Admin Message
Oki, Hello, Altadore Families
Our School Development Plan (SDP), School Improvement Results Report (SIRR) and Report to Parents on Fees is now available on our website, here. The SDP is informed by data from report cards, student surveys, and assessments, guiding our efforts to support student growth and achievement. This year, we continue building on last year’s work around student engagement, using the Altadore Continuum of Engagement that established a shared language among students, teachers, and families.
Our overarching three-year goal focuses on improving literacy achievement and student engagement by intentionally designing effective learning environments. For the 2024-25 school year, we are prioritizing increased student achievement in writing through engaging literacy tasks and environments. While Altadore students consistently outperform provincial averages on Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs), our data highlights writing and engagement in learning as areas where students can reach even greater potential.
To address this, we are implementing targeted actions to advance learning excellence, support well-being, and promote truth & reconciliation, diversity, and inclusion. These efforts aim to create a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success in literacy. For more information, please read the information on our website, attend school council meetings, or connect with your child’s teacher or us in the office.
Warm Regards,
Lone Tuff Karlee Zelmer
Acting Principal Assistant Principal
lojusttuff@cbe.ab.ca kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca
Polar Bear Club
We recognize the importance of fresh air and free play for children, even during the colder months. To support this, we will be running a Polar Bear Club for the remainder of the winter for those who wish to spend time outside during cold weather (below -20°C).
With your permission, and if your child is interested, they will have the option to go outside with adult supervision during what would normally be an indoor recess or lunch break. As per CBE guidelines, indoor recesses occur when the temperature, including windchill, is -20°C or lower. Students in the Polar Bear Club will only go outside if:
- They are properly dressed for the cold.
- Parents have given permission via their classroom teacher.
- The child wishes to go outside.
- Adult supervisors are available and deem the weather conditions manageable.
The amount of time spent outdoors will depend on the weather and the discretion of the supervising adult (e.g., longer time outside at -20°C than at -25°C, and possibly no outdoor time at all if the temperature is below -30°C).
If you would like your child to participate, please email their teacher with the subject line: Polar Bear Club. The teacher will note your permission and provide your child with the outdoor option on Polar Bear Days.
Direct Donation Campaign (Donate HERE) | Deadline Extended
Thank you to everyone who has donated so far, we are shy of just $3,700 of our goal! As a result we are extending the campaign until December 8 to see if we can’t pull in any last donations (even $10 makes a difference!!!), so that we can keep all of our planned programming for this year!
Just think, without this campaign you would be buying ingredients and spending days baking for bake sales, or selling wrapping paper or wreaths to family and friends, so treat yourself to some extra time and simply donate straight to the cause HERE (and even get a tax receipt)!
Remember that your donation is what covers all of the extended programming and resources that our students use and enjoy every single day at Altadore School!
Donate HERE!
Fun Lunch (December 10)
December's Fun Lunch is Panago Pizza on Tuesday, December 10. Please note that grade 1 students will be on a field trip that day, so these students will need to bring a packed lunch on this day. The last day to order is December 5 - be sure to place your order!
Orders can be placed HERE. Please email HERE with any questions or concerns. There is still space to volunteer! Please click HERE to join in the fun.
Winter Gear Donations
We continue to accept winter gear for Piitoayis Family School students in need. Donations can be dropped off in the box outside the office until Wednesday December 11. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Holiday Children’s Book Drive
School Council is collecting new and gently-used books (appropriate for kids in elementary school) to be gifted to children who could use a little extra this holiday season. If you have any gently-used books at home that you no longer need, or if you are able to pick up a new book during your holiday shopping, please drop them off in the BOOK DRIVE holiday box in the office. You can also send donated books to school with your child. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Treats for Teachers (Dec 16)
As we are quickly approaching winter break we would like to thank the wonderful team of educators and administrators at our school. We are looking for some volunteers to bring in tasty treats for the school team to enjoy on December 16.
Have a look at the sign up HERE to see what others are bringing and add your name and treat to the list.
Treat drop off will be at 8:30 am on December 16. Thank you to everyone who is able to contribute something delicious for our amazing school team.
Winter Concert (December 18)
Our K-3 students are practicing hard for our winter concert and starting to get a little excited. There will be performances held both in the afternoon and the evening on December 18.
For the evening performances we are only able to accommodate 2 spectators per family. If you wish to have more people come, we ask that you come to the afternoon performance, which will start at 1:45 pm (we will run both groups back to back). It is important to note that all students will be attending the afternoon performance so that they do not need to come to the evening concert to watch their siblings perform.
Students are invited to dress up in their “fancy clothes” (their words) for the concert.
*A reminder that Grades 4-6 will take part in a Spring Concert on May 7, 2025.
Grade 6 Junior High Transition
We understand it may feel a bit early to start thinking about this, but we know some families have questions, particularly about Mount Royal School (which is currently our designated English junior high school). As they continue to face capacity challenges, enrollment is expected to be determined by lottery again this year. The overflow schools are currently A.E. Cross and Vincent Massey. We encourage you to visit their website [here] for the most up-to-date information, as well as the CBE's main page on lotteries [here] for additional details.
For families interested in French Immersion, our current designated school is Elboya. Currently, they have overflowed to Chinook Park and Woodman School. You can find more information about their program [here].
Additionally, there is typically more information, visits, and presentations for Junior High offered to Altadore Grade 6 students later in the New Year when details are more finalized. Please stay tuned for further updates as information about next year becomes available.
Reminder for anyone who needs it!
Hey, all you procrastinators and holiday hustle-bustlers! If you’ve been caught up in the whirlwind and forgotten to contribute to our Direct Donation Campaign, now's your golden opportunity!
Don’t wait another second—smash that button and click HERE to make magic happen!
Notes of Thanks
Thank you to the following individuals for their recent contributions to our school…
- All the teachers for their hard work in preparation for Parent-Teacher conferences and to all the parents/guardians who were able to attend.
- Christiana Hawkins and the Alberta Health Service team for supporting the grade 6 students with their vaccinations.
- Rob Banks for volunteering to collect the Christmas Trees for the display in front of the school.
Questions
Looking for school information you can’t find here?
Please contact: Lone Tuff, Acting Principal (lojusttuff@cbe.ab.ca)
Karlee Zelmer, Assistant Principal (kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca)
Julia Hikita, Altadore School Council Chair (altadoreparentcouncil@gmail.com)