunch or your child is eating a school lunch, teach your child to avoid high-calorie and high-fat foods. When children eat a meal that is high in fat and sugar, their bodies tend to become very tired—which makes it difficult to concentrate.

Children are typically hungry when they get home from school, so be sure to keep a variety of healthy snacks on hand—fruits, veggies, cheese, sugar-free yogurt and whole grain crackers.

When you get groceries, prioritize foods you want your child to eat. Your child is more likely to choose healthy options if that is all you have in the house.

Reprinted with permission from the February 2023 issue of Parents make the difference!^®  (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2023 The Parent Institute^®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: C. St John, M.P.H., R.D.N., “Proof Positive: Breakfast Improves Kids’ Grades, Mood and Weight,” HealthyEating.Org.