April 15 BUZZ
Hello Families!
The first week of April was especially exciting for me as my husband and I were able to venture back to the place we married 25 years ago in Jamaica. While being in the sun and sand was magical, it was wonderful to come back to the many hugs and smiles from my little friends at Glen Allan. I am so grateful for the way our school community welcomed me two years ago. One of the many highlights of my week is the special lunches I enjoy with students of all ages and the rich conversations we have while playing a variety of games.
As many of you know, I share my counseling time with Lakeland Ridge. Next fall, I was allowed the opportunity to be at Lakeland Ridge full-time. The decision to leave Glen Allan was incredibly difficult and my time here will forever hold a special place in my heart. In the meantime, I will savor these next few months with staff, students, and families. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me.
Looking forward to another fantastic week,
Tammy Marks
Please read through the following blog post articles for important Glen Allan information.
Action
- National Volunteer Week - Thank You from Glen Allan
- Glen Allan School Council Meeting & Playground Fundraiser Update
Opportunity
Information
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Information
- Glenda and Glen Update
- Fun Times at Glen Allan
- Earth's Hidden Secrets - Grade 3
- Guest Presentations
WEEK AT A GLANCE - April 15 - 19
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ACTION
National Volunteer Week - Thank You from Glen Allan
You're the BALM!
In honour of National Volunteer week we want to extend our deep thanks to all of the volunteers who gift their time to our Glen Allan community. From helping in the library and running our school council to attending field trips and organizing hot lunch and the family dance - your contributions allow us to provide students with an engaging, welcoming, safe place to learn and build relationships.
Glen Allan School Council Meeting & Playground Fundraiser Update
GASC Meeting - Thursday, April 18 @ 6:30 pm
We are grateful to have a strong Glenn Allan School Council (GASC) who are committed to learning about the school, providing support to our programs and resources for students, and sharing input and feedback to the school for growth and improvement.
GASC is open to all parents and guardians of children who attend Glen Allan Elementary. Below is the link to the agenda:
AGENDA and Meeting Link for those joining virtually
Upcoming council vacancies
Parent engagement is a big part of building a strong school community and getting involved with your child's school council is a great way to stay informed and provide valuable input. The time commitment is manageable but the value is high!
Available immediately:
Secretary
- Position available for next school year (2024/25); can be elected at May 2024 meeting
- Key tasks include: Taking council meeting minutes
Positions currently filled, but willing to transition early/offer shadowing:
Fund development chair
- Key tasks include: Planning fundraising events, working with Budget Chair on council finances
Budget chair
- Key tasks include: Managing council budget, preparing monthly/yearly financial statements
If you're interested, we'd love to hear from you. Please reach out to GASC via GASC yourgasc@gmail.com and they can answer any questions you may have.
Playground Fundraiser Update
To date, $17,836 raised towards our new playground! Thank you to all families who supported the family dance and the 50/50 fundraisers. The dance raised $2,125 and the 50/50 draw brought in $2,890.00*. We would like to extend a special thank you to Park Power and the winner of the 50/50 who each made individual donations of $1500 to the playground fundraiser. (*The 50/50 netted $1,985.00 after Rafflebox fees were paid.)
The fundraising and grant application deadline is approaching on May 15, with just $7,164.00 to go. Thank you for your continued support!
OPPORTUNITY
Sigmond Brouwer Book Orders
You may have heard students talking about the exciting presentation from author, Sigmond Brouwer, on Tuesday this week. Sigmond has shared an order form for any families who would like to purchase books from him. He will then sign the copy and drop it off at the school. Should your family be interested in purchasing a book, you can fill out this order form and send it in to the school. He will collect the money on Thursday, April 18th when he drops them off at our school. Exact change would be required.
Complete your census online starting May 1, 2024.
The 2024 municipal census begins May 1. Watch your mail in late April for your personalized PIN number. We strongly encourage residents to use the online platform for its efficiency, convenience, and security.
Starting May 13, our dedicated census workers will conduct door-to-door collection for households that have not yet participated, while the online option remains open throughout this period.
Visit Strathcona.ca/census for more information.
INFORMATION
Literacy Corner - LitBit Videos
EIk Island Public Schools Supports for Students Literacy team has created a series of videos with quick tips and tricks to help you child improve at reading and writing at home. We will share a LitBit video each week for the next few weeks so families can learn some strategies to support literacy at home. This week's video is called Phonemic Awareness Fun.
A big THANK YOU to EIPS Volunteers
National Volunteer Week takes place April 14-20. On behalf of the Board of Trustees at Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS), I want to extend my most heartfelt thanks to all EIPS volunteers. Every time you’ve contributed, whether it was helping on a class field trip or planning a school event for families to enjoy, you were there at a moment when we needed you. Students needed you, staff needed you, the community needed you—and you answered the call. These are moments that matter and are ones that make a difference in a student’s experience at their school.
So, thank you again for being there. Without you, EIPS would not be what it is today, and schools wouldn’t be able to do all the wonderful things they do. This National Volunteer Week, I encourage everyone to celebrate the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours put into supporting student growth and achievement at schools across the Division.
Cathy Allen
Chair, EIPS Board of Trustees
FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS, AND INUIT INFORMATION
Our Division 1 students will be treated to a one hour presentation by Inuit knowledge holder, Goota Desmarais tomorrow morning. Goota visited our school last year and shared artifacts, photos, and even food that were specific to the Inuit ways of life. Students in Grades 1, 2, and 3 will be sure to come home talking about their time with Goota.
PHOTO GALLERIES
Glenda and Glen Updates
Glenda is currently nesting on 6 eggs!
Fun Times at Glen Allan
This week saw students:
- sharing time with their grade group buddies
- using their creativity and trouble shooting skills to build marble runs
- learning with Ozobots during library MakerSpace time
- enjoying the outdoors
- and being Paws-itive!
Some staff also safely observed the partial solar eclipse!
Earth's Hidden Secrets - Grade 3
Guest Presentations
This past week students had the opportunity to participate in various guest presentations:
- Mrs. Budd, an EIPS numeracy consultant worked in some Division 2 math classes
- Sigmond Brouwer, an author, held an engaging assembly and then did a writing workshop with our Grade 6 classes,
- Salisbury High's Drama 10 student's performed, The Trial of Goldilocks and greatly entertained our students and staff.
