Here are a few updates from last week and the week ahead.

Grand Opening – On Monday September 28th we had our official Grand Opening. The ceremony itself was a small gathering, but we were able to broadcast it to all of our classrooms. We also had a nice video included from our students and staff that Mrs. DeGroot was able to put together that really helped with the presence of our community in the ceremony. In correction to our last post, Russell Eggleston is putting together a video of the event that we are hoping to share out in the next couple of weeks.

Orange Shirt Day – Wednesday, September 30th was Orange Shirt Day. Although we were not able to have a school wide event, many worked to make this an impactful day in classrooms. There were a lot of powerful activities that were completed to stress the meaning of Orange Shirt Day and that “Every Child Matters”. It was a day where we payed tribute to all those who have been affected by the wrongs of the residential school system and honour the survivors. Classes spoke about the word “reconciliation” which means to make things better. There is no way that we can undo the pain caused through our history, but reconciliation is a step towards hope and healing.

Fire Drills – We have now completed two planned fire drills where we prepared our students for the procedures and used feedback to improve. We are required to have three fire drills in the Fall to ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency. Our final fire drill will be unannounced to students, and will occur at some point in the next couple of weeks.

Fees and permission slip functions on ActivityRight – These now appear to be working and we have a number of outstanding fees. If you can make payment as soon as possible if you have not already done so,  it would be appreciated. You can pay through Activity Right using a credit card, or you can send in a payment with cash or a cheque. Cheques can be made out to Anne Roberts Young Elementary.

Thank You to Vertical Slam Ultimate Challenge Society – We have received an amazing donation of $950 in food gift cards from Vertical Slam Ultimate Challenge Society. We will use this to help get our breakfast program up and running at ARYES.  Your kindness and generosity is very much appreciated.

Picture Day – Picture day will be October 7th, 2020. Here’s a few important things to remember as you get ready:

– There’s no pre-order forms.  All student images will be available online to view and purchase soon after photo day is complete.  Watch for an email to let you know when.

– Find an outfit you like.  Photos include a headshot as well as a 3/4 length shot.  This means your pants will show too.

– When picking an outfit, try to stay away from large logos or prints.  We want your face to be the main focus, not your shirt.

– We use green screen technology to give you a choice of digital background when you order your photos.  So try to find an outfit that isn’t green.

– Don’t over-practice your smile.  Smiles are always better fresh!

– If you miss School Picture Day, don’t worry!  Photography by Hart will be back for a make up day on October 28th.

Rik Leaf – We are excited to have Rik Leaf here this week to work with our classes as one of our cultural activities this year. He is an interactive performer who can write songs and poetry with our classes. The goal will be to create a video of the week he is here, and all classes will be assigned times each day to work with him. Rik will be following our District safety procedures as he works with groups, making sure he is socially distancing when working on activities, as well as wearing a mask when needed.

Thanksgiving – Monday Oct.12th 2020 – No School

ARYES PAC Meeting (Parent Advisory Council) On Thursday, October 15th, 2020 at 6:30pm we will be hosting a PAC organizational meeting via zoom. At the organizational meeting we will look to get some people willing to take on the traditional executive roles such as President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Once these roles are filled, one of the first jobs of our PAC executive would be to establish a constitution. The District PAC has supports for doing this so don’t let this hold you back from volunteering. The following is the zoom link for our first PAC meeting, you can also check out information below from the BCCPAC website.

Zoom Link:

October Dates

5th-9th – Rik Leaf

7th – Picture Day

12th – Thanksgiving – No School

23rd – NID – Pro-D