Bruderheim School Parent Newsletter
December 8, 2023
From the Principal
Well, the snow has finally arrived, and it’s helping us get into the Christmas Spirit! Only two more weeks of school until the Christmas Break! We’re looking forward to our Christmas Concert on Wednesday, December 20. Doors open at 6:00 and the concert starts at 6:30. Thanks to all of our parents for partnering with us in your child’s education and a big thank you to all of our parents who talked with our teachers during Parent/Teacher Interviews this week, many great conversations were had!
Our December School Council meeting is on Tuesday, December 12 at 5:30 p.m. in our school library. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Dave Armbruster
Principal
Upcoming Key Dates
December 2023
December 12
School Council Meeting (5:30 pm, Everyone Welcome)
December 20
Christmas Concert 6:30 pm
December 25-January 5
Christmas Break
January 2024
January 8
Classes Resume after the Christmas Break
January 10
Early Dismissal 2:00 pm
January 31
Professional Learning Day for Staff (No School for Students)
February 2024
February 8-9
Teacher Convention (No School for Students)
February 19
Family Day (School Closed-No School)
Bruderheim School Christmas Concert Front Row Raffle Tickets
Bruderheim School is offering the opportunity to win front row tickets to our annual Christmas Concert! Raffle tickets are $2 each for the chance to win a pair of front row tickets for the December 20th concert. Please send $2 per ticket with your child to get an entry into the draw. More tickets, more chances to win the best seats in the house!
January's hot lunch form is due by December 17, 2023.
Please send cutlery with your student!
Student T-Shirts
A special thanks to our awesome School Council for paying for a
t-shirt for each student this year! We’ve done the sizing here at school, sent in the order and are hoping they all arrive to the school before Christmas!
For any families wanting to order other Bruderheim School Wear, please click on the link below to access the online store!
Mitten Tree Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to all that donated to this year's Mitten Tree.
On behalf of the students of Bruderheim School, the County of Lamont Foodbank will receive 125 pairs of mittens, 2 pairs of booties and 2 toques.
What a special gift to share!
Christmas Hamper Applications
County of Lamont Food Bank is accepting Christmas Hamper applications from November 13th - December 8th, 2023. Please call 780-619-6955 to register or for more information. Christmas Hamper delivery/pick up date is Sunday, December 17th, 2023
BRU School Family Paint Night
Family Paint Night with Connie Kulhavy, Métis Artist and Knowledge Keeper
Bruderheim School is excited to announce that on January 17th Connie Kulhavy, Métis artist and Knowledge Keeper, will be at our school for a family evening! Families are invited to join us for supper and then Connie will guide families through a painting as she shares teachings, stories, and Métis culture. If your family would like to attend please email Mrs. Taylor at Ariane.Taylor@eips.ca or call the school at (780) 796-3936. All family members of all ages are welcome and dinner will be provided. Your RSVPs are required to help us plan accordingly.
January 17th
5:00pm – 7:00pm
RSVP required by January 12th
Share Your Thoughts on Budget Planning for 2024-25
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.
Christmas Break
Bruderheim School will close for the Christmas break at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The school will reopen on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. During this time, if you have any school-related questions or concerns, contact Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) Central Services at 780-464-3477.
EIPS Central Services Christmas Break Hours
Closed Dec. 25, 2023 to Jan. 1, 2024
Open Jan. 2, 2024; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. *for location and contact information visit www.eips.ca.
From everyone at Elk Island Public Schools, we wish all of you a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Board of Trustees
I want to extend warm holiday wishes to all students, staff and families on behalf of the Elk Island Public Schools Board of Trustees.
We’re grateful to have school communities full of hard-working families committed to the success of their children. Education doesn’t just happen in school, it happens at home too—in every homework assignment completed, every textbook chapter read and every test reviewed. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to cultivate learning at home, so that students are eager to strive for their best at school the next day. We also appreciate the countless hours school councils put into planning events and appreciate all the people who volunteer at and attend them. Your support is invaluable.
We hope you enjoy all the holiday concerts and festivities happening at your schools, and that you get some well-deserved rest during the break. To each and every person, have a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year.
We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Jan. 8, 2024.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays,
Cathy Allen EIPS Board Chair
Spread the Word: EIPS is Hiring Substitute Educational Assistants
Do you know someone who may be interested in part-time, flexible work as a substitute educational assistant (EA)? Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is hiring—spread the word!
EAs are integral to the school team, assisting teachers with instructional and non-instructional tasks in the classroom and other school activities. Whether it’s working one-on-one with individual students or with a small group of students in a class or special program, EAs provide support and assistance to help students achieve success.
Substitutes are needed to fill positions at all school locations until the end of the school year. The application deadline is December 8. If you know someone who’d be great in this role, encourage them to apply today.
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.
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.
Fee Waiver Application Deadline
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.
Kindergarten Registration Starts Soon!
Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2024? If so, it’s almost time to register for kindergarten.
Kindergarten registration opens for the 2024-25 school year on Feb. 1, 2024. To help families prepare, Elk Island Public Schools has put together an online EIPS Kindergarten Tool kit to make the transition as smooth as possible. The kit includes information on registration, important dates, programming options, what to expect, eligibility, how to find your designated school, transportation and more.
Additional information regarding Bruderheim's kindergarten program is available at Home | Bruderheim School.
Returning Student Registration 2024-2025
Mark your calendars! Returning student registration for the 2024-25 school year will take place Feb. 8-21, 2024.
Families of all current students—with the exception of graduating Grade 12 students—must complete the process to confirm the school their child plans to attend in the 2024-25 school year or advise the Division of their plans not to return to EIPS. Additionally, students who want to attend a non-designated school need to make that request through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space. Watch for more details in the new year.
Has your contact information recently changed?
Have you recently moved or has your contact information changed? Bruderheim School encourages families to review the information the Division has on file to ensure it’s up to date. Using the Student Information Update available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal, families can review the current information on file for each student—including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, parent and guardian information, emergency contacts, medical details and other related information—and submit any updates needed.
Reviewing and updating the form ensures the school and Division have the most up-to-date information regarding your child. Your review is especially important as the Division prepares for 2024-25 registration processes beginning in the new year.
NOTE: Only submit updates for the changes that have already taken place. If you’re moving later this school year, you’ll submit the necessary updates to your information through the Student Information Update after you’ve moved.
If you have questions about the form or any trouble with your Parent Portal account, contact the school office 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.
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.