COLD LAKE – The halls of St. Dominic Elementary School were filled with excitement on Aug. 27 as the Cold Lake school hosted its open house from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., giving families a chance to ease into the upcoming school year.
Principal Jacqueline Densmore said the event is about making families feel welcome right from the start. “It’s important for us that our families feel a sense of belonging as soon as they walk through our doors and the open house helps to establish that prior to a first day of overwhelm,” she explained.
Densmore said the open house helps make the transition from home to school easier by letting students meet their teachers and ask questions, easing first-day nerves.
With the school growing, Densmore said new students and families are joining what she calls the “big St. Dominic family.” She noted, “We meet them with love, and we sit down with them and get to know them for where they are and get to know their family.”
Families were also given tours to make them feel at ease. “We tour the school and ensure that they feel comfortable with our whole St. Dominic team to ask us questions and We get to know what their strengths are, what their gifts they have to bring to our school and have a first meet and greet before they start with us,” she said.
The goal is “that they are comfortable, they know where everything is before the overwhelm of a first day of school.”
Vice Principal Amanda Harvie echoed the importance of preparation.
“When they arrive on the first day, they know where their classroom is, they know where all of their supplies are, they have their lockers and cubbies picked out, and they know the layout of the school playgrounds they're going to be playing on, so it makes it really easy when they come in on that first day to know exactly where everything is.”
Harvie also shared this year’s guiding message, stating, “We're doing small things with great love as a faith theme. So, to really accept everybody as they come in and do small acts of great love for one another.”
For Densmore, it all comes down to connection.
“That they feel welcome and part of our family and feel loved and valued."
Classes for the 2025-26 school year for Lakeland Catholic School Division schools officially began on Aug. 28.
