Oki Hello Altadore Families,

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it! We hope you had a lovely long weekend and were able to enjoy some time with family and friends.

We were very proud of our grade 6 students who represented Altadore at Orff the Wall on Monday. They did a fabulous job on their performance at the Jack Singer. What an amazing opportunity to show their creativity! Even Jo Pitman CBE Chief Superintendent of Schools was impressed with this event.

A Few Gentle Reminders

Parking 🚗

Please be kind to our neighbours—avoid parking in front of driveways during drop-off and pick-up. We know there is limited parking space so consider walking or rolling to school 🚲🛴. A little courtesy goes a long way and we’d rather your student be a little late in order to teach them a lesson about good citizenship.

Mobile Devices at School 📱⌚

As part of the provincial guideline put in place this summer, there are some rules around student use of personal devices at school. For students in K–9, all personal devices—phones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, bluetooth earbuds, etc.—need to stay out of sight and off (or in silent mode) during the school day. Exceptions will of course be made for medical or specialized learning needs. If you need to get a message to your child, just call the office and we’ll make sure it gets to them.👉More info

Spring is Hopping! 🐰🌸

It’s a busy time of year, with lots of exciting events and volunteer opportunities coming up. Be sure to keep an eye on these weekly school updates and classroom newsletters so you don’t miss a thing. Don’t forget if you want to volunteer, you’ll need CBE security clearance (no the one you got for little league won’t work). Not sure if you're cleared? Pop by and see Ms. Tori in the office—she can help you get started.

Warm Regards, 

Iikiinayookaa M. Yellow Horn                         Karlee Zelmer
Principal                                                             Assistant Principal
mfyellowhorn@cbe.ab.                                 kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca

Spring Speaking Event (Apr. 30 at 6:30 PM)                                                                    

Free Guest Speaker for Parents!

Join us at Altadore School for an insightful event for parents and care-givers where we delve into the impact of screen time and social media on children's mental health. Our guest speaker, Dr. Cheryl MacLeod from The Family Psychology Place, will share valuable information and tips on how to navigate the digital world while prioritizing your child's well-being!

Reserve a seat by April 21.

Grade 5 & 6 Eco Club 

Students in the grade 5 and 6 eco-club will meet on Tuesday, April 22 at 8 AM to do a final practice for our Earth Day events that afternoon.. Students have been busy creating a skit and a song to present to the school as part of our Earth Day events (see below).

Earth Day (April 22)                                                                    

We’ll be holding an Earth Day assembly the afternoon of Tuesday April 22, followed by a community walk to inspire care and action for our environment. Please wear blue and green that day to bring the Earth Day spirit to our little parade through the neighbourhood.

Families may want to take part in the City Nature Challenge, happening April 25–28, 2025. Explore your backyard, neighborhood, or local parks and keep an eye out for wild organisms like plants, fungi, insects, birds, and mammals. Take photos and upload them to iNaturalist.ca to help showcase and support Calgary’s incredible biodiversity.

Owls Nest Spring Clean Up (Apr 27 & May 3)                                                                    

Helping hands of all ages wanted for a Spring Clean Up for the Owl’s Nest! Clean up is being held on April 27 and May 3 from 9am-1pm. It is an open house style event, please come anytime within the window and stay for as long as you can. Lots of hands means less work! Bring family and friends to help as we get the Owls nest ready for summer fun! Bring gardening gloves, tools will be provided. Sign up if you are able to come out and help!

Fun Lunch (May 6)

Jelly Modern Doughnuts is coming May 6! Be sure to order by May 1 to ensure your child will receive a fun lunch!

School Council Volunteer Opportunities

Altadore School Council is looking for parents to fill the following roles. Please email if you are interested in volunteering or if you would like more information about any of these positions.

Vice Chair

Role

Supports the Chair throughout the school year as needed, and often, but not required, becomes the Chair the following year. Coordinates staff appreciation events with Administration.

Time Commitment

~2-4 hours/months

Casino Chair

Role

The Casino Chair is responsible for coordinating our casino fundraiser and for maintaining the communication with Alberta Gaming, filing all required paperwork, ensuring casino license remains intact, and communicating with volunteers. Casinos are scheduled approximately every 18 months (next Casino is planned for fall 2026). The Association works with a Casino Advisor to help with the process.

Time Commitment

  • 2025: ~1 hour/month (maximum)
  • August-September, 2026: ~5-10 hours total
  • October until the Casino, 2026: ~5 hours/week

Fundraising Chair

Role

The Fundraising Chair coordinates the Direct Donation campaign. This includes: organizing Direct Donation Packages to be sent out to each family, coordinating with the Treasurer to set up an online account with Canada Helps to receive donations, and preparing updates for the Weekly Altadore Newsletter.

Time Commitment

~10 hours/month Oct & Nov

The Hoot Committee Chair

Role

The Hoot Chair leads the organizing committee for our bi-annual parent social night and FUNdraiser The Hoot. The next Hoot is planned for Fall 2025.

Time Commitment

~10-12 hours/month September-November

Edible Garden and Owl's Nest Committee Chair

Role

The Edible Garden and Owl's Nest Chair leads the Edible Garden and Owl's Nest Committee. The committee is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the Edible Garden and Owl's nest.

Time Commitment

~2-3 hours per week during March-September, then sporadically over the winter season.

Bell Time Change (2025-26 School Year)

In response to Alberta Education’s School Transportation Amendment Regulation, CBE is expanding yellow school bus service and adjusting walk zones starting on September 1, 2025. As bell times are closely linked to transportation schedules, these changes will affect many schools, including Altadore School. The new bell times for next year will be 8:42 AM to 3:15 PM, with early dismissal on Fridays ending at 12:45 PM.

Aligning bell times across schools improves transportation efficiency, allowing each bus to run multiple routes. This helps create a reliable system, ensuring students arrive at school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Learn more!

Notes of Thanks                                                                    

Thank you to the following individuals for their recent contributions to our school…

  • Ms. Brown-Wolfe and Ms. Hutton and volunteers who made Orff the Wall a big success!
  • Thank you to everyone who got their swimming forms returned in record time, this really helps the pool get organized for this exciting opportunity.
  • Thank you to the School Council for funding the new recess equipment that will be distributed to classes next week!