General Information

A.L. Horton Elementary School is proud to provide a valuable and affordable before and after school care service for parents and students. We have an excellent before/after school care program run by qualified and energetic staff members. Parents must pre-register students. For more information or to inquire about current rates, availability, or programming, please contact the office.

In collaboration with the kindergarten teacher our goal is to support and build a strong foundation of continuity and enhanced learning through play.  We believe children learn best through hands on experiences.  This program will motivate, stimulate, and support children in their development of kindergarten skills and concepts.  Through a variety of structured and unstructured activities, social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional needs will be fostered.

This program will be operational on instructional days (as per EIPS calendar).

The Kinder Care program, as well as the Out of School Care program, is staffed by Elk Island Public School Employees.  As we are a licensed facility, families may qualify for subsidy as administered through Alberta Children’s Services Child Care Subsidy at www. Childcaresubsidy.gov.ab.ca/

Bussing arrangements may also be made through Student Transportation Services for everyday transportation at an additional cost.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school at 780.632.3113.

We ask parents/caregivers to ensure that students do not arrive at the school before 8:15 AM. There is no supervision prior to this time. At 8:15 AM, supervisors open each entrance door to greet students.

School doors are locked during the school day to ensure student safety. Parents and students arriving after morning arrival can ring the front entrance doorbell to come into the school. 

Regular Schedule		Early Dismissal Schedule
School Opens (First Bell)	8:15 (Bell 8:25)	School Opens (First Bell)	8:15 (Bell 8:25)
Registration (Second Bell)	8:30	Registration (Second Bell)	8:30
Recess	10:06-10:16	Recess	9:48-9:58
Lunch (Recess Included)	11:52 - 12:52	Lunch (Recess Included)	11:16 - 12:16
Dismissal	2:55	Dismissal	1:55
Bus Departure	3:00	Bus Departure	2:00

The Breakfast Club at A. L. Horton wants to ensure that every child attends school well nourished and ready to learn. CALS ( the Community Association for Lasting Success ) is the organization responsible for organizing the Breakfast Program. A. L. Horton School is very thankful for the service CALS provides making our students successful and healthy learners.

Hot Lunch Days and Hot Dog Days are organized each month. Children have the option to participate. Proceeds from the hot lunch program go toward special projects (eg., playground equipment), technology for learning, field trips, and student initiatives. 

Should we experience severe weather conditions during the course of the day, district schools could be closed to ensure the safety of students. This decision will be made by the Superintendent of EIPS and the information will be broadcast over CFRN, CFCW, CHED, and CISN. Parents are asked to listen to one of these radio stations for announcements regarding school bus and school closures or click here eips.ca/transportation/bus-status to receive current updates on cancellations and delays.  These will be announced early in the morning. Inclement weather may also necessitate an early dismissal should a storm come up during the day.  Parents are encouraged to have a contingency plan in place for the care of their children when it becomes necessary to close the schools during adverse weather conditions during the day. For the safety of students who ride busses, it is it the responsibilities of parents to ensure that their child is suitably dressed for coping with the weather - should busses become unserviceable while transporting students, or should students have to wait for the bus. The bus driver has the right to refuse any child not properly dressed (weather-wise) in the morning.

Inclement Weather Policy

Many students in our care suffer from life-threatening allergies. This extreme form of allergy is called anaphylaxis and results in an individual going into respiratory arrest after contact with a known allergen. As per EIPS Policy, we are bound to provide a safe environment for all students. Since this is a life threatening allergy and our school is home to many small children, we must comply with EIPS Policy and not send peanuts and nuts of any kind to the school. This includes products with trace amounts in them. If you are not sure if it contains nuts, please have your child wash their hands after eating any unknown items.

For more information about anaphylaxis, please see the administration of the school. We appreciate your support, empathy and compassion for all of our students.

Volunteers are welcome and needed at A. L. Horton Elementary School for various duties. If you have a few extra minutes to spare, please contact your child's teacher or the office to see in what capacity you could help.

Volunteers must observe all school policies and regulations, and be aware that teachers have the ultimate responsibility in the classroom. Volunteers must hold all matters connected with the school in confidence. Volunteers should respect the professional role and judgment of the teachers and school administration. All volunteers must first complete the EIPS Confidentiality Undertaking for Volunteers form before they assist at the school. 

There are many ways in which you can participate in the school community:

• assist teachers with preparation of materials
• read to individuals or small groups of children
• assisting with Hot Dog days (Wednesdays, 10 - 1pm for cooking, packaging and delivery)
• participating in one or more School Council or ALH Friends Society meetings (once a month)

Elk Island Public Schools treats student information with respect and confidentiality. At the same time, we strive to make as much information as possible available to all members of the public. How we handle information is directed by the School Act, the Student Record Regulation, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP), other legislation, protocols, and our district polices and regulations. View our Privacy and Security Statement.  

Privacy Policy

View the School Handbook for Families 2022-2023

Bus driver routes are assigned by Central Services in Sherwood Park according to rural land description. If you are a new family to the Vegreville area, please bring your land location or address to the school when registering your children. The bus driver will notify you directly concerning pick up times. Any problems arising on the bus should be directed to the bus driver first. It is our desire to have a safe and pleasant ride as possible for all of our students by having an orderly and respectful environment on our buses. Questions about transportation should be directed to Student Transportation at 1-800-905-3477.

Bussing and Transportation

Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) has developed a Communication Protocol for Schools to provide a framework for communication between schools and our families. The purpose of this document is to guide, manage, and improve school-home communication by offering a standard format, structure, and sequence for regular, ongoing communication.

This document outlines how EIPS’ schools use a variety of communication formats, such as face-to-face meetings, email, Synervoice, and social media. It also provides a process for parents/guardians to use if they need to bring forward a question or concern. We encourage families to review this information so they know what to expect and what we expect of families.

As communication changes, this document may also evolve. We will work to keep parents informed as any processes evolve and change.

 The full EIPS Communication Protocol for Schools document is available at http://www.eips.ca/parents.