School District No. 67 (Okanagan Skaha)
RECOGNITION OF STUDENT/SCHOOL SUCCESS
April 10, 2006
School District No. 67 (Okanagan Skaha) extends congratulations to the following students/groups for these
outstanding examples of success:
DISTRICT
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Over the spring break, thirty-five students and ten chaperones from the school district traveled to
Europe. The group visited Rome, Athens and several islands in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
Each day they saw a new highlight but some of the greatest moments included visiting the ancient ruins
of the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, climbing amidst the ruins of the Acropolis in Athens, hiking
through the ancient city of Ephisus and shopping in the markets of Knosis in Turkey, and visiting a
Venetian Fortress on the Isle of Rhodes.
This was an incredible experience and was enjoyed by all. Special thanks goes to Lance and Barb
Zablotney (SLMS) who organized the tour, and all of the other adult chaperones. The students are to
be commended as well. They were outstanding ambassadors of our community and country.
CARMI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Highlights from March include:
• Grade 5 Basketball Team games
• Grade 4/5 Floor Hockey
• Grade 1/2 Fun in the Gym
• Red Cedar Book Club
• Family Computer Evenings
• Skating and Cross Country Skiing
• Grade 5 Science Fair and PowerPoint Presentation
• Action Schools
• Grade 5 Arts and Science in Harmony Tour
• Updated Website
• Block X
• Khac Chi “Sounds of Vietnam” Performance
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We are also very thankful for our new materials/resources that have arrived at Carmi to reinforce our
goals in reading, writing and social responsibility, as well as to support the new Science curriculum.
Together, our teachers had an opportunity to peruse, discuss and organize the new materials during
after-school in-services. We have also been putting the new materials into practice in a variety of ways.
One example is using our Social Responsibility supplementary program, Making Character Count,
during our Friday afternoon’s “Block X” (every second week). Students in cross-graded groupings have
been learning about Empathy and Responsibility. The next topic on April 7th will be about Building
Confidence. We are pleased to see our students also putting the information into practice each day as
they earn Carmi CARES slips for their positive behaviour and Student of the Week awards during our
weekly assemblies. Congratulations, students!!
CARMI’S “BLOCK X”: MAKING CHARACTER COUNT (in action)
GIANT’S HEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Another successful talent show was held - students (and staff) showcased their
talent in a variety of ways from song to dance to playing a musical instrument.
Fun was had by all.
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Special Events Ambassadors Kindree Clay, Amanda West, Lindsey Jenner, Madison Wilms, Carly
Edge, Tanisha Pretty, Kendall Echison-Bone and Hannah Young worked hard and held a “Wake Up
and Go” reading event on Friday February 24th. “Little Buddies” were able to show off their reading
skills to their big buddies while “Big Buddies” were very supportive with praises and choosing a book to
read back to their little buddies that they thought they would enjoy.
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HOME LEARNERS’ PROGRAM
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Many families have been involved in outdoor activities, including downhill and cross-country ski
programs and skating sessions. Twenty-five students (and some brave parents!) took part in a
snowshoe expedition at Crystal Mountain, and then participated in some traditional Inuit games.
An indoor activity that many took part in was the HLP Science Fair, which had over twenty students
involved. Children from kindergarten to grade nine participated in this morning of exploration and
experimentation. Two of these students then went on to the District Science Fair:
• Julia Veidt, grade six, won silver ribbons for both her backdrop and her report, and
• Naomi Fredeen, grade nine, won a gold medal and will be going on to the Regional Science Fair in
Kelowna.
KALEDEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Assessment in-service for parents was a huge success and well received.
Kaleden students played basketball at Parkway School and had a great time!
Everyone enjoyed the BluesBerries and Chac Chi cultural performances a great deal.
Students in Division II have been busy raising funds for the SPCA (almost $200).
KVR MIDDLE SCHOOL
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Grade 6 student Rahul Chauhan participated in the BC Interior Chess
Championships at Mount Boucherie Secondary School. Rahul placed
second in his division and earned an invitation to the BC Provincial
Chess Championships being held at BCIT on April 15. Thanks to Mr.
Hird for sponsoring the chess club and accompanying the students to
Mount Boucherie.
NARAMATA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Every student in grades K to 5 are benefiting from the following recreation programs:
• 2 skipping lessons per class for the week of March 27-31
• 4 tennis lessons, on four consecutive Wednesdays, commencing Wednesday, March 29
These opportunities are being provided through collaborative and financial efforts of our PAC and the
Naramata Parks and Recreation Commission.
Special Education Students Benefiting from Kurzweil 3000 Assistive Technology - three severely
reading and writing disabled students are learning to become productive, independent members of their
respective classes.
PARKWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Students took home report cards and helped to set up conferences and open houses where they
shared with their parents the learning and achievements that they had done over the last term.
The performers from the Khac Chi (Vietnamese performers) group applauded the excellent audience
behavior of Parkway students. Similar accolades were expressed by the cross-country ski instructors
after our grade fives had attended the Nickel Plate course for lessons. We are proud of their
achievements.
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PENTICTON SECONDARY SCHOOL
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Congratulations to all Skills Canada competitors for their outstanding performance in the 2005 Skills
Canada - Okanagan Regional Skills Competition held at Okanagan College in Kelowna on March 3.
Skills Canada is a national non-profit society that promotes trades and technologies as first choice
career paths for youth. That mandate is addressed through a series of regional, provincial, and national
competitions in which secondary and post-secondary students compete in events that represent
industry standards. This year thirty Pen High students participated in the Okanagan Region Skills
Competition.
Pen High Team medal winners are:
Morgan Evans-Galesky
Chris Cooke
Shane Stocker
Jamie Lawless
Mark Houston
Andrew Lund
Leslee Gehrmann
Gold - Joinery
Gold - CAD Mechanical
Silver - CADD Mechanical
Gold - Automotive Service
Silver - Automotive Service
Gold - Electronics
Gold - Culinary Arts
TV and Video Production results have yet to be announced.
Gold medal winners and, in some categories, Silver medal winners will advance to the Provincial Skills
Competition to be held in Abbotsford on April 26, 2005.
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The Pen High Leadership class held a fundraising event at Cherry Lane on World Water Day – March
22. They were raising funds for WaterCan, a Canadian Charity that works on various water projects in
Africa. These projects include drilling wells, building rain water catching systems and constructing
lavatories. WaterCan started in 1987. The Leadership Class had a bouncy castle, a space ball ride, a
climbing wall, cake walks, and more!!!! It was a fun, educational and successful event. Well done!!
QUEEN’S PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Grade 4 and 5 students attended the district science fair at the convention center.
Mr. Clarke organized and ran a school-wide student talent show on March 10. There was a huge
turnout of students to perform and a large audience of parent and staff to watch. It was a great event.
The grade 1 and 4 classes went skating a couple of times and many parents came out to help and to
skate.
The Kindergarten class enjoyed a visitor from the dental center.
SKAHA LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL
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Students raised $1001.99 for “Pennies for Patients:, a fundraiser for Leukemia and Lymphoma.
All grade 6 students attended a Health Fair at the Trade and Convention Centre as part of the
pedometer program.
All grade 6 students and many teachers continued to use their pedometers in the month of March in
their trek from Penticton to Whistler.
All grade 7 and 8 band students played at Arts and Harmony.
Justice Theatre made an excellent presentation to grade 7 and 8 students on the theme of bullying.
Skaha Lake sent 38 students to the District Science Fair at the Trade and Convention Centre:
• 4 backdrop winners
• 7 grade 6 district winners
• 18 grade 7 district winners
A select group of Drama Students performed Alice in Wonderland for their fellow students during school
time and for the community during two evening performances.
The Penticton Rope Swingers performed for all Skaha Lake Students on the last day prior to Spring
break.
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Monster Theatre took Skaha Lake Middle School students through 50,000 years of our nations History.
Grade 8 math teachers met with Numeracy Helping Teacher, Vic Keehn, to look at the transition from
middle school to high school.
John Hickling did a walk through with PAC chair Marlene Lord to explore the site for Skaha Lake’s
Fitness Park.
Ten readers topped the 250 point plateau in our Accelerated Reading Program with three topping the
300 mark and one grade 7 student topping the 440 mark.
SUMMERLAND SECONDARY SCHOOL
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Dru Yates, a grade 12 graduating student, just received a $500 bursary from Wendy's Restaurants for
her excellence in academics, leadership, citizenship and athletics. Congratulations!!
UBC has just advised the school that they were one of four schools in Canada that had two Canadian
Merit Scholarship winners: Dru Yates and Katie Sardinha!!! Well done!
The following students were among some of the best at the 2006 Okanagan Region Skills Competition
held March 3 at the Okanagan College KLO Campus:
• Zyles Turney
Bronze
Automotive Service Tech.
• John Laye
Bronze
Culinary Arts
• Frances Stahl
Silver
Fashion Design
• Brittany Watson
Bronze
Fashion Design
• Tyler Rasmussen/Nick Robert Bronze
3D Character Animation
Skills Canada is a national, non-profit organization that helps to promote trade and technical careers as
a first choice career option for Canadian youth.
The Apprenticeship Program is going strong and student and parent interest in the program continues
to grow. As the program heads into its 11th year at the school, a number of students have successfully
completed the program and are doing very well in their chosen trade. Students can begin their
apprenticeship as early as grade 10 which gives them a head start on their training and schooling.
There is a screening process when selecting students for the program. The goal is to achieve as close
to 100 percent success rate through the high school program as possible. Summerland Secondary has
had over 40 of its students in the apprenticeships since the program was first implemented and has
approximately a 90% completion rate; the provincial rate is considerably lower at 60%. Currently there
are six apprentices who will be working this summer.
Summerland Secondary was approved for a $1,000 Youth in Action environmental grant to support the
Canada Trail Enhancement Project. Congratulations.
UPLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Students participated in another successful Spellathon earning over $4,217.74. Top prize winners
were:
First Place - Chantel Beierle
Second Place - Colton Morelli
Third Place - Kayla Balzer
A pizza lunch was enjoyed by the “Super Spellers” and the thirty top money raisers. Funds will be used
to subsidize field trips, special programs and learning materials for the classrooms.
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A very successful Primary Medieval Faire was held. Primary students worked hard learning about
medieval times - their work on castles was impressive. Parents supported the projects involved with
the medieval theme and participated in the Medieval Faire. A special thanks to Mrs. Forrest and Alysha
who served food at the Medieval Faire, to Ms Murphy’s and Mr. Kopf’s classes for setting up the gym
for the Medieval Faire, and to Audi Yastremski for making the “Taste of a Medieval Feast” for Primary
families. Congratulations to all on a job well done!!
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WEST BENCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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The school was thrilled to host a Citizenship Ceremony here on Wednesday March 1st. Fifty-three
new citizens representing 19 countries became Canadian citizens in front of a gym full of dignitaries,
guests and our students. It was a great learning opportunity for us. We received many compliments
about our school, the school staff, and our students. Congratulations to Mrs. Silvius for her organization
and hard work on this event and to Mr. Major for his efforts on decorations and entertainment. Kudos to
all of the staff for their involvement and for the superb Canadian Themed Bulletin Boards.
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Police Dogs Visit – enjoyed by all.
WILTSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Students enjoyed a performance by the BluesBerries, a young vibrant band
that has performed before hundreds of students across North America. Their
performance guides students through a history of popular music from the blues to
the current musical scene. The lyrics to their songs relate to life skills such as
learning the alphabet, not talking to strangers and riding a bicycle. Their musical and
vocal talents were thoroughly enjoyed by both staff and students.
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Students also enjoyed a performance by Khac Chi (Sounds of Vietnam). Their repertoire ranges from
classical to new Vietnamese compositions to the theme from
the Godfather, but their music remains the folk songs and
melodies of Vietnam and its 54 distinct ethno-cultural
groups.
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On behalf of the animals in the S.P.C.A., Mrs. Lindquist’s &
Mr. Hutcheson’s class had a bake sale to raise money to
help with the construction of their new facility. Thanks to the
students and their parents of Division 2, $245 was raised. A
big thanks also goes to all those that supported our delicious
sales.
Ref: 05-06SUP/00300-01/Admin/Board of Trustees-General/Student Successes/ Success Stories 06Apr10
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