The Bears' Blog... March 17-2024

Sunday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day
Monday, March 18 - Wear green for a late St. Patrick's Day
Friday, March 22 - Monday, April 1 - school closed for spring break and Easter

Wednesday, April 3 - Early Dismissal 2:15 p.m.

Tuesday, April 9 - EID

Wednesday, April 10 - Clover Bar Junior High Open House 5-6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 16 - F.R. Haythorne Open House 5-6:30 p.m.

• Sherwood Heights Open House 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 21 - Last day to order hot lunch for April 26

Wednesday, April 24 - Performance by Elk Island Junior Choir and the Pine Street Spring Choir 12:32 p.m.

Friday, April 26 - Hot lunch

• Theme day - Jersey Day!

Monday, April 29 - Kindergarten Info Session for parents & guardians 4:30 -5:30 p.m.

Please send a change of clothes with your students in their backpacks. The playground is very wet right now.

Please ensure you are sending spoons or forks with your children if they need for their lunch. We are no longer purchasing plastic cutlery.

Mark your calendars - the Winter Carnival is returning! Join us for an afternoon of FREE family friendly activities. Featuring ice skating, bon fires, horse drawn wagon rides, face painting, visits from Queen Elsa and Mario, as well as live music, kids crafts, snacks and lunch for the first 300 people, this is going to be a day for the history books!

Date: March 23, 2024

Time: 10:30am - 2:00pm

Location: The Log Cabin & Sherwood Heights Rink

Today, there are over thirty different languages spoken by indigenous people, most of which are spoken only in Canada. Many are in decline. Those with the most speakers include Anishinaabe and Cree (together totaling up to 150,000 speakers); Inuktitut with about 29,000 speakers in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador); and Mi'kmaq, with around 8,500 speakers, mostly in Eastern Canada. Many Aboriginal peoples have lost their native languages and often all but surviving elders speak English or French as their first language.

Pine Street Elementary is happy to announce the first year of Badminton Club! This club is open to students in grade 5 and 6 who are wanting to learn more about the game and have fun playing against peers! We will have two teams representing our school at the Eagles Shuttle Invitational Tournament on Saturday, April 27. Parents will be responsible for transportation to and from the tournament. Tryouts and practices will happen during lunch recesses at the end of March and throughout April. Let’s go Bears!

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.

Every year, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) publishes an Annual Education Results Report, which outlines the Division’s Four-Year Education Plan, opportunities for growth and how it’s supporting students to achieve the best possible outcomes. Read through this year’s EIPS Annual Education Results Report 2022-23 and discover how EIPS fosters learning environments for all students to learn, grow and thrive—and why it matters.

March Spotlight: cultivating high-quality learning environments and experiences

Power of Kindness: Creates welcoming, inclusive, respectful, and safe learning environments in schools

Building Blocks: How effective planning, management and infrastructure is supporting learning ·

Raising the bar: Evidence-based practices that are enhancing teaching and learning in EIPS

RELATED INFORMATION

EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26

EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2024-27

Strathcona County presents a free virtual workshop for parents/caregivers of children who are transitioning from elementary to junior high, Wednesday May 29 from 6-7. Follow the link to learn more and to register:

Junior High Journey (For parents/caregiver with children entering junior high school)

Transitioning from elementary to junior high school is exciting and can be stressful. Learn strategies to support your teenager at this free workshop for parents and caregivers of youth transitioning schools.

Junior High Information Nights

Wednesday, April 10 - Clover Bar Junior High Open House 5-6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 16 - FR Haythorne Open House 5-6:30 p.m.

• Sherwood Heights Open House 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Pre-Kindergarten Registration Now Open!

Is there a preschooler in your life experiencing developmental delays or challenges with speech-language or motor-skill development—big or small? If so, Elk Island Public School’s pre-kindergarten program—Play And Learn at School (PALS)—could help.

Early learning lays the foundation for success in primary grades and beyond. As such, EIPS offers the pre-kindergarten PALS program in five of its elementary school locations—including Pine Street Elementary School. Applications are now open for free speech-language assessments for those interested in registering in the PALS program this fall. The assessment helps determine if PALS is appropriate for your child.

If you know a preschooler, born in 2020 or 2021, who could benefit from pre-kindergarten programming or want to book an assessment, fill out the PALS Program Request Form or call 780-417-8219.

Beginning this week, Mrs. Wiart will be starting a Spring Choir that will hold rehearsals on Tuesdays and Fridays during noon recess (12:02 - 12:32). This choir is open to all students from grades 2 - 6. No registration or audition is required. This choir will run from Tuesday, March 19, until Friday, April 26.

The Spring Choir will perform on Wednesday, April 24 at 12:40 in the gym. They will be joined by the Elk Island Junior Choir who will stop by to perform for us as part of their spring tour. This performance is open to the public.

There is only one rehearsal before spring break. My goal is to give the students a look at the repertoire, and a feel for what it is like to be part of a choir. After the break, we will hit the ground running. Viva la musica!