LSS Weekly Communication - February 7th
Uy’ skweyul Ladysmith Secondary Students and Families,
This week was short and snow-filled! Second semester is now underway, and students are settling into their new classes. This week students spent time selecting their courses for the 2025-26 school year. The choices they make are important, as they will help us to create a timetable for next year that will best meet the needs of all students. Please note that Course Catalogs are available on the school website. If you have any specific questions about program planning or course selection, please reach out to your student’s counsellor directly.
This week report cards were also released on the MyEd portal. Please connect with the office at info.ls@sd68.bc.ca if you are having trouble accessing your student’s report card and connect with their teacher directly if you have any questions about their progress.
The Career Technical Center in Collaboration with VIU is pleased to offer to grade 11 and 12 students an Exploratory Day at VIU on February 21, 2025 on the topic of Hospitality and Tourism. Step into the exciting world of hospitality and tourism! Learn about interactive courses that will introduce you to the dynamic and diverse industries that shape global travel, leisure, and entertainment. Visit firsthand the bustling energy of hotel operations and gain a behind-the-scenes look at what makes these industries thrive. Grade 11 and 12 students can apply by clicking the link here.
We would also like to remind parents of the opportunity to participate in The Student Learning Survey (SLS), which has been administered every year in B.C. public schools since 2001. Prior to 2016-17 it was known as the Student Satisfaction Survey. The SLS provides feedback on the implementation of the curriculum changes, learning environment, student wellness and satisfaction, student belonging and engagement, and career preparation. The SLS is the only source of province-wide information about students’ learning experiences through the perspectives of students, parents, guardians/caregivers, and school staff. Schools and districts use the SLS to make informed decisions around long-term planning and goal-setting, and in providing individual students personalized support. The parent and guardian/caregiver survey is now available online and is available in 18 different languages. The survey will be available until Friday, May 2nd, and will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Your responses are voluntary and anonymous, and your child will not be identified as a result of your participation in the survey. Any personal or identifying information will be deleted before results are stored. Data will be stored and accessible only within Canada.
To complete the survey:
- Go to any computer that has an up-to-date internet browser access at home, work, or school.
- Go to www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey/access.htm
- Click on the Parents icon for Direct (logon-free) Access
- District: the name of your child’s district
- School: the name of your child’s school
- Language: the language of your choice
- Complete the survey by clicking on the appropriate circle to answer each question and click “NEXT”.
- When you are finished the survey, you will get a message “Thank you for sharing your views”.
- Once complete, your school will have the results immediately.
Students in grade 10,11, and 12 will be surveyed at LSS during the week of: February 24th – 28th. More information will be coming to those students in the impacted grades in the coming weeks.
For the second year in a row, LSS is working in partnership with the Ladysmith Arts Council to support the Food Bank over the month of February with a Toilet Paper drive. The student’s council will be collecting new and sealed toilet paper and cash donations to help stock the food bank with toilet paper. If you are able and willing, please consider donating to this worthwhile cause.
This past week saw our community receive freezing temperatures and snow. A reminder that all school district weather related information can be found here. School district staff monitor road conditions starting at 2 a.m. and consider local safety advisories, such as direction from RCMP to the public to avoid travel. A recommendation on whether to close schools is made to the Superintendent/CEO by 5:30 a.m. If the decision to close schools is made, please note the following:
- Communications to parents, caregivers, and school district employees will be sent before 6:00 a.m.
- Parents/caregivers will receive an email and text notification sent from the school district’s notification system.
- Employees will receive an email.
- Announcements will be made on local radio stations (WOLF 106.9 FM, WAVE 102.3 FM, and 91.7 COAST FM) on the day of the closure. Please do not call the radio station – tune in and listen for the announcements, which will be made on a regular basis.
- The district website: www.sd68.bc.ca will also have a notification on the home page if schools are closed.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Hay ce:p ‘qu,
Shelley Gvojich & Alistair King
Upcoming events:
- February 11th – GRASP Training
- February 17th – Family Day (No School)
- February 19th – PAC meeting
- February 24 – 28th – Tentative Student Learning Surveys
PAC Corner:
The next PAC meeting will be February 19th at 6pm in the Learning Commons
Attachments:
- “What’s on This Week?” from Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Services.
- Weekly Cafeteria Menu
Questions?
Please contact our main office at info.ls@sd68.bc.ca or 250-245-3043
LSS Weekly Communication - January 24th
Uy’ skweyul Ladysmith Secondary Students and Families,
As mentioned in last week’s communication, current Vice-Principal, Mr. Jake Hardy, has been assigned as Vice-Principal of Pleasant Valley Elementary School beginning Monday, January 27th. Our school community is grateful to Mr. Hardy and the work he has done supporting students and families since his arrival in May of last year and we are excited for him to take on this new adventure. We would also like to welcome Mr. Alistair King, current Vice-Principal at Dover Bay Secondary, to our school community. Mr. King will begin as Vice-Principal at LSS on Monday, January 27th and we are looking forward to having him join our family!
Monday January 27th also marks the first day of second semester. Students were provided with their schedule on Monday of this week and were given the opportunity to make required changes for the graduation program. Please note the important dates below, as there are several important upcoming events in January and February. On February 3rd and 4th school will not be in session as there are two professional development days. February 5 – 7th students in grade 8 to 12 will be participating in course selection with our counsellors. Please note that course calendars are on our school website. Please connect directly with your counsellor if there are specific questions about course planning for next year.
For the second year in a row, LSS is working in partnership with the Ladysmith Arts Council to support the Food Bank over the month of February with a Toilet Paper drive. The student’s council will be collecting new and sealed toilet paper and cash donations to help stock the food bank with toilet paper. If you are able and willing, please consider donating to this worthwhile cause.
DPAC is excited to share the details on the upcoming parent education evenings for February 2025:
February 6, Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child with Blossom Tree Counselling.
Learn how to raise a child with emotional intelligence at this in-person event. Discover effective parenting techniques and strategies to nurture emotional well-being in your child.
- Enhance child self-confidence through emotional coaching.
- Learn to coach your child’s emotional intelligence.
- Improve child’s academic and social performance.
- Master a 5-step process for recognizing and managing emotions.
- Foster stronger parent-child bonds with empathy and understanding.
February 20, Dr. Michelle Francis
Building on the previous presentation with Dr. Francis, this event will go into greater depth on Autism and ADHD. (No you don’t have to have attended the previous session)
Learn about:
- Tools to help parents manage big feelings, impulsive behaviours, and power struggles
- Advocating for your child within the school system
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Hay ce:p ‘qu,
Shelley Gvojich & Jake Hardy
Upcoming events:
- January 27th – First Day of Semester 2
- February 3rd – Pro-D Day (No School)
- February 4th – Pro-D Day (No School)
- February 6th – Report cards released to families
- February 5 – 7th – Tentative Gr 8-11 Course Selection
- February 6 – 7th – Grad photo retakes
- February 11th – GRASP Training
- February 17th – Family Day (No School)
- February 19th – PAC meeting
- February 24 – 28th – Tentative Student Learning Surveys
PAC Corner:
The next PAC meeting will be February 19th at 6pm in the Learning Commons
Attachments:
- “What’s on This Week?” from Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Services.
- Weekly Cafeteria Menu
- Food Bank Toilet Paper Driver Poster
- Parent Education Flyer
Questions?
Please contact our main office at info.ls@sd68.bc.ca or 250-245-3043
LSS Weekly Communication - January 1th
Uy’ skweyul Ladysmith Secondary Students and Families,
The only certainty in life is that change is inevitable! This week, several changes were announced in school administrative teams across the school district, including some that impact Ladysmith Secondary School. Current Vice-Principal, Mr. Jake Hardy, has been assigned as Vice-Principal of Pleasant Valley Elementary School beginning Monday, January 27th. Our school community is grateful to Mr. Hardy and the work he has done supporting students and families since his arrival in May of last year and we are excited for him to take on this new adventure. We would also like to welcome Mr. Alistair King, current Vice-Principal at Dover Bay Secondary, to our school community. Mr. King will begin as Vice-Principal at LSS on Monday, January 27th and we are looking forward to having him join our family!
As a reminder, next week is the final week of the first semester. Please note that Friday January 24th is a turn around day where most students will not be in session unless a teacher has communicated that they need to come in and complete additional learning. Semester 2 begins on January 27th. Please see the important dates below as there are several important upcoming events in January and February. Specifically, you will see that we are already planning for the 2025-2026 school year with course selection. The course catalogs for the 2025-26 school year are now on the school website. If you have questions about course selection or student programming, please reach out to your counsellor. There are also provincial assessments and student learning surveys (for grade 10 and 12 students) in January and February.
Timetables for second semester will be distributed to students during B Block on Monday, January 20th. Those students without a B Block can pick up their schedule directly from the office. Students requiring timetable changes will have the opportunity to connect with counsellors between January 21st and January 23rd. At this time, our courses for second semester are very full. Course changes will be made in priority order for those students requiring graduation requirements.
NARSF is excited to offer a parenting workshop series for parents/caregivers of youth 12-18 years. See the attached poster for details. If you have any questions, please reach out Mia Maarika at 250-754-2773 ext. 123 or mmaarika@narsf.org.
DPAC is excited to share the details on the upcoming parent education evenings for February 2025:
February 6, Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child with Blossom Tree Counselling.
Learn how to raise a child with emotional intelligence at this in-person event. Discover effective parenting techniques and strategies to nurture emotional well-being in your child.
- Enhance child self-confidence through emotional coaching.
- Learn to coach your child’s emotional intelligence.
- Improve child’s academic and social performance.
- Master a 5-step process for recognizing and managing emotions.
- Foster stronger parent-child bonds with empathy and understanding.
February 20, Dr. Michelle Francis
Building on the previous presentation with Dr. Francis, this event will go into greater depth on Autism and ADHD. (No you don’t have to have attended the previous session)
Learn about:
- Tools to help parents manage big feelings, impulsive behaviours, and power struggles
- Advocating for your child within the school system
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Hay ce:p ‘qu,
Shelley Gvojich & Jake Hardy
Upcoming events:
- January 20th – Second semester timetables handed out
- January 20-24th – Provincial Assessments
- January 23rd – Last Day of Semester 1 classes
- January 24th – Turn Around Day (No school unless teacher has asked student to come in)
- January 27th – First Day of Semester 2
- February 3rd – Pro-D Day (No School)
- February 4th – Pro-D Day (No School)
- February 6th – Report cards released to families
- February 5 – 7th – Tentative Gr 8-11 Course Selection
- February 11th – GRASP Training
- February 17th – Family Day (No School)
- February 19th – PAC meeting
- February 24 – 28th – Tentative Student Learning Surveys
PAC Corner:
The next PAC meeting will be February 19th at 6pm in the Learning Commons
Attachments:
- “What’s on This Week?” from Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Services.
- Weekly Cafeteria Menu
- Parent Education Flyer
- Unlock Parenting Potential Worhsop Flyer
Questions?
Please contact our main office at info.ls@sd68.bc.ca or 250-245-3043
LSS Weekly Communications - January 10th
Uy’ skweyul Ladysmith Secondary Students and Families,
Happy New Year! We hope that you enjoyed your break and were able to spend time with the people that are important to you! As we settle back into routine, we are also coming up to some important dates including provincial assessments and the end of the semester. Please note that Friday January 24th is a turn around day where most students will not be in session unless a teacher has communicated that they need to come in and complete additional learning. Semester 2 begins on January 27th. Please see the important dates below as there are several important upcoming events in January and February. Specifically, you will see that we are already planning for the 2025-2026 school year with course selection. There are also provincial assessments and student learning surveys (for grade 10 and 12 students) in January and February.
Timetables for second semester will be distributed to students on Monday, January 20th. Students requiring timetable changes will have the opportunity to connect with counsellors that week. At this time, our courses for second semester are very full. Course changes will be made in priority order for those students requiring graduation requirements.
Are you interested in supporting Dry Grad? Dry Grad’s next steering committee meeting will be held in the Presentation Room at Wellington Secondary School at 6pm on Tuesday January 14th. The Presentation Room is just inside Wellington’s front doors. Wellington is at located at 3135 Mexicana Rd, in Nanaimo. The steering committee is looking for a few more volunteers to help organize the event. Please come down and see how you can help out. In the weeks before the event, we’ll be recruiting volunteers for the night of the event.More information about the event is available at http://www.nanaimodrygrad.com or by sending an email to info@nanaimodrygrad.com . The meeting will also be available on Zoom:https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84472639354?pwd=owawxb8jxxk7ukzxeFsAGf31QGaUbE.1
Hay ce:p ‘qu,
Shelley Gvojich & Jake Hardy
Upcoming events:
- January 14th – GRASP Training
- January 15th – PAC meeting (7pm in the Learning Commons)
- January 20-24th – Provincial Assessments
- January 23rd – Last Day of Semester 1 classes
- January 24th – Turn Around Day (No school unless teacher has asked student to come in)
- January 27th – First Day of Semester 2
- February 3rd – Pro-D Day (No School)
- February 4th – Pro-D Day (No School)
- February 5 – 7th – Tentative Gr 8-11 Course Selection
- February 11th – GRASP Training
- February 17th – Family Day (No School)
- February 19th – PAC meeting
- February 24 – 28th – Tentative Student Learning Surveys
PAC Corner:
The next PAC meeting will be January 15th at 7pm in the Learning Commons
Attachments:
- “What’s on This Week?” from Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Services.
- Weekly Cafeteria Menu
Questions?
Please contact our main office at info.ls@sd68.bc.ca or 250-245-3043
LSS Weekly Communication - December 13, 2024
Uy’ skweyul Ladysmith Secondary Students and Families,
As we enter the final week before Winter break, I want to highlight some of the awesome activities that have been happening at LSS. For two days this week, friends from LIS and LPS joined us to decorate cookies and work with our grade 8’s to make a winter craft. Classes were busy decorating their doors in B Block, while movies were played at lunch in the gym. On Wednesday, we hosted a band concert where our band showcased what they have been working hard on for the last several months. We extend our gratitude to Mr. Potvin for his efforts in putting this wonderful event together! Last night we had our first dance of the year, a Winter formal where students put on their finest and danced the night away. It is always nice to see such good and wholesome fun! We also had our first lockdown drill of the year this week. Thank you to our staff and students for taking the drill seriously.
Ladysmith Secondary is proud to partner with the Vancouver Island Crisis Society to offer leadership and training opportunities at LSS. Students will gain valuable listening and helping skills and have the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops, including the GRASP Challenge, Communication Skills, Mental Health Awareness, and Healthy Relationships. Students who participate in this program are invited to volunteer with the Crisis Society in our school and community. For more information, please email mdolen@sd68.bc.ca or karmyn.powell@sd68.bc.ca. Registration forms are available in counselling.
Finally, Spirit Wear is now available for purchase. Orders can be made online or buy purchase in the office. Please see the attached order form to make your purchase before December 16th.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Hay ce:p ‘qu,
Shelley Gvojich & Jake Hardy
Upcoming events:
- December 16th – Spirit Wear Order deadline
- December 16th– 20th – Grad Portraits
- January 6th – Schools re-open after winter break
- January 7th – GRASP Training
- January 15th – PAC meeting (7pm in the Learning Commons)
- January 20-24th – Provincial Assessments
- January 23rd – Last Day of Semester 1 classes
- January 24th – Turn Around Day (No school unless teacher has asked student to come in)
- January 27th – First Day of Semester 2
- February 3rd – Pro-D Day (No School)
- February 4th – Pro-D Day (No School)
- February 5 – 7th – Tentative Gr 8-11 Course Selection
- February 11th – GRASP Training
- February 17th – Family Day (No School)
- February 19th – PAC meeting
- February 24 – 28th – Tentative Student Learning Surveys
PAC Corner:
The next PAC meeting will be January 15th at 7pm in the Learning Commons
Attachments:
- “What’s on This Week?” from Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Services.
- Spirit Wear Order Form
Questions?
Please contact our main office at info.ls@sd68.bc.ca or 250-245-3043
LSS Weekly Communication - November 29th
Uy’ skweyul Ladysmith Secondary Students and Families,
Next week is the start of December, the liveliest month in school outside of June! We are looking forward to all of the exciting celebrations that this month has to hold. Today we had our annual post Light-Up pajama day and pancake breakfast. It is always so exciting to see staff and students come together to eat and celebrate the start of December! In two weeks, we invite students from LIS and LPS to join us in creating festive crafts. We also had a fire drill on Wednesday this week, another great practice at exiting the building in the event of an emergency. We always recommend that you take these opportunities to discuss as a family emergency plans in your own home.
Students are invited to a magical Winter Wonderland Dance on Thursday, December 12th, from 6-9 PM! Hosted by Student Council and the Travel Club, the winter formal will be a night filled with fun for all grades. The dance will feature a DJ, a festive photo booth, concessions, door prizes and games. Tickets are just $10. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable winter celebration—only 200 tickets will be sold. Ticket sales begin December 2nd and are available at lunch in the foyer. Complimentary tickets are available through counselling for students who need financial assistance.
The LSS French Immersion program is exploring the possibility of offering students in our French Immersion and French courses the opportunity to take the B1 level of the DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française) exam. This internationally recognized certification assesses French language proficiency and can be a valuable addition to students’ academic and professional portfolios. At this stage, we are gauging interest to determine feasibility. If your child would be interested in participating, please let us know by emailing FI teacher Karina Oliveira [karina.oliveira@sd68.bc.ca] or Vice Principal Jake Hardy [Jacob.hardy@sd68.bc.ca]. Your feedback will help us shape future opportunities for our students.
A reminder as we near the winter season, that district weather related information, including school closure processes, can be found here. A reminder that all decisions for school closures are made at the school board and communicated directly through them via email, text, and social media.
Grad photography Dates will be from: December 16th – December 20th 2024. The sessions will be 20 minutes, and will include formal cap/gown photos as well as casual photos. The website officially opened to book on November 21th, 2024. The booking link is https://prestigeportraits.ca/. Connect with Barb in the office if you have any questions.
Finally, next Friday, December 6th is a district wide Curriculum Implementation Day. Students will not be in session as school staff work together to further their understanding of Truth and Reconciliation. We hope students enjoy their extra day off.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Hay ce:p ‘qu,
Shelley Gvojich & Jake Hardy
Upcoming events:
- December 6th – Curricular Implementation Day (No School)
- December 11th – Lockdown Drill (2:30pm)
- December 11th – Band Concert (7pm start in the MPR)
- December 12th – School Dance (6-9pm)
- December 16th– 20th – Grad Portraits (more info to come)
PAC Corner:
The next PAC meeting will be in January!
Attachments:
- “What’s on This Week?” from Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Services.
- Weekly Cafeteria Menu
Questions?
Please contact our main office at info.ls@sd68.bc.ca or 250-245-3043
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