糖心Swag

Dear Parents and Caregivers:

In June, we are focused on the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan values of Equity and the Grandfather Teaching of Love.

Pinantan Elementary School

Principal Naylor and I started our visit outside to look at the foundation of the greenhouse that students and staff are building together. Their PAC was successful in securing Farm to Schools grant funds. Mr. Naylor said, “Paul, a District plumber, went out of his way to move a pipe to enable us to water the boxes of plants and vegetables outside, and also the greenhouse.”

He explained further, “Layla, a Grade 6 student, had started the garden boxes last year. She continues to be a leader in maintaining the garden boxes and mentors others to grow vegetables and other plants.”

When we walked into the school from outside, Mr. Naylor shared how the Aboriginal Education Worker, Ms. Zoey Genereaux, had worked with every student to write their own land acknowledgements which are now framed at the front of the school, through the hallways and library, with some above the garden boxes.

K-1 students were taking part in a lesson with Ms. Hrycan who asked them, “What makes you feel loved?” The students responded, “being together”, “being in the circle”, “friends”, and “pets”, as some examples. As the discussion continued, it was evident that students had developed a vocabulary to talk about their emotions through the school-wide commitment to learning about feelings and how to describe and recognize them.

Ms. Head’s Grade 2-3-4 class was studying self government, and the students were working in partners to explore how leaders need to demonstrate the seven Grandfather Teachings through their work for their communities. I stayed with two students who were working on how leaders show honesty. They came up with, “Leaders need to tell the truth”, “admit when they are wrong”, and “look to get to the bottom of things that happen.”

Ms. Hoshowski’s Grade 5-6-7 class was learning about the geological time cycle and Ms. Hoshowski had booked a fossil kit from the Henry Grube Education Centre to have students identify which of the four eras (Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic, Precambrian) the fossils came from.

Mr. Naylor also shared how students had taken part in track and field this year. He shared, “I was so happy that Maintenance lined our fields, and it made it easy to practice. We had 10 students go to the Zone Track Meet!”

We also discussed how staff are interested in studying Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset, and they are working through lessons to do with students. He shared how the language of a positive mindset is interwoven throughout the school.

District Honours Held at TRU on May 30, 2024

Thank you to the Honours Graduates from every secondary school, and their families and staff who supported them to get to this high level of success.

It was a pleasure to see the maturity and talent of these students. Danielle Ripley and Andrew Humphrey were exceptional masters of ceremonies. Mandisa Volo sang “O’Canada” and “At Last” by Etta James, and South Kamloops Secondary Jazz Combo players performed “Daahoud” by Clifford Brown as well as a compilation of other pieces. Truly, each of these students sounded like long-time professionals.

Patrick Gu, Ross Dickson Award Winner and District Honours Recipient 2023 was humorous and offered words of wisdom and hope to the new graduates. Following remarks and entertainment, we were privileged to hear about students’ career pathways ranging from those who hoped to become engineers, lawyers, doctors, electricians, and physiotherapists, to name a few. It was a wonderful night to share in the hard work and successes of the students, and the parents and staff who supported them.

Secondary Battle of the Books

In the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan, we are committed to supporting students to develop foundational literacy skills and to develop a passion for multi-literacies. Battle of the Books helps provide diverse learning opportunities that promote joyful reading, thoughtful written responses, and interesting conversations. On Friday, May 24, 2024, students from NorKam, Sa-Hali, Westsyde, South Kamloops (SKSS), and Valleyview secondary schools squared off, Spartan-style, against a series of literary challenges designed to test their knowledge, creativity, and teamwork, including a knock-down-drag-out Book Pitch Competition, three grueling rounds of Jeopardy, and a mind-bending Loose Parts design contest. Read more.

École Lloyd George Students Walk Together into National AccessAbility Week

One of the goals of the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan is to provide diverse learning opportunities to ensure that every student can access learning in inclusive environments. 糖心Swag has an Accessibility Committee that has identified key themes that matter when it comes to assessing accessibility of our environments: built environments, attitudes, policies and procedures, information and communication, and technology.

From May 26 to June 1, 2024, we acknowledge and celebrate National AccessAbility Week throughout the District. The goal of National AccessAbility Week is to celebrate the important contributions made by Canadians with disabilities, while raising awareness for ways we can all help remove barriers and make our communities more accessible for all. This year’s theme, Forward Together: Accessibility and Inclusion for All, emphasizes the need for collective efforts to create a barrier-free Canada. 

In advance of AccessAbility Week, École Lloyd George Elementary staff and students participated in their annual Superhero Day for the 4th year in a row. On Thursday, May 23, Lloyd George staff and the family of student Jude Mitton organized a Superhero Walk for students to show support for their classmate Jude, who is living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Read more.

Students and Staff Champions Celebrate Pride Month

Last week, I shared how we celebrate Pride Month as one key strategy to ensure that we bring alive the District’s Cultural and Identity Priority, where every learner will feel safe and thrive personally and culturally. Read more.

This week, I wanted to share an example of a special day in which students and staff get together to engage in conversations and activities to understand, acknowledge, and celebrate diverse identities. Read more

Take time to rest, rejuvenate, and enjoy your weekend.

Rhonda Nixon, PhD

Superintendent