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Elkford Secondary Students Visit London, England

Elkford Secondary School students, staff and parents take a brief rest from their busy schedule to stand together at Canada Gate, outside Buckingham Palace in London, England

Laurie Middle School "Seamstresses"

Laurie Middle School students show off their completed hoodies which they have sewn in Clothing and Textile 9 (Sewing 9). From left to right , back row. Rachel Green, Courtney Emann, Emily Hendrickson, Jamie Gerein, Aliza Haines, Blake Wiebe, McKenna Boilard, Shelby Allison, Kayla Coelho, Kristen McAuthur, Tori Atherton, Kierya Harris.
2nd row: Zoe Dupley, Allison Roberts, Robin Dunn
Front row: Samaria McLean, Tina Moore, Chanel Burt, Morgan Kerr.

Chef's Training Program at Fernie Secondary

Trustees and District Staff enjoyed dinner prepared by Kristy Ingram and her Chefs-in-Training Kelsey Bray and Sam Fremantle at the Board meeting in Fernie on March 8.

Highland's Elementary School Student Teaches Dance

A member of the Highlands Elementary School Grade 6 "dance instructors" leads a primary class from Gordon Terrace Elementary through a special dance routine. The group of students from Ron Stocknow's class are visiting other elementary schools in Cranbrook to teach other students and teachers some fun ways to stay active through dance.

Trustee Bev Bellina Opens Provincial Championship

School District 5 Trustee Bev Belina congratulates and welcomes all players and coaches to the British Columbia A Girls Basketball Provincial Championships at Sparwood Secondary School during the opening ceremonies.

Raising Money for Heart and Stroke by FSS staff and students

Everyone won at the Fernie Secondary School staff versus the Senior Girls' challenge basketball game to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The game was also a good warm-up game for the girls who are participating in the BC A Girls' Provincial Basketball Championships this week at Sparwood and Fernie.

Highlands Elementary Basketball Officials

Highlands Elementary School's minor officials for the basketball season: Kayley Dragovan, Scott Strauss, Katie Anderson, Amanda Carter, and Corly Moulton get together with referee Superintendent Bill Gook at the end of the final game.

Winter Adventure Project

Sarah Paziuk, Samantha Sorensen, Rebecca White, Iralyn Maglicco, Cheryl Knipe

Great and wonderful things are happening with our students with visual impairments. Check out the PRCVI website www.prcvi.org under News and Events for an Adventure of a Lifetime. Some of our lucky students in the Kootenays spent a few days in the great outdoors having a awesome time.  

Gordon Terrace Science Fair Participants

Gordon Terrace Elementary School students from Mrs. Popoff's grade 1/2 class, Mrs.
Grady's grade 4 class, Mrs. Eckersley/Mrs. Medig/Ms. Kasner's grade 5 class, and Mrs. Sartorel's grade 6 class were awarded the trophy for the school having the highest number of non-competitive participants at the E.K. Regional Science Fair.

Rob Cook, an undergraduate from the University of Victoria, visited
several local schools as part of the Year of Science Project. He made
presentations on Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes, Water and Erosion,
and Rocks and Fossils. Carter Bannink and his two classmates in
Joanne Weatherall's grade 1 class at Gordon Terrace were fascinated
as they watched what happens to calcite rock when a mild acid
solution is added.

Mt. Baker student wins GS Snowboard Slalom

Katie Anderson competed earlier this week in the BC High School Snowboard and Ski Provincials at Kimberley Alpine Resort. She won the GS snowboard slalom. Katie is in grade 10 at Mount Baker Secondary School.  

SEVEC Student Exchange at FSS

The French Immersion students from Fernie Secondary School and their guests from Montreal's Felix Leclerc School gather in Trainor Hall for a photo.  The two schools are part of the SEVEC (Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada) Youth Exchanges.  The Fernie students will be visiting Quebec in May.

Steeples Silvertips

With help from the team of Steeples School students the new sign "Steeples SIlvertips" is finally finished and now is proudly displayed in the school gym. Pearl Singer was in charge of the painting and Mr. Rogers looked after the construction end of things. A big thank you goes out to Wolfpack Graphics who designed the school logo and to the School District maintenance staff who erected the sign. This project would not have been possible without the S'Cool Fund grant.

Winter Carnival at Pinewood Elementary

On February 17, 2011, Pinewood Elementary School celebrated Winter Carnaval! Grade 5 & 6 students organized stations and activities. In this photo, students participate in "Glissades Desjardins".

Skype at Elkford Secondary School

Ms. Stephanie Hrisook's grade 8 Social Studies class having a conversation, via Skype, with Corporal Cory Green from Edmonton who has served in Afhganistan. The grade 8s are currently studying the Middle East. There is a plan for a return visit with Corporal Green, hopefully when he is in Afhganistan. What a great class experience!

Smart Board Training

Eighteen teachers from all across our District met at the Parkland Middle School Training Lab for the first of 2 full day Smart Board Train-the-Trainer sessions sponsored by the District and Evolution Learning Technologies.

Mt. Baker Wild About the Arts Gala

Mt. Baker Secondary School held their 2nd annual Wild About the Arts Gala on Wednesday, February 9, 2011.  Aproximately one-thousand people took part in a fundraiser for the future

Youth Arts Centre in Cranbrook. Multiple drama and music performances were going on around the school and students from Cranbrook schools had paintings, drawings, sculputres, wood and metal artworks on display throughout the school.

Corinne's New Journey

Corinne Burns leaves her bus after her last run on Thursday, February 10, 2011. Corinne is transferring to a stenographer position in the office of Mt. Baker Secondary School. Corinne started her employment in our School District as a casual Bus Driver in the Elk Valley in 2001 and moved to a permanent Bus Driver position on the Cranbrook side of the District in 2006. During her employment with our District Corinne also worked as a Noon Hour Supervisior, an Education Assistant and Bus Cleaner. During her time in Cranbrook, Corinne was also responsible for the bus route/bus student data entry into BCeSIS. Thank you, Corinne, and good luck at Mt. Baker.

New Sign at FJMES

Perry Harrad and Bill Razzo, our Fernie Maintenance crew, install a new school sign at FJ Mitchell Elemntary School in Sparwood

Curling at FJMES

FJ Mitchell Elementary School students preparing for the Briar and Tournament of Hearts

Science Fair at Rocky Mountain Elementary

Intermediate Students

Primary Students

Rocky Mountain Elementary School hosted their annual Science Fair on January 26th and 27th. Ninety high quality projects were displayed over the two-day fair. Five awards were given out at the primary level and 5 awards at each of the intermediate grade levels. The judges this year included a former teacher, principal, seniors from the community, our School Board Chair, and various community professionals. Congratulations to all participants and thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors.

Grade 5's Display their Art at FJ Mitchell

Grade 5 students from FJ Mitchell Elementary School in Sparwood dispaly one of their projects from their Aboriginal Education Art class.

Outdoor Education in Sparwood

The Kindergarten class from FJ Mitchell Elementary School in Sparwood recently participated in the Wildsight Winter Outdoor Education Program.

SD5 Celebrates Robbie Burns Day

Gerry Whitlock, Mechanic in the Transportation Department, pipes through the halls of Pinewood Elementary School on January 25, 2011 in celebration of Robbie Burns Day.

Gordon Terrace Elementary School Outdoor Club

Students, teachers and parents in the Gordon Terrace Elementary School Outdoor Club had a great time snowshoeing at Elizabeth Lake after a recent heavy snowfall.

Kootenay Orchards "Food Drive Organizers" with their Christmas Food Hampers for needy families

Japanese Teacher Exchange Program at GTES

Superintendent Bill Gook visited Gordon Terrace Elementary School to welcome Japanese teacher Hisa Sato to School District 5. Hisa is part of the International Presenters Culture Exchange Program and will be helping at Gordon Terrace until June 2011.  Superintendent Gook presented a gift of appreciation to Hisa.

Mrs. Bradford's Grade 7 class at Laurie Middle School, challenged the other four Grade 7 classes in the school to collect items to be donated to the community drop-in Centre in Cranbrook operated by the "Street Angels"

Student Voice

Thirty-four student leaders from all our secondary and middle schools met at Elkford Secondary for a day long conference around the ethical use of technology by the youth of today. Members from our District Student Advisory Council along with Trustee Bev Bellina from Sparwood also participated. The discussions from this meeting will be presented to the Ministry of Education at the Student Voice Spring Conference in Vancouver.

Sparwood Secondary School in the Spirit of Christmas

Mrs. Wagner’s grade 9 Social Studies class at Sparwood Secondary organized a school wide food drive to help those families in need at this time of the year.  The students collected over 1000 items to donate to the local food bank.

30th Annual Cranbrook Mass Christmas Choir

Student choirs from each of the Cranbrook elementary schools joined together on December 8th to sing carols and give readings. The concert took place at the College of the Rockies with Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Bill Gook presiding as Master of Ceremonies. The choirs were directed by the district's music teachers, who have done an admirable job of preparing their school choirs for this wonderful community event.

School District 5 bus driver Corinne Burns stands in front of her "Santa" bus. The last day of school for students is Thursday, December 16

Elkford Senior Girls Volleyball Team is Going to Provincials!

Pictured in the photograph is this year’s Elkford Secondary Senior Girls Volleyball team. Our team is coached by Dustin Murray and Erick Canlas and our players are: Mary Nixon, Victoria McArthur, Kenzie Bauer, Courtney Culver, Erica Wray, Megan Nixon, Nikki Scott, and Jessalyn Parker.  They placed 2nd and accomplished the goal that was set back in September of competing on the provincial level.  They will be going to Abbotsford to compete for and represent Elkford in the 2010 Senior 'A' Girls Volleyball Provincial Championships.

Students from Kootenay Orchards and T.M. Roberts meet together to practice their violin under the direction of Mr. Lutz

Students at Gordon Terrace took part in a Peace Assembly to
introduce the virtue of Caring in the school's Virtues Program

"Elkford Secondary School students are challenged to "BE THE CHANGE!" following an amazing 2 days of CHALLENGE DAY on October 25 and 26th."

Schools in SD5 Remember

Click here for more photos

Laurie Middle School Students enjoy the district-wide DEAR activity

Superintendent Bill Gook has lunch with students at Rocky Mountain Elementary School

Spooktacular at Steeples Elementary School

The results from Steeples Elementary School's pumpkin carving event were Spooktacular.

Over 100 parents and students attended the evening event which was sponsored by

the Steeples Elementary School Community Coordinator.

Grade 7 Science at Elkford Secondary

Mr. Steve Fairbairn's grade 7 science classes at Elkford Secondary School creating their own science experiment around the question “what things can change your heart rate?”. First they had to develop their own hypothesis, then they had to create an experiment to test it. Finally, they got to carry out their experiments with their classmates.

SD5 Eager Readers

Deanne Perreault, the Children's and Youth Librarian at the Cranbrook Public Library, was a guest story reader at the Eager Readers Lunch Break Club at Gordon Terrace Elementary School on Tuesday. Organized by school teacher- librarian, Wendy Gook, students in grades 1 to 3 at Highlands and Gordon Terrace schools gather together at lunchtime to listen to stories and to read on their own. For every three nights that a club member reads an extra 20 minutes at home, the student earns a special leaf to add to the Eager Readers' Tree in the school.

SMART Board at Isabella Dicken Elementary

Grade one students at IDES in Fernie work on a SMART board utilizing some of the latest technology available in SD5 classrooms. The school has recently installed 5 Smartboards and will acquire more as a result of a generous $10 000 donation by Teck Coal.

Student Services' Professional Development Activities

Trina Anderson, School District 5 Assessment Counsellor, leads a group of Student Services teachers gaining a greater understanding of the the WIAT assessment tool. This activity took place on the October 22 Professional Development Day.

Professional Development Activities for School District 5 Bus Drivers

Fourteen School District 5 bus drivers attended and successfully passed a Level 1 First Aid Training course on the district's Professional Development Day, Friday, October 22.

"Amy Woodland Elementary School's Football Team"

Waste Reduction Week Oct. 18 - 24

Gordon Terrace Students Promote Waste Reduction Week Oct. 18 - 24 with Trash to Treasures posters.

Investors Group Helps Fund Meals for SD5 students

Brenda Maudie, District Principal for Special Education (left) and Amy Woodland Elementary Principal, Steve Lightfoot (right) are joined by Amy Woodland students Anton Dupuis, Lindsay Barnett and Colby Roller (front, left to right) as they accept a cheque from Bill Hughes and Wally Eddy from Investors Group.  The $1,000 will go in equal parts toward Amy Woodland breakfast program as well as the lunch program at Fernie Secondary.  Wally Eddy has contributed $500 from motorcycle coaching and Investors Group has matched his contribution.  Eddy has committed to providing his support for three years.  At Amy Woodland more than 35 children receive a free breakfast every day with toast, cereal, milk and fruit.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Students in Mme. Sylvie's Gr. 1 French Immersion class at École TM Roberts School were busy last week preparing for Thanksgiving. They created these turkeys with the help of several volunteers. Bravo les amis! Happy Thanksgiving!"

Tree Dedicated to Pat Casey

On Tuesday afternoon, a memorial tree was dedicated to one of Cranbrook's best-loved citizens, Pat Casey, in a ceremony near City Hall.  Pat Casey, who passed away in January this year, was a former teacher and had served as the president of the Retired Teachers' Association and as a School District 5 Trustee.  She was also active with a number of volunteer organizations including Cranbrook in Bloom, Cranbrook First Toastmasters Club, Sam Steele Sweethearts and the Key City Theatre Society.

Jan Gordon-Hooker, Cranbrook in Bloom and SD5 Trustee; Kathleen Simon, Cranbrook First Toastmasters Club; Carl Casey, husband of Pat Casey; Chris Johns, SD5 Trustee; and Cranbrook Mayor Scott Manjak.

"Having a tree memorial is a fitting tribute to a great lady who dedicated so much of her life to gardening and to nurturing the lives of others," says Frank Lento, SD5 Board of Education Chair.

October 5 is World Teachers' Day

“We are PROUD of our teachers!  They are GREAT, not because of their training, not because of their experience but because of the passion they bring to our classrooms!” Frank Lento, Chairperson of the Board of Education

In honor of World Teacher Appreciation Day, Principal Darcy Verbeurgt and Vice Principal Scott Holt treated the teaching and support staff at Laurie Middle School to Tim Horton's coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and mocha's.

Terry Fox Run

Jaffray Elementary Junior Secondary students participated in their annual Terry Fox Run on Wednesday. The school raised  $1,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation to help in their goal to find a cure for Cancer.

PAARLAUF RELAY RACES AT CRANBROOK SCHOOLS

"Students from Pinewood, and TM Roberts recently competed in the Paarlauf Relay Races at TM Roberts Elementary School in Cranbrook."

FAMILY BBQ AT HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY

Highlands Parent Advisory council hosted a "Family Night/Open House" barbeque for all families of the school. Ron Stocknow, teacher at Highlands, Bill Gook, Superintendent, and Greg Aston, Principal of Highlands were the guest "chefs".

WELCOME BACK AT FSS

Fernie Secondary and Isabella Dicken staff perform their version of the classic song "RESPECT" for students at their annual Welcome Back Pancake Breakfast and 30th Annual Terry Fox Run. The two schools raised over $5000 for cancer research.

Pinewood Elementary's "Welcome Back" Breakfast

Everyone enjoyed themselves at the annual Pinewood Elementary School's "Welcome Back" pancake breakfast.

Superintendent Bill Gook's memo to all Staff - read here

Open Letter to Parents from BC's Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid

VICTORIA - As your child heads back to school this year, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the important role you, as parents, play in the success of all the children and young people in our education system. Research has shown that when parents are involved and engaged, it not only helps their own child, it helps other children in the school. The evidence is consistent and convincing: parent engagement is one of the key factors identified by researchers in high-performing schools, and families have a major influence on their child's achievement in school and through life.  More

Welcome all SD5 International Students

Anna Reistorff, one of our International Students from Germany, arrived at the Cranbrook airport on September 2nd after a 21 hour flight from Dusseldorf. Anna is staying with the Tichauers and will be attending Sparwood Secondary. This year School District 5 welcomes 70 International Students to our district.

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL FOR THE 2010/2011 SCHOOL YEAR

The Board of Education of School District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) and its employees would like to welcome all returning and new students to the 2010/2011 school year.

To assist with either your introduction or reintroduction to the school system, we are providing you with the following information. If you require additional information, please contact your neighborhood school or the School District Office at 426-4201 (1-866-489-4201 Toll Free) or check our web page at www.sd5.bc.ca.

For a copy of the 2010/2011 school calendar outlining the days-in-session, non-in-session Fridays and the non-instructional days please refer to the school district’s webpage or pick one up at the school district office, 940 Industrial Road No. 1.

School Opening

School District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) welcomes students of Cranbrook, South Country, Jaffray, Fernie, Sparwood and Elkford back to School on Tuesday, September 7, 2010.  All schools will be in session from 9:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. on that day.  Secondary and middle schools may have alternate start times on opening day.  Please contact your local school directly.

For hours of instruction for Kindergarten and bus pick up times, please contact your neighborhood school.

New Registrants are asked to register at their neighborhood school during the week of August 30th.  Please check with your neighborhood school for their hours of operation during that week.  French Immersion is available at T.M. Roberts Elementary, Parkland Middle School, Mount Baker Secondary and Isabella Dicken Elementary in Fernie.

Attention:  Home Learners

For parents who wish to educate their children at home or outside of the traditional school setting, School District No. 5 provides support for those parents through the “Kootenay Discovery School”.  The Kootenay Discovery School follows the BC curriculum and provides teacher support to parents and students.  Please call 250-489-5838 in Cranbrook or 250-423-4919 in the Elk Valley for more information.

Amy Woodland's Aboriginal Day

Students and staff of Amy Woodland Elementary School celebrated and recognized National Aboriginal Day.

Valedictorian 2010 Sparwood Secondary School, Tyrel Musil

"We are about to take our futures fully into our own hands and experience the real world. It won’t be easy, and there will be a lot of tough times no matter what we choose to do. I am confident that every one of us has what it takes to overcome these hardships. Life is yours to do what you will with it. Try to live your life to the fullest. Don’t hold back; don’t be afraid to be different. Make sure that when you are old and look back on your life there are plenty of exciting, unique, fulfilling, and even crazy experiences that come to mind. To the class of 2010 – good luck and thank you."

Valedictorian 2010 Fernie Secondary School, Amber Christenson

“So fellow grads, this is it - the end of an era - or at least a decade.  And you haven’t come through that decade alone.  Your parents, guardians, friends, counselors, and yes, even teachers, have been with you the entire way.  These people care about you and your success in life.  … if you remember anything you learned in high school, remember this:

Live every moment like it’s your last; dream like the moment will never end; and, don’t stop believing.  Congrats grad 2010.  We did it!”

Valedictorian 2010 Elkford Secondary School, Kaitlyn Unwin

“On behalf of our grad class, I’d like to thank all our teachers, and the support staff of ESS, RMES and EES who have contributed to our years of schooling. It is because of your efforts we are here today. Not only because of your nagging and due dates, but because you made sure we had the resources we needed and never gave up on us. We celebrate today, but anxiously look to the future, so here are some words of advice:  live your own life. Have your own spunk and personality and do not be afraid to show it. Standing out is always much more fun! If that is not for you, just make sure you live big and dream big at least some of the time. I’ll miss you all and I wish each and every one of you all the best. Good luck with wherever the path leads you and keep in touch.”

“RAY’S LAST RUN!”

Ray White pulls into the Cranbrook Bus Shop after his last school bus run of the school year and his career. Ray has been a bus driver for our School District for 27 accident free years. Thank you and congratulations on your retirement, Ray.

Adapted Technology Class at MBSS

The Adapted Technology Work Skills class at Mt. Baker Secondary School with their roasting sticks and planter boxes which they fabricated and sold as part of their workplace readiness training.

Math Olympics at FJMES

Students at FJ Mitchell Elementary School recently participated in their first annual Intermediate Math Olympics.

School District 5 Honours Retirees

Over 70 people came together to celebrate and recognize the many years of service by this year’s retirees to the students of School District 5. 

TM Roberts Elementary “Violin Club”

The TM Roberts Elementary School’s ”Violin Club” performed at the school’s recent 2010 Year-End Music Concert. The well-attended concert also featured the Grade 6 Concert Band.

Highlands Elementary School’s Annual Bike Trip

Mr. Stocknow’s Grade 6 class from Highlands Elementary School stops for a brief break on the annual bike/camping trip to Wycliffe Park.

Fernie Secondary's Drama Production Oklahoma

The Persian Peddler, Ali Hakim, has  Laurey under his spell as he sells her a bottle of a "magic potion" (really smelling salts) which the unscrupulous peddler guarantees will reveal her true love in the Fernie Secondary School’s drama production of Oklahoma. The play entertained sell-out audiences at all three performances.

District Parent Advisory Council Thanks Cheryl McCann

At the last DPAC meeting of this school year Chair Tracy Adams thanks Cheryl McCann for her 12 years of service to parents, students and the School District as a member of the District Parent Advisory Council. Cheryl has held many executive positions on DPAC and has been a key link to the BCCPAC for all our school’s PAC’s.

SPARWOOD SECONDARY GRADUATION

Sparwood Secondary graduates Stephanie Neben, Kaethel Sauerborn, Jaclyn Dixson, and Justin Hanlon present the 2009/10 grad photo to Principal, Jason Tichauer at their recently held Graduation Ceremony.

MT. BAKER STUDENT WINS PRESTIGIOUS SCHOLARSHIP

Katelyn Knudsgaard (Grade 12 student) at Mt. Baker School is the recipient of the prestigious Seymour Schulich Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship from the University of Calgary. She will be studying  Chemical Engineering. Katelyn will receive $20 000 in her 1st year plus a cost of living of $2600.  If she can maintain a 3.5 GPA she will also be awarded $15 000 in both her 2nd and 3rd years at the University of Calgary plus the cost of living of $1995 during these years. Congratulations and good luck, Katelyn. With Katelyn in the photo is Debra Empson, Principal of Mt. Baker Secondary and Bill Gook, Superintendent of Schools.

ANNUAL KIKOMUN RUN

Members of the FJ Mitchell “Wolves” cross country team celebrate the school’s impressive team effort at the annual Kikomun Run.  The FJ Mitchell Team won the girl’s race, boy’s race and the overall competition.  Well done FJ Mitchell.

CANADA-WIDE SCIENCE FAIR RECIPIENT

Congratulations to Keltie Murdoch, Grade 9 Parkland Middle School, for receiving an Honourable Mention for her science fair project, “Temper Trap” at the Canada-Wide Science Fair held in Peterborough, Ontario. Keltie’s project investigated the efficiency of air tempering (geothermal energy) as a means to create quality living spaces. This was Keltie’s 3rd year in a row of qualifying to represent the East Kootenay’s in the Canadian competition and her first time as an award recipient.  Two other School District 5 students, Curtis Hall, Mt. Baker and Chris Lavery, Laurie Middle School also attended the Canada-Wide Science Fair. Thank you to Corey Conroy and Sandi Lavery of the East Kootenay Regional Science Fair for accompanying the students to Peterborough. In the picture with Keltie is Principal of Parkland Middle School, Brent Reimer and Superintendent, Bill Gook who was at Parkland to offer his congratulations.

BCSTA LONG-TERM SERVICE AWARD

The BCSTA Long-Term Service Award was recently presented to Bev Bellina and Chris Ellis both Trustees with School District 5's Board of Education.  Also in the picture is Frank Lento, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Rob Norum, Secretary-Treasurer and Bill Gook, Superintendent of Schools.

PARADE FOR FERNIE'S EMILY BRYDON

Isabella Dicken Elementary school students proudly carry the Canadian Flag at the front of the parade celebrating Fernie's three time Olympian and World Cup Alpine Skier Gold Medalist Emily Brydon.

SETBC CELEBRATES STUDENT REPORTERS

On Friday, May 7, Special Education Technology BC (SETBC) celebrated the achievements of three student reporters who attended the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. The students, who have been working towards this goal for over 3 years, each gave a wonderful presentation of their once in a lifetime experience. Frank Robertson, grade 12 student at Mt Baker, is shown here talking about his Olympic adventure. Read his thought-provoking essays at www.fyicanada.ca Type “frankearl” in the search field to find them.

PROJECT HEAVY DUTY

For the first time Project Heavy Duty was offered in both Cranbrook and in Sparwood this year.  Students in grades 11 and 12 who are interested in a career in heavy equipment operation were encouraged to be involved in Heavy Duty.  The program involves specific training in Industrial Work Safety through WorkSafeBC and the College of the Rockies and two days of guided instruction on the operation of construction or mining equipment. The program in Sparwood included a tour of the Tech Coal mining operations.

Pinewood Elementary School Works on School Growth Plan

One of the goals of the Pinewood Elementary School Growth Plan for 2009/2010, is to improve student learning in the area of social responsibility. To support this goal, staff provides opportunities for students to increase their awareness of socially responsible behaviour through practice.

An example of this was our recent school trip to Surveyors Lake for the annual Terry Fox Run where students also participated in sandcastle building in cooperative groups. Another example is Buddy Learning. This program pairs up Intermediate and Primary students to provide them with positive interaction and leadership opportunities.

Project Heavy Duty

Project Heavy Duty is an opportunity for students who may be interested in pursuing a career in construction, heavy equipment operation or the associated service trades to obtain "hands on" experience with the safe operation of heavy equipment. The program was a collaborative venture involving Work Safe B.C., School District #5, College of the Rockies, the City of Cranbrook and a number of the local industries and trades and the Career Education Society of B.C. The students were able to gain valuable Work Experience Credit toward their graduation and industrial job site training through the college. The City and local industries kindly donated the use of the work site, the equipment and a trained operator. The weather on the site was terrible on the first day and help the students gain immediate appreciation of the demands on an equipment operator. Our thanks again to the community for their generosity, the students for their interest and desire and to the hard-working staff who made Project Heavy Duty such a great success. Please visit our Project Heavy Duty Image Gallery

Sparwood Secondary School Grand Opening

The official opening of the newly constructed Sparwood Secondary School was held on Monday, April 6, 2009.

From the left:  Frank Lento, Chairperson, Bill Gook Superintendent, Bev Bellina, Trustee, Rob Norum, Secretary-Treasurer, Bill Bennet, MLA, Jason Tichauer, Principal.

Elkford Students Visit WWII Battlefields

During Spring Break 24 students of Elkford Secondary, accompanied by 19 teachers and parents did a Canadian Battlefield's tour that took them to France, Belgium and Holland. The highlights of the trip were the visits to the military cemeteries at Bard Cottage and Tyne Cott in Belgium and Beny-sur-Mer and Bretteville-sur-laize in France. Students had the opportunity to visit specific graves of Canadians who made the 'supreme sacrifice' and pay homage with a moment of silence or a prayer. They are now completing research on these individuals.

Students were also awed by their visit to Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Dieppe Beach and the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont Hamel. Students were moved by the youthful ages on the headstones. A visit to the grave of the youngest soldier killed in World War I, at age 15, was similarly moving. There is little doubt that students will have a renewed appreciation for Remembrance Day from now on.

Jaffray Dance Extravaganza

One of the many activities chosen by the JESS staff for DPA (Daily Physical Activity) was the creation of a DPA dance unit. Since January the students and staff have participated in 30 minutes of dance each that varies from partner dances, to line dances, to circle dances. Whether you are young or old, these will all be dances that will last a lifetime. On the final day of the unit a grand finale was held on March 10, 2009 from 1:00 to 2:00pm. All of the elementary classes participated for a large dance extravaganza. Parents, staff and students closed the extravaganza with the "Twist". What a great event!!

Elk Valley Elementary Basketball Championships

FJ Mitchell Elementary School was this year’s host for the Elk Valley Grade 6 Boys’ Basketball Championships. Teams from Rocky Mountain Elementary in Elkford, Isabella Dicken Elementary in Fernie, Jaffray Elementary Junior Secondary in Jaffray and the host school, F J Mitchell, participated in this all day event. Congratulations goes to FJ Mitchell for winning the Championships for the 2nd year in a row and well done and thank you to all the players and coaches who participated. Superintendent Bill Gook attended and helped out by score-keeping and presenting the championship trophy to the FJ Mitchell team. With Superintendent Gook at the scorer’s table is Mrs. Gail Pidgeon, Vice Principal of FJ Mitchell, and Alex Isaacs, a member of the winning FJ Mitchell team. Thank you to Mrs. Pidgeon and Mrs. Colonello, Principal of FJ Mitchell, for organizing this year’s activities.

Trustees Plan for Future

The Board of Trustees met together in Cranbrook on Wednesday, April 1 to build a vision and set goals for School District No. 5. The session was facilitated by Penny Tees, who has served as president of the BC School Trustees Association and who recently retired after 18 years as a school trustee  with the Kootenay Lake School District. Amongst other goals, a focus of the discussions was on strengthening the board team to make it more effective in meeting the needs of our school communities.

Fernie Robotics Team Successful in Idaho

The Fernie Secondary School Robotics Team did an fantastic job of competing, representing their families, school, community and country in the recent FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), a mid-level robotics competition for high-school students. The team won the prestigious FIRST Tech Challenge Innovate Award that celebrates a team that not only thinks outside the box, but also has the ingenuity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. The tournament was a combination of competition, team work and cooperation with other teams. They exceeded expectations demonstrating great problem solving skills and self confidence.

Pinewood Counts Down to Olympics

Thursday, February 12 marked the one year countdown to the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. To celebrate the Countdown the B.C. Ministry of Education invited students and educators from across Canada to join together in singing "O Canada" on Thursday, February 12 at 10:00 am. Seen in this photo is Pinewood Elementary School principal, Wendy Hogg, an Olympic Bronze medallist, leading students in the singing of O'Canada to celebrate the Countdown to 2010.

"The Spirit of BC" Writing Contest Winners

In a recent writing contest titled "The Spirit of BC" two grade 2 students, Misha Searle and Jack Peppel, from TM Roberts Elementary School placed first and third respectively. The contest encouraged participants from grades 1-6 to write about events in British Columbia that have been inspirational, past or present. Their teacher, Mrs. Carolyne Zimich, had all her grade 2 students write essays about BC. Mr. Bill Gook, Superintendent of Schools, came into Mrs. Zimich's class and talked briefly to the class about what a great province and district in which we live and then thanked and congratulated Mrs. Zimich and the class for participating.

From Storytelling Circles to Handmade Books

Students from Mrs. Oscienny’s Grade 5/6 French Immersion class at Isabella Dicken Elementary School and students from Fernie Secondary School participated in a wonderful project sponsored by Aboriginal Education and the Fernie Arts Station. The students worked cooperatively to create hand-bound books for an exhibit at the Arts Station.

Joe Pierre, a Ktunaxa storyteller, and Leslie Graham, an artist from Fernie, spearheaded this incredible project. They were assisted by Betty Robb and Lois Elia, Aboriginal Education Support Workers, and by Patrice Oscienny, the Grade 5/6 French Immersion teacher. The students were asked to create their own stories inspired by traditional legends of the Ktunaxa people. They then learned how to make various kinds of books, and how to decorate and personalize them. They used creative, artistic ways to incorporate their stories into the books.

The students’ hard work was rewarded by an outstanding display of the books at the Fernie Arts Station from January 8th to January 28th, 2009. The Official Opening of the Art Book Project was held at the Arts Station Thursday January 15th, with many students, parents, and school district personnel in attendance. The students made a wonderful presentation to explain their books, and the process they went through to complete their exhibit.

This project was a wonderful collaboration between IDES and FSS, as well as the community of Fernie. School District #5 is proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by students, teachers and community members to make this project a success.

Superintendent's Letter To Parents Regarding FSA Tests

To read the Superintendent's letter to parents regarding Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) tests, please click here.

RMES Teachers Support Heart and Stroke Foundation

Teachers Gerri Madsen and Lisa Durrand have been organizing and promoting and sponsoring a day of skipping and jumping in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation for 15 years. To date the the school has raised over $81,000 and were recently recognized with a certificate of thanks for the years of support. Principal Shirley McGale commented, "We have a fabulous teaching staff and the community is unbelievable in its committment to rasing money for groups such as this."

Junior Volleyball Season Wraps Up

Congratulations to the Junior Boys Volleyball teams from Mt Baker Secondary and Jaffray Elementary Junior Secondary for their fine showing this past weekend at the BC Junior Boys Volleyball Invitational Provincial Championships hosted by Mt. Baker in Cranbrook. Mt. Baker finished 5th and Jaffray came 6th out of 12 participating teams. Both teams were fine representatives of their schools, their communities and our District!

SD#5 Trustees Elected

The following individuals have been elected and will serve as Trustees on the Board of Education for School District No.5 for three years. The Inagural meeting of the Board Of Education will take place in Cranbrook on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

Teachers Collaborate on Marking Student Writing

District teachers met recently to mark grade 3, 6 and 9 student writing samples. The teachers felt it was a good opportunity to work together and have a chance to talk about good assessment practices. The discussion and marking provided a good clarification of BC Performance Standards and how they can be effectively used to mark student writing samples consistently across the district.

Drop Everything and Read

School District #5 Trustees, Cory Mildenberger, Pat Casey and Chris Ellis participate in the "Drop Everything and Read" (DEAR) event to celebrate and recognize National School Library Day. This is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. The Trustees were in the middle of their monthly committee meetings and stopped everything in order to take part.

Paarlauf Tradition Continues

Many thanks to TM Roberts for continuing the tradition of running  the Paarlauf (the 28th on record). This progressive race provided great excitement and competition for participating teams from grade 4, 5  and 6 from Cranbrook. The weather was unusually warm and sunny this year, the first time the race has been run in the fall.

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

Students in Stewart Wilson's grade 2/3 class at Gordon Terrace participated in the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean Up along Joseph Creek by the Tamarack Mall. Four shopping carts were filled with garbage within an hour. Students and volunteer parents are proud of
their efforts but would encourage everyone to do their part to take care of the environment.

MBSS Students on a "Virtual Tour" of Royal Tyrell Museum

Students from Mr Duchscherer's and Mr. Quick's science classes at Mount Baker Secondary recently took a "Virtual Tour" of The Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. The Royal Tyrrell Museum is a Canadian leader in the field of videoconferencing education and MBSS students were guided through an interactive visit of the museum's galleries and exhibits. They experienced the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex, puzzled over the strange creatures of the Burgess Shale, and learned more than they thought possible in a 45-minute journey through the history of life on Earth.

School District 5 Announces Principal and Vice-Principal Appointments

(Updated June 25, 2008)

School District 5 Southeast Kootenay is pleased to announce the appointment of the following personnel to principal and vice principal positions for the 2008-09 school year.

Principals

Greg Aston – Principal, Highlands Elementary, Cranbrook
Wendy Hogg – Principal, Pinewood Elementary, Cranbrook

Steve Lightfoot - Principal, Amy Woodland Elementary, Cranbrook
Terry Molnar – Principal, Kootenay Orchards Elementary, Cranbrook
Frank Sopko – Principal, Jaffray Elementary Junior Secondary, Jaffray
Darcy Verbeurgt – Principal, Laurie Middle School, Cranbrook

Vice Principals

Fran Kellington - Vice Principal, Sparwood Secondary, Sparwood
Scott Holt – Vice Principal, Laurie Middle School, Cranbrook

Bruce McAnerney - Vice Principal, Amy Woodland Elementary, Cranbrook
Dave Martin - Vice Principal, Mt. Baker Secondary, Cranbrook
Gail Pidgeon – Vice Principal, FJ Mitchell Elementary, Sparwood
Michelle Sartorel – Vice Principal, Gordon Terrace Elementary, Cranbrook
Mike Taylor – Vice Principal, T.M. Roberts Elementary, Cranbrook
Brenda Tyson - Vice Principal, Mt. Baker Secondary, Cranbrook

Red Cedar Readers in Cranbrook

The Red Cedar Readers from Highlands and Gordon Terrace Elementary Schools were treated to an entertaining and educational session with author, Richard Scrimger, recently. His book "From Charlie's Point of View" is one of 30 books nominated this year for the Red Cedar which is BC's Young Reader's Choice Book Award. Students have been reading and evaluating the nominated titles since January in order to vote for their favourites. On May 10th, the winners will be announced at a Gala Awards Ceremony.

SD#5 at Kinsmen Trade Fair

The School District participated in the Kinsmen Trade Fair in Cranbrook (May 2-4) and the Fernie Trade Fair (May 9/10). This was a great opportunity to promote our programs, answer questions, clarify rumours, recruit host families and, generally, to highlight the School District's important role in these communities.

MBSS Production of "AIDA" a Success

RodO, director of the Mount Baker Wild Theatre production of AIDA took on the challenge of changing venues on short notice to ensure that the "show did go on". Over 150 people met up every evening last week at the Wildhorse Theatre in Fort Steele to make the show happen and by all accounts it was a huge success. Thanks to all involved and to everyone who came out to support the production.

Learning Through the Arts
Since January, 2008, three elementary schools in Cranbrook have been participating in a special fine arts program called Learning through the Arts (LTTA). LTTA is a national program offered through the Royal Conservatory of Music with the goal of using music, dance, drama and visual arts to engage students in new ways of learning. Local artists, Trina Rasmuson (dance) and Caroline Murray (drama), have been specially trained by Nadine Tremblay of LTTA and all three have been working in partnership with elementary teachers in a total of 12 classrooms spread amongst Highlands, Amy Woodland and TM Roberts Elementary Schools.

Through this program, students have learned about a wide variety of topics through the arts, including: bullying prevention through drama; states of matter through painting; and emotions through dance. In the photo, a group of students from Madame Bishop's class at TM Roberts Elementary School are learning about fractions through the medium of dance with instructor Trina Rasmuson.

Local Schools Take 1st and 2nd in KNA 5km/10km Race

Pinewood Elementary School was awarded the trophy for Most StudentParticipation and Most Staff Participation in Sunday’s KNA 5K Race! Pinewood is also the proud school of the following runners who were in the top placings in their age categories – Haylee Thomas (1st Place), Riley Bailey (2nd Place) and Cody Anderson (1st Place).

Steeples Elementary School placed second for Most Student Participation. Congratulations to both schools and staff for this accomplishment.

Students form Special News Team for Winter Games
Five SETBC (Special Education Technology BC) students were invited to join a special news team to report on the 2008 Winter Games in Cranbrook and Kimberley. The project, initiated and coordinated by SETBC (Region 4 Kootenays )and supported by families and schools, is part of the Virtual Voices Village project created by SETBC Vancouver, and funded by 2010 Legacies Now. School District 5 students, Grace Brulotte from Isabella Dicken Elementary School in Fernie, Frank Robertson from Mt Baker High, and Rebecca White from Laurie School in Cranbrook were among the five.
In December the students were outfitted and trained to use a variety of media equipment, including still and video cameras, editing software, audio recorders and tripods. Grace used a switch-operated camera mounted on her wheelchair. Students and their teams received information and training via teleconference and email, and practiced with their equipment over January and February. When the Games weekend arrived, the students and their families met in Kimberley for the first time to socialize and strategize, before going off their chosen sports venues. Grace covered wheelchair basketball, Frank covered disabled skiing, and Rebecca reported on Karate. SETBC provided hotel accommodation for families who lived more than one hour away, ongoing technical and moral support, and accompanied the students to the events.
When the Games ended, the students returned to their communities to complete their photo or video presentations by early April. See their work posted at Virtual Voice Village  under Student Journalism, or go to the Virtual Voices Village link from the SETBC website at www.setbc.org.
Virtual Voices Village is a website for students with disabilities in British Columbia, developed and maintained by SETBC. Please follow this link to the Vancouver Sun for an article about Gracec Brulotte and her journalism accomplishments.

Fernie Secondary Career Connections 2008

Career Connections 2008 was held at Fernie Secondary School, on Tuesday, April 8 between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. Students attended from Jaffray Jr. Secondary, Fernie Secondary, Sparwood Secondary and Elkford Secondary. Approximately 400 students participated. There were informative displays from local and national companies, government agencies and professional associations. This was an opportunity for people from these organizations to discuss career options with students and as well for the students to possibly find out about summer jobs and future careers. There were about twenty-five presenters who are looking forward to next year's Career Connections 2009.

IDES Teacher Selected for Institute on Parliamentary Democracy

Ms. Lynda Bird, a teacher at Isabella Dickens, will be attending the BC Teachers' Institute on Parliamentary Democracy in Victoria from April 15-19, 2008. The Teachers' Institute provides for a variety of formal and informal presentations and panels by key officials within the Legislature. The main objective of the Institute is to enhance knowledge and understanding of British Columbia's parliamentary system of democracy, as well as engaging teachers in promoting an awareness of the Legislature and its relevance on the lives of students.

KEYS to SUCCESS!

Congratulations to Amy Woodland Elementary School in Cranbrook for achieving all four levels of the Keys to Success nutritional program. AWES has achieved the highest quality in every aspect of their nutrition program. Well one!

BREAKFAST FOR LEARNING supports community-based student nutrition programs across Canada, created and sustained by a network of over 30,000 dedicated volunteers. Since 1992, BREAKFAST FOR LEARNING has helped nourish more than half a million children in thousands of communities in every province and territory.

In addition to contributing directly to the nutritional, behavioural, social and learning needs of students, student nutrition programs help strengthen communities as they work together to ensure that children are well nourished and ready to learn.Through countrywide consultation and analysis, Keys to Success were developed to provide quality standards to support the delivery of student nutrition programs across Canada. Keys to Success offers best practices and self-assessments that are critical to quality programs, and participation is easy. 

Regional Science Fair March 8th

The Regional Science Fair was held Saturday, March 8th, 2008 at the College of the Rockies gymnasium in Cranbrook. Young scientists from Elkford to Cranbrook and up to Golden joined adult scientists and volunteers from the community as they shared their science. This years Science Fair was a little different. It had a Competitive Fair for Grades 7-12, and a Non-competitive Fair forGrades K-6.

Check out the East Kootenay Science Fairs site at www.eksciencefairs.ca

"Education a l'Exterieure"

Fernie Secondary School is fortunate enough to have a French Immersion instructor who also has an interest in outdoor pursuits. The school has implemented a new "Education a l'Exterieure" program and is looking forward to continuation of this in the French Immersion program for years ahead.

Pinewood Students Study First Nations Culture

This picture shows the making of bone and bead bracelets under the direction of Aboriginal Education Support Worker, Ronalie James. This was a culminating activity for First Nation's studies for grade 4 students at Pinewood.

ARC-BC PROJECT

SD #5 was recently selected to participate in the ARC-BC pilot project. We were one of eight school districts who will be given the opportunity to participate in the development and trial of ARC-BC eTexts.

“The ARC-BC project is a provincial response to the increasing demand for digital or alternate format materials in BC classrooms. Educators in all school districts will be able to search an online repository or “digital library” to find and download alternate format resources related to the BC curriculum. Production and distribution of the alternate format materials will be centrally coordinated and duplication of effort in resource creation will hopefully be eliminated. The goal of ARC-BC is to provide BC educators with access to high-quality digital and alternate format materials for their students with print disabilities and/or visual impairments in a timely manner.”

For more information please contact Maggie Lindsay-Tadey

One to One Reading Program Honored

The Cranbrook "One to One Reading Program" (Linda Abbott and Elaine Ridgley - coordinators) is the recipient of a BC Principals and Vice-principals Association community partnership awards, to be presented at the Chapter Council in March. This is the second year in a row that a community partner from our school district has been recognized by the BCPVPA.