April 20 - 26, 2026

www.ecoleparc.ca

We had Spring Break, then Easter extra long weekend and so it has been a long while since we've had a five day school week. We all did a great job moving through all the seasons that were in these last five days and we've done a great job working hard in our classrooms! Well done everyone! Here are some considerations our staff have been discussing that we thought we'd share with caregivers:

Why Might Students Be Extra Sleepy in the Spring?

Have you noticed your student moving a little slower or feeling more tired lately? It’s not just them! Even though the sun is beginning (very slowly with the off and on snow we've been experiencing) to come out more and more, many kids feel a "spring slump." Here is why:

• Student's Internal Clocks are Resetting: Just like we change the clocks for Daylight Saving Time, our bodies have to "reset" too. More sunlight means brains are working hard to figure out when to be awake and when to rest. It’s like batteries are recalibrating!
• The "Growing Pains" of Spring: Longer days and warmer weather actually make the body work harder to stay cool and balanced. This extra work can leave kids feeling "wiped out" by the end of the school day.
• The School Year Marathon: Think of the school year like a long race. By the time spring hits, students have been "running" for months! They are nearing the finish line, and it’s natural for their energy to dip right before the final stretch.
• Seasonal Sniffles: Even if they don’t have full-blown allergies, new pollen in the air can make kids feel a bit "foggy" or restless at night.

How to help students "Bloom":

• Keep Sleep Sacred: Even though it’s light outside later, try to stick to their usual bedtime to help their internal clock catch up.
• Outdoor Play: A little bit of fresh air and running around can actually help "wake up" their system.
• Patience and Praise: A little extra grace goes a long way right now. Celebrate the small wins as they power through these last few months!

We wish everyone a fantastic week!

These glasses were found outside in the snow. Please contact the office if they belong to your child. Thank you.

Choose from a variety of pre planted hanging baskets or chose your own style by getting a gift card. All order will be available in time for Mother's day.

Orders close on April 25th.

Pick up will be available at the school Thursday, May 7th.

We would like to thank you all for a successful book fair! This year was a little different, as we used Audrey’s Bookstore instead of Scholastic. We sold $6,169.36 in person this year but we don’t have a total for online orders yet as the fair is still available online until Sunday, April 19 at midnight. We will be receiving 20% back from our total sales. It may not look like a lot, but we took a little over $1000 worth of books for the library. 32 books were bought for our teachers this year off their wish lists – you are all so generous!

Because I had a library practicum student able to help me this year, we were able to put books off to the side after they were sold so that others could browse them. However, next year we may change to a first come first serve model. Any feedback about the book fair is appreciated, especially your preferences for which company you liked better: Audrey’s or Scholastic. Feel free to contact me at Jennifer.milanovic@eips.ca.

A big thank you to our grade 6 volunteers who stayed after school and during recess for all their help. This wouldn’t be possible without them.

Click here

What's happening this week at École Parc:

April 20

• Class of the week: 52
• Fire Drill

April 24

• Grade 3 swimming 1:00 - 1:45

Upcoming dates:

April 27

• Hot Lunch: Cobs
• Class of the week: 51

April 28

• Cafe Bicyclette Orders Due Grade 6

May 1

• Professional Learning Day: No school

May 4

• Class of the week:41
• Monthly Assembly 1:30 pm
• Smudging
• Fire Drill

May 5

• Grade 6 Field Trip Cafe Bicyclette

May 6

• Spirit Day: Hats on for mental Health
• Lunch with the Principal for the April winners

May 7

• Orienteering Class 41, 21/22, 11 at 10:20-12:00 pm

May 8

• Swimming Class: Class 31/32 1:00 - 1:45 pm

May 11

• Hot Lunch: Canadian Brewhouse
• Swimming Class 11 & 12/22 10:00-10:45 am
• Swimming Class 21 11:00-11:45 am
• Class of the week: 32

May 12

• Grade 6 Field Trip: Strathcona Wilderness

May 13

• School Council Meeting 6:00 pm
• ECS Open House 4:00 - 5:00 pm

May 14

• Fire Drill
• Orienteering Class 41, 32, 31 10:20 am to 12:00 pm

May 15

• Grade 5 Field Trip: Gallery 501
• Swimming Class 11 & 12/22 10:00-10:45 am

• Swimming Class 21 11:00-11:45 am
• Swimming Class: Class 31/32 1:00 - 1:45 pm

May 18

• Victory Day-No school

May 19

• Grade 1 & 2 In school Field Trip: St Albert Art Gallery
• Class of the week: Class 31
• Grade 6 FILAL Part A PAT

May 22

• Swimming Class 11 & 12/22 10:00-10:45 am

• Swimming Class 21 11:00-11:45 am
• Swimming Class: Class 31/32 1:00 - 1:45 pm

May 25

• Hot lunch: Booster Juice
• Swimming Class 11 & 12/22 10:00-10:45 am
• Swimming Class 21 11:00-11:45 am
• Class of the week: 21

May 26

• Grade 4-6 Fitset Ninja

May 27

• Grade 1 & 2 In school Field Trip: Teachers Pet

May 28

• Orienteering Class 41, 21 10:20 am to 12:00 pm

May 29

• Grade 6 Immunizations
• Grade 4 Field Trip: Strathcona Wilderness
• Swimming Class 11 & 12/22 10:00-10:45 am
• Swimming Class 21 11:00-11:45 am
• Swimming Class: Class 31/32 1:00 - 1:45 pm
  

Do you have or know a child who might benefit from pre-kindergarten programming? Have you heard about PALS pre-kindergarten and the new ELM pre-kindergarten programs available in Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) for the 2026-27 school year? Interested in learning more?

Join EIPS for a pre-kindergarten pizza party information night to learn more about pre-kindergarten programs and locations for the coming year.

Date: Thursday, April 23

Time: 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Location: Pine Street Elementary

133 Pine St., Sherwood Park AB

RSVP: To ensure we have enough pizza, RSVP by April 21

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.

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.

Hello Grizzly families,

Hot lunch will be offered on the following days

Feb 17th Cobs

Mar 2nd Canadian Brewhouse

Mar 16th Booster Juice

Mar 30th Panago

Apr 13th Tim Horton

Apr 27th Cobs

May 11th Canadian Brewhouse

May 25th Booster Juice

Jun 8th Panago

Hot Lunch is ordered through Munchalunch. I have included a document with steps to complete this account. If you need to create an account check out this info:

Munchalunch https://munchalunch.com/schools/parc to create your account

For any other questions, please reach out to EPESchoolcouncil@gmail.com.

Please cancel any future orders you have purchased with Lunchbox. Follow the attached instructions to do so.

Hi Families,

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

At the moment, the number of available lunches each week is greater than the number of students currently signed up, so we would love for more families to take advantage of this opportunity.

If your child(ren) would benefit from receiving a free hot lunch, please contact Sherri at General.EPE@eips.ca to add them to the list and declare any allergies and permission for the hot lunch donation.

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

Hot Lunch Coordinator

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.

**NEW**

Please email any DQ permissions(Grade 5 and 6 only) to EPEAttendance@eips.ca by 11:00 am on the day you wish your student to go to DQ. Please do not send paper notes or write in the agenda.

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.

Wondering when and how to pay for school fees? School fee information for the 2025-26 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, 2025.

For more information, visit the Fees page on the school website. Alternatively, contact Sherri Prince, Business Manager at École Parc at 780-998-3741.

For the safety of our students, a reminder that this lane is for QUICK student drop off only. There is to be no parking for any reason in the express lane. Please park on the street if you need to walk with your student into the school.

Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2026?

Kindergarten registration for the 2026-27 school year opened 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 Ecole Parc’s kindergarten program is available at https://www.ecoleparc.ca/home/news.

National Volunteer Week takes place April 19-25. On behalf of the Board of Trustees at Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS), I want to say a giant thank you to all EIPS volunteers. This year’s theme is Ignite Volunteerism and that certainly reflects your efforts in our Division. Whether you’ve chaperoned a field trip, helped out at a hot lunch day or provided support in a classroom, every time you’ve stepped in a school,you’ve lit a spark that fosters connection throughout your community. Your hard work and dedication build up and make a momentous impact on a student’s experience at school.

So, thank you again for instilling your fiery passion into EIPS communities. The efforts you’ve made—and will continue to create—all contribute to our collective goals of ensuring learning and working environments sustain student learning and amplifying the importance of public education in our province. This National Volunteer Week, I encourage everyone to celebrate the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours put into supporting student growth and achievement at schools across the Division.

Colleen Holowaychuk
Chair, EIPS Board of Trustees

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.

2025-26 student assessment updates

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 December 1 and December 3.
· 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.

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.

April Spotlight: Student Growth and Success

· Early Learning: Ensuring early learners reach developmental milestones.

· Culture of Literacy: Dive deep into the data and learn how students are developing strong literacy skills.

· Math Matters: Enhancing reasoning, understanding and achievement through numeracy-rich classrooms.

· Boosting Educational Outcomes: How EIPS supports the growth and achievement of self-identified First Nations, Métis or Inuit students.

· Beyond High School: Supports and strategies that are creating real-life career pathways for learners.

RELATED INFORMATION
EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26
EIPS Three-Year Capital Plan: 2025-28

With the winter season almost here, 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, contact EIPS Student Transportation at 780-417-8151.

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 Ecole Parc’s GRSA and SEP through the two corresponding home page tiles.

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.

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

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 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.