Bears Beat - May 31, 2026
Information
Planetarium
On Monday and Tuesday, we were excited to have the travelling planetarium visit our school. as an in-school field trip. Our guides took us through a short tour of our solar system. I was so impressed by the knowledge students in Ms. Lategan's class had when they walked in the door. They were naming planets, knew that Mars was cold, and really wanted to see a black hole! We are very thankful to Ms. Sanderson for organizing this special event.
Welcome your new PAC Executive...
...and a million thanks to the outgoing executive. Last Monday night, a new PAC executive was elected for the 2026-27 school year (and maybe beyond). Congratulations to
- Chair - Christina
- Vice-Chair - Kylee
- Treasurer - Still vacant
- Secretary - Aimee
- DPAC Rep - Najwan
- Members at Large - Ece, Mandy, Laima, Amanda, Tin, Vacant
Thank you so much to our outgoing chair & vice-chair, Micheal and Sharon, and to the other members of the executive who are not returning. They led the charge on our first year as a PAC, and set the stage for years of future success. We can't do it without a dedicated PAC team, and we are so grateful for your hard work.
National AccessAbility Week
Did you know that this week is National AccessAbility Week? Well now you do. Seeing this item made me so thankful that we opened our school with an accessible playground already built. Despite my occasional frustration with travelling gravel, I'm totally grateful that we opened our school with an accessible playground that we could already use. Not every school can boast that. In fact, I don't know of any other school that can.
Summer Health Information from Fraser Health
Health, safety, and wellness continue to be a priority in our schools. To help support our students and families, we are sharing important information from our community partner Fraser Health about summer health for school-aged children and youth. Please see below for helpful reminders to support your child.
Keeping Kids Healthy and Safe this Summer – Tips for Parents
Summer is a time for fun and relaxation. Below are some tips to help your kids stay active, healthy and safe during the summer months.
Sun Protection
Help avoid sunburns by applying a sunscreen with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 or more at least 20 minutes before heading outside. Avoid the hot sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. if you can. Seek places with lots of shade, such as parks with big trees. Take an umbrella to the beach and cover up with sunglasses that protect against UV rays, a wide brimmed hat, long sleeves and loose-fitting long pants.
Heat and Smoke Preparedness
With increased likelihood of hot temperatures, remember to keep children cool inside and outside. Watch the media for heat and smoke events. The WeatherCAN app can help.
Sustained indoor temperatures over 31°C can be unsafe. If there is no source of cool air, don’t rely on fans alone during very hot weather. Relocate to a cool, shady outdoor space, or head to a library, mall or community cooling centre. Make sure you and your family know the signs and symptoms of heat illness and how to get help. Learn more on the Sun and heat safety page.
Summer can also bring smoke from wildfires. Learn about the health impacts of smoke and change outdoor plans if needed. Find out how to be ready for smoke and know about the air quality in your community at Fraser Heath’s Wildfire smoke page and in this postcard.
Eat Well, Stay Active and Hydrate
Encourage your children to drink water regularly. Build the habit of always carrying a water bottle with them wherever they go.
Healthy, active outdoor play is one of the best ways to improve physical and mental health. If your children are involved in sports, learn about heat precautions that can be taken during practice. If your children love the water check out these tips on water safety.
Local farmers’ markets and u-pick farms are fun outdoor activities where you can enjoy seasonal produce. Did you know that over half of the blueberries harvested in B.C. are sold frozen in your local grocery store? Enjoy these nutrient-dense berries as fresh or frozen, with yogurts and in smoothies.
Find more summer health tips in Fraser Health’s Healthy summer guide.
Summer Session Registration Reminder (repeat)
Summer Learning registration for elementary, middle, and high school remains open to all applicants. Registrations in available classes are processed in the order received (“first-come, first-served basis). If families have not yet registered, please use the following link to register online:
https://sd35summer.registerbc.ca
Registration closes on the following dates for all applicants:
Elementary/Middle: Wednesday, June 3rd. Secondary: Wednesday, June 17th
School supply lists for 2026-2027 (repeat)
Parents in grade 1-5 have the option of purchasing their child’s school supplies on their own utilizing the grade supply list or, for your convenience, you may wish to purchase supplies as a package through . Payment is made directly to School Start and orders will be sent to homes. Costs for supplies vary based on grade.
Early Start or Late Return for Summer Break? (repeat)
If your student(s) will be starting summer break sooner than the last day of school, June 25, 2026, or returning after school re-opens September 8, 2026, it is very important to let the office and your student’s teachers know. If a child is marked absent, but the office has not received an email or a telephone call from the parent advising of the absence/tardiness, a phone call home will be made to ensure the child is safe. Please email our attendance email with the name(s) of your student(s) and what dates they will be away from school.
Moving/Withdrawing? (repeat)
Parents are asked to inform the school as soon as possible if/when they know that their children will be leaving our school or not returning in the fall. Please complete our withdraw form and return it to the office.
Upcoming Reunification Drill
On the afternoon of Friday, June 5, we will be conducting an Earthquake - Reunification Drill. All students will duck-cover-hold and evacuate, and we will set up at least a part of our anticipated emergency response plan. Students in Ms. Warwick's class (and their siblings) will then be dismissed family-by-family to an emergency pick-up contact so we can practice our planned procedures with an eye to fine-tuning them. Other classes will return to their rooms and will be dismissed at the normal time. We are grateful to Ms. Warwick, her students and their families for being our test group. In the event of a real major emergency, we would be dismissing everyone in the school one-by-one and only to one of the pick-up contacts designated on their emergency release forms. To Ms. Warwick's families, you should have received an email with more detail on Friday. If you did not, please let the office know.
Also, so everyone has a high-level view (pun totally intended), here is our site plan for a major emergency and the pick-up sequence. We set up so as to be a safe distance from the building, and the parking lot section of the driveway will be closed and blocked off. Please do not park in that area until the blocker cars have been removed.
Kindergarten Welcome (repeat)
Every year, we welcome the incoming Kindergarten students to a special event. This year, that day will be on the afternoon of June 2. Kindergarten families of this year, please note that your kids will be dismissed at 12:33 that day so we can meet our incoming Kindies. Everyone, please note that the parking lot and driveways are likely to be extra-full that afternoon; please plan ahead for pick-up parking.
From the PAC
Further to last week's PAC meeting, please check out the Treasurer's Report and Budget that were adopted.
Quote of the Week
Something to Read (or watch)
When my daughter was born, someone gave us this poem. It's written for parents of newborns with special needs, but it applies equally well to families whose kids get a later-in-life diagnosis, or any other life-changing event. It's called 'Welcome to Holland.''
I came across this little word thing that made me chuckle. And even though I did a degree in English Lit, I'd never heard of an orphaned negative. My new-month resolution is to try to use at least one nonsensical orphaned positive per day. And the experience sent me looking into the Merriam-Webster website, since I'm a bit nerdy like that. They have games! And a WordPlay section that explains things like the opposite of déja-vu (which is jamais-vu). Okay, I'll stop now.
Calendar Items to Remember
There's a lot going on in June, so we'll put the whole calendar on here now, so you have notice of what's coming up. Remember to check back, though, as items may be added from week to week, and don't forget your child's class calendar which may have class-specific additions that we don't include here.
Monday, June 1
- Pop-up Strong Start at 12:30
Tuesday, June 2
- Kindergarten Welcome! Current K students dismissed at 12:30
Wednesday, June 3
- Ready-Set-Learn 1-2-3 at 12:30
- Last day for Summer School Registration (Elementary & Middle)
Friday, June 5
- Reunification Drill
Monday, June 8
- Culture Fair (Divisions 5-6-7)
Thursday, June 11
- Track Meet - all day at McLeod Athletic Park (selected students only)
Monday, June 15
- Grade 5 Swimming Program
Tuesday, June 16
- Grade 5 Swimming Program
Wednesday, June 17
Grade 5 Swimming Program
Thursday, June 18
- REMSS Grad Walk
Friday, June 19
- Grade 5 Swimming Program
Monday, June 22
- Grade 5 Farewell Ceremony
Tuesday, June 23
- Sports Day
Thursday, June 25
- Last Day of school for students - Dismissal at 12:00
Friday, June 26
- Administration Day - Students do not attend
Friday, August 3
- Office Closes for the Summer