Superintendent's Report - December 2020

** Additional updates related to COVID-19 can be found on our district website.

Contact Tracing and Notification Process: Please visit the Northern Health exposure website here, which gives additional information on the process for contact tracing and notification.

Framework for Enhancing Student Learning (FESL)

Intellectual Development

BC Performance Standards

The Ministry of Education is reviewing and updating the BC Performance Standards to be in alignment with the new curriculum. Teams across the province are involved in this process.

If you would like to see the full document that lays out the process and timelines, click on the image below:

Writing Sample

Ben Krezanoski is a grade 3 student at Bert Ambrose Elementary School. The writing sample he provided is not only a reflection of his literacy skills, but also of the challenging times we currently face.

Please see a transcription of Ben’s writing sample below and his actual writing sample attached below as well (click on image to view larger image).

How life goes

Some days … life feels like a stormy sea getting you scared … some days … you may feel … like you’re the only person fight’n the earthquake … some may feel … like you’re the best person in the world … some may feel … like you’ve been heart-broken by someone you loved … some may feel … like you’ve made it to the top of the ladder of life … you’ve made it through all the obstacles … but you haven’t completed your journey yet … you’ve not yet conkered the big things in life … where you feel like you’re on an emotional river ride that’s very scary but totally thrilling … Once you’ve made it past the big things …. you may feel like you can conker anything … you know why? because you perservered through everything that was tough … So do you give up … No … why … because if you perservere … yoy’ll be able to conker anything tough in your life … and no matter how you feel about it … good bad or somewhere in between … whatever you feel … it’s good because feelings is an important part of life … and if you need a super power to conker a really big step in life … life’ll give you your wish no matter what happens.

Ben

Music is in the air!

Students at Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School use their lunch period to brush up on their music skills in the music room. Between the acoustically sealed practice rooms and the vast array of instruments, students have many options.

Human & Social Development

Charity drives around the district – helping others is good for everyone.

What our schools are doing related to community support:

Clearview Elementary Jr-Secondary – Food and other items for Women’s Resource Society.
Alwin Holland Elementary – Collecting items and gift cards for family hampers and also participated in the annual Huskies food drive.
Energetic Learning Campus – Hampers for families.
Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School – PJ drive, food drive in Kindergarten, and the Angel Light a Light fundraiser.
Charlie Lake Elementary – PJ drive.
Dr. Kearney Middle School – PJ drive.
Robert Ogilvie Elementary – PJ drive, mitten and hat tree for Women’s Resource Society.
Hudson’s Hope School – Food and toy drive for families.
École Central Elementary – Building pallet Christmas trees for a silent auction with proceeds to Christmas Hampers and a holiday bazaar with donated items to seniors.
Duncan Cran Elementary – Hamper drive.
Bert Ambrose Elementary – Food drive.
Taylor Elementary – Donations to local Christmas Hamper in coordination with local church.
Anne Roberts Young Elementary – “Giving Tree” with items collected for donations to Women’s Resource Society and Salvation Army (picture below).

Career & Skill Development

Small group visits and tours of Northern Lights College.

“Our goal is to take a small group of students every month to the college to explore programs they are interested in, allow students to envision themselves as students, make connections and help make a smooth transition from high school to post secondary schools to help build strong communities.” … Brian Campbell, District Principal of Careers & International Education

#peacerivernorth #SchoolDistrict60 #yxj #doigriver #nrnlights #nlc #indigenouseducation

Operations / HR

If you would like to view any of these four (4) documents in a larger format, please click on the image:

Teachers Absent – School District No. 60

% of Teachers Absent – School District No. 60

Educational Assistants Absent – School District No. 60

% of Educational Assistants Absent – School District No. 60

Truth & Reconciliation

“The Indian Act” – Backgrounder #7

“Take 3”

C. M. Finch Elementary

Throughout this school year, we have worked to keep school fun and engaging. Our school and neighbourhood are a strong, vibrant, and generous community of people. We have worked hard to keep our community connections during the start to a much different school year. As December is a special time of year for many reasons, we looked for ways to continue to give back to our community and celebrate the holiday season within our school. We have continued to have our holiday hat days and Christmas sweater days within our school. Two special events that are taking place at our school are our Food and Clothing Drive in support of the Women’s Resource Centre and our Virtual Christmas Concert. We have collected non-perishable food items, warm clothing, diapers and other household goods. We have been doing similar events to support this local charity and wanted to make sure we could do something to continue to support them during this pandemic. Our Virtual Christmas Concert is currently being filmed. We know how much our families look forward to our school holiday events each year. In the past we have presented Christmas concerts or had a Mingle Jingle Night, which allowed families to enjoy and celebrate the holiday season with our school community. Our wonderful staff has worked together and used our Music Play Program, as well as their technology skills to produce this virtual concert. Each class has worked hard to present one song in front of a green screen. We will provide a secure YouTube link out to our school community in the last week of school in December for them to enjoy. Troy Lang, Principal

Baldonnel Elementary

ADST – was a centre created for the kindergarten and grade 1 students. The students were to create and build whatever they wanted using the Keva blocks.

BUDDY READING – with the grade 5/6 students and K/grade 1 students. They read together everyday right after recess. They read stories, do chunk sound cards and sometimes math cards as well. Pictured below is Shirley Aylward (Kindergarten student from Mrs. Miller’s K/1 class) and Reese Munch (Grade 6 student from Mrs. Gardner’s 5/6 class).

THE BEST OF ME – is a one-time project that is done at the beginning of the year in Mrs. Louie’s grade 4/5 class. Mrs. Louie gets the students to pick the best part of their body and explain why they chose that body piece. Above are submissions from two students: Heidi Blakmore & Ruby-Sue Haab.

Robert Ogilvie Elementary

A few highlights from this fall … whatever the activity, RO Royals ROAR with Respect, Organization, Accountability and Resilience!

First, the arrival of donated pumpkins from the Real Canadian Wholesale Club during the week of Halloween led to a host of exciting learning activities.