Welcome to 2026!
So many great things have happened in SD8 schools leading up to winter break and into the new year as we are all energized by the return of students.
The spirit of community is important to learning in SD8. SD8 is a community of students, families, staff, board trustees, education partners, volunteers and others who know that children succeed and thrive when they feel they are part of a community that is supportive of students and one another.
For example, in December, Hume Elementary students joined Senior Biology students at L.V. Rogers Secondary to learn about and discuss Biology principles and projects and all the wonderful things intermediate students can learn and pursue once they enrol at LVR in the coming years. And, at Crawford Bay Elementary-Secondary, staff and students expressed their gratitude to the community for their role in supporting student learning.
At Redfish Elementary, students arrived back at school January 5 to see Kokanee alevins, or salmonids with the egg sac still attached, moving around in the artificial redds or nests fish make in gravel when spawning. Due to the dedication of school staff and parent volunteers, the hatch was successful, and children are witnessing firsthand the lifecycle of fish and the interconnectedness of the natural and human communities we share.
This report includes many other images, stories and descriptions that illustrate how essential community is to student learning in SD8.
Wishing you a happy new year,
Trish