Welcome Back to Ethel M. Johnson School!

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Families,

Welcome back to another exciting school year at Ethel M. Johnson School!

As we begin the 2026-27 school year, we are looking forward to reconnecting with returning families and welcoming those who are new to our school community. A primary focus of our work this year is strengthening our students' sense of community, belonging, and connectedness. We want every child to feel valued, supported, and included, and we know that families play an essential role in helping us achieve this goal.

Family members are important members of our school community, and we encourage you to be involved in ways that work for you. Whether attending school events, volunteering, participating in school activities, or connecting regularly with your child's teacher, your involvement helps strengthen our learning community. Together, we hope to create a welcoming, happy, and inclusive environment where all students can thrive.

School Hours

Please note the following school hours for the 2026-27 school year:

Grades 1-6

  • Monday to Thursday: 7:55 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
  • Friday: 7:55 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Kindergarten

  • AM Kindergarten: Monday to Thursday, 7:55 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.
  • PM Kindergarten: Monday to Thursday, 11:35 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
  • Fridays: Kindergarten classes run from 7:55 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.

Kindergarten follows a rotating Friday schedule (Kindergarten A or B). Please refer to the schedule posted on our school website for details.

Morning Drop-Off and Afternoon Pick-Up

As our school community continues to grow, we would like to remind families that the school parking lot is designated for staff parking only.

Even with the available spaces, there are not enough parking stalls to accommodate all staff members. We therefore ask all visitors and family members to park on the surrounding streets when dropping off or picking up students.

We also ask families to help us reinforce an important safety expectation with students. Students should walk on the sidewalks or grassy areas, and not through the staff parking lot. Support staff begin and end their workdays at various times throughout the day, meaning vehicles may be entering and leaving the parking lot outside of typical school arrival and dismissal times. Following these safety expectations will help ensure that all students remain safe while arriving at and departing from school.

Dismissal and Changes to End-of-Day Plans

Student safety is our highest priority.

If there will be any change to how your child normally gets home from school, parents/guardians must notify the school in writing or by phone before the change occurs. Examples include:

  • Not riding the bus on a particular day
  • Being picked up by someone other than a parent/guardian
  • Going home with a friend
  • Any other change to the student's regular dismissal routine

For end-of-day changes, please contact the school before 2:00 p.m.. If the change occurs during the school day, please notify the office as soon as possible.

As required by CBE policy, students cannot be released to anyone other than a parent/guardian unless the school has received prior written or verbal authorization from the parent/guardian. Similarly, students will not be permitted to leave with friends or alter their transportation arrangements without parent/guardian notification.

Thank you for helping us maintain safe and consistent dismissal procedures for all students.

Additional Staff Supporting Student Success

This fall, the CBE has hired hundreds of teachers, education assistants, and other school staff to support student learning. These positions have been funded by the Government of Alberta with the intention of addressing classroom complexity and class sizes.

We are pleased to welcome several new staff members to Ethel M. Johnson School for the 2026-27 school year:

  • Kendra Zankl - Grade 6
  • Kristine Smyth - Grade 3
  • Tammara Behl - Complexity Team
  • Jenlen Leonard - Complexity Team
  • Sarah Duguay - K-6 Student Support

We are very excited to have these talented educators and support staff join our school community. This additional staffing will help ensure students benefit from:

  • Increased teacher attention
  • Improved classroom learning environments
  • Greater support for diverse learning needs

Working Together for Student Success

As we begin the school year together, I encourage all families to build and maintain strong communication with their child's teacher(s). Research consistently demonstrates that students are most successful when families and schools work together as partners in the educational journey. By collaborating, sharing information, and supporting one another, we can help every student achieve their full potential.

Thank you for your continued support of Ethel M. Johnson School. We are looking forward to a wonderful year of learning, growth, and connection.

Warm regards,

Melanie Clark
Principal
Ethel M. Johnson School

Additionally, can you post  the following information to the News Centre page on our website:

This fall, the CBE has hired hundreds of teachers, education assistants, and other school staff to support student learning. These positions have been funded by the Government of Alberta with the intention of addressing classroom complexity and class sizes.

We are pleased to welcome several new staff members to Ethel M. Johnson School for the 2026-27 school year:

  • Kendra Zankl - Grade 6
  • Kristine Smyth - Grade 3
  • Tammara Behl - Complexity Team
  • Jenlen Leonard - Complexity Team
  • Sarah Duguay - K-6 Student Support

We are very excited to have these talented educators and support staff join our school community. This additional staffing will help ensure students benefit from:

  • Increased teacher attention
  • Improved classroom learning environments
  • Greater support for diverse learning needs