Category Archives: FYI

Ama Sah / Good Day,

On behalf of Coast Mountains School District, I’d like to welcome you to the 2023-2024 school year!

The start of a new school year is an exciting time for everyone involved in our education system, but in particular, for our learners. Heading back to school in September allows children and youth to reconnect with friends they may not have seen over the summer, as well as begin to forge relationships with both classmates and caring adults who may be new in their lives. In many cases, these relationships become the cornerstone for authentic and meaningful learning experiences over the course of the school year.

As a school district, Coast Mountains will continue to focus this year on the priorities identified in the Board’s Strategic Plan – Engage, Ignite, Empower. With overarching goals related to learning, organizational wellness and cultural diversity, district-wide actions in 2023-2024 will serve to improve outcomes for students as measured through multiple indicators including graduation rates, provincial assessment results and classroom evidence of learning. To be sure, staff members across the entire district will strive to create learning spaces that are safe, welcoming and inclusive so that all students feel a sense of belonging and experience success. To learn more about our school district’s Strategic Plan, visit our website at https://cmsd.bc.ca/strategic-plan.

Please take a moment to review the rest of this important communication which includes school start-up and bussing information for Hazelton, Kitwanga, Kitimat, Kitamaat Village, Stewart, Terrace, Thornhill and surrounding communities. Should you have any questions or require further clarification, do not hesitate to contact your child’s school.

Again, welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! We all look forward to seeing you in September.

Sincerely,
Aaron Callaghan
Superintendent of Schools
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Pre-Registration & Opening Day Information

Pre-registration for all schools will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 29 and 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Students not pre-registered should register on these dates.

District Schools will open on Tuesday, September 5 for all students (except Kindergarten):

• Kindergarten students are requested to begin attending on the date arranged by the school.
• Buses will make their morning runs at the usual time and their return runs after students have been in attendance for approximately two hours EXCEPT for students enrolled at Hazelton Secondary, Kitwanga Elementary, Majagaleehl Gali Aks Elementary, Mount Elizabeth Middle/Secondary and New Hazelton Elementary Schools who will attend at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5.
• The alternate bus times for the afternoon of September 5 only for Kitwanga/Hazelton Schools and Mount Elizabeth Middle/Secondary School as well as the 2023-2024 Bus Schedule/Routes effective September 5 and 6 respectively are available at https://cmsd.bc.ca/bus-routes-and-schedules.

Regular school hours and bus runs will begin on Wednesday, September 6. Access the following links to view the 2023-2024 Return to School Messages and Bus Routes including school contacts:

2023-24 Hazelton-Kitwanga Return to School Message & Bus Schedules

2023-24 Kitimat & Kitamaat Village Return to School Message & Bus Schedules

2023-24 Stewart Return to School Message

2023-24 Terrace-Thornhill Return to School Message & Bus Schedules

Should you have questions or concerns regarding bus routing and scheduling the following steps are suggested:

1. Contact your child’s/children’s School Principal.
2. Contact the Operations Manager at Diversified Transportation bus lines at 250-635-7042 or 1-855-538-5287 for out of town.

Coast Mountains School District 82 is pleased to provide the opportunity to the families of Bear Valley, Kildala Elementary, Kitwanga Elementary and Suwilaawks Community Schools with “free access” to the Summer Reading Boost Program.  School District 82 purchased licenses for these schools to access this program featuring Dr. Janet Mort and the Joyful Literacy Teacher Team.  The Summer Reading Boost Program was created in partnership with SD 91 (Nechako Lakes) due to the growing concern with the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on early learners … with summer looming, they knew for many struggling children the gaps will continue to grow.

This home-based program comprises 10 videos (video titles provided below) that instructs parents how to teach and practice Foundational Skills (K to 3).  Each video is supported with a handout package of over 100 games, activities, read-aloud strategies and checklists from Janet Mort’s new book “Parent Power: You can teach your child to read!”  All games and activities are designed to be productive, playful and fun for the whole family. We invite parents/guardians to use the program all summer long and throughout the next school year.

This series of ten 20-minute videos can be easily streamed online by parents for playful practice activities with important Foundational Skills all summer long.  You can also download the videos for offline viewing.  Each video is accompanied by a package of handouts that include instructions, games and activities for each video topic.
Video Titles include (package handouts for each video provided below):

• Alphabet Crazy Fun 1: My Family Teaches Me My ABC’s
• Alphabet Crazy Fun 2: Games, Practice and Celebrations
• Phonemic Play 1: Learning to read in the dark?
• Phonemic Play 2: Tricking Our Ears!
• Superpower Sight Words 1: One Two Three – READ!!!
• Superpower Sight Words 2: Practice, Play and Performance
• Come-alive Reading: It’s party-time reading in my home.
• Echo and Repeated Reading: I read just like you.
• Reading Buddies: Teaching Me, Loving Me and Reading with Me
• Writing Buddies: My Pen, Your Pen, Our Pen

How to Access the Video Series:

1. Click on the “Video Showcase Link” provided below.
2. Enter the password provided below in the “Enter Password” box and click the “Submit” button.
3. You will now have access to stream the video series online, or download individual videos to view them offline (see instructions below).

Video Showcase Link:

• https://vimeo.com/showcase/8375014

Password:

• s78WRm36kD

Package Handouts with Instructions, Games and Activities for each Video Topic:

• INSTRUCTIONS_Accessing the Video Bundle and Downloading Videos
• Handouts_Video 1-2_Joyful Literacy Family Summer Literacy Boost
• Handouts_Videos 3-4_Joyful Literacy Family Summer Literacy Boost
• Handouts_Videos 5-6_Joyful Literacy Family Summer Literacy Boost
• Handouts_Videos 7-8_Joyful Literacy Family Summer Literacy Boost
• Handouts_Videos 9-10_Joyful Literacy Family Summer Literacy Boost

Questions about the Parent Power Summer Literacy Boost?  Contact joyfulliteracy2020@shaw.ca.

During this time, it is understandable for children to have questions or express concern about the COVID-19 virus.  As parents, teachers or caregivers, it is important to stay informed and communicate in age-appropriate ways that address children’s questions and helps them take steps to keep themselves and others healthy.

Here are some tips and resources to help:

• Don’t be afraid to talk about it: Convey the facts and set an emotionally reassuring tone.
• Be age-appropriate: Teens can process and handle a higher level of detail than five year olds. Focus on answering your child/student’s questions. Do your best to answer honestly and clearly; it’s okay if you can’t answer everything.
• Follow their lead: Invite your child or student to ask questions and share their perspective: Invite them to tell you anything they may have heard about the coronavirus and express how they feel.
• Check yourself: Feeling anxious?  Take some time to calm down before trying to have a conversation or answer your child’s questions.
• Focus on actions you can take: Emphasize safety precautions everyone can take to help keep themselves and others healthy: good hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, social distancing and staying home if you aren’t feeling well.
• Stick to routine: Structured days with regular mealtimes and bedtimes are an essential part of keeping kids happy and healthy.
• Keep talking: Tell kids/students you will keep them updated as you learn more.  Let them know the lines of communication are going to be open and as you learn more, you will share the information with them, too.

Resources:

• BCCDC Frequently Asked Questions on COVID-19 for Children and Students
• BCCDC COVID 19: Recommendations for Students, Parents and Guardians

Partners

Search Suwilaawks Community School and request to join.

Suwilaawks Students Are Composting

Being a ‘green’ school, the staff and students of Suwilaawks have entered into the exciting world of compost.   A huge thank you to Telus for providing the industrial sized composters.   Mini-compost collecting bins are in each classroom.  During the day, a team of composters stealthily move through the hallways and collect the waste to put in the huge compost bins.

The formula for greens (organic waste) and browns (kind of like the filler) is an art.  If too many greens are added, the compost becomes liquidy.  We do try to recycle as much as possible and the school’s discarded papers are shredded and added to the compost.  This helps balance the ‘greens’.  Once in the barrels, the students turn the bins with a giant ‘steering’ wheel.   It is amazing how much heat is produced.  The finished compost is then put in our community gardens.  The entire process is quite the learning experience.

 We’ve been moving and grooving every morning … singing together,  learning to dance together and most importantly creating a warm and welcoming place for our kids to shine.  Favourites have been:  the Chicken Dance, the YMCA and the twist.  Gathering together each morning has been an amazing opportunity to showcase our student talent and our student energy.     Special thanks to Clifton for sharing his love and talent on the piano as he played Fur Elise to a mesmerized crowd.  Also kudos to Anika for giving us the opportunity to hear her play her guitar and sing an outstanding version of  ‘You Are My Sunshine”.  We are a school filled with talent.   

Suwilaawks Identity Day