Elements September Newsletter

A huge thank you to all our families who joined us for Unpack Your Backpack and helped make our first week of school such a wonderful success! It was fantastic seeing our classrooms filled with excited students settling into their new routines.

Please take a few moments to review this newsletter carefully as it contains several important updates. Most notably, Elk Island Public Schools is piloting a new K–6 achievement reporting scale this year, alongside live, ongoing access to student assessment information via the PowerSchool Parent Portal starting this fall.

We also invite all parents and guardians to join us for our first School Council and Parent Society AGM on Wednesday, September 9 at 6:30 PM. Our Parent Society plays a vital role in organizing beloved traditions, hot lunches, and special school events but these activities rely entirely on parent involvement to happen. Whether you can lend a little time or a lot, your participation is essential to keeping these programs alive for our students. We hope to see you there!

In 2026-27, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is piloting a new reporting scale for communicating elementary student achievement. Most recently, kindergarten to Grade 6 student achievement has been reported using a five-point scale. This year, the Division is piloting a new three-point scale for kindergarten to Grade 2 and a four-point scale for grades 3 to 6. The goals of the pilot are to provide useful, clear communication to parents and caregivers about their child’s progress, and provide a clear, consistent framework for teachers to use for assessment of student learning.

The draft achievement scales were developed based on teacher and administrator input, assessment research and reviews of best practices across Alberta, Canada and the world. However, it’s critical parents and caregivers feel confident about the reporting structure. Throughout the fall and winter, Division and school staff will share more information to introduce the new grade scales, collect initial feedback and answer questions through school council meetings, school interviews and school newsletters. The feedback collected will help EIPS revise the grading scales as needed, and opportunities for further feedback will be available later in the school year.

In 2026-27, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is piloting a new mechanism for families to have live, direct access to student assessment information for grades 1 to 6. Through the PowerTeacher Pro dashboard in the PowerSchool Parent Portal, parents and caregivers will be able to log in to see assessment information throughout the year, rather than waiting for a report card. With this change, elementary schools will also shift to two formal report cards for grades 1 to 6 for the school year, rather than three.

Elementary schools will roll out the new approach in two groups. Fort Saskatchewan Elementary School is part of phase 1, and live access to student assessment information will be available starting in Semester 1. Throughout September, students will be settling into routines and begin work on their first units of study. As these first units wrap up, parents and caregivers can expect to see assessment information starting to be available in the PowerSchool Parent Portal later in October.

This new approach does not replace any existing methods of communicating student learning with families. Schools will still issue formal report cards and conduct school interviews in the fall and spring. Live access to student assessment information through the Parent Portal is just an additional way EIPS schools will communicate student learning for the coming year.

Throughout September, parents and caregivers are encouraged to log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal, to ensure the login process works smoothly and to get familiar with the platform if you haven’t used it in the past. If you have any issues logging into your account, reach out to the school office at 780-998-7771.

Learn more about the changes

EIPS has outlined rules about the use of personal mobile devices for each grade level in Administrative Procedure 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 School also has a Personal Mobile Device (PMD) Plan that provides additional details for our school.

We encourage families to review our PMD plan with their child to ensure students understand where and when they can and cannot access their personal mobile devices at school.

• For drop-off and pick-up, please use the drop-off loop located around the staff parking lot.
• The bus lane is reserved for EIPS buses from 8:00 AM–9:00 AM and 2:15 PM–3:30 PM.
• If you need to park, please use the designated visitor parking spaces. Staff arrive between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM each morning and require full access to the staff parking stalls.
• Accessible parking spots are strictly reserved for vehicles displaying a valid placard. Keeping these spaces clear ensures safe, convenient access for members of our community with mobility needs.

Get ready to smile!

School Picture Day is scheduled for Friday, September 18 for students in Kindergarten B and Grades 1–6. Students in Kindergarten A will have their photos taken on Thursday, September 17.

If your child is absent or you'd like a retake, picture retakes will be on Wednesday, October 21 and Thursday, October 22 for Kindergarten A.

Our School Council and Parent Society play a huge role in making Fort Saskatchewan Elementary such a special place for our students. From organizing fun events like family dances and running hot lunch programs, to supporting cherished traditions like providing cookies and milk for everyone at Christmas time, these groups help bring our school community together.

However, none of these wonderful activities are possible without parent volunteers to help organize and support them!

The Parent Society is actively looking for extra hands and new ideas. Whether you have a lot of time to give or just a little, your support makes a big difference.

We invite all parents and guardians to join us for the Annual General Meeing on (AGM) Wednesday, September 9 at 6:30 PM at the school to learn more about how you can get involved and support our FSE family this year.

Is your child riding the bus this year? If yes, download the My Ride and Bus Status apps to stay in the know about your child’s bus stop location, route, pickup time and whether their bus is running on schedule.

Did you know you can sync the school calendar to your own calendar? Simply, visit our school's website, click on “Subscribe to Calendar” and follow the instructions. Within seconds, your calendar will contain all Fort Saskatchewan Elementary’s important dates including holidays, school-closures days, planned activities and events, and it will remain synced with all the latest updates throughout the school year.

Wondering when and how to pay for school fees? School fee information for the 2026-27 school year will be posted on the PowerSchool Parent Portal in late September. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted. NOTE: Additional fees may be added throughout the year—for example, at the beginning of each semester, as your child takes part in various activities, or they may be adjusted by changes in selected optional courses in junior and senior high school. If you’re unable to pay your school fees, you can apply to have certain fees waived. The application deadline is Dec. 15, 2026.

For more information, visit our school website's fee page. Alternatively, contact Kalli Valette, our bookkeeper at Fort Saskatchewan Elementary School at 780-998-7771.

September

• 7 - Labour Day - No School
• 9 - School Council & Parent Society AGM @ 6:30
• 14 - GOA Assessment Window Opens (K-5)
• 15 - Bus Evacuation Drill - 9:00
• 15 - Little Elk Island Adventurers @ 9:30 a.m. (Kindergarten B)
• 17 - Picture Day (Kindergarten A students)
• 18 - Picture Day (all students)
• 21-25 - EIPS Truth and Reconciliation Week
• 29 - Orange Shirt Day
• 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - No School

October

• 2 - Professional Learning Day - No School
• 12 - Thanksgiving - No School
• 14 - Little Elk Island Adventurers @ 1:00 p.m. (Kindergarten A)
• 21 - Picture Retakes
• 22 - Picture Retakes (Kindergarten A)