Dear Parents & Guardians:
In this post you will find information for the following:
- Important Dates
- Solar Eclipse Precautions – Monday
- Family Input Survey - Elbow Park Parent Society (EPPS) (closes Apr.7)
- School Planning Survey – Results coming…
- School Calendar – Download or Subscribe
Important Dates –
- April 8-11 – PE Tennis Instruction Residency
- April 11 (PM) – Gr.3-4 Teacher’s Pet – Light & Shadow (Messer & LeGeyt)
- April 15 (PM) – Gr.3-4 Teacher’s Pet – Light & Shadow (Burima)
- April 17 – Fun Lunch (McDonald’s)
- April 19 – Professional Development Day (No School)
- April 22-25 – Evergreen Theatre Science Residency
- April 26 – Theatre: Student Performance (10:30-11:30) - Parents Welcome
- May 22* – School Council AGM (6:30-8:00 p.m.) – *Date change
Solar Eclipse Precautions – Monday, April 8
The following message was sent to all families by the CBE earlier this week:
On Monday, April 8 a partial solar eclipse will be visible in Calgary. The solar event will begin just before noon and conclude by 2:00 p.m., with the maximum coverage occurring at 12:43 p.m.
We know that this unique event provides a unique learning experience for students and staff; however, there can be serious damage to vision as a result of viewing the eclipse in an unsafe manner.
School principals have been advised to be cautious and refrain from allowing students exposure to this event. All students will remain indoors during class time, over recess and lunch breaks, as well as away from windows to the outside between the hours of 11:50 a.m. – 1:50 p.m. If you decide that your child will walk home for lunch on Monday, please discuss with your child not to look at the sun to protect his/her eyes from damage by the solar eclipse.
It is unsafe to look at the partial eclipse through unfiltered glasses, cameras, telescopes, binoculars or any other optical device. Curious students may not fully understand the danger of viewing the eclipse and the potential damage to their vision caused by viewing the harmful rays of the sun. Viewing a partial eclipse does not cause immediate pain which would typically cause the viewer look away. Instead, permanent eye damage is sustained without any immediate signs, until it is too late.
The only safe way to view an eclipse is through special filters installed on telescopes, solar binoculars and also in eclipse glasses. More safety information can be found on the NASA website or from the Canadian Association of Optometrists.
Family Input Survey – EPPS
The Elbow Park Parent Society (EPPS) is asking for some family perspective on fundraising and previous initiatives at our school. This online survey takes approximately 18 minutes to complete and closes on April 7 at midnight.
The Elbow Park Parent Society (EPPS) is a membership of Elbow Park parents that raise funds for the benefit of our school. The EPPS has been active for more than a decade and primarily raises funds via casino fundraisers and the Martinis & Masterpieces events, along with special initiatives and membership support (start of year member fees and birthday books) from Elbow Park School families.
Proceeds are allocated by the school according to the CBE Education Plan, EPS School Development Plan goals (literacy, numeracy, wellness), teacher unit-plans from the curriculum and professional development needs for teachers. Previous initiatives have prioritized physical education and arts residencies (in-school visits from specialists and groups with advanced equipment for curriculum-complementing teaching), facility/tech upgrades, and core subject enrichment. The Society also supports the school's partnership with James Short Memorial School. For a complete list, please visit the EPS Parent Society webpage.
School Planning Survey – Results coming
Our Elbow Park School planning survey closed on March 31 and we had 16 people complete the survey. Results will be shared by the end of April.
School Calendar – Download or Subscribe
Calendar subscriptions allow users to easily subscribe to a curated list of events on their devices. Parents and students can now subscribe to the school calendar with the option to choose all categories or a specific one, giving them access to events anytime. Using a calendar subscription offers several benefits for both parents and schools:
- Convenience: A subscription keeps your calendar automatically updated for parents, eliminating the need for manual entries or updates.
- Real-time Updates: Any changes or additions to events are instantly reflected in your calendar, ensuring your parents have the latest information.
- Timesaving: Subscriptions save you and your parents time by streamlining the process of adding and managing events, reducing the manual effort involved.
- Consistency: It helps maintain consistency across multiple devices, ensuring that your school calendar data is synchronized and accessible from various platforms.
- Automatic Reminders: Many calendar subscriptions come with built-in reminder features, helping your parents stay organized and on top of your school schedule effortlessly.
On the Calendar page, scroll down to the bottom left to find the link to subscribe to the school calendar on Mac, Android and desktop devices.