Blog Posts

Thursday, May 11th we had our monthly Sacred Teaching assembly.  Our final teaching was on Truth, represented by Turtle.  We learned how Truth can be unlocked by understanding all of the Seven Sacred Teachings: Bison/Respect, Bear/Courage, Wolf/Humility, Beaver/Wisdom, Sabe & Raven/Honesty, Eagle/Love, and Turtle/Truth.  We also observed Red Dress Day and The Moosehide Project.  Our Drum Circle students performed Nibi Water Song, Wichita Water Song, and The Eagle Song.  Ms. MacInnis’ Gr.

This month,  Salmo Elementary students learned about responsible use of technology in a fun and engaging way through the Franks Facebook Fiasco story walk. Hosted by BC Responsible Gambling and CBAL (Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy), the story walk was set up around our school yard, and students moved through each station with a facilitated conversation about technology, social media, and video games.

The focus for the month of April was on the seven sacred teaching of honesty. Students learned about what it meant to be honest to others, to themselves, and why it is important to do the right thing, even when it might be hard to do. Students learned about being trustworthy, responsible, truthful, as well as what it means to be a good citizen and have integrity.

We were excited to welcome Michael Bortolotto to Salmo Elementary school on April 24. Students attended grade wide assemblies with him and enjoyed an engaging presentation about adversity, resilience and a growth mindset. Michael told stories of his own disability and childhood experiences and shared how he worked towards the success he has today.  His presentation and related stories were captivating to all learners.

May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit Peoples (MMIWG2S). It is also known as Red Dress Day. May 1 to 7 is the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Mental Health Week. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month across North America. This report includes articles related to each of these events.

Dear families,

April is a great time to reconnect with one another after spring break, and to reengage with our individual and collective purpose: to support and realize the success of each of our learners as we begin the final three months of the 2022-2023 school year. 

In that spirit of engagement, I am excited to share results from our strategic plan engagement process in this month's superintendent's report. 

Highlights of the process include: 

A sense of community, an ability to embrace kindness towards oneself and toward others and feeling the joy of physical movement – these are three themes that you will see in this March report. These are also important elements for each child to excel in school and in life. 

This month, we have been focusing on the seven sacred teaching of LOVE. We have learned about the Eagle and how it represents love. Students have been having conversations about how to love ourselves and love others. Kindness, gentleness, co-operation, gratitude and loyalty all flow out of love. 

A great time was had by all this week during our students vs. staff volleyball game! Most students came out at lunch time to cheer on their favourite team. There was cheering, signs, and lots of encouragement from the spectators. Our student volleyball team played hard and really challenged the teachers! In the end, it was a tie, and we look forward to a re-match soon!