Mark Your Calendars: 

August 31, 2026: First Day of School!!

Sept. 7, 2026: Labour Day – No School

Sept. 9, 2026: First School Council Meeting 6:30-8:30pm in our staff room

Sept. 10, 2026: Fire Drill #1 @ 11:05am

Sept. 14, 2026: Grade 1 –4 Alberta Education Early Years Assessments begin  

Sept. 18, 2026: Terry Fox Run 11:00am with WD Pratt School

Sept. 24, 2026:  Meet the Teacher/ Open House @ 4:30 –6:30 More information to come

Sept. 25, 2026: Non-Instructional Day – No School for Students

Dear Royal Oak School Families,   

Over the past few days, our staff has been busy preparing classrooms and learning spaces to warmly welcome both new and returning students to Royal Oak School. We look forward to a new school year where students feel welcomed, engaged, challenged, connected, and joyful. We want to help students discover the joy in learning—to be curious, ask questions, take risks, celebrate their progress, and experience the satisfaction that comes from learning something new. We also hope to nurture the joy that comes from learning together, building relationships, and being part of a caring school community.

By now, you should have received an email from your child’s classroom teacher with information about their classroom placement for the 2026-27 school year. We look forward to welcoming students and families on the first day, beginning at 8:30 a.m., at your child’s designated entry and exit door. Staff members wearing bright supervision vests will be on hand to greet students and help them find their way.

Throughout the school year, families can expect to receive weekly updates through SchoolMessenger every Saturday at noon. These messages will also be posted in the News Stories section of our school website. For additional information and answers to frequently asked questions, we encourage families to visit our website:https://royaloak.cbe.ab.ca/

Update on Grounds Project: With beautiful weather, Royal Oak is fortunate to finally have the safety concerns regarding the erosion of the hill and stairs addressed. As a result, the hill to the upper field is blocked off by fences. Problem areas have been levelled and seeded and are ready for new growth to start in the spring. Students are still able to access the compound, playground, and the upper field through a small access area in the northeast end of the compound. On the first day of school, the compound area may be lightly congested. We ask for your patience and flexibility as we navigate this project over the coming months.

Coffee and Kleenex Event: School Council volunteers will be setting up a table at the front of the school on Monday and Tuesday next week, to welcome the new kindergarten families (as well as returning families) to Royal Oak School. Typically, they have coffee and snacks for families dropping off their children, Kleenex for those shedding tears, and a cardboard frame for families wanting to take "First Day of School" photos. Their team will also have School Council information postcards to hand out to parents.

Lunch at ROS: This year, students will continue to eat lunch in their classrooms. This will help us save some time with transitions and getting dressed to go outside. If your child will be staying at school for lunch, you must register for this supervised program, which is at a cost to parents. Please follow this link or log into your PowerSchool account to complete the registration process. Finally, this year, we will be implementing a Garbageless Lunch program. Students will be asked to take home all lunch waste in their lunch kits. This initiative will help to support waste management and help parents become aware of what their child is eating at school each day.

Bus Students - Change of Plans: To help our staff with bus attendance at the end of the school day, we kindly remind families to inform the office or come directly to the bus line if there is a change in your child’s end-of-day transportation. If your child is biking, walking, or getting picked up instead of taking the bus, it’s important that we are aware to ensure all students are accounted for and get home safely. Thank you for helping us keep dismissal time smooth and secure for everyone.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Sincerely,

Michelle Ryskamp & Nadine Duque

Principal & Assistant Principal, Royal Oak School