Framework for Enhancing Student Learning (FESL)
** click here to see the Framework Report that outlines the goals, strategies, targets, and resource allocations for student success in all areas.
Student Learning – Intellectual Development
Vertical Teams
Grade 3 & 4 Math
The grades three and four teacher groups include all teachers in the district. Our September meeting was highly engaging and hands-on with a focus on explicit use of manipulatives as tools to support understanding of mathematical concepts. We are often encouraged to have students “use” manipulatives to support and demonstrate their understanding, but how to use them is not necessarily universally understood. Our work in September focussed on using manipulatives to help teachers understand what the curricular competencies actually look, sound and feel like in action. A structured design was used with teachers that they can then utilize with their own students to build understanding, strategies and flexible thinking.
The images below are teachers working with linking cubes, a common manipulative tool, found in schools, but often underutilized. The images below illustrate use of part-part=whole as well as moving to making a number line.
The Grade 6 & 7 vertical teams are in their second year with all teachers rather than a separate rural group that ran last year. At the request of the rural teacher group, they really wanted to come to town and interact and experience what was being discussed in person. Our September session focussed heavily on the use of manipulatives as a tool to demonstrate understanding in the classroom and how to establish the required routines and mindsets to do so at this grade level. Teachers got to experience how to use two-sided counters during this session.
Student Learning – Human & Social Development
- Alwin Holland Elementary
- Robert Ogilvie Elementary
- Duncan Cran Elementary
- Bert Ambrose Elementary
- Baldonnel Elementary
- Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School
- Upper Halfway Elementary Junior Secondary
- Wonowon Elementary Junior Secondary
- Hudson’s Hope Elementary Secondary
- Charlie Lake Elementary
- Clearview Elementary Junior Secondary
- Prespatou Elementary Secondary
Foundry’s vision is to transform access to services for young people ages 12–24 in BC.
Foundry offers free and confidential mental health and wellness services for youth ages 12-24 in British Columbia and their families. No referrals are needed.
Foundry is a province-wide network of integrated health and wellness services for young people ages 12–24 and their families. We bring together multiple services in one place — in person at Foundry centers and virtually through the Foundry BC app — to make it easier for youth to access care, connection and support.
Our values are the cornerstones that guide us in the workplace and in our communities. As we learn and develop as a team and as individuals, we are all working towards living these values:
- Learn & Evolve
- Appreciate Individuality
- Celebrate Community
- Share the Load
- Committed to Youth
- Embrace Nuance
Foundry centers are operated by lead agencies; local non-profits and health authorities in communities across BC. Foundry’s lead agencies play a crucial leadership role in Foundry center communities.
Upcoming events in Fort St John ….
Student Learning – Career & Skill Development
Catapult Challenge
Our first event was held on October 9th, 2026.
Please click on the following video link to see how the day went and how much fun the students had testing their creations.
Moneca Conway, ADST
NPSS Automotive Shop
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Junior Volunteer Program @ NPSS
The Hospital Junior Volunteers program is back for this school year and is now full with thirty-six (36) students enrolled in this program.
In the next couple of weeks, students will continue their orientation and training in learning how to care for patients and residents.
Students will be starting work at the Peace Villa and/or the in-patient care unit in mid-October.
POPFASD (Provincial Outreach Program for FASD)
Vanessa Worthington is the Provincial Educator from POPFASD who will be facilitating sessions for our case managers in understanding and confidently writing Competency-Based Individual Education Plans (CB-IEPs) for students identified with chronic health issues.
Vanessa meets with schools teams throughout the province who are preparing for audits and also meets with the Ministry on a regular basis.
Administrative Overview
- The purpose of Inclusive and Competency Based IEPs and their role in supporting meaningful student outcomes
- Understanding Category D through the lens of FASD and Complex Neurodevelopmental Profile (CNP), with a focus on functional educational impact
- Documentation and evidence required to support identification, planning, and service delivery decisions
- Aligning supports, services, and IEP planning with demonstrated student needs
- Overview of Category H criteria and Ministry expectations for supplemental funding
The Regulated Classroom – Professional Development
Target audience : Grade 5-9 Core French teachers
TEACHING BEGINNER’S CORE FRENCH? PAS DE PROBLÈME!
Making learning French engaging and meaningful, regardless of your own French skills
Do you teach Core French and want practical, confidence-building strategies for
teaching Beginner French (Grades 5-7) in a safe and collaborative environment?
Discover a collection of free, teacher-created units developed specifically for Beginner French learners. These resources include English phonetic support for French words and expressions, interactive activities, games, embedded second/additional language instructional strategies and communicative and actionable tasks that help students build confidence while developing a love of learning French. Together, we will explore as many of the learning activities as possible. The session will remain flexible and responsive to the needs of the group, helping to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for learning and using French. By the end of the session, participants will leave with practical, classroom-ready strategies and access to a wealth of free resources from Simon Fraser University’s Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs (SFU-OFFA) Teaching French for Beginners project. They will be equipped to confidently implement engaging, low-prep learning experiences that support beginner French learners and foster a positive, successful language-learning environment.
Truth & Reconciliation
Orange Shirt Day
… at École Central Elementary School of the Arts
Each student colored a page and then the class assembled all the pieces together to create these wonderful posters.
We hung them around the gymnasium for our Orange Shirt Day assembly.
… at C. M. Finch Elementary
We had an amazing Orange Shirt Day! Students and staff rocked their orange shirts to show that Every Child Matters.
Every class enjoyed fresh bannock while learning about its cultural history.
Classes walked through our interactive Story Walk of Phyllis Webstad’s With Our Orange Shirts and filled giant colorful dot posters with drawings of themselves and the people who matter to them.
It was an awesome day full of heart, tasty food, and community spirit!
… at Bert Ambrose Elementary
Bert Ambrose students in Grade 3 used marigolds with Mrs. Ford to naturally color orange shirts.
The marigolds were grown in our school garden and harvested by our younger students.
It was a great connection between the land and our school.
Other classes used different artistic expressions to show their learning in meaningful ways.
… at Dr. Kearney Middle School
DKMS honored Orange Shirt Day with a school-wide assembly.
The event was highlighted by performances from Indigenous dancers, reflections on Truth and Reconciliation, and a community round dance.
…. at North Peace Secondary School
Students reflected on the meaning of Truth & Reconciliation Day by sharing their thoughts and messages on orange paper t-shirts.
These mini t-shirts are proudly displayed outside the cafeteria, creating a meaningful visual reminder of the importance of remembering, learning and honoring the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Through this activity, students demonstrated their commitment to reflection, respect and reconciliation.
TIPI TEACHINGS RESOURCES – Professional Development
“Take 3”
BATTLE OF THE BEATTON
The 2nd Annual Battle of the Beatton Run on Oct. 4 was a success.
There were 96 runners this year, which was a slight increase from last year’s event.
Proceeds from the event’s registration will benefit the running programs at North Peace Secondary School and Bert Bowes Middle School.
Thank you to Steve Toews and his family for helping put on this race.
Lori Coulter, Vice-Principal, Energetic Learning Campus (ELC)
District Elementary Soccer Tournament
Joe Brooks, Tournament Organizer & Principal, École Central Elementary
FSJ Firefighters Charitable Society & Staples
On September 14 representatives of the FSJ Firefighters Charitable Society and our local Staples store came by with a generous donation for our students …
… there were 100 backpacks as well as $2,500.00 worth of school supplies.