Congratulations to the Grads of 2022
It’s a special time of year for those graduating from high school in School District No. 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap).

Superintendent of Schools Donna Kriger, on behalf of the Board of Education and all SD83 staff, wants to wish all of our graduating students of 2022 congratulations, a happy celebration, and all the best as they continue on with their life and educational journey!

"As secondary schools across School District 83 take time to celebrate the Class of 2022, I would like to offer my personal congratulations to each of the graduates.
Many of you have represented your school and the district over the past years in a myriad of ways. Thank you for the many contributions you have made within fine arts, athletics, music, academics, Indigenous culture, and school/community volunteerism. School District 83 is grateful for the ways in which you have represented us and made us better."

"To the parents, guardians, communities, and staff members who contributed to the success of each graduate, thank you! In your own special way, each of you has provided advice, care and expertise, to ensure these young adults would reach this milestone.
Graduates, I know this will be one of many milestones throughout your lives. Continue to set goals for yourself, be the inspiration to the world around you and never be afraid to pursue your dreams. Always be mindful of the people who have helped shape who you are and who you will become. In the words of E.E. Cummings, 'It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are,' may each of you find that courage.
Congratulations Class of 2022!"

Celebrations include:
Indigenous Education Graduation - Thursday, May 26 at Splatsin Community Centre
Eagle River Secondary School - Friday, June 3 at Eagle River Secondary
Pleasant Valley Secondary School - Wednesday, June 8 at NorVal Arena in Armstrong
A.L. Fortune Secondary School - Friday, June 10 at A.L. Fortune
Salmon Arm Storefront School - Thursday, June 16 at noon at the District Education Support Centre.
Salmon Arm Secondary School - Wednesday, June 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Salmon Arm Secondary (Sullivan)
New faces in new places!
A number of changes to principal and vice-principalships in SD83 schools have been announced and will be taking place as of August 1, 2022. Mark Marino, the current principal at Eagle River Secondary, will be moving to A.L. Fortune (ALF). He will be joined by Gloria Cox, who is currently an acting vice-principal at Jackson. Scott Anderson, the current principal at ALF, will be the new principal at Shuswap Middle School (SMS). Lyle Chapman, a former SD83 teacher who is a current vice-principal in Vernon school district, will be the new principal at Eagle River Secondary.
Three win $40,000 scholarships
A huge congratulations to the three SD83 students who have been awarded $40,000 scholarships! Glitter Esquivias of Salmon Arm Secondary (Sullivan) has been awarded a Beedie Luminaries scholarship while Lynndsay Terpsma of Pleasant Valley Secondary School and Garrett Kelley of Salmon Arm Secondary (Sullivan) have each been awarded a Cmolik Foundation award.
Glitter Esquivias 
Garrett Kelley
Lynndsay Terpsma
A.L. Fortune Drumline wins top spot!
The A.L. Fortune Senior Drumline has once again captured the top spot in BC for Concert Class Drumline. The Junior Drumline (seen at top of newsletter) had an incredible showing and placed third out of seven ensembles in their first competition. Michelle Reed, SD83’s Vice-Principal of Music and the A.L. Fortune band instructor, commented it was incredible to be back in person, sharing what they do with other Scholastic Drumlines in the BC. She noted that local students don't often get to see other Drumlines perform, so getting to see 14 in one day was pretty awesome! She said the students had some great comradery with other schools and truly enjoyed themselves despite the stresses of a competition day.
Len Wood Middle School student honoured
Congrats to Len Wood Middle School student Emmett Moore and his dad James, who were recently honoured by the The Lifesaving Society of BC with Silver medals. The pair rescued two people from drowning after their canoe flipped over on Griffin Lake (near Revelstoke) last September!

James comments that he was very grateful for his son as he really needed his help that day and his son stepped up. "There is no way I could have done it alone."
Are you interested in being a school board trustee?
Are you passionate about public education? Are you civic-minded and keen on making a difference in your community?
Have you considered running for the School District No. 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap) Board of Education? The next general local election will be Saturday, October 15, 2022.
A session for prospective trustees interested in running in the upcoming election will be held on June 28 at 6 p.m. at the District Education Support Centre (DESC), which is located at 341 Shuswap St. SW, Salmon Arm.
This session is aimed at giving those interested in running a look at the roles and responsibilities of being a school board trustee. It will be led by SD83 Superintendent of Schools Donna Kriger and Secretary Treasurer Dale Culler with supporting information from the B.C. School Trustees' Association and the Province of BC.
Students take part in Provincial Track and Championships!
Congrats to Pleasant Valley Secondary, Len Wood Middle, Salmon Arm Secondary Sullivan, and Jackson school students who competed in the Okanagan Track and Field Championships on May 19 at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops, with several qualifying for the provincial championships in Langley from June 9-11.
Students earn French proficiency
A group of 23 students from Pleasant Valley Secondary are the first group of students in SD83 to take and successfully pass the Diplome d'Etudes en Langue Francaise exam. The exam was administered in April and ALL of those who participated passed the exam and received their A1 designation. One student also received their B1. 
Compete in provincial golf championships!
Congrats to the Pleasant Valley Secondary School's golf team which qualified and finished in the top 15 at the BC AA High School Golf Championships, May 30-31 at the Sandpiper Golf Course in Harrison Mills.
The team, coached by George Kocsis, is comprised of Cash Anderson, Clay Wallace, Marcus Petersen, Liam Collins, Nathan Rees, and Adam Lemaire.
Parkview has a Buddy Bench!
A ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the new Buddy Bench was held at Parkview Elementary School on June 6. Getting the Buddy Bench was spearheaded by leadership student Hazel Spanke. Parkview PAC approached the District of Sicamous for support and they provided funds for the bench! SD83 Operations donated the installation costs (labour and materials)!
Kindergarten Gradual Entry
Does your child start kindergarten in September? Welcome!

We just wanted to share that Kindergarten children are welcomed into their new school at the beginning of September by their classroom teacher and other key staff members using the Gradual Entry model.
Students will attend in small groups and/or for shorter periods of time. The Gradual Entry process helps support a smooth and successful transition into Kindergarten. Teachers will be introducing children to classroom routines and procedures and helping the students adjust to the new social and emotional realities of school.
This year, Gradual Entry will take place from Thursday, September 8th to Friday, September 16th. During Gradual Entry, StrongStart educators will be supporting students with Kindergarten transition in Kindergarten classes at their program's school. Schools will be reaching out to Kindergarten families with their school-specific Gradual Entry schedule prior to school start-up.
SD83 has Wild Schools!
Did you know SD83 has five Wild Schools? But it is probably not what you are thinking! The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund (HCTF) Education's Wild Schools program is a free, whole-school, three year initiative for K-8 schools supporting outdoor and place-based learning. An interdisciplinary, curriculum linked program, Wild Schools supports school communities to increase ecological literacy, outdoor field experiences, and to build connections to conservation in the Community.
Trees of Hope
Students were helping fight climate change in a "hands-on" way as they planted conifer seedlings! The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation arranged for all SD83 students in the Wild Schools program to take home a conifer plug to plant.
Math Games Anyone?
There were cards, dice, games, smiles, and laughter as Grade 12 students from Salmon Arm Secondary (Sullivan) played math games with Grade 1 students from Bastion!
STEM at Blackburn Park
Students at South Canoe School had the opportunity to spend the day at Blackburn Park on Thursday working on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills!
STEM activities are common in SD83 schools as they focus on logical thought processes and problem-solving. B.C.'s new K-12 curriculum has a strong focus on STEM and provides students the opportunity to develop their skills in a range of technologies.
Kindergarten Coding
What do you get when you combine a good story with some arrows and loose parts in Kindergarten? You get an amazing opportunity for students to refine their retelling skills through coding! Bastion Kindergarten teacher Sheri Webster learned about "unplugged coding" while taking a course through Queen's University and tried it out with her own class!
Highland Park Elementary hosts triathlon
The annual Highland Park Triathlon took place on June 3. Teacher Peter Byrnes, along with 35 parent volunteers, organized the event! It was "somewhat" wet and muddy but participants took it all in stride and had a great time!
Seamless Day update
For the last school year SD83 piloted its first Seamless Day program at Silver Creek Elementary. The Seamless Day initiative is a unique program that provides before and/or after school care for Kindergarten students and other school-aged students, as space allows. Students connect with familiar educators throughout the day, which allows the educators to better meet the needs of the children and expand on their interests, curiosities, and wonders. The team of educators includes one classroom teacher and two Early Childhood Educators (ECEs).
Second Student Leadership Summit held
Leadership students took part in a tower building activity, reflected on strategies for communication and innovation as just some of the events at the second Student Leadership Summit held at the end of May at the District Education Support Centre (DESC).
One of the organizers, Carlin Elementary Middle School Vice-Principal Sandra Major, reports they were pleased to welcome Trustee Marianne VanBuskirk who joined them for part of the summit and to spoke to the participants about further opportunities for leadership in SD83. "We look forward to building upon this foundation of district student leadership as we begin to consider the exciting possibilities of next year!"
Childhood Experiences Questionnaire
The CHEQ is a questionnaire completed by parents and caregivers at the start of the Kindergarten school year. It helps teachers, school administrators and community partners to provide and improve targeted supports for children and families.
The CHEQ is used to:
  • Develop district and community-wide programs and policies;
  • Better understand the early experiences of children and families; and
  • Improve classroom planning and school programming.
The CHEQ includes questions about children’s experiences with language and numeracy, nutrition and sleep habits, activities at home and in the community, and access to and use of resources and services. All Kindergarten parents/caregivers will have an opportunity to complete the CHEQ in September 2022.
Jump Rope for Heart at Carlin
Carlin Elementary Middle School raised just shy of $5,000 in its annual Jump Rope for Heart recently. "We are truly impressed with the student engagement. Our school raised an incredible $4908.90 to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation," reports CEMS Vice-Principal Sandra Major. "This far exceeded our goal." To show their appreciation, staff generously jumped into a lunch time celebratory “pie in the face” competition! "The kids loved it!" she added.
On Thursday, June 2nd, the entire school took part in outdoor stations that supported fun and heart health. These stations were led by Carlin's fabulous leadership students and their work was truly appreciated. In addition, teacher sponsor support by Rhonda Witzke and Katie Prysunka was invaluable in ensuring our Jump Rope for Heart event was a success! Thank you to everyone who donated and supported this cause.
International Student Program Update
Are you interested in sharing your culture and learning about another? Maybe you would like to be an SD83 homestay family? In only its second full year, the International Student Program (ISP) at SD No. 83 is thriving. A total of 44 students came to study at our high schools during the 2021-22 school year, and with 38 students from Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Mexico, China, and the Netherlands already registered for classes in September, it seems there is no slowing down for the ISP, reports the ISP team of District Principal Rob MacAulay, teacher Chris Davidson and homestay co-ordinator Sandra Rhodes.
Kindergarten Orientation
After a couple of years of not being able to invite families into schools due to COVID, it has been so wonderful to finally host in-person Kindergarten Orientation sessions once again! Teams at every elementary school hosted (or will be hosting) a session this spring to welcome our 2022-23 Kindergarten students to their new school. Each session looks a little different from school to school and some of the activities may have included a school tour, scissor station, self portraits, story time, literacy activities, numeracy activities, loose parts, STEM activities, outdoor play, etc. For example, at South Broadview Elementary, the students were divided into four groups and rotated between the two Kindergarten classrooms, the library, and a school tour. They wrapped up the session by receiving a goody bag with a book, playdoh, crayons, scissors, and a Kindergarten information booklet for families (see picture). At South Canoe Elementary, parents and students started the session outdoors and the current Kindergarten students sang a welcoming song to the incoming students. After a story time, the students planted some seeds in the school garden before exploring the indoor and outdoor learning spaces at the school (see picture). School District No. 83 would like to welcome all our incoming Kindergarten students and their families. We look forward to seeing you in the fall!
Thank you Rotary!
Thank you to Salmon Arm Rotary Club for its generous support of food programs for SD83 students! On May 10, Norm Brown of the Salmon Arm Rotary Club presented $20,000 to SD83 for funding towards food programs for students. Over the past seven years, the Club has donated nearly $150,000 to the program in the form of Askews gift cards, who generously provide the cards at a discount. These cards are distributed throughout all SD83 schools. SD83 is very grateful for this support as it helps ensure students are not hungry while they are trying to learn.
Jackson Band has concert at Wharf!
Under sunny skies Jackson's band entertained at the wharf in Salmon Arm on Wednesday, June 8.