Admin Message
Oki Hello Altadore Families,
Happy Treaty 7 Day! Treaty 7 was signed on 22 September 1877. The treaty intended to be a peace treaty between the Crown and the ancestral Blackfoot Nations of the Kainai, Siksika, and Piikani Nations, as well as the Stoney-Nakoda, and Tsuut’ina Nations. We honour the importance of treaties to help residents understand the significance of treaty rights, treaty relationships and their relevance today.
Principal Iikiinayookaa is a member of the Kainai Nation.
What a busy week we had at Altadore School. From fire drills to our first assembly honoring Terry Fox. Principal Iikiinayookaa also visited classes to share her book and knowledge of harvesting sweet grass and sage, not to mention the rich learning taking place in the classroom.
We were sad to hear that Sakokoto was unwell this week and could not visit with us. We wish him a speedy recovery and eagerly look forward to his next scheduled visit in January. As you all know, we were also sad to have to postpone our annual Terry Fox run due to the weather. This has caused us to shift some of the other events we had going on at school this week- so please pay attention to the dates on the side of this update as they are the most current. The run has been rescheduled to Wednesday, September 25 at 2:00 p.m. All are welcome to join us in our Altadore field. Once again, we will require volunteers to support this great cause.
A reminder of our first lockdown drill in conjunction with the Calgary Police Service, an important practice for everyone's safety. This drill will provide valuable learning opportunities for our students, and they will be well-prepared for it.
Thursday will also be a day to honor Truth and Reconciliation. There will be an assembly on Thursday, September 26, at 9:30 and a classroom book reading swap with stories from Indigenous authors. Students are encouraged to wear their orange shirts on this day.
Remember to register for conferences on Thursday, September 26, from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. and again on Friday, September 27, from 8:00 – 12:00 p.m. Please get in touch with the school if you are having difficulties registering online.
Please note that our next update will come out on Monday September 30 due to the long weekend.
Sincerely,
Iikiinayookaa Yellow Horn Karlee Zelmer
Principal Assistant Principal
mfyellowhorn@cbe.ab.ca kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca
Parent-Teacher Conferences (Sep 26 and 27)
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on:
- Thursday, September 26 from 4:00PM- 8:00PM
- Friday, September 27 from 8:00AM- 12:00PM
There will be both in-person and online options. Kindergarten will have no school on September 26 so that conferences can be held that entire day. You can sign up for conferences from September 23-26 by logging into your MyCBE account HERE! (Open at 11 AM today!)
Saa’kokoto Cancelled
Unfortunately Saa’kokoto had to cancel his visit this week as he was unwell. We will work to reschedule him or get an alternative residency activity for the school in the near future. Ms. Brown-Wolfe did make use of the Indigenous Drums we borrowed from the Indigenous Learning Team during music class in his absence.
CBE week for Truth and Reconciliation
This week children will be learning about Truth and Reconciliation as there are many important Indigenous events happening this week. Treaty 7 Day is today as well as the Fall Equinox. We hope you were able to get outside and enjoy this first day of Fall. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/ Orange Shirt Day is on Monday September 30 and we will honour at school on Thursday by creating a collaborative artwork, having an assembly to sing Kitsikakomimm together and doing a school wide read aloud of Indigenous books. We know that some of this history is uncomfortable and it is important to share these truths in developmentally appropriate ways as we all move forward to Canada’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action.
There are many events happening in the Moh’kins’tsis (Calgary) Community that you may wish to attend with your family:
City of Calgary, Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Catholic School Division National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Ceremonial Opening | Sept. 30 at 9:00 a.m: Live event at the Confluence Historic Site and Parkland to commemorate residential school victims, honour survivors and their families, and commit to acting on reconciliation. The event will be live streamed on the City of Calgary website.
Pokaiks – The Children Commemorative Walk & Gathering | Sept. 30 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM: Indoor event at Contemporary Calgary (Contemporary Calgary, 701-11st SW) focusing on youth performers.
Closer to Home’s All My Relations Healing Powwow | Sept. 28 from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Healing Powwow at BMO Centre on Stampede Park (Hall A2) to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at Arts Commons | The Arts Commons is holding three events on Sept. 30: Gallery Tour & Artist Talks (2 PM, & 4 PM), Indigenous Makers Market (12:00 – 5:30 PM), and Elders Story Project (6:30 PM). For locations and more information, visit the Arts Commons website.
The Military Museums Truth and Reconciliation Day Tours | Sept. 30 at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM: These tours highlight Indigenous peoples within the history of Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Heritage Park National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Sept. 29 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM: Heritage Park will honour Truth and Reconciliation with a special day full of meaningful programming across the park.
University of Calgary, Office of Indigenous Engagement | Sept. 29 and 30: A list of special events held on campus.
Women’s Centre of Calgary: Bannock and Tea Conversations | Sept. 23 at 3:00 PM: Join the Women’s Centre in acknowledgment of Orange Shirt Day, as they explore the impact of residential schools and our journeys towards honouring the actions outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Direct Donation Campaign
Keep an eye out in your eldest child’s backpack this week for our Direct Donation Information package!
Cliff’s Notes:
Click HERE to donate to our direct donation campaign!
We’ve eliminated all of the small, time consuming fundraisers for one simple campaign to give parents back their time, and ensures all the money and effort goes straight into enriching the programs, supplies, and events that your children will be engaging in this 2024-25 school year!
Learn more about the direct donation campaign, where the funding goes, tax receipts, company matching etc!
Any contribution makes an impact, donate HERE!
Harvest Festival (Sept 26)
Join us on Thursday September 26 from 3:15-5:30 PM in the Edible Garden at Altadore school to celebrate harvest time, with crafts, games, free treats & refreshments!
Special event: Parent vs Kids races commence at 5pm. Sign-up 15 min prior!
So far the students and volunteers have harvested & donated approximately 400 lbs of produce to the foodbank, and we look forward to donating even more!
We are looking for volunteers to set-up, run games, and bake treats, so if you would like to help, we would appreciate it if you could sign-up HERE!
Fun Lunch (Oct 22)
Our Fun Lunch program is a student favourite, where families can pre-purchase lunches for their children to be delivered in the classroom on Fun Lunch Day!
Our first Fun Lunch is on Tuesday, October 22 with the order deadline of Thursday, October 17. Families can start setting up their orders through the Healthy Hunger website HERE. You will have to create a profile and select your child's teacher by selecting Altadore School. Please note that there are two accounts for Fun lunch for Altadore School. AltadoreLunch1 is grades 1-3 (with seeds of spice) and AltadoreLunch2 is grades 4-6. You can email the fun lunch team HERE with any questions or concerns!
Fun Lunch will be on Tuesdays this year, and you can volunteer for our first fun lunch by signing up HERE! (you must have a valid police check registered with CBE to volunteer)
Check in with the office, or email altadorefunlunch@gmail.com with any questions!
Altadore Casino Fundraiser (Nov 4&5)
Mark your calendars and sign up HERE!
The Altadore School Casino Fundraiser is happening on November 4 and 5. We will be needing a LOT of volunteers to cover shifts at a nearby casino to pull it off, but the funding we get in exchange for our volunteer hours covers almost a third of ALL of our funding and programs! It is extremely important that it is successful, and we cover every single volunteer shift, so please don’t hesitate, sign up HERE!
Notes of Thanks
Thank you to the following individuals for their recent contributions to our school…
- Everyone for being so supportive and understanding of our need to reschedule the Terry Fox Run this week due to the cold and rain!
- Ms. Hutton, Ms. Bigelow and Kamp Kiwanis for all their work in making the outdoor school opportunity available to our grade 6 students!
- The Garden Committee and volunteers for organizing the Fall Harvest activities!
- Ms. Predika, Ms. Swan & Ms. Brown-Wolfe for organizing our Truth And Reconciliation week activities!
Questions?
Looking for school information you can’t find here? Please contact: Iikiinayookaa Yellow Horn, Principal (mfyellowhorn@cbe.ab.ca)
Karlee Zelmer, Assistant Principal (kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca)
Julia Hikita, Altadore School Council Chair (altadoreparentcouncil@gmail.com)