Current Situation
Additional Updates
Updated Nov. 3
January Diploma Exams Cancelled
On Friday, Oct. 31, the government announced that January provincial exams are cancelled. Students may opt to write January diploma exams in April or June 2026, on a voluntary basis.
January diploma exams were originally scheduled to occur between Jan. 12-27, 2026. This typical exam break will now shift to direct instructional time for all high school students (Grades 10, 11 and 12).
The second semester will begin as planned on Jan. 28. Later this fall, schools will provide more information regarding their new January schedule.
On and Off-Site Activities
Schools have been asked to pause or postpone all onsite and offsite activities and field trips until Nov. 7 to focus on restarting learning in the classroom.
Remembrance Day assemblies are legislated requirements and will proceed. Schools have the discretion to scale back activities or proceed with school traditions.
Central and School Fees
Central fees will be available in MyCBE accounts in the coming days. Central fees for transportation and lunch supervision will be prorated. Families will not be charged for days when services were not provided. The school supplies fee for kindergarten to Grade 6 students will remain unchanged.
Families may have paid fees for field trips or other school-based activities. Many events will be rescheduled, and these fees can be applied to the new date or refunded/credited to accounts if cancelled.
School Council Meetings
School councils should schedule a meeting in November. It is also important for an annual general meeting (AGM) to be held in November if not already done. Typically, an AGM of the school council will be held within 20 days after the start of the school year.
Instructional Calendar Information
Fall Break (Nov. 10-12) will proceed as scheduled. After careful consideration, it was decided that changing the school calendar at this time would impact staffing, transportation, as well as family plans already in place.
Nov. 28 will remain as a non-instructional day. Many schools have indicated they will be using this day for parent-teacher conferences.
No further changes will be made to the instructional calendar in November and December. Early dismissal Fridays will remain the same. Going forward, we will continue to review the instructional calendar and provide you with details if any decisions are made.
January Provincial Exam Update
Updated Oct. 31
On Friday, Oct. 31, the government announced that January provincial exams are cancelled. Students may opt to write January diploma exams in April or June 2026, on a voluntary basis.
To ensure students and teachers can concentrate on learning after lost instructional time due to the teacher strike, Alberta's government has cancelled the January 2026 diploma examinations and Grade 9 Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs).
More information will be provided to students and families next week.
Classes Resume on Wednesday, Oct. 29
Updated Oct. 29
Decisions continue to be made on a variety of topics. Here is what we know at this time:
School Breakfast and Nutrition Programs
Schools with existing breakfast, lunch or other nutrition programs will resume limited service today and expect to be fully operational by next week.
Fall Break – Nov. 10-12
Fall break will proceed as scheduled. After careful consideration, it was decided that changing the school calendar at this time would impact staffing, transportation, as well as family plans already in place.
If other adjustments to the school calendar are necessary, staff and families will be notified as early as possible.
School Athletics
To ensure a safe and well-prepared return to athletic competition, a paced re-entry plan for middle, junior and senior high school athletics will be implemented.
Next week will be dedicated exclusively to practices, allowing coaches, athletes and teams the necessary time to re-establish conditioning, skills, and overall game readiness.
Starting in mid-November, high school athletics will return to competition, providing opportunities for teams to prepare for upcoming city and provincial championships, while middle and junior high school teams can begin exhibition and league games.
Updated Oct. 28
Back-to-work legislation has been passed by the government to end labour action and bring Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) members back to schools.
This means teachers and students are expected to return to class on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
If your child takes transportation to school, buses will also be running, but be prepared for potential delays and do not leave your child alone at a bus stop.
Our top priority is ensuring a smooth transition back to school that supports student learning and success. When ATA members return to work, they will be focused primarily on teaching and learning in classrooms.
Activities and events such as athletics, performances, field trips, extracurriculars, school council meetings and other school events may be delayed, rescheduled or cancelled. We can expect it will take some time for a full return to normal operations.
Breakfast programs and nutritional supports offered at targeted schools will resume starting Wednesday.
It is important to recognize that labour action has impacted everyone differently. While we look forward to a return to more typical operations, we will all need to be patient as the details are confirmed. We will have more updates in the coming days and share information as it becomes available.
Important Information for ATA Members
-
Building and system access will be restored by 5 a.m. on Oct. 29.
-
ATA absences can be entered into SFE starting at 5 a.m. on Oct. 29.
-
Substitute teachers can log into SFE to pick up jobs starting at 6 a.m. on Oct. 29.
-
On Oct. 29, you will receive your pay for Oct. 1-3. The remaining days worked in October will be included in the November pay cycle.
- Oct. 31 is the deadline to submit your Spending Account allocation.
November 2025 and January 2026 Diploma Exams Update
Updated Oct. 22
Alberta Education & Childcare announced that all
diploma exams scheduled between
Oct. 27 and Nov. 7, 2025 will be optional due to the ongoing labour action. The optional exams apply to both students currently enrolled in a diploma course and those registered to rewrite an exam. Please see the
General Information Factsheet for specific details.
Students were asked to let us know their intentions regarding writing the November exams by Friday, Oct. 24 at noon.
We are awaiting direction from Alberta Education & Childcare regarding the writing of January, 2026 diploma exams.
Financial Resources for Families - Apply by Nov. 14
The Alberta government has made financial resources available to families. If your child is 12 or under, you may qualify for a non-taxable payment of $30 per child, per day of labour action. Payments will be sent by e-transfer, but you must apply online.
The parent portal will continue to accept applications until Nov. 14. Payments will be issued on Oct. 31, Nov. 28 and into December, depending on when applications were received.
Learn more about parent payments.
To see all Alberta government supports for families, please see the Oct. 8 letter from the Minister of Education and Childcare.
Families will need their child's Alberta Student Number (ASN). The ASN appears in the top of many pages in
MyCBE (grades and attendance, grade history, report card, my schedule, class registration, bus routes and stops). It is also listed on report cards and other official CBE documents.
To apply for the Alberta government Parent Payment Program, you must meet all of the following:
- Be living with your child(ren).
- Ensure your child(ren) are currently enrolled in a public, Catholic, or francophone school.
- Have your address on your driver's licence or identification card match the address the school has on file for your child.
You can contact your school office to ask about updating your child’s primary address. You may need to update the Demographic Verification form and provide photo ID to confirm your address. Once the school updates their records, government records will also be updated.
To update your address with government you must visit a
registry agent. After you visit the Registry and update your address, you can add your new card to your Alberta.ca account.
The parent portal will remain open during labour action and for several weeks following the resolution and return to classes.
Additional Parent Payments for Children with Complex Care Needs
Families of children with active Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) agreements who are enrolled in schools affected by the strike will be eligible for the following supports:
- Parents and guardians with a Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) agreement can receive an additional $30 per child age 12 and under for each day of labour action or $60 per day for children aged 13-17.
While families will be asked to provide their child's FSCD File ID number, found on their FSCD agreement, a separate application process is not required.
