Dear Chris Akkerman Families
I hope you are all doing well. I am writing today to ask for your support with an important matter in our school community.
Over the past few weeks, we have noticed an increase in unkind interactions between students. This has shown up in many ways — unkind words, unsafe choices on the bus, taking items that belong to others, reacting before speaking, or trying to solve problems alone without asking an adult for help.
These situations almost never “come out of nowhere.” Children are learning, growing, and responding to what is happening around them. Most conflicts have two sides, and nearly all of them are connected to learning the skills of communication, friendship, and emotional regulation. This learning is just as important as reading, writing, and math.
At school, we are increasing our focus on:
- Kindness and respect
- Friendship and community
- Solving problems with words
- Regulating emotions
- Knowing when and how to ask an adult for help
These conversations are happening in every classroom with every student. All children — at every age — benefit from gentle reminders and coaching.
We are asking for your partnership in reinforcing these important lessons at home. Please take time to talk with your child about:
- What kindness looks and sounds like at school
- How to solve problems with peers
- How to get help from an adult when they need it
- How to keep their hands and bodies safe
- How they can take the lead in helping our school be a welcoming and caring place
Your voice matters. When children hear the same messages from both home and school, they learn these skills more quickly and feel more supported.
We also ask that these conversations happen regularly — not just once. Small reminders, repeated over time, make a big difference in helping children learn positive and lasting habits.
Thank you for your continued support, care, and partnership. We truly appreciate the strong community we have here, and we know that together, we can help every child thrive.
Healthy Hunger: FUN LUNCH
https://healthyhunger.ca/index.php
Fun Lunch Days – A Gentle Reminder About Outside Food
We are so grateful for the support you give our school community. On Fun Lunch days, we kindly ask that families do not send outside food from restaurants or vendors.
Our Fun Lunches are organized by our dedicated School Council volunteers as a fundraising effort to support programs and activities for all students. When outside lunches arrive from other vendors, it creates challenges for our office team and makes the Fun Lunch process more complicated to manage.
To help the day run smoothly for everyone, we ask that families participate in Fun Lunch through the School Council ordering system on those designated days.
If you have ideas about vendors, menu options, or the overall process, School Council would love to hear from you. They welcome more families getting involved and helping to shape future Fun Lunches.
Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and continued partnership. Together, we make these special days successful for our whole community.
Parent Workshop
https://chrisakkerman.cbe.ab.ca/event/parent-workshop-presentation
All families should be receiving reminders about the visit from the psychologist. We hope to see many families in attendance. And, to make the evening extra special, you can arrive early and participate in school council. By being a parent in our school, you can participate in both – no trouble at all.
- School Council: 5:30 – 6:30
- Psychologist Presentation: 6:30 – 7:30
- Free Child Minding
Door prizes for families will be awarded at the end of the eveining.
The teacher with the most families in attendance will also receive a prize!!!
See you on Thursday!
Instructions for Tax Receipt
You can download tax receipts online through your MyCBE account for lunch supervision fees (child care).
If you are unable to retrieve the receipts, please contact student fees studentfees@cbe.ab.ca and make a request. Please include your student’s name, school, ID number and requesting school year.
Outstanding Fees Reminder
A Gentle reminder to families that some student fees remain outstanding. If you haven’t had a chance to submit payment yet, please do so at your earliest convenience. If you’re unsure about your balance or need assistance, please contact the school office—we’re happy to help!
Student fees can include monthly transportation, monthly lunch supervision, fieldtrip fees, recorders, etc. Thank you for ensuring this is all up to date!
Moving Next Year
This is the time of year when we begin planning for the upcoming school year. If your family is planning to move or your child will not be returning to our school for the 2026–2027 school year, please let the school office know as soon as possible. Early notice greatly supports our planning and classroom organization for next year.
All Grade 5 students will automatically be registered to attend Sir Wilfrid Laurier next year. If your child will not be attending Sir Wilfrid Laurier, we kindly ask that you inform the office of your plans as well.
Thank you for your support and cooperation as we plan for the year ahead.
Extended absences
All students must be in attendance the last week of June of this school year along with all of September of 2026 to be considered a student here at Chris Akkerman. We encourage all families to plan their family trips well into October. My best recommendation is to leave around Thanksgiving and include fall break in your plans. This will minimize disruption to your child's education and ensure they will continue to be CAS students.
Early Student Pick‑Up Reminder
If your child needs to be picked up early, please notify the office in advance. This helps us ensure your student is ready and minimizes classroom interruptions. Thank you for your cooperation!
Traffic Safety
I need to address a significant safety concern that continues to happen during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.
On Friday, a neighbour came to the school extremely upset because they were unable to leave their garage. A parent had parked directly in front of their garage door and left the vehicle unattended while dropping off their child. This is not only inconsiderate — it is against City of Calgary bylaws and creates unnecessary conflict between our school and our neighbours.
It is also important to know that parking across from a garage is not permitted either. Many families tell us “just this once” or “I didn’t know,” but at this point, we have reminded the community many times. Lack of awareness is no longer the issue. We all share the responsibility to follow city bylaws and to show respect to the families living around our school.
When that car finally left, the congestion in the alley — especially near the portables — delayed other families for several minutes and created unsafe conditions for both vehicles and children.
For clarity: the alley is not a drop-off zone.
- The corner by the portables is extremely unsafe for quick stops.
- Cars must never stop or park in the bus zone, which is clearly marked with a No Stopping sign.
- If you choose to use the alley, please go to the far end by the baseball diamond, where it is significantly safer and less congested.
A few extra minutes of walking or driving can make a world of difference in keeping children safe. One unsafe moment can have lifelong consequences, and no reminder will matter after a child is hurt.
We are asking — firmly and respectfully — that all families follow these expectations every day. Our students’ safety depends on our collective responsibility.
Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us keep every child safe.