Our book fair will be in our school library from Dec 5 – 8. We are very much in need of more parent helpers to run the sales at lunch time and after school, so if you are available for a shift, please contact the school.  Thanks for any and all help.

SD83 would like to make parents and students aware of an incident which took place in Sicamous on Friday afternoon.

According to an RCMP press release a 14-year-old youth was sexually assaulted near Parkview Elementary School and Parkland Mall in Sicamous.

Sicamous RCMP say the victim, a 14-year-old youth was walking with her 13-year-old friend when the assault occurred on October 21 at 4:30 pm. They were approached by an unknown man who asked them, Hey, do you know… Without finishing the sentence, he grabbed the 14-year-old. Both youths began screaming and the man released his grip allowing them to be able to run away.

Police are now looking for the man who is described as: Caucasian, approximately 40 years of age, no facial hair, wearing a black toque, black zip-up jacket, and sunglasses.

These youth did everything correctly by screaming and running free. They were able to provide a description of the man. We commend their bravery, says Sgt. Murray McNeil in the press release, in charge of the Sicamous RCMP Detachment. Anyone with information on the incident, or who may have been in the area, is asked to call the Sicamous RCMP at 250-836-2878.

Superintendent of Schools Donna Kriger adds because of the concerning incident in Sicamous, a letter is being sent home to parent/guardians/caregivers and supports are being put in place in Sicamous schools. She is also asking that parents/guardians/caregivers please have a conversation with their child(ren) regarding what to do if approached by a stranger.

View RCMP Release Here

Student-Teacher-Family Conferences play an important role in establishing student learning goals for the year. This year, in-person Student-Teacher-Family Conferences will take place on October 26^th, 2022, at all Elementary and Middle Schools in SD83. Students will not be in attendance this day, except during their scheduled conference time. 

The Student-Teacher-Family conferences serve as an informal learning update (previously an “interim report”) and provide an opportunity to establish and build relationships where the student, teacher, and family collaboratively discuss meaningful goals for student growth. Areas of strength, areas for growth, and next steps will be identified for each student. 

WHAT TO EXPECT:  

• Your child’s school will share information about how to book a conference time with your child’s teacher 

• Conferences will be around 15 minutes in length for each student and will be held in your child’s classroom  
• During the conference, opportunities will be provided to share examples of learning, reflect on areas of strength, and identify areas of further growth  
• Student goals may be developed as part of the conference preparation in advance and then reviewed together during the conference, or discussed and completed together at the conference 
• Any support required to meet the goals will also be identified during the conference 
• Teachers will follow-up with all parents who are unable to attend on the October 26^th Conference Day (options include: scheduling a conference meeting on another day, facilitating a virtual conference using Microsoft Teams, or discussing student growth and goals over the phone)  

• Conferences will look and feel different based on the developmental stage and readiness of the child; for example, a student in Grade 1 may be more supported through the process than a student in Grade 8 
• Student voice and participation are valued at all developmental stages; teachers and families will work together to support students as needed during these conferences 

The Ministry of Education and Child Care’s K to 12 Reporting Policy Framework provides an overview of the upcoming changes to the Student Reporting Policy, set to be fully implemented in the 2023/24 school year. 

 This is the time of year when our students in grades 4 & 7 begin participating in the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). This annual provincial assessment, measures students’ academic skills and provides the district with a snapshot of students’ foundational skills in literacy and numeracy. All students in grades 4 & 7 are required by the Ministry of Education and Child Care to participate in the FSA. 

The results of the FSA serve as an important tool to support student learning in SD83 which will be particularly important as we continue to determine the impact of COVID-19 on student learning. The district also uses the assessment data to support the alignment of resources during our annual budget discussions. FSA data is not part of the formal student evaluation process and is not included in student report cards. 

Click here for parent brochure.

Recently there have been rumours about “cameras in student washrooms” that have generated some calls and emails to School District No. 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap) and some of its schools.

“I want to assure everyone that these rumours are untrue and unfounded,” states Superintendent of Schools Donna Kriger. “SD83 is committed to student safety, privacy, well-being and learning. We are grateful for those concerned stakeholders who reached out to us from a place of positive intent.”

S83 is currently enjoying a school start up filled with renewed optimism and hope. “Our intention is to continue this positivity through the 2022-23 school year as we focus on keeping students first.”

Kriger asks that if parents do hear these types of rumours/information please take the time to check with your school principal to ensure the information is indeed accurate.

We are having our first school spirit day this Friday Sept 16! On Friday, your child(ren) and staff may choose to wear a “fun” shirt. What’s a “fun” shirt? Really anything that they like is fun! Dinosaurs, sports teams, colourful designs and patterns, you name it!

Welcome back to school (almost!). We hope you’ve been having a great summer. School starts in just one week – Wednesday Sept 7 – for students. Details about startup were emailed to families on August 31, 2022, but here is that information as well. Staff has been working hard to get things ready for your children, and we are all looking forward to a terrific year! Please click the link below.

OFFICE HOURS

The office will be open during the summer as per the schedule below.  Please call (250) 832-7195 during these times if you would like to schedule an appointment to meet with Ms. Jodi Garries (New Principal). If you did not pick up your report card in June or you would just like to stop by and say “hi” please feel free to pop in as well.

SUMMER HOURS – Monday August 29 – Friday September 2 (8:00am – 2:30pm)

REGULAR HOURS BEGIN – Tuesday Sept 6 (7:30am – 3:00pm)

NEW REGISTRATIONS

New student registration will take place on Tuesday August 30st from 8:00am-2:30pm. Please bring the following documents with you when registering your child.

• Birth Certificate
• Care Card
• Immunization Record
• Proof of Residency (ie. a hydro bill, rental agreement etc. with your name and address on it)

If you cannot make it in to register during this time, please contact the school by phone at (250) 832-7195 or by email at hil@sd83.bc.ca.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Families do not need to go out and purchase school supplies for their children. The school has purchased school supplies for each classroom, and families are charged a School Supply Fee to cover the cost of the supplies used over the course of the year. In preparation for the first day, students will need to have a backpack and a clean pair of indoor runners (with non-marking soles). A School Supply Fee Letter will be sent home as part of a newsletter during the first week.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

The first day of school for Grade 1 – 5 students will be Wednesday, September 7. 

The office will be open on Tuesday September 6, however, there will be no school for students on this day.

When the Welcoming Bell rings at 8:09am on Wednesday September 7, returning students will line-up at the exterior door of last year’s classroomand new students will report to the office for an orientation. Students will spend the first day in their last year’s classrooms, so we can determine who has moved away and who has recently registered.  This will be a full day for students so please make sure they come with a snack, lunch, and indoor shoes.  Students will be dismissed at 2:10pm.

Grade 1-5 parents should look for an email on the evening of Wednesday September 7. If we can finalize our class placements on Wednesday September 7, the email you receive will contain information about your child’s new teacher. If we are not able to finalize our class placements on Wednesday September 7, Grade 1-5 students should report to last year’s classroom again on Thursday September 8.

Kindergarten students will begin their Gradual Entry on Thursday, September 8.  Information about Kindergarten Gradual Entry was sent home in June at our Kindergarten Orientation event. There will also be a follow-up email sent to parents during the first week of September.

LINK: Hillcrest Newsletter – June 2022

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Dear Hillcrest Families,                                                                                                                                   

Thank you for another fantastic school year and for sharing your children with us! We truly appreciate the opportunity to build memories, have fun, and learn with your incredible children. It was a pleasure to read our report cards last week as it was evident that all our students have worked extremely hard this year and have come so far with their learning.

The newsletter above contains some important information about end of year items and school start-up for Sept 2022. Please note, the first day of school next year for Grade 1-5 students will be on Wednesday Sept 7. Also, our daily bell schedule will be slightly different next year. The school day will begin at 8:13am and will finish at 2:10pm.  Families with students in Kindergarten should refer to the gradual entry schedule they received at our K-Orientation in planning for the first two weeks.

On a personal note, it has been an absolute honour to work in such an amazing school and community. Our students have such kind hearts and always come to school happy and ready to learn. Our parents are always so supportive and genuinely care about how their children are doing at school. Our staff care deeply for their students, are extremely skilled educators, and have a true passion for learning. I have learnt so much during my time at Hillcrest and I want to thank everyone for making my time at Hillcrest so memorable.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful and safe summer filled with relaxation, fun, adventure, and lots of new memories with your family.

Sincerely,

Gord Ritchie

Principal – Hillcrest Elementary School