Dear Parents & Guardians:
In this post you will find information for the following:
· Important Dates
· Photo Retakes Thursday
· Halloween Costumes
· Bottle Drive for Families-in-Need
· Student Progress & Contacting Teachers
· Child & Youth Well-Being Family & Caregiver Series
· Save the Date - Casino Volunteers Please
Important Dates –
· Oct 30 – Lifetouch Photo Retakes
· Oct 30 – Halloween Dance & Haunted House (5:30-7:30)
· Nov. 10-12 – Fall Break (No School)
· Nov 13 – Classes Resume
· Nov 17-21 – PE Curling Residency: Rocks & Rings
· Nov 18-21 – Grade 5-6 Outdoor School YMCA
· Nov 20 – School Council & EPPS Society AGM Meeting (6:30-8:00)
· Subscribe to our Web Calendar (link on bottom left)
Lifetouch Photo Retakes
We will be having picture retakes tomorrow morning.
- LifeTouch has asked that students bring their photo proof sheet to the photographer for guidance on what to improve upon.
- Please email your homeroom teacher if you are hoping to have retakes taken.
Halloween Costumes
Students are welcome to wear costumes on Friday. We do ask that costumes are still conducive to learning and please leave weapon accessories at home.
We also ask that students do not bring large amounts of candy or other food for distribution in the classroom. This also applies when children have birthdays on a school day.
Bottle Drive for Families-In-Need
Help support families-in-need at our sister school, James Short Memorial, which is located in the community of Penbrook Meadows, through our Parent Society’s ongoing bottle drive.
· Our school is partnered with Skip-The-Depot to collect refundable cans and bottles from your home.
· Bottle donations are collected from your door throughout the school year and the dollars raised will be distributed to families by way of Superstore gift cards.
· You can schedule your bottle pick-ups by using the Skip-The-Depot app and connecting to our Elbow Park Parent Society in the list of donors. More instructions are available on our Fundraisers & Donations webpage.
Student Progress & Contacting Teachers
We know it is important for parents/guardians to understand how their children are doing in school. Research shows that students are more successful with active parent/guardian involvement.
Our report card in January is one component in communicating student learning. In addition to the report card, schools communicate with parents/guardians about student progress on an ongoing basis in a variety of ways. Our Grade Teams are sending weekly emails every Friday with a review of what was learned in the week prior and a glimpse into what is coming up in the next week. You can also expect to see work samples come home each month in literacy and numeracy.
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please email their teachers to arrange a time to connect.
Child & Youth Well-Being Family & Caregiver Series
Well-being is a precondition for student achievement. Students need to be well to succeed. Currently, students face a wide range of mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, and depression. This trend is alarming and requires our attention.
The Calgary Board of Education invites all parents and guardians to join us for a live online series focused on supporting child and youth well-being. Hosted by the Recovery Alberta Community Education Service (CES) Program in collaboration with experts from the Calgary community, this year's sessions will explore a wide range of timely topics, including:
- Digital Dilemma: Screens, Social Media and Gaming
- Is Your Child Struggling at School? It May Be Time for a Psychoeducational Assessment
- Level Up: Exploring the Impact of Gaming and Tech on Adolescent Learning and Cognition
- Cyber Safety
- ADHD is Awesome
- Executive Functioning Essentials for Parents
These sessions are designed to equip families with knowledge, tools, and strategies to navigate the challenges and opportunities of raising children and teens today.
These sessions will be free and provide information, resources, helplines, and services to support healthy child and youth development. Click here to register.
Save the Date: Casino Volunteers Needed 😊
Hh We have confirmed dates for our Elbow Park Parent Society (EPPS) Casino: Nov 23 and 24, 2025 (Sunday and Monday).
Please sign up using this link
Every two years, we have the opportunity to run a casino with Elbow Park parent community volunteers, to raise funds for the EPPS. The casino funds more than half of our overall Society budget, which allows us to offer unique programming to EPS students.
Please consider supporting this valuable fundraiser:
· When: Sun 23 and Mon 24 November, 2025; daytime and evening shifts
· Where: Cowboy's Casino (421 12 Ave SE)
· What is needed: volunteers to support casino activities - training and support is provided for all volunteers on the day.
In a typical school year, EPPS pays for a variety of experiences and enhancements for your children:
· Academic residencies including theatre, dance, in-line skating, skiing, lacrosse and Aussie rules football, totalling around $20,000.
· Art supplies, PE equipment, math and science resources total around $10,000
· Facility enhancements such as the outdoor boulder classroom, naturalization area tree planting, patio tables are budgeted to be around $10,000 per year
· Other smaller items including classroom budgets for consumable learning materials, music equipment repair, iPad apps, concert lighting and leveled and/or decodable reading materials are budgeted at around $5000
Thank you for your consideration
Warm regards,
Jason Fech
Principal