District Newsletter

At the last Public Board Meeting of the school year, the Board of Education unanimously approved a 15-minute change to the start and dismissal times for secondary school students (excluding Central Programs and Services). Under the new schedule, secondary schools will begin at 9:15 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m., maintaining the current instructional time.

To implement the change, schools and district staff will work with students, families, employee groups, and community partners to support a smooth transition. The Board appreciates the engagement shown throughout this process and remains committed to making decisions that support student success while responsibly stewarding public resources.

Secondary school families can expect to hear more from their schools prior to the start of the school year.

In Spring 2025, École George Elliot Secondary (GESS) received a $200,000 BC Parks Learning By Nature grant, making our district one of only six school districts in BC to receive funding and the only high school in the province to create a Nature Park. Since October 2025, students have collaborated with members of the Okanagan Indian Band, community partners, and district staff to design the space, culminating in the planting of more than 2,664 native plants, shrubs, and trees. The Nature Park will support biodiversity, outdoor learning, Indigenous land-based education, and stronger connections between students and the broader Lake Country community.

A huge well-done to teacher Marnie Birkeland and her team of passionate AP students for not only leading the creation of the Nature Park, but also securing additional funding to build a greenhouse that will benefit learners at the daycare next door and creating a compost system that will reduce waste at the school and provide soil to improve the garden and greenhouse. Next year, four more schools will begin Nature Parks with grants from BC Parks: École Okanagan Mission Secondary, École KLO Middle, Black Mountain Elementary, and Shannon Lake Elementary.

RMS hosted their first ever celebration of the school's cultural diversity that brought the whole school community together for more than 20 cultural activities throughout the school, including the highlight of a picnic where students could sample traditional foods from their classmates' heritage! Special thank you to the parent and community volunteers who shared their food and culture, and the many RSS student leaders who volunteered to help!

Thank you to the student leaders in the OC Trades Sampler program who lent their expertise to the students at North Glenmore Elementary. In addition to researching the flora and fauna their garden will support, the elementary learners got hands-on experience with tools to build the garden boxes, spread the gravel and soil, and even make birdhouses to support the biodiversity in the area. Well done to all the learners involved and the teachers who created this collaborative learning opportunity.

Mme. Pitt and her Grade 3/4 class at École Casorso created a project to experience the Cariboo Gold Rush. Students created a character, and if they wished, family and friend groups. Historical photos, a class novel, and on online field trip from Royal BC Museum in Victoria helped inform and solve problems in creating a historically authentic person from the 1860's. Students created their costumes and necessary items to take with them (tools, food, a keep sake). Each had to create a '"secret assignment" - which could be a problem, solution, a dance - which came to life during the Experience Day.

During the Experience Days, the class paid for & collected their mining license from "Victoria", got back to Kelowna in record time, headed to Rotary Beach to follow the ancient Indigenous trails along the lake and up to "Fort Kamloops", then joined the "Cariboo Wagon Trail" at 'Yale", heading to Father Pandosy Mission and back to reach "Quesnel." Students stopped to rest and eat the bannock they made with Indigenous Advocate Elaine Mearns the day before. Finally, they reached "Barkerville," where the classroom had been transformed into a hotel. Here, students enjoyed refreshments, and entertained each other with a wooden spoon jam, a play, and a dance.

Parents helped with the sign placement, walk, and serving the students at the hotel. The next morning, Troy White, Director of Instruction for Learning and Innovation came to teach more about the gold panning and mining process, teaching each student how to gold pan - and yes, every child found gold!

Congratulations to KSS teacher Ryan Holly, Winner of the 2026 Meyer & Gita Kron and Ruth Kron Sigal Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education. The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre noted Mr. Holly's "emphasis on evidence-based learning encourages student engagement with primary sources, particularly survivor testimony. Ryan has been actively involved in professional development activities, attending annual conferences and seeking out self-directed opportunities globally. Students and colleagues alike commend his compassion, care, and dedication as he handles this difficult subject with nuance and engagement."

The staff and students at Pearson Road Elementary were excited to hear their garden was selected as the Best Children’s Garden by the Kelowna Garden Club. This amazing outdoor learning area provides students and families with an outdoor space to play, explore, and learn. Students of all ages are learning the importance of land stewardship and how they can help reduce their carbon footprint by growing their own food. Students from kindergarten to Grade 5 have worked on projects that include a biodiversity study, learning the importance of natural pollinators and pest control, and raising praying mantis, ladybugs, and painted lady butterflies to release into the garden. Grade 1/2 students planted an Indigenous Three Sisters Garden of corn, beans, and squash. Strong Start families planted a pollinator garden and a thriving potato crop they enjoyed harvesting and cooking at the end of this school year. Students in all grades selected and planted many crops that they look forward to sharing with the community throughout the summer and to use for different cooking projects in the fall. A highlight each year is making fries from potatoes and homemade ketchup from tomatoes and herbs. Students also enjoy the opportunity for imaginary play in the fairy garden, the dinosaur garden, and the construction area, where diggers and dump trucks are a big hit. Finally, students of all ages enjoy playing and creating in the mud kitchen - who doesn’t love a mud pie? This beautiful outdoor learning classroom would not have been possible without the generous support of the Kiwanis Club, TD Friends of the Environment, and many other local business partners.

Band students from across the district have the opportunity to participate in the Peachland Canada Day Parade this summer. Students have been learning their parts to two songs both independently and through school-based rehearsals in anticipation of the parade. Through this event, our music students get the opportunity to share instrumental music with the community and be a part of celebrating national pride.

Music teachers at the middle and high school level have been working together over the past five years to acquire a set of drumline gear through community events and fundraisers. We now have a complete set of marching snares, bass drums, and a quad drum. This equipment is shared district-wide so that all schools can bring marching arts to their students.

We look forward to bringing live music to Peachland's Canada Day celebrations and hope to see lots of the community out to celebrate!

What do painting terracotta pots, climate action, and community connection have in common? They all came together at Plant & Play, a youth-led event organized by Aditi Bhowmik with support from Ellis Wilson and Melody Khojasteh, all Grade 10 students at KSS.

The event in celebration of the UN World Environment Day 2026 was funded by the City of Kelowna’s Strong Neighbourhoods Youth Development and Engagement Grant. The climate action project invited local families and youth to get their hands dirty while learning about sustainability and climate resilience. Interactive learning sessions by EcoCooks, Okanagan Lavender & Herbs, and OgoGrow helped neighbours explore practical ways to prevent food waste, learn about aromatic herbs, and create organic compost.

Plant & Play demonstrated how small actions can help grow a greener, healthier, and more resilient community. Learn more about the project, outcomes and impact here.

Over the past four months, students in the GESS Lake Country Fire Hall Junior Fire Academy completed an intensive program combining classroom instruction, hands-on emergency services training, and physical conditioning. Participants gained experience in first aid, emergency response, fire suppression, hydrant operations, vehicle extrication, and wildland firefighting, earning S100 and S185 certifications. Through rigorous practical and theoretical learning, students developed valuable skills in teamwork, leadership, resilience, and service while gaining insight into the firefighting profession. Their dedication, professionalism, and growth throughout the program highlight the success of the academy and reflect the strong support provided by Deputy Chief Kynan O’Rourke and lead instructor Sean Sookochoff.

The Board of Education heard about the expansion of Foundry services to the Westside from members of the Canadian Mental Health Association at the June 10 Public Board Meeting.

The Board of Education made the following declaration at the June 10 Public Board Meeting:

• June is National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day is June 21, 2026

At the June 24 Public Board Meeting, the Board was pleased to recognize two exceptional learners from École Kelowna Secondary School:

• Shaeyllan Beardmore, Grade 12, Recipient of a $120,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship
• Dilynn Scott, Grade 12 , Recipient of a $70,000 TD Scholarship for Community Leadership

The next Public Board Meeting will be on September 9, 2026.

Non-instructional days, school breaks, and statutory holidays can all be found on the 2025-2026 school year calendar. The 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school year calendars are also now available.

The BC Summer Games are coming to Kelowna this July 22 - 26.

Events like this need reliable volunteers to help create memorable experiences for the young athletes. If you are interested in helping out please click the link below!

We are looking for families to host international high school students from around the world.

Next round of placements begins September 2026. Homestay compensation will be $1200/month/student starting in 2026-2027.

The YMCA has a variety of summer camps and child-care camps available for all ages. Click below or download the attached one-pager to learn more.

Active Games Summer Drop-In

Every Wednesday from July 8 - August 26

10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

The Central Okanagan Family Hub

k̓ʷan̓ɬqm̓ means to garden or to plant in nsyilxcən.