Mustang Memo - March 14, 2025

Congratulations to our track team for their superb performance last Saturday! The boys team won gold and the girls team won silver, sweeping the Running Room Games awards for DCE! We are proud of all of our runners and the hard work they put into those early morning practices. Hard work pays off!

Today was the end of the Week of Inspirational Math and Pi Day! Some of our classes enjoyed homemade pizza pies or pizza deliveries to celebrate Pi Day!

We had contests running all week and students started their Facts on Fire work for the Math-a-thon! Don't forget to collect those pledges! 

We hope that you have a great weekend!

You belong here!

Helene Hewitt & Jay Robertson

Principal & Assistant Principal

Table of Contents

Week At a Glance

Action

• Report Cards are Here!
• EIPS Survey - Let's Get Bragging Rights!

Opportunity 

• Counsellor's Corner
• Family Dance is Coming!
• Colouring Contest

Information

• Week of Inspirational Math 
• Parents Make the Difference

WEEK AT A GLANCE

ACTION

Report cards are Here!

Hey parents! It's time to celebrate your child's learning! Term 2 report cards are officially posted online! Login to your Parent Portal account to see your child's progress! Report cards are short, sweet and informative! See what personal skills your child is mastering in the Learning Attributes section. Find out your child's academic strengths and then read about next steps for improving your child's learning!

We encourage all families to check them out! 

Having trouble with Parent Portal? Call April Pratch, 780-467-5557, in the front office and she can walk you through it! 

EIPS’ 2025 Annual Feedback Survey - Let's Get Bragging Rights!

Do you enjoy a good natured competition? Do you like to share your feedback to make EIPS and our school even better? You're in luck! There is a survey that you can take that does both!

As a point of pride, we enjoy showing that DCE parents are involved and passionate about our school and the education of their children! Let's show everyone that DCE parents rock a survey!

VISIT EIPS.CA TO TAKE THE SURVEY: March 1-21

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.

OPPORTUNITY

Counsellor's Corner

We know this past week may have been a little challenging as we adjusted to daylight saving time. It’s common for children to experience fatigue and crankiness as their internal clocks adapt to the new schedule.

To help ease this transition and support your child's sleep moving forward, here are some helpful tips:

• Stick to a consistent bedtime routine: Calming activities like reading or a warm bath before bed can help signal that it's time to wind down.
• Limit screen time before bed: Reducing exposure to screens at least an hour before bedtime can help the brain produce melatonin for better sleep.
• Ensure plenty of daylight exposure: Natural sunlight during the day, especially in the morning, helps regulate the body’s internal clock.
• Be patient and allow time to adjust: It can take about a week for sleep patterns to fully reset.

For additional tips on supporting healthy sleep and the importance of healthy sleep, check out these articles:

10 Ways to Help Your Child Get a Better Night’s Sleep (for Parents) | Nemours KidsHealth

Sleep-Deprived Kids (and Parents) Aren’t Just Cranky—Their Mental Health Is Suffering

Madison Bashaw & Kelley Mitchell

~ DCE Counselors

Family Dance is Coming

Mark your calendars for a fun DCE Retro 80's family dance on April 4th! Bring the family and dress up in your best retro gear! It will be totally tubular!

Colouring Contest

Our student leadership club gave out St. Patrick's Day colouring sheets for a fun colouring contest! Students had this week and this weekend to colour their sheets and return to school on Monday for the chance at winning a yummy prize! Thanks to the student leadership club for making fun events happen for our school!

INFORMATION

Week of Inspirational Math - Mustang Style

Students dove into math all week as part of the EIPS Week of Inspirational Math. Students had a chance to listen to math related book readings from guest readers who use math in their professions such as a contractor, a machinist, a vet and a pilot! 

DCE added our own flair into the week with a bunch of activities in classes, read a-louds, and daily math challenges! We even had math contests running all week! Click here to see what your child was learning about. Thank you to Mrs. Breen for leading the charge with all of our math related events!

Parents make the difference

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

Help your child have some fun with fractions

Understanding fractions can be a challenge for some children. To help your child learn to use fractions in fun, everyday ways, try these activities:

• Take a fraction walk. Have your child count how many cars you pass. Then, figure how many (what fraction) of them are a certain color. Take turns choosing a color and seeing who has the largest fraction.
• Measure up. Give your child measuring cups and two identical glasses. Have your child pour one cup of water into one glass. Can your child guess how many half cups it will take to fill the other glass? How many quarter cups or third cups?
• Change that recipe. Ask your child to rewrite the amount of each ingredient to double a recipe or cut it in half.
• Eat your fractions. Give your child 24 pieces of cereal. Ask your child to divide them into halves, fourths, etc. Or, share a pizza and ask some questions: “If the pizza is cut into 12 slices, how many slices equal one-half or one-third of the pizza?

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.