Mustang Memo - December 8, 2023

This week visits from a special guest at our school: Cool Christmas Carl. Who is Cool Christmas Carl? He's a small fluffy cow who is hiding in classrooms with a holiday book and some candy canes. Each day, he sends a message to the school encouraging them to look for him. 

Cool Carl is good friends with Freddie the Yeti, our special visitor who went into classrooms last year! In fact, Cool Carl took over for Freddie while he is away on vacation. You can learn more about it by watching this video.

Stay warm this weekend!

Helene Hewitt & Jay Robertson

Principal & Assistant Principal

You belong here!

Table of Contents

Week At a Glance

Action

• Did you Read your Child's Report Card yet?
• Christmas Concert Reminder
• Fee Waiver Deadline is Coming
• Kindergarten Registration Starts Soon!

Opportunity 

• 12 Days of Christmas Food Bank Drive Still On!
• Have Fun with Math Games

Information

• Counsellor's Corner
• Returning Student Registration
• Parents Make the Difference

WEEK AT A GLANCE

ACTION

Did you Read Your Child's Report Card Yet?

Life is busy, we're not judging you! If you didn't have a chance yet, we encourage you to take a peek at your child's report card. Each child worked so hard in the first term of school and we want to celebrate their achievements with you! 

Just login to Parent Portal and you are good to get reading! Forgot your password? Technologically challenged? Call us at the front office and we'll walk you through it! 

Christmas Concert Reminder

Our concerts are almost here! We can't wait to see what our students have in store for us! Under the direction of Mrs. Allen and Ms. Falcon, the students have been hard at work getting ready to dazzle you with their musical charms!

Here are the times:

Concert #1: Tuesday, December 12

Concert #2: Thursday, December 14

Additional Information:

• Parents may use visitor parking or park in the neighbourhood without blocking driveways
• Coats and belongings stay with parents
• After the performance, students will exit first out far gymnasium doors closest to parent drop off and go to K/1 hallway to wait for parent pick-up. 
• When you pick your child up, please let the teacher know you have your child before you leave so we don't panic!
• Parents exit after students and go to the K/1 hallway to pick up their child – one side of the doors will be for entering and one side for exiting
• Parents may stay in their seats if they have a child in the next grade performance.
• Siblings sit with their parents!

Fee Waiver Application Deadline

If circumstances exist where you’re unable to pay school or transportation fees, you can apply to have fees waived by submitting an Application for a Waiver of Fees. The application deadline is Dec. 15, 2023. If you’re new to the Division, the deadline is the latter of Dec. 15, 2023, or 45 days after registration.

To access your fee information, simply log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and go to “Student Fees.” There you can view your fees and pay them online using Visa, MasterCard or debit card—when available from your financial institution. All fees are due within 30 days of being posted.

Don’t forget to also log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal regularly throughout the year. Fees are often added to your child’s account to cover the cost of various school activities such as field trips, class projects, extracurricular activities and more.

For more information about school fees, waivers and payment deadlines, visit www.eips.ca/schools/fees and www.davidsoncreekelementary.ca/about/fees. Alternatively, contact Christa Gawron, Business Manager of Davidson Creek Elementary at 780-467-5557.

Kindergarten Registration Starts Soon!

Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2024? If so, it’s almost time to register for kindergarten.

Kindergarten registration opens for the 2024-25 school year on Feb. 1, 2024.

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 Davidson Creek’s kindergarten program is available at https://www.davidsoncreekelementary.ca/programs/kindergarten.

OPPORTUNITY

Have Fun With Math Games at Home

Why play math games at home?

• Provides purposeful practice of number facts
• Gives meaningful opportunities to think strategically
• Develops critical thinking skills

Social-Emotional connections: ·

• Taking turns
• Working with others
• Communicating clearly
• Following expectations/rules

You can play games such as Yahtzee, Pig, and Crib are highly engaging and easy to play! Here's how to play the dice game, Pig:

What you need:

• 2+ players
• 2 dice
• pen and paper

The Rules:

1. Set a target number, such as 100 (or younger students may choose a lower number)
2. Players take turns rolling 2 dice as many times as they want within each round.
3. On your turn, keep rolling dice, adding up what was rolled and keep a running total until you decide to stop.
4. When a player decides to stop, they bank their total by recording their score.
5. If you roll a 1 your turn ends and you get zero points for that round!
6. Players take turns rolling dice and keeping track of how many points they have banked with the goal of being the first person to reach the target number.

As you play, talk with your child about:

• What are some strategies that you are suing to help you keep your running total?
• You need 14 more points to get to 100! Can you win on your next go? What would you need to roll? Do you think it is likely that you'll get those numbers?
• If we were to play this game again tomorrow, what would you do differently?

Food Bank donation drive still on!

Only 5 days left of our 12 days of Christmas Food Bank Drive! The pile of food under the tree is getting bigger and bigger!

We invite you to bring any item on the list on the appointed day. You can participate on one day only or you can send things each day, it's up to you! We are also accepting cash donations at the office. We determined the items being collected by visiting the Strathcona County Food Bank webpage which had a list of things that were higher priority. Here are the items we will be looking for and the corresponding dates. 

• December 12: Shampoo or conditioner
• December 13: Toothpaste or toothbrushes
• December 14: Dish soap
• December 15: New school supplies
• December 16: Non-perishable food

Thank you for showing love for the community during the giving season! Go, Mustangs!

INFORMATION

Counselor's Corner

This year especially, many parents are looking for low cost/ affordable ways to meet their family’s needs. We are lucky to have many supports available to us here in Strathcona county that are worth exploring. Please click here to access the “Everybody Can” brochure, which highlights affordable services available right here in our community. I highly recommend taking a look through it, as it contains many programs and services that aren’t widely advertised.

Some highlights include:

• Free activities
  See a calendar of upcoming free events in the County.
• Low-cost recreation
  The Recreation Access Program (Everybody gets to play) provides a free Active Pass and reduced-fee programs for residents with limited incomes.
• Low-cost bus passes
  The Everybody Rides Program lowers the cost of bus passes for residents with limited incomes.
• Affordable groceries
  The WECAN Food Basket Society offers fresh and safe food at an affordable price.
  You must register with the service and pay an annual membership of $5. Each food basket is $35.

Email FamilyResourceNetwork@strathcona.ca to discuss pickup and payment options.

Returning Student Registration: 2024-25

Mark your calendars! Returning student registration for the 2024-25 school year will take place Feb. 8-21, 2024.

Families of all current students—with the exception of graduating Grade 12 students—must complete the process to confirm the school their child plans to attend in the 2024-25 school year or advise the Division of their plans not to return to EIPS. Additionally, students who want to attend a non-designated school need to make that request through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space. Watch for more details in the new year.

Parents make the difference

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

Focus on kindness to nurture your child’s academic success

According to some researchers, kids whose families value kindness over achievement tend to do better in school than kids from families where academic success matters above all else.

In fact, putting pressure on your child to score high marks can have the opposite effect. It can cause grades and self-esteem to suffer, and lead to depression and anxiety. But when families promote kindness, students tend to perform better in school. This may be because they feel more secure and know their family’s approval doesn’t hinge on good grades.

To show your child how much you value kindness:

• Model acts of kindness. Hold the door open for someone. Help a neighbor carry groceries. Give up your seat on a bus to someone who needs it more than you. These may seem like small things, but they make a big impression on kids.
• Praise positive behavior. When you notice your child doing something nice or loving, say something. There’s no need to go overboard—a simple pat on the back will remind your child how much you value kindness.
• Promote healthy relationships. Encourage your child to connect with teachers and classmates. The more support students get from those around them, the less likely they are to depend on things like grades and awards to feel good about themselves.

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. Source: L. Ciciolla and others, “When Mothers and Fathers Are Seen as Disproportionately Valuing Achievements,” Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Springer US.