Wolf Tracks

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 14 - School Picture Day (KA only)

Sept. 14 - School Wide Bus Evacuations at 9:00am

Sept. 14 - Little Elk Island Adventure Schedule A at 9:30am

Sept. 14 - Linking Generations Information Session 9:00am

Sept. 15 - School Picture Day (KB-9)

Sept. 15 - Little Elk Island Adventure Schedule B at 2:15 am

Sept. 15 - Lakeland Ridge Band Club Parent Meeting at 6:00pm

Sept. 15 - Band Club Parent Information Session 6:00pm

Sept. 15 - School Council & AGM 6:30pm

Sept. 16 - Early Dismissal at 2:14pm

Sept. 22-26 - Truth and Reconciliation Week

Sept. 23 - Terry Fox Run

Sept. 23 - Early Dismissal at 2:14pm

Sept. 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (No School)

*More dates to come! Check our school website for the most up-to-date information.

Once again Lakeland Ridge is participating in the fight against cancer with our annual Terry Fox Run on Wednesday, September 23. Over the past 3 years, Lakeland Ridge has raised over $30,000 towards cancer research.

Please help us reach our goal of at least $8500. Students will have pledge sheets coming home and our school page is https://schools.terryfox.ca/136336.

Thank you for helping us fight against cancer.

Go Wolves Go!

Students with severe allergies (anaphylaxis), asthma, epilepsy, or diabetes require a medical plan. Please contact our office if your child has one of the conditions listed above or has a medical condition that requires a medical plan. A permission click will be emailed to you to complete.

If your child requires medication to be accessible at the school, such as Tylenol, Advil, Benadryl, Reactine or Tums, contact our office. A permission click will be emailed to you to complete.

Students are not permitted to administer their own medication at school. All medication should be provided in its original packaging and labelled with the student’s name. All medication will be stored in the office with administering recorded.

Our first School Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 15 at 6:30 pm. Parents/Caregivers will have the option to attend in person in our Learning Commons (library). School Council is a collective association of parents, teachers, and administrators who work together for the betterment of the school community. Among other important roles, the School Council dialogues with the principal on a variety of school matters. We will be selecting our School Council Executive for the 2024-25 school year at our first meeting. The agenda and link for the meeting will be uploaded to our school website later next week.

On Tuesday, September 15th at 6:00 PM we will be hosting a Parent Information Night for the Lakeland Ridge Band Club. Mr. Semple will meet with parents in the drama room to introduce the band club, explain how instrument rentals will work and answer any other questions you may have.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This week we practiced an Evacuation drill. Below are the descriptions of the different emergency protocol drills we will practice throughout the year and when they could be used. We are required to practice all drills throughout the school year and each time we initiate an emergency protocol, whether a drill or real, we will communicate with parents and guardians.

Evacuation/Fire

- “Evacuation” is used when the fire alarm sounds.

- This alarm requires all students and staff to leave the school and go to a designated location.

- In most cases, especially for drills, this may mean only going outside and away from the school building until it is safe to re-enter the school.

- In other cases, students and staff may need to go to a designated evacuation center. Parents would be informed of the alternate location by the school.

On Alert

- “On Alert” is used as an early notification to staff and students of a potential situation and to stand by for further instructions.

- When an “On Alert” is called, staff and students are directed to their classrooms, and when outside they are to return to their classrooms.

- Movement is restricted in or out of classrooms but normal classroom activities continue.

- Staff are “on alert” and maintain situational awareness and are prepared to initiate further action if needed.

Hold and Secure

- “Hold and Secure” is used when there is an immediate threat of violence OUTSIDE the school (ie: police presence in the vicinity of the school).

- All exterior doors/windows are locked, interior doors remain in a normal state, and normal classroom activities continue.

- Students and staff are directed to keep away from exterior windows and doors.

- No one is allowed in or out of the building.

Shelter-in-Place

- “Shelter-in-Place” is used when there is an immediate environmental situation OUTSIDE (ie: tornado, severe weather, animal on the school grounds, etc.).

- All windows are closed.

- All staff and students are directed to their designated “shelter-in-place” locations inside the school.

- No one is allowed to leave their designated “shelter-in-place” area.

- Prepare for possible evacuation or “drop-cover-hold”.

Drop-Cover-Hold

- “Drop-Cover-Hold” is used when there is a situation happening to our building NOW (ie: tornado, severe weather).

- If able, staff and students will drop under desk/sturdy table.

- All staff and students get down onto knees, curl chest to knees, clasp hands behind neck, put face down.

- Stay under cover with head down between knees. Cover face and eyes.

Lockdown

- “Lockdown” is used when there is an imminent threat of violence happening INSIDE the building (ie: escalating domestic situation, dangerous intruder, etc.).

- All staff and students are directed to closest lockdown zone/room. Lock and secure all doors and windows.

- Barricade door(s), take cover, keep away from all doors and windows, stay out of sight lines.

- Do not allow anyone in or out of rooms.

We encourage all parents/guardians to discuss these drills with your children and reinforce the importance of listening carefully to teacher instructions. The most likely scenarios we will face are environmental in nature (wildlife, severe weather, etc.). With that said, our goal is not to instill fear but to be prepared for different situations should they occur.

For more information, please go to https://www.eips.ca/parents/emergency-preparedness. Alternatively, if you have any questions or would like to discuss these drills further, please contact Matt Matheson.

When dropping off and picking up students, please ensure you are not parking in bus zones or staff parking spaces at any time, even for a quick stop. Staff parking spaces have all been allocated between the staff from Lakeland Ridge, Holy Spirit and EIPS Supports for Students. All staff parking spots are in use, however, you may see some open spots because staff from all 3 organizations arrive and depart at various times of the day. Please do not park in an empty staff parking space.

Did you know you can sync the school calendar to your own calendar? Simply, visit https://www.lakelandridge.ca/about/calendar, click on “Subscribe to Calendar” and follow the instructions. Within seconds, your calendar will contain all Lakeland Ridge'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 the https://www.lakelandridge.ca/about/180409 on the school website. Alternatively, contact Cathy Eyben at Lakeland Ridge at 780-416-9018.

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

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. Lakeland Ridge 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.

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. Lakeland Ridge 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 780-416-9018.

Learn more about the changes

Alberta's new junior high curriculum takes effect in September 2027, and Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is piloting specific grades and some of the new courses starting this September.

Junior high students across Alberta will see updates to the Mathematics and Social Studies curricula this year. In addition, two new courses—Physical Education & Wellness (PEW), and Career Education & Financial Literacy (CEFL)—will be implemented. PEW combines concepts from the previous Physical Education and Health classes into one combined class. CEFL is a new course designed to support students in their journey toward career and financial independence in their teenage years. This is a province-wide change, the first major junior high curriculum update in over two decades.

Before the full rollout in September 2027, we’re using the 2026–27 school year as an optional piloting year. Piloting lets teachers test draft curriculum, build expertise and refine instructional practices. EIPS’ approach is deliberately careful, with continuity of student learning as a top priority.

What this means for our students:

• Grade 7 students in Lakeland Ridge will pilot all of the new curriculum subjects, with full piloting in Math, Social Studies, PEW and CEFL.

• Grade 8 students will fully pilot PEW and CEFL, with partial piloting in Math to ensure a smooth transition into Grade 9 and high school.

• Grade 9 students will continue learning the current curriculum in Math and Social Studies. There are no changes to Grade 9 PATs so the transition to high school stays predictable. PEW and CEFL are the new subjects that Grade 9 students will experience.

Supporting our teachers

Every junior high teacher of these subjects will participate in professional learning sessions to prepare them for new curriculum. We’ve also designated a Curriculum Lead in each subject to support colleagues with planning and resource development and curation. Curriculum Leads attend additional learning sessions across the year. This work will help teachers provide a strong foundation for our students as we navigate the changes in new curriculum over the course of the next few years.

Want to learn more? Talk to the admin team, attend an upcoming school council meeting or visit alberta.ca/curriculum. We will have more information throughout the year!

There have been some small modifications to attendance codes that you may notice in the near future if you are checking your child's attendance at school. Most of our attendance codes are the same, however, we do have a couple new ones this year:

PX (Parent Aware Exited) - used when a parent has excused their student after the class has already started. For example, this would be used when a student needed to leave for a doctor's appointment in the middle of a class.

PIB (Present in Building) - used when a student is present at school but not in their scheduled class. For example, this would be used for in-school field trips, special projects or writing a test in the office.

Tech and Teens
Date: September 17

Technology is an important part of family life, but conversations about technology can often lead to conflict, confusion, and concern. This interactive workshop will help parents and caregivers learn practical strategies for supporting teens in developing healthy relationships with technology.

Participants will:

• Explore current research and perspectives on technology and youth
• Learn conversation tools to better understand their teen's experiences
• Discover ways to support healthy technology habits and digital well-being
• Reflect on family values and how technology can support those values

Register here:
https://www.strathcona.ca/community-families/parents-children-families/family-resource-network/?utm…

Email: general.llr@eips.ca
Website: https://www.lakelandridge.ca/
Location: 101 Crimson Drive, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Phone: 780-416-9018
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lakeland-Ridge-School-1490402014609661
Instagram: @LakelandRidgeWolves