Important Dates

Jan. 17 & 18 Grade 4-6 Skiing/Snowboarding FunFit Field Trip to WinSport
Jan. 17 Grade 2 Field Trip Studio Bell
Jan. 14 Fun Lunch
Jan. 27 Family Literacy Day
Jan. 30 Report Cards live on MyCBE
Feb. 1 Winter Walk to School Day
Feb. 5 Curling Funfit
Feb. 7 World Read Aloud Day
Feb. 10 Lunar New Year
Feb. 15-16 Teachers’ Convention – No School for Students
Feb. 19 Family Day
Feb. 20 Fun Lunch
Feb. 28 Pink Shirt Day

Admin Message

Dear Altadore Families,

Wow! It has been a long time since we sent home an Update. We hope you all had a wonderful break, with extra time for friends and family, and a bit of a chance to recharge.

Things have been really busy at school since we have been back. Elder Saa’kokoto had two sessions with each class - one to teach some drumming and one to share some Blackfoot stories. The teachers and lunchroom supervisors have done a terrific job of keeping students engaged while we were inside for much of the week.

Next week we have planned for our Grade 4,5 & 6 students to go skiing/snowboarding on Wednesday and Thursday at Winsport. According to CBE policy, we will cancel the trip if the maximum temperature for the day will be too cold. If it is lower than -25°C including windchill, we will cancel for sure. If we think it will be between -20°C and -25°C, then we will need to make a judgement call. We will inform families via SchoolMessenger as soon as we make a decision. Please be aware that decisions can sometimes happen at the last minute. If you have not heard from us, please send your child appropriately dressed for the weather.

Sincerely,

Kelly Christopher Principal kdchristophe@cbe.ab.ca

Karlee Zelmer Assistant Principal kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca

Report Cards New Comment Format

This year report cards will become live to parents on the MyCBE portal on January 30. Please note that you will only be able to access your child’s report card for 30 days if you would like to print a copy.

The CBE has asked schools to make concise, bulleted comments for each student’s areas of strength and next steps. The goal is to increase clarity, make comments easier to understand, and to provide consistency amongst schools. For us at Altadore, you will notice that your child’s report card comments are shorter than they have been in the past.

We do want to make sure you feel fully informed about your child’s learning at school. If you have questions, or would like more information about a particular point, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. We will be discussing this in more detail at our School Council Meeting on Wednesday, January 30 if you would like to know more.

Smudging

Smudge is a traditional Indigenous land-based ceremony to acknowledge all relatives, and reinforce connection with the Creator; it is a cleansing practice that sets the space for truth-telling (Alberta Recreation & Parks Association, 2020). Smudge typically involves burning a small piece of dried medicine such as sage, sweetgrass or cedar and can be done individually or in a group. In schools, the practice of smudge is an opportunity for students and staff to learn about Indigenous worldviews.

Every nation has their own protocols and teachings regarding the practice of smudge. Last week Elder Saa’kokoto has shared some of his Blackfoot smudging teachings with teachers and gifted us the ability to lead a smudging ceremony .Smudging is always optional. If you have any questions or wish your student to opt out of this practice or be accommodated for in any way during smudging please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.

Reading Club

Ms. Christopher will be hosting a reading club for any interested students K-6 on Monday mornings before school. Students will be able to read on their own, with partners or in small groups, look for new books, talk with other students about books they enjoy, or write book reviews.

If your child is interested, you are welcome to drop them off at the front door between 8:00 and 8:15 on Monday mornings (Unless it is a Blue Day and all students are coming in early).

Volunteers for Field Trips - CBE Security Clearance

Many parents are wanting to volunteer on field trips this year but are not able to come because they do not have CBE Security Clearance. Please make sure you go through the process early so you are able to come with us. If you are unsure if your clearance has expired or if you have any questions about the process please contact Ms. Tori in the office. You must have a CBE Volunteer Clearance (not from other organizations) to volunteer in the school or on field trips.

Kindergarten Registration 

Kindergarten registration for the 2024-25 school year will begin on Monday, January 15, 2024. Children can be registered for kindergarten as long as they turn five years old on or before December 31 of the school year they will be in kindergarten. For example, when registering for the 2024-25 school year, your child must turn five on or before Dec. 31, 2024. All registration is done online, and is ongoing. There is no need to rush to line up. If you live in our catchment area we will accept your child. If required there will be a draw later in May for morning and afternoon placement. For more information click here.

School Council Meeting

Join us on January 17 at 6:30pm at the school for our School Council Meeting! All parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to join! Our Grade 5 teachers will be presenting about the changes to our report card comments.

This meeting will be held in hybrid format both in person in the Learning Commons, with babysitting provided and on MS Teams. Here is the link to the online meeting.

Check out the link HERE where you can read through the draft minutes from the November 29th meeting which will be approved at the January 17 meeting.

Cobs Bread - Don’t forget!

Every time you pop into Cobs bread, don’t forget to mention “I’m from Altadore School”, and Cobs will take a portion of every sale and give it back to the school.

Notes of Thanks

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

• Elder Saa’kokoto for his wisdom and teachings
• Niitsitapi Learning Centre for lending us their Indigenous drums
• All of the parent volunteers accompanying our field trips this week

Questions?                                                                       

Looking for school information you can’t find here? Please contact:

Kelly Christopher, Principal (kdchristophe@cbe.ab.ca)
Karlee Zelmer, Assistant Principal (kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca)
Julia Hikita, Altadore School Council Chair (altadoreparentcouncil@gmail.com