Bruderheim School Parent Newsletter

Brrr…. The cold weather and snow returned this week and students enjoyed another week of indoor recess. This week it was wonderful to see students spreading some joy throughout our school with their random acts of kindness. We have a fantastic bucket filler incentive program going on aimed at spreading positivity around the school. There will be weekly prize winners. The Olympic spirit remained strong as we cheered on our Canadian athletes. The grade 6 female students attended the Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science & Technology (WISEST) conference online which aims to empower women in fields of science and technology. I look forward to advocating for Bruderheim School and celebrating our assets at the Rural School symposium meeting in Lamont on Tuesday.

Next week we look forward to another Wacky Wednesday afternoon where our students work in multi-graded activities that focus on cooperation and active citizenship while learning. The grades 4, 5. and 6 students will be going skating Friday afternoon (originally scheduled for Thursday).

Last call to complete your student registrations! Registration closes on Monday so please ensure you’ve submitted your registration for next year. We also have a number of spots available in our Pre-K ELM program (for 3 year olds turning 4) that is starting in the fall.

Melanie Buckley

Principal

Returning Student Registration Closes

Pink Shirt Day

Early Out Wednesday-students dismissed at 1:59 pm

Skating Grade 4/5 and 6

Skating Grade 1 and 3

Early Out Wednesday-students dismissed at 1:59 pm

Professional Learning Day- no school for students

Frisbee Rob Presentation

Early Out Wednesday-students dismissed at 1:59 pm

Skating Grades 2 and 4/5

Early Out Wednesday-students dismissed at 1:59 pm

P/T Interviews 4-6:30 pm

P/T Interviews 4-6:30 pm

Spring Break-School Closed

March's Hot Lunch Form is due February 22, 2026.

The kitchen staff will be providing lunches 4 days a week-Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays. Please include utensils as needed. Please send a lunch on Mondays with your child with snacks sent along every day for our growing students.

Kindergarten and Grade 1 are excited to cheer on our hometown hero, Emerance Maschmeyer,

and the rest of Team Canada as they participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics!

Thanks for inspiring our Olympic hockey art!

Classes are planning on going skating and will be walking over to the Karol Maschmeyer Arena. Students need to have a CSA approved helmet and skates. Students not participating will still walk over and watch with their class.

Skating dates:

Thursday, January 22 - Grade 2, Grade 6 (Cancelled due to weather)

Tuesday, Feb 10 - Grade 1, Grade 3

Thursday, Feb 12 - Grade 2, Grade 6 (make up for January 22 cancellation)

Friday February 26 - Grade 4/5, Grade 6 (Skating changed from Feb 26)

Tuesday, March 3 - Grade 1, Grade 3

Thursday, March 12 - Grade 2, Grade 4/5

A permission click form will be emailed by your child's teacher.

Are you planning on volunteering in the school?

Just a reminder that if you are volunteering in the school or on any field trips, parents must have a volunteer declaration form on file. Please complete below so we have it on file.

https://permission.click/gZY7r/ca

Pre-kindergarten intake for 2026-27 is now open!

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.

EIPS’ Annual Education Results Report 2024-25 is now available online. The report details how EIPS is doing relative to Alberta Education and Childcare’s performance measures; how it’s supporting students to achieve the best possible outcomes; and its successes, challenges and priority strategies moving forward. A brief overview of the report is also available.

In managing the necessary shift in learning following the labour disruption, the following changes in student assessments and supports have been made for the 2025-26 school year:

· For elementary and junior high schools, there will be only two report cards—to be issued January 28 and June 23.

· Parent-Teacher-Student interviews will take place November 26 and 27, 2025 and March 18 and 19, 2026.

· All common exams for grades 7, 8, 10 and 11 are cancelled for semester 1.

· Kindergarten developmental screeners will be issued twice this year—in mid-December and again in June.

· For students with an Instructional Support Plan, schools will be reaching out in late-November or early-December (rather than earlier in November) to finalize these plans for the year.

On October 31, Alberta Education and Childcare cancelled the January 2026 diploma examinations and Grade 9 Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs). Students may opt to write January diploma exams in April or June 2026, on a voluntary basis.

To help students and their families make informed decisions about next school year, schools across the Division will host open houses and information sessions throughout the upcoming registration season to share information about specific courses, alternative programming and extracurricular opportunities available. Refer to the open house listing for more information or contact the school you’re interested in directly.

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

Kindergarten registration for the 2026-27 school year opens on Feb. 1, 2026. 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 www.bruderheimschool.ca.

The Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) returning student registration process for 2026-27 takes place Feb. 9-23, 2026. Through the online form, families will confirm the school and program their child will attend next year or advise the Division if they aren’t returning. For students who want to attend a non-designated school next year, these requests must be submitted through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space.

On February 9, the parent/guardian on file in PowerSchool identified as the Permission Click contact for each student will receive an email through Permission Click with a link to the form. If your family hasn’t received any Permission Click forms this school year, contact the school office so we can investigate any technical issues before registration season.

With the winter season upon us, 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, submit a request to our online service desk.

Download these bus apps for a successful ride!

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.

NOTE: Families can pay fees online using the PowerSchool Parent Portal. To pay in-person, visit the EIPS Student Transportation building during its office hours—Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school closure days.

Did you know you can sync the school calendar to your own calendar? Simply, visit Bruderheim School Calendar, click on “Subscribe to Calendar” and follow the instructions. Within seconds, your calendar will contain all of Bruderheim School’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.

School and Division Communication
Your child’s school and the Division use SchoolMessenger for communicating with families—through phone, email and text. You can directly manage your notification preferences through your SchoolMessenger account.
Learn more about SchoolMessenger, manage your preferences and download the app.

PowerSchool Parent Portal
The PowerSchool Parent Portal is an interactive web-based platform where parents and guardians can access attendance, grades and fee information for all students registered in the Division, as well as provide updates to family contact information as needed. One account provides access to the information about all students in your family.
Learn more about PowerSchool and how to set up your Parent Portal account if you’re new to EIPS.

School and Division Forms
EIPS uses the online Permission Click platform for many school and Division forms. The system makes the form submission process for families simple and straightforward, and forms are easily fillable from your mobile device.
Learn more about Permission Click and who these forms are sent to.

School Fees

School fees for 2025-26 will be posted to the PowerSchool Parent Portal in late September. Fees are due within 30 days of being posted and must be paid online. If circumstances exist where you're unable to pay your fees, you can apply to have certain fees waived.
Learn more about school fees, transportation fees and the fee waiver process.

For the 2025-26 year, the deadline for receiving fee waiver applications is Dec. 15, 2025.

The Guide to Reporting Student Achievement (GRSA) and School Education Plan (SEP) for the 2025-26 school year are now available! 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. You can access Bruderheim School’s GRSA and SEP through the two corresponding home page tiles at https://www.bruderheimschool.ca/.

Looking to buy school spirit wear? Our Entripy Spiritshop is now live, please visit the Entripy website to order. Your clothing will get delivered to your home!

Shop Name: Bruderheim School http://bruderheimschool.entripyshops.com/

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.

To access the AHS Virtual Caregiver Series click here.