Hello Rideau Families!
Thank you for such a wonderful start to this school year! As we inch closer to the shortest day of the year, I find myself increasingly reflective. Looking back on this fall, I am so appreciative of our students, staff and families. I am particularly proud of the incredible generosity of this school community. We blew our Terry Fox fundraising goal out of the park and raised thousands of dollars for the food bank in one evening. This is incredible!
Also, I am grateful for the support of our parent community. I can’t wait to see how our Learning Commons evolves with our new furniture purchases, which are expected to arrive at the end of February. I am also happy to see how we are gradually improving the learning spaces for our Junior High classrooms. We would not have been able to address these improvements without the fundraising efforts of our community.
Our teachers work hard to create engaging and supportive learning environments for your students. I had the pleasure of spending some time earlier this week in our grade ¾ spaces. Students were working collaboratively to build cities, after having done some learning about the types of communities we have in Alberta, including details around zoning, bylaws, types of housing and infrastructure. It is important that our students learn about the range of experiences and housing environments available to the citizens of a community. Here are some examples of projects that are in progress:
Elementary “Holiday” Assembly
Our elementary students were very proud of their performances at last week’s Winter Concert. Sadly, most students never had the chance to see the performances from other classes. We decided to host a special Holiday Assembly so that students could showcase their songs to their peers. We had a great time this morning re-living the variety of songs taught by Ms. Koshynsky. It is also very important to provide students multiple opportunities to perform for an audience and to practice being an audience.
2025-26 Yearbook – Option to Purchase
Mme. Ford and yearbook student volunteers are working diligently to complete this year’s yearbook, adding to our tradition of thoughtful documentation of life as a Rideau Park student. To ensure your student receives their yearbook, here are the steps for ordering:
- In MyCBE choose your student, then click on Fees, Waivers and Service Registration (green Icon). If you have more than one child attending Rideau Park and would like a separate yearbook for your children, you will have to repeat this process for each child.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select ‘General Forms’, then click on the Yearbook icon.
- Add the yearbook to the cart and proceed to pay.
Update: we noticed that our yearbook cost was inputted incorrectly centrally. The correct amount for this year’s yearbook is $37.00. If you made a purchase prior to this correction, please note that there will be a small debit owing on your account. Thank you for your understanding.
Western Canada High School Open House – January 27, 2026
Western Canada High School will be hosting an Open House opportunity on Tuesday, January 27 from 3:30-5:00 pm for current grade 9 students/families who might be interested in learning more about the school’s option programming (prior to guidance visits and course selection in February). Grade 9 Tours for direct feeder schools will take place earlier that day, as well, so many students will also be able to visit the school in that capacity.
More information about course programming for 2026/27 will be available on the WCHS website after the winter break: https://westerncanada.cbe.ab.ca/. Any general questions about registration can be directed to the main office at 403-228-5363.
Ahead of this open house, our Grade 9 students will visit Western for a school tour from 10:00am-12:20pm. We will follow up with families regarding planning for this as we will either walk (you will be provided with a Walking Trip letter) or take Calgary Transit (this requires Off Site forms). Either transportation scenario will require the support of parent volunteers. We will closely monitor weather conditions in order to make a final decision.
Reminder: Volunteer Process
We are very excited to see many parents expressing interest in volunteering at Rideau Park School. To finalize the process and become a registered volunteer within our school, please share your police clearance letter with us by uploading in School Engage or emailing to rideaupark@cbe.ab.ca as the principal still has to do a final clearance to complete the application.
Your clearance will be valid for 5 years. Remember that you will still be required to fill out an Annual Volunteer Registration form every year.
Rideau Park Parents Association – School Council Update
Save the Date! – Rideau Park Parents Night Out – January 29, 2026
Our RPS Parent Council is hosting a special fundraising night out at the CRMR Headquarters (1329 1 Street SW) to provide an opportunity to connect with other parents and to put a dent in the Rideau Park School wish list!
More information about this event will be provided in the new year!
Our next School Council and RPPA meetings will occur on January 21, 2026 at 6:00pm, in person in our Learning Commons.
Healthy Hunger
Regular fun lunches are back! Please login to healthyhunger.ca to place your orders.
New dates for fun lunches will be provided in the New Year!
Parent volunteers continue to be needed to assist with the organization and distribution of the student orders. Sign up to volunteer!
Sincerely,
Andrea Riquelme
Principal, Rideau Park School @cbe.rideaupark
Key Dates
- Dec 20 – Jan 4, 2026 Winter Break
- Jan 5, 2026 Back to School!
- Jan 15, 2026 Kindergarten and Junior High Open House
- Jan 21, 2026 School Council In person – Learning Commons at 6:00pm
- Jan27, 2026 Western High School Tours
- grade 9 visit (10:00am)
- Open House (3:30-5:00pm)
- Jan 29, 2026 Parent Social Night