See our Calendar for upcoming and future events.

Honouring the Women, the "Moms" in Our School Community

Today is Mother’s Day, we want to take a moment to recognize and honour the many women who care for, guide, and nurture our students each and every day. Today is for moms—and for all the caring, leading women who hold important roles in our families and lives: aunties, grandmothers, big sisters, chosen family, and mother figures of all kinds.

We know that being a “mom”—and being a leader within a family—is meaningful, demanding work. It requires dedication, strength, determination, patience, and an enormous amount of love. Much of this work happens quietly, tirelessly, and often without recognition or rest. Please know that we see you, we appreciate you, and we are grateful for all that you do to support your children and our school community.

We are especially thankful for the many women in our community who are parenting far from where they began—women from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds who now call Calgary home. You are raising children in new systems, new cultures, and often new languages, while holding onto your values, traditions, and hopes for the future. Your resilience, generosity, and contributions enrich our school in countless ways, and we are stronger because of you.

It truly takes a village to raise strong, vibrant, and thriving children. To all the women who care deeply for our students—thank you for the love, time, effort, and energy you give so freely. We couldn’t do this work without you.

We see you. We thank you. We celebrate you.

Dr Bettesworth - Proud CAS Principal ~ and ~
Very proud mom of 2 amazing young women

Thank You for Making Teacher Appreciation Week So Meaningful

Thank you to our families, community members, and School Council for the many thoughtful ways you participated in Teacher Appreciation Week. It was truly heartwarming to see the care, creativity, and gratitude that surrounded our teachers throughout the week.

I was personally touched by several moments that captured the spirit of appreciation so clearly. One student proudly shared artwork and a drawing of our school — a place they treasured and felt connected to. Another brought handmade paper flowers, created with care and love, which I will keep forever as a reminder of the joy children bring into our days. My bulletin board is now filled with artwork from many students who took the time to create pictures and messages meant to be shared and cherished.

What struck me most, however, was the pride with which our students were able to say, “Thank you” and “I appreciate you” to their teachers. There is something deeply special about witnessing the light that comes from a child when they present an adult with something they have thoughtfully created, chosen, or shared. Those moments matter — and they speak volumes about the kindness and gratitude being nurtured in our community.

A special thank you to School Council for sponsoring a teacher lunch on Friday. Our teachers enjoyed Subway sandwiches, salads, and sweet treats from Costco as they worked together that afternoon examining student work and beginning the thoughtful process of recording assessment information that will inform report card decisions. Your generosity truly helped make a demanding afternoon a more enjoyable one.

Thank you all for taking the time to make our teachers feel valued, seen, and appreciated. Your kindness and support mean more than you may realize. 

Keeping Our School Community Safe

Many of our families who arrive at school in the mornings will have noticed me out front, smiling and waving — and occasionally waving a little more directly at those who choose to speed through our school zone. While we make every effort to create a safe and welcoming space for our students, we cannot do this work alone.

Student safety will always be our number one priority. Learning simply cannot happen if students do not feel safe coming to and from school.

After significant searching and many requests, we are pleased to share that The City of Calgary and the Calgary Board of Education have partnered to help improve traffic and pedestrian safety around our school. As part of this work, the City is introducing a pilot project focused on slowing traffic near schools through the installation of speed cushions and speed humps at select locations.

We are grateful to share that our school has been selected as one of the pilot sites. These measures are designed to calm traffic, increase driver awareness, and create a safer environment for our students, families, and staff.

While this is an important step forward, it is only one part of a larger effort. Moving ahead, we will also continue working to reduce concerns related to jaywalking, unsafe parking, and traffic congestion, especially during drop‑off and pick‑up times. These shared spaces require collective responsibility.

Thank you to our community for your continued support and for doing your part — slowing down, parking legally, and modeling safe behaviours — to keep our students safe. Together, we make our school a place where children can arrive, learn, and leave each day feeling secure and cared for. 

A Message from School Council

School Council Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The following information is from Dr Bettesworth. When more information from School Council is available it will be shared.

School Council AGM and Opportunities to Get Involved

The School Council Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on May 28. This meeting is an important opportunity for families to learn more about School Council and to participate in elections for the upcoming school year, as several positions will become vacant.

School Council is a parent‑led group that works in partnership with school administration and families to support students and strengthen our school community. Council members help guide decisions such as:

• how fundraising dollars are allocated to support student learning and experiences
• how provincial funding provided specifically to school councils is used
• how families can be meaningfully engaged in school life and decision‑making

For many families — particularly those new to Canada or to the school system — it may not be clear how much impact a strong School Council can have. An active, well‑connected council can significantly enhance opportunities for students and ensure that parent voices help shape priorities within the school.

As our school community continues to grow and change, we are hopeful that families who are able to share their time, skills, and perspectives will consider becoming involved. Whether your strengths are communication, organization, fundraising, welcoming others, or sharing ideas, there is a role for many different kinds of contributions.

We recognize that many of our families are balancing busy schedules and multiple responsibilities. Even so, involvement at the School Council level can make a meaningful difference for all students and help ensure that the Chris Akkerman School Council and Fundraising Society is a strong, collaborative partner in supporting our school.

Further details about the AGM, including available positions and meeting logistics, will be shared with families as soon as they are confirmed.  I believe the following School Council Positions will be vacant for next school year and we are eager to have parents join our school council team and fill these positions for next year.

• School Council Chair/ President
• School Council Vice Chair
• Key Communicator
• Fundraising
• Kindergarten Representative
• Parent Volunteer Representative

Thank you for your ongoing support of our students, our school, and our community.

School Council Guest Presentation - Nutritionist (May)

It is anticipated this presentation will take place on a Thursday Evening May 21. Please stay tuned for further information from School Council in the coming days. 

New Student Orientation

On Thursday, May 14, we will be delighted to welcome over 100 new Kindergarten students, along with approximately 60 students joining us in Grades 1–5. This is always an exciting and joyful day for our school community as we open our doors to new families.

Invitations have already been sent out to all families successful in the lottery. Once you receive yours, we kindly ask that—if you have friends or family members who were successful in the lottery and will be joining us in September—you help ensure they have also received their invitation and plan to attend.

In the coming days, our Grade 5 leadership students will bring home a request to support this event by joining us in their full formal uniform that evening. We are incredibly grateful for the leadership, pride, and support these senior students bring, and their involvement plays a key role in making this event such a wonderful success. 

My 1st Ride Orientation Registration

Registration Open for School Bus Orientation Program

https://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/My-1st-Ride-Orientation-Registration-2026.aspx

Healthy Hunger: FUN LUNCH

https://healthyhunger.ca/index.php

Annual Parent Volunteer Celebration is coming in June!!!

We are excited to announce that our annual Volunteer Celebration is coming up. Invitations with an RSVP will be shared soon.  Our volunteer appreciation is connected to our Music Monday celebration. Thank you for your continued support of our school community. We look forward to seeing you in June!