Superintendent's Report - November 2026

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

Canadian Geographic Big Map – Robert Ogilvie Elementary

Robert Ogilvie Elementary students explored Canada in a larger-than-life way through Canadian Geographic Education’s Giant Floor Map, Protecting Nature and Culture with Parks Canada.

Students walked across the map, discovering Canada’s diverse geography and locating parks and protected spaces.

This hands-on learning experience brought geography to life while encouraging students to consider the importance of caring for the land and protecting Canada’s natural and cultural heritage for future generations.

Christine Todd, Principal, Robert Ogilvie Elementary

Student Vote BC for the Provincial Elections – civix.ca

As excitement built toward our recent provincial election, nearly 750 schools had registered, including 13 schools from SD60 and more than 100,000 students were expected to cast ballots.

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Robert Ogilvie Elementary — Mrs. Hamilton’s Grade 5/6 class recently took on leadership roles to host a school-wide Student Vote program, running authentic polling stations for both the recent municipal and provincial elections. Students in Grades 1 through 6 participated by casting their ballots, transforming our school into an active civic center.

Beyond managing the voting process, the Grade 5/6 students engaged in deep, critical discussions surrounding the democratic process, including:

Electoral Systems & Scale: Comparing municipal and provincial elections, specifically noting the differences in candidate quantity and regional candidate availability in our area.
Voter Behavior & Campaigning: Analyzing how voters choose candidates and evaluating the purpose behind campaign signage, advertising, and media outreach.
Voter Eligibility & History: Exploring who is eligible to vote in Canada, as well as examining Canadian history to understand the vital role and origin of the secret ballot.
The Tabulation Process: Simulating real-world election operations by treating each table group as an individual reporting polling station to tally and cross-verify ballot counts.

This hands-on experience not only deepened our upper-elementary students‘ understanding of Canadian government and democratic principles but also fostered a spirit of active citizenship across the entire school community.

Bert Bowes Middle School

Student Learning – Human & Social Development

Veterans Canada — “Veterans want Canadians to understand the price of freedom. They are passing the torch to the people of Canada, so the memory of their sacrifices will continue, and the values they fought for will live on in all of us.”

Their website has educational resources as well as information on many other topics:

military history
people & stories
classroom materials
get involved
memorials
medals
search for family & friends who died in service
funding programs
commemoration strategic plan
how to find military service records & attestation papers

Their store is open and you can order the following brand new editions of:

Take Time to Remember activity booklet (ages 5-7)
Tales of Animals in War youth newspaper (ages 8-11)
Canada Remembers Times youth newspaper (ages 12-18)
Veteran recognition cards, bookmarks and posters (all ages)

Use printed copies alongside the digital versions to access bonus content, including videos, veteran interviews and other engaging materials that bring the stories to life.

The Legion’s Remembrance Day Contest

BUICK CREEK ELEMENTARY — Students at Buick Creek School spent time discussing and sharing lessons around Remembrance Day. They chose to enter the Legion’s Remembrance Day contest with poems and posters.

As a class, they took time to refresh how to create a good poster and to work on acrostic poems. The hand-drawn posters required a mini-lesson on ‘how to draw a poppy’. The digital posters required the students to refresh or learn the skills and tools to work with Google Docs, attach and layer photos, and ensure their work is their own.

All in all, the students and staff are very proud of the results of their hard work.

Christine Mann, Vice-Principal, Buick Creek Elementary

October is INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AWARENESS Month

On October 15, local partners from the RCMP Victim Services, Community Bridge, Lawyer Services and Foundry visited NPSS to educate students about healthy relationships and raise awareness about preventing domestic violence.

Throughout the morning, the team presented to 12 different classes, reaching approximately 300 students. Students were highly engaged, asking thoughtful questions and actively participating in discussions about the Purple Lights Campaign and its important message of supporting healthy relationships and ending violence in our communities.

Purple lights were displayed around NPSS in October to encourage our community to stand in solidarity with survivors while fostering important conversations about prevention.

Students and families are also encouraged to explore resources, such as Respectful Futures, a BC educational initiative designed to help youth aged 12-18 develop healthy relationship skills. Through education, awareness, and meaningful conversation, we all play a role in building safer, healthier communities.

Suicide Alertness for Everyone – November 27, 2026

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DBT Skills in Schools — Parent Learning Group

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Student Learning – Career & Skill Development

Makers Making Change – School District 60 Build Events

School District 60 (Peace River North) is proud to partner with Makers Making Change, an initiative of the Neil Squire Society, to provide hands-on learning opportunities for students at Bert Bowes Middle School and the Energetic Learning Campus (ELC).

The Neil Squire Society is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology, education, and employment. Its Makers Making Change initiative brings together volunteers, students, and community members to create affordable assistive technology that helps individuals with disabilities overcome everyday challenges and live more independently.

Through Makers Making Change Build Events, students develop practical skills in electronics, soldering, assembly, and problem-solving while constructing assistive devices that can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

These events connect classroom ADST learning to real-world applications while encouraging teamwork, creativity, empathy, and an understanding of accessibility and inclusive design. Students also gain exposure to potential career pathways in technology, engineering, health care, and skilled trades.

The Build Events provide students with a unique opportunity to use their skills to give back to their community, demonstrating how innovation and hands-on learning can make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Taylor Elementary Receives BC Career Week Micro Grant

Supporting Hands-On Career Exploration Through Career Day – November 30th, 2026

Taylor Elementary School is excited to receive a BC Career Week Micro Grant from the Career Education Society of BC to support its upcoming Career Day.

The funding will help bring career education to life by connecting classroom learning with real-world skills and career pathways. Through interactive, hands-on activities during Career Day, students will have opportunities to explore different occupations, develop practical skills, discover new interests, and learn about the many career possibilities available in their community and beyond.

BC Career Week highlights the importance of introducing students to career exploration at an early age. Events like Career Day help students make meaningful connections between their interests, strengths, and future opportunities while engaging with local industries and community partners.

School District 60 is grateful to the Career Education Society of BC for supporting career education initiatives that inspire curiosity, encourage exploration, and help students begin thinking about their futures.

Congratulations to Taylor Elementary on receiving this grant and creating exciting opportunities for students to explore the world of work!

Career Day at Robert Ogilvie Elementary

Robert Ogilvie Elementary welcomed Grade 5 students from Clearview Elem-Secondary for a Career Day that featured hands-on experience in six career areas: medical, metalwork, welding, oil & gas, electrical and carpentry.

Students rotated through six stations where they participated in activities, observed demonstrations and engaged in conversations about different occupations.

International students helped facilitate the stations, adding to the collaborative spirit of the day.

The experience connected classroom learning with practical skills and introduced students to a range of future career possibilities.

Christine Todd, Principal, Robert Ogilvie Elementary

People Development

This program is a fantastic pathway to earning your BC teaching certification locally.

For more information see the link below and attend the information session on November 16th.

https://www.sfu.ca/education/programs/teacher-ed/plp-community.html

CPI Training

On October 23, district trainers delivered Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) Training to 60 staff members, including Education Assistants and Before and After School Care Attendants. The training provided practical strategies for preventing and de-escalating challenging behaviours while fostering safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments.

This important professional learning strengthens staff confidence and equips them with proven tools to respond effectively in difficult situations, helping to promote positive outcomes for both students and staff. Another training session is scheduled for November 27 as we continue to build capacity across the district.

District Support for Early Literacy Screening

Supporting strong literacy foundations remains a key priority across the district. Charmaine Chretien, Principal of Curriculum and Assessment, and the District Literacy Coaches continue to work alongside teachers in Grades 1 to 3 to support the implementation of early literacy screening and instructional planning.

Early literacy screening provides valuable insight into each child’s reading development, helping educators identify learning needs early and respond with timely support. District staff continue to partner with teachers across schools to strengthen this work and ensure students receive the support they need to be successful readers.

In December, literacy consultant Karen Filewych will return to the district to support Kindergarten teachers with the implementation of literacy screeners and to work with Grade 1 teachers on using screening results to inform instruction and targeted student support. This ongoing collaboration reflects our collective commitment to early intervention and literacy success for all learners.

Governance

Trustee Swearing in Oath Ceremony – November 2, 2026

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Truth & Reconciliation

Indigenous Education Center (IEC) – Soup & Bannock Days

We served soup and bannock to 228 students at Alwin Holland and 358 students at ARYES.

Bannock seems to draw people in… when you have bannock, everyone wants some!

In Nehiyawewin (Cree) language, the word for bannock is pahkwēsikan, translating to breaking off a piece and sharing. It is important to remember that bannock is not a traditional food to Turtle Island. In the numbered Treaty Agreements, each family was given a sack of flour, lard, sugar, and salt. With these ingredients, they had to create food. The origins of bannock is said to be from Scotland, but was adapted by using supplies that were provided in a time of starvation.

Traditionally, soup has been a main food source, the broths made from bones and meat. Before the use of canning and freezing, most meat was dried and preserved for later use. Indigenous people came together at meal times, nourishing their physical being and creating a time for visiting, storytelling, and the transfer of knowledge between generations. Today, sharing a meal with those around you is a sign of respect and reciprocity – give back to those who have gifted you with their friendship, their kindness, their sharing of knowledge and space.

By providing ARYES and Alwin Holland with soup and bannock, we are recognizing the contributions that these students have to our school communities. Everyone has a place within their school community and contributes in some way. And for that, we say thank you and you are appreciated.

Roberta Chouinard-Mayes, Indigenous Cultural Coordinator, Indigenous Education Center

“Take 3”

District Band Program

BCMEA Honour’s Orchestra – one of our students participated in the Honour’s Orchestra at BCMEA (British Columbia Music Educators’ Association) Conference in Vancouver in October.

Sophie Zaldy has been selected for this program three times and this was her last year as a Grade 12 student.

The orchestra is usually comprised of students from the Vancouver area. Sophie represented the north and proudly performed with the entire orchestra.

Sophie has been an SD60 band student since beginner ban and is currently a North Peace Secondary School student.

Rie Sasaki, District Band Teacher

Robert Ogilvie Elementary

Robert Ogilvie Elementary’s Halloween Carnival was a wonderful opportunity for families and community members to come together in support of our school.

A heartfelt thank you to our PAC for organizing such an amazing event and to the volunteers who helped make it possible.

We appreciate everyone who came out to join in the fun and support our school. Your involvement helps build the strong, connected school community we value so much.