Good morning! Please click here to view the Nov 15, 2021 Parent Newsletter! Reminder to listen to CFAX 1070 in the morning for up to date information on inclement weather protocol, such as bus cancellations and school updates

Nov 15 2021 This Week at Journey

Good Morning,

Sorry for any inconvenience, all boys’ grade 8 basketball has been cancelled for Monday, November 15th.

Grade 8 Rec is cancelled with NO re-schedule.

Grade 8 Comp is cancelled, but will be re-scheduled for next Monday.

Thank You!

Please click on the link for more information on Go Girls Fall 2021

Themed Fridays: 

This Friday: Favourite Character (sports, comics, books, etc)

Dear families,

Colder weather often brings thoughts about travelling to warmer destinations. Here’s what you need to know if your child is not yet vaccinated and what it means for returning to school from an international destination.

We follow federal travel guidelines around COVID-19. These guidelines state that:

unvaccinated persons, including children, who travel outside of Canada cannot attend school for 14 days following their return.

This restriction also applies to:

• day cares and camps
• settings where they might have contact with vulnerable people (e.g. long-term care facility) or those who are immune compromised.
• Large crowded indoor or outdoor settings (e.g. amusement parks, sporting events)
• Crowded public transportation that does not ensure physical distancing

*Unvaccinated youth ages of 12-17, must fully quarantine for 14 days.

If you decide to travel internationally with your unvaccinated children, please coordinate with your teacher and school before you leave to ensure your child stays on top of schoolwork while they are away and for the 14 days following their return. There is not an option for virtual or hybrid learning.

For more information on federal guidance and restrictions, visit canada.ca/coronavirus. For provincial measures, visit bccdc.ca/covid19 or call 811.

It is the responsibility of parents and families to know and understand the federal and provincial guidelines and regulations before they decide to travel. SD62 follows the regulations in the links listed above.

Sincerely,

SD62 Communications Team

Dear Families,

From October 4 to November 12, 2021, all B.C. students in Grades 4 and 7 will participate in the Ministry of Education’s Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). Based on the BC Curriculum, the FSA assesses students on three key areas of learning: reading, writing and numeracy. The assessment is designed by teachers, experts and the Ministry of Education.

Each assessment is made up of four parts: 1) Collaborative activity, 2) student booklet, 3) interactive online questions and 4) a student self-reflection.

Students do not need to prepare for the FSA in advance.

What is the FSA?

The FSA is simply a “snapshot” of how students are doing so far in their school career. It does not count towards your child’s marks/grades, nor does it provide a complete picture of your child’s ability or the type of learner they are. The information collected through the FSA is used by the school district and the province to align resources to improve student learning.

Some parents may receive materials from the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Please keep in mind that administration of the FSA is directed by the Ministry of Education, via a Ministerial Order. It is the School District’s legislated responsibility to ensure that this Ministry assessment is administered, students are supervised, and the data from the assessments is collected and transmitted to the Minister.

While the Ministry of Education expects all children in Grades 4 and 7 to write the FSA, it approves the following exceptions:

1. Students who learn in a manner significantly different from provincial curricular standards and, that is documented in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
2. English Language Learners who are not yet proficient in reading, writing or numeracy in the English language.
3. Students experiencing extenuating circumstances, for example a family emergency or lengthy illness.

School principals will determine which students, if any, may be excused from participating in the FSA.

Your support as a parent is highly valued. Here are some links that you may find helpful:

• FSA Brochure
• Sample FSAs
• More information about FSAs

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s school principal for more information.

Sincerely,

Scott Stinson
Superintendent of Schools/CEO
Sooke School District

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As Halloween nears, please take a moment to read the following guidelines. We would appreciate if you could go over these points with your child(ren).

These are general, district guidelines – please check with your child’s school if they have further recommendations or do not permit costumes.

SD62 Costume Guidelines for Secondary School Students:

• Face makeup is okay as long as it isn’t too scary (students must be identifiable).
• No costume masks are permitted. Students must continue to wear non-medical face masks.
• Friendly clowns, jesters, mimes, etc. are okay. No scary clowns please.
• No imitation weapons of any kind will be permitted.

Please use your best judgement to ensure costumes are appropriate for school wear.

For the safety of everyone, these guidelines are in place so that students can be easily identified. 

We do our best to create comfortable and safe environments in our schools and we thank you for helping us to do so.

Sincerely,

SD62 Communications Team

School District No.62 (Sooke) is in need of more Education Assistants.  If you have an Education Assistant Certificate or have completed the Community Support Worker Program, we are most definitely interested in hearing from you.  Please see the full job description and required qualifications on our website @ www.sd62.bc.ca, click on Employment.

Recently immunization consent packages for grade 6 students were sent home from the school. If you have not already done so, please return the completed consent form to the school in a sealed envelope as soon as possible by October 12/21. Students in grade 6 will be offered immunizations in school-based clinics with the consent of a parent/guardian/representative.

Immunizations will be provided at the school for grade 6 students on October 26/21.

Contact the local Health Unit at (250) 519-3487 if you have any questions.