Mustang Memo - December 15, 2023

This week we were treated to a festive delight during our two evenings of well-attended Christmas Concerts. The students impressed us with singing, dancing and some great puns! From the rock n' roll snowman playing his inflatable air guitar, to dancing hippos and some reindeer who can really drop some rhymes, we really had our toes tapping!

We heard beautiful melodies, listened to xylophones and wind chimes. Who could forget our adorable kindergarten students who had us all charmed by simply standing on stage. There were songs about cookies and fancy lights that danced in time with the music. One song that I particularly enjoyed was the Grade 4 students who sang sadly about getting socks for Christmas! 

Thank you to our talented music duo, Mrs. Allen and Ms. Falcon, for working so hard to make each child experience success at these performances. They made sure that every child had a chance to experience a special moment through a speaking part, an instrument part, a well-timed joke, a chance to show off some fancy ribbon choreography or by singing along with the entire choir. It was magical!

With only one week to go before a well-deserved Christmas Break, we hope that everyone has a chance to catch up on their sleep this weekend!

Helene Hewitt & Jay Robertson

Principal & Assistant Principal

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Table of Contents

Week At a Glance

Action

• Share you Thoughts on Budget Planning

Opportunity 

• Come and Sing with Us

Information

• Counsellor's Corner
• Christmas Break
• Merry Christmas from the Board of Trustees
• Parents Make the Difference

WEEK AT A GLANCE

ACTION

Share Your Thoughts on Budget Planning for 2024-25

Alberta Education allocates funds to school boards to fulfill their delegated responsibilities of providing education programs for students in kindergarten to Grade 12. As part of Elk Island Public Schools’ (EIPS) commitment to stakeholder engagement and to continue allocating resources according to local priorities, the Division conducts an annual budget planning survey to seek input from staff, families Grade 12 students and community partners.

The survey is voluntary, anonymous and takes about five to 10 minutes to complete. The survey questions suggest possible budget areas for EIPS to focus its resources, which align with the Division’s current Four-Year Education Plan. If you believe there are other areas where the Division should concentrate its resources, you can also indicate what these are. EIPS will consider all budget planning input to guide future decision-making.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY NOW
Survey closes Dec 20, 2023
Grade 12 students will complete the survey at school.

Thank you for sharing your input to help inform Division planning.

OPPORTUNITY

Come and Sing with Us!

Do you like singing? Why not join us this Friday at 9:30 a.m. for a Christmas carol and holiday themed sing-a-long! Students will sit in their cozy pajamas and sing some great tunes! Parents are welcome to join us!

INFORMATION

Counselor's Corner

The ability to effectively navigate conflicts is a skill that can be built over time through parent modeling and opportunities for practice. Children in elementary school are just learning how to navigate conflicts effectively and commonly either overshoot or undershoot the mark when they are trying to communicate with peers. Helping children understand the difference between assertive, passive and aggressive communication styles is an important part of this process. 

This resource from PBS kids details some considerations for helping your child to build the skills they need to be confident and assertive communicators. We’ve shared an excerpt below but encourage you to read the whole resource as it contains some valuable considerations. 

How to Make Your Child Speak Up | Parenting… | PBS KIDS for Parents

“All too often we tell kids what to do without actually giving them details on what we mean. “Be assertive” is a fairly bland statement. It lacks an explanation. I always encourage parents to discuss different communication styles with kids.

• Passive: Passive communicators struggle to make eye contact, use a very quiet voice and act as if other peoples’ rights are more important than their own.
• Aggressive: Aggressive communicators are loud, imposing (they might try to stand taller than others) and act as if their rights are more important than the rights of others.
• Assertive: Assertive communicators make eye contact, use a calm but firm voice and respect their own rights and the rights of others equally.

Use characters from books, TV and movies to illustrate these communication styles”.

It’s important to remember that in all relationships there will be some degree of conflict. This is normal and expected. It’s the way in which we navigate these conflicts that matters. Assertive communication skills will help to support both your child’s peer relationships, as well as their relationship with you as parents.  

As school counsellors, we help children to practice using assertive communication frequently and love to see how their confidence and independence with using this skill builds over time. Taking the time to talk about, model and practice effective conflict resolution with your elementary age child, will benefit them throughout their lives. 

Madison Bashaw & Kelley Mitchell

DCE Counselling Team

Christmas Break

Davidson Creek Elementary will close for the Christmas break at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. The school will reopen on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. During this time, if you have any school-related questions or concerns, contact Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) Central Services at 780-464-3477.

EIPS Central Services Christmas Break Hours

Closed             Dec. 25, 2023 to Jan. 1, 2024

Open               Jan. 2, 2024; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

*for location and contact information visit www.eips.ca.

From everyone at Elk Island Public Schools, we wish all of you a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Board of Trustees

I want to extend warm holiday wishes to all students, staff and families on behalf of the Elk Island Public Schools Board of Trustees.

We’re grateful to have school communities full of hard-working families committed to the success of their children. Education doesn’t just happen in school, it happens at home too—in every homework assignment completed, every textbook chapter read and every test reviewed. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to cultivate learning at home, so that students are eager to strive for their best at school the next day. We also appreciate the countless hours school councils put into planning events and appreciate all the people who volunteer at and attend them. Your support is invaluable.

We hope you enjoy all the holiday concerts and festivities happening at your schools, and that you get some well-deserved rest during the break. To each and every person, have a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year.

We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Jan. 8, 2024.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

Cathy Allen
EIPS Board Chair

Parents make the difference

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

Do you help your child deal with disappointment?

Sooner or later all children face disappointments. Are you helping your child learn to deal with them? Answer yes or no to each question below to find out:

1. Do you help your child understand what can’t be changed and what can? For example, “You can’t change the fact that it is raining, but you can change your plans.”

2. Do you encourage your child to choose a positive response when the unexpected happens? 

3. Do you point out what your child can learn from mistakes? “Next time, you can start studying a few days earlier and earn a better grade.”

4. Do you have this rule: You can feel disappointed, but you can’t sulk? Your child is entitled to have feelings, but sulking isn’t productive.

5. Do you help your child figure out solutions independently—instead of trying to fix the problems yourself?

How well are you doing?

If you answered mostly yes, you’re demonstrating how to cope when things don’t go your child’s way. For no answers, try those ideas.

Reprinted with permission from the December 2023 issue of Parents make the difference!^®  (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2023 The Parent Institute^®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.