Mustang Memo - March 15, 2024

Today, as I was walking down the hallways, I was suddenly struck by an intense feeling of pride. I've always know that DCE is a special place, but today I saw so many acts of kindness, humanity and generosity that it truly made my heart swell.

I watched Grade 6 students cheer each other on as they tested out their parachutes. Yes, it was a competition but you wouldn't know it from the students telling each other "great job" and "yours was so good!".

I watched kids happily roaming the hallways on a St. Patrick's Day themed scavenger hunt, some groups were even helping other groups to find the clues! 

I got hugs from Grade 1 students who just wanted to say hello and I enjoyed the enthusiasm and dance skills of students in our Daebak dance club. All in all, we really do have a school full of kind humans. It was the kind of day where you think, the future's gonna be okay - our younger generation will do a great job when they grow up!

We hope that you have a great weekend!

You belong here!

Helene Hewitt & Jay Robertson

Principal & Assistant Principal

Table of Contents

Week At a Glance

Action

• Report Cards are Here!
• EIPS Survey - Let's Get Bragging Rights!

Opportunity 

• Counsellor's Corner
• Seeking Prize Donations
• Volunteers Needed

Information

• Celebrating Diversity
• Parents Make the Difference

WEEK AT A GLANCE

ACTION

Report cards are Here!

Hey parents! It's time to celebrate your child's learning! Term 2 report cards are officially posted online! Login to your Parent Portal account to see your child's progress! Report cards are short, sweet and informative! See what personal skills your child is mastering in the Learning Attributes section. Find out your child's academic strengths and then read about next steps for improving your child's learning!

We encourage all families to check them out! 

Having trouble with Parent Portal? Call Jennifer Gibson, 780-467-5557, in the front office and she can walk you through it! 

EIPS’ 2024 Annual Feedback Survey - Let's Get Bragging Rights!

Do you enjoy a good natured competition? Do you like to share your feedback to make EIPS and our school even better? You're in luck! There is a survey that you can take that does both!

As a point of pride, we enjoy showing that DCE parents are involved and passionate about our school and the education of their children! Let's show everyone that DCE parents rock a survey!

VISIT EIPS.CA TO TAKE THE SURVEY: March 1-24

NOTE: The survey is anonymous and only takes a few minutes to complete. If you want to share the experience of more than one child attending an EIPS school, simply complete the survey again.

OPPORTUNITY

Counsellor's Corner

This week, we are excited to share some of the new FREE programs that the Family Resource Network has launched for Spring. Check out this link to explore the new spring program guide.  You can register for all programs by going to https://www.strathcona.ca/community-families/parents-children-families/family-resource-network/

We also wanted to highlight a few programs that we think may be particularly useful:

Confident Kids - Unparented for Children In Grades 1 to 3 - May 9, 16, 23 & 30
THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2024, 5:30 – 6:30PM

For children to develop confidence and strong social-emotional skills, they need opportunities to experience peer interactions in a safe and encouraging environment. This interactive program will create space for your young person to connect with others and learn new skills in a fun way! (Link: Confident Kids - Unparented for Children In Grades 1 to 3 - May 9, 16, 23 & 30, Thursday, May 9, 2024, 5:30 - 6:30pm - Family and parenting supports | Strathcona County)

Triple P Teen - Digital Well-Being: For Parents and Caregivers of Youth Ages 12 - 18 years THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024, 12 – 1:30PM

Learn how to help your teen with the social and technological pressures they face in the world today.  Together we will go through research-based ways we can support teens when they are feeling the pressure of their digital lives. Issues addressed include interacting with strangers online, understanding their digital identity, and healthy relationships. (Link: Triple P Teen - Digital Well-Being: For Parents and Caregivers of Youth Ages 12 - 18 years, Thursday, April 18, 2024, 12 - 1:30pm - Family and parenting supports | Strathcona County)

Transitioning to Junior High-For parents & caregivers of youth starting Junior High Fall 2024
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2024, 6 – 7PM

Transitioning from elementary to junior high school is exciting and can be stressful. Learn strategies to support your teenager at this free workshop for parents and caregivers of youth transitioning from grade 6 to 7. (Link: Transitioning to Junior High-For parents and caregivers of youth starting Junior High in Fall 2024, Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 6 - 7pm - Family and parenting supports | Strathcona County

Madison Bashaw & Kelley Mitchell

DCE Counselors

Seeking Prize Donations

Hello DCE parents

The Wellness Committee at Davidson Creek Elementary is putting together prizes for our kiddos who have earned Mustang Mentions. At the end of the year, DCE will draw names from the Mustang Mentions collected all year and these kids will win great prizes! We'd love to offer some really awesome prizes for our kids this year and are currently seeking donations from our community. If you, or your business, would be interested in donating any of the below (brand new) listed items, please email dcewellness@gmail.com.  It would be amazing to be able to gift some of these items to our kids at school who have gone above and beyond this year! We are truly grateful for any help and support! Below is a list of some of the items we are looking for:

• A bike
• Scooters
• Basketballs/ Soccer balls/Footballs
• Outdoor yard/lawn games that kids could play independently or with friends outside
• Millenium place or other local activity passes that children can use over the summer
• Kids Sprinkler for water play

Volunteers Needed

Do you like ordering Hot Lunch for your child once a month? Isn't it a great, tasty treat? It's also one day a month that you don't have to worry about packing a lunch! Win-win!

If you like Hot Lunch, please consider volunteering. It is a short commitment that involves handing out lunches to classes. Volunteers are at the heart of our great school events! If you'd like to help, you can email the Hot Lunch parent leaders at: dcehotlunch@gmail.com

INFORMATION

Celebrating Diversity

We are lucky to have people from all walks of life who make up our school population! Sometimes it can be tricky to remember that it is okay to have different interests, beliefs, and likes or dislikes. While it is great to connect with people who see the world in the same way you do, it is also great to connect with different perspectives too.

Seeing as our school motto is A Place Where You Belong we feel it is important to celebrate the unique qualities that make each of our Mustangs such incredible people at Davidson Creek. 

Did you know that Ramadan started on March 10? Happy Ramadan to our families who celebrate it. 

We would also like to acknowledge all of our families who celebrate Easter on March 31! Some of our classes will be decorating pysanka eggs in the upcoming week!

If you'd like to learn more about the diversity that makes up our great country, check out this fun video:

Parents make the difference

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

It’s never too late to beef up your engagement with school

When families and schools work together, the results can be incredible—including increased academic achievement, and better student attitudes and behavior. 

Involvement in your child’s education doesn’t need to be complicated or time consuming. And even though the end of the school year is around the corner, it isn’t too late to get involved.

Starting right now, you can:

• Attend school events—in person or online. Participate and make an effort to connect with staff and other families.
• Pay attention to school information sent home and posted online. Keep track of important dates, such as end-of-year tests and celebrations.
• Ask your child’s teacher if there is anything you can do to help out. Perhaps you could read to students, organize take-home folders or help in another way.
• Join the parent-teacher group. If you can’t attend meetings, check the school website to find out about issues and programs.
• Ask teachers questions. “How can I help my child succeed?” “What are the most important school tasks for us to accomplish each day at home?” “Are there any areas where my child’s work needs improvement?”
• Keep talking to your child about school. Ask about classes and learning. Remind your child that education is important to you.

Reprinted with permission from the March 2024 issue of Parents make the difference!^®  (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2024 The Parent Institute^®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.