Dear Altadore Families, I begin this week by expressing my extreme gratitude for such a warm welcome. I am in awe of parents' strength and commitment to staff and new families in our school community. Hand to heart in gratitude.

The first day back to school filled our halls and classrooms with laughter and excitement. It was wonderful to see friendships renewed and new friendships started. We are sad to share that our student enrollment numbers are down, therefore, Mr. Noel Johnson will be placed at his new school soon. Ms. Aimee Jackson will be co-teaching grade 3 with a teacher who will join our school soon. September is a bustling month of activities related to learning, celebrations, and community building.

We are eagerly anticipating the School Picnic this week and celebrating Terry Fox's enduring contribution to cancer research. In preparation for Truth and Reconciliation Day, Saa’kokoto will be visiting students, playing a significant role in promoting understanding and respect for Indigenous culture. You will find a link below for Altadore Gear. T-shirts and hoodies are available in a number of colours, and you can also choose the colour of your design. We have deliberately chosen to promote a great deal of personalization with the Altadore Gear to honour diversity and to allow everyone to show off their unique style. More information will be sent in the near future about Parent Teacher Conferences. We are looking forward to a wonderful year together!

Sincerely,

Iikiinayookaa Yellow Horn, Principal

Karlee Zelmer, Assistant Principal

Important Dates

Sept. 2 - Labour Day

Sept. 5 - Welcome Back Picnic (5:00 PM - 6:30 PM)

Sept. 10 - Photo Day

Sept. 11 - School Council Meeting - All parents/caregivers welcome to join!

Sept. 17 - 18 - Saa'kokoto Visit

Sept. 20 - Terry Fox Run

Sept. 26 - No School for Kindergarten

Sept. 26 - Parent - Teacher Conferences (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM)

Sept. 27 - Parent -Teacher Conferences (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Sept. 30 - National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (No School)

Welcome Back Picnic (Sept. 5)

Join us at the school for a fun-filled Back-to-School Picnic on September 5, from 5:00 PM-6:30 PM! Bring your picnic blanket and either pack your own food, or enjoy tasty treats from local food trucks that will be available for purchase. While the kids play on the playground, parents can reconnect and kick off the new school year together. Don’t miss this chance to meet new friends and celebrate our community! Any event like this always needs a few handy helpers, so please consider volunteering to clean up and make sure the school yard is ready for our children to enjoy the next day at school by signing up!

We can’t wait to see you there!

School Council Meeting (Sept. 11)

We would like to invite all parents and caregivers to join us at our first parent council meeting of the year, on September 11, at 6:30 PM in the school! As a parent or caregiver at Altadore Elementary, you are automatically a member of Altadore School Council, and are encouraged to join us at ALL of our council meetings throughout the year. It is a great place to meet other parents, ask questions, and get a first hand look into what is happening around the school!

Upcoming School Council Dates

  • Sept. 11
  • Oct. 9
  • Nov. 20
  • Jan. 15
  • Feb. 19
  • Apr. 9
  • May 14
  • June 11

We are really trying to make our School Council meetings inviting and accessible to everyone. As a result, we offer babysitting in a nearby classroom for all school aged children, and will try to offer online meetings as much as we can for anyone who isn’t able to make it in person. Sometimes we even try to convince you to come by offering chips and pop.

Please consider this your open invitation to join us for all school council meetings this year, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Newsletter

Each week our School Council’s Communications volunteer works to collect information from around the school that we think is helpful for parents, and we put it together into this weekly newsletter. You can expect to receive this newsletter most Sundays (or Mondays on a long weekend). Believe it or not, this volunteer role is now OPEN!!! We’re currently looking for a Communications volunteer, so if you or someone you know might be interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out and find out more about the role by emailing our School Council Chair, Julia.

Schedule/Calendar

Please remember that you can access our school calendar at any time on our website. The website will always be updated, and have the most current and reliable information.

Time Saving Parent Hack

You can download or subscribe to the calendar by scrolling down the calendar page, and below the filters on the left side are download and subscribe buttons! A friendly reminder that bell times have been updated this year, and will be as follows

For Grades 1-6

  • 8:27 AM - Soft Entry
  • 8:30 AM - Instruction Begins
  • 11:45 AM - 12:35 PM Lunch for Grades 1-3
  • 12:40 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch for Grades 4-6
  • 3:15 PM - Dismissal (Monday - Thursday)
  • 12:10 PM Dismissal (Fridays)

Kindergarten

  • AM Kindergarten (Monday to Thursday)
    • 8:27 AM - Soft Entry
    • 8:30 AM - Instruction Begins
    • 11:25 AM - Dismissal

PM Kindergarten (Monday - Thursday)

    • 12:20 - Instruction Begins
    • 3:15 - Dismissal

Alternating Fridays

    • 8:27 AM - Soft Entry
    • 8:30 AM - Instruction Begins
    • 12:10 PM - Dismissal

Altadore Casino Fundraiser (Nov. 4 and Nov. 5)

Mark your calendars! The Altadore School Casino Fundraiser is happening on November 4 and 5, 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!

Altadore Gear

Altadore school works with Summarized Design to provide Altadore Gear for purchase in all sizes all year long. This is a fun initiative that many of our families enjoy. Please note that this is not a fundraiser, and Altadore School does not benefit financially from the purchase of Altadore gear. T-Shirt and hoodie colours are changed periodically, and right now there are several different versions of multicoloured logos! You can order online and your purchase will come to the school in about a week.

Notes of Thanks

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

  • Parents and caregivers for all the work they put in to help ensure their children were set up for success for the first day of school! The amazing teachers for getting their classrooms ready, preparing programming for their students, and for being so welcoming to all of the students on their first days of school!
  • The admin staff for getting the school organized and prepared for the arrival of almost 400 students!
  • The maintenance staff, for deep cleaning all of the spaces in the school over the summer so the students and staff have a safe and comfortable environment to learn in this year!
  • School Council for hosting a back to school coffee after drop off last week so parents and caregivers could reconnect!
  • All of the amazing people who volunteered this past Saturday at our Garden Back to School Clean Up, turning our school garden into a beautiful oasis! Your hard work and enthusiasm made the day a blast, and now our students have a vibrant space to explore and enjoy!

Questions? Looking for school information you can’t find here?

Please Contact

Iikiinayookaa Yellow Horn, Principal

Karlee Zelmer, Assistant Principal

Julia Hikita, Altadore School Council Chair