Dear Parents/Guardians,

What a beautiful fall we are having! It is hard to believe that today we are heading into the Thanksgiving weekend already. It seems like summer has been given the extra gift of time. Each day as we begin our school day with an aboriginal land acknowledgement, I reflect and am so truly grateful to work and live in this beautiful Kootenay area. On these days of crisp mornings, beautiful afternoons and a changing colourful landscape, I try to pause and be grateful. I hope you also enjoy these simple pleasures, especially as we head into this Thanksgiving weekend.

It’s been a busy start to the school year. New classroom routines, friendships, and learning activities have been the priority. It has been so refreshing to return to more pre-covid school routines. We now have combined recess play time and opportunities for mixed groupings. Additionally, there have been a few assemblies, and we are looking forward to more whole-school activities in the month to come. Teachers and students have been grateful for the ability to move freely throughout the school and re-engage in more typical classroom shared activities.

With the beautiful weather we also enjoyed several whole school outdoor events such as the Terry Fox run and the Orange Shirt Day walk for reconciliation. We also assembled an outdoor cross country running team who are practicing for an upcoming district meet next week! And, as usual, classes are routinely learning outdoors in our community, exploring the local forest and habitat, and engaging in regular PE activities.

I wanted to take a moment and thank you for sharing your children with us for this school year. I am so grateful for our community of students, who bring a uniqueness to our school and brighten it in so many ways. Their smiles, enthusiasm and love of learning bring joy to me each day. Thank you for sharing them with our team.

Thank you for your involvement in our school community as well. It has been wonderful to meet new families and welcome parents back in the building. Many thanks to our volunteers this fall and our PAC who are supporting our lunch program.

Finally, I am so very grateful for all our amazing and dedicated staff. Each day they bring enthusiasm and care to the work they do. They are the foundation that makes our school a vibrant place to be each day.

As you head into the weekend, I want to wish you all the very best for a rich and restful time with family and friends. We look forward to seeing everyone again on Tuesday, October 11.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Dawn Snell | Principal