Happy New Year!

For those new to our school, welcome to Citadel Park School. For returning students and families welcome back for another school year. We hope that everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable summer break. It is hard to believe that school starts this week!

We will once again be sending weekly updates to families. This first message is to provide some information and details regarding organization for the first few days of school. Our staff has been busy moving furniture and preparing for students’ arrival. As we organize the school for students, we want to apprise families of the school organization for the 2023-2024 school year.

Kindergarten classes are in room 7 and the learning commons. Their entry door will be the main door at the front of the school. This is where Kindergarten students should gather on their first staggered entry day. (More information will be forthcoming about staggered entry in a separate email.)

Grade 1 students are located in the portable area, rooms 13, 14, 15 and 16. These students will use the north door by the paved pathway as their entrance door and will gather in this area adjacent to the playground on the first day of school.

Grade 2 students are in rooms 3, 4, 5 and 6 which are the same rooms used last year by the grade 1 students. Their entry door and gathering space for the first day will be the west, back door just before the compound area.

Grade 3 students are located in rooms 10, 11 and 13. Their entry door and gathering space for the first day will be the doors behind the school by the gym/compound.

Grade 4 students have two separate locations in the school this year. Two of the grade 4 classrooms will be on the north side of the school (rooms 8 and 9) and two of the classrooms will be on the south side of the school (rooms 1 and 2) by the gravel lot. For the first day, we ask all grade 4 students to gather at the south doors adjacent to the gravel lot. Teachers will communicate which doors your child will access for the following week.

Grade 5 students, who we are so excited to have for the first time, are located at the end of the portables in rooms 17, 18, 19, and 20. These students will be gathering by the back metal staircase and will use these doors as their entry and exit doors for the year.

Please note that we have over 500 students this year, which means that parking and access to the school will be extremely busy. We urge everyone who can, to walk or ride to school. As a reminder, CARS ARE PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING THE BUS LOOP IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL FROM 8:30-9:15 AM AND FROM 3:15-4:15 PM. For everyone’s safety, please abide by the rules of the road including playground zone speed limits, no parking areas and kiss and drop zones (cars should never be left unattended in this area). We urge everyone to cross at a marked crosswalk. Students should never be escorted or asked to walk across the boulevard; manoeuvering between moving traffic and parked cars is extremely dangerous and parents have been ticketed for this behaviour in the past. Please lead by example and begin the school year travelling safely in and around the school and be patient as families new to our school navigate this area.

Parking in the gravel lot shared with the community centre will be significantly reduced this year. With close to 40 CPS staff members and only 25 parking stalls, staff will be parking in the gravel lot. Therefore, we encourage families to park on the street and walk their child onto school grounds.

Supervision on school grounds begins as 8:48 am when a teacher in a neon vest is visible. Children should never be left alone prior to this time. After school, there is no supervision on the playground or school fields after pick up at 3:45 pm.

We urge families to label all their children’s belongings. It is incredible how quickly our lost and found grows in the fall. Shoes/boots, coats, hoodies, gloves/mitts, water bottles and lunchboxes/lunch kits should all be labelled so that they can be identified and returned to your child. You would be surprised at how many students have the exact same items!

If you know your child will not be attending the first two days of school this week, please call the school absence line to report the absence at 403-777-8063 ext. 1 or email Citadel@cbe.ab.ca  and indicate the length of absence and reason for absence. We appreciate your support in helping us account for all students in a timely manner.

School schedule:

Monday to Thursday

8:48-8:58 Outdoor supervision

8:58 Entry bell

12:12 – 1:00 Lunch

3:45 Dismissal bell

Students will have either a morning recess (grades 1 and 2) or an afternoon recess (grades 3, 4 & 5).

Friday

8:48-8:58 Outdoor supervision

11:00-11:42 Lunch

1:15 Dismissal

We hope you enjoy the remaining holidays this week. We look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday!

The Admin Team