Hello families, 

Well, it was a fun week last week welcoming everyone back to school! Students are now in their classes and programing is moving forward. We welcome our new Kindergarten students in their gradual entry this week! This is an exciting time for them. Teachers have expressed how wonderful it is to be getting to know their students and are very excited for the new year ahead. Thank you for your support in such a positive start to the year!

Some highlights from this week include:

• Classroom community building activities
• Summer reflection/All about me writing and sharing 
• Art projects 
• Outdoor learning and PE 
• Colour house team gatherings – All multi-aged groups met together and chose a name for their group. They made a banner and a cheer. We look forward to some fun school wide group activities this year. 

A few things to know (and reminders) at this time of year – 

1. Absences – If your child is going to be absent, please make sure our office is aware. Best to use our online webform: https://southnelson.sd8.bc.ca/absence-late/southnelson
2. School fees – $40 covers all expenses for your child’s school supplies. This can be paid cash, cheque, or debit in our office. Alternately (and more conveniently!) you can pay online here: https://southnelson.sd8.bc.ca/pay 
3. Traffic – Traffic around the school in the morning is quite dense. Thank you for being watchful as you drop and pick up your children from school.
   
   1. On Hendryx street – please watch for busses and park in front of the yellow cones.
   2. On Latimer – please watch for pedestrians, bikes and busses
4. Communication – Your first point of contact is your teacher. They would have emailed you information for what is the best way to contact you. Many of our teachers use Class Dojo, so please join the app so you can see what the class has been up to and communicate with your teacher quickly. You can review the District Communication Protocol here
5. Come join us for the first PAC meeting of the 2024-25 school year! Tuesday Sept. 17 at 6:30-8:00 pm in the library. Child care will be provided.
6. Volunteering  You may find that you wish to volunteer in your child’s classroom, around the school or accompany field trips throughout the year. We have several trips coming up already this September. 

If you would like to be involved in this way, you will need to submit a volunteer package and have a criminal record check completed.  Once this is on file in the office, you will be able to volunteer throughout the year. 

You can pick up a volunteer package at the office or at this link

Some upcoming dates (you can also find these posted on our calendar: https://southnelson.sd8.bc.ca/events/calendar)

1. Sept. 12 – Family Engagement Session: K-12 Reporting and Core Competencies (See Parent Bulletin for link)
2. Sept. 20 Planning day – NO SCHOOL for students
3. Sept. 26 – Family Engagement Session: Digital Trends (See Parent Bulletin for link)
4. Sept. 27 – Truth and Reconciliation assembly (9:30am) – Parents are welcome to join us!
5. Sept. 30 – Truth and Reconciliation stat holiday – NO SCHOOL
6. Oct. 14 – Thanksgiving holiday – NO SCHOOL
7. Oct. 16/17 – Early Dismissal days (1 hour early)

Finally, some family learning! 

As you help your kids adjust with going back to school, you may find this article helpful: “Back to School: How to Promote Resilience and Set your Kids up for Success” (https://keltymentalhealth.ca/blog/back-to-school-with-resilience) . There are some great suggestions in here such as “connect before you direct” after school, helping your child name big emotions, and debriefing with a star and a wish.

That is all for now. Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Snell