AJS Weekly Bison Tracks

November 9 to 13 - No School - November Break

November 17, 4:00 p.m. - AMPS Meeting

November 18, 2:20 p.m. - Early Dismissal

November 23, 11:37 a.m. - University of Calgary Information Booth

November 23, 6:00 p.m. - School Council Meeting

November 24, 11:37 a.m. - Augustana Campus UofA Infomation Booth and One-On-One Session

November 25, 2:20 p.m. - Early Dismissal

November 30, 10:00 a.m. - University of Alberta Presenation

The Strathcona Food Bank has reached out to the school for support, and we are excited to launch a KD Challenge to help make a difference in our community.

From November 16 to November 30, we are asking all Block 1 Day 1 classes to collect as many boxes of macaroni and cheese as possible. While Kraft Dinner is the most recognizable brand, any brand of boxed macaroni and cheese will count toward your class total.

To add a little friendly competition, the class that collects the most boxes will earn a pizza party!

🌟 October Bison of the Month 🌟

Congratulations to our October Bison of the Month recipients!

🦬 Junior High Winner

Harper M. (Grade 7)

Harper has been recognized for her kindness and respect. She has been spotted tidying up the school and consistently going out of her way to help and support others. Your thoughtful gestures do not go unnoticed, Harper! Keep up the amazing work! 👏✨

🦬 Senior High Winner

Emmitt L. (Grade 10)

Not only is Emmitt a humble athlete, but he is also an outstanding ambassador for our school. He consistently demonstrates a positive attitude and is always willing to lend a hand, even when no one asks. Thank you for all that you do, Emmitt! 👏🏆

⭐ AJS Bison of the Month Program ⭐

Each month, we recognize one Junior High and one Senior High student as our AJS Bison of the Month!

These students are featured throughout the school and celebrated on our social media platforms. 📸🎉

How it works:

📝 Complete a Bison of the Month nomination form anytime during the month.

🏆 At the end of each month, one Junior High and one Senior High student will be selected and recognized for their positive contributions to our school community.

It's that easy!

Thank you for always being amazing, Bisons. You make our school community stronger every day! 💙🦬

Nomination Form

#FearTheHerd | #StrongerAsAHerd

AJS Grad 2027 is running a "Winter Plant Fundraiser"!

Use this link: https://ajshs.growingsmilesfundraising.com/home

All orders are made by ordering online

Deadline is November 12.

Pick up is on November 26, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact: david.gordulic@eips.ca

Here is this week's feature artist - Hope Z. in Grade 8! Congratulations!!

The Ardrossan Drama Company is excited to present Little Women, adapted by Marisha Chamberlain from the beloved novel by Louisa May Alcott!

Join us for this full-length production as we bring the March sisters, their family, friendships, dreams, and adventures to the stage.

📅 December 11 & 12
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Ardrossan Theatre – Ardrossan Jr./Sr. High School
53129 Range Rd 222, Ardrossan, AB
Entrance is at the rear of the building.

🎟️ Tickets:
$14 online
$16 at the door

Tickets are available online at OnStageDirect:
Purchase Tickets - HERE

We would love to see you there and support our talented Ardrossan Drama students as they bring this classic story to life!

Come celebrate family, friendship, courage, and the power of following your dreams with us!

See you at the theatre!

Next AMPS meeting is on Tuesday, November 17 @ 4 pm in the band room

All band parents are welcome to our monthly board meetings.
If you have questions or comments please don't hesitate to connect with
Kelly ampspres@gmail.com or Christie ampssecr@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Halloween concert on October 28. It was a great performance from all the bands and it was nice to see a packed house!

Chocolate Almonds fundraiser currently on - get a box from Mr. B. There are still a few boxes left. Go grab some.

Congratulations to the top sellers from each grade:

Gr 7 Band:Kabeer

Gr 8 Band: Pierce

Gr 9 Band: Maddy

Sr Band: Sophie

Be sure to find us on social media and our web page.

Facebook Instagram ardrossanband.ca

Throughout Elk Island Public Schools, each school annually develops a handful of plans to guide its work throughout the school year. The Guide to Reporting Student Achievement (GRSA), School Education Plan (SEP) and Personal Mobile Device (PMD) Plans for the 2026-27 school year are now available! These documents all support success for students and schools across the Division, aligning with the EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2026-30 (Year 1).

· The GRSA explains how the school assesses student achievement, determines grades and more.

· The SEP details the school’s priorities and goals for the year—with key strategies and measures in achieving these outcomes.

· The PMD plan outlines each school’s policy on the use of personal devices at school.

You can access Ardrossan Jr. Sr. High School’s GRSA, SEP and PMD plan through the corresponding home page tiles at www.ardrossan.ca.

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Looking for meaningful work with a family-friendly schedule and the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives? Driving a school bus might be the perfect fit for you!

Why Drive With Us?

· Make a difference in students' lives.

· Family-friendly work schedule.

· School holidays and summers off.

· Paid training and licensing support.

· Driver loyalty bonuses.

· Save on childcare! Bring your non-school aged children to work.

· Student Transportation fee discounts for qualifying route bus drivers.

Driving opportunities are available through the Division’s transportation contractors. To learn more about becoming a bus driver within EIPS and to fill out the interest form, visit eips.ca/busdrivers

With the winter season almost here, the school has a few reminders for families:

· Ensure students have clothing appropriate for expected weather conditions.

· If weather conditions are bad enough to impact student transportation, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) advises families directly, and posts updates on social media and eips.ca.

· Decisions regarding bus cancellations are guided by an EIPS administrative procedure that states, “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.

For more information, contact EIPS Student Transportation at 780-417-8151.

School fees for 2026-27 are now posted to the PowerSchool Parent Portal. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted. To help make fee payment as convenient as possible, EIPS offers several payment options, including a brand-new option this year—Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments, also known as E-Cheque. EFT payments allow you to pay directly from your bank account with no added fees, giving you added flexibility beyond credit or debit card payments.

When you log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal, click the “Student Fees” icon and proceed to checkout. You’ll now see EFT (E-Cheque) listed as a payment option. Simply follow the on-screen instructions to complete your payment.

To make checkout even faster, you can save EFT to your account for future use.

3. Log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal account

4. Click on the “Student Fees” icon

3. Open the menu in the top-right corner

4. Select Manage Payment Methods

5. Add and save your EFT (E-Cheque) details

Once saved, you can select EFT at checkout without re-entering your information each time.

For more information, visit AJS School Fees. Alternatively, contact Suzanne Cleet, Senior Administrative Officer, at Ardrossan Jr. Sr. High School at 780-922-2228.

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. Ardrossan Jr. Sr. High 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.

Visit Ardrossan Athletics for game and practice schedules.

Follow our Instagram: bisons_athletics

Bisons Football are Meto Champions! Congratulations to all the coaches and players. Good luck at Provinicals next week!

Funding On The Mind? Welcome To Scholarship Season!

Did you know? The U of A awards over 53 million dollars in scholarships and awards each year! Students can apply to various scholarship funds, based on two distinct categories:

· Admission-based scholarships: Awarded to students based on their admission average, and no additional steps are needed for students to receive these.

· Application-based scholarships: Eligible students submit their scholarship application based on achievements, interests, passions and more in a single application. This application is due Jan. 10, 2027.

Students can learn more by visiting uab.ca/awards, or attend a Scholarship 101 session to learn all about how to submit a successful application!

Nov. 5, 5 - 6 p.m. ABT/CT | Register
Dec. 3, 5 - 6 p.m. ABT/CT | Register

NEW Direct Phone Support At The Student Service Centre

Students can now reach the Student Service Centre (SSC) directly by phone at 780-492-3113. Callers can choose to wait on hold or request a callback, which will be completed within the same day. For all support channels, including our virtual assistant Vera, the Student Service Portal, and in-person assistance, visit uab.ca/ask.

Step Into NAIT goes beyond the typical Open House experience!

With 34 participating programs across two themed nights, students can explore up to TWO programs in one evening through information sessions, lab tours and hands-on activities, depending on the program!

It's a great chance to go beyond the booth, experience what NAIT has to offer and discover which program might be the right fit!

December 2 – Media & Information Technology Night

December 3 – Engineering, Applied Sciences & Beyond Night

Counsellors and teachers are welcome too! We often have educators attend to learn more about our programs and the opportunities available to their students.

Check out the participating programs in the attached flyer!

Space is limited, so encourage your students to register early!

www.nait.ca/stepintonait

The Northeast Capital Industrial Association (NCIA) is once again awarding four $2,000 scholarships ($8,000 total) to Grade 12 students in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland who plan to start post-secondary studies in September 2027 in a skilled trade, engineering, or an applied or environmental science field.

Applications are due January 31, 2027.

Who is eligible
Students must be in Grade 12 at one of these schools, be Alberta residents, and be involved in an extracurricular activity that supports the community:

Fort Saskatchewan High School, Sturgeon Composite High School, Lamont High, Redwater School, Bev Facey Composite High School, Salisbury Composite High School, Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School, Strathcona Christian Academy Secondary, Ardrossan Junior Senior High School and St. André Bessette Catholic School.

Eligible fields of study

• Skilled trades (e.g. welder, pipefitter, millwright, electrician, instrumentation technician, power engineer)
• Engineering and engineering technology
• Applied and physical sciences (e.g. chemistry, geology, physics, computer science)
• Environmental sciences (e.g. reclamation, hydrology, environmental monitoring)

This year the scholarship is not open to students pursuing careers in medicine or healthcare. Eligibility is based on the program of study and the career the student describes in their essay. Students who are unsure can contact me before the deadline.

How to apply
Students complete the online application form, which includes a 500-word essay. The full Scholarship Information Package has the essay requirements, a suggested structure and questions to help students get started.

What happens next
An NCIA committee will review applications, and scholarships will be awarded in February or March 2027. Recipients will be notified by phone or email and will be asked to attend a photo opportunity. Their names will be shared on NCIA’s website, social media and newsletters. Selected students will be asked to provide a letter of acceptance or conditional letter of acceptance into a post-secondary institution.

More information is at https://www.ncia.ca/ncia-scholarship.

The scholarships below are accepting applications between October 15th, 2026 and March 31st, 2027. For more details about each scholarship and the eligibility requirements, read the details below carefully.

If you are not currently receiving the scholarship newsletter, please sign up here: https://studentscholarships.org/newsletters

Scholarships Available

$100,000 (36 Awards)

Loran Scholars

Deadline: October 15, 2026

For Eligibility: Click Here

$5,000 (7 Awards)

Taking Flight Scholarships

Deadline: October 30, 2026

For Eligibility: Click Here

$25,000 (13 Awards)

Chick-fil-A Community Scholars

Deadline: November 3, 2026

For Eligibility: Click Here

$16,000 (4 Awards)

Excellence in Ag Scholarship Program

Deadline: November 15, 2026

For Eligibility: Click Here

$500 (1 Award)

Odenza Marketing Group Scholarship

Deadline: November 15, 2026

For Eligibility: Click Here

$2,000 (1 Award)

Future Leaders in Technology Scholarship Fund

Deadline: December 1, 2026

For Eligibility: Click Here

$250,000 (30 Awards)

Thiel High School Fellowship

Deadline: December 31, 2026

For Eligibility: Click Here

$1,000 (1 Award)

Kochhar & Co. Scholarship

Deadline: March 31, 2027

For Eligibility: Click Here

VIEW ALL SCHOLARSHIPS

Bourses d'études postsecondaires en français langue seconde | ACUFC

The Bursaries for Postsecondary Studies in French as a Second Language Program, funded by the Government of Canada and administered by the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC), aims to encourage students whose first official language spoken is English, to pursue their postsecondary studies in French. The objective is simple: Allow a greater number of English-speaking Canadians to become bilingual.

If your first official language spoken is English and you are pursuing your postsecondary studies in French in Canada, you could be eligible for a non-renewable $3,000 bursary!

Stay up to date with Campus EIPS newsletter here.

There are job and training opportunites and RAP information listed. Check it out!

Alberta Health Services is hosting a series of virtual caregiver information sessions 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. This November’s sessions are focused on understanding anxiety.

Visit Caregiver Education to see the monthly caregiver sessions.

Looking to show your school spirit this year?

Visit our online store at AJS School Swag.

There are lots of different options, colors, logos and styles for students and parents to order.

Email: general.ajs@eips.ca
Website: https://www.ardrossan.ca/
Location: Ardrossan Junior Senior High School, Range Road 222, Ardrossan, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-922-2228