Brent Kennedy Elementary's production of the Littlest Christmas Tree was a huge success! 

The gym was full at 1:30 p.m. on both December 14 and 15 and it was standing room only at concert time.

Brent Kennedy Elementary primary teachers have been busy this year and last working through the Early Learning Profile assessment that is being used district-wide. This assessment provides a concise snapshot of students' strengths and stretches which then inform teaching practices and interventions, if needed. 

Our team of teachers has done a wonderful job of gathering this data and it is being used to inform our literacy goal for our school learning plan. Teachers have been able to collaborate with each other and discuss patterns and trends they are seeing in primary literacy.

When James Beaudoin goes to work each morning in Nelson to pick up his school bus, he knows that he is directly supporting a child’s education, social and physical well being.

“Being a bus driver is an important job, and the feeling of being needed and helping my community is very fulfilling. In some cases, we are the first smile that a child will see at the start of their day. Without our support, many kids would have a lot of roadblocks in the way to get to school.”

On March 10, the Province of B.C. announced several changes to existing public health orders (PHO) that affect the Provincial COVID-19 Communicable disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings. These changes come into effect the first day of Spring Break – March 14, 2022.

At a meeting on March 3, the SD8 Board of Education directed Superintendent Trish Smillie to extend the implementation date of the district’s Proof of Vaccination Regarding COVID-19 Administrative Procedure from March 11 to April 11, 2022. This one-month extension will allow the Board time to consider evolving COVID-19 data and changes to public health directives.

The purpose of the Proof of Vaccination Procedure is to safeguard the health and safety of employees and students from COVID-19.

The recent announcement by the Williams Lake First Nation of 93 unmarked burial sites discovered at the former Williams Lake, St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School adds to the terrible truths of missing children buried at other former residential school sites in B.C. and elsewhere in Canada.

- Partners and public invited to complete online survey

School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) invites students, parents, staff and the wider community to share their voices in an online survey. The survey is part of a comprehensive public engagement process initiated by the Board of Education to inform a new policy to address racism.

The past two weeks have been busy for families, students, teachers and other school district staff who have worked together to make sure students safely returned to school, and that we have plans in place for continued learning if school closures occur due to spread of the Omicron variant.

To assist us, the Ministry of Education has shared provincial protocols with school and district administrators and staff so together, we can manage school associated activity in the best way possible.

SD8 Board approves permanent name change for secondary school

At the December 7th, SD8 Board meeting, a motion to permanently change the name of the secondary school in Creston was unanimously passed. The school is now officially named the Kootenay River Secondary School.  

“A new name is necessary for a new start” said Principal Brian Hamm, who has been working together this year with a group of educators to find an inclusive name for the school, one that bestows the spirit of reconciliation.

SD8 students collect food donations at Halloween

Students from several SD8 Kootenay Lake school district schools supported the Halloween for Hunger campaign again this year, helping to shift the focus on getting to giving at Halloween.