Dear REDFISH Families,

And just like that… We’re back in full swing having already notched our first school week of 2024. Happy New Year, REDFISH families! May the year ahead find you at peace within yourselves, with others, with nature, and with whatever else fills you with purpose and meaning in life.

As we start the new year, SD8 is focusing in on the themes of understanding, empathy, respect, cultural safety, and inclusivity among our students for the month of January. With International Holocaust Remembrance Day approaching on January 27, some of this work will be woven into a thoughtful and reflective acknowledgement of the day and carried out through the lens of SD8’s evolving anti-racism initiatives. Please see the letter linked here for more details.

Following are some timely updates and housekeeping items as we head into our second school week of 2024…

SCHOOL ENROLMENT (2024/2025)

It’s that time of year when we need to start gathering enrolment data for the 2024/2025 school year. With this in mind, please email mark.bonikowsky@sd8.bc.ca ASAP if any of the following apply…

1. You are planning to register your child at another school for 2024/2025.

2. You will be registering your child in kindergarten at REDFISH for 2024/2025. Please also complete a registration form and submit it to Laurel CONLEY (laurel.conley@sd8.bc.ca) in the front office at your earliest convenience.

3. You are aware of another family with children who are planning to enrol at REDFISH for 2024/2025. Please encourage them to reach out to mark.bonikowsky@sd8.bc.ca as well and as soon as possible.

… It is my personal hope that ALL our students will return to REDFISH next year. That said, I understand and support family choice around school enrolment. Here is some additional information on ‘Registrations and Transfers’ for those who may need it.

WINTER ACTIVITIES DAY

REDFISH is heading offsite to take part in winter activities on the morning of FRIDAY, JANUARY 19. Students will be split between three venues/activities…

1. NDCC Ice Rink (Ice Skating)

2. NDYC Indoor Skatepark (Indoor Skateboarding + Scootering)

3. NSA Indoor Facility (Indoor Soccer)

… Please complete one online form by this Wednesday, January 10 for each child in Kindergarten through Grade 4 to indicate activity preferences. Although we have already begun loosely structuring the groups for the different activities, this information will greatly assist us in connecting as many students as possible to their preferred activity.    

SCHOOL SWIM LESSONS

REDFISH has collaborated with the NDCC to offer a four-session ‘Swimming and Water Safety Education’ program to all REDFISH students on the following Friday mornings…

1. Friday, February 2

2. Friday, February 9

3. Friday, February 23

4. Friday, March 1

… A separate email has gone out to K + GR1 parents who have already been cleared as school volunteers as we are going to need some help meeting NDCC’s adult-to-student ratio of 1:3 for students aged six and under in the pool. Please complete the online form linked to the previous email if you can help out.

LOST + FOUND ITEMS

With your help, we have whittled our LOST + FOUND tables down to two! Please take a look at the photos attached to the parent email and claim your child’s missing items by the end of the month. We will likely look at repurposing remaining items in February…

PROCTER GYMNASTICS CLUB

Please see the flyer from the PROCTER GYMNASTICS CLUB attached to the parent email for more details, if interested.

UPCOMING DATES

JANUARY 19 (REDFISH Winter Activities Day | Morning)

JANUARY 22 (CBAL Literacy School Event | Afternoon)

JANUARY 27 (International Holocaust Remembrance Day)

FEBRUARY 2 (REDFISH Swims | Morning)

FEBRUARY 9 (REDFISH Swims | Morning)

FEBRUARY 23 (REDFISH Swims | Morning)

MARCH 1 (REDFISH Swims | Morning)

Take care!

Mark Bonikowsky | Principal

REDFISH Elementary School (SD8)