Superintendent’s Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers:

In February, we focus on Real Acts of Caring Week (February 9-15). During this month, not only do we focus on acts of kindness and caring, we also highlight stories that connect to the values of equity and courage in the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan.

Aberdeen Elementary School – February 5, 2025

Principal deVries, Vice Principal Haw, and I visited Mrs. May’s Grade 3 class as they were engaged in language and literacy activities. One group was at a listening centre using a Yoto Mini that has cards that have stories, songs, and activities used by the group and continued from where they left off the last time that they were together. Others were solving puzzles and writing reflections on their learning.

We visited Ms. Woodley’s Grade 4-5-6 Montessori class who were involved in exploring different texts in literature circles. There were two classes that flowed between the two classrooms, and the students had committed to reading varied books and were engaged in reading in groups and responding individually. They wrote about their text-text, text-self, and text-world connections with what they read and themes in the texts. While most groups were reading, a couple of groups were working on mathematics, including prime factorization.

Mrs. Gliege’s Grade 2-3 class was engaged in Science lessons about force and motion. Students were comparing how much force is needed to push different objects in certain directions.

Mrs. Abate’s K-1 class was in “sharing time”, and one student had brought his toy raptor and he enjoyed encouraging questions about the toy that required him to share how it works and why he likes to play with it. It was a time when the students who share develop competencies of asking good questions, listening, and extending their questions based on others’ responses.

Mrs. Wojak’s Grade 4 class was practicing realistic drawings of natural objects of their choosing. Some had selected fruit and others had chosen faces. One student shared how she had never drawn an eye before and the eye was like “looking into someone’s heart and soul” and another student had selected an owl because he likes owls.

We went outside with Mrs. Salewich’s Kindergarten class who were blowing bubbles and learning what happened when they tried to blow bubbles in cold temperatures outside. Many students had successfully blown bubbles that floated in the air when we first arrived outside. As the temperature decreased, the bubbles began to freeze and it was fun for them to see the change in the way the bubbles looked.

Fly Fishing at Kamloops School of the Arts and Brocklehurst Secondary School

Local fly fishers from the Kamloops Fly Fishers Association are sharing their love of fly fishing and the importance of environmental stewardship with students and staff at Kamloops School of the Arts and Brocklehurst Secondary School. Both schools offer Fly Fishing Board/Authority Authorized Courses that provide unique experiential learning opportunities for Grade 10-12 students as they learn the science and art of fly fishing while also gaining valuable life skills. Read more.

District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC)

New alert from the BC Gaming for PAC Gaming Grants: All PAC's in BC must have a business BCeID to apply for the 2025-2026 grant for your school. To find out more or for help getting this important step completed, please see the DPAC webpage. Don't delay in getting your BCeID.

Take time to rest, relax, and rejuvenate this weekend.

Rhonda Nixon, PhD
Superintendent