A reminder to our Red Deer Public families that schools will be closed on Friday, September 30 in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Students and staff are encouraged to wear orange shirts on Thursday as schools will watch a Division-wide video and be engaged in grade appropriate lessons regarding Truth and Reconciliation throughout the day.

There's one week left to help make a difference in the lives of kids! Creating life chances for students from Pre-K to Grade 12 and beyond, the Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools is holding its second annual LIFE CHANCES 50/50 LOTTERY. Get your tickets for a chance to win up to $25,000 in cash prizes! The deadline to purchase is Oct. 4 - don't miss out! For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit .

Congrats to students and staff at Oriole Park Elementary for receiving first place in the Canadian Geographic's Queen's Jubilee Classroom Challenge! They earned $1,150 for their school through the contest. As part of the challenge, students learned about native plants and had the opportunity to get their hands dirty by planting and harvesting vegetables at the Capstone Common Ground Garden Project site. Way to go!

There were BIG smiles all around this morning! A HUGE thank you to The City of Red Deer EMS, Red Deer RCMP and Timberlands Tim Hortons for participating in our Smile Cookie Day! It was so fun to see families come out and enjoy connecting with our local firemedics and RCMP officers. There’s still time to purchase your Smile Cookies and support our Reading College program! Grab your cookies today and tomorrow and help make a difference in the lives of kids!