NS News & Information

Hey all, Monday September 21 is Instructional Day #15 of 84 or 18% of the way through semester 1.

As we move into the week ahead, we are approaching the quarter point of the semester. This is an important milestone, and students should now be seeing assessments, feedback, and evidence of learning that reflect their progress to date. It is a great time for students and families to review current achievement, celebrate successes, and identify any areas where additional support or effort may be needed.

At Next Step, our Priority of Practice is Student Engagement through Success Criteria, Retrieval Practice, and High-Quality Feedback. When students clearly understand what success looks like, receive meaningful feedback, and have opportunities to apply that feedback, they become more confident, independent, and engaged learners. Our staff continue to focus on making learning intentions and success criteria visible so that students can better monitor their progress, take ownership of their learning, and understand the pathway to success.

As families, one of the most valuable questions you can ask this week is: "How do you know you are successful in your learning right now?" Conversations like these help students reflect on their growth, understand their next steps, and build confidence in their abilities.

As always, we encourage students to stay engaged, attend regularly, connect with their teachers, and take advantage of the support available. Remember, learning is a journey, and every step forward matters. As Robert Collier said best, "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."

At Next Step, we believe that small steps are still progress. By understanding what success looks like, acting on feedback, and continuing to persevere, our students are building the skills and confidence needed for lifelong success. Have a wonderful week ahead!

With appreciation,

Mr. B. Spady, Principal

Ms. D. Bennett & Mr. R. Davies, Assistant Principals

Next Step current enrollment: 784 total (451 SPO, 225 FSO, 86 NSO, 22 VGO)

Attached is the Next Step Every Child Matters design for our Orange Shirt Day activities on September 29. This design was specifically created for Next Step by Haida Nation artist Michael Bellis. His father is a Residential School survivor from British Columbia. Michael volunteered to create the artwork and share his story as we honour the survivors of the residential school system. The Haida carving on display at SPO Mike created four years ago.

In Haida tradition the eagle symbolizes strength, focus and is the most powerful of all birds. The eagle feather brings good luck and honour when gifted and worn. The Every Child Matters artwork titled ‘Resilience’ is a deconstructed Haida formline design with a mother eagle preserving its juvenile eagle. For more Haida artwork from Michael please visit https://michaelbellis.com/

September 21-25 Truth and Reconciliation Week

September 25 Terry Fox School Run Day

September 28 Provincial Apprenticeship Day

September 29 Orange Shirt Day activities

September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation- No School

October 2 EIPS Professional Learning Day- No School

October 5 World Teachers’ Day

October 5-9 Read In Week

October 8 Diwali

October 10 World Mental Health Day

October 12 Thanksgiving- No School

October 20 P/T/S Conferences 4:30-7pm (FSO & VGO)

October 22 P/T/S Conferences 4:30-7pm (SPO)

October 21 Virtual School Advisory Council 12pm

October 29 ELA 30-1/2 Diploma Part A

October 30 SS 30-1/2 Diploma Part A

October 31 Halloween

November 2 English 30-1/2 Diploma Part B

November 3 Math 30-1/2 Diploma

November 4 SS 30-1/2 Diploma Part B & Chemistry 30

November 5 Physics 30 & Biology 30 Diploma

November 5 Take Our Kids To Work Day

November 6 Science 30 Diploma

November 6 EIPS Remembrance Service

November 7 International Inuit Day

November 8 Indigenous Veterans' Day

November 9-13 November Break

November 11 Remembrance Day
November 15-22 Metis Week

October 17 Red Deer Polytechnic Red Deer Polytechnic Open House

October 17 University of Alberta U of A Open House

October 23-24 SAIT SAIT Open House

October 24 Alberta University of the Arts Alberta University of the Arts Open House

October 24 Concordia University Concordia University Open House

October 24 Kings University Kings University Open House

October 24 NAIT NAIT Open House

October 24 University of Calgary University of Calgary Open House

October 24 University of Lethbridge University of Lethbridge Open House

October 27 Medicine Hat College Medicine Hat College Open House

October 28 Lethbridge Polytechnic Lethbridge Polytechnic Open House

November 7 MacEwan University MacEwan University Open House

We are excited to share that Next Step has been featured in Education Insider Magazine, highlighting the innovative learning opportunities, flexible pathways, and student-centered approach that make our school unique.

Read the feature here: Education Insider Magazine Feature

This recognition is a celebration of our entire school community! Every day, our students show incredible perseverance, resilience, and determination, while our staff create welcoming, individualized learning experiences that help students reach their goals. We’re proud of the work happening at Next Step and the difference it makes in the lives of our learners!

Our Student Success team at Next Step is designed to maximize school engagement, increase academic success and enhance social, emotional and physical well-being for students.

Sherwood Park: Success Coach is Jennifer.Martinez@eips.ca email & direct line 7804102942 (student/family strategies & community connections)

Fort Saskatchewan: Success Coach is Janet.Clarkson@eips.ca email & direct line 7804103981 (student/family strategies & community connections)

Vegreville: Family School Liaison Worker Carlin.Adams@eips.ca email & direct line 7804103989 (student/family strategies & community connections)n

We are grateful for the time our families took to complete the 2025–26 EIPS Annual Parent & Caregiver Feedback Survey. Your feedback is essential in helping us reflect, celebrate, and continue to grow as a school community. This year’s results highlight many areas of strength that reflect the dedication of our staff, the resilience of our students, and the partnership we share with families.

Top Highlights from Our Survey Results. We are proud to share five key areas where parent and caregiver feedback demonstrates outstanding results:

• My child's individual needs are met. 79.26% Strongly Agree and 19.26% Agree (Top 2-99%)
• How satisfied are you with the quality of teaching at your child’s school? 87.12% Strongly Agree and 12.12% Agree (Top 2-99%)
• My child's encouraged to do their best. 84.44% Strongly Agree and 14.81% Agree (Top 2-99%)
• My child's learning the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be successful in life. 66.67% Strongly Agree and 28.89% Agree (Top 2-96%)
• How satisfied are you with the quality of education your child's receiving at school? 83.33% Strongly Agree and 13.64% Agree (Top 2-96%)
• School staff care about my child. 83.33% Strongly Agree and 15.91% Agree (Top 2-99%)
• In your opinion, has the quality of education your child's experienced improved, stayed the same or declined in the past three years? 84.09% Improved and 11.36% stayed the same
  

These results speak to something we value deeply at Next Step: relationships, encouragement, and a commitment to meeting students where they are. As an alternative high school program, we know that success looks different for every learner. It is affirming to see that families recognize:

• The care and connection built by our staff

• The personalized support provided to students

• The commitment to helping students take meaningful steps forward

Small steps are still progress. We sincerely thank our families for their ongoing partnership and trust. Your feedback helps guide our School Education Plan and ensures we continue to focus on what matters most, supporting every student to succeed. Together, we will continue to build on these strengths while listening closely for opportunities to grow.

Register today: NEW Student Registration

Fulltime in-person hybrid (on campus once a week):

• 19 years of age or younger as of September 1.
• Registrations are accepted throughout the school year based on capacity and resources.
• Students residing within the province of Alberta are eligible for registration.
• Access to an academic success coach to help support your educational goals.
• If you are a current EIPS student, you do not require a referral to attend Next Step Full time prior to September 29. After September 30 you will need to get approval from your current school.

Adult Learner:

• 20 years of age or older as of September 1.
• If you are interested in completing or upgrading your high school education through our program, please reach out to our school for assistance.
• Students no longer require pre-requisite materials and can proceed to 30 level courses.
• Meet with an academic advisor to help support your educational goals.
• There is $125 per credit fee for adult learners.

Full Time on-line only:

• 19 years of age or younger as of September 1.
• Registrations are accepted throughout the school year based on capacity and resources.
• Students residing within the province of Alberta are eligible for registration.

Part Time on-line only (specific programming available) up to 10 credits:

• 19 years of age or younger as of September 1.
• Registrations are accepted throughout the school year based on capacity and resources.
• Students residing within the province of Alberta are eligible for registration.
• Students can complete up to 10 credits while being registered with another school authority (School Board).

Shared or referred EIPS Student:

• If you currently attend another EIPS school and are looking to complete one class a semester with Next Step while attending your primary school full time, contact your counsellor or administration.
• You will require a referral from your current school to take a Next Step course concurrently with primary school programming.
• Registrations are accepted at the start of a semester and are prioritized based on graduation requirement.

Fees: Next Step does not charge course fees for students 19 years of age or younger as of September 1. Any textbook resources assigned to a student are to be returned once a course is completed. If the textbook is not returned, a replacement fee will be charged to the student account. *Note per credit fees apply for adult learners.

For more information, visit our website!

Check out what else is happening in Fort Saskatchewan!

Dragonfly Highlights

Campus EIPS is offering new programming. Check out these learning opportunities on their website!

Undergraduate applications in Alberta

ApplyAlberta is a secure online system that allows you to apply to one or more of Alberta’s public colleges, universities, and technical institutes.

What you’ll need to apply

• Your Alberta Student Number (What is an ASN?)
• Names of all the high schools and post-secondary institutions you have attended
• All your high school courses and corresponding grades
• A credit card to pay your application fees (learn more)

Still exploring your plans after Grade 12? The Polytechnic Institute of Northern Canada (PI-NC) offers career-focused programs in Logistics Management, designed for Northern learners and employers. Students can choose from a one-year, 30-credit Certificate or a two-year, 60-credit Diploma, which includes a 500-hour practicum. Programs focus on practical skills in areas like procurement, transportation, inventory, and operations—skills needed across many Northern industries. With growing opportunities in transportation, defense, infrastructure, energy, communications, and resource development, logistics can be a great pathway into a growing Northern career. See the link below for more information!

New to High School? All students require a MyPass account to obtain diploma marks, transcripts and so much more. If you have not created an account, please click on the link below and follow the instructions on how to do so.

Create a MyPass account

Looking for support as your teen navigates the changes and challenges of growing up? Navigating the Shift is a parent education series designed to provide families and caregivers with helpful information, practical tools, and support.

Sessions are open to all parents and caregivers in the community. To view upcoming sessions and learn more, visit the FCSS Navigating the Shift Series.

Are you planning to pursue a career in the mechanical trades? The Jake Weitz Memorial Scholarship provides financial support to students pursuing education and training in the trades.

Eligible areas include:
• Automotive Service Technician
• Heavy-Duty Equipment Technician
• Agricultural Equipment Technician
• Aviation Maintenance Technician

In the first two years, 24 scholarships totaling $24,000 have been awarded. April 2027 will mark the scholarship’s third year of supporting students pursuing careers in the trades.

Students are encouraged to learn more about eligibility requirements and the application process at:

www.jakeweitz.ca/how-to-apply

Our vision is to create a community of learners who embody the virtues of acceptance, flexibility, individualization, respect, and responsibility. Motto: Small steps are still progress!

At Next Step, we believe that consistent engagement in learning is key to academic success. Students who do not actively participate in their course for a period of 30 days will be withdrawn from the course. Should a student wish to reengage, they will be required to meet with our Student Success team to discuss their commitment and develop a plan to ensure future success. As we say at Next Step, "small steps are still progress," and we are here to support every step of your journey. This policy ensures students remain committed to their learning, while also providing them with the necessary support to reengage effectively.

Appropriate use of personal communication devices contributes to the safety and security of students and staff, minimizes risk to personal wellbeing and disruption to instruction, and protects personal privacy and academic integrity. As such, all personal communication devices are to be out of sight during instructional hours from: 9:00-11:30am & 12:30-3pm

Students may not access a PCD unless given permission by the teacher for a specific educational task or purpose. PCDs shall not be on the student unless the use is for: a diagnosed medical condition; or an identified inclusive-educational need.

From a security perspective, the most important function of an exterior door is for protection from the elements and to control entry for building security. All exterior doors will be locked, and opened only for student and visitor access during designated school entry times and special events. Students who arrive when doors are locked, as well as parents/caregivers and visitors, will be welcomed into the office after ringing the doorbell/video-monitored intercom entry system. All visitors must sign in and out of the school and follow the visitor protocol.

Students, parents, and caregivers can access our campus locations during the following times:

Monday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Tuesday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Wednesday 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.*Reminder every Wednesday is early dismissal.

Thursday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Friday 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

#gogreen

Email: nextstep@eips.ca
Website: eipsnextstep.ca
Phone: 7804641899
X: @eipsnextstep