Oct 19 -25, 2026

www.ecoleparc.ca

Hello EPE Families,

It was a relatively quiet week of learning following Thanksgiving!

A quick review

During our monthly assembly, we were happy to welcome Constable Ann on Friday morning. She shared some helpful tips with students on how to have fun and stay safe while trick-or-treating. Congratulations again to this month’s certificate recipients!

This week, we also wrapped up our second session with Mat Mailandt, focusing on strategies to encourage students to speak French in the classroom. Mat will be back in the spring for more professional development with staff and engaging workshops with students.

Upcoming week

The week ahead looks fairly routine as well, but here are a few things to keep in mind.

The link to book Parent-Teacher Interviews opens at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Please see below for the link and booking information. A book fair will also be taking place in the library during interview evenings for families who are interested in picking up a few new reads.

A reminder that Parent Council is collecting books and wrapping paper as they prepare for their Christmas Book Sale in early December. Thank you for your support! Books can be dropped off at any time, but if you bring them on interview nights, you get popcorn in exchange!

With the cooler weather settling in, we are reminding students to put on their coats before heading outside for recess. Please help us by ensuring your child comes to school dressed for the weather.

I can always find more to chat about, but I’ll spare you the lengthy read this Sunday afternoon!

Have a great week, everyone!

Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute to a positive and supportive school community.

Have a great week, everyone!

Mme. Taylor Cullum
Directrice/Principal

What's happening at École Parc:

• BookIt opens to parents for Parent Teacher Interviews at 6:00 pm(closes) See below for information.
• Early dismissal at 2:12 pm

• Hot lunch- Booster Juice.

• Picture retakes
• Early dismissal at 2:12 pm

• Parent Teacher Interviews 4-7pm (book fair will be running concurrently in the library)

• Halloween activities

• Bev Facey Volleyball tournament

• Parent Teacher Interviews 4-7 pm (book fair will be running concurrently in the library)

Nov 4

• School Spirit day: Inside out/backwards day
• Early dismissal at 2:12

• Remembrance Day ceremony. Details to come.
• Grade 6 Field Trip for Remembrance Day

Nov 9 - 13

• Fall Break

Nov 16

• Hot Lunch: Canadian Brewhouse
• On Alert, Hold and Secure & Lockdown drill

Nov 17

• Metis Jigging & Spoons

Nov 18

• School Council Meeting 5:30 Virtual

Nov 19

• Metis Jigging and Spoons

Nov 23

• Monthly Assembly 9:15 am
• Smudging 1:00 pm

Nov 25

• Early dismissal 2:12

Nov 30

• Hot Lunch: Ken's Catering

Save the date- Christmas concert

We are holding December 8 for our grades 3-6 Christmas concert and December 10 for grades K-2.

We are planning an afternoon concert for 1:30 and an evening performance for 5:00pm both days.

See also our school website calendar for schoolwide and classroom information in addition to classroom newsletters.

-EIPS Calendar for 2026-27

-EIPS Kindergarten Calendars for 2026-27

Please email General.EPE@eips.ca by Oct 26 if you wish to have your child's picture retaken. Thank you.

This year we will be using a new platform for our parent teacher interviews called Book it. You will receive an email from our school messenger system at 9:00 am on Oct 21 with the link to sign up. Please note: Interviews will open at 6:00 pm so you will not be able to sign up before then. These nights are for Grade 1 to 6. Kindergarten will have their own dates. We will send out interview information for our Kindergarten families at a later date.

Starting Monday, October 5, elementary families will have access to live PowerSchool gradebook reporting through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. This is an exciting step toward making student learning more visible and strengthening the connection between home and school.

When you first access the gradebook, you can expect to see evidence of learning in most of the four core subjects. Evidence may be identified as:

• C – Conversation
• O – Observation
• P – Product

For our French Language Arts courses, additional codes are being used as we look to focus on the four pillars of language learning and to work in alignment with our School Education goals for this school year.

CE= Comprehension ecrite (reading comprehension)

CO = Comprehension orale (oral comprehension)

PE = production ecrite (written production)

PO= production orale (oral production)

Each entry will include a description of the learning and how it connects to curriculum outcomes.

A few important reminders as you explore the gradebook:

• Monday is a starting point, not a complete picture of your child's achievement.
• Evidence will continue to build throughout October and the months ahead, and different subjects and outcomes may accumulate evidence at different rates.
• Individual pieces of evidence should not be viewed in isolation. Over time, conversations, observations, and products come together to tell a richer story of student learning.
• We encourage families to use the gradebook as a conversation starter with your child—ask what they learned, what challenged them, what they are proud of, or what they are still working toward.
• If you have questions about something you see in the gradebook, please connect with your child's teacher for additional context.

Below is a short video and a link to two documents to help families access PowerSchool, understand the draft elementary achievement standards, and learn how to read the new gradebook.

If you are having difficulty accessing your PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact the school office. We are excited about this opportunity to make learning more visible and strengthen the partnership between students, families, and teachers.

PARENT INFOGRAPHIC - Understanding Your Child's Gradebook - A Quick Guide for Families

New Elementary Assessment Standards

Video: How to sign into your child's profile

NEW INFORMATION- A message from Central Service

Thank you to everyone who has logged into the Parent Portal since our live gradebooks became available on October 5. We are excited to see families beginning to access this new window into their child’s learning journey.

As we move through this next stage of our elementary live reporting pilot, we are experiencing some technical glitches with how information is displaying for families. We recognize that it can be frustrating to log in expecting to see your child’s learning information and encounter an error, missing information, or something that does not display as expected. Please know that our IT Department is actively working through these issues to make access as visible, consistent, and streamlined as possible.

At this time, we recommend accessing the Parent Portal through a web browser whenever possible rather than through the mobile app. The app can experience display issues and errors that may not occur when accessing the same information through a browser.

This is a significant shift in how we approach elementary assessment, reporting, and communication. Rather than waiting for a report card to provide a snapshot of learning, live reporting is intended to give families greater access to the learning journey as it unfolds throughout the year. As with any pilot of this size, we anticipated that there would be some hiccups as we learn how the system functions in practice, identify issues, and make improvements along the way.

We greatly appreciate your patience as we work through this stage of the pilot. Most importantly, thank you for logging in, exploring the gradebook, and taking an interest in the evidence of learning being shared by your child’s teacher. Your participation and feedback are an important part of helping us refine this process and build a reporting system that is meaningful, transparent, and supportive of student learning.

Thank you for your patience and partnership as we continue to learn and improve together.

The cost is $22.50. We have 3 options to choose from: grey, black and cream. The cream are silk lined. Please contact the office if you would like to purchase. No cash please. We will add the fee to your parent portal account. Once paid, we can send the toque home with your child or you can pick it up. Thank you.

As outlined in Ministerial Order 014/2024, the Government of Alberta has established standards for the use of personal mobile devices and social media in schools. Within Elk Island Public Schools’ Administrative Procedure 145: Use of Personal Mobile Devices further outlines acceptable and proper use of personal mobile devices by both staff and students.

Meta glasses and other smart glasses are considered personal mobile devices, and therefore their use is governed by the ministerial order and administrative procedure. While prescription glasses are and always have been permitted in schools to give students the tools they need to learn, Meta and smart glasses are not universally permitted in schools. An eyeglass prescription is not a valid medical condition to permit the use of Meta or other smart glasses. Families are encouraged to explore non-smart glasses options for their children with eyeglass prescriptions.

A friendly reminder that doors will not open until daily until 8:20. If you are dropping off, please stay with your child until doors open. Thank you.

Please see poster for more information.

Are you tired of stepping on blocks in the family room or having the vacuum suck them up and break? Perhaps no one at home plays with it anymore and you are looking to free up some space? Either way, students have asked if we could have a Lego club at lunch when the weather cools. If you are prepared to donate any Lego to the school, we would be happy to put it to use. Please bring any donations to the office.

If your child loses a library or home reading book, please contact the school. If the book is not found within 30 days, the cost of the resource will be assigned to the “Fees” section of your PowerSchool account. Please note, if the book is found within 30 days, a refund will be granted. However, if the book is found after 30 days, a refund will not be granted as we will have purchased a replacement for the library’s collection.

If your child(ren) would benefit from receiving a free hot lunch, please contact Sherri via email to add them to the list and declare any allergies. Email: general.epe@eips.ca

We’re excited to share that Hot Lunch is officially up and running!

Our website has had a big refresh and is now easier than ever to navigate. You can start placing your orders here 👉 https://munchalunch.com/parc

A quick reminder: Orders are due one week before the lunch date.

Have a question or need a little help? No problem! Reach out to Jorie at epeschoolcouncil@gmail.com - happy to help! 😊

Thanks to the generosity of our school community, sometimes we are able to offer free hot lunches to students.

If your child(ren) would benefit from receiving a free hot lunch, please contact Sherri via email to add them to the list and declare any allergies. Email: general.epe@eips.ca

We are incredibly grateful for the kindness shown within our school community and hope this helps make lunch a little easier for families.

Thank you, as always, for supporting our school and our hot lunch program! ♥️

- School Council

Hot lunch Dates:

Sept 28: Panago

Oct 13: Cobs

Oct 26: Booster Juice

Nov 16: The Canadian Brewhouse

Nov 30: Ken's Catering

Dec 14: Tim Hortons

Jan 4: Panago

Jan 18: Cobs

Feb 1: Booster Juice

Feb 16: The Canadian Brewhouse

Mar 1: Ken's Catering

Mar 15: Tim Hortons

Mar 30: Panago

Apr 12: Cobs

Apr 26: Booster Juice

May 10: The Canadian Brewhouse

May 25: Kens Catering

Jun 7: Tim Hortons

Jun 21: Panago

If you are interested in joining the hot lunch team, please reach out to epeschoolcouncil@gmail.com

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 Ecole Parc. Alternatively, contact Sherri Prince at 780-998-3741.

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.ecoleparc.ca/about/fees on the school website. Alternatively, contact Sherri Prince at Ecole Parc at 780-998-3741.

Please click here.

If your student is absent, being picked up early or will be arriving late, we ask that you please email our attendance email at EPEAttendance@eips.ca or call the school at 780-998-3741. Teachers are busy teaching and may not receive any emails in time.

We ask that you contact us ahead of time for early pickups so that we may have your student ready on time. We understand that there may be last minute situations. Thank you.

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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. Ecole Parc 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 780-998-3741.

Learn more about the changes

Did you know you can sync the school calendar to your own calendar? Simply, visit https://www.ecoleparc.ca/about/calendar click on “Subscribe to Calendar” and follow the instructions. Within seconds, your calendar will contain all Ecole Parc’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.

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.

EIPS has three administrative procedures (APs) that address the Division’s code of conduct:

· AP 311: Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning Environments for Students

· AP 350: Student Code of Conduct

· AP 351: Student Conduct on School Buses

The Division, and École Parc Élémentaire, are committed to ensuring all members of the school community are provided with welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments that respect diversity and foster a sense of belonging. EIPS encourages all students, staff and families to review the procedures to understand and practice the conduct expected throughout the Division.

As a reminder, EIPS has outlined rules about the use of personal mobile devices for each grade level in Administrative Procedure (AP) 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 cellphones, smartwatches and Meta glasses.

École Parc also has a Personal Mobile Device Plan that provides additional details for our school.

Families were provided with an opportunity to review these documents at the start of the school year. We encourage you to review them again with your child to ensure students understand where and when students can and cannot access their personal mobile devices at school.

Did you know each EIPS bus is equipped with video surveillance, and many school sites have video monitoring equipment?

Video surveillance and equipment help:

· ensure the safety of all students, staff, drivers and property; and

· discourage destructive acts.

As needed, EIPS school administration and Student Transportation staff review video recordings, in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act. The recordings assist schools and the Division with monitoring student and driver conduct and may be used as evidence in a disciplinary matter.

For more information about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, contact the EIPS FOIP Co-ordinator at 780-464-3477.

Hello EPE Families!

Free workshops and resources for parents and caregivers.

This series has been made possible through the generous financial support and hosting partnerships of local Parent Councils within both Elk Island Catholic Schools and Elk Island Public Schools. Together, we have developed a variety of learning opportunities for caregivers and families throughout the school year on a range of relevant topics.

Registration is now open:
Family and Community Support Services is offering many informative sessions on a variety of topics. More information is at their website FCSS Workshops or can be found at the bottom of the Gazette.

Upcoming sessions:

This fall, we are pleased to offer the following sessions:

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

BGC Fort Saskatchewan, Fort Sask Public Library, The Bridge Wellness Hub for Youth, Families First Society, Creating Hope Society and FCSS are all very excited to share our line up for November Connections Month.

Family BINGO Kick off the month with Family BINGO on November 6, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Dow Centennial Centre (DCC). Bring the whole family for an evening of fun and the chance to win some great prizes. A concession will be available on-site.

Fall Break Colouring Challenge The Fort Saskatchewan Public Library is once again hosting its large community colouring sheet throughout Fall Break. Complete your masterpiece and join the Sticker Exchange on November 13 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Fam Jam Fitness Looking for a fun and active family activity? Join Fam Jam Fitness on November 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Families will participate in interactive games and challenges that children have been enjoying in school. Registration is required: 780-992-6200 (Course Code: 19775).

Dazzling Dinner Families First Society and Creating Hope Society are offering a Dazzling Dinner for youth ages 9-12 and their caregiver. Enjoy a meal together while participating in an Indigenous teaching experience.

The Grinch Event Join BGC Fort Saskatchewan for their annual Grinch Event at the DCC on November 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Expect an evening filled with holiday fun and activities for the whole family.

Bring Your Buddy Movie Night The Bridge Wellness Hub is hosting a free movie night on November 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The theme, Bring Your Buddy, offers a clue about the movie selection! Registration is required through the Bridge Movie Night Registration Form.