April 10th

Hello Brackendale families,

What a spectacular week we had. Everyone was ready for some sunshine and classes took full advantage with extra time to play outside, lessons taking place throughout the community. We had multiple classrooms heading to Cottonwood Park to release salmon and learn about the importance of salmon to our ecosystem. Our kindergarten classes had a community field trip visiting a number of businesses and offices downtown, learning about all the people that form our community. Our older students are in the midst of a number of health education presentations and dozens of students took part in our auditions for our Brackendale Elementary Talent Show. More to come on the Talent Show, but please save the date as parents are invited: Friday, April 24^th at 1:30pm in the gym.

A few important dates and reminders:

• Student-Led Conferences are next week, Wednesday, April 15^th, from 2:30pm-6:00pm. Earlier this week you will have received an email from Fernanda Cruz about how to reserve a time. There is an early dismissal that day at 2:00pm. The #6 and #9 bus will leave from Brackendale Elementary just after 2:00pm, so please plan accordingly.

• In the Communicator, you will see two documents, shared with us by the RCMP, regarding e-scooters and e-bikes. With nicer weather already here, we are seeing more and more students biking/scootering to school. Please note that, according to BC law, no form of electric bike or electric scooter is allowed for students under the age of 14. The RCMP have indicated that there has been an increase in e-bike/e-scooter related injuries in Squamish, and they do have the right to issue tickets to youth and parents ranging from $29 - $109. Please consider whether it is appropriate to have you child ride to and from school on one of these devices.

• We have had several students in our medical rooms with ticks. While we can never know where they picked up the tick, we have certainly entered tick season, and it is a good conversation to have with your child and to inform yourselves of the proper steps to take to avoid bites and what to do if a tick is found on the body. Please follow the link HERE to the HealthLink BC website for more information.

Antony Blaikie – Principal

Brackendale Elementary School

Sea to Sky School District, SD48

I am honoured to be living, working, and learning on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Sḵwxwú7mesh Nation.