Important Dates

Sept. 18-20 Elder Saa'kokoto visits
Sept. 19 Elder Saa'kokoto Parent Session 6:30 PM
Sept. 21 Harvest Festival in the Edible Garden 3:30 - 6:00 PM
Sept. 22 Treaty 7 Day
Sept. 22 Non-Instruction Day
Sept. 23 Fall Equinox
Sept. 28 Altadore Orange Shirt Day
Sept. 28 Eric Walters Author Visit
Sept. 29 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (No School)
Nov. 3 HOOT Fundraiser

Admin Message

Dear Altadore Families,

Shanah tovah, or Happy New Year to our Jewish families who are celebrating Rosh Hashana this weekend and who are getting ready for Yom Kippur next Sunday. This Friday is also an important day for Indigenous peoples in southern Alberta as it marks the date Treaty 7 was signed.

Students are starting to settle into school routines and have been enjoying getting outside to harvest sage from the Owl’s Nest and the vegetables from the Edible Garden. As they engage in these activities they are forging connections with the land, appreciating how food grows, learning about Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and learning life skills. Many classes extended this experience to include concepts embedded in a range of curricular areas including: social studies, science, health, language arts and literature, and math. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful outdoor learning environment here at Altadore that promotes learning in so many areas.

It was all smiles and sunshine on Friday when Altadore students, staff, and families carried on Terry Fox’s message of hope and participated in our Terry Fox Run. A big thank you to Clair, Elise, and Evey, the Grade 6 students who lead our first assembly this year to kick things off!. We could tell students had taken their learning about Terry’s determination in the face of cancer and were inspired to do their best to carry on his dream. We saw lots of perseverance and encouragement at North Glenmore Park Track and we were able to raise $2,604 for cancer research.

We are looking forward to another amazing week that includes time working with Elder Saa’kokoto. We hope to see you at the parent meeting this Tuesday evening at 6:30 where he will share some Indigenous knowledge, culture, and stories.

Kelly Christopher  Principal   kdchristophe@cbe.ab.ca

Karlee Zelmer Assistant Principal kmzelmer@cbe.ab.ca

Student Cell Phones/Smart Watches

A number of our students have cell phones and/or smart watches that they bring to school and we are asking parents for support with how they are used during the day. We ask that cell phones are turned off once students arrive at school and are kept in backpacks throughout the day including at recess and during lunch. Smart watches should be used as watches and not as communication devices. There are several reasons for this policy.

• To minimize disruptions to student learning.
• To avoid the use of social media, texting other students during the day.
• To promote face-to-face interaction and play at school
• To reduce comparisons of students who have/do not have access to this technology.

If your child needs to contact you they should be checking in with an adult first. This helps us to ensure it is an appropriate call and to troubleshoot any issues if they are upset prior to looping you in. If you need to contact your child during school hours please call the office and we will be happy to pass on a message or connect you with them.

Elder Saa’kokoto Visits Sept 18-20 

We are happy to have Elder Saa’kokoto joining us next week to share his stories and Indigenous teachings. He will be working with students to create further connections to the land through land art. The grade K-3 students will be working in the Owl’s Nest and the grade 4-6 students will be venturing to Sandy Beach.

Please dress your child for the weather and speak to your child’s teacher if you have any further questions.

Elder Saa’kokoto Parent Session Tuesday, September 19

Saa’kokoto will also be hosting a Parent Session on Tuesday September 19th at 6:30. All who are curious and interested to learn more about indigenous ways of being are encouraged to attend. Please bring your own lawn chair as our session will likely be held outside (weather permitting).

K-6 Run Club

Students and family members who were inspired by our Terry Fox Run and wish to continue running while the weather is still warm are invited to join our Run Club. We will be running Thursday mornings from 8:00 am- 8:20 am in the school field followed by a short stretch before school starts. Look for Ms. Zelmer, Ms. Andrews and Ms. Brown-Wolfe on the field Thursday mornings, We hope to see you there!

A note from Julia Hikita - Altadore School Council President 

The first meetings of the 2023-2024 Altadore School Council and Parent Association were on Sept 13. Thanks to everyone who participated. It was great to meet many new people and answer some questions! As a parent or guardian of an Altadore student you are automatically a member of the School Council and Parent Association and encouraged to participate!

The Altadore School Council is a collaboration between parents/guardians and school administration. School Council supports the school with activities such as Fun Lunch, FunFit programming, the Edible Garden/Owl’s Nest, the Weekly Update newsletter, the parents Facebook group, and so much more. It is also a forum for Administration to seek input and feedback from parents.

The Altadore School Parent Association is a non-profit organization that exists to raise money to support the School and School Council. The Parent Association provides funds for classroom support, field trips, residencies such as authors and Indigenous Elder Saa’kakoto, FunFit physical education residencies, the Edible Garden, the Owl’s Nest, staff appreciation, library books and technology, among others.

School Council and the Parent Association communicate to the school community via the weekly update newsletter, Altadore Parents Facebook page here, and the Altadore Parent WhatsApp group here.

If you want more information regarding the School Council and the Parent Association, reference the Handbook located on the Altadore School Website or email Julia Hikita altadoreparentcouncil@gmail.com.

Calendar

Here is a link to the 2023-2024 Altadore School Calendar.

Altadore Garden Harvest Festival

Join us at the Edible Garden (beside the school) for Harvest Festival- Thursday September, 21st, 3:30-6pm to see the fruits of the students' labors as they finish harvesting. Over 400lbs of produce have already been donated. Celebrate with treats made from the garden.

We are still need volunteers to take produce to the foodbank that night; please sign-up here!

Connect with Altadore Parents!

We are lucky to have such a welcoming community here at Altadore, and there are many ways you can connect with other families at Altadore. Here are a few of the upcoming opportunities:

Altadore Parent Run Club

Join the Altadore Parent Run Club every Friday from 8:30-9:00am. All abilities welcome for a 15 minute out and back run. Meet at the bike racks!

Facebook

There is a school wide Altadore School Parents group on Facebook that allows parents to ask general questions, post reminders, ask for volunteers, and post things that are going on. If you would like to join, please search for Altadore School Parents group on Facebook, or click here. Please note that it is a closed group for parents of students, so you will have to request access.

WhatsApp

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!

Harvest Festival

The Harvest Festival on Thursday September 21 located in the edible garden (north side of the school) from 3:30pm-6:00pm is a great way to meet other families in person!

HOOT Fundraiser

This adult only is a great way for parents to connect and enjoy a fun evening with drinks, food, and a chance to support the school. See below for more details!

GET READY, THE HOOT IS COMING!

This is a fun social event and a great opportunity to mingle with fellow parents and teachers while supporting academic enrichment, extra physical education activities, and other important programs within our school. Tickets go on sale in just a few weeks, so mark your calendar...this event sells out every time!

When: Friday, November 3 (7:30 – 11 pm)
Where: Marda Loop Communities Association Hall

We are seeking donations for our silent auction and raffle or businesses interested in sponsorships. Any contribution is appreciated! Some ideas include:

• Event tickets – hockey games, ski lift tickets, event centers (Telus Spark, Calgary Zoo, Art/Music/Dance lessons for children, etc)
• Weekend getaways
• Dinner-for-two gift certificates

Looking for Wine Donations

We are looking for bottles of wine to include in our silent auction. If you have wine to donate, please drop off bottles at the school office to Kelly Christopher. *Please have an adult drop them off… no wine in kids’ backpacks, please!*

Thank you to those who have contributed amazing items already! If you have any items to donate or would like to get involved in planning, please contact Felicity Aston (The HOOT Chairperson).

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, but please note that this is not a fundraiser effort, 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 (or maybe two at the beginning of the year!

Outgrown your Altadore Gear?

If you have gently used, outgrown Altadore Gear at home, please consider sending it in to the school. We sometimes gift gear to families that could use it or who are new to the school.

Notes of Thanks

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

• Thank you to Kristen Desilets and the entire team of volunteers who helped with the Terry Fox Run on Friday (Adrienne Hern, Brandy Davies, Susan Cedarglen Grey, Alexis Brown, Jennifer Gage, Lauren Barr, Jenn D’Mello, Carmen Neufeld, Katie’s Robinson, Dana Bane, and Megan Gough.Among other things they helped escort classes back and forth to the site, helped set up/take down, and marked children’s arms with bingo dabbers each time they completed a lap. Thank you again! We couldn’t have done it without you.

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)