March 10, 2022-Principal's Update

March is an exciting month for us, because it means WE finally get to go home to our Whatcom & Vye Campus! If you have driven by the school, you know that our district workers have been working extremely hard to get our school ready for our return after Spring Break. Please let me share what can be expected in the days to come following Spring Break.

Return to Upper Sumas Elementary

I am thrilled to confirm that students will be returning to our original school location on Tuesday, March 29. Following the break, our staff and teachers will spend Monday, March 28, preparing our school and classrooms. 

A heartfelt thanks to our district's Facilities Department for all of their hard work over the last few months in remediating our school site following the flood this past November. You can listen to an update from this week's Board Meeting to better understand the amazing work that has gone into this process! 

School Bell Schedule

Our new school schedule is our OLD school schedule that we started with in September:

8:55 am Warning Bell
9:00 am School Day begins
10:40 - 10:55 am Recess
12:25 - 12:40 pm Lunch
12:40 - 1:17 pm Outside Play
3:08 pm Dismissal

Bussing to Upper Sumas Elementary (Whatcom & Vye Campus)

Our school bus connections to Upper Sumas are expected to return to their original times and pick-up/drop-off zones as we had in September.  The School Transportation department will be contacting families by March 25 via email to confirm your location and times. Please contact school transportation (604-852-5278) if you need assistance in finding your pick-up/drop-off times and zones.

Rapid Antigen Test Kits for Students

As announced by the BC Ministry of Education several weeks ago, BC students are receiving a supply of Rapid Antigen Test kits.  The test kits for Upper Sumas students have arrived at our school.

Due to the sensitivity of the test kits, we are not able to distribute the packages by sending them home with students in their back packs.  Test kits are available for pickup at our school office during regular school hours (9:15 am to 3:30 pm; closed for lunch 12:45 - 1:15 pm).

Our office will be closed during Spring Break (March 14-25). The first day of school for our students, returning back to our Whatcom & Vye campus, is Tuesday March 29. 

Renaming our School 

As many will recall, the Board of Education passed a motion at the end of last year where two schools in our district will be renamed to value the close relationship we have with our local First Nations, the Semá:th First Nation and Mathxwí First Nation. Effect July 2022, our school and Matsqui Elementary will formally be renamed to Semá:th Elementary and Mathxwí Elementary, respectively.

Our school has a close relationship with the Semá:th First Nation, as evidenced by their willingness to support us with space during this past fall's historic flooding. Renaming our school is one small step we can make as a school district to recognize and acknowledge the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, where our school is physically situated and the importance of sustaining a vibrant, culturally responsive school community. 

I wish you all a well-deserved and relaxing Spring Break.

Abby Chan, Principal
Upper Sumas Elementary