Blog Posts

Watching the Olympics is always one of my favourite highlights.  Not just the winning, but the efforts and sacrifice of athletes to pursue a dream that only comes around once every four years, and putting it all on the line for as little as two minutes.  I watched every Canadian athlete who earned a medal, and the joy of doing it together.

Why We Remember 

There are months I remember more than others. November is one of my REMEMBER months.  Not because it's sunny or I love to pick up leaves in my yard all month (I’m at 40 bags and counting); November is memorable because of the things I have got to do that make Remembrance Day meaningful for me, as well as my family. 

Building Community
Almost eighteen months have passed since we adjusted school learning under a Covid-19 world. Despite all the lows, we worked together to manage and minimize risk for students and staff in schools, and allow for the best learning to happen in our schools.  Now that we have several legitimate vaccines available in Canada, and a child vaccine, seemingly around the corner, to vaccinate 5-12 year olds, we can finally start to talk about the power of face to face interactions in developing school community.

Two weeks (actually three and a half for me) into a new school year, and I am finally beginning to see daylight.  The schedules are mostly set, the (school) train has left the station, and we are troubleshooting as we move down the tracks of learning.  So, while I catch my breath, let me share a little about myself in the context of the world we are now living in. 

The new school year begins!  We have a lot of things that are different—naturally because of the World Pandemic—but we are finally in a stage where we are starting to get a little closer to what is normal (and FUN!) about school. 

I have struggled this past week to process my thoughts and emotions regarding the horrific truths coming out of the Kamloops Residential School. This appalling tragedy is a difficult reminder for survivors of residential schools and their families, and a reminder of the hurt and intergenerational trauma they have endured. This hurt and trauma affects families within our own school community.

Last month it was announced that there will be a change in principalship at Upper Sumas Elementary for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year.

Spring is Finally Here!

Welcome back from Spring Break! I hope everyone had a chance over the break to spend some quality time together with their families, staying safe and enjoying local adventures. Term 2 report cards went home last month, and I was filled with pride when I read over them. Across all grade levels our students are showing steady progress in reading, writing and math. The gains our students have made from term one to term two are a direct result of our dedicated educational staff at school, and the close relationship we have with our parent community.

I can hardly believe that term two is coming to a close. It feels like Winter Break just ended and yet Spring Break is almost here! 

Happy New Year!