SELKIRK
September 2025
Welcome back to all our returning and welcome to all our new students!
SECONDARY SCHOOL
~ BELONGING~ GENEROSITY~ MASTERY ~ INDEPENDENCE ~
Selkirk uses SafeArrival to report student absences The electronic student absence reporting system lets you use a mobile app, a web site, or an interactive toll-free phone line to report an absence. IT'S EASY, QUICK and helps us take care your student(s). Follow this link for all the details: https://sss.sd6.bc.ca/for-families
Online forms- parent action required As in previous years, we will continue with our electronic forms again this year. It is our goal to reduce paper consumption, reduce the risk of losing forms containing sensitive information, reduce the duplication of information, make some administrative tasks less paper intensive, and help make processes for families more seamless. To create your account, head to Clevr. Click HERE for the Clevr Guide for Parents/Guardians. As with most technology, it takes time to get systems perfected. We really appreciate your efforts and patience. Please see your email from Jodie Smtih-Hodgson (jodie.smith@sd6.bc.ca) if you need more detailed instructions
Every student and staff member at Selkirk will benefit from being part of an open-minded and innovative learning community built upon the pillars of belonging, generosity, mastery and independence.
Principal's Message
Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! I would like to thank our custodial, maintenance, technology, office, and support staff for their hard work in getting the school in great shape to begin the year. At Selkirk, we are honored to be living on and educating on the shared and unceded territories of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc People and the land chosen as home by the Metis Peoples of BC. We remain committed to our core values with the Circle of Courage and to cultivating a culture of belonging, generosity, mastery, and independence. We are excited to welcome a new group of international students from many countries around the world. If you are interested in becoming a homestay family, please contact Barbara del Pino (barbara.delpino@sd6.bc.ca), our Homestay Coordinator. We would also like to extend a special welcome to grade 8 students from McKim and students new to Selkirk and Kimberley. We hope to see you at our Open House on Tuesday, September 16th. Selkirk newsletters will be emailed each month and will also be posted on the school website. Included in our newsletters are photos and highlights from some of our school activities as well as important school information. A direct link to staff e-mails can also be found on our school website. I encourage you to actively communicate with your child’s teachers throughout the year. Here’s to a great start to the year! ~ Clint Dolgopol
PAC Meeting 7:00 pm
1
School Photo Day
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
2
3
7
8
9
10
14
15
16
17
21
22
23
24
28
29
30
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
4
5
6
11
12
13
18
19
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25
26
27
Kuⱡmak' aku Ripening of Choke Cherries
D C B A 2
Non-Instructional Day- Staff only
Orange Shirt Day
No School
A B C D 1
New to Kimberley student lunch
B A D C 2
SEPTEMBER
Open House 6:30-8:00 pm
C D A B 1
First day of school
A B C D 2
Belonging
Selkirk Open House Tuesday, September 16 6:30-8:00 pm
For more information on our cell phone policy, please see pages 15&16 in our Student Expectations, Policies and Procedures Handbook
THINGS TO KNOW...
Thursday, September 18 is school photo day Students will be called down throughout the morning to have their photo taken. After Picture Day, order pictures on mylifetouch.ca using your Portrait ID and Access Code which can be found on your Picture Day order form.
TERRY FOX RUN Thursday, September 25
No cell phones during class time. Cell phones visible during class will be confiscated for the remainder of the day.
ORANGE SHIRT DAY Monday, September 29
Academic Support Available every Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:15-4pm. Come to the Learning Commons Library to get homework help with Mr. Wetmore.
At Selkirk, we follow a progressive discipline policy and use the following themes in conveying our expectations to students.
MORE THINGS TO KNOW...
PAC meetings take place in the Selkirk Library Learning Commons at 7pm on the first Tuesday of each month. All parents are welcome to attend or join via TEAMS. An invite will be sent monthly.
Please click the link below for: Student Expectation Handbook Student Code of Conduct Positive School Culture Plan AI Use and Academic Honesty https://sss.sd6.bc.ca/for-students/code-of-conduct
If your child is interested in a yearbook, the time to purchase is now. Student fees need to be paid in order to purchase a yearbook. Student fees are $20, yearbooks are optional and $50 for a $70 total. Payment can be made through School Cash Online or see Gwen Zanini in the office to pay by cash or cheque
Mastery
Honourable Mention Autumn Harvest - Alme Steenkamp, Honourable Mention Flower Garden - Olivia Brunet, Honourable Mention City Street - Sarah Metzler
1st Moment of Descent - Finlay Hunton 2nd Backrooms Garfield - Claire Koch 3rd Raccoon Intarsia - Mackenzie Derosier,
Centre 64 hosted a youth art show from May 15 to June 18, 2025. Many of our Selkirk artists submitted their work. Congratulations to all!
Congratulations to Eli Fergus, Selkirk’s Class of 2025 Governor General award winner! Each secondary school across Canada awards the Governor General’s Bronze medallion to the graduating student with the highest average across grade 11 and 12 courses. Eli is pictured here with his Mom and Selkirk Principal, Clint Dolgopol. Fun fact: Eli's mom also got this award when she graduated from Selkirk in 1994!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Storm Report
If something at school is making you feel unsafe use the erase Report It tool to send an anonymous confidential message to your school or the Safe School Coordinator, who will follow up on it right away.
Independence
Selkirk applies “Fair Notice” when it comes to any violent or threatening behaviour. We strive to have a safe school environment for all students. With this in mind, parents and students are reminded to report any suspected harassment or bullying. This can be done in one of the following ways: Seek adult support and find a trusting adult In cases when a student does not feel comfortable reporting to an adult: Use Selkirk’s anonymous reporting form and box in the counseling area Use the ERASE Bullying website to report
Fall Sports kick off right away at the start of the school year! Fall sports include: Volleyball (Bantam-Grade 8, Junior-Grade 9&10, Senior-Grade 11&12) Cross-Country Running Swim Team Boys Soccer Rugby Pay attention to announcements for details and there is an athletic bulletin board outside of the gym where most sports information is posted. Gregg Woytowich is Selkirk's Athletic Director: gregg.woytowich@sd6.bc.ca
Student Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) – Fair Notice to Parents Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 is committed to creating and maintaining school environments in which students, staff, parents/guardians, and others feel safe. Schools cannot ignore any threat of violence. What is a threat? A threat is an expression of intent to do harm or act out violently against someone or something. Threats may be verbal, written, drawn, posted on the internet, or gestures. Duty to report To keep school communities safe and caring, staff, parents/guardians, students, and community members must report all threat-related behaviours to the school principal. What is the purpose of student threat assessment? The purposes of student threat assessment are: •To ensure and promote the emotional and physical safety of students, staff, parents, the student making the threat, and others. •To ensure a full understanding of the context of the threat. •To understand the factors contributing to the person of concern’s (threat maker’s) behaviour. •To be proactive in developing an intervention plan tha addresses the emotional and physical safety of the person of concern. What behaviours warrant a Student Violence Threat Risk Assessment? A student threat assessment will be initiated for behaviours including, but not limited to: •Verbal/written threats to harm/kill others (“clear, direct, and plausible”) •Threats made via social media to harm, kill, or cause serious property damage •Serious violence or violence with intent to harm or kill •Weapon possession (including replicas) •Bomb threats (or possession/detonation of devices) •Hate incidents motivated by factors including but not limited to: race, culture, religion and/or sexual orientation Collection Notice Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 is subject to personal information privacy laws and will undertake the collection of this information in compliance with the requirements of such laws, including by limiting collection to information that is relevant and necessary to address a risk or threat and by ensuring that information is collected from publicly available open-source social media sites. The School District will not collect information as part of a threat assessment unless there is a reason to believe that a risk exists. Information collected as part of a threat assessment may be provided to law enforcement authorities in appropriate circumstances.
Grad Zone
Dear Grads and Grad Families, I am thrilled to be overseeing Grad again this coming year. Once school start up has passed, I’ll be in touch with more details and draft outline of how the year will go with fundraising, meetings, and timelines. Please feel free to email me anytime if you have questions: michelle.iacobucci@sd6.bc.ca Grad dates for 2026 are: June 12, 2026 – Prom June 13, 2026 - Ceremonies Grad PHOTO WEEK – Scheduled for the first week back from winter break: January 5-9, 2026. Two major fundraisers – details coming soon with the first one taking place prior to Winter Break. We ask ALL Grads to participate in these to support their graduation events. Grad timelines and up to date information will be provided via SD 6 Email to Students and to the families, the email we have on file in MyEd. Grads are responsible to check their emails to ensure they are up to date on Grad information. Thanks so much and have a wonderful start to the school year! Michelle
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined ~ Henry David Thoreau
Rocky Mountain International Student Program
The Rocky Mountain International Student Program (RMISP) is excited to welcome 25 international students to Selkirk this month! Students are joining us from Germany, Spain, Mexico, and Japan, and we look forward to the cultural exchange and new friendships they’ll bring to our community. This month, our students will be taking part in some great activities, including a rafting trip, program orientation, and a buddy lunch with Canadian classmates. These events help our students feel at home while making lasting connections. We are always looking for new host families to join our program for short- or longer-term stays. Hosting is a rewarding experience that builds lifelong relationships. If you or someone you know might be interested, please visit https://www.rminternational.ca/homestay2 for more information.