Chinook's Edge School Division

We are thrilled to welcome Kailey Melin as the new Vice-Principal of River Valley School - Sundre AB! Kailey shared a few words about herself:

"I began my teaching career at Vermilion Elementary School before moving to Deer Meadow School in Olds to teach junior high. Since joining River Valley School, I have had the opportunity to teach Kindergarten, Grades 4, 5, and 7, as well as K–5 Music, most recently serving as Student Support Lead. Throughout my career, I have worked with students from Kindergarten through Grade 8, and I have loved supporting learners at every stage. As a Sundre resident who has raised my family in the community for the past nine years, I feel incredibly grateful to continue serving the students, staff, and families of River Valley School.

"The relationships have always been my favourite part of education. I love celebrating students' successes, supporting them through challenges, and working alongside families and colleagues to help every child become the best version of themselves.

"I'm excited to continue serving the River Valley community in a new role and to support students, staff, and families in new ways. I'm looking forward to learning alongside an incredible team, building meaningful relationships, and helping create a school where every student feels supported, challenged, and celebrated.

"Outside of school, you'll usually find me spending time with my husband, our two daughters, and our two dogs. I love a good book, a vanilla latte, training for running races (at a turtle's pace!), and planning fun family adventures."

Former Elnora School students! What do you think of the new playground, and what was your favourite piece of playground equipment when you attended?

It may be summer, but we're still making ! Let's catch up with Didsbury High School - Didsbury, AB grade 10 student Nathan H.

Nathan gained work experience at Daphne's Market in Didsbury. He's thinking about a career in the trades, but for now he's focused on building his resume and gaining experience.

"This job placement allowed me to learn new skills that can help me with my future career no matter what path I decide to take," he says. "It's given me new experiences and has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things."

Work experience placements like this one give high school students the chance to build real-world skills, explore potential career paths, and gain confidence in a workplace setting while still in school.

If you are an employer, or know an employer who would be willing to help one of our great students build some valuable job experience, please contact Careers at www.careersnextgen.ca or 1-888-757-7172. CAREERS is a not-for-profit organization that partners with Chinook's Edge to guide youth into successful career pathways.

The halls at Delburne Centralized School are waiting for students to fill them again!

*Exterior photo from 2024. You'll have to visit to see what has changed!

Please join us in offering an enthusiastic welcome to Cody Kempster, the new Principal at River Valley School - Sundre AB!

Cody says, "I spent 14 years working in the Rocky View School Division where I worked with some great teachers and leaders. I hope to bring what I have learned from them to Chinook's Edge.

"I love this career because every day is different than the last. I love seeing the smiles on students' faces.

"I'm really looking forward to getting to know the community of Sundre. I have enjoyed it recreationally for many years, but now I get to call it home as well."

Cody also shared a fun fact about himself: he loves everything outdoors! "Hunting, fishing, camping, sledding, golfing... just being outside is my favourite."

At the First Rider events last week in Red Deer and Olds, our youngest students learned how to wait safely for the bus and cross the road to board the bus. Once on board, they sat perfectly still and quiet in their seats (just kidding!) before rehearsing an emergency evacuation out of the back of the bus. They also learned how to exit the bus safely through the front doors. With a sticker in their bus safety passport at each step, they have a fun reminder of all their new skills! For information about remaining events in Rocky Mountain House and Drayton Valley, visit https://www.cesd73.ca/about/news/post/first-rider-program-to-teach-bus-safety-before-the-new-school-year.

Let's have a round of applause for the new Vice-Principal at Carstairs Elementary School, Jodi Kennedy! A few words from Jodi:

"I was an assistant principal for the past 6 years with the Calgary Board of Education. The best part was working with the students and the families. I enjoyed sharing my passion for reading with students and supporting the families through challenges which emerged. It was incredibly rewarding to share in student successes and progress.

"I have always enjoyed building relationships with students and families. Getting to know each and every personality is meaningful to me and deeply touches who I am to my core. I appreciate young people and what they bring to school every day. Their resilience and curiosity make learning fun and new. Seeing them overcome adversities is amazing and makes me proud to be a teacher.

"I am looking forward to meeting new students and working with new staff. I appreciate the leadership opportunities provided and want to see myself grow as a school administrator. I am also quite excited for all the new picture books I get to read!

"I like to craft, hand knit, read and hang out with my fur babies. My favourite quote is the last few lines of the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost: 'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.'"

Our maintenance crew has been busy this summer, putting their varied talents to work! At CP Blakely School alone, they went from completing large-scale masonry repair to replacing fluorescent lights with new LEDs. Thank you for your hard work getting our schools ready for students when they return!

Have you ever wondered how public education is funded? Chinook's Edge School Division receives 96.9% of its funding directly from Alberta Education through grants:

BASE INSTRUCTION GRANTS - an amount given to schools on a per-student basis. This is the largest piece of funding and is based on student enrolment. Different amounts are provided for ECS, grades 1-9, and High School.

SUPPORTS AND SERVICE GRANTS - Includes grants for Specialized Learning, Program Unit Funding (PUF), Indigenous Learning, English as an Additional Language (EAL), and Refugee Student Grant.

SCHOOL GRANTS - Includes grants for Operations & Maintenance and Transportation. These grants fund bus services, driver recruitment, fuel cost adjustments, maintenance repairs and facility upkeep, energy, water and essential services.

COMMUNITY GRANTS - These grants are given based on details like income and social factors (based on census information) and geographic location (rural grants support smaller rural schools in the division)

JURISDICTION GRANT - Funds System Administration

This government funding is supplemented by school fees, school generated funds, and various grants.

Let's hear you in the comments: sound off if you graduated from high school in Olds! The current building was built in 2010, but did you know there has been a high school in Olds for over 100 years?