Success for All
New Year Display
École Pauline Haarer students created fireworks out of cupcake wrappers to celebrate the new year in this whole school activity. The sign is a play on words, but essentially means "2024, you will be fantastic!"
École North Oyster POD is building sense of community
The POD was created to ensure students have a safe space to go before school and at large recess. The ultimate goal is to build a sense of community, where students help one another, they sit down at the table together and gather and eat like a family.
Board of Education Looking for Feedback
The Board of Education seeks feedback on the draft revised Policy 2.5 - Board Committees Representation and Annual Workplan (see changes in red). Additional information can be found on the action sheet.
Please provide feedback via email by January 22, 2024.
BC Honours & Awards
The call for nominations for BC's two top honours - The Order of British Columbia and Medal of Good Citizenship is now open. Do you know someone you want to recognize?
- The Order of BC recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievement or excellence benefiting the people of the province or elsewhere. Click here to nominate someone now.
- The Medal of Good Citizenship recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to their local communities. Nominate someone today.
Deadline for nominations is Friday, April 5, 2024.
Urban Farm Opportunities
Nanaimo FoodShare is offering special opportunities for NLPS students. They invite you and your students to come to the Five Acres Farm, 945 Park Avenue, Nanaimo. The options include:
1) Community drop-in Fridays from 9:30am until 2:30pm. This would be a great opportunity for a group/class visit to connect with the urban farm land and learn how to grow food and actively participate in local food security. This is a free drop-in and would require a pre-booking for your group. The visit would be unstructured and self guided; however, there will be two education facilitators at the farm to help guide your group with a project and answer any questions.
2) Special projects, like building a garden box. This would also be a great opportunity for the schools that are close enough to just walk over and visit. You can visit as often as you like.
3) Apply for the GO Grant for a chance to win an outdoor ecological field trip at the farm. Nanaimo FoodShare offers a jam packed urban farm experience, full of lessons, activities and exploration. The field trip is 90 minutes and is $165. To help with the costs, they are offering a GO Grant. Teachers can apply for the $600 GO Grant to pay for this outdoor ecological field trip this spring. The grant would cover a couple of field trips and bus expenses. Grants are due on February 1, 2024 for spring approval. Apply today.
Please email Jennie Wharton for more details or to book a visit to the farm. jennie.wharton@nanaimofoodshare.ca.
Superintendent Update
Superintendent Scott Saywell will remain away from the District until February 23, 2024. Laura Tait will continue to be acting Superintendent.
NDSS Dance Company Receives Awards
Congratulations to the NDSS Dance Company which recently performed their production, “Ninety Seconds” at the Vancouver Island One Act Play Festival. Inspired by the Rana Plaza Building Collapse of 2013, this is the same production which received accolades and was runner up at the NIRD (North Island Regional Drama) Festival.
The students hard work resulted in the following awards:
- Best Ensemble
- Best Director (and Choreographer)
- Best Play
This is the second year in a row they have won the festival. If you’d like to see what all the fuss is about, it will be performed one last time as part of the Dance Extravaganza at VIU, Friday, January 19, 2024, starting at 7pm.
Photo courtesy of Don Emerson. Sarah & Kelly with adjudicator, Michael Armstrong receiving awards for Best Director and Best Play.
Learning with Syeyutsus
Join us for the 2nd session of Season 4 with the Learning with Syeyutsus TRC57 Speaker Series. This Indigenous learning series, featuring Canadian authors and thought leaders, features Author Heather Menzies on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 from 12:00-1:00pm. This FREE learning series, in collaboration with UBC Press and Vancouver Island Regional Library covers a variety of stories intended to help deepen learning on your own, spark ideas for further exploration and to share with your family and/or work colleagues.
If you are unable to make it, we've got you covered. The entire series will be recorded for viewing and learning afterwards.
If you missed the first session of Season 4, view the recording here.
Family Fun Nights Continue in 2024
Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools and Island Health host family fun gym nights in January and February. The evenings are free for everyone to enjoy unstructured family play time in the school gym. It's fun for all ages. To find out more, please email mduifhuis@sd68.bc.ca.