Brackendale Elementary

Thanks to all of our staff, students, volunteers and families who supported our Terry Fox Run this year – we raised over $1500 dollars for the Terry Fox Foundation!

Our wonderful PAC supported the repainting and realignment of our parking lot – a big Brackendale thank you to the PAC and to Jesco Line Marking who did such a beautiful job!

We are commemorating Orange Shirt Day on Monday, September 30th – don’t forget to wear an orange shirt in support. Our assembly will be at 11am and families are welcome to attend.

Upcoming at Brackendale

• Monday, September 30 – Orange Shirt Day – Assembly at 11am
• Tuesday, October 1 – Fire Drill
• Wednesday, October 2 – Photo orders due
• Friday, October 4 – Hot Lunch orders due
• Monday, October 14 – Thanksgiving Day – not in session
• Wednesday, October 16 – Photo Retake Day
• Wednesday, October 16 – PAC Meeting 7pm
• Thursday, October 17 – Great Shake Down Drill
• Friday, October 18 – Hot Lunch

Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Brackendale – Wednesday & Thursday & during Meet The Teacher Night! 

Looking to get involved at your child’s school?  Looking to meet parents and make a difference?  Not sure where to begin?  The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Brackendale next Wednesday & Thursday!  We are in need of volunteers to help make this a success for our school library.  Please sign up on the PAC board in the Collab Corner or contact Heather Teasell at hteasell@outlook.com or at 604-849-5186  – See times and dates below.

Orange Shirt Day Assembly- 10:00am Monday, Sept. 30th

Orange Shirt Day is on Monday September 30th. We would like to invite you to our assembly at 11am to honour this day.

Orannge Shirt Day is a day to honour and remember those who survived and those who were lost in the Residential Schools of Canada. It is an opportunity to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. This day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in the spring of 2013. It grew out of Phyllis’ story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential school happening annually. Teachers throughout the school will be engaging their students in a range of learning activities during the week running up to Monday September 30th, developing empathy, compassion, knowledge and awareness.

We invite everyone to wear an orange shirt on Monday September 30th and to explain to those around you why you are doing so.

September Events:

Tue., Sept. 24 – Wildlife Drill

Wed., Sept. 25 – Book Fair 9:00am to 7:00pm

Wed., Sept. 25 – Meet the Teacher night

Thurs., Sept. 26 – Book Fair 8:30am to 4:00pm

Mon., Sept 30 – Orange Shirt Day – Assembly 11:00am

Enjoy our September newsletter which has been posted!! (click on the “News” tab above.)

Thank you to all Brackendale Families for safely driving 30kmph in School Zones from 7:30am – 7:30pm. The flow in our parking lot is designed to be safe for children and convenient for families and we thank you for your cooperation and consideration.

We are also reminded to BE BEAR AWARE and pick our fruit. Thank you to Mr. Fieldhouse and his students for picking the apples from the trees in our school yard. The aroma of apple sauce cooking delighted our senses!

September Events:

Tues. Sept. 17 – Routine Rally Assembly 11:30am

Wed., Sept. 18 – Michael Mitchell “Canada is for Kids” performance 11:00am

Wed., Sept. 18 – PAC Meeting 7:00pm

Fri., Sept. 20 – Terry Fox Run – after lunch – Volunteers needed

Tue., Sept. 24 – Wildlife Drill

Wed., Sept. 25 – Book Fair 9:00am to 7:00pm

Wed., Sept. 25 – Meet the Teacher night

Thurs., Sept. 26 – Book Fair 8:30am to 4:00pm

Mon., Sept 30 – Orange Shirt Day – Assembly TBA

Dear Brackendale Families,

Welcome back to our Brackendale Elementary school community!

I am so excited to announce that we have grown!  We are now at 329 students.  The Brackendale team of teachers, learning support specialists, counselor and principal worked thoughtfully and carefully throughout the week to create the best learning environment for our children within 15 classrooms.  Today, your child will bring home the exciting news of who will be their classmates and teachers for the 2019-2020 school year. Our school newsletter, to be published next week, will include an introduction to all our staff members, both new and returning.

Thank you for your support and encouragement in our first week back.  We are looking forward to the year ahead filled with:  community, a love of learning, and going deeper with our Critical Thinking school goal.

Sincerely,

Ms. Karen Saenger

Principal

We have welcome messages from both the Welcome Back from the Minister of Education and the Welcome Back from the Board Chair and District – click on the links to read these important messages.

School Supplies – We are very pleased to announce that support for our new school supplies process has been wonderful!  We really appreciate families embracing this new system – hopefully you have enjoyed the simpler process.  If you have not yet paid for your child’s supplies it is an easy process through the School Fees Online system – sign up today!  Supplies fees are $50 for each student for the year.

Permission Forms – Also attached to the School Fees Online system are many of the permission forms that you are asked to sign each year – so far we have attached the Freedom of Information and CASL forms for each student.  Email notices will come to you when forms are added and you will be able to see them when you log in to the system. Additional forms will be added as the weeks go by – forms are easy to complete this way and the information gets to us directly – no more lost paperwork between home and school!

September is a busy month – mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

• Thurs, Sept 12 – Student Photo Day
• Fri, Sept 13 – Fire Drill
• Wed, Sept 18 – Michael Mitchell “Canada is for Kids” performance 11:00am
• Wed, Sept 18 – PAC Meeting 7:00pm
• Fri, Sept 20 – Terry Fox Run in the afternoon
• Sept 23 – 27 – Book Fair Week
• Tue, Sept 24 – Wildlife Drill
• Wed, Sept 25 – Meet the Teacher night
• Mon, Sept 30 – Orange Shirt Day

Dear Brackendale Families, 

Welcome back to a new school year!  We are looking forward to another year of exciting learning together.

All students and families are welcome to attend our Welcome Ceremony hosted by Cynthia Lewis and Roxy Lewis on Tuesday, September 3rd.  When the bell rings at 8:50am, we will all assemble outside at the front of the school to welcome everyone to Brackendale Elementary.

Kindergarten students begin our gradual entry program on Wednesday, September 4th at pre-arranged times.  Please contact the school office if you have not yet received your child’s program dates and times.

Key Information for School Start Up:

• The School Office re-opens Monday, August 26th.  Student registration re-opens on Monday, August 26th at 8:30am.  Forms and other registration information are available here.
• Tuesday, September 3
  • 8:50am – 9:10am – School reopens with a Welcome Ceremony for all students and families.
  • 8:50am-10:00am – Students in Grades 1-6 attend classes
• Kindergarten Gradual Entry for the 2019-2020 School Year
  • Tuesday, September 3 – Non-instructional day for Kindergarten students
  • Wednesday, September 4 – Small group learning for approximately 1 hour
  • Thursday, September 5 – Larger group learning for approximately 2 hours
  • Friday, September 6 – – Larger group learning for approximately 1 hour
  • Monday, September 9 – Whole group learning for the morning
  • Tuesday, September 10 – Whole group learning for the morning
  • Wednesday, September 11 – Whole group learning – all day Kindergarten begins!
  • In the last week of August, you will receive your child’s individual schedule with precise dates and times for their gradual entry.
• Bell Schedule for September 2019 – June 2020
  • 8:50am – Warning Bell
  • 8:55am – School Begins
  • 10:45am – Recess (15 minutes)
  • 11:00am – Classes Resume
  • 12:10pm – Lunch (students go outdoors)
  • 12:45pm – Warning Bell (students return to each lunch)
  • 1:05pm – Classes Resume
  • 3:00pm – Dismissal
• Student School Supplies – find information about the new process here
• BRE School Calendar 2019-2020
• School Code of Conduct 2019-2020
• SD#48 District Wide Calendar 2019-2020
• Squamish Area Bus Routes 2019-2020
• Run with the PAC – our Parent Advisory Committee

Best regards,

Ms. Karen Saenger,  Principal

Just a few things that you might want or need to know before we return to the school office on August 26th, 2019:

• The School Office is closed from July 5th through August 26th, 2019.  The school will not accept student registrations during this period.  Registration will re-open on Monday, August 26th at 8:30am.  Forms and other registration information are available here.
• Tuesday, September 3
  • 8:50am – 10:00am – School reopens with a Welcome Ceremony for students in Grades 1-6
• Kindergarten Gradual Entry for the 2019-2020 School Year
  • Tuesday, September 3 – Non-instructional day for Kindergarten students
  • Wednesday, September 4 – Small group learning for approximately 1 hour
  • Thursday, September 5 – Larger group learning for approximately 2 hours
  • Friday, September 6 – – Larger group learning for approximately 1 hour
  • Monday, September 9 – Whole group learning for the morning
  • Tuesday, September 10 – Whole group learning for the morning
  • Wednesday, September 11 – Whole group learning – all day Kindergarten begins!
  • In the last week of August, you will receive your child’s individual schedule with precise dates and times for their gradual entry.
• Bell Schedule for September 2019 – June 2020
  • 8:50am – Warning Bell
  • 8:55am – School Begins
  • 10:45am – Recess (15 minutes)
  • 11:00am – Classes Resume
  • 12:10pm – Lunch (students go outdoors)
  • 12:45pm – Warning Bell (students return to each lunch)
  • 1:05pm – Classes Resume
  • 3:00pm – Dismissal
• Student Supplies – find information about the new process here

Brackendale Elementary is part of an amazing community!  We see examples of connection with the greater community every day – here are just a few:

• A warm thank you to the BC Ambulance Service and particularly Brackendale parents Gillian Naish and Kim Rousseau for the recent visit by an ambulance and crew – the students were very excited to get to see how an ambulance works and to hear about your jobs.
• Amy Reid from Helping Hands was pleased to accept a cheque from Kai , Ruan and Miller for the money they raised with the Science Fair earlier this year. Helping Hands Society will put the funds toward furnishings and supplies for their new building.
• Ms. Mah and students Cam, Ruan, Miller and Gautam (Rohan was unable to attend) met with the manager of the Squamish Adventure Centre this week to present copies of their Wildfire Safety brochures and the infographics they created as part of their Wildfire Inquiry Project.
• The Cartoon Club, sponsored by Ms. Mah, produced a number of cartoon booklets to be given to the Squamish Hospital for children to read in their waiting room.
• Dorian created and sold original artwork in support of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
• The Grade 6 parents and students created and installed this year’s stepping stones.