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). More information on page 8.
SELKIRK
~ BELONGING~ GENEROSITY~ MASTERY ~ INDEPENDENCE ~
Welcome back to all our returning and welcome to all our new students!
Online forms- parent action required Last year, the District has embarked on a project to make forms electronic and we will continue with this system 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. There has still been some struggles getting this system perfected this year. We really appreciate your efforts and patience especially those who have had to do their forms multiple times. Please see your email from Jodie Smtih if you need more detailed instructions
September 2024
SECONDARY SCHOOL
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 respect, growth, and equity.
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! I would like to thank our custodial, maintenance, office, and support staff for their hard work in getting the school in great shape to begin the year. At Selkirk, we look forward to continuing to foster a positive school culture and community that strives to help all students succeed. We also remain committed to our school mission of cultivating a culture of belonging, generosity, mastery, and independence. Please click HERE to see our full School Success Plan which highlights our key priorities and goals for the year. We look forward to working with our parents, guardians, and the community to make Selkirk the best school it can be. We are excited again this year to welcome International students to Kimberley 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 our grade eight students from McKim and students new to Selkirk and their parents. We hope to see you at our Open House on Thursday, September 19th from 6:30-8:00pm. Included in this newsletter are photos and highlights from some of our year-end activities in June and important upcoming activities. Selkirk monthly newsletters will be emailed each month and will also be posted on our school website. A direct link to staff e-mails can also be found on our school website. I encourage you to actively communicate with your student’s teachers throughout the year. Here’s to a great start to the year! ~ Clint Dolgopol
Principal's Message
Congratulations to Rylan Peebles, Selkirk’s Class of 2024 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. Rylan is pictured here with his dad and Selkirk Principal, Clint Dolgopol.
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First day of regular classes
New to Kimberley student lunch
Orange Shirt Day
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First day of school 8:40-11:10 am
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
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PAC Meeting 7:00 pm
Kuⱡmak' aku Ripening of Choke Cherries
School Photo Day
Terry Fox Run
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Open House 6:30-8:00 pm
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No cell phones during class time. Cell phones visible during class will be confiscated for the remainder of the day.
THINGS TO KNOW...
ORANGE SHIRT DAY Friday, September 27
Generosity
Thursday, September 19 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.
Selkirk Open House Thursday, September 19 6:30-8:00 pm
Please see the new cell phone policy this year on page 19 of our Code of Conduct
TERRY FOX RUN Thursday, September 26
Click here to order
STORM WEAR ORDERS
On-line store is open from September 16 - October 6 If you are interested in purchasing Selkirk Storm Wear please follow the link below to order online. Individual orders are compiled into one school order. Completed orders will be delivered to the school before winter break and given to students. NO LATE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
MORE THINGS TO KNOW...
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 $45 for a $65 total. Payment can be made through School Cash Online or see Gwen Zanini in the office
Academic Support Available every Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:15-4:15pm. Come to the Learning Commons Library to get homework help with Mr. Wetmore.
PAC meetings take place in the Selkirk Library Learning Commons on the first Tuesday of each month. All parents are welcome to attend or join via TEAMS. An invite will be sent monthly.
The award winners are: 1. Eli Volp $800 for a Metal Project 2. Claire Koch $360 for a College Portfolio 3. Kerris Mervin $402 for a Monarch Butterfly Grad Dress 4. Nathan Clarke $1455 for Animatronic Building 5. Darcy Xephra Makeiff $965 for Digital Prints Within the Community 6. Jasmine Raymond $500 for Wood Burning Supplies 7. Ren Neville $300 for DnD Resin Dice 8. Trista Weiler $1487.13 for Supplies for a Clay Workshop This concludes the 2023 Duckie’s reward. We look forward to seeing what these young artists produce!
The Youth Art Exhibition ran at Centre 64 from May 16- June 26th, 2024 Some of our Selkirk Students won Young Artists Awards! 1st: Aris Haraga (2024 graduate) 2nd: Sarah Metzler (2024 Grade 10 student) 3rd: Luna Chamorro (2024 International Student) Honorable Mention: Reese Adolphe (2024 Graduate) Honourable Mention: Claire Koch (2024 Grade 11 student) Honourable Mention: Xephra Makeiff (2024 Graduate)
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations to Selkirk’s Graeson Christie (15), the youngest performer in the Intermediate Classical Voice category of the 2024 BC Performing Arts Festival, in Fort St. John (June 2-6, 2024). The five-day event encompassed special master classes, lectures, coaching, workshops, technique classes and adjudications. Way to go Graeson! We look forward to your future successes.
The Kimberley Arts Council – Centre 64 is pleased to announce the second-round recipients of the Ducky’s Reward. A generous $10,000 donation by Regan Duckworth provides the selected young artists with up to $2000 each for their “creative adventure”. These grants ensure youth are not financially limited in bringing their ideas to fruition.
Selkirk's full verison of our Code of Conduct can be found on the school website
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
Belonging
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.
At Selkirk, we follow a progressive discipline policy and use the following themes in conveying our expectations to students. S– SAFETY T– TEAMWORK O– ORGANIZED R– RESPECT M– MINDFUL
Storm Report
SafeArrival App
Please keep in mind there is a direct correlation between student attendance and acedemic progress, please try and schedule appointments outside of classtime. Please follow Public Health and Safety guidelines set out for schools. Students are expected to be in class unless they are sick.
At Selkirk, we follow a progressive discipline policy and use the following themes in conveying our expectations to students.
EASY TO REPORT: This App makes it easy for you to report your child’s absence or report your child’s absence in advance 24/7. Option 1- Use the SafeArrival website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com, select Sign Up to create your account. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence. Option 2 - Call the toll-free number 1-833-566-1224 to report an absence using the automated phone system. These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Future absences can be reported at any time. Selkirk Secondary will use SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents whose child is absent when the absence was not reported in advance of 9:00am on the morning your student is away. If your student's absence has been reported before 9:00 am you will not receive a notification.
Congratulations to our spring teams for a successful end to the season and the recipients of our athletic awards: Lee Haskell Memorial- Brooklyn Burki Nicholas Mayne Memorial- Moss Knudsgaard Selkirk Senior Athlete of the Year- Nola Clarke and Tai Strachan Bill Murphy Memorial Award - Hunter Carr Storm Athletics is beginning the season with the following sports: girls' and boys' volleyball, swimming, cross-country running, boy soccer, and boys' rugby 7s. Take a look on the school website for the practice schedule and tournament calendar. We'd like to welcome out new Athletic Director, Gregg Woytowich! You can contact Gregg at gregg.woytowich@sd6.bc.ca if you have any questions about the fall season. Stay tuned for information from your child’s coach about parent meetings for each team.
Mastery
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.
Independence
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 2025 are: June 13, 2025 – Prom June 14, 2025 - Ceremonies Grad PHOTO WEEK – Scheduled for the first week back from winter break: January 6-10, 2025. 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
Grad Zone
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined ~ Henry David Thoreau
Rocky Mountain International Student Program
A BIG welcome to all the international students attending Selkirk Secondary for this school year. 29 students from Germany , Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, Chile, France, Brazil, and Mexico have arrived in the past week and are all excited to get involved at Selkirk and meet Canadian students! We started the semester with a splash and had a great time on our river float on the Kootenay River. A BIG THANK YOU to our homestays who have opened their home and hearts to these teenagers from around the world. You not only provide a safe and nurturing environment for our students, but also have a profound impact on their future. As our program continues to grow and we have lots of students interested in coming to our beautiful community, we invite anyone interested in hosting to reach out to our Kimberley homestay coordinator, Barbara del Pino, at 250-427-6168 or Barbara.delpino@sd6.bc.ca.