Oki, Tunsai, Danit'ada, Taanishi, Bonjour, and Hello Hidden Valley School Families 

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! We’re excited to welcome all families back to Hidden Valley School (HVS). This time of year brings a mix of excitement, curiosity, and a few nerves, and that’s completely normal for students and staff alike. 

We look forward to connecting with families through school events and activities that foster belonging and engagement. As principal, I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of such a welcoming and supportive school community. 

We’re busy preparing to welcome students on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 8:52 AM, and

can’t wait to hear all about their summer adventures! 

Back to School – Open House

We are excited to invite you to an Open House on August 29, 2025, from 9:00-10:00 AM. This event is a wonderful opportunity for you to take a self-guided tour of our school, meet your child's teacher, and get acquainted with our school. The office will be open throughout the event, allowing you to connect with our office staff and administration at any time.

We look forward to seeing you and welcoming any of our new families to our school community!

Grade/Teacher Placement 

Each family will get an email from their child’s teacher on Thursday, August 28, 2025, sharing more information about our first few days of school. 

We plan to organize in straight and combined grade classes, allowing us to prioritize smaller, equitable class sizes and established relationships between students, families, and peers. 

Organizing our school using combined grades is an instructional and pedagogical approach whereby:

• all students are encouraged to reach for their highest level of understanding possible.
• instruction addresses the general and specific outcomes from each curriculum, and feedback, assessment, and reporting are always specific to the enrollment grade.
• when progressive skill outcomes or common concepts are the focus of instruction, all students in the class work together, but at other times, tasks and/or resources may need to be specific to the topics/outcomes associated with each grade-level group in order to ensure students have access to a fulsome curriculum within a single school year. 

Additionally, we will provide specialist instruction in Music as well as focused and intentional instruction in Physical Education & Well-Being and Intervention.

First Day of School Information - Kindergarten

Morning Kindergarten: Meet your child’s teacher in the field between 8:42 am and 8:52 am 

Afternoon Kindergarten: Meet your child’s teacher by your child’s entrance between 12:18 pm and 12:28 pm 

Your child’s teacher might have some questions for you regarding snack, drop-off and pick-up.

For example:

• Does your child take the school bus? Which one?
• Who will be dropping off your child?
• Who will be picking up your child?
• Is there any medical information your child’s teacher and the school need to know?

First Day of School Information - Grade 1-4

Meet your child’s teacher in the field between 8:42 am and 8:52 am 

Your child’s teacher might have some questions for you regarding lunch, drop-off and pick-up.

For example:

• Will your child be staying at school for lunch? - Which one?
• Does your child take the school bus?
• Who will be dropping off your child?
• Who will be picking up your child?
• Is there any medical information your child’s teacher and the school need to know? 

Planning for Lunch 

Your child will either go home OR stay at school for lunch. Hidden Valley School offers a lunchroom program for students in Grades 1-4 for a fee. Registration for our lunchroom will open sometime in September. Students who will be using the lunchroom can attend the lunchroom on the first day of school. 

Our Lunch Times 

• Timetable A – Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 22, and 23 will have lunch from 11:22 – 12:00 PM 
• Timetable B – Rooms 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, and 21 will have lunch from 12:10 -12:48 PM

Going Home for Lunch 

Please let the teacher know what the plan is for pick-up when lunch begins; students are dismissed through the front doors of the school, unless otherwise arranged with the classroom teacher. Students who go home for lunch are welcome back to school at the following times:

• Timetable A (Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 22, and 23) – returning back to school for 11:55-12:00 pm – joining their class outside.
• Timetable B (Rooms 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, and 21) – returning back to school at 12:43- 12:48 pm – joining their class outside. 

Lunchroom Program 

Students who are staying for lunch will eat lunch in their classrooms, supervised by a lunchroom supervisor. Please send your child to school with lunch. See below for additional information.

Recess Break

Students will have a 15-minute recess on Monday - Thursday, either in the morning or the afternoon. And a 10- minute recess on Fridays. This is a good opportunity for students to get outside, be active, and have a snack 

Pick Up and Drop Off Information 

Hidden Valley School is a busy place during student drop-off and pick-up. With a student population of over 570, we want to ensure everyone’s safety. Whenever possible, please consider parking further away from the school and walking your child onto school grounds. Our school website has important information regarding safe parking and drop-off. Please review it here: https://hiddenvalley.cbe.ab.ca/parking

Back to School Information – 2025-2026 

Our website has additional information regarding Back to School. You can find it here.

HVS offers Community Programming and French Immersion Programming 

Hidden Valley School provides programming for Kindergarten to Grade 4 students living in Hidden Valley and the larger catchment area. All students transition to Valley Creek School for Grade 5. 

While HVS offers both instruction and learning in English (Regular) and French (Early French Immersion), we consider ourselves as one school and students in either program will have opportunities to share their learning. We also offer French as a Second Language instruction to students in our English program, for students in Grades 2, 3, and 4. 

Our Staff 

School Hours

AM Kindergarten Monday - Thursday 8:52 AM - 11:45 AM

PM Kindergarten Monday - Thursday 12:28 PM - 3:21 PM Grade 1 – 4 - 8:52 AM – 3:21 PM

Grade 1 - 4 Lunch - Timetable A - 11:22 AM – 12:00 PM

Timetable B – 12:10 PM -12:48 PM Kindergarten, Grade 1 - 4 Early Dismissal – Friday at 12:51 PM

School Office Hours

Monday – Thursday - 8:15 PM to 3:55 PM Friday - 8:15 AM to 1:25 PM 

Student Absences 

Student attendance is taken two times a day (for students in Grade 1 - 4), first thing in the morning and first thing after lunch If your child is going to be absent or late, please notify the office at 403- 777-7236 and press 1 for the Attendance Line. Please leave a message indicating your child’s name and their teacher’s name. It is important to also give the reason for the absence and the length of the absence if known. 

All students who arrive late need to report to the office for a Welcome to School slip, before proceeding to their class. They will then be marked late rather than absent. 

Lunch Break Update 

Some modifications to the length of our lunch period were required this school year due to the addition of a Friday recess and a start and end time change. The originally planned lunch break of 34 minutes has been reevaluated, and adjustments have been made to increase the time to 38 minutes bringing it closer to last year’s 40-minute schedule. These adjustments are necessary to meet the provincial requirements for instructional time and to comply with CBE transportation guidelines.

We are committed to ensuring students have enough time to eat and enjoy outdoor activities during lunch. Staff are actively monitoring routines and supporting students as they adapt to this new structure.

In addition, students benefit from several other built-in breaks throughout the day, including recess, classroom movement breaks, and Physical Education. These moments support their physical and social needs beyond the lunch hour.

We will continue to monitor and adjust routines to ensure the best possible experience for all learners.

Volunteering at HVS 

Volunteers are valued members of our community in their support of our students, and we are thrilled to have their ongoing support. Volunteers are people who assist schools and/or students in either curricular or extracurricular activities in accordance with AR 5003 | Volunteers.

Volunteers are placed in positions of trust with students, staff, and CBE property. Therefore, background checks must be completed prior to utilizing the services of volunteers. In CBE, volunteers require a valid Police Information Clearance (PIC), including a Vulnerable Sector Check.

This is applicable to:

• All adults, 18 years & older, no matter their occupation or place of employment
• All former CBE employees
• All volunteer drivers, is anyone driving students without payment for that service If you require a PIC, please contact the school office to begin the process. 

School Supplies

Student supplies are provided by the school and are purchased using the instructional supply fee paid by families. Your child is not required to bring any additional school supplies from home.

Families are asked to provide indoor shoes, which will be left at school each day, backpacks, lunch, and snacks. You may also choose to send your child with a water bottle.

Lunchroom Program

Students in Grades 1 - 4 are welcome to stay at Hidden Valley School for lunch on the first day at school. While parents/guardians will need to register their child for a lunchroom, this cannot be done until mid-September. There is a monthly fee for this service. Students will need to bring their own litterless lunch and all the cutlery they require. We are also not able to warm up lunches.

More information will be shared in the fall and through the Lunch Supervision section of the Hidden Valley School website - Lunchtime and CBE website – Lunch Supervision.

Recess/Snacks

Students in Grades 1 - 4 will have recess, Monday through Thursday, in the morning OR afternoon, and Friday morning, depending on which timetable they are on. Students should bring a healthy snack to eat while at recess.

Transportation

You can find information about busing and transportation using the following link: https://www.cbe.ab.ca/schools/busing-and-transportation/Pages/default.aspx

Attendance and supervision are in place for students who take the bus to school, both when they arrive and when they leave at the end of the day.

Supervision and Soft Entry

Hidden Valley School will use a soft entry approach for welcoming students into school. Our outside bell will ring at 8:42, allowing students to enter the school anytime between 8:42 AM to 8:52 AM. Instruction will begin promptly at 8:52 AM.

Students who arrive at school will be supervised by staff starting at 8:42 AM. There is NO supervision by school staff for students before this time, please ensure your child(ren) are dropped off at school after 8:42 AM.

Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up

All students who arrive after 8:52 AM will need to enter through the front door and parents will be required to sign them in at the office before their child can head to their classroom.

The parking lot is for staff use only. For the safety of everyone, please do not use the parking lot or entrance to the parking lot for dropping off or picking up students. Guests and visitors of the school are requested to please use street parking. Please be courteous of our neighbours and do not block their driveways. 

The area directly in front of Hidden Valley School is a designated student drop off zone. Please do not park your vehicle in this area. A vehicle may be ticketed by Calgary By-Law officers or CPS if it is left unattended in this zone. 

Student Code of Conduct

Our CBE Student Code of Conduct and CBE Progressive Student Discipline regulations apply to all of our students. They outline the roles and expectations for our students to promote positive and inclusive learning environments, help students to develop empathy and become good citizens both within and outside of the school community, and explain the consequences when a student’s disruptive behaviour negatively affects the learning environment. More information regarding attendance, behaviour, dress code, personal belongings, digital citizenship and student personal mobile devices can be found here. 

Subscribe to School Messages

Most school messages are sent to parents / guardians through SchoolMessenger. It’s a mass communication tool that allows schools to easily and securely send email, phone and text messages to parents / guardians, independent students in a particular grade, class, school or area. Messages are sent to the parent contacts on file at the school. 

To ensure you receive important information from the school and the Calgary Board of Education, subscribe to school messages. 

Fees and Waivers

School fees will be charged to families starting in October. Online fee payment is the simplest and most convenient way to pay school fees. Parents can use their online account to pay fees or apply for a waiver.

You can find more information on the CBE school fees and waivers page. 

Technology Support for Students and Parents

Technology support for MyCBE, School Engage, G Suite for Education. https://cbe.ab.ca/support/Pages/Home.aspx

Curriculum

In Alberta, Curriculum or Programs of Study are determined by Alberta Education. It identifies what students are expected to learn and do in all subjects from kindergarten to Grade 12. You can find the new K – 6 Curriculum on the Alberta Education website. 

Communication: Hidden Valley School 

SchoolMessenger

We use the email you have provided us to communicate with you through SchoolMessenger. If you have changed your email address, please update it on the “Demographic Verification” forms on your MyCBE Account. 

Hidden Valley Highlights

The Hidden Valley Highlights will be sent out through SchoolMessenger from the office to families weekly. You will find important information about what is happening in the school in this email. The information is also posted on our website. 

Teacher Email

Your child’s teacher will communicate through regular emails. They will be providing families with information about what students are learning and about any special events occurring in the classroom. Your child’s teacher is available to speak with you regarding your child. They can be reached by calling Hidden Valley School or by email. 

Dogs

Please be advised that in accordance with City of Calgary Bylaws, dogs (big and small), even those that are leashed or carried, are not permitted on school grounds, playgrounds or sports fields. Although children enjoy playing with dogs, we cannot risk the chance of a dog biting a child or causing an allergic reaction. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter, which will help to keep the children safe and our school grounds clean. 

MyCBE – PowerSchool 

Do You Have a MyCBE Account? Have You Added Your Child(ren) To the Account?

Parents / Legal Guardians / Independent Students who have not already done so, must create a MyCBE account and add their child(ren) to the account to: 

• access your child’s program information (e.g., course assessments, daily attendance record, report card)
• view your child’s learning using Brightspace by D2L
• pay fees and request waivers
• register for transportation and lunch supervision
• book parent-teacher conferences
• submit online school forms (required for 2025-2026 school year) 

You will need your email address on file at the school as well as your child’s CBE ID, which can be found on the:

• SchoolEngage student profile, for families that registered their child using SchoolEngage.
• Note | For a visual guide on how to find the CBE ID within SchoolEngage, refer to SchoolEngage CBE Student ID
• CBE Report Card, beside the child's name
• CBE ID card 

MyCBE Account

For parents / legal guardians / independent students without a MyCBE account 

1. Sign in at www.cbe.ab.ca/mycbe
2. Create the account; refer to MyCBE - Creating an Account
3. Add child(ren); refer to MyCBE - Adding Additional Students 

For parents / legal guardians / independent students with a MyCBE account 

1. Sign in at www.cbe.ab.ca/mycbe
2. Add child(ren); refer to MyCBE - Adding Additional Students 

Hidden Valley School Website

Our school website is updated on an ongoing basis. Please bookmark this page and reference it when you have any questions.

The following sections of our website may be the most helpful:

• Hidden Valley School Weekly Update – News Article/Main Page – updated weekly
• Ongoing Calendar – New Article / Main Page and on Calendar page
• Hidden Valley Instructional Calendar 24-25
• School Council and Parent Society
• Fees
• Lunch Supervision 

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Michelle Chastko Principal, Hidden Valley School