Bison Tales March 10, 2023

Happy Friday Ardrossan families, 

It was another busy week at our school this week.  Our students danced up a storm at our Girandole dance workshop on Monday, and today Isabelle Cliche entertained our students with her amazing musical talents.  We are so grateful for the support that Canadian Parents for French gave us to bring in some amazing experiences for our students. 

To continue with the good news, our school raised $4040 for Jump Rope for Heart this year! This is incredible being that our fundraising goal was only $2000.  We'd like to thank our school community immensely for all their hard work and generosity.   Great job everyone!

Please make sure you login to your Parent Portal on March 17, as our term 2 report cards will be published that day.  

Have a wonderful weekend.

Lana Lastiwka and Tandy Atchison 

Principal and Assistant Principal

WEEK AT A GLANCE

March 13 - 17, 2023

Upcoming Dates

• March 20 - School Council and AEPSA - 6:30 p.m.
• March 23 - Last Day of Classes Before Spring Break
• March 23 - Spirit Day - wear plaid
• March 24 - 31 - Spring Break - Schools Closed
• April 3 - School resumes

AEPSA Fundraiser - NEW and YUMMY

Our parent group is having a Wilhauk fundraiser, lots of yummy things to order from beef jerky to pulled pork.

Wilhauk Beef Jerky School Fundraising Form

This amazing fundraiser will open on March 2 and run until March 23.  Orders will be available for pick up from Ardrossan school on April 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Each order will be pre packed in a box or bag for each family depending on the size of the order.

You will be able to log into the www.aeslunchbox.com where you order lunches, and e-transfer or PayPal your orders in.  

The form is for you to keep track of your orders, it does not need to be submitted.

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!  

Have your say! EIPS’ 2023 Annual Feedback Survey Opens March 1-23

Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) wants to hear from you. Make sure to complete the 2023 EIPS Annual Feedback Survey: For parents and caregivers—open from March 1-23.

Every year, EIPS conducts the feedback survey to gauge its progress toward meeting the goals and priorities outlined in its Four-Year Education Plan. Families are 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. The survey input helps the Division develop new strategies to better serve students and the wider community. VISIT EIPS.CA TO TAKE THE SURVEY: March 1-23

NOTE: The survey is anonymous and only takes a few minutes to complete. If you want to share the experience of more than one child attending an EIPS school, simply complete the survey again.

Measuring Success: Grade 4 Parents Complete this Year’s Alberta Education Assurance Survey

Deadline extended to March 17, 2023.

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 17, 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.

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. For more information, visit eips.ca.

Caregiver Series: March Sessions

Alberta Health Services offers free online programming for parents and caregivers of children and youth. Sessions are offered through Zoom. Upcoming topics include understanding depression, anxiety and parenting teens in the 21st century. The list of March 2023 sessions is now available.

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:

Teach your child how to recognize and manage feelings

All children feel worried or upset sometimes. Being aware of these feelings and thoughts is the first step toward managing them in healthy ways. Here’s how:

• Talk about thoughts. When your child seems sad or anxious, ask, “What are you thinking about right now?” Your child might say, for example, “I’m worried no one will sit with me in the cafeteria at lunch tomorrow.”
• Show understanding. Put your child’s feelings into words. “I know you’re worried about finding someone to eat with at lunch tomorrow.”
• “Flip” thinking. Tell your child to make negative thoughts do a “flip” so they’re more positive or helpful. Your child might think, “I can ask my reading buddy to have lunch with me” or “I can tell my teacher I’m worried about sitting alone.”

If your child often seems worried or upset, talk to your child’s teacher, school counselor or pediatrician.

Reprinted with permission from the March 2023 issue of Parents make the difference!^®  (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2023 The Parent Institute^®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: “Catch, Check, and Change Your Thoughts,” National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.