Hello Jennie Elliott families!
I hope you and your family had a wonderful summer and found time for the things that bring you joy, whether that was adventures outdoors, time with friends and family, or simply enjoying a slower pace. As we prepare for the new school year, we are excited to welcome both returning and new families to the Jennie Elliott School community. We are looking forward to welcoming our Jaguars back and hearing about the memories and experiences that made their summer special!
For our teacher’s first day back yesterday, we came together for a day of learning in the spirit of building our community, our connection and our professional capacity. We are intentional in our work and decisions, always focusing on creating a safe, inclusive and engaging environment where every student feels a sense of belonging and has opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive.
We know a successful school year is built through strong partnerships between students, families, and staff. We are grateful for the trust you place in us and look forward to working alongside you to support your child's learning and well-being.
As the first day approaches, students may experience a mix of excitement and nervousness about new routines, teachers, classmates, and expectations. These are all common feelings! As their trusted adults in their lives, it is important to message that a new school year is a fresh start and an opportunity to build relationships, celebrate successes, develop confidence, and grow through new challenges.
On behalf of the entire Jennie Elliott School staff, welcome back! We are excited for the year ahead and look forward to another wonderful year of Jaguar Pride together!
Lucene Tahmazian
Principal | Jennie Elliott School
Meet the Staff of Jennie Elliott School!
I am proud to introduce our Jennie Elliott Staff for the 2026-2027 school year! Our staff have been busy preparing classrooms and planning meaningful learning experiences to ensure a positive and successful year ahead.
On Friday, August 28th, all families will receive a welcome and introduction email from their child's teacher. If you have not received an email by 10:00 AM on August 28 at the email address you have provided in your MyCBE account, please contact the main office at jennieelliott@cbe.ab.ca with the subject line "teacher email".
We would like to also announce some important news that Nikki Jung, our Administrative Secretary, will be leaving Jennie Elliott School to begin an exciting new position at David Thompson School. While we are very happy for her as she takes this next step in her career, she will be greatly missed by our students, families, and staff. Nikki will remain with us through the first week of school, with her final day being September 4. We are incredibly grateful for the warmth, care, and welcoming spirit she has brought to our front office, and we wish her every success in her new role. We are working through the staffing process to fill Nikki’s position and will share more information with families once a successful candidate has been selected.
In addition, over the summer our Assistant Principal, Ms. Asha Hynes, experienced the heartbreaking loss of her father. As she takes the time she needs to be with her family, we are pleased to welcome Mr. Sébastien Fournier, who will be joining Jennie Elliott School as our Acting Assistant Principal until the middle of September. We know our school community will join us in extending a warm welcome to Mr. Fournier and in keeping Ms. Hynes and her family in our thoughts.
Please read Mr. Fournier’s introduction message below:
I am very excited to be joining the Jennie Elliott School community as the Acting Assistant Principal at the start of the school year.
I recently retired from the Calgary Board of Education after 30 years in education. Throughout my career, I spent 14 years as a teacher, followed by 16 years as a school administrator, with experience in both Alberta and Quebec, where I was born and raised. I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of schools and programs, from Kindergarten through Grade 12, in Calgary, which has been my home since 2001.
While I may have officially retired this past June, I quickly realized that I wasn't quite ready to step away from schools, students, and the work that I enjoy so much! I am passionate about building strong relationships and creating welcoming, inclusive school communities where students and staff feel supported, valued, and connected. I strongly believe that schools should be places where everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow, have fun, and feel a strong sense of belonging.
I am very happy to be joining Jennie Elliott School until mid-September, and look forward to supporting our students, staff, and families as we begin a new school year together. I can't wait to meet everyone.
Please don't hesitate to come and say hello!
First Day of School!
August 31st is the first day back for students! That morning, students are asked to go to their grade location in the school field, according to the map below, to find their teachers starting at 8:30 AM. Grade numbers and teacher names will be identified with a sign on the fence. We thank you for your cooperation in saying your good-byes outside the school before teachers take their students into class.
Annual Volunteer Registration Required for All School Volunteers
To ensure the safety and security of CBE students and staff, all volunteers must be registered with the school each school year before participating in volunteer activities. The Annual Volunteer Registration Form is valid for the current school year only. All volunteers, including returning volunteers, must complete a new registration form each school year before participating in volunteer activities.
Process
Parents and guardians can register as volunteers through the SchoolEngage tab in their MyCBE account. As part of the registration process, all volunteers must review the POPA requirements and sign to indicate their agreement with the conditions outlined in the form.
New This Year
Community members who do not have a child registered with CBE must complete their volunteer registration in person at the school where they wish to volunteer. This change allows school staff to verify that volunteers have reviewed and acknowledged their privacy obligations under Alberta's Protection of Privacy Act (POPA).
Save the Date!
On Thursday, September 17 we will have our annual Meet the Teacher Night and Welcome Back event to provide families the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, learn a bit more about the year ahead, tour the school and connect with other families after the summer break. We will of have the ever-popular food trucks for those who would like to partake, and our School Council will be set up to provide information about the variety of ways you can be involved as a parent at Jennie Elliott. More details about this will be shared at a later date.
Weekly School Communication
Each Friday, families will receive an email from your child’s classroom teacher with information about your child’s learning and classroom happenings. A second email will also come from myself, directing families to the Principal’s Weekly Update on the Jennie Elliott Website . Please take the time to view the important information contained in both of these emails to stay up-to-date. Studies have proven for many decades that a parent’s engagement in their child’s learning and school experiences is a high indicator of academic success, so we are committed to doing our part to create that communication bridge for families.
Upcoming Dates
August 26 – The school and main office reopen for the 2026–27 school year.
August 28 – By 8:00 a.m. you will receive a welcome email from your child's new teacher. This email will include important information about first-day procedures, including when and where to meet, what to bring, and an introduction to your child's teacher. If you do not receive an email, please contact the main office at jennieelliott@cbe.ab.ca.
August 31 – First day of school for students in Kindergarten through Grade 6! All classes will begin at our regular start time of 8:41 a.m.
September 7 – Labour Day (no school)
September 17 – Welcome Back and Meet the Teacher Evening. We look forward to welcoming families into the school and connecting with you and your child's teacher. More information will be shared soon.
September 25 – Non-Instructional Day (no school for students)
September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (no school)