April 30, 2025

School Hours:

Mon – Thurs: 8:25am – 3:00pm

Fri: 8:25am – 12:45pm

Choice School Gala

We’re thrilled to remind our wonderful Choice School families and community members that our annual Gala is just around the corner!

This special evening is more than just a celebration — it’s an opportunity for us to come together as a community, to support our school, and to celebrate the growth and achievements of our students. With delicious food, live entertainment, exciting auction items, and joyful company, the Gala promises to be a night to remember.

Date: May 30, 2025

Time: 6 pm till 10 pm

Location: Riverside Palace, 14431 Knox Way, Richmond

Attire: Formal

This evening will feature:

• Live entertainment
• A formal dinner
• A Magic Show
• Silent auction & raffles
• Heartfelt stories from past and present members of our community

The Gala is also a vital fundraiser that helps enrich the educational experience at Choice School — from enhancing classroom resources to supporting unique learning opportunities. Your presence, enthusiasm, and support make a real difference. Among some of the sponsors of this event include Westin Hotels and of course our parent community.



Whether you’re a longtime member of the Choice School family or a new face in our community, we would love to see you there. Let’s come together to celebrate what makes our school so special!

Tickets are still available — don’t miss out!

We will need to confirm numbers with the banquet hall - please let us know about your attendance by clicking on this link: Registration

Nourish Kids program

During April, we had a presentation about the food we eat from Nourish Kids.

Nourish Kids - is a unique school nutrition program, designed to introduce healthy eating habits and provide nutrition education to elementary aged children (K-7), in a fun and interactive way.   

The nutrition presentation covered part of the Physical & Health Education curriculum goals put out by the BC Ministry of Education. the presenter explained the newly revised Canada Food Guide. The presentation was tailored to students' ages and took about 30 min per class.

The presentations include:

• Nutrition and health education
• Description on how foods contribute to health and influence healthy choices
• Exploring strategies for healthier food choices, and the importance of eating a good breakfast
• Sampling healthy snacks during the 'Snack and Learn' section of the program
• A fun interactive game at the end of the presentation and activity handouts to work on



Coding at Choice School: A Program Students Love!



We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Coding Program for the 2024/25 school year — now in its third consecutive year at Choice School!

Over the past few years, our Coding Program has quickly become one of the most popular and beloved parts of our curriculum. Students eagerly dive into coding activities each week, building valuable skills in critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving — all while having a lot of fun!

Our Coding Program introduces students to the exciting world of computer science in an engaging, hands-on way. Whether they are designing simple games, building websites, or solving programming challenges, students are developing skills that will serve them well in the future. They are not just learning how to code — they are learning how to think like innovators and creators.

At Choice School, we believe that preparing students for the future means giving them the tools to understand and shape the digital world around them. We are so proud of how enthusiastic and capable our young coders have become, and we can't wait to see all the amazing projects they create this year!

Stay tuned for updates and highlights from our Coding Program as the year unfolds — the future is being built right here in our classrooms!

A gifted lecture : What's the fuss about acceleration

We were thrilled to welcome Maureen McDermid to Choice School for a recent Gifted Lecture on the topic of academic acceleration.

Maureen shared valuable insights on different types of acceleration, including subject-specific advancement and grade-skipping, along with the benefits and challenges of each. Her presentation emphasized the importance of thoughtful decision-making to best support the academic, social, and emotional needs of gifted learners.



Thank you to Maureen and to everyone who joined us for this engaging and informative session!

Open House

On April 23, Choice School proudly hosted an Open House, welcoming prospective families and community members to experience the spirit and excellence of our school firsthand.

Visitors had the opportunity to tour our classrooms, meet our dedicated teachers and staff, and learn more about our unique programs and approach to education. Our student ambassadors and volunteers did a fantastic job showcasing the vibrant learning environment we are so proud of.

The energy throughout the day was inspiring, with many guests commenting on the warm, welcoming atmosphere and the strong sense of community that defines Choice School.

Thank you to everyone — staff, students, and parent volunteers — who helped make the Open House such a success!

Birch Class Takes on Budgeting in the Real World

This month, Birch class students had an exciting opportunity to put their financial literacy skills into practice through a hands-on, real-world budgeting activity. Building on classroom lessons about income, taxes, budgeting, and price comparison, students stepped into the role of savvy shoppers on a mission!

In class, students explored the basics of managing money — learning how to create a budget, understand sales tax, compare prices, and make informed financial decisions. To bring these concepts to life, we took a field trip to Walmart, Superstore, and T&T, giving students the chance to experience firsthand how financial literacy applies to everyday life.

Working in small teams, students were challenged to shop for groceries with a set budget. They carefully compared prices, weighed needs versus wants, and made decisions about how to get the best value for their money. Along the way, they discovered the differences in product pricing between stores, the impact of taxes on their total, and the importance of planning ahead to avoid overspending.

It was a fun and eye-opening experience that not only reinforced classroom learning but also built important life skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and responsible money management. Many students shared how surprised they were by how quickly a budget could disappear — and how satisfying it felt to stick to their spending plan!

We’re so proud of the thoughtful, practical approach our students took during this activity. It was a powerful reminder that real-world learning can be both meaningful and memorable — and that the skills they’re building now will serve them well in the future.

Congratulations to Our SchoolReach Team!

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the success of our SchoolReach team at the recent Provincial Tournament!

Our Junior team competed with skill, teamwork, and determination, earning an impressive 8th place out of 16 schools. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that our students were competing against older, more experienced teams — and they rose to the challenge with courage and confidence.

The tournament showcased not only their knowledge and quick thinking but also their sportsmanship and Choice School spirit. We are so proud of their hard work, dedication, and the way they represented our school community.



Congratulations to all the students and coaches involved — we can’t wait to see what you accomplish next!

Exciting News from the Choice School Gardens!

Our students have been hard at work bringing the Choice School gardens to life!

In April, our greenhouse got a big refresh with new vegetable seeds. Classes were then busy, planting radishes, spring onions and potatoes — and we will be harvesting our first crop of radishes very soon! Very soon, we will be busy planting spring onions, peas, tomatoes, eggplants, corn, basil, cilantro, sage, beetroot, and carrots. It’s been amazing to see everyone's enthusiasm for gardening and the joy of growing our own food!

You may have also noticed the beautiful tulips and marigolds brightening up the parking lot area when you drop your children off at school. This was possible due to a generous donation by one our families. These were planted by Birch class a few weeks ago and are now in full, vibrant bloom. We expect the tulips to boring color to our spring and the marigolds continue bringing colour and cheer all summer long and into the fall.

As a reminder, we kindly ask everyone to help us take care of the marigolds. Please be careful when walking along the sidewalk by the front gate, and when parking, avoid backing up too far onto the sidewalk. Together, we can keep our gardens looking wonderful for everyone to enjoy!

Thank you for your support and for helping to make our school grounds a beautiful and welcoming place!

Student Votes

Choice School proudly participated in the CIVIX Student Vote Canada federal mock election, offering students a hands-on experience with Canada’s democratic process. This initiative, held in parallel with the official federal election, allowed students to learn about the political system, explore party platforms, and cast their own ballots in a simulated vote. 

In the weeks leading up to Student Vote Day, Birch, Pine and Fir students engaged in discussions about current events, researched the major political parties, and learned about the responsibilities of government. Classroom activities were designed to promote critical thinking, informed decision-making, and respectful dialogue. Another big focus was on election campaigning, understanding political ads, and information pollution on social media. The school transformed into a mock polling station, complete with ballots, ballot boxes, and student volunteers acting as election officials. 

Participation in CIVIX Student Vote gave our students the opportunity to understand the value of civic engagement and the importance of making informed choices. It empowered them to see themselves as future voters and active citizens in their communities. This also set them up with the skills and experience to make informed decisions when the time comes for them to vote in a real federal election. 



We are proud of our students’ enthusiasm and thoughtful participation in this nation-wide program, and we look forward to continuing to foster a culture of democratic awareness and civic responsibility at Choice School. Results for the mock federal election can be found on the Student Vote website and can be broken down into provincial and electoral district results. 

Visit to London Farms

At the end of this month, Oak Class had the enriching opportunity to visit London Farms as part of their Social Studies and Science curriculum. During the visit, students toured the historic London House and compared its structure—built in the late 1800s—to the features of modern homes.

To conclude the trip, students engaged in hands-on planting activities. They planted potatoes at the farm and gained valuable insights into the importance of using proper tools when growing vegetables. Each student was then given a plant to bring back to the classroom to experience the growth of planting their own seeds. 

The class also explored local plant life and discovered the differences between male and female apple trees. One of the highlights of the day was an interactive relay race that allowed students to simulate the role of bees in pollination and nectar collection. They even learned that bees communicate through a unique form of dancing!