Chester Ronning School

Greetings Parents and Caregivers!

Well, we made it through the first week! I hope your week went well as your families adjusted to the new schedules. We were grateful to have the whole week to establish routines and get to know the students better. I can’t tell you the joy it brings to watch students laughing, smiling, and greeting others in the hallways. Thank you again for the trust you put in our school. We will continue our work in creating a safe, caring and inclusive school where every student can learn, thrive and feel a strong sense of belonging.

Our priorities for the year:

Our School Education Plan continues to guide our work and supports BRSD’s priorities for student learning, well-being and success. We encourage families to take some time to review our School Education Plan and our 2026–27 School Calendar, which includes important dates, school breaks and other information to help you plan for the year ahead.

Safe, caring and inclusive schools

Creating a safe and welcoming learning environment is a shared responsibility. With the passing of Bill 25, our school will be reviewing and updating our Student Code of Conduct/Behaviour Matrix to reflect current requirements and ensure students have clear, consistent expectations for their behaviour. This includes helping students understand the important role they play in preventing violence, looking out for one another and speaking up when they have a concern.

This work is connected to Priority 2 of our Education Plan: Student and Staff Well-Being, Mental Health and Belonging. Throughout the year, students, staff and families will have opportunities to learn more about topics that contribute to safe, respectful and responsible school communities, including (but not limited to):

• digital citizenship and responsible social media use;

• responsible use of artificial intelligence;

• violence prevention;

• bullying and harassment; and

• how and where to report concerns.

Beginning in the first week of school, students will review our Code of Conduct/Behaviour Matrix, their responsibilities as members of our school community, and how to report bullying, harassment, safety concerns or other situations affecting their well-being.

We want every student to know that if something does not feel right, they can talk to a trusted adult at school. Staff will also receive information about how to respond to concerning behaviours or disclosures and the processes to follow so that concerns are addressed appropriately.

Personal mobile devices

We also ask families to review our expectations for personal mobile devices with their children. Students may not use personal mobile devices during instructional time (No cells between the bells). Devices must be powered off or set to silent and stored in a backpack, bag or locked locker during instructional time.

Chester Ronning School’s mobile-device expectations will be reviewed with students during the first week of school. We appreciate families reinforcing these expectations at home and helping us keep instructional time focused on learning.

More information about personal mobile devices and social media in BRSD schools is available here: Use of Personal Mobile Devices and Social Media in Schools.

Thank you for your partnership in helping us create a school community where students feel safe, supported, included and ready to learn.

Karen Gartner, Ed.D, M.Ed., B.Ed

Principal

Chester Ronning School

780-672-5588

Admin

Principal - Dr. Gartner

Assistant Principal - Mrs. Buckland

Teaching Staff

Kindergarten - Ms. DeRudder

Grade 1 - Ms. Doering, Ms. Bratrud

Grade 2 - Mrs. Bradley and Mrs. Martin

Grade 2/3 - Mme Schuster, Mr. Fox

Grade 3 - Mrs. Pacholek and Mr. Hills

Grade 4 - Mrs. Olson, Mrs. Foss

Grade 5 -Mr. Jensen, Mrs. Kroetch

Mme Lunty - Grade 3, 4, and 5 Music, French

Support Staff

Learning Commons - Mrs. Green

Admin. Assistant - Mrs. MacKay and Mrs. Beck

Educational Assistants - Mrs. Kostura, Mrs. Eshpeter, Mr. Jim, Mrs. Lynch, Mrs. Jeffrey, Ms. Longley, Ms. Lechelt, Ms. Lemko, Mr. Lawrence

August 31 - Classes Start at 8:15 AM

August 31 - KMW Orientation - Calendar

September 1- KTT Orientation - Calendar

September 2 - First day of class for KMW

September 3 - First day of class for KTT

September 3 - Breakfast program starts

September 9 - Picture day for KMW, 1B, 1D, 2B, 2M, 2/3S

September 10- Picture day for KTT, 3P, 3H, 4F, 4O, 5J, 5K

September 14 - Library Starts

September 22 - Parent Council Meeting - 8:30 AM in the office

September 25 - Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL

September 29 - Orange Shirt Day

September 29 - Terry Fox - Complete off-campus permission form asap! CRS Donation link.

September 30 - NO SCHOOL - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30 - All Verifications Forms Are Due For Every Student

CRS Office hours are: 8:10am - 12:15 pm and 12:45 pm - 3:10pm.

If you are calling and don't reach anyone, please leave a message or try again. We do our best to answer every phone call, but taking care of a student always comes first and we occasionally may miss a call, so leave us a message or try again.

As Mrs. MacKay and Mrs. Beck are job sharing and have days that we won't be in the office, if you are emailing about daily attendance absences, please use this email instead to allow for both admin assistants to see the message: chesterronning-aa@brsd.ab.ca

8:00 am - Outdoor supervision of students begins

8:15 am - School Starts; Please do your best to have students here on time.

10:05 am - Morning recess

11:20 am - 12:00 pm - Lunch Break

1:45 pm - Afternoon Recess

3:00 pm - Dismissal

There will be no early dismissals this year.

AM Drop-Off – Grades 1–5

Students who are dropped off in the morning are asked to go to the east side of the school, near the playground equipment, where our morning supervisors will be available. When the bell rings, students will walk behind the school to their designated entrance.

For safety and supervision, we ask that students not wait at their classroom doors before the bell rings unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Kindergarten students may enter through the front doors.

PM Pick-Up

Grade 1 students will have a controlled release near the front west bike racks. Staff will ensure that each student connects with the person who is picking them up before they leave.

Students in Grades 2–5 are dismissed at the end of the school day. Please make sure your child knows where they should meet you or what their after-school plan is.

Kindergarten students will be a controlled released through the front doors.

Thank you so much for your cooperation and for helping us keep arrival and dismissal safe and smooth for everyone! If your family requires alternate arrangements, please contact our front office.

These forms are used to confirm student's information. We require a form be completed for EACH student for EVERY new school year. These forms help keep students safe at the school. Forms are now available. Please contact us if you need help with your PowerSchool login (or follow the instructions below).

If forms are not completed by September 30, students will lose their computer and field trip privileges.

Starting this year, BRSD is moving from traditional grades to Outcomes-Based Reporting for all K-6 students. Here is some information you need to know:

No More Guesswork:

Instead of one general grade for a subject, you’ll see exactly which skills your child has mastered and where they still need work.

Personalized Growth:

Teachers can better identify when a student needs extra help in a specific area, ensuring no one gets left behind.

Better Communication:

You’ll get clearer, more meaningful feedback that shows your child’s actual progress through the curriculum.

Purposeful Learning:

Teachers will have data that will help them design lessons and assessments tailored to specific learning goals.

We’re moving toward a more transparent system that treats every student as an individual, making it easier for you to support their learning at home.

To help you better understand and navigate your child’s Outcomes progress in PowerSchool, BRSD has prepared some resources that will help you with this transition:

Accessing Elementary Student Marks via PowerSchool Parent Portal Web Browser - Parent Guide

Accessing Elementary Student Marks via PowerSchool Parent Portal Web Browser - Parent Video

Accessing Elementary Student Marks via PowerSchool Parent Portal APP - Parent Guide

Accessing Elementary Student Marks via PowerSchool Parent Portal APP - Parent Video

BRSD Levels of Achievement

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or your school’s administration team.

We will offer a quick grab and go breakfast snack in each classroom starting on Monday September 15, 2025 at 8:15am. The students will be given a few minutes to finish their breakfast before the school day starts. There will be no early entry to the school.

CRS School Pictures take place THIS week. Please see below for information about new ways to access you child's pictures.

September 9 - Picture day for KMW, 1B, 1D, 2B, 2M, 2/3S

September 10- Picture day for 3H, 3P, 4F, 4O, 5J, 5K

Lifetouch Customer Care Contact:

Questions about your child's fall photos status, errors on their orders or how to place orders, call our Lifetouch Customer Care line at 1.866.457.8212 or go to our ordering website, www.mylifetouch.ca

EASY Way of accessing your child’s images online:
Lifetouch Photography is excited to announce the launch of a new way to access photos online.
After much safety and security testing, Lifetouch developed a way for families to access their child’s photo using their student ID number.
Go to our website at www.mylifetouch.ca, click on Student ID and follow the detailed instructions to view and order photos.

If you have any questions on this ordering process, please call the Lifetouch Customer Care Line at 1.866.457.8212 or access the live chat on our website, www.mylifetouch.ca
Parents can still access their photos online by using their child’s portrait ID and access code. By enabling the option of using your child’s student ID number, gives people another way to access photos if they lose their proof sheet.
Lifetouch Rewards for families!
Discounts and information directly to parents about photo days at your school when parents sign up for Lifetouch Rewards at my.lifetouch.ca

Dear Parents, Guardians, and School Community,

On the afternoon of September 29th, our school will be participating in the annual Terry Fox Run to raise funds for cancer research.

Online Donations Only

All donations must be made online directly through our school's official page:

Donate to Our Terry Fox Run Page

Pie in the Face Challenge

To make things fun, we are bringing back a special incentive: for every $200 raised as a school, a teacher will get pied in the face!

Event Schedule

• School Assembly: We will gather in the gym for a brief kickoff assembly to reveal our school's total donation amount and hand out the pie rewards.

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• School Run: Immediately following the assembly, students and staff will head outside to run/walk around the school route for 30 minutes.

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As part of our Terry Fox Run, students are invited to dedicate their run to someone who has been impacted by cancer. Families are welcome to send the name of someone special to their child, and students can add these names to the Terry Fox stickers provided at school and proudly wear them during the run. Thank you for supporting cancer research and helping our students carry on Terry Fox's legacy of hope!

Cross country running will be beginning shortly. Watch your PowerSchool account for the consent forms coming soon.

Grade 5 students will be eligible to participate in the New Norway race on October 1st.

Grades 3,4,5 students will be eligible to participate in the Camrose race on October 8th.

Practices will take place during lunch recess on school grounds.

This program is optional for those that are interested in joining.

Piano club this year for Grade 4 and Grade 5 students will be starting soon. This year it will be Fridays at lunch recess. Madam Lunty will let students know more details.

Chocolate Fundraiser

Back by popular demand, we are once again fundraising by selling chocolate almonds through World's Finest Chocolates. We are only able to take online orders - a link to order will be sent out soon. The funds raised are used to support student activities and field trips throughout the year.

The deadline to get your orders in is: Monday October 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM

More details will be sent out shortly!

August 31, 2026

Dear Parents and Guardians,

At Battle River School Division, we are committed to ensuring that all students, families, and staff feel safe, welcome, and cared for at school.

As part of this commitment, we work closely with families, community agencies, and law enforcement to respond to any potential threats to the safety and well-being of our school communities. While serious threats are uncommon, we take all concerns seriously to support safe and caring learning environments.

This letter serves as fair notice that all significant threats and high-risk behaviours will be taken seriously and may result in the initiation of the Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) process.

Potential threats may include verbal or written statements, social media or electronic messages, intimidation, threats of violence, possession of weapons, or other behaviours that raise safety concerns.

When concerns arise, the division follows the VTRA Protocol, a collaborative process used to assess risk, reduce potential harm, and provide appropriate supports and interventions. The purpose of this process is not to punish students, but to understand concerns and support safe and positive outcomes.

Significant threats are addressed through a coordinated response involving school

administration, the school division, and police, and may include other professionals such as mental health clinicians, social workers, or community agencies as appropriate.

Information is shared only as necessary and in accordance with privacy legislation, balancing confidentiality with the responsibility to ensure safety. Parents and guardians will be informed as early as possible if their child is involved in a VTRA process. We value our partnership with families and community agencies, as working together helps ensure our schools remain safe, caring, and supportive places for all students. For more information or to view the full VTRA Protocol, please visit the Battle River School Division website at www.brsd.ab.ca.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain safe and caring schools. Sincerely,

Natasha Wilm

Superintendent of Schools

How many items did your child lose this year? With this win-win solution, you can create custom labels for your child's items (boots, jackets, lunch kits, etc.) while supporting Chester Ronning's fundraising efforts that go toward supporting our students!

https://mabelslabels.ca/en-CA/fundraising/support

https://cronning.brsd.ab.ca/download/358603

The City of Camrose would like to provide an update on a couple upcoming changes to the Community Bus. Starting Tuesday, July 2nd the City will be launching a revised route AND will no longer be charging a fare.

Families can text or call for more information on our program

phone: (780) 314-8162

Dr. Karen Gartner, Principal - kgartner@brsd.ab.ca

Mrs. Buckland, Assistant Principal - npederson@brsd.ab.ca

Chester Ronning School website - cronning.brsd.ab.ca

General Admin Assistant email: chesterronning-aa@brsd.ab.ca

Battle River School Division website - brsd.ab.ca