Bison Tales, January 13, 2023

Happy Friday Bison Families,

We had another great week of learning at Ardrossan. Aside from a few indoor recesses because of poor air quality, we were back into the routines of teaching and learning.

We had our grade three assembly today and learned all about the Treaty 6 and Métis flags which are now hanging in our school gymnasium. The grade 3's also taught us the importance of putting first things first, and being mindful throughout our day. Thank you for a wonderful assembly.

Next week is colour week! What a wonderful way to show school spirit and brighten up our hallways.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Lana Lastiwka and Tandy Atchison

Principal and Assistant Principal

WEEK AT A GLANCE

January 16 - 20, 2023

Upcoming Dates

• January 23 - Division 2 Ski Trip
• January 23 - CPF meeting 6:00 p.m. at AJS
• January 27 - Grade 6 classes to AJS for lunch
• January 27 - Spirit Day - Sport Jersey Day
• January 30 - Professional Learning Day - School Closed
• February 1 - New and returning student registration begins
• February 6 and 7 - Parent Teacher Interviews/Demonstration of Learning - more info to come

Grades 4, 5 and 6 Ski Trip Payment Due

A friendly reminder that payments for the division 2 field trip must be received by Tuesday January 17 for your child to attend.

We have discovered that the fee is not immediately visible when you log into your parent portal account, we apologize for any confusion. Click on this fee instruction link for a photo and instructions, or read below.

If you have not yet paid, please follow these steps:

1. Log into your portal account. 

2. Select Student Fees from the left-hand menu.

3. Select the student tab at the top of the page.

4. The ski trip fee will be at the bottom of the page. Please choose the one fee that best suits your needs.

If you need help with this, please call the school at 780-922-2066.

Thank you!

Tidbits from the LunchBox

Did you know....

Thank you for your generous donations of $348.00 and for purchasing 284 cinnamon buns during our Cinnamon Bun fundraiser in December. With all the proceeds from this fundraiser, we were able to donate a grand total of $1000.00 to the Strathcona Food Bank from our school community. Way to go Bisons!

Take a look at the Food Bank Letter.

Ardrossan Spirit Wear

We have a new spirit wear store! Shop for T-Shirts, hoodies and more until January 29, 2023. Orders will be shipped to the school, and we will organize the orders and send t

https://www.promoplace.com/ardrossan/

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. 

Secondary French Immersion Information Session

Elk Island Public Schools is hosting a secondary French Immersion information session on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. All students in grades 5 to 11 and their families are invited to attend to learn more about the junior and senior high French Immersion program.

Participants will gain insight about the curriculum, instruction, diploma requirements, related career paths and optional course offerings. In addition, families will have a chance to ask questions from representatives of both Ardrossan Junior Senior High and Sherwood Heights Junior High and learn about post-secondary options at the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean.

Event Details:

Date:               Jan. 18, 2023

Time:               6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Location:        Ardrossan Junior Senior High

Grief and Loss Workshop

Strathcona County is offering a set of two connected sessions to learn more about grief and loss in a safe, compassionate environment. Sessions are January 17 and 24, 2023.

Register here

Inclement Weather

With the winter season well underway, we want to remind families to dress children appropriately for the weather when getting ready for school or the bus. The weather often changes unexpectedly throughout the day, so please select suitable outerwear and ensure your child is prepared for changing conditions.

If inclement weather conditions occur, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) will advise families of any bus cancellations using various communications tools—automated-telephone messages, alerts posted on www.eips.ca and school websites, Twitter, Facebook, local radio stations and notification through both the Bus Status and the Ride 360 apps. Morning bus cancellations are posted on www.eips.ca by 6:30 a.m.

Decisions regarding bus cancellations are guided by EIPS’ Administrative Procedure 131: Inclement Weather, which states: “school bus service may be suspended … when there is a forecast or current temperature of -40 C including wind chill, in one or more regions.” Other reasons for suspending or delaying school bus services include adverse weather and poor road conditions.

When school bus services are suspended, schools remain open to students. EIPS believes families have the right and responsibility to make choices for their children based on they feel is safest during times of inclement weather.

For more information, contact EIPS Student Transportation at 780-417-8151.

Returning Student Registration for 2023-24

Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) will once again conduct an online returning student registration process to confirm student registrations for the 2023-24 school year. Families of all current students—with the exception of graduating Grade 12 students—must complete the process to confirm the school their child plans to attend in the 2023-24 school year or advise the Division of their plans not to return to EIPS. 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. The 2023-24 returning student registration takes place Feb. 1-28, 2023.

Access to the Returning Student Registration Form is provided through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you don’t have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, you need to set one up before Feb. 1, 2023.

Create a PowerSchool Parent Portal account

For more information, contact the school office at 780-922-2066.

Kindergarten Registration Starts Soon!

Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2023? If so, it’s almost time to register for kindergarten.

Kindergarten registration opens for the 2023-24 school year on Feb. 1, 2023.

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 Ardrossan Elementary's kindergarten program is available at Ardrossan Elementary Kindergarten Registration Information.

Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health Newsletter

The January edition of the Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health Newsletter focuses on vaping. Newsletter

Themes include:

• What is a vape?
• Why do young people vape?
• How harmful is vaping?
• Talk to your children about vaping.

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:

High expectations motivate students to succeed in school

When adults expect elementary schoolers to succeed, students’ chances of doing so improve greatly. Expect them to come up short, and the odds are that they will.

Children are usually keenly aware of how their families view them, and they often tailor their actions to those views. So it’s very important to have high expectations—and to express them to your child.

To set effective expectations:

• Make sure what you expect is within your child’s abilities. If you set expectations that are either too high or too low, your child may do poorly.
• Post a list of expectations. Include your expectations for behavior in places and situations such as home, school, study time, etc.
• Be consistent. Don’t lower your expectations to make your child happy. Don’t raise them because you’ve had a rough day.
• Set your child up for success. Offer support to help your child meet expectations. For example, provide a well-lit study space and keep distractions to a minimum.

Reprinted with permission from the January 2023 issue of Parents make the difference!^®  (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2023 The Parent Institute^®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.