Mustang Memo - May 26, 2023

You could feel the excitement in the air today as students enjoyed some special presentations! Our Kindergarten to grade 2 students learned all about hoop dancing with Lakota Tootoosis. He shared teachings on the different hoop formations and invited some lucky student volunteers to try out some hoop moves!

In the afternoon we had a visit from Adrian Lachance and his sons for students in grades 3 to 6. He provided us teachings on the drum as well as on some special dances. The experience culminated with his son demonstrating some traditional dances for our students. 

To make the day even more exciting, we had class pictures and our Jugo Juice hot lunch day! 

There is never a dull moment at Davidson Creek!

Have a great weekend!

Helene Hewitt & Kyla Harding

Principal & Assistant Principal

You belong here!

Table of Contents

Week At a Glance

Action

• Davidson Creek School Council Annual General Meeting and Elections

Opportunity 

• Counsellor's Corner
• Caregiver Series: May and June Sessions
• First Nations, Métis and Inuit Family Gathering

Information

• Davidson Creek Elementary Helps Elections Alberta
• 2022-23 EIPS Annual Feedback Survey Results Report
• Parents Make the Difference

WEEK AT A GLANCE

ACTION

Davidson Creek School Council Annual General Meeting and Elections

Please join us on Tuesday, June 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the library for our Annual General Meetings for our Davidson Creek School Council (DCSC) and Davidson Creek Fundraising Society (DCFS). We will be holding our annual elections during these meetings.  

Both of our parent groups are made up of parents or guardians of children who attend Davidson Creek Elementary. It is run by elected council members and meetings are held monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month starting at 6:30 p.m. (there are no meetings in December and April). *please note that meeting times and dates may change as determined in our Annual General Meeting.

Being on our school council or fundraising parent group is a great opportunity to learn more about the school, provide support to excellent programs and resources for the students, and provide input and feedback to the school. We also have cookies!

Below is specific information about each parent group including positions that have vacancies:

Davidson Creek School Council

We will are actively recruiting talented parents to take on a few positions on our school council for the 2023-24 school year:

• Secretary
• Communications Officer

To read descriptions of these positions as well as details on how school council functions, click here to read our DCSC Operating Procedures.

Davidson Creek Fundraising Society

We are actively recruiting parents to fill the following positions:

• Treasurer
• Hot lunch (3 more parents required)

You can read more about these positions in the DCFS Policies & Procedures. Additionally, you can read our official bylaws in our Certification of Incorporation. 

We hope to see you there!

OPPORTUNITY

Counsellor's Corner

Hello Mustang Parents!

Summer is near, and that means that the responsibility for learning and childcare shifts more in your direction. Tag, you’re it! As warmer weather and more unstructured time often lends itself to running wild, Strathcona County is offering a space where you can freshen up on reducing parenting-related stressors and strengthening your family’s relationship during the break. Parents will have the opportunity to connect with other parents, explore realistic expectations, learn how to set limits and increase positive behaviours. This free event is taking place on Saturday, May 27th, from 9 - 11am, at Millennium Place. For more information, please see details below.

Have a great week!

Caregiver Series: May and June Sessions

REMINDER: Alberta Health Services offers free online programming for parents and caregivers of children and youth. Sessions are offered through Zoom. Upcoming topics include strategies for test anxiety and transitioning to teenage years. The list of May and June 2023 sessions is now available.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit Family Gathering

The First Nations, Métis and Inuit education team will host their final in-person gathering for families of self-identified First Nations, Métis and Inuit students who are curious to learn more about the supports offered throughout EIPS. It's an opportunity for First Nations, Métis and Inuit families to gather together and engage in conversation in partnership with the EIPS First Nations, Métis and Inuit education team. Self-identified First Nations, Métis and Inuit families are invited—all ages are welcome. Dinner will be provided at this gathering. An RSVP link will be sent directly to applicable families.
     Final Gathering
     Thursday, June 8
     6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
     EIPS Central Services
     Land-based learning

INFORMATION

Davidson Creek Elementary Helps Elections Alberta

Did you know that our school was selected by Elections Alberta as a polling station for the Provincial Election on Monday? What a great opportunity for our students to witness citizenship and democracy in action!

How will it work?

Our gym will be out of use for the day as citizens come in to cast their ballots. Voters will come through the front doors, go into the gym to vote and then exit via the front doors. The staff washrooms in the south-east hallway will be used as a public washroom. Elections Alberta is providing security personnel who will monitor people coming into the building to ensure that the general public only accesses the gym or public washroom.

We have asked our staff to ensure that our students are not using the gym or the foyer area throughout the day. Staff will also supervise children using the washrooms or hallway near the public washroom.

We are excited to provide students, especially those in Grade 6, with a first hand view of how elections work as a culmination of their learning about democracy and government in social studies. Citizenship in action!

2022-23 EIPS Annual Feedback Survey Results Report  

The results are now available for the 2022-23 EIPS Annual Feedback Survey: For Parents and Caregivers conducted in March. Thank you to all families who took the time to share their feedback with the Division. The survey included a series of questions related to the three priorities outlined in the EIPS Four-Year Education Plan: 2022-26 (Year 1).

• Priority 1: Promote growth and success for all students
• Priority 2: Enhance high-quality learning and working environments
• Priority 3: Enhance public education through effective engagement

The overall Division results represent 2,709 responses from parents and caregivers across the Division.

The survey results for Davidson Creek Elementary have helped us identify the following areas of strength and opportunities for growth.

Areas of strength:

• 100% of respondents agree that our school is safe
• 97% of respondents agree that our school encourages children to be a responsible, respectful and engaged citizen
• 97% of respondents agree that school staff care about their children
• 95% of respondents agree that their children are encouraged to do their best

Opportunities for growth:

• 84% of respondents are satisfied with the resources available to support their children's learning - this is improved from last year (77%) but we can still grow even more!
• 74% of respondents agree that discipline is handled fairly and reasonably. Although this is an improvement from last year (62%) there are still 20% of respondents who didn't know how to answer this question so we can do more to share our discipline process.
• 69% of respondents feel the quality of education has improved or stayed the same in the past three years. This was a small increase from last year (66%) but is misleading as 18% of respondents either responded that the question didn't apply or that they didn't know. If we adjust for the non-applicable respondents not being included in the final number, the percentage changes to 83%.

The feedback gathered in the survey will help our school and the Division measure its progress toward meeting the priorities and goals outlined in the EIPS Four-Year Education Plan and develop strategies to better serve students and the wider community moving forward. 

Annual Feedback Survey Results: Division

Annual Feedback Survey Results for Parents and Caregivers: Davidson Creek Elementary

Parents make the difference

Here is this week's article with helpful tips for families:

Treat reading as an enjoyable summer activity

To keep your child reading over the summer, treat it like any other fun summer activity. Demonstrate that reading can be an enjoyable activity that can be done in lots of different ways. Try not to make summer reading feel like an assignment.

If you help your child make the connection between reading and the simple pleasures of childhood, the  desire to read may last a lifetime.

To take a summer approach to reading:

• Suggest that your child reread a favorite book. Then find another book by the same author. Or find one on the same topic.
• Connect books with summer activities—sports books for a summer league player, for instance, or camping books for a camper.
• Let your child stay up past bedtime when a book is just too good to put down.
• Start your child on a series of mystery or thriller books. These page-turners hook kids into a reading habit.