Ukrainian-Canadian Heritage Day - Newsletter #3

It is week two of learning for us, and our student leaders have planned events for Wednesday. Read on to find out more!

PARENT/CAREGIVER ENGAGEMENT 

Thank you for joining us in the library learning commons on the morning of August 30 for Cheers & Tears. We had about 35 parents and caregivers drop in to say hello and visit with each other on the first day of school. Thank you to parents Bonnie D., Ken A., and Denise G. for greeting everyone and to Mrs. Shell for hosting and keeping the coffee flowing!

It was great to see so many families at the Meet the Staff Night on September 1. We prepared about 350 hot dogs for families and staff. Gratitude to Denise G. and Ken A. from the Fundraising Society and School Council for updating us on the casino volunteer nights and future fundraising opportunities in support of our new playgrounds. 

UKRAINIAN-CANADIAN HERITAGE DAY - SEPTEMBER 7

We invite students to wear their embroidered shirts or blue and yellow to celebrate 120 years of Ukrainian people in Alberta. The Grade 5/6 Ukrainian Language & Culture class decided on the following ways to celebrate the day:

• Sugar cookies with blue & yellow sprinkles for all students
• $1 each or donations accepted with funds raised going to help the people of Ukraine
• Ukrainian anthem sung by Grade 3/4 and Grade 5/6 Ukrainian Language & Culture students on morning announcements (delayed to 10:30 AM to complete the recording in the morning)

THE HOT LUNCH PROGRAM BEGINS SEPTEMBER 21

Our first hot dog lunch day is September 21. Students and parents attending the Eat Lunch with Your Child Day event can order hot dogs online. A hallal meat option is available.  The order form and payment information will be up on Parent Portal on Monday, September 12. 

Volunteers are needed to keep the hot lunch program running at our school. Please call the school office at 780-632-3113 if you can help us one or two days a month to prepare hot dogs and/or deliver hot lunches to classes. 

A Google Form is coming home soon so parents and caregivers joining us for lunch outside (or indoors in case of rain) on September 21 can RSVP their attendance. Watch your email inbox!

VISITORS & VOLUNTEERS ENTERING SCHOOL

It is a pleasure to have parents and caregivers in the school again this year! Here are some safety reminders for all visitors and volunteers:

• Parents and caregivers must enter the school via the front doors and check in at the office. 
• Parents dropping children off at designated entrances in the morning are asked to say farewell to children and then make their way to the front entrance to check in with office staff.
• Teachers scheduling volunteers have notified the office. The front lobby and office area are busy places, so please be aware that you will be asked to wait if we are unaware of your volunteer work in the school.  Please ensure that a Confidentiality Undertaking and Declaration for Volunteers Form is completed before volunteering in the classroom.
• Have a lunch drop off or special treats for the class? Please ring the doorbell and see us in the office for instructions. We try to minimize interruptions to instructional time and will likely call the teacher just before the next break so your items can get where they need to go. 
• Please note that all students are instructed that they cannot open an external door for anyone, including adults they know. We have many external doors near water fountains and washrooms and children are taught to notify a staff member if an adult or child is trying to gain entry. 

Thank you for helping us to keep our students and staff safe at school. 

KINDERCARE & OUT OF SCHOOL CARE

If your child is in Kindergarten and needing programming and care on non-Kindergarten days, please give the school a call to inquire about available spaces. KinderCare has subsidies to help with program fees. KinderCare is now operating every day of the week.

Space is still available for before and after school care as well. 

SCHOOL COUNCIL & FUNDRAISING SOCIETY - MEETINGS & ELECTIONS

Monday, September 19 at 6:30 PM is the first School Council meeting followed by the Fundraising Society meeting at 7 PM. While meetings will be in person until the weather turns, an online Google Meet link will be emailed to all families so parents can join us virtually if needed. 

All parents and caregivers are invited to join us in the library learning commons for the Annual General Meeting and elections for both School Council and the Fundraising Society:

• School Council Chair
• School Council Vice Chair
• School Council Secretary
• School Council Parents at Large
• Friends Society President
• Friends Society Vice-President
• Friends Society Secretary
• Friends Society Treasurer
• Friends Society Directors at Large

The Friends of A.L. Horton Fundraising Society has casinos on September 26 and 27. Contact friendsofalhortonschool@gmail.com to ask about this and future volunteer activities. Hope to see you at the meetings on September 19!

PAY SCHOOL FEES ONLINE

School fee information for the 2022-23 school year will be posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal in late September. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted. To access your fee information, simply log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and go to “Student Fees.” There you can view your fees and pay online using a credit card.

Don’t forget to log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal regularly throughout the year. Fees are often added to your child’s account to cover the cost of certain school activities such as field trips, class projects, athletic-team fees and more. 

If you’re unable to pay your school fees, you can apply to have certain fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. The application deadline is Dec. 15, 2022.

For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines visit eips.ca. Alternatively, contact Connie Bay in the school office at 780-632-3113. 

UPDATE YOUR POWERSCHOOL INFORMATION

The EIPS Correction and Verification Form is now available online through your PowerSchool Parent Portal. Use the form to access and update your child’s records information—including address, parent and guardian information, emergency contacts and medical information. Reviewing the form and submitting updates ensures the school has the most up-to-date information regarding your child.

When reviewing the form, pay close attention to all listed phone numbers, email addresses and emergency contact information. Also, if you recently moved, now is the time to ensure the Division has your updated address. Throughout the year, the Division and school uses the listed information to communicate with families about important information, including updates, the latest news and events.

EIPS Correction and Verification Form

Review and update the form by Sept. 22, 2022.

For more information about the PowerSchool Correction and Verification Form, contact the school office at A.L. Horton School at 780-632-3113. 

Also, the 2022-23 Student’s Responsible Technology Use Agreement Electronic Form  will be emailed out to you this week and will require submission as soon as possible.  

DOWNLOAD THE SCHOOL MESSENGER APP

A.L. Horton School and the Division use the SchoolMessenger platform for communicating with families—through both phone and email. Be sure to add communications@eips.ca  and General.ALH@eips.ca to your safe sender list to avoid having important messages funneled into your junk mail folder.

The easiest way to stay connected is to download the SchoolMessenger app. Get the latest updates direct to your mobile device and enable push notifications to never miss a message. Families can also check back on past messages—for up to 30 days—directly in the app rather than searching to find an old message buried in your inbox. Download the SchoolMessenger app from the App Store or Google Play today. https://go.schoolmessenger.ca/

Coming soon—the Safe Arrivals absence reporting tool will be rolled out within the SchoolMessenger app later this school year. Families will be able to quickly and easily report a child’s absence directly in the app. No more phone calls or emails required. Stay tuned for updates in the coming months.

IMPROVING HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

To enhance communication between families and schools, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) created a how-to guide entitled, Communication Protocol for Schools. Topics include:

• appropriate channels to use;
• standard formats and structures;
• timing and sequencing for regular and ongoing home-school communication; and
• ways to bring forward questions or concerns.

The guide also offers useful tools and resources schools, and families can use to enhance face-to-face meetings, email communication and various social media efforts. EIPS encourages all families and schools to review the guide at:

Communication Protocol for Schools

SYNC THE SCHOOL CALENDAR TO YOUR CALENDAR

Did you know you can sync the school calendar to your own calendar? You can. Simply, visit https://www.alhorton.ca/about/calendar and click on the applicable subscription option:

• Download to iCal
• Add to Google Calendar
• Subscribe to Calendar

NOTE: Options are located above the calendar.

Once you click on the desired subscription option, follow the instructions. Within seconds, your calendar will contain all A.L. Horton School’s important dates, including holidays, school-closures days, planned activities, events and more.

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE ON BUSES

Did you know each EIPS bus is equipped with video surveillance?

Video surveillance and equipment help:

• ensure the safety of all students, drivers and property; and
• discourage destructive acts.

On a regular basis, EIPS Student Transportation reviews the video recordings, in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act. The recordings assist the department with monitoring student and driver conduct and may be used as evidence in a disciplinary matter.

For more information about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, contact the EIPS FOIP Co-ordinator at 780-464-3477.

IMPORTANT DATES

September 7 - early dismissal for staff meeting at 1:55 p.m.

September 7 - Ukrainian-Canadian Heritage Day in Alberta; cookie sale fundraiser

September 19 - School Council & Fundraising Society Meeting 6:30 p.m. in the library

September 21 - Have Lunch with Your Child at School -

September 21 - Welcome assembly at 1 p.m. 

September 23 - Terry Fox Run/Walk 

September 29 - Orange Shirt Day

September 30 - No School; National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

October 5 - World Teachers’ Day

October 5 - early dismissal for staff meeting at 1:55 p.m.

Keri Busenius   &     Rita Lal

Principal                   Assistant Principal

Connecting to foster the minds and hearts of leaders.