Mustang Memo - March 20, 2025
This week had several highlights starting with the Grade 5 DARE graduation. We we so impressed to have such a great turn out of parents, caregivers, and family to celebrate the learning that our students did around topics related to making safe life choices. Students masterfully delivered speeches on what they learned throughout the 13 weeks of instruction by Officer Donaldson and some students were the deserving recipients of DARE spirit and DARE improvement awards.
Thank you to the Grade 5 teachers for organizing such a well-attended event as well as to Officer Donaldson for making this program such a great success at Davidson Creek Elementary.
We were very proud of our Mustangs!
We hope that you and your family enjoy a relaxing Spring Break.
Helene Hewitt & Jay Robertson
Principal & Assistant Principal
You belong here!
Table of Contents
Week At a Glance
Action
- Did you Read Your Child's Report Card Yet?
- Grade 4 Parents - Survey Deadline Extended
Opportunity
- Retro 80's Dance Party Coming
- Math-a-thon Pledges
Information
- Counsellor's Corner
- Spring Break
- Staffing Update
- Parents Make the Difference
WEEK AT A GLANCE
March 21 - March 30 Spring Break - no school!
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ACTION
Not Too Late to Read Your Child's Report Card!
Did you know that only 61% of our report cards were viewed by parents?
That means that out of 665 students, approximately 260 students have report cards that were not yet opened and viewed by a parent or guardian!
Let's get our numbers back up to 100% of our parents and caregivers opening their child's report card! If your life is busy and you didn't get around to viewing your child's report card yet, no worries! It's never too late! Why don't you hop on over to the Parent Portal right now and check it out? Need help with Parent Portal? Call April Pratch at 780-467-5557 in the front office and she'll get you going!
While you're catching up on your to-do list, why not fill out the EIPS Annual Parent Feedback Survey - the deadline is end of day tomorrow!
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.
Grade 4 Parents - Survey Deadline Extended
The Alberta Education Assurance Survey random access codes were sent home on yellow papers a few weeks ago. If you have yet to complete the survey, it's not too late! They have extended the deadline until March 28.
If you need a new random access code, please email Helene Hewitt at helene.hewitt@eips.ca
OPPORTUNITY
Retro 80's Dance Party Coming
Don't forget that we are having a totally radical Retro 80's Dance Party on April 4! Dress up in your retro gear and pull out your gnarliest 80's slang. There will be some fantabulous and most excellent prizes to win at the dance as well as a cash only concession so bring your moola! The dance starts at 6 p.m.!
We will also be collecting bottles in a bottle drive at the dance. You can bring a bag of bottles and drop them off before coming into the dance. The bottle drive collection will start at 5:30 p.m. on April 4 as well!
Be there or be square!
Math-a-thon Pledges
Your children should come home with pink slips of paper showing their finishing score (or BEST score) for their Math-a-thon facts challenge. It will also show how much they improved over time so that we can calculate the classes with the highest average improvement to win prizes!
Thank you for your help in collecting pledges over the break! We hope we were able to raise some funds for your school council!
INFORMATION
Counsellor's Corner
Co-Parenting Resources
Holidays can be a challenging time for all families, with the pressures of scheduling, hosting, navigating family conflicts & creating memories all piling up at once. The added pressures of co-parenting after separation or divorce, can make school holidays an especially stressful for some families. Below are some resources you may find helpful as you navigate co-parenting during this time (and anytime!).
- Top Tips for Co-Parenting During the Holidays
- Co-Parenting Apps: Useful apps you can use to help make co-parenting easier:
- Family Mediation – Government of Alberta→ Click here for more information
Families coping with challenges such as divorce, separation, child custody and access can meet with a mediator to talk about these issues. The goal is to reach a mutual agreement that focuses on the child and avoids going to court. Family mediation is confidential and informal.
- Parenting After Separation Course→ Click here for more information
This course is for parents or guardians who are separating or getting a divorce. Sometimes the course is required, or one can voluntarily take the course. The course workbook (available online) provides guidance and a template for creating a parenting plan.
Spring Break
Davidson Creek Elementary is closed for spring break from March 21 to March 30, 2025. During this time, if you need immediate assistance, Elk Island Public School Central Services is open. Contact the main office at 780-464-3477 if you have urgent questions or concerns at this time. Our school office will reopen on Monday, March 31. Enjoy the break!
Staffing Update
We would like to congratulate our music and physical education teacher, Ms. Falcon, on accepting a a full-time teaching position at STEM collegiate in Edmonton starting shortly after the break! We will miss her enthusiasm and flair for the arts, but we know that she will make great things happen in her new school! Good luck, Ms. Falcon!
We would like to welcome Mrs. Engbert who will be stepping into the role for the remainder of the school year.
Parents make the difference
Here is this week's article with helpful tips for families:
Are you spending meaningful time with your family?
Frequent, meaningful, undivided attention from family helps children reach their full potential in school and life. But finding that time can often be difficult.
Are you finding ways to spend meaningful family time together? Answer yes or no to each of the questions below to find out:
- Do you strive to eat meals as a family regularly and include your child in mealtime conversations?
- Do you balance your child’s structured activities with plenty of time for reading, relaxing and hanging out with family?
- Do you have a bedtime routine that includes spending at least five minutes talking with your child?
- Do you schedule one-on-one time with your child each week?
- Have you designated screen-free times at home? Digital devices can cause separation even when family members are together.
How well are you doing?
More yes answers mean you’re finding ways to make family time a priority. For no answers, try those ideas.
Reprinted with permission from the March 2025 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2025 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.