The Viper Voice- VMS Basics

Dear VMS Families,

I want to start the year by introducing myself properly, not just as your child's principal, but as a person, because I think the two are hard to separate and I don't much want to try.

Some of you already know me. I spent two years as vice principal here at Vedder not so long ago, so walking back through these doors this fall has felt less like arriving somewhere new and more like coming home to a place that shaped me. Before that, I spent twelve years as a Resource Teacher, ten at Chilliwack Middle and two right here at Vedder, which means I have spent more of my career working directly with kids and their learning than I have behind a desk, and I hope that never stops showing. After Vedder, I moved into administration: two years as VP here, then a year as VP and three years as Principal at A.D. Rundle. Every one of those stops taught me something I still carry, and I'm bringing all of it back to VMS with me.

Outside of school, I am a wife and a mother of four boys, ages twelve to twenty one, one now in university, two at GW, and one just starting grade seven. If you're ever looking for our family, check the football field first; there's a good chance we're there in some capacity, whatever the season calls for. When we're not, we're usually skiing, or golfing, or standing in a Costco lineup with a cart that could feed a small army, because it turns out that's what it takes to keep four growing boys fed. I tell you all of this not to fill space, but because I believe the people who lead a school should be known as full people, and because my own family has taught me most of what I know about the kind of community I want us to build here.

That's really where my philosophy starts. My life, both personal and professional, has given me a deep and stubborn belief in the importance of family and community, the relationships that hold people up when things are hard and celebrate with them when things go well. I don't think those connections are separate from school life; I think they are the foundation of it.

Your child's experience here will be shaped as much by what happens between home and school as by what happens inside our classrooms, and I intend to lead from that belief every day.

Practically, that means my door will be open to you when you need it. It also means I come to this job from a place of service. My job is to make sure your child has what they need to learn and grow well, and to make sure you feel like a genuine partner in that, not a bystander to it. If something isn't working, or if I'm falling short somewhere, please tell me. I'd genuinely rather know. I think of this work as exponential: when home and school trust each other and stay in real communication, your child feels that support from both directions at once, and that feeling of being seen and known is what allows kids to take the kinds of risks that real learning and growth require.

One thing I'll bring with me all year, and that you may hear your child mention, is something Jim Collins calls a hedgehog, the one thing you love, that you're genuinely great at, and that helps you succeed, so that you can pour yourself into it instead of stretching thin trying to do everything at once. We'll be encouraging students to find their own hedgehog this year, and I'd gently invite your family to think about the same question at home: when things get busy, and they will, what is the one thing that matters most to you, and are your days lining up with it?

There's a poem by Bessie Anderson Stanley that has stayed with me for years, written as her answer to a simple question: what does it mean to succeed?

What is Success?

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people

and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by

a healthy child, a garden patch

or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed

easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.

If I can put my own hedgehog into a single sentence, it's this: we help people become who they are meant to be by creating a place where everyone belongs, grows, and leaves the world a little kinder than they found it. If we can do that together, for your children, I think we will have succeeded, by any definition worth having.

So as we begin the year, please know that I see this as a partnership. I want to hear from you, celebrate with you, and work alongside you whenever your child needs something more than either of us can give alone. Thank you for trusting us with your kids. I don't take that lightly.

I'm so glad to be doing this work, in this place, with all of you.

Warmly,

Sarah

Hello! My name is Jason Watson, and I am excited to join the Vedder Middle School community as Vice-Principal. Throughout my career, I have worked with students from elementary through secondary school and have taught a wide range of subjects, including English, Math, Physical Education. I also spent a number of years as a counsellor at the elementary and middle school levels. I believe strong schools are built on relationships, and I look forward to getting to know our students, staff, and families.

Education is also an important part of my family’s life. My wife is a teacher, my daughter is attending university, and my son is a middle school student, and I come from a family of teachers. I have played and coached sports for most of my life, with basketball at the forefront, and have seen firsthand how athletics can help young people develop confidence, teamwork, resilience, and a sense of belonging. I look forward to helping build a strong athletics program at Vedder while working to ensure that every student feels known, supported, and connected to our school community.

Jason Watson

Each week the Viper Voice will be your go to source for all things VMS. I will send the newsletter out each Friday with updates and information about the week ahead. Additionally, it will have information about community events, District Updates, and school as well as community resources. You can access the Viper Voice either through the direct link I send out or through our school website main page.

I encourage you to take a look through as there are a number of items that are important reminders for families, especially at the start of the year.

Below you will find bullet points for the most important updates, adjustments, and information about the upcoming school year.

• We have a new downloadable parent calendar that will contain all information about upcoming school based events such as early dismissals, holidays, Professional Development Days, field trips for the school as well as Sports Schedules and events. It will be your one stop shop for all the things parents at Vedder Middle will need. I have attached the directions and QR codes to either download the calendar into your phone or view it as a live link on a website.

• I have also attached our most current school supply list for your family.

• We have an updated Bell Schedule this year that you can view below. I have included a copy for your family that also has a list of our school terms and Statutory Holidays and Professional Development Days.

• Please look through our VMS Student Code of Conduct. This is our official manual of being a student within the VMS community.

• Please note that we have some changes to our school opening procedures for mornings and afternoons at VMS

- Doors will Open at 7:30 am to students. During this time students will need to be in the multipurpose room or the gym.

- There will be supervised Open Gym Basketball every morning starting at 7:45 am.

- Doors to access the main part of the school and office will open at 8:00 am

- Homework club will be held starting the second week of school in the multipurpose room from 2:30 - 3:00pm. This will be hosted by our Child and Youth Care Staff Member.

As we approach the start of another school year, we want to let you know that class placements will be released on the afternoon of Friday, September 4th. This communication will tell you which classroom community your child has been placed in, along with the specific classroom they should report to on the first day of school.

We know this time of year can bring a mix of excitement and nervousness, both for students wondering who their teachers and classmates will be, and for parents hoping their child is set up for a strong and successful year. We want to take a moment to explain how our classroom communities work, so that you have a clear picture of what your child's placement means.

At Vedder, each student is placed within a classroom community made up of two teachers and fifty-five to sixty students. Your child will spend equal time with both teachers across the year as they learn Literacy, Numeracy, Fine Arts, French, and Physical Education. Within that larger community, your child also has a homeroom, or CORE class, which is a smaller group of twenty-five to thirty students who move together throughout the day. While students generally stay with their CORE group for the year, we do sometimes make adjustments based on a range of factors, including learning needs and profiles, social dynamics, and overall classroom composition. Exploratory subjects such as Foods, Metalwork, Woodwork, Computers, and Art are taught by a rotation of five teachers, so that all students receive equal time and instruction in each area over the course of the year.

Your child's classroom community was thoughtfully built by last year's teaching team, working closely with other school staff. Placements take into account each student's needs, strengths, and the overall balance and diversity of the group, all with the goal of creating the best possible learning environment for every child.

We also want to be upfront that at this time, we are not able to accommodate requests for classroom changes as the school year begins. This early period is when we are still working through the natural movement of students in and out of our school community, including new registrations, and we need some time to let placements settle before any adjustments can be considered.

We understand how much you care about your child having a positive start, and we share that goal. Our staff have put real care and thought into these placements, and we are confident your child will find their footing in a classroom community built to support them.

If you have questions once placements are released, please don't hesitate to reach out to the office.

September 2026

• Sept 7 (Mon) - Labour Day
• Sept 8 (Tue) - First Day of School. Early Dismissal at 10:10 am
• Sept 9- First Full Day of School
• Sept 14 (Mon)- School Photo Day
• Sept 15 (Tues)- Meet the Staff Ice Cream Social 6-7:30 pm
• Sept 23 (Wed)- PAC Meeting VMS Library 7-8:30 pm
• Sept 25 (Friday)- Terry Fox Run
• Sept 29 (Tues)- Orange Shirt Day
• Sept 30 (Wed) - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Schools Closed)

October 2026

• Oct 9 (Fri) - Professional Development Day (Schools Closed)
• Oct 12 (Mon) - Thanksgiving Day (Schools Closed)
• Oct 23 (Fri) - Professional Development Day (Schools Closed)
• Oct 27 (Tue) - Assessment & Evaluation Day (Schools Closed)

November 2026

• Nov 6 (Fri) - Assessment & Evaluation Day (Schools Closed)
• Nov 11 (Wed) - Remembrance Day (Schools Closed)
• Nov 27 (Fri) - Professional Development Day (Schools Closed)

December 2026

• Dec 4 (Fri) - Term 1 Report Cards Issued
• Dec 17 (Thu) - Last Day Before Winter Break
• Dec 18 (Fri) - Winter Break Begins
• Dec 21, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 - Winter Break
• Jan 4, 2027 - Schools Reopen

***All information is provided by the City of Chilliwack Engineering Department***

1. Construction and road closures along South Sumas at the front of VMS will continue into the start of the school year. The District working in partnership with the City of Chilliwack will have extra traffic management on site during the school day.

2. The South sidewalk on South Sumas will be open but gravel (north side is closed).

3. Please DO NOT use the adjacent Southside Church Entrance for pick up and drop offs. This is private property and this activity is not permitted within that space.

• 9am-1:45 pm Mon-Friday SLAT (single lane alternating traffic) and have road & bike lane fully open between 1:45 pm-3pm
• 3pm-11pm Everyday Full closure
• Friday 3pm – Sunday 11pm: Full closure

E-Scooters and E-Bikes on School Property

Students must be at least 16 years old to operate an e-scooter in B.C.. To align with provincial laws, students are not permitted to bring e-scooters or e-bikes to our elementary or middle schools.

The City of Chilliwack, Chilliwack School District, ICBC and RCMP have partnered to promote the safe use of e-scooters and e-bikes. RCMP and bylaw officers will provide education and enforcement at middle and secondary schools from Sept. 8 to 14.

Please checkout the PDF below for instructions on how to access and use your student's

Quick Pay Account. Quick Pay is how Field Trip Forms, payments, and other purchases for the school are processed. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop into our office for assistance in setting up your account.

All VMS Walking Field Trip forms will be located on Quick Pay. Please make sure to complete them as soon as possible.

Please see the information below on how to report your child's absence during the school year. This will also sometimes be used for District wide communication.

Communication between home and school is critically important. We recognize that questions and concerns will come up throughout the school year. Please take a look at our

VMS Parent Communication information and the Chilliwack School District Parent Communication Guide for details.

ERASE (Expect Respect and A Safe Education) is a BC Ministry of Education and Child Care initiative dedicated to building safe, caring, and inclusive school communities. It provides students, parents, and educators with resources on topics like bullying, social media safety, mental health, and substance use. Students and families can also access the ERASE Report It tool to report bullying or safety concerns online

KidsHelpPhone.ca 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868

Chilliwack Youth Health Centre (604) 819-4603 https://chilliwackyhc.com/

START crisis team 1-844-START (1-844-782-7811)

CrisisCentreChat.ca 604-872-3311

Fraser Health Crisis Line 1-877-820-7444 or 604-951-8855

Suicide Line 1-800-784-2433

310 Mental Health Support 310-6789

9-1-1 in case of emergency

Family Smart- Mental health support https://familysmart.ca/

Reporting Child Abuse/Neglect- 1 800 663-9122