Weekly Update Oct. 30 - Nov.3 | Retakes, Halloween, The HOOT, Direct Donations, Clubs, Altadore Gear, School Council Socials

Important Dates

Oct. 30 Picture Retakes 10 AM
Oct. 31 Halloween Celebrations
Nov. 1 Digital Citizenship Parent Session 6:30 PM Online
Nov. 3 The HOOT Fundraiser
Nov. 9 Non-Instruction Day - No School
Nov. 10-14 Fall Break
Nov. 16 Sharing Night
Nov. 23 Evening Conferences
Nov. 24 Conferences - No School
Nov. 29 School Council Meeting
Dec. 18 Kindergarten Grade 1 Christmas Concert
Dec. 19 Grades 4, 5, & 6 Christmas Concert
Dec. 20 Grade 2-3 Christmas Concert

Admin Message

Dear Altadore Families,

We are so excited for the Hoot coming up on Friday! If you have tickets, we look forward to seeing you there. If you were not able to get tickets or did not plan on coming, please consider taking place in the online auction and/or going online to purchase your child’s art.. The funds raised really do make a difference in what we are able to do with students at school. Please see below for more information.

It is with mixed feelings that we are sharing Mrs. Edison is transferring to Lakeshore School. She has been at Altadore School as an Educational Assistant for almost nine years. We are very sad she is moving and her expertise will be dearly missed. There are many, many students who have developed deep relationships with her over the years. At the same time, we are excited for her as she will be taking on some different challenges at a very new school, be able to work more hours each week, and will drastically reduce her commute time.

Unfortunately, she was ill this week, and was not able to say many of the goodbyes she wanted to. We do have plans for her to return to spend a couple of days with the Grade 6’s at Outdoor School later in November, and to return to the school to say goodbye to the students and staff.

We know you will join me in wishing her well in her new adventures.

Sincerely,

Kelly Christopher 

Principal  

kdchristophe@cbe.ab.ca

   

Karlee Zelmer

Assistant Principal

kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca


Photo Retakes

Photo retakes will be Monday, October 30 starting at 10 AM. If you would like your child to get a retake please have them bring their photo envelope back to school along with any instructions you might like changed for the photographer. For PM Kindergarten students wishing for retakes, please bring your child to the school at 10 AM and we will do their retake then.

Halloween

Children are invited to wear costumes if they wish. Those who do choose to wear costumes should wear them to school at the beginning of the day. Please give some thought to what is practical and appropriate to wear at school. For example, masks should allow for clear vision and not be so gory they are truly scary.

Classes will be doing a variety of Halloween/Fall activities throughout the day. You may send a special snack for your child to eat in the afternoon. If you send treats for other children, please ensure that an ingredient list is included. These treats will be sent home for later.

If your child does not want to dress up or your family does not celebrate Halloween, that is perfectly fine as well. Our goal is to recognize this day as a special occasion for many of our families, while being inclusive of all.

The HOOT FUNdraiser

We need volunteers! This event cannot run without your help. Time slots are short, leaving you plenty of time to mingle and enjoy the festivities. Please consider signing up HERE!

Sneak-a-Peek - LIVE AUCTION!

Want a sneak peek at the live auction items up for bid this year? Check out our Altadore_School_Parent instagram page!

Sponsors

A huge thank you to WOLFE AUTOMOTIVE as our returning title sponsor and CNJ Developments as a community sponsor. We’re grateful to have your support!

Student Art

Students have been busy working on special art pieces to sell at the HOOT. They have made individual pieces that parents can purchase at the event for $15, or if you can’t make it, we will continue to sell the individual pieces from the school after the event. The kids have also been working with their class to create a special group piece of art that you can outbid other parents on, on our online auction site HERE. The auction site does not have pictures, but you can view the incredible final class group pieces at the event.

Tickets

Jump on our Altadore School WhatsApp group HERE to connect and buy/sell tickets with other parents who need tickets, or can’t use the ones they bought.

Tips to strategize your silent auction bidding!

  1. Review silent auction items HERE
  2. Sign up for an account prior to the event!
  3. “❤” Your favourites to keep a close eye on ‘em!
  4. Grab friends to go in on some of the incredible large ticket items together, like this incredible 7-day getaway in tropical Nosara, Costa Rica! (Check out the house HERE!)

2023-24 Direct Donation Campaign

No more exhausting bake sales or buying things you don’t need! We heard your feedback and have a game-changing solution: the direct donation campaign! Donate directly to the School Council HERE to save your time and put your donations directly towards enriching our student’s education! We're already off to an incredible start, with 35% of our goal already reached!

A friendly reminder that we do provide tax receipts.

If you're already in the know about the campaign and are willing to chip in, click HERE!

Upcoming Dates

We have many special events coming up. Please mark the following dates on your calendar:

  • Fall break - No school for students November 9- 14 inclusive
  • Sharing Night - November 16 from 5:00 to 7:00
  • Conferences - Thursday, November 23 in person from 4:00-7:00 Friday November 24 online from 8:00 - Noon
  • Christmas Concerts - 4,5,6 Monday December 18 at 6:00
    • K,1 Tuesday, December 19 at 6:00
      2,3 Wednesday, December 20 at 6:00

More details about these events will be coming soon, but we wanted to make sure you can mark them on your calendar now.

Clubs

Pride Vibes Community Club

Pride Vibes Community Club provides a safe and inclusive space where 2SLGBTQIA+ students and allies in grades 5 and 6 can be themselves and have fun. We educate, advocate and fundraise in our Calgary community. The club meets on Mondays at lunch time in Ms. Mackenzie’s room.

Further information about the role of GSAs (Gay-Straight Alliances) can be found at Creating Safe & Caring Environments for all LGBTQ Youth | School Culture & Environment | About Us | CBE and on the Albert Education website at Gay-straight alliances | Alberta.ca

Please contact ekmackenzie@cbe.ab.ca if you would like to learn more about Pride Vibes Community Club.

Run Club

It looks like the weather will be a little milder this Thursday. Come and join us for a run at 8 am!

Leadership Club

This club will be starting soon for interested Grade 6 students.

Altadore Gear - All Year Long

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 HERE and your purchase will come to the school in about a week. If you would like to see the different colour options or to have your child try on t-shirts to check for size, there are samples at the school office.

Ways to Stay Connected!

Our school council wants to connect with you, and is always trying to find new ways to remind families of what is happening around Altadore School! The newsletter is a great place to get an overview of the upcoming week, but we also have some other great ways to stay in touch!

Instagram for Altadore_School_Parent

Follow our NEW Altadore School Parent Instagram account! Because it is a private account, you will need to search for it on instagram under Altadore_School_Parent, and request permission to access the account. That way you can follow along with updates on events, news, volunteer call outs, spirit day reminders, and much much more!

Altadore Parent WhatsApp Group

There is a school wide Altadore Parents WhatsApp Group that we encourage any parent or guardian to join. The group is used to send out quick text reminders of school events, call out when we’re in need of last minute volunteers, and for parents to post general questions that they might have. If you would like to join, click HERE! Its a great way to stay in the loop!

Facebook

Follow us on Facebook by searching for “Altadore School Parents Group”. You will have to request access, and once granted, you will get updates on events happening around the school!

School Council Meetings

Our school council meetings are held once a month, and we encourage everyone to attend! The more the merrier! It's a great way to learn about what is happening around the school, ask questions, and get to know the staff and other parents. We try to offer babysitting for most of the meetings, to help facilitate people’s attendance.

Email

Email us any questions you have! We would love to hear from you! Here are a few email addresses that might be handy, but if you’re not sure who to contact, or are looking for another contact, feel free to reach out to our Council Chair who can point you in the right direction!

Hopefully this has helped you find some new ways to get connected, stay informed, and meet new people, but we want to reiterate that the school council is always here to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

Notes of Thanks

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

  • Kyle Hawkins for volunteering to review and provide recommendations to the Altadore Parent Association on financial processes and controls
  • Huge thank you to WOLFE AUTOMOTIVE as our returning title sponsor for the HOOT, and CNJ Developments as our community sponsor. We are grateful to have your support!

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)