Bruderheim School Parent Newsletter
November 3, 2023
From the Principal
And just like that the first two months of the school year are completed as we've said goodbye to October and hello to November! We had a wonderful Halloween Carnival on Tuesday! Thank you to all of our students for their enthusiastic participation and awesome costumes! Thanks as well to all of our staff for setting up and organizing the carnival! We also had a meaningful Remembrance Day Ceremony on Friday morning. Thank you to Mayor Karl Hauch and Chief Warrant Officer David Ferdette, Retired for joining us and for sharing with our school community. Thank you as well to Mr. Christie for organizing, and our Division II students for participating, in our ceremony. We are truly blessed to experience the freedom we have here in Canada, and we are ever grateful to all those in our Canadian Armed Forces for the sacrifices they have made and continue to make.
We Remember!
On behalf of our Bruderheim School staff, we trust you all have a restful and enjoyable fall break, and we look forward to welcoming you back to school on Monday, November 13!
Our next School Council meeting is on Tuesday, November 14 at 5:30, the first Tuesday after the Fall Break! Thanks to each parent that came to our October meeting, and let’s keep this good momentum going!
Dave Armbruster
Principal
Remembrance Day
Grade 2/3
Grade 1/2
Upcoming Key Dates
November
November 6-10
November Break
November 10
Day off in lieu of Remembrance Day
November 11
Remembrance Day
November 13
Classes Resume
November 13-17
Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week
November 14
School Council Meeting 5:30 pm
November 20
National Child Day
November 22
School Picture Retakes
November 24
Crazy Hair Day
December
December 1
Report Cards Available on PowerSchool
December 6
Early Dismissal 2:00 pm
December 6
Parent/Teacher Interviews 4:00-7:00 pm
More Info to Come
December 7
Parent/Teacher Interviews 4:00-7:00 pm
More Info to Come
December 20
Christmas Concert 6:30 pm
December 25-January 5
Christmas Break
Inclement Weather
With the winter season almost here, we want to remind families to dress children appropriately for the weather when getting ready for school or the bus. The weather often changes unexpectedly throughout the day, so please select suitable outerwear and ensure your child is prepared for changing conditions.
If inclement weather conditions occur, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) advises families of any bus cancellations using various communications tools—automated-telephone messages, email, SMS, alerts posted on eips.ca and school websites, Twitter, Facebook, local radio stations, and notification through both the Bus Status and the Ride 360 apps. Morning bus cancellations are posted on eips.ca by 6:30 a.m.
Decisions regarding bus cancellations are guided by EIPS administrative procedures that state, “school bus service may be suspended…when there is a forecast or current temperature of -40 C, including wind chill factor, in one or more regions.” Other reasons for suspending or delaying school bus services include adverse weather and poor road conditions. When school bus services are suspended, schools remain open to students. EIPS believes families have the right and responsibility to make choices for their children based on their beliefs and perceptions of safety during times of inclement weather.
For more information, contact EIPS Student Transportation at 780-417-8151.
Lifetouch Picture Day Information
The EASY Way of accessing your child’s images online:
Lifetouch Photography is excited to announce the launch of a new way to access photos online.
After much safety and security testing, Lifetouch has developed a way for families to access their child’s photo using their student ID number.
Go to our website at www.mylifetouch.ca, click on Student ID and follow the detailed instructions to view and order photos.
If you have any questions on this ordering process, please call the Lifetouch Customer Care Line at 1.866.457.8212 or access the live chat on our website, www.mylifetouch.ca
Parents can still access their photos online by using their child’s portrait ID and access code. By enabling the option of using your child’s student ID number, gives people another way to access photos if they lose their proof sheet.
Lifetouch Rewards for families!
Discounts and information on Lifetouch Rewards at my.lifetouch.ca
Lifetouch Customer Care Contact:
Any questions about your fall photos status, errors on orders or how to place orders, please call our Lifetouch Customer Care line at 1.866.457.8212 or go to our ordering website, www.mylifetouch.ca
Game Board Cafe-Looking for Donations
Bruderheim School Library was buzzing with activity this week as students checked out our new Board Game Café! Looking to the colder months ahead and some indoor recesses, we are looking for any gently used board games and children’s puzzles to help fill our Café shelves. If you have any to donate, please send them in to school with your student, or drop them at the office.
Thanks so much!
School Fees
Pay School Fees Online!
School fee information for the 2023-24 school year is now posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. 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 them online.
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 fees and more.
If circumstances exist where you’re unable to pay your fees, you can apply to have certain fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. The application deadline is Dec. 15, 2023.
For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines visit eips.ca. Alternatively, contact Ms. Carlson at Bruderheim School at 780-796-3936.
School Messenger App
Download the SchoolMessenger App
Bruderheim 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.bru@eips.ca to your safe sender list to avoid having important messages funneled into your junk mail folder.
You can directly manage your phone and email subscription preferences through SchoolMessenger. Simply log in to your account—or create one if you don’t already have one—and select the message types you’d like to receive to each phone number and email address on file.
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.
Enhancing Literacy and Numeracy
As part of Elk Island Public Schools’ (EIPS) ongoing efforts to enhance the literacy and numeracy of students in all grade levels, the Division is once again administering the Star Early Literacy, Star Reading and Star Math assessment tools in the 2023-24 school year. These tools focus on literacy and numeracy, are digitally based and offer an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning. The goal: To provide timely information to teachers, help enhance classroom instruction and identify student learning needs.
Three times a year, EIPS students in Grade 1 complete the Star Early Literacy assessment and students in grades 2-12 complete the Star Reading assessment. Both assessments are administered electronically and take about 20 minutes. Students in grades 2 through 10 also complete the Star Math, a mathematic screening tool. It, too, is administered electronically and takes about 30 minutes for students to complete. The results offer teachers a clearer picture of a student’s learning needs and help determine if subsequent instructional planning is required. NOTE: Semester students complete the Star Math twice, at the start and end of the course.
In addition to the Star assessments, Alberta Education now mandates all students in grades 1-3 complete additional literacy and numeracy assessments. Students in Grade 2 and Grade 3 complete these provincial assessments in September. Grade 1 students will complete the assessments in January 2023.
The scores of the assessments aren’t used toward a student’s grade, and there is no need to study ahead of time. The tools simply provide the teacher with information to better understand where each student is in terms of reading comprehension and mathematic ability. If, after analyzing the results, it’s determined a student can benefit from extra support, the teacher will contact the family to discuss possible support strategies.
For more information about the Division’s Star and MIPI assessment tools, contact EIPS Supports for Students at 780-464-3477.
From Alexa to Algorithms: Parenting in the era of AI
Join the University of Alberta and Amii for an engaging 45-minute online webinar designed to boost AI literacy for parents of kids of all ages, from kindergarten to graduate students. The session will focus on global citizenship, online safety, and education and career guidance.
Don't miss this fun and informative opportunity to empower your parenting in the age of AI, ensuring your kids thrive in tomorrow's tech-driven world.
Event Details:
Date: Nov. 2, 2023 Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m.
Location: Virtual From Alexa to Algorithms: Parenting in the Era of AI (amii.ca)
Respiratory Illness Guidance
The health and safety of staff, students and visitors is a top priority. Continue to reinforce the following hygiene habits to protect staff and students from spreading respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.
· Stay home if you’re feeling sick.
· Wash or sanitize your hands often.
· Cover your coughs and sneezes.
· Avoid touching your face.
· Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces regularly.
· Wear a mask if you get sick or develop symptoms while at school or work.
As per Alberta Health guidelines, staff, students, contractors and visitors who have symptoms of respiratory Illness or test positive for COVID, should stay home until:
· symptoms have improved,
· they feel well enough to resume normal activities, and
· they have been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medications.
For anyone who has a respiratory illness or has tested positive for COVID, it is recommended that they wear a mask for a total of 10 days from the onset of symptoms—even if the symptoms have resolved or improved—when in indoor settings with other individuals.
Caregiver Education Sessions
Alberta Health Services hosts a variety of virtual caregiver information sessions throughout the year focused on ways to support students’ mental health. The sessions are free and geared toward parents, caregivers, teachers and community members who want to learn more about challenges impacting children and adolescents. Session topics include anxiety, ADHD, depression, self-harm, technology, teens and teaching leadership skills, communication, resiliency and more. Visit Caregiver Education to see the monthly caregiver sessions.
Dragonfly Support Group
A monthly group for parents whose children face mental health challenges. This groups is a safe and supportive place for parents and caregivers to:
- share challenges and concerns
- learn and grow as a caregiver, and
- access supports from those who are facing similar struggles.
To register, please call 780-992-6267.