Our School Newsletter
Click here to read our February, 2012 newsletter, Click here for our January and February calendar. Click here to access the grocery card order form. Please note that an electronic copy of the newsletter will be sent to all families who have provided an email address to the school. If you have not provided an address and would like electronic notices and copies of newsletters, please contact us at school and provide the necessary information. Save a tree!
Email and Phone Message Sent: February 3, 2012
This call was made to all households today:
It's newsletter day! Important information has been sent home with your child. Please take a look at our school newsletter and information about the upcoming Oil Kings' game at Rexall Place on March 3.
Parent teacher student conference letters will be sent home on February 13. Note that conferences are from 5 - 8 pm on Wednesday, February 22 and Thursday, February 23. The next School Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 21.
We wish all families a happy Valentine's Day. We ask that parents do not send in commercially created Valentine's Day cards. Instead, consider donating any funds you would have spent on the cards to the Food Bank. We'll gladly accept the donations here at school and give them to this important local charity. Like our sign says... We Are EXTREME Compassion in Action!
Parent and Child Classes
Elk Island Public Schools offers courses for parents and children. Click here to investigate what's new and exciting in the world of learning!
Want to know more about kids and social media?
Kids and Social Media Networks - Parents' Concerns
by Penny Smith - Family School Liaison Worker Fort Saskatchewan and Bruderheim
Working with Children, Youth and their families here in Fort Saskatchewan, I am often asked about safety on the internet and how parents can better manage the social media world that their children access on a daily basis. "How much are my children/youth at risk? And from where?"
Cyberbulling has become a big issue and there is lot of talk about children's safety on Facebook, but there is more, much more, to be aware of when it comes to internet safety and social media networks.
Last year I was invited to attend a presentation put on by Saffron at the Boys & Girls Club that really opened my eyes to the dangers of the internet. I had no idea what kids were accessing, who was watching them and what information was vital for parents to know to keep their kids safe. I am delighted to hear that the Boys and Girls Club has invited Saffron back to provide this presentation to parents and would recommend this to any parent. It is not enough to keep them safe in the real world; we also need to know how to protect our children in the virtual world.
"Internet Safety: What Happens When YOU Press Send"
February 22, 2012 6:30 - 8:00 Boys & Girls Club
- Ø What is the Internet and how can it be used
- Ø Internet safety and boundaries online
- Ø Exploitation online
- Ø Common websites, and misconceptions
- Ø Laws governing internet crimes
- Ø Internet accountability
Conference Call With the Minister of Education
Parent representatives on School Councils are invited to participate in a conference call with the Honourable Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister of Education to continue the discussion on priorities for Alberta's education system. Parents play an important role in their child's learning and the Minister is interested in directly hearing their ideas and perspectives.
The call will begin at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 and will take approximately 1.5 hours. When participants dial in they will be greeted by a conference operator asking for the participant pass code, the person's name, and school.The Minister will open the conference call. He will make his remarks which will be followed by a question and answer session with callers.
All questions and responses will be heard by all participants and the Minister will answer as many questions as possible in the time allotted. If you experience any problems during the conference call, please stay on the line to speak to the operator.
Due to the number of telephone lines that are available, school council members are encouraged to assemble together and call in as a group. For parent groups participating on the call, please have one member register on behalf of the group.
To participate on the call, individuals and groups must register in advance online at http://education.alberta.ca/apps/Registration/TeleConference/. A call in number and participant pass code will be provided to the representative by email once registration is complete. If participants have any questions regarding the teleconference, please contact Maureen Melnyk, Education Manager, Learning Supports & Information Management, at maureen.melnyk@gov.ab.ca or by telephone at 780-415-8324, or by calling toll free at 310-0000.
Boundary Exemption Process
School boundaries will be changing in Fort Saskatchewan for the 2012 - 2013 school year. Click here to see the new (and old) boundary maps. Students currently in grades 1 - 5 who now reside outside of our boundaries are grandfathered and may stay in the school for the remainder of their elementary grades. No forms need be completed or submitted. Busing, however, will be at the expense of parents. Kindergarten and younger students may apply for a boundary exemption to our school but must first register in their designated school.
If parents would like to submit a request for a child to attend our school please refer to the boundary exemption process, timelines, and form available at www.eips.ca/boundaries. Boundary Exemption Request Forms must be submitted to our school by February 15, 2012.
If you have questions regarding the boundary exemption process, please contact Principal Deb Weir at 780 998 7771 or Bev Fleming, Associate Superintendent at 780-417-8227.
ECS Registrations
We are very pleased to accept kindergarten registrations for the 2012-2013 school year. Initially, we will only be able to confirm acceptance of students who live in our boundary areas. Parents who wish to apply for boundary exemptions have until February 15, 2012 to do so. Links to boundary maps and other important registration documents can be found at www.eips.ca or on this site.
School Education Plan Report
The School Education Plan and Results Report for Fort Saskatchewan Elementary School is now available. It can be viewed by clicking here.
Accountability Survey for Parents
Information for parents:
As an annual check-up on the education system, the Accountability Pillar provides an opportunity for Alberta Education and school authorities to ensure that we're equipping students for success.
The Accountability Pillar uses a set of 16 indicators consisting of surveys of students, parents and teachers on various aspects of quality; student outcomes such as dropout and high school completion rates; and provincial assessments of student learning.
From January to the end of February, Alberta Education will be conducting the annual Accountability Pillar Survey. In January, parents of students in grades 4 will receive a survey from Alberta Education. In February, students in grades 4 and all teachers will be completing their surveys online at school.
All surveys are anonymous and ask questions about experiences with the school. In addition to English and French, the parent survey is available in Chinese, Punjabi, Arabic, Blackfoot, Cree, Korean, Spanish and Tagalog.
Your participation in the survey helps provide important information on the quality of education your child is receiving, so we encourage you to return your survey promptly.
Survey results will be available to school authorities in May 2012, and will be reported publicly as part of their 3-Year Education Plans and Annual Education Results Reports
FSETV Is On The Air
Under the leadership of Mr. McKay, our grade six students produce and direct this amazing weekly TV news show. As of Monday, September 26, another stellar year of amazing shows has begun. Episodes will go to air on the first day of each school week. To check our work click on: FSETV IS ON THE AIR!
Fort Elementary is now on Twitter!
Fort Elementary has joined the Twittersphere. Come follow us for the latest and greatest from Fort Elementary.
