Elements April Newsletter

March was a fun month filled with big ideas and a lot of school spirit. With the ever changing weather, our playground has been a winter wonderland one day and a splash zone the next. We appreciate your patience as the wet conditions will continue for a bit and want to thank you for sending extra clothes, especially dry socks, to keep everyone comfortable during this spring season!

Our students certainly didn't let the snow and puddles slow them down as they flexed their math muscles during the recent EIPS Week of Inspirational Math! Students tackled tricky problems with a ton of creativity and searched the school for our own Pokeman Elementara. Excitement about reading was just as high during our March Book Madness tournament. After weeks of reading and voting, Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, swam past the competition to be crowned our 2026 champion! We also had the privilege of having the Giant Indigenous Floor Map at the school, which gave the kids a cool, hands-on way to explore Indigenous history and territories. And of course, a huge thank you to our Student Council for organizing the Great Leprechaun Hunt. It was great to see the hallways buzzing with so much energy and "lucky" mischief.

April is looking just as busy as we head into spring. We’re looking forward to catching up with parents during Parent-Teacher Interviews on April 15 and 16. While you’re in the building, make sure to stop by the Scholastic Book Fair, which will be running at the same time. We also have a special visit from the Earth Rangers to look forward to, along with class pictures!

Even with everything going on this month, we’re already starting the "behind the scenes" planning for the 2026-2027 school year. Sarah Budd and I are thrilled to share that we’ll both be staying on at Fort Saskatchewan Elementary next year. We truly love this school community and are already working hard with our staff to make sure next year is the best one yet.

The countdown to the Book Fair is on! From April 14-16, the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Fort Saskatchewan Elementary School, with hundreds of awesome books that YOU get to choose from. We can’t wait to welcome you to the Best. Week. Ever.

Students will be visiting the book fair with their class over the three days. They will be creating wish lists that they can share with their parents. Parents can then visit the book fair during parent teacher interviews and make purchases for their children. The book fair will not be open for students to make purchase over the three days.

For students, it’s one of the most anticipated events of the school year—but we need volunteers to make it happen. We hope that you can offer your time and talents to help students experience the fair firsthand! And every purchase at the Fair directly benefits our school. So, it’s a win-win!

If you’re available to lend a hand at this upcoming event, please contact joelle.evans@eips.

Every year, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) publishes an Annual Education Results Report, which outlines the Division’s Four-Year Education Plan, growth opportunities and how it supports students in achieving the best possible outcomes. Read through this year’s EIPS Annual Education Results Report 2024-25 and discover how EIPS fosters learning environments for all students to learn, grow and thrive—and why it matters.

April Spotlight: Student Growth and Success

· Early Learning: Ensuring early learners reach developmental milestones.

· Culture of Literacy: Dive deep into the data and learn how students are developing strong literacy skills.

· Math Matters: Enhancing reasoning, understanding and achievement through numeracy-rich classrooms.

· Boosting Educational Outcomes: How EIPS supports the growth and achievement of self-identified First Nations, Métis or Inuit students.

· Beyond High School: Supports and strategies that are creating real-life career pathways for learners.

RELATED INFORMATION

EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26

EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2025-28

National Volunteer Week takes place April 19-25. On behalf of the Board of Trustees at Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS), I want to say a giant thank you to all EIPS volunteers. This year’s theme is Ignite Volunteerism and that certainly reflects your efforts in our Division. Whether you’ve chaperoned a field trip, helped out at a hot lunch day or provided support in a classroom, every time you’ve stepped in a school,you’ve lit a spark that fosters connection throughout your community. Your hard work and dedication build up and make a momentous impact on a student’s experience at school.

So, thank you again for instilling your fiery passion into EIPS communities. The efforts you’ve made—and will continue to create—all contribute to our collective goals of ensuring learning and working environments sustain student learning and amplifying the importance of public education in our province. This National Volunteer Week, I encourage everyone to celebrate the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours put into supporting student growth and achievement at schools across the Division.

Colleen Holowaychuk

Chair, EIPS Board of Trustees

Thank you to the parents that were able to help organize and deliver food at our last hot lunch. We loved seeing new faces supporting our Parent Society...many hands make light work!

Want to find out how you can help with Parent Society projects at the school? Come to our next school council meeting on April 23, 2026 @ 6:30 pm or email us at fseparentsociety@gmail.com.

We hope to see you there!

As a reminder, EIPS has outlined rules about the use of personal mobile devices for each grade level in Administrative Procedure (AP) 145: Use of Personal Mobile Devices. Processes outlined within this AP are based on direction provided by the provincial government through Ministerial Order 014/2024: Standards for the Use of Personal Mobile Devices and Social Media in Schools. This includes the use of various electronic devices, including smartwatches and Meta glasses. Fort Saskatchewan Elementary also has a Personal Mobile Device Plan that provides additional details for our school.

Families were provided with an opportunity to review these documents at the start of the school year. We encourage you to review them again with your child to ensure students understand where and when students can and cannot access their personal mobile devices at school.

We invite all parents to sign up for our upcoming Parent‑Teacher Interviews on Wednesday, April 15 from 3:30–6:30 p.m. and Thursday, April 16 from 4:00–7:00 p.m. These meetings are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your child’s growth, discuss their progress, and work together to support their success. We look forward to connecting with you and strengthening our school‑home partnership.

To book your interview time, visit our school website or follow this link.

Get your cereal boxes ready because we’ve got a friendly competition on our hands!

From April 7 to April 24, Fort Saskatchewan Elementary will be taking on Lamont Elementary to see which school can collect the most cereal boxes for our local food banks. It’s a light‑hearted showdown, but the impact is real: every single box helps support families right here in Fort Saskatchewan.

We’ll wrap up the challenge on April 24 with a school‑wide Cereal Box Domino Run, which will be a ton of fun to watch. The more boxes we collect, the more spectacular the domino line will be!

⭐ How to join in⭐

Just send in unopened boxes of cereal anytime between April 7–24. Any type of cereal works, whatever you’re happy to give.

Let’s come together, have some fun with our neighbours in Lamont, and make a meaningful difference for our community. Let the cereal collecting begin! 🥣

Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2026? If so, it’s time to register for kindergarten.

Kindergarten registration for the 2026-27 school year is now open!

If your child will be starting kindergarten next year, please register as soon as possible. Early registrations help us plan for staffing, classroom space, and resources so we can give every student the best start to school.

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.

Elk Island Public Schools is proud to offer a variety of pre-kindergarten programming and locations across the Division. EIPS offers two different pre-kindergarten options:

*NEW* Early Learners in Motion (ELM)

ELM is a fun, inclusive pre-kindergarten program for all learners, aged four to five years old, that blends early literacy, movement, music and play-based learning. The ELM approach encourages curiosity, creativity and social-emotional growth through hands-on, joyful experiences.

Play and Learn at School (PALS)

PALS is a pre-kindergarten program for children who qualify for Program Unit Funding (PUF), such as those with communication delays, autism or social-emotional challenges. PALS pre-kindergarten offers a fun, play-based environment where kids can learn and develop skills for future success.

Interested in learning more about EIPS pre-kindergarten programs? Refer to the EIPS pre-kindergarten page.

Are you ready to submit your intake form for either ELM or PALS pre-kindergarten? Submit the 2026-27 Pre-Kindergarten Intake form, and the EIPS team will get back to you with next steps.

School fee reminder letters have been sent out to families who have yet to pay their school fees. Please check your email for more information. To access your fee information, log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and go to “Student Fees.” Once there you can view your fees and pay them online. We can also accept cash at the school.

This year, we are charging for all field trips up front for the entire school year. Paying fees upfront means that you do not have to pay per field trip. That is why the permission form does not have a fee per field trip.

For more information, visit Fort Saskatchewan Elementary's website. Alternatively, contact Kalli Valette, Business Secretary or Tami Richert, Principal at Fort Saskatchewan Elementary at 780-998-7771.