Parents

Elk Island Catholic Schools (EICS) recognizes that parents are a child's first and most important teachers. At EICS, therefore, parents play an integral role in their child's education - both at home and at school. We welcome and encourage parent participation in all areas of their child's education.

Alberta Education

My Child's Learning- Alberta Education

Our EICS Division Administrative Procedure 134 provides guidelines for us at Saint John XXIII for responding to the winter months:

• Decisions regarding outdoor activities are to take into consideration inclement weather that may result from the following conditions or combination of conditions: Continuous rain; Extreme wind, and/or Extreme cold
• The suggested guideline is that students do not go outside if the temperature is - 25 C or colder. The suggested guideline above is at the discretion of School Administrators and staff as part of their consideration for determining whether recess will be inside or outside. Outside time is sometimes shortened or withheld to accommodate winter conditions. Factors such as temperature, conditions, duration of time are all taken into decision making. 
• Outside supervisors and indoor staff are continuously checking for proper winter attire and layers. We have extras on hand for our kids.
• Morning: Supervision begins at 8:30 am, please do not drop off students prior to 8:30 am.
• Students are given opportunists for snacks before and after recesses to allow time for free play, reduce choking hazards, and minimize the litter on our playground.

*In 2019-2020, we partnered with Ever Active Schools to look at inclement weather and the importance of kids heading outside as much as possible-Polar Bear Recess

Polar Bear Recesses: 

We know from research that outside play is so important for a child's mental, social, emotional, and physical well-being. Raising resilient kids is an important focus at our school and we will do all we can to support daily outside play as much as possible, especially this year with limitations to our students’ extra-curricular activities on hold and the mental health priorities for students.

Please ensure that your child comes prepared for the weather. Recesses will be indoors only during extreme weather conditions deemed unsafe to head out for even short spurts.

• In order to support the important balance of learning and play, we will have three responses to recess breaks to respond to Alberta weather:

1. Regular recess outside (temperature and conditions not an issue)
2. Inside Recess (Extreme cold and/or weather conditions that are deemed unsafe for full duration of outside playtime)
3. Polar Bear Recess: (Temperatures are lower and cold but still safe to head outdoors for short periods). Students must be dressed for weather conditions and during a Polar Bear recess, students will head outside for a shortened duration of supervised play. 
4. *Please update any medical concerns with your child's teacher if there are any reasons your child should not be heading outside during inclement weather. 

We know from research that outside play is so important for a child's mental, social, emotional, and physical well-being and we will do all we can to support daily outside play as much as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact the school 780-998-7777.