Admin Message
Dear Altadore Families
School Council: This week we had our final School Council meeting of the year. We would like to pass on our personal thanks to everyone who has attended a meeting this year and to all of the parents who have contributed by taking on positions with special responsibilities. We feel fortunate to work with such a wonderful group, who truly want to make a difference in our school community.
And they do! They have worked with us in a true partnership and we have found it very easy to collaborate with them. We have worked with some very supportive school councils in the past, but none who have been such a joy to work with! If you have a chance to come out next year, please do. All of the big roles have been filled, so your arm won’t be twisted into doing something you don’t feel ready for. It is a great chance to provide input into some of the things happening at the school and to learn more about what is going on behind the scenes.
Water Restrictions: Unfortunately, we will all need to abide by the ongoing water restrictions until well after the school year ends. As a result, some of our planned end-of-school events will be affected. All swimming at Glenmore Pool has been cancelled. Our Summer Splash and lessons in the Edible Garden will need to be modified.
We understand that these events are important to our students and their families, and we share in the disappointment that these changes bring. Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this challenging time.
As always, if you have any questions or we can help in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out to us!
Sincerely,
Kelly Christopher, Principal
kdchristophe@cbe.ab.ca
Karlee Zelmer, Assistant Principal
kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca
Parent Survey
The Altadore Parent Survey is your chance to make your voice heard!
The data from this survey will be used to help us plan our School Development Plan for the 2024-2025 school year. We would really like to know your thoughts on what you love about our school and what we can do to make it even better. Please fill out this survey by clicking here.
We already have 40 responses! Don't miss your chance to be part of this important process- your voice matters! We usually have over 60% of our families fill out this survey. Please help us achieve that rate or better again this year!
PS: If you have more than one child at Altadore, please fill out the survey for each child to reflect each of their individual experiences. Simply click on the above link again and it will be available for you to fill out another time(s).
National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration - Friday, June 21
National Indigenous Peoples Day is June 21. We will be recognizing, celebrating, and honouring Indigenous heritage, culture and ways of being.
At 9:30, weather permitting there will be dancing, drumming and singing. The Tootoosis family, including some of our former students, who run the Four Winds Indigenous Showcase and Market will be returning to dance. Randy Turning Robe Jr. will also be drumming for us this year. Mrs. Brown-Wolfe is working with students on some songs and we plan to end with a round dance.
Family and friends are all welcome to come and join the celebration, as long as we are able to be outside. If there is inclement weather and we need to move to the gym, we will only be able to accommodate students and staff.
Swimming
All swimming at City of Calgary pools has been cancelled right through to the end of June due to the ongoing water restrictions.
For students who missed swimming lessons, families will be credited either $12 or $18 to their MyCBE Account for future use. You will be getting an email on Monday giving you an option to keep the credit on your account for use in the fall, or having the school write you a cheque. (We would try to get cheques written in June, but timelines are very short and the cheques all need to be prepared individually…).
As the cost for Grade 4 students to go on their fun swim was less than $10, that fee will automatically be credited to your CBE account for next year unless you specifically ask us to provide you a refund by cheque.
Summer not Splash - Summer Send Off - June 24, 5pm-7pm
Get ready… This year we will be having a Summer Send Off Picnic rather than a Summer Splash … due to the water restrictions. It will be a casual event and it will still make a great kickoff to summer! Come join the fun with your picnic blanket and lawn chairs. Bring your own picnic, get something from the food trucks and come meet some new families and celebrate the end of the school year!
We still need a few volunteers to help tidy up at the end of the night (I know, we are all tired and burnt out from the school year!) but any help to clean up at the end of the night would be incredibly appreciated!
Please sign up HERE!
Note that you don’t need police clearance to help out with this!
Grade 6 Farewell - June 25 at 11:00
There will be a Grade 6 Farewell on Tuesday, June 25 at 11:00 for Grade 6 students and their families. It is a very special occasion where we honour all that they have accomplished before they move on to new schools for Grade 7. Only Grade 6 students and their siblings will attend. Staff and students will be celebrating our Grade 6 students at a school-wide assembly on the last day of school. Look for more information about how we send off our Grade 6 students in the Update next week.
Sports Day (June 26)
Sports Day is coming up and we need LOTS of volunteers to make it run!!!
On June 26, students spend the day with their friends, exploring numerous stations set up around the school grounds with games and sports (past stations have included tag, gaga pit games, or obstacle courses). The program is organized by Sportball coaches, but requires parent volunteers to oversee each station. The Sportball coaches are onsite to teach you what to do at your station, so you don’t have to be proficient in athletics to take part and make this a fun day for all of the students. Please review the available slots and sign up for a morning shift, afternoon shift, or both!
Volunteer by clicking HERE!
Please note that you must have a valid CBE police check to volunteer.
Please note that due to water restrictions, all students will need to provide their own water bottles for this fun event.
Altadore Garden
Students had lots of fun in the garden this week, learning how to identify plants, and how to distinguish certain characteristics of plants. Next week we will learn all about microorganisms and look for them in the garden using a handheld microscope!
We have checked with the City of Calgary about water restrictions as they relate to the edible garden. They have confirmed that we are able to water any vegetables that have been planted as they are a food item. There is to be no watering of trees or flowers. None of the student lessons will involve water. They also ask that we use the minimum amount of water required to keep the plants alive and to conserve as much water as possible, which we are happy to do.
Altadore Casino Fundraiser (Nov 4&5)
Mark your calendars, and let's make some money!
The Altadore School Casino Fundraiser is happening on November 4 and 5th, and we will be needing a LOT of volunteers to cover shifts at a nearby casino to pull it off! This fundraising event brings in nearly a third of our total fundraising dollars for the year, so it is very important to all of our school programs that it is successful!
Please keep these dates in mind as you start planning into the Fall, and we look forward to seeing you then!
Notes of Thanks
Thank you to the following individuals for their recent contributions to our school…
Thank you to all of the parents who have served on School Council this year. School Council organizes many of the events that make Altadore School such a special place for learning, and they raise money for many of the extras such as field trips, residencies, and supplementary supplies for the classrooms. Special thanks go out to everyone who has attended a School Council meeting in person or online. We would also like to specifically thank all who took on specific roles:
- Julia Hikita - President
- Larissa Kennedy-Chan - Vice President
- Casey James - Secretary
- Johnathan Chan - Treasurer
- Michelle Jung - Casino Chair
- Amy Close - Communications (Weekly Update)
- Lisa Kujath - Communications (Social Media)
- Kelly Galloway - Fundraising Chair
- Megan Gough - Volunteer Coordinator
- Kristin Desiliets - Fun Fit Coordinator
- Larissa Kennedy-Chan - Fun Lunch Coordinator
- Emma Geoghagen - Owl’s Nest/Edible Garden
- Katie Dodd - Owl’s Nest/Edible Garden
- Jessica Brown - Auditor
- Chantal Oakey - Banker
Thank you to everyone who has already filled out our school survey to help us plan for next year, and if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to fill it out HERE.
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