Oki, Hello, Altadore Families,

As we started off the New Year, we were honored to have a visit from Elder Saa’kokoto, who shared his incredible knowledge about the Winter Solstice and how the sky and nature guide us through the seasons. He explained how, many years ago, people didn’t rely on calendars but instead observed the natural world to understand the time of year. He taught us how the position of the sun and moon, the tilt of the Big Dipper, and the changes animals go through can all provide valuable clues about the seasons. His teachings reminded us of the deep connection between nature and our lives. We are so grateful for this opportunity to learn from Elder Saa’kokoto and look forward to applying his teachings in our learning. Below, you’ll find details about Kindergarten registration, Grade 7 open houses for our current Grade 6 students, and the Intensive French option available for our current Grade 5 students next year. We would like our students and parents to know that Rolf Haensel will be able to stay as Acting Principal for the foreseeable future. If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either of us. Thank you for your continued support, and here’s to a wonderful start to the year!

Warm Regards,

Rolf Haensel - Acting Principal

Karlee Zelmer - Assistant Principal

Fun Lunch (Jan 14)

January's Fun Lunch is Subway on January 14! Volunteers are still needed! Sign up.

School Council Meeting (Jan 15, 6:30pm)

Join us on January 15 at 6:30pm for our School Council Meeting! All parents and guardians are welcome! We will meet in person at the school or you may also join us Online (we will be sending out an MS Teams link prior to the meeting). There will be babysitting available for school aged children in a nearby classroom where the kids can play and have fun! You can read through the draft minutes from the November 20 meeting.

We look forward to having you join!

Kindergarten Registration 2025-2026

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year will began on Monday January 13, 2025. Children can be registered for kindergarten if they turn five years old on or before Dec. 31, 2025.We will have an orientation for new kindergarten families on May 22, 2025 at 6:00 PM. Registration is done online and you can find information on kindergarten registration on the public CBE website.

Grade 7 - 2025-2026 Information

Altadore Grade 6 students will be moving on to Junior High for the 2025-2026 school year. There are three CBE schools where students might attend:

1. Mount Royal School (our current designated school)

2. A.E. Cross School (overflow school to Mount Royal)

3. Elboya School (Late French Immersion school)

Here is some information about open houses and informational presentations being offered by each school: Open House at Mount Royal School on Thursday January 30, 6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Following a welcome in the gym, families will be given the opportunity to tour the school and see the amazing programs and activities that Mount Royal has to offer! Students will be provided with activities which will take them to various spaces in the school, where core subject classes and options will be highlighted.

*Please note that Mount Royal School has been over capacity since 2022. Although Altadore students are currently designated to Mount Royal School they have not been able to accommodate all students who live within their boundaries and there is a lottery in place. Students unsuccessful in the lottery will be sent to A.E. Cross as the designated overflow school. (This information is subject to change). Please contact mountroyal@cbe.ab.ca for more information or questions.

Open House for Elboya School will take place from 6:00-7:30 pm on Thursday, February 6, 2024. If you are interested in learning more about the Late French Immersion Program (Grades 7 & 8) or the Intensive French Program (Grade 6), we encourage you to attend with your child. Student representatives, teachers, and administration will be available to answer your questions. Elboya Staff will also be coming to Altadore School on January 22 to give a presentation about the Late French Immersion to our Grade 6 students. Please contact elboya@cbe.ab.ca for more information regarding this program.

Open House at A.E. Cross School will take place in April. Staff are also planning a visit to the grade 6 students here at Altadore. We will send more information about this when it is available. For more information please contact aecross@cbe.ab.ca.

Grade 6 - 2025-2026 Intensive French Program Information

Altadore Grade 5 students have the option of attending an Intensive French program at Elboya School for Grade 6. This program is for students who eventually would transition to their Late Immersion program in Grade 7. Grade 5 students will be shown a video in class about this program and interested families are invited to join the Open House at Elboya School on February 6 along with our Grade 6s (see information above or email elboya@cbe.ab.ca for more information).

Grade 4, 5 & 6 Surveys Altadore Grade 5 students have the option of

Notes of Thanks

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

• Rob Banks for taking down the Christmas trees at the front of the school!
• Elder Saa’kokoto for sharing his knowledge with us.
• Everyone who attended our K-3 Winter Concerts. We were truly overwhelmed and overjoyed by your incredible support!

Questions

Looking for school information you can’t find here?

Please contact:

Rolf Haensel, Acting Principal (rehaensel@cbe.ab.ca)

Karlee Zelmer, Assistant Principal (kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca)

Julia Hikita, Altadore School Council Chair (altadoreparentcouncil@gmail.com)