Blue Jay Bulletin

Dear James Mowat Elementary School Families,

As we head into Thanksgiving long weekend, we would like to extend our warmest wishes to all of our students, families, and staff. Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to pause, reflect on our many blessings, and spend time with those who matter most. We are grateful for the incredible support of our school community and the many ways families contribute to making our school such a special place to learn and grow.

We are pleased to share a facilities update. The water line repairs have been completed, and all bathrooms are now fully operational. In addition, paving around the new portable classrooms has been finished, and construction continues to move forward on schedule. At this time, we anticipate all construction work will be completed by mid-November.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our Parent Council for organizing a wonderful staff appreciation event in recognition of World Teachers' Day. Our staff felt truly spoiled by the generous donations from Beaswax Sugaring Studio, Fort Cinema, Kal-Tire, Leopold's Tavern, Funky Petals, Supplement King, and the many delicious edible treats that were provided. Your thoughtfulness and support are deeply appreciated.

We are also looking forward to our first Hot Lunch of the school year on October 22. Parent volunteers play an important role in making these events successful, so please take a moment to check out the volunteer sign-up sheet if you are interested in helping.

Families are invited to attend FCSD's Caregiver Series on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at James Mowat Elementary School. This session will feature a presentation by Heartland Psychology focused on ADHD and will provide valuable information and strategies for caregivers.

Finally, we are excited to announce two fundraising initiatives. Families can help raise funds for the playground project by purchasing Co-op Gift Cards through PowerSchool until October 19. The second fundraiser is our annual Family Dance. The Family Dance on Friday, October 23! This fun-filled evening is a great opportunity for families to connect while supporting our school community. As part of the event, we will also be collecting toilet paper donations for the local food bank. We hope to see many of our families there as we dance, celebrate, and give back to those in need.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Have a safe, relaxing, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Ms. Krista Porter and Mrs. Lana Romanowska

12 Thanksgiving Day - No school for students or staff

14 Hand chime practice at lunch recess

14 Hot lunch orders due (McDonald's)

14 Caregiver Learning Series: ADHD 6:30 p.m.

19 School Council and PAA 5:00 p.m.

19 Photo Retakes - whole school

19 Deadline to order for the Co-op fundraiser

20 Photo Retakes - T/F Kindie

21 Hand chime practice at lunch recess

22 Hot lunch McDonald's

23 Halloween Dance 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

28 Hand chime practice at lunch recess

November

2 Parent Teacher Interviews 4-7 p.m.

3 Parent Teacher Interviews 4-7 p.m.

2 Bottle drive in support of our playground

3 Bottle drive in support of our playground

4 Hand chime practice at lunch recess

9 Hot Lunch Orders Due (KFC)

9-13 November Break - No school for staff or students

16 Parent Council/Parent Advisory Association Meetings at 5 p.m.

17 Hot lunch - KFC

Hot lunch ordering is now open for October, November, and December!

Please review the attached flyer for ordering instructions, important dates, and additional information.

We encourage families to place their orders before the ordering deadlines to ensure their student(s) can participate.

If you have any questions, please contact Chantal at jamesmowatlunch@gmail.com

Volunteer sign-ups are also available.

We are requesting 6 volunteers for each day. Please sign up using the links below.

October 22 https://volunteersignup.org/EBJAX

November 17 https://volunteersignup.org/MLFFC

December 3 https://volunteersignup.org/37P9R

December 15 https://volunteersignup.org/4BHDH

We are excited to offer families the opportunity to purchase Co-op gift cards with 10% of the funds raised going towards our playground project!

Gift cards are available in $25, $50, and $100 denominations and available to order until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 19. No late orders will be accepted.

To order:

1) Login to your PowerSchool Parent Portal and go to your child’s fees tab (Note: the Fees tab in not available on the mobile app)

2) Click on the image of ‘James Mowat Co-op Gift Card Fundraiser’ found at the bottom under School Items.

3) Complete the order form

4) Click ‘Add to Cart’

5) Go to your’ Cart’ and submit payment. Note: Payment must be completed at the time of order.

Gift cards will be available for pick up during parent-teacher interviews on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3 from 4-7pm.

Thank you for your support!

James Mowat Elementary

Dear students and parents of James Mowat Elementary,

James Mowat School and Parent Council

would like to invite you to our

HALLOWEEN

Spooktacular Dance

Friday, October 23rd

from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

This is an opportunity for our families to dress up, dance, and have yummy snacks!

Admittance tickets are

$5 per person to a $20 maximum per family

Toilet Paper will be collected for the Food Bank!

Concession Items $2 each

Cash only for admittance and concession.

Please note the following rules regarding the dance:

• This event is for James Mowat students and their immediate family only (parents/guardians and siblings). Cousins, friends and others will not be allowed entrance.
• No outside food or beverages will be permitted (this includes coffee/tea).
• All students MUST be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Guardians will be charged admission and must stay onsite for the entire event. All children must have an adult present.
• No re-entry

WE ARE LOOKING FOR ADULT VOLUNTEERS. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO BE ABLE TO RUN THIS EVENT. PLEASE SIGN UP AT:

https://volunteersignup.org/3QMA4

Start saving those bottles and cans! Our school will be holding a Bottle Drive on November 2 & 3 in support of our playground fundraiser.

Every bottle helps us get a little closer to our goal, and we appreciate the support of our school community.

Save them up and stay tuned. More details are coming soon!

Parenting comes with new challenges at every stage. This fall, we are pleased to offer a variety of free workshops for parents and caregivers. Everyone is welcome.

Registration is now open: FCSS Workshops

October

October 14 | 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
ADHD
Presented by Heartland Psychology
📍 James Mowat School

October 15 | 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
S.A.F.E.R. Online
Presented by Saffron Centre
📍 Rudolph Hennig School

October 26 | 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Fueling the Transition: Nutrition for the Move to Junior High
Presented by a PCN Dietitian

October-November (Virtual, On-Demand)
Surviving the Teen Years
Presented by the Institute of Child Psychology
Participants will receive access to the recorded session for one month upon registration.

November

November 4 | 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Raising Financially Fit Kids
Presented by Credit Counselling Society
💻 Virtual

November 5 | 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Supporting Boys' Mental Health
Presented by Recovery Alberta
📍 Location TBD

November 19 | 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Guiding Your Child Through Life Transitions
Presented by Autism Edmonton

December

December 3 | 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Neurodivergent Youth and Mental Health
Presented by PCN