Mustang Memo - December 6, 2024

Did you know that we have special visitors that pop in and out of classes all throughout the month of December? Welcome back to Freddie the Yeti and Cool Christmas Carl! Freddie is a little white yeti who hides in classrooms with a holiday book and candy canes. You never know where you might find him! Yesterday he was stuck in a pyramid of blocks, the day before he was trapped in the ceiling tiles! Oh, Freddie!

Cool Christmas Carl is a fluffy cow with a surprisingly deep voice who also brings candy canes and a holiday book to classes. He is usually looking for Freddie, without much luck! Yesterday, Carl was distracted by a Christmas tree and was eating all of the branches! 

If you're looking for a nice dinner conversation, ask you children about what Freddie and Carl have been up to this week! 

Stay warm this weekend!

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?
• Christmas Concert Reminders
• Fee Waiver Deadline is Coming
• Kindergarten Registration Starts Soon!

Opportunity 

• 12 Days of Christmas Food Bank Drive Still On!

Information

• Counsellor's Corner
• Did You Know?
• Returning Student Registration
• Parents Make the Difference

WEEK AT A GLANCE

ACTION

Did you Read Your Child's Report Card Yet?

Life is busy, we're not judging you! If you didn't have a chance yet, we encourage you to take a peek at your child's report card. Each child worked so hard in the first term of school and we want to celebrate their achievements with you! 

Just login to Parent Portal and you are good to get reading! Forgot your password? Technologically challenged? Call us at the front office and we'll walk you through it! 

Christmas Concert Reminders

Our concerts are almost here! We can't wait to see what our students have in store for us! Under the direction of Mrs. Allen and Ms. Falcon, the students have been hard at work getting ready to dazzle you with their musical charms!

Here are the times:

Concert #1: Tuesday, December 10

Concert #2: Thursday, December 12

Additional Information:

• Parents may use visitor parking or park in the neighbourhood without blocking driveways
• Coats and belongings stay with parents
• After the performance, students will exit first out far gymnasium doors closest to parent drop off and go to kinder hallway to wait for parent pick-up. 
• When you pick your child up, please let the teacher know you have your child before you leave so we don't panic!
• Parents exit outside after the students and go to the Kinder hallway to pick up their child – one side of the doors will be for entering and one side for exiting
• Parents may stay in their seats if they have a child in the next grade performance.
• Siblings sit with their parents!

Kinder Concert: Thursday, December 12 at 12 p.m.

Get ready for all of the cuteness at noon on December 12 when the kindergarten students wow you with their mad skills! Join us in the gym! All family members are welcome!

Fee Waiver Application Deadline Reminder

If circumstances exist where you’re unable to pay school or transportation fees, you can apply to have fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. The application deadline is Dec. 16, 2024. If you’re new to the Division, the deadline is the latter of Dec. 16, 2024, or 45 days after registration.

To access your fee information, simply log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and go to “Student Fees.”

For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines, visit www.eips.ca/schools/fees and on our website here. Alternatively, contact Christa Gawron, Business Manager at Davidson Creek Elementary at 780-467-5557.

Kindergarten Registration Starts Soon!

Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2025? If so, it’s almost time to register for kindergarten.

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year opens on Feb. 1, 2025.

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.

OPPORTUNITY

Food Bank donation drive still on!

Only 6 days left of our 12 days of Christmas Food Bank Drive! The pile of food under the tree is getting bigger and bigger!

We invite you to bring any item on the list on the appointed day. You can participate on one day only or you can send things each day, it's up to you! We are also accepting cash donations at the office. We determined the items being collected by visiting the Strathcona County Food Bank webpage which had a list of things that were higher priority. Here are the items we will be looking for and the corresponding dates. 

• December 9: Juice
• December 10: Pasta
• December 11: Shampoo/conditioner
• December 12: Canned veggies
• December 13: Toothpaste
• December 16: Toothbrushes

Thank you for showing love for the community during the giving season! Go, Mustangs!

INFORMATION

Counselor's Corner

We know the holidays can be a tough time for many families both financially and emotionally. If you’re struggling, please check out this amazing (and FREE) resources available in our community.

Solutions Navigation

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Call at 780-464-4044 or visit Family and Community Services on the second floor of the community centre at 401 Festival Lane to get support with all life's challenges.

Support is FREE and available for people of all ages and situations - whether you are a senior, youth, family or individual.

With Navigation support you can:

• Share your story and receive helpful information along the decision making journey.
• Access financial supports and housing information advocacy.
• Receive help to untangle complicated situations and figure out next steps together.
• Apply for subsidies including reduced transit rates, recreation access, tax rebates and more.
• Obtain support with filling out forms and applications.
• Have a caring individual who will sit beside you to listen, understand and help you to further your goals.

Our Solutions Navigators work collaboratively with the Counselling team to connect you to community services and resources. 

Did You Know?

Alberta’s publicly funded systems—public, Catholic and francophone—serve the educational interests of almost 720,000 kindergarten to Grade 12 students across the province. Funding diverted to alternative educational institutions, both for infrastructure and programming, negatively impacts the public system’s ability to provide comprehensive, equitable, accessible and mandated programming for 90 per cent of the province’s students.

Parents make the difference

Here is this week's article with helpful tips for families:

Show enthusiasm for your child’s education

Staying engaged with what your child is doing in school clearly communicates your interest in helping your child be successful. Boost your child’s motivation by showing your enthusiasm for education in a variety of ways. Here’s how:

• Maintain a relationship with your child’s teacher. Keep in touch throughout the year. Share information about how your child is doing. Ask for suggestions on how you can support learning.
• Attend school events to show your child that school is a priority for your family. If your schedule and resources allow, consider volunteering at home and participating in school-based activities.
• Create an environment that supports studying. Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to work. Keep it stocked with school supplies. Look over assignments and give constructive feedback.
• Monitor assignments. Completing schoolwork is a student’s responsibility, but you should be aware of what your child is studying as well as the status of assignments, tests and class projects.
• Stay positive about schoolwork. Your attitude rubs off on your child. Whenever possible, mention something that your child learned that sounds interesting. Make positive comments about things your child’s teacher does. “I like the way Mr. Thomas gives you a study guide before your tests.”

Reprinted with permission from the December 2024 issue of Parents make the difference!^®  (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2024 The Parent Institute^®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.