The Bears' Blog...December 10-2023

Wow, hard to believe it is already December and the Christmas Concert is next week! Thank you Pine Street students, families and staff for your generosity in the 10 days of Christmas Giving for the Strathcona County Food Bank! The food bank will come pick up all of the donations on Monday. Students have continued to focus on their studies and exhibit excellent behavior throughout the school. We have had over 160 students "caught" using good behaviour and being a good role model so far this year!

It is busy time here at the school as we tie up lessons so that students can finish up their current curricular topics before the break and are ready to start new curricular topics when they come back in January.

As the cold weather descends upon us, please be reminded that we do go outside for recess most of the time following the district’s Inclement Weather policy AP 131. So when it gets below -22 (including the wind chill) we remain inside for recess and lunch hour breaks but if it is warmer than that we are outside.

Here are a few little reminders to help us provide the best care we can for your children.

• Please be sure your child has warm clothing before they leave for school.
• Students should have a toque and mittens/gloves with them
• It is also a great idea for students to have snow pants as students may head outside for daily physical education as well.
• Please make sure your child has a pair of indoor and outdoor shoes.

Have a super month and remember to have a relaxing and peaceful holiday with family and friends. On behalf of the entire staff at Pine Street Elementary School we wish you and those you love a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for your continued support. When we work together, great things happen! 🎅🏼

Dear Pine Street Elementary Families,

Under Alberta Education’s new 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 18, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. During that time, I’ll 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 2024-25 school year. While many of these activities and services enhance students’ educational experience, we want to ensure these fees are not 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)

I understand not all families will be available to attend the meeting, but it is still important we get as much input from the school community as possible. Following the meeting, materials will be shared on our website https://www.pinestreet.ca/ for your review, if you are unable to attend the school council meeting and would like to send an email response, please use the following email for your response. Lisa.Waselenkoff@eips.ca.

School administration will use the feedback provided to help determine fees for 2024-25, which will then be shared at the March 14, 2024, school council meeting, posted to our website and shared via link through email.

I look forward to hearing from you on January 18 at our School Council meeting.

Sincerely,

Tracey Arbuthnott

Principal

Pine Street Elementary

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. 15, 2023. If you’re new to the Division, the deadline is the latter of Dec. 15, 2023, or 45 days after registration.

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 them online using Visa, MasterCard or debit card—when available from your financial institution. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted.

Don’t forget to also 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 various school activities such as field trips, class projects, extracurricular activities and more.

For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines, visit www.eips.ca/schools/fees or contact Lisa Waselenkoff, Business Manager at 780-467-2246.

Alberta Education allocates funds to school boards to fulfill their delegated responsibilities of providing education programs for students in kindergarten to Grade 12. As part of Elk Island Public Schools’ (EIPS) commitment to stakeholder engagement and to continue allocating resources according to local priorities, the Division conducts an annual budget planning survey to seek input from staff, families Grade 12 students and community partners.

The survey is voluntary, anonymous and takes about five to 10 minutes to complete. The survey questions suggest possible budget areas for EIPS to focus its resources, which align with the Division’s current Four-Year Education Plan. If you believe there are other areas where the Division should concentrate its resources, you can also indicate what these are. EIPS will consider all budget planning input to guide future decision-making.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY NOW
Survey closes Dec 20, 2023
Grade 12 students will complete the survey at school.

Thank you for sharing your input to help inform Division planning.

Our Christmas Concert is on Tuesday, December 12 and we are getting very excited!

Location: The Park Church on 1 Brower Drive.

Please have students arrive between 6-6:15p.m. Students can come in entrance 2 or 4.

Please have students wear their “holiday best” outfit with comfortable shoes.

The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Rehearsal:

On December 12 from 8:45-11:15 a.m. students will have their dress rehearsal at the Park Church to get ready for the performance. Buses leave directly after attendance has been taken.
Please ensure your students arrive Tuesday morning in time to get the bus.

Sunday, December 10 - Last day to order hot lunch for December 15

Monday, December 11 - Strathcona County Food Bank pickup

Tuesday, December 12 - Christmas Concert at The Park Church at 6:30p.m. (doors open at 6)

Friday, December 15 - Hot lunch

• Performance Bev Facey drama student - The Brothers Grimm - out of order! 10:45 a.m.

Friday, December 22 - Theme Day - wear a Christmas sweater or shirt!

December 25 - January 5 - School closed for Christmas break

Monday, January 8 - First day back

Wednesday, January 10 - Early Dismissal 2:15 p.m. (no PALS today)

Thursday, January 18- School Advisory Council meeting 6p.m.

The Métis have long placed a great emphasis on maintaining strong relationships among families, extended families and communities, particularly when work was hard and the future uncertain. Nowhere were these bonds of kinship and friendship better renewed than during Christmas (Li Krismiss/Li Zhoor di Nowel) and New Year’s (Li Zhoor di Laan) celebrations. While Christmas Day was largely a religious event for most Métis communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was also a festive occasion. For instance, in the 1880s and 1890s at Batoche, Sakatchewan, from Christmas to Epiphany/All King’s Day (Li Zhoor dii Roi) on January 6th, Métis families held ballroom dances by “oil light” (bals à l’huile).

Métis elders have recounted that families spent Christmas Eve attending midnight mass, occasionally singing hymns in Cree, French, or Michif. However, the biggest celebration during the holiday season was reserved for New Year’s Day. As one Batoche Elder said, “On Christmas Eve, we went to midnight mass, and when we got home, we ate a little, drank some tea and went to bed. The presents were for New Year’s Day.