April Updates
Check back weekly to see updates to the monthly messages.
Subject: Let’s Walk, Ride, or Roll to School! 🚶♀️🚴🛴
With the beautiful spring weather finally here, it's a great time to encourage active ways of getting to school! Walking, biking, or scootering—even just part of the way—helps promote healthy habits, builds independence, and connects kids with their community.
It also helps reduce traffic congestion around the school, making drop-off and pick-up safer and smoother for everyone.
Thank you for considering more active options for getting to school. Every small change helps make a big difference!
In Case of Extended Vacation (June or September) 🌴✈️🏖️
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we kindly ask families to notify us if there are any planned absences, such as vacations, before the end of the current school year or if there are any changes in your child’s return in September. This information is crucial for our planning and budgeting, as school funding is based on student enrollment at key points throughout the year. If your child will not be here in June or September, please let us know.
We want to ensure that your child is counted and that our school receives the appropriate funding. Please reach out to the school office at edgemont@cbe.ab.ca or Mr. Quinney at bwquinney@cbe.ab.ca
We may need some paperwork to confirm your child’s intent to attend Edgemont School for the 2025-2026 school year.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us make next year the best one yet!
Mark Your Calendars:
May 8 - Edgemont School Family Dance, 6-8 PM
May 16 - Non-instructional Day
May 19 - No School, Victoria Day
May 22 - Final Fun Lunch
🌼 Long Weekend Reminder & Easter Wishes 🌼
Just a reminder that there is no school on Friday, April 18 for Good Friday, and Monday, April 21 is a Professional Development Day for staff, so students will not attend school on that day.
We hope all of our families enjoy the long weekend!
To those who celebrate — Happy Easter! May it be a time of joy, connection, and renewal. 🐣💐
We’ll see everyone back at school on Tuesday, April 22!
Subject: Fire Drill at Edgemont School
Today, we held a fire drill at Edgemont School as part of our regular safety procedures. These drills are important opportunities for students and staff to practice how to respond quickly and safely in the event of a real emergency.
We are required to complete six fire drills each school year, and each one helps us refine our processes and ensure that everyone knows what to do. For the most part, our students did a great job following directions and moving calmly and efficiently out of the building.
📣 School Council & Edgemont School Association Meeting – April 23 @ 6:30 PM
Join us Tuesday, April 23 at 6:30 PM in the Learning Commons for our next School Council and Edgemont School Association meeting!
We’ll be discussing school requests for resources for the upcoming school year. Our council helps raise funds through various campaigns—our most significant fundraiser is the casino, and we are incredibly grateful for the generous support it provides! These funds go a long way in supporting field trips, residencies, art supplies, science resources, performances, and so much more!
If you’ve ever been curious about how parent council works, this is the perfect meeting to attend—no commitment required, just come check it out!
We will also be looking for new council members at our May meeting as many of our amazing current volunteers are moving on with their kids heading to junior high.
Our council meets 8 times a year—we’d love to have you involved
Save the date: Wed. April 30, 7:00 - 8:30pm for a virtual presentation for parents on elementary aged children and the importance of quality sleep.
Superhero Fun Lunch 🦸♂️🦸♀️💥
A quick reminder that Fun Lunch is happening next week - Thursday, April 17th 2025!
To add to the excitement, we’re also celebrating Superhero Day on the same day!
While National Superhero Day officially falls later in April, we love to pair our Fun Lunches with a little extra spirit—so we’re inviting students to come dressed as their favorite superhero, real or fictional! This could be a comic book hero, a community helper, or someone they personally admire.
We’re looking forward to a day full of fun, food, and heroic energy!
Circle Friday – Building Community at Edgemont 🌍🌀
Whatever you do, don’t miss a Friday! Our whole school comes together for Circle Friday about twice a month. It is a special time when all staff and students participate in mixed-age group activities focused on connection, community, and shared learning.
Students build new connections with other teachers in the school. Older students get the chance to build leadership skills while younger students grow their confidence through positive peer interactions. It’s also a time when we reaffirm common messages and values that guide our school culture.
This week, we will take our circles outside for a Land-Based Circle Friday, deepening our connection to the land and to this place we all call Edgemont School.
Fridays are powerful days for community-building, and we encourage families to make every effort to ensure students are here to take part. They’re not days to miss!
Extra Clothing Helps
We kindly ask that all students have a change of clothes kept at school or in their backpacks, especially during this season of unpredictable weather, messy play, and occasional spills. Even older students can find themselves needing a fresh set after a muddy recess or a lunchtime mishap!
Having a spare set of clothing (including socks and underwear) helps us ensure students are comfortable and able to get back to learning quickly without unnecessary disruption.
Thank you for your support in helping us keep everyone dry, clean, and ready to learn!
A Note About Office Snacks 🍎
We do keep a small supply of emergency snacks in the office, but with the number of students coming by for an extra bite, we’re running low much faster than usual. As students get more active during the day, their appetites seem to grow too!
If possible, please consider sending a little extra snack in your child’s backpack to help keep them fueled and focused throughout the day. Thanks for your support!
Mark Your Calendars! 📅
Save the date: Wed. April 30, 7:00 - 8:30pm for a virtual presentation for parents on elementary aged children and the importance of quality sleep.
Just a reminder that there will be no school on Thursday, April 18th for Good Friday and again on Monday, April 21st for Professional Development Day.
We hope everyone enjoys the extra-long weekend!
🚗 Traffic Woes & Whoas! ❄️
It’s been a harrowing week, and the spring snowfall has made things even more challenging! Despite the difficulties, we’re happy to report that all traffic has been cleared by 9:15 AM each day. We understand how tough it’s been navigating the congestion, and when we see that traffic is backed up, we are holding attendance and doing our best not to mark students late.
A huge thank you to the many parents who have been patient and encouraging as we work to keep everyone safe. Unfortunately, we have also seen some frustration directed at staff. Please remember that patience is not only appreciated—it’s expected. With over 600 students, we simply cannot control how many vehicles enter the school traffic circle and lots. The flow of our lot is directly impacted by community traffic and especially the four-way stop at the top of the hill.
Many parents have expressed in frustration, “Something has to be done!”. If you’d like to advocate for improvements to traffic congestion, we encourage you to contact the City of Calgary through the 311 line.
Our priority is safety. We must keep the roundabout moving to avoid dangerous backups. While we do our best to assist traffic from side lots, when congestion builds up, it puts students at risk. If you are not prepared to wait patiently, please do not park in the side lots. Instead, consider parking on the street and walking your child onto school property.
Currently, very few students walk to school, use the patroller crosswalk, or cross the field from the north. If more families considered parking and walking a short distance or carpooling, it would significantly reduce traffic and improve safety for everyone. These are choices parents can make that would help the situation.
Until then, our staff will be doing their best each morning, and we need your patience and cooperation. Again, thank you to those who are seeing the effort and expressing thanks. We greatly appreciate your support in making drop-offs and pick-ups as safe and smooth as possible!
Welcoming Elder Saa’kokoto – April 7, 8 & 9
We are honored to welcome Elder Saa’kokoto to our school on April 7, 8, and 9. Elder Saa’kokoto is a respected Blackfoot Knowledge Keeper who will be sharing stories, teachings, and wisdom with our students. Connecting with Indigenous Elders helps us deepen our understanding of Indigenous perspectives, history, and ways of knowing. These visits are an important part of fostering respect, reconciliation, and a sense of community in our school. We are excited for our students to learn from Elder Saa’kokoto and engage in meaningful conversations.
Stay Tuned In to Your Child’s Online Life
More and more, we are called upon to help resolve conflicts and serious issues that stem from online interactions outside of school hours. These range from cyberbullying and exclusion to exposure to harmful content—affecting students' mental health, focus, and friendships. While we do our best to support students when these challenges arise, many of these situations escalate online before we ever have the chance to step in.
In The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt highlights how constant digital exposure is fueling a crisis among young people. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, making it unrealistic to expect children to self-regulate. Research shows that excessive screen time is strongly linked to rising anxiety, depression, and attention difficulties. One of the most effective ways to protect your child’s well-being is to set clear boundaries—such as keeping devices out of bedrooms at night—to promote better sleep and reduce harmful exposure.
This isn’t about policing—it’s about protecting. Stay engaged by asking about their online experiences, knowing which platforms they use, and encouraging offline activities. Harmful content spreads rapidly, even without searching for it, and kids need to know they can come to a trusted adult when they encounter something radical or extreme. By staying involved, setting healthy limits, and creating open dialogue, you can help ensure that technology remains a tool for learning and connection rather than a source of harm.
Try asking your child a question like, “Have you ever heard of ______?”— you may be surprised by their answer, and it could open up an important conversation while you still have the opportunity to guide how they interpret what they see online.
Mark Your Calendar
April 17 - Fun Lunch
April 18 - No School: Good Friday
April 21 - Non-Instruction Day