November 7, 2025

November

• Nov. 7 - Hot Lunch Orders Open Until Nov. 18
• Nov. 8 - Indigenous Veteran's Day
• Nov. 10-14 - No School - Fall Break (Schools Closed)
• Nov. 11 - Remembrance Day (Schools and Central Services Closed)
• Nov. 15 - Rock Your Mocs
• Nov. 17 - Classes Resume
• Nov. 17 - Odd Socks Day
• Nov. 17 - Grade 1-6 Bus Evacuation Drill at 9:00 a.m.
• Nov. 17 - Kindergarten Little Elk Island Adventure - Bus Safety Presentation at 9:30 a.m.
• Nov. 17-21 - Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week
• Nov. 15-22 - Métis Week
• Nov. 18 - School Council and Parent Association Meetings at 6:30 p.m.

Be sure to check out our school calendar.

Our school will be celebrating Odd Socks Day on November 17! Students and staff are encouraged to wear mismatched socks to school as a fun and creative way to show that it’s okay to be different. Thank you for helping us spread the word about Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.

Remembrance Day Service

On Thursday, November 6, students participated in our Virtual Remembrance Day Service to honour and remember those who have served and continue to serve our country. Each class took part in a meaningful reflection through a video presentation to help students understand the importance of remembrance and gratitude.

Christmas Concert Update
After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Kindergarten to Grade 3 Christmas Concert originally scheduled for December 8. Due to missed instructional time earlier this fall, our teachers and students are focusing on key learning outcomes in music and other subjects. We want any performance we create to reflect the quality and joy our students bring to their learning, and the limited timeframe makes that challenging this year.

We are, however, exploring an alternate daytime activity later in December to celebrate the season in a meaningful and curriculum-connected way with students. More information will be shared once details are confirmed.

These groups play an important role in shaping your child’s school experience.

• School Council meetings give parents the chance to hear from the principal, board trustee, teachers, and each other about what’s happening in the school and decisions that impact learning.

• Parent Association meetings (held right after) focus on the fun—planning activities, fundraisers, and volunteer opportunities that help make elementary school magical.

Thanks to parent involvement, we’re able to offer things like hot lunches, school dances, fundraisers, staff appreciation, and year-end celebrations. Every bit of support—big or small—makes a difference!

Meeting Dates for 2025-26

* Tuesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m.
* Tuesday, January 13 at 6:30 p.m.
* Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m.
* Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m.

All meetings take place in the Woodbridge Farms Elementary Library and are available virtually.

Visit our school website to learn more about these important parent/caregiver advisory groups.

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, 2026.
• Parent-Teacher-Student interviews will take place on Wednesday, December 3, and Thursday, December 4 and on Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19, from 3:30–6:30 p.m.
• 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.

Parent-Teacher Interviews for Semester 1 will be held on Wednesday, December 3, and Thursday, December 4, from 3:30–6:30 p.m. This is a valuable opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher and discuss their progress so far this year.

Booking information will be shared with families following Fall Break.

Looking ahead, Semester 2 interviews are scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19, from 3:30–6:30 p.m.

The Guide to Reporting Student Achievement (GRSA) and School Education Plan (SEP) for the 2025-26 school year are available now! The GRSA explains how we assess student achievement, how we determine grades and more. The SEP details our school goals for the year—with key strategies and measures in achieving these outcomes. You can access our GRSA and SEP through the two corresponding home page tiles at https://www.woodbridgefarms.ca/.

With the winter season almost here, we have 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, as well as posting on social media and eips.ca as early as possible.
• 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.