Do you have a child who will start kindergarten in September 2023? Welcome!

Registration for regular kindergarten and the district’s two programs of choice opens at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 17th and remains open for the rest of the school year. We are looking forward to welcoming you and your child to North Okanagan School District No. 83!

You will need to register at your child’s catchment school (based on your physical address) or specialty school (Bastion for Early French Immersion or South Canoe for Outdoor Learning). If you are interested in Early French Immersion for your child please read this. For information on SD83’s Outdoor Learning Program please contact South Canoe School for an information package.

To access our catchment school locator tool or find out more information about our specialty schools, click here. 

All Kindergarten registrations completed on Tuesday, January 17th are treated as “equal”, so there is no need for line-ups on that day. Registrations received after January 17th, will be date/time stamped and treated on a first come, first served basis. This information will be used to determine placement IF catchment area schools or programs are full. Students with siblings already registered in a Program of Choice (French Immersion or Outdoor Learning) will be given priority if there is limited space.

Online registration is also available. To register online please contact the school you are registering at for a link.

If you have any questions about the Kindergarten registration process, please contact: Jennifer Findlay,Director of Instruction, at jfindlay@sd83.bc.ca .

Flags at SD83 school will be flying at half-mast on Tuesday, Dec. 6 to mark The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

It has been over 30 years since the murder of 14 young women at Polytechnique Montréal (December 6, 1989). This act of violent misogyny shook our country and led Parliament to designate December 6 as The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

This day is about remembering those who have experienced gender-based violence and those who we have lost to it. It is also a time to take action. Achieving a Canada free from gender-based violence requires everyone to educate themselves and their families and communities on gender-based violence, centre the voices of survivors in our actions and speak up against harmful behaviours.

More information is available here
Premier’s statement on National Day of Remembrance

SD83 would like to make parents and students aware of an incident which took place in Sicamous on Friday afternoon.

According to an RCMP press release a 14-year-old youth was sexually assaulted near Parkview Elementary School and Parkland Mall in Sicamous.

Sicamous RCMP say the victim, a 14-year-old youth was walking with her 13-year-old friend when the assault occurred on October 21 at 4:30 pm. They were approached by an unknown man who asked them, Hey, do you know… Without finishing the sentence, he grabbed the 14-year-old. Both youths began screaming and the man released his grip allowing them to be able to run away.

Police are now looking for the man who is described as: Caucasian, approximately 40 years of age, no facial hair, wearing a black toque, black zip-up jacket, and sunglasses.

These youth did everything correctly by screaming and running free. They were able to provide a description of the man. We commend their bravery, says Sgt. Murray McNeil in the press release, in charge of the Sicamous RCMP Detachment. Anyone with information on the incident, or who may have been in the area, is asked to call the Sicamous RCMP at 250-836-2878.

Superintendent of Schools Donna Kriger adds because of the concerning incident in Sicamous, a letter is being sent home to parent/guardians/caregivers and supports are being put in place in Sicamous schools. She is also asking that parents/guardians/caregivers please have a conversation with their child(ren) regarding what to do if approached by a stranger.

View RCMP Release Here

Student-Teacher-Family Conferences play an important role in establishing student learning goals for the year. This year, in-person Student-Teacher-Family Conferences will take place on October 26^th, 2022, at all Elementary and Middle Schools in SD83. Students will not be in attendance this day, except during their scheduled conference time. 

The Student-Teacher-Family conferences serve as an informal learning update (previously an “interim report”) and provide an opportunity to establish and build relationships where the student, teacher, and family collaboratively discuss meaningful goals for student growth. Areas of strength, areas for growth, and next steps will be identified for each student. 

WHAT TO EXPECT:  

• Your child’s school will share information about how to book a conference time with your child’s teacher 

• Conferences will be around 15 minutes in length for each student and will be held in your child’s classroom  
• During the conference, opportunities will be provided to share examples of learning, reflect on areas of strength, and identify areas of further growth  
• Student goals may be developed as part of the conference preparation in advance and then reviewed together during the conference, or discussed and completed together at the conference 
• Any support required to meet the goals will also be identified during the conference 
• Teachers will follow-up with all parents who are unable to attend on the October 26^th Conference Day (options include: scheduling a conference meeting on another day, facilitating a virtual conference using Microsoft Teams, or discussing student growth and goals over the phone)  

• Conferences will look and feel different based on the developmental stage and readiness of the child; for example, a student in Grade 1 may be more supported through the process than a student in Grade 8 
• Student voice and participation are valued at all developmental stages; teachers and families will work together to support students as needed during these conferences 

The Ministry of Education and Child Care’s K to 12 Reporting Policy Framework provides an overview of the upcoming changes to the Student Reporting Policy, set to be fully implemented in the 2023/24 school year. 

 This is the time of year when our students in grades 4 & 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 & 7 are required by the Ministry of Education and Child Care to participate in the FSA. 

The results of the FSA serve as an important tool to support student learning in SD83 which will be particularly important as we continue to determine the impact of COVID-19 on student learning. The district also uses the assessment data to support the alignment of resources during our annual budget discussions. FSA data is not part of the formal student evaluation process and is not included in student report cards. 

Click here for parent brochure