Bison Tales May 26, 2023

Good afternoon Bison families,

What a beautiful day and end to the short week. Our grade 6 students held their last volleyball tournament of the year this afternoon, always a success.

We sent out a separate email to remind those of you who ordered plants, that today is pick up day, thank you for supporting our AEPSA and our students.

We have a number of field trips and a variety of activities coming up, June looks like an eventful and fun month. 

Enjoy the gorgeous weather and have a great weekend, 

Lana Lastiwka and Tandy Atchison 

Principal and Assistant Principal

WEEK AT A GLANCE

May 29 - June 2, 2023

Upcoming Dates

June 5 - Grade 1 In school field trip

June 7 - Early Dismissal 2:16 p.m.

June 8 - 5A and 6A French Immersion Trip to Rundle Park - rescheduled

June 9 - Grade 6 Farewell Celebration

June 12 - Sports Day: Division 1 in the morning, Division 2 in the afternoon

June 13 - Sports Day Rainout Day

June 14 - Grade 3 Farm Field Trip

June 15 - Grade 6 Fit Set Ninja In School Field Trip

June 15 - Grade 4 Field Trip to Fort Edmonton Park

June 16 - Grade 6 French Language Arts Part B PAT

June 16 - Grade 6 to AJS for lunch

June 19 - Kindergarten Celebration

June 20 - Grade 6 English Language Arts Part B PAT

June 21 - Grade 1 Strathcona Wilderness Center Field Trip

June 21 - National Indigenous People's Day

June 22 - Last Day of PALS

June 22 - Grade 6 Math Part A PAT

June 23 - Grade 6 Math Part B PAT

June 26 - Grade 6 Social Studies PAT

June 27 - Grade 6 Science PAT

June 27 - Year End BBQ

Music Notes:

Marching Band has begun!  We have a great group of 42 students who are preparing to play drums and recorder in the Ardrossan parade.  Please watch your inbox for a permission click email if you have a child in the group.  For everyone else, we hope to see you all on the sidelines cheering us on!

On another note, (pun intended!  haha!) The grade 6 farewell performance is coming together nicely!  We would love some barbeque racks or oven racks for our Stomp inspired junk rhythm ensemble.  We could also use another rain barrel.  I would be happy to arrange pick up if needed just send me an email.  Thank you!

Layla Pretzlaff

Ardrossan Elementary Staff Appreciation Day - June 2nd 

Help us thank the staff of Ardrossan Elementary for their time and effort with our children.  We want to show them how much we appreciate all the extras they have undertaken this school year.

The appreciation day will be June 2nd.  We will need to collect by May 28th to have everything sorted.

Anyone who has a donation to provide for the gift bags click here to Participate in our Staff Appreciation Event. Or you can give a monetary donation to help with the pizza lunch which will be supplied by Nitzas you can donate to aepsa@gmail.com. A box will be left at the school in the office to collect items or gift cards.  You can also contact Vania Lloyd for drop off after school hours.

Thank you, 

AEPSA

Year-End BBQ - Parent Volunteers Needed!

Canadian Parents for French Ardrossan Chapter will be hosting the Ardrossan Elementary Year-End Family BBQ on Tuesday, June 27 at 11:15 a.m. This event is for all students and families to enjoy. Orders can be made for parents and siblings under student hot lunch account, and extras will be for sale the day of the BBQ.

In order to make this event possible we rely on the help of volunteers. Sign up for a position here and if you have any questions please contact ardrossancpf@gmail.com.

Thanks for your support.

Do you have a student entering into Grade 7 next year?

Strathcona county is offering a program to support students transition from grade 6 to grade 7.  Check out this Junior High Journey Poster for more information.

Tools for School

Ardrossan Elementary has once again partnered with the United Way for the 2023-24 Tools for School campaign. Annually, Tools for School provides backpacks and school supplies to students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 whose families have limited resources. If you’re a parent or know a parent who needs access to the program, contact the school directly. Staff will discretely provide the backpack to the child at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.

Alternatively, if you’d like to donate to the program, you can pick up a few extra supplies when you’re out shopping for back to school in August. Drop-off boxes are located at the EIPS Central Services office, all Staples locations and various businesses in the community. Any supplies donated within the community are invested back into the region.

For more information about Tools for School, contact the school at 780-922-2066 or call EIPS Central Services at 780-464-3477.

United Way Tools for School Requests: Family Orders

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.

June Spotlight: enhancing public education through effective engagement · Rules of Engagement: Using a collaborative approach to improve student achievement and success · Driving change: Strengthening public education through Board advocacy.

Little Elk Island Adventure

Elk Island Public Schools is once again planning to run the Little Elk Island Adventure, a fun and informative program for first-time school bus riders.

Annually, Student Transportation offers the Little Elk Island Adventure to new riders and their parents. The program’s aim: To help introduce families to busing so they feel comfortable and at ease before even starting school. Through a series of activities, riders learn about school bus safety, danger zones, tips on boarding and how to sit properly on the bus. After that, both the children and parents hop on the bus to practice what they’ve learned by venturing out on a short ride.

The Little Elk Island Adventure is for first-time school bus riders entering the 2023-24 school year. The tentative session dates and times are as follows:

Location Date* Time*

EIPS Central Services August 14 5 p.m.

EIPS Central Services August 14 6:30 p.m.

EIPS Central Services August 15 5 p.m.

EIPS Central Services August 15 6:30 p.m.

EIPS Central Services August 17 5 p.m.

EIPS Central Services August 17 6:30 p.m.

EIPS Central Services August 18 5 p.m. EIPS Central Services August 18 6:30 p.m.

* Special Education session for PALS and Project Unit Funding students only.

SouthPointe School August 21 5 p.m.

SouthPointe School August 21 5 p.m.

** SouthPointe School locations are for students attending schools in Fort Saskatchewan.

EIPS Central Services is located at 683 Wye Rd., Sherwood Park

SouthPointe School is located at 11 SouthPointe Blvd., Fort Saskatchewan

Register Now

Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

More information about busing for kindergarten children is available at: eips.ca/transportation/kindergarten-busing-faq.

Student Transportation: 2023-24 Registration

Planning to use Student Transportation in the 2023-24 school year? If so, make sure your child is registered so Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) can plan routes and send your child a bus pass before the first day of school.

All students who indicated needing transportation services through the returning student or new student registration processes are now registered. Those families have also received tentative route schedules and invoices—fees are due June 30, 2023.

For those students who didn’t indicate needing transportation services during the registration process and want to now register, simply fill out this registration form.

For more information about EIPS Student Transportation, visit www.eips.ca/transportation.

Pre-Kindergarten Programming at EIPS

Pre-kindergarten Programming at EIPS

Is there a preschooler in your life experiencing developmental delays or challenges with speech-language or motor-skill development—big or small? If so, Elk Island Public School’s Play And Learn at School (PALS) program could help.

Early learning lays the foundation for success in primary grades and beyond. As such, EIPS offers the pre-kindergarten PALS program in five of its elementary school locations—including Ardrossan Elementary. In fact, EIPS is now accepting applications for free speech-language assessments for those interested in registering in the PALS program this fall. The assessment helps determine if PALS is appropriate for your child.

If you know a preschooler, born in 2019 or 2020, who could benefit from pre-kindergarten programming or want to book an assessment, fill out the PALS Program Request Form or call 780-417-8219. 

2022-23 EIPS Annual Feedback Survey: Results now available

The results of the 2022-23 EIPS Annual Feedback Survey: For Parents and Caregivers are now available. In March, the Division conducted the annual survey, which helps EIPS gauge its progress toward meeting the goals and priorities outlined in its Four-Year Education Plan. Families were asked a series of questions about their experiences with EIPS and the school their child attends, the overall performance of the Division, the quality of education being provided to students and areas for improvement.

Thank you to all families who took the time to share their feedback with the Division. Overall, the survey received 2,709 responses from parents and caregivers across EIPS. EIPS, and schools, will now review the feedback in detail and use it to develop new strategies to serve students and the wider community better.

The full results are available online: 2022-23 Parent Survey results: EIPS

2022-23 Parent Survey results: Ardrossan Elementary

Bison Bravo a Staff Member

Did you know that the Ardrossan Elementary Parent Support Association has started a staff bravo initiative?  As you might know, Ardrossan staff regularly give out Bison Bravos to students to acknowledge acts of citizenship, kindness or excellence.  

AEPSA is offering the chance for students and families to Bravo a staff member!  All you have to do is click on the the Bravo a Staff Member box on the right side of the school webpage to fill out an electronic Bravo form.  Then our amazing AEPSA parents write you message on a note which is delivered to that staff member along with a sweet treat!