March 31 BUZZ

Week-at-a-Glance

Information 

• Junior High Information Nights: Running April and May
• A big THANK YOU to EIPS Volunteers
• Watch for Thin Ice
• Yearbook Update

Opportunity

• Regulation Strategy - Eye Yoga

WEEK AT A GLANCE 

• April 10 - Glen Allan School Council meeting 6:30 p.m.
• April 15 – Theme Day Panda Day – Wear Black and White
• April 18 - Good Friday - School Closed
• April 21 - Easter Monday - School Closed

INFORMATION

Junior High Information Nights: Running April and May

Junior high schools across EIPS are hosting information nights for all Grade 6 students and their families—taking place in April and May. Make sure to attend to learn everything you need to know about the junior high programs at your child’s school. Those who attend will also have a chance to:

• meet the teachers;
• tour the school and classrooms;
• learn about the upcoming curriculum; and
• ask questions.

For specific dates and times, see: EIPS Junior High Information Sessions 2025

A big THANK YOU to EIPS Volunteers

National Volunteer Week takes place April 27 to May 4. On behalf of the Board of Trustees at Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS), I want to say a giant thank you to all EIPS volunteers. This year’s theme is Volunteers Make Waves, and that’s certainly true in our Division. No matter whether you’ve chaperoned a field trip, helped out at a hot lunch day or provided support in a classroom—every time you’ve stepped in a school—you’ve made a ripple effect that washes over your community. These waves of positivity, hard work and dedication build up and make a momentous impact on a student’s experience at school.

So, thank you again for being a part of our ocean at EIPS. The waves you’ve made—and will continue to create—all contribute to our collective goals of ensuring learning and working environments sustain student learning and amplifying the importance of public education in our province. This National Volunteer Week, I encourage everyone to celebrate the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours put into supporting student growth and achievement at schools across the Division.

Cathy Allen
Chair, EIPS Board of Trustees

Watch for Thin Ice

Remember, be aware of thin ice this time of year. Depending on changing temperatures, ice can form and melt to varying degrees on outdoor bodies of water. Try to remind your child about the dangers of thin ice, obey all posted signs, take proper care and remain a safe distance from the ice. 

For more information about ice safety, visit the Canadian Red Cross.

Did you know?

The colour of ice may be an indication of its strength. Clear blue ice is the strongest. White opaque is half as strong as blue ice. And, grey ice is unsafe—greyness indicates the presence of water.

Yearbook Update

GASC and the Yearbook Coordinator have decided to make a change to the yearbook timeline this year. We will be printing the yearbook in Summer 2025 for delivery to students in September 2025.

While this is a change, it means that we will be able to include many more events in the Yearbook - including Spring sports, celebrations and field trips! We are hopeful that this will make for an even better Yearbook! If you have a grade 6 student, or a student attending a different school next year, please reach out to GASC to make arrangements for pick up/delivery. 

OPPORTUNITY

Regulation Strategy - Eye Yoga

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. This weeks strategy is Eye Yoga.

Keeping your head still, take your right hand with your pointer finger and move your finger (slowly) back and forth from side to side and only move your eyes. Try not to move your head as you follow your finger. After you have tried this a few times, do this with a partner and have them watch you follow your finger to see if you can still your head. You can also move your finger up and down and in different positions but only follow with your eyes. 

This practice helps activate the vagus nerve, a key player in our nervous system that regulates many essential functions, including digestion, blood flow, heart rate, and emotional balance.