Welcome

School Supply Lists - 2025/2026:

School Supply List 2025-2026

Pre-enrolment and Registration Update:

Thanks to all the families who pre-enrolled before the deadline to help our school get ready for 2025–26!

We’re happy to let you know that, based on available space, all students who registered or pre-enrolled before March 19, 2025, have been accepted. We look forward to seeing your family in the fall!

Student Enrollment Update 2025-2026

For the 2025 - 2026 school year, D.S. MacKenzie School is full in planned classes in Grade 7 and Grade 8 in the regular program. We will now only accept resident students in Grade7 and 8 whose parent(s)/legal guardian(s) have newly moved into the school’s attendance area for the regular program. A resident student of Edmonton Public Schools has at least one parent or legal guardian living in Edmonton who is not Roman Catholic. Non-resident students can enrol in another Division school with space in planned classes.

If you are new to Edmonton Public Schools, you must register online.

Welcome Message from Mrs. Loberg-Walter

We’re excited to start this new school year and journey with students, parents, staff and community. My name is Karla Loberg-Walter and I am excited to be joining the strong team at D.S. McKenzie School as your principal. Our administration team also includes our Assistant Principals Ms. Sonia Boctor and Mr. Mark Doucet and along with all staff, we are all excited to support your children in their junior high school journey.

As we begin a new school year, below are a few key messages.

Closed campus at lunch hour To ensure the well-being and on-time arrivals at school, we will continue with a closed school campus policy meaning students will not be permitted to leave school grounds during the lunch break and will need to bring a lunch to school. Our school is equipped with microwaves if students choose to bring a hot lunch. In addition, we will have our “Snack Shack” up and running soon. We will continue with weekly Healthy Hunger lunches where you can pre-order a meal from local restaurants that is delivered, as well as a monthly pizza lunch day. Healthy Hunger ordering information can be found on SchoolZone. Other than the Healthy Hunger program, we do not allow outside food delivery to students such as UBER Eats, Skip the Dishes, etc. Having these services is very disruptive to the school environment. These services will be turned away at the school office if they show up for a delivery. If a child does forget their lunch, please have them come to the office; we will have them call home and if needed, will provide a snack to get them through the day.

● Students who live in the immediate area may eat lunch at home as long as they have signed parent consent and return on time for afternoon classes. Lunch consent forms are available in the office.

Student Drop off and Pick up:

Please do not park in the Yellow bus zone as we require this for our student buses. The staff parking lot is also off limits to parents.

Reporting Absences and Lates:

If you are picking up your child early or dropping them off late, please log into SchoolZone to report the absence. You can also call the school office to report absences, late arrivals, or early pick ups. Thank you for working with us to ensure a safe and smooth drop off and pick up for all students.

Cell phones, electronic devices, and technology update:

In June 2024 the Government of Alberta announced standards limiting the use of personal mobile devices and social media. Personal mobile devices include: smartphones, cellphones, smart watches, tablets, laptops, earbuds and smart-glasses. While these can be useful tools to support learning with teacher supervision, personal mobile devices and social media can negatively impact student achievement and mental well-being. At D.S. MacKenzie we continue to adapt our school’s policies to include them and support student engagement and wellbeing. Some of the reasons for the changes, include:

● to minimize distractions during student learning,

● support student mental health,

● reduce opportunities for cyberbullying, and

● mitigate the negative impacts of excessive exposure to social media.

The province provided research highlights for those interested in learning more. At D.S. MacKenzie, we appreciate your partnership in familiarizing yourself and your children with our school policy summarized below:

● Students can use their devices on the way to school and on the way home; exceptions may apply to specific transportation companies including Yellow Bus.

● No photography or recordings are permitted of students or staff without prior signed consent.

● In class, students will receive direction from their teachers on how and when to use devices (including cell phones, tablets, headphones/earpods, and smart-watches) for learning only. Other than teacher-directed use, cell phones must be powered off and stored in lockers during school hours, including lunch.

● Cell phones are not permitted in washrooms or changerooms; they must be stored in lockers after hours when a student is at school for practices, tryouts or games.

● Students will not be able to access social media platforms on Division networks and devices.

● Exceptions will be made province-wide for students using mobile devices for health and medical needs, to support specialized learning needs, and for educational purposes. In these situations, the apps and specific uses will be listed in the individual student’s Medical Management Plan (MMP) or their Individual Program Plan (IPP). Please reach out to School Administration if your child falls under these exemptions.

We will support students in building the habit of powering off their devices and storing them throughout the day in their locker. For students that are having difficulty complying with the policy, we will confiscate the device until the end of the school day. If the behaviour is repeated, the device will be held until parents can come in to meet with administration. Any further consequences will be determined by school administration, in consultation with parents and staff. We encourage parents to have conversations with their child about these expectations to set your child up for success, to prevent issues, and to ensure there are no unexpected charges from your data provider.

As well, the Division has a Responsible Use of Technology Agreement and D.S. MacKenzie will update the Student Rights and Responsibilities document by the end of September. These will be posted on SchoolZone by the end of September. Prior to using technology in EPSB schools, it is assumed these documents have been read and will be fully adhered to.

Communicating with your child at school:

Should you need to reach your child during the school day, you are welcome to contact the office at 780-438-9103. When needed, your child can use a school phone to call their parents/guardians.

● Medical Appointments and Illness - Please discuss with your child, before school begins, any appointments, early, or after-school pickups or activities, knowing they will have access to any personal mobile device before or after school only. Call the office for any emergency.

In Partnership,

Karla Loberg-Walter