<p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><figure><img src="/images/6657a885-30a9-4977-9003-5bd1db8d51a8" alt="Late French Immersion" width="459" height="355" style="width:459px;height:355px;display:inline-block;float:left"><figurecaption>Photo credit: Amanda Tait</figurecaption></figure><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you know that the K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw School District 83 (SD83) offers a program called Late French Immersion? This program offers students an opportunity to enter French Immersion at a later age.&nbsp;The District’s program is housed at Shuswap Middle School and is going into its 21st year! Late French Immersion represents a joyful, transformational learning opportunity open to all Grade 6 students in SD83. Late French Immersion (LFI) allows Grade 6 students the chance to learn to speak, read, and write French in just one short year.&nbsp;Students do not need to be able to speak or know any French, nor do their parents for that matter. LFI students are motivated, hard-working and determined learners. All subjects are taught in French in Grade 6 and English is reintroduced in Grade 8. LFI students then go on to J.L. Jackson and integrate seamlessly with students from Early French Immersion.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">LFI is more than just your average language experience. It is a type of learning experience that supercedes the “norm.” Where do you get the chance as a learner to be absorbed into a close-knit community where everyone has chosen to come together for the same goal: learn French, speak French, dream in French? The happiness that emanates from the room in LFI is contagious. They’re a team and a family and they work hard to achieve their goal. That doesn’t mean that they don’t have tough days, because they do. Taking a risk is hard. But in the end, it is always rewarding. Students feel like they have been on this journey together resulting in this beautiful, bilingual landscape that they would have missed out on if they hadn’t taken the challenge.&nbsp;&nbsp;LFI is a life-changing program. Few educational programs do what LFI does for students. LFI empowers students in believing that they can do anything and be anything that they choose in life. The best kind of learning is that which transforms the learner. LFI does just that.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A parent information evening will be held on </span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday, January 15, 2026,&nbsp;at 6:00 p.m. at Shuswap Middle School</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> for parents and students who wish to learn more about the program. A sign-up link for the program will be given to parents directly following the meeting, so it is important to attend. The same link will go live on websites shortly after the meeting for those unable to attend on a first come first served basis. If you have any questions, please forward them to Mme Rita Tedesco at Bastion Elementary, 250-832-3741 or Ms. Val Edgell Principal at SMS 250-832-6031.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><i><em class="editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Rita Tedesco is the District French Programs Coordinator for SD 83.</em></i></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For more programming details, read the</span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </strong></b><a href="/documents/10d770dc-c0ef-4db6-b255-81f27b1ad0b4/2026-Late-French-Immersion-Brochure.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Late French Immersion Brochure</strong></b></a><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><img src="/images/145e89ab-014b-490a-a2bf-e58511a279a7" alt="Late French Immersion Poster" width="100%" height="inherit" style="width:100%;height:inherit;display:inline-block"></p>

<p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Is your child in Elementary or Middle School? If so, your child will be bringing home their first Written Learning Update for the 2025-26 school year. This first Learning Update primarily focuses on strengths, areas of growth, and next steps in curricular areas (with a focus on Language Arts and Math in Elementary), as well as provides information about your child’s engagement in learning, relationships with others, and social/emotional well-being.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><img src="/images/8ba91ac4-e4d0-58f4-b645-41e46b0f4ebd" alt="" width="1024" height="inherit" style="width:1024px;display:inline-block;float:left;height:inherit"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Also included in your child’s Learning Update is a self-reflection of the Core Competencies they focused on this term.&nbsp;The Core Competencies are sets of intellectual, personal, and social and emotional proficiencies that all students need in order to engage in deep, lifelong learning. Specific goal(s) set earlier this fall with your child&nbsp;are&nbsp;also referred to in the Learning Update, as goal setting is a curricular requirement and also an important&nbsp;lifelong skill.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Please review the Learning Update with your child and celebrate all your child’s successes to date this year! You may access the Learning Update in the MyEd BC Family Portal: </span><a href="https://www.sd83.bc.ca/myeducation-bc-family-portal-parentconnect-portal" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">MyEd BC Family Portal Information</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As always, please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s Learning Update.</span><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/english-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package.pdf" target="_blank" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Click to access english-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package.pdf</span></a></p>

<p class="editor-paragraph"><figure><a href="/documents/13083199-3fd9-4703-ada9-cd23fb543855/Kindergarten-Registration-Poster.pdf" target="_blank" title="Kindergarten Registration"><img src="/images/b3d1ab37-a035-45ee-9377-ea839dfeb408" alt="Kindergarten Registration" width="100%" height="inherit" style="width:100%;height:inherit;display:inline-block"></a></figure></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you have a child who will start kindergarten in September 2026? </span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Join us in K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw School District No. 83 (SD83)!</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Registration for kindergarten and our programs of choice – French Immersion and Outdoor Learning – </span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">opens at 9 a.m. on</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Wednesday, January 14, 2026</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">,&nbsp;and will remain open throughout the school year. We can’t wait to welcome you and your child to SD83!</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">All kindergarten registrations submitted on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, will be treated equally, eliminating the need for line-ups that day.&nbsp;Registrations received after January 14, 2026, will be date and time stamped and processed on a first-come, first-served basis. This information will be used to determine placement if&nbsp;catchment area schools or programs of choice reach full capacity. Priority will be given to students with siblings already registered in a program of choice (French Immersion or Outdoor Learning), should space become limited.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Parents interested in the </span><a href="/go/3e823442-8315-5da2-8c27-5c79af37ea27" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" data-permalink="" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Early French Immersion</strong></b></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> program at Bastion Elementary are invited to attend a parent information session on </span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">January 13, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> at Bastion Elementary. If you have any questions, please contact </span><a href="/sys/api/forms?structure_id=f6ec16f4-8277-4b9f-b9e3-00c5c6db4bd5&amp;to=ece27ba12ccf396d110f2fcb0b511263a2550c8de1bdde1109fe87151c0f93f169b50cd055c3a401d61e4b31ecfe84" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Rita Tedesco</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Parents interested in registering their child in the </span><a href="https://sca.sd83.bc.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">South Canoe Outdoor Learning Program</strong></b></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> are invited to an information session on </span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">January 13, 2026, from 5 – 6 p.m</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. at South Canoe School (library). This session is open to parents of children in Kindergarten to Grade 8 who are considering the program, not just kindergarten-aged children. If you have any questions, please contact </span><a href="/sys/api/forms?structure_id=f6ec16f4-8277-4b9f-b9e3-00c5c6db4bd5&amp;to=b79894942225acf617a4e9efbba932b159ea46efd53ae85b1864a1d694d59a6c7667e128471ffd37d619455b7e" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sandra Major</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.sd83.bc.ca/registration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Registration </span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">must be completed at your child’s catchment school, which is determined by your physical address, or at a specialty school such as Bastion for Early French Immersion or South Canoe for Outdoor Learning. To access our catchment School Locator tool or learn more about our specialty schools, visit the</span><a href="https://www.sd83.bc.ca/registration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">District Registration webpage</strong></b></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Online registration is also available. To register online, please contact the school you are registering at for their link.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you have any questions about the kindergarten registration process, please contact Director of Instruction and Early Years, </span><a href="/sys/api/forms?structure_id=f6ec16f4-8277-4b9f-b9e3-00c5c6db4bd5&amp;to=def494fc49ee7fe5595e0a03746e82a1d5c035508a431466a0f8c63201270999b4c11780ae9e20b2b77e956fc27ca2" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Jen Findlay</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Elementary schools include:</span><br><a href="https://aes.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Armstrong Elementary</span></a><a href="mailto:aes@sd83.bc.ca" target="_blank" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">– (250) 546-8778</span><br><a href="https://bas.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Bastion Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– includes English Kindergarten &amp; Early French Immersion program – (250) 832-3741</span><br><a href="https://car.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Carlin Elementary Middle</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 835- 4520</span><br><a href="https://fal.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Falkland Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 379-2320</span><br><a href="https://gri.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Grindrod Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 838-7579</span><br><a href="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Highland Park Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 546-8723</span><br><a href="https://hil.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Hillcrest Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 832-7195</span><br><a href="https://mvb.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">M.V. Beattie Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 838-6434</span><br><a href="https://nca.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">North Canoe Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 832-4950</span><br><a href="https://nsh.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">North Shuswap Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 955-2214</span><br><a href="https://par.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Parkview Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 836-2871</span><br><a href="https://ran.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Ranchero Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 832-7018</span><br><a href="https://saw.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Salmon Arm West Elementary</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 832-3862</span><br><a href="https://scr.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Silver Creek Elementary&nbsp;</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">– (250) 832-8282</span><br><a href="https://sor.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sorrento Elementary&nbsp;</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">– (250) 675-2311</span><br><a href="https://sbr.sd83.bc.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">South Broadview</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;– (250) 832-2167</span><br><a href="https://sca.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">South Canoe Outdoor Learning </span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">– (250) 832-3122</span></p>