December 16 BUZZ
Happy Monday!
As we head into the final week before Christmas Break, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us for last week’s Winter Showcase. Seeing our students shine and feeling the warmth of our Glen Allan community filled me with so much pride and joy.
This week is also a bittersweet one for me, as it marks my last week as principal at Glen Allan Elementary. It has been an incredible journey working with our amazing students, dedicated staff, and supportive families. Thank you for making this school such a special place to learn, grow, and belong. I will carry the memories of my time here with me always, and I wish you all a joyful holiday season filled with love and cheer.
It's a great week for a great week!
Please read through the following blog post articles for important Glen Allan information.
Action
Opportunity
Information
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Information
- Winter Showcase
- Glen Allan Highlights
WEEK AT A GLANCE - December 16 - 20
|
Monday |
|
|
Tuesday |
|
|
Wednesday |
|
|
Thursday |
|
|
Friday |
|
ACTION
Christmas Break
Glen Allan Elementary will close for the Christmas break at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. The school will reopen on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. During this time, if you have any school-related questions or concerns, contact Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) Central Services at 780-464-3477.
EIPS Central Services Christmas Break Hours
Closed Dec. 25, 2024 to Jan. 1, 2025
Open Jan. 2, 2025; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
*for location and contact information visit www.eips.ca.
From everyone at Elk Island Public Schools, we wish all of you a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year.
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
2025-26 Fee Consultation Process
Under Alberta Education’s School Fee Regulation, schools must consult with parents prior to setting school fees for the upcoming school year.
Our next school council meeting will be taking place on January 16, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. During that time, administration will be sharing information about our current fee structure, posing specific questions about priorities, and asking you to provide your feedback as we plan for the next school year. While many of these activities and services enhance students’ educational experience, we want to ensure these fees aren’t cost prohibitive for families.
Specifically, we will be asking for input on the following:
- Noon hour supervision
- Field trips and associated fees
- Extracurricular activities
- Non-curricular goods and services (for example, agendas)
We understand not all families will be available to attend the meeting but it’s still important we get as much input from the school community as possible. Following the meeting, materials will be shared on our website for your review, and an email address provided so you can submit a written response.
School administration will use feedback provided to help determine fees for next year, which will then be shared at the February school council meeting, posted to our website and shared via link through email.
We look forward to hearing from you in January.
Regulation Strategies - 5 Things
Here at Glen Allan we are aimed at enhancing capacity to nurture emotional resilience and well-being among students. We are actively involved in collaborating with our staff to introduce effective regulation strategies and deepen understandings of brain development. We continue to work on integrating these strategies into everyday classroom practices.
Each week, we will share the strategies being practiced as an entire school in the announcements as part of our Wellness Wednesdays. The strategy that students and staff practiced this past week was "5 Things".
5 Things Exercise - Try to write them down or say them out loud.
- 5 things you see
- 4 things you can touch
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
This focused attention strategy is a good one to use when you are having overwhelming emotions as this helps guide your mind back to calm and redirects your thoughts.
INFORMATION
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Board of Trustees
I want to extend warm holiday wishes to all students, staff and families on behalf of the Elk Island Public Schools Board of Trustees.
We’re grateful to have school communities full of hard-working families committed to the success of their children. Education doesn’t just happen in school, it happens at home too—in every homework assignment completed, every textbook chapter read and every test reviewed. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to cultivate learning at home, so that students are eager to strive for their best at school the next day. We also appreciate the countless hours school councils put into planning events and appreciate all the people who volunteer at and attend them. Your support is invaluable.
We hope you enjoy all the holiday concerts and festivities happening at your schools, and that you get some well-deserved rest during the break. To each and every person, have a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year.
We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Jan. 8, 2024.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays,
Cathy Allen
EIPS Board Chair
FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS, AND INUIT INFORMATION
Indigenous Author - Monique Gray
International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills with Happiness to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.
My Heart Fills with Happiness is a perfect book to share with the holiday season upon us. The blurb on the back of the book reads:
"The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy."
Listen and watch Monique read her book below.
PHOTO GALLERIES
Winter Showcase
Glen Allan Highlights
