<p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">September 29, 2026</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Principal’s Message</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s hard to believe that September is nearly over and a new month begins. A huge shout out to the PAC for organizing the Welcome Back BBQ on September 23 and to staff for opening up their classrooms to students and families. There was a buzz of excitement as students showed their families around their learning spaces. It was a great community event with hundreds of hotdogs served. Thank you for making this event a great one!</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Learning is in underway as classes have established routines and expectations. This year, we are focusing on literacy and math as foundational skills. In support of these academic goals, we want to continue to have our students to feel connected to two or more adults in the building and will continue to work in support of building student resilience (both academically with a growth mindset, and also the ability to handle disappointment when obstacles are encountered or things don’t go the way they would have hoped). Each month, we will update you in the newsletter about what we are working on and how you can support this at home with your child. We hope that these ideas are stress-free and easy to do and will support your child’s learning.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely,</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Megan Weir</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Principal</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">School goals:</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Writing: </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This year, we continue to focus on developing student’s writing abilities. There are many things that you can do at home to help your child develop their writing skills. There are many ways of supporting writing skills that don’t involve actually writing things on paper. A strategy often used in classrooms to get started with writing is to talk about an idea (whether it’s what happened on the weekend or earlier in the day or what a person ate for breakfast). Writing often flows from an ability to talk about something (given that writing is the next step of putting our thoughts on paper). To support this, having regular conversations with your child is invaluable. Back-and-forth verbal exchanges between child and adult are powerful for strengthening children’s language skills. As you have that back-and-forth conversation with your child, ask lots of questions (Who? What? When? Where? Why?) so that they can tell about it as much as they can. It’s important for children to be able to clarify what they are trying to say and add information where they can. This will grow their ideas of things to talk (and write) about and their stamina to tell more. In support of our goal to support student writing, we will have Writing Thinkers challenges for students to participate in every second month (alternating with Math Problem Solvers). Students might participate in class or at home.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Numeracy: </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Our continued focus this year for developing math skills for all students is on understanding grade-level appropriate critical concepts and the application through problem solving. As part of our schoolwide focus on math we are continuing a problem-solving challenge that will begin this month. Every second month, we will have 3-4 problems for students to solve. Some will solve these in class, and others will be brought home to solve together with family. It is important to note that these problems are designed to make students really think and not rely on generating an equation right away to solve the problem. Most will involve needing to draw a picture or a diagram to support their strategy for figuring out the answer. This is an excellent way to solve problems! Please encourage your child to try these problems, and to draw pictures to help them make sense of what is being asked. This will be an important strategy all the way through the grades. Our challenge this month is to have 100 students solve the problem of the month for October. Please watch for the problems coming home and make a family activity out of solving them!</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What did teachers do for the Pro D day?</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">On September 21, there were different workshops offered throughout the district. Most staff spent time learning about ways to support student growth in Writing; Adrienne Gear, specialist in teaching literacy, gave a session about Powerful Writing that gave meaningful food for thought. There were also learning opportunities related to literacy and numeracy learning and assessments, outdoor learning, and Core Competencies/Career Education. It was a great day of learning!</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Communicating Student Learning</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">While you are always welcome to connect with your child’s teacher if you have questions about their learning, here are some dates for the informal and formal learning updates that you will have this year.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Oct. 26: Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Dec. 15: Written Learning Update (#1)</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mar. 9: Written Learning Update (#2)</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">April 26-May 6: Informal Learning Updates</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Student Led Conferences: Div 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Student portfolios: Div 2, 3, 10</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">June 24: Summary of Learning (#3)</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Parent, Teacher, Student Conferences</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday, October 26 is the official conference day in School District 83. Students do not attend school that day. Instead, teachers will be having conferences with families and students. These conferences are scheduled to be 15 minutes long for each student. Although Monday October 26 is the official conference day, some teachers will be opening up conference times on other days during the week to accommodate families the best they can. Conferences will be in person here at AES but sign up will be done online. We are really excited about these conferences as we see the huge benefits for learning that come when school and homework together to support students.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A link to book your child’s conference will be coming home in the weeks ahead.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Grade 4 Foundational Skills Assessments (in literacy and numeracy):</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Each year, students in grades 4, 7, 10 and 12 participate in a provincial assessment called Foundational Skills Assessment (developed by the Ministry of Education and Child Care) that look at students’ learning in the areas of Numeracy and Literacy. </span><a href="https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/pdf/assessment/fsa/en-foundation-skills-assessment-for-parents-and-caregivers.pdf" target="_blank" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> for a very informative brochure for parents on the FSA, what it is, why it’s important and how the results are used. For even more information, </span><a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/program-management/assessment/foundation-skills-assessment" target="_blank" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to access the Ministry of Education and Child Care website.&nbsp; The assessment process will occur at AES during October.&nbsp; Students are required to complete a variety of tasks in a booklet and online to assess their skills with comprehension in Literacy and problem solving in Numeracy.&nbsp; This assessment is marked and scored by SD83 &nbsp;Teachers, Principals and Vice Principals.&nbsp; Results are used by SD83 and our school staff to measure progress in Literacy and Numeracy and set direction for the coming years. Results are viewed as a grade cohort and individually to show growth in areas outlined in our School Learning Plan.&nbsp; The student booklet containing individual student results is sent home to parents in December.&nbsp; If you would like to view sample questions, </span><a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/program-management/assessment/foundation-skills-assessment/fsa-samples" target="_blank" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to access sample assessments for each grade level and topic assessed.&nbsp;&nbsp;More information can be found </span><a href="https://aes.sd83.bc.ca/news/letter-foundation-skills-assessment-2026" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">School Photos:</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Our school photo day is Wednesday Oct 14.&nbsp; Watch for more information coming soon! If you miss photo day, or require re-takes, our retake day is Tuesday November 3.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Fire Prevention Week:</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Fire Prevention Week is coming up from October 4-10. The theme this year is “Charge Into Fire Safety: </span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Safe Charging Is a Superpower.”&nbsp;</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This theme aims to educate people about everyday safe charging habits that can help reduce the risk of fires. Please check out the Fire Prevention resources that can be found </span><a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/public-safety/fire-safety/fire-safety-education/fire-prevention-week" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. We will also be having a few classes visit the fire station. Be safe!</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Criminal Record Checks</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you would like to volunteer in any capacity in the school, you will need to complete a criminal record check online. This is a free process as costs are covered by the school district. Completed criminal record checks are good for five years.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Process:</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Go to </span><a href="https://justice.gov.bc.ca/criminalrecordcheck" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">https://justice.gov.bc.ca/criminalrecordcheck</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Please contact the AES Office for the access code.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Follow the instructions for completing the online Criminal Record Check.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Further instructions, showing step by step instructions can be found at&nbsp; </span><a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/crime-prevention/criminal-record-check/ecrc_online_service_-_user_guide_2021.pdf" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/crime-prevention/criminal-record-check/ecrc_online_service_-_user_guide_2021.pdf</span></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Halloween</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Students are welcome to come to school in costume on October 30, but we just wanted to give an early reminder about costumes. For school, please remember that costumes need to be appropriate for our wide variety of students. This includes being culturally sensitive, no weapons (real or fake), and tasteful so that they do not scare or alarm our students. On another note, Halloween can be really scary for those who have food allergies. </span><u><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-underline" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Please ensure that any treats that are sent to school, or make their way into lunches, do not contain peanuts or nuts.</strong></b></u><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> We want all students and staff to be safe!</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">School fees</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A reminder to families that school fees are due as soon as possible. We are able to provide a great deal to families with our school doing the bulk purchase, and then we need to collect from families the $45 supplies fee. There is also a cultural performance fee of $10 per student which helps to pay for the special performances that happen throughout the year. There is also a $10 fee for the agenda/planner. Agendas are great communication books between home and school, and also help students learn to become organized. Thank you for paying your fees promptly, and please remember that students do not go without at our school. If your family is not in a position to afford school fees, please contact Megan Weir (principal).</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday Soup Days!</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Our PAC continues to work with Shuswap Food Action Soupermeal program to offer free soup to students every Monday starting on September 28.&nbsp; This is an amazing opportunity for students to enjoy a hot meal at school. Please help us reduce waste and costs of disposable dishes by sending a spoon and a mug or bowl to school for soup days. A HUGE thank you to Shuswap Food Action Society for their sponsorship of this program, and also to our PAC parent volunteers for giving up their time every Monday to serve soup to our students.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Families are asked to register their child so that the program coordinators can ensure the quantity we get is sufficient. That said, regardless of registration, we will do our best to ensure that any child who would like soup can have some. More information is on our AES website </span><a href="https://aes.sd83.bc.ca/documents/2f25caf7-b509-428b-a3c1-a95d139099d9/_Souper-Meals-202627-AES-1.pdf?fingerprint=ppb20260916183211"&fingerprint=ppb20260916183211 class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">here.</span></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Parking</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Please do not park in the yellow “no parking” zone.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/69bf4b29-9108-48e8-92b8-5924846817c6?fingerprint=ppb20260929172959" alt="Image (75)" width="179" height="239" style="display:inline-block;max-width:100%;width:179px;height:239px"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><img src="/images/048268d7-49c0-491b-88ac-2cf2d1590cca?fingerprint=ppb20260929172958" alt="Image (76)" width="288" height="216" style="display:inline-block;max-width:100%;width:288px;height:216px"></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It makes it difficult for school buses to safely use the bus loop. Thanks for your help with this.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">AES the School Where Everyone Belongs</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p>

<p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Armstrong Elementary families,</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few updates since our Newsletter 1.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcome Back BBQ on Sept. 23</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: We want to welcome families to their child’s new classroom from 5-5:30 pm. This is a great opportunity for your child to show you their classroom and introduce you to their teacher. If you would like to have a discussion with your child’s teacher, please make an appointment for an alternate time/date, as this evening is for informal conversations and for teachers to meet as many families as possible 😊 At 5:30, there will be a BBQ with hot dogs available for students and families. This is a picnic style BBQ, so bring a blanket or chairs for your family as you’d like. Families are welcome to bring something nut-free to share if they would like – but no worries if not! These are busy times. We are really looking forward to seeing families there!</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Items from home</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: Toys are best left at home as they can become damaged or lost at school. If they do come with your child, they will need to stay in their backpacks. Please be sure to label your child’s jackets, hoodies and other items with your child’s name. This will help with our Lost and Found.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">School forms</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Please keep an eye out for the forms that are being sent home: School fees list and student verification form. This form will allow you to confirm or make changes to addresses, emergency contacts, phone numbers, emails etc. Please return the forms to the school as soon as possible. We really appreciate you taking the time to do this.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, if you think you might be interested in volunteering at AES in any capacity (breakfast club, field trips, reading with students, helping at the school in any way), please complete the online criminal record check as well as the volunteer application. Criminal record checks are good for 5 years and must be completed through the school district’s unique code when applying online. And it’s FREE.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Online, please go to: </span><a href="https://justice.gov.bc.ca/screening/crrpa/org-access" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">https://justice.gov.bc.ca/criminalrecordcheck</span></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Please contact the school for the Access Code.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If our records indicate a medical alert plan or school administration of medication for your child, some important forms will be sent home this week to fill out and return as soon as possible.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Nuts &amp; Peanuts</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We have a number of students and staff who are allergic to peanuts and nuts. While some allergies are just if the person eats the product, others have allergic reactions that can be triggered by contact such as touching a desk or doorknob where there are traces of nuts. Students and staff who are anaphylactic to nuts may stop breathing if they come in contact with nuts or nut products. For this reason, our school is a “Nut sensitive” school and we request that peanuts and nuts are NOT sent to school. Thank you so much for understanding and for doing your part to help keep our school community safe. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the school.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Breakfast Program &amp; Soupermeals</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We have a simple daily breakfast program at AES. We are so appreciative of the time and energy that our parent volunteers dedicate to helping with this program. Learning happens best on a full stomach and we are so thankful that our students have the opportunity to grab a quick snack or two in the morning.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Soupermeals is a free soup/lunch program every Monday, starting Sept. 28. Please see the flyer for more information and to register your child. Any child interested in having some soup is very welcome! Registration simply helps the coordinators better judge the volume of soup to send to our school and have an allergy awareness.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Terry Fox Run (Sept 18): </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We will have a “silver collection” of donations for the Terry Fox Cancer Research Fund Sept 18-29. Thank you for considering.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Orange Shirt Day (Sept 29)</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: We are looking forward to our Truth &amp; Reconciliation Assembly at 8:50. Families are welcome to join, although space is limited.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Important Dates: </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Please visit the school website calendar </span><a href="https://aes.sd83.bc.ca/calendar" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Calendar - Armstrong Elementary</span></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">PAC fundraiser</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: Davison Orchard apple box fundraiser. Orders can be made through MunchALunch or by completing&nbsp;a paper form sent home with your child this week. </span><u><span class="editor-text-underline" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Order deadline is September 30th.&nbsp;</span></u></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Kindly,</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Megan Weir</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Principal</span></p>

<p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of Students in Grades 4 &amp; 7,</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Re: Foundation Skills Assessment 2026</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the time of year when our students in grades 4 &amp; 7 begin participating in the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). This annual provincial assessment measures students’ academic skills and provides the District with a snapshot of students’ foundational skills in literacy and numeracy. All students in grades 4 &amp; 7 are required by the Ministry of Education and Child Care to participate in FSA.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Parents and caregivers who would like more information about the FSA, including sample questions, brochures, and frequently asked questions, can visit the Ministry's Foundation Skills Assessment webpage: </span><a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/program-management/assessment/foundation-skills-assessment#brochures" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) - Province of British Columbia</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is a legislated provincial assessment and is considered part of the regular curriculum, instruction, and learning that takes place at school. As such, schools will not be providing alternate instruction or programming for students on the days the FSA is being administered. Students who attend school on scheduled assessment days will be expected to participate in the FSA unless a decision has been made at the school level to exclude an individual student from participating, based on the criteria established for FSA participation. We appreciate families’ support in ensuring students attend school regularly and participate fully in the learning and assessment activities that form part of their educational program.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The District does not use the FSA data to rank or compare schools, teachers, or students. The results of the FSA serve as an important tool to support student learning in SD83. Results from the assessment data assists in supporting the alignment of resources during our annual budget discussions. It is important to note that FSA data is not part of the formal student evaluation process and is not included in student report cards.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;Some quick facts about the FSA include:</span></p><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The FSA is written in sections that are spread over six weeks between September 28 – November 6, 2026.</span></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">FSA data is not part of the formal student evaluation process and is not included in student report cards.</span></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Most students required a total of 3.75 hours over those 6 weeks to complete all the components of the FSA. Students requiring additional time are provided with that time.</span></li><li value="4" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The written response section of the FSA is marked within the District by our educators.</span></li><li value="5" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The First Nations Leadership Council of BC strongly supports the FSA, identifying it as an important tool to assist learning and gauge system progress in improving outcomes for Indigenous learners.</span></li><li value="6" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> English Language Learning (ELL) students who have not reached a level of proficiency sufficient to provide meaningful responses to the literacy or numeracy sections of the FSA are excused from participating.</span></li><li value="7" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">School principals may excuse students whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) documents a learning need, that precludes the student from writing the FSA.</span></li><li value="8" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Principals may excuse a student in the event of a family emergency, lengthy illness, or other extenuating circumstances of similar seriousness.</span></li></ul><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;I trust this information will clarify any questions you may have about the Foundation Skills Assessment.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;As always, I thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in your child(ren)’s learning.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely,</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Donna Kriger</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Superintendent of Schools</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Additional Resources:</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><a href="/documents/255bc5f3-46fc-47c8-a832-df338858523d/FSA-Parent-Letter-2026.pdf?fingerprint=ppb20260915203047" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Downloadable Letter to Grades 4 &amp; 7 Parents Regarding Foundation Skills Assessment 2026</strong></b></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><a href="https://www.sd83.bc.ca/fsa-information" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Foundation Skills Assessment (District webpage)</strong></b></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p>