Nov. 2-6, 2026 Parent Update

Good afternoon Cinnabar Families,

Congratulations to Ms. Oakley, who has joined our team as our new co-teacher, supporting reading intervention throughout the year. We are excited to have her in this important role.

We would also like to thank the families who joined us for IEP meetings this week. We appreciate your time, collaboration, and ongoing partnership as we work together to support each student's learning and success.

What a wonderful Halloween celebration at Cinnabar Valley!

A huge thank you to our pumpkin carving contest judges, Marnie Strijckers and Cathy Coulson, for taking the time to judge all of the creative entries.

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to our parent volunteers, Caroline Evans, Thea Rouble, Andrea Cross, Leanne St. Thomas, and Debbie Pearson, for organizing and helping with the pumpkin carving contest this morning. Your time and support helped make the event such a success!

Thank you to all of our students and families who participated in the pumpkin carving contest, and to everyone who dressed up and joined in our Halloween parade. It was wonderful to see so much creativity, school spirit, and community involvement.

Congratulations to our Pumpkin Carving Contest Winners

• Kindergarten–Grade 1: Aubrey (Ms. Currie's class), Oakley (Ms. Skarbo's class), and Rex (Ms. Skarbo's class)

• Grades 2–3: Penelope (Ms. Smith's class), Bohdi (Ms. Smith's class), and Sophia (Ms. Collins' class)

• Grades 4–5: Madison (Mr. O'Hara's class), Kyler (Ms. Edwards' class), and Alivia (Ms. Edwards' class)

• Grades 6–7: Tucker (Mr. Klan's class), Morley (Mr. Klan's class), and Emma (Ms. Browning's class)

Family Category Winners:

1. First Place – Young Family

2. Second Place – Dewan Family

3. Third Place – Crawford Family

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to making today such a fun and memorable celebration. It is wonderful to see our caring community of learners come together.

Warm regards,
Colette Young

November 2,9,16,23 Kim's Cardio

November 3 PAC Meeting Zoom Link https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89061415292?pwd=015wuPV4KTZdTNk480aXBQNqWYrxRs.1

November 6 Remembrance Day Assembly

November 9-13 Mrs. Young Away (Ms. Edwards TIC)

November 11 Remembrance Day- No School

November 19 Hot Chocolate Sale

November 25 Progress Reports emailed home

November 27 Fire Drill

November 30 Professional Development Day- No School

Please check out all of our celebrations and events on our website: https://cb.schools.sd68.bc.ca/

"Respect is treating others the way you want to be treated."

This quote highlights the importance of treating others with kindness, consideration, and empathy. It encourages children to think about how they would like to be treated and to extend the same level of respect to others, regardless of their differences.

Congratulations to our Cinnabar Valley cross-country team on a fantastic running meet! We are so proud of our runners for their hard work, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the season. A big thank you to Mr. Klan for his continued support and encouragement. We look forward to cheering on our athletes at the District Finals on November 4. Good luck, team! We are rooting for you!

Permanent Daylight Saving Time

This year, clocks won't fall back an hour as BC makes the move to permanent Daylight Saving Time.

Here's what you can expect:

• Darker winter mornings as the sun rises later. However, the sun will also set later!
• During the school year, the latest sunrise will be 9:10 am, in early January. "First light" or the time we start to see the sky brighten, won't be until approximately 8:30 am. The earliest the sun will set is 5:17 pm around December 15.
• Tips for parents on how to support children getting up on darker mornings and other Permanent Daylight Saving Time information are in our most recent district newsletter: https://www.sd68.bc.ca/district-newsletter-october-23-2026/

As the days get shorter and darker, we ask families to review these important safety reminders with their children:

• Be visible: Wear bright-coloured clothing and reflective gear to help drivers see you.

• Use designated crosswalks: Always cross at a crosswalk and follow pedestrian signals where available.

• Stop, look, and listen: Look both ways and make sure vehicles have stopped before crossing.

• Stay alert: Put away phones, remove distractions, and avoid wearing headphones when crossing roads.

• Walk safely in the parking lot: Stay close to an adult when possible, watch for moving vehicles, and use designated pedestrian areas.

• Walk or ride safely: If biking or using a scooter, wear a helmet, use lights and reflectors, and follow road safety rules.

• Allow extra time: Avoid rushing, especially when visibility is reduced.

School staff will continue to provide supervision beginning 15 minutes before the morning bell and reinforce safe practices with students.

Thank you for working with us to keep our students safe. Together, we can help ensure everyone arrives at and leaves school safely!

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Country Grocer for their ongoing generosity and support of Cinnabar Valley Elementary. From providing fresh fruit for our students each week to contributing other items throughout the school year, their support helps make our school community an even better place for our students.

A friendly reminder to families: Please continue to send in your Country Grocer receipts. When we collect enough receipts, we can redeem them for gift cards that help us purchase popsicles for students and other special treats throughout the year.

We are so grateful for Country Grocer’s continued partnership and for our families who help make this program possible. Every receipt makes a difference.

Loaves and Fishes – Food Support/Hampers

• Anyone can register for food support or a Christmas hamper.
• Families do not need to be experiencing a specific crisis to access this support.
• Families can register directly.

Address: 1861 E Wellington Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9S 5X2

Phone: (250) 754-8347

The Great Nanaimo Toy Drive

https://thegreatnanaimotoydrive.ca/

• Anyone can register to receive Christmas toys.
• Families can register directly.
• The pick-up location will be Dufferin Community School again this year.

Safe Arrival

Daily attendance is a proven factor for success in school, however, if your child is ill or unable to attend school on that day, please use our reporting tool to let us know if your child will be absent. Log on to cinnabarvalley.sd68.bc.ca or contact the office at info.cb@sd68.bc.ca before 9:00 am.

Parent Volunteers

Criminal Record Check

Please consider having a Criminal Record Check done at the start of the year, if you haven’t already done so. Thank you to the parents who have. A CRC does not expire for 5 years and allows you to participate in all activities inside and outside the school with our students. We desperately need parent helpers at events and it is a challenge when CRC have not been done. This is a district-mandated step that must be taken in order to become involved in any way in the school.

Online application: https://justice.gov.bc.ca/eCRC/home.htm

Access Code/ID Number: UQ4T7XXBHE

Phone (toll free): 1-855-587-0185

Fax: 250-953-0408

Email: criminalrecords@gov.bc.ca

Driver Volunteer Form

If you wish to help drive students for field trips , you will need to fill out a Driver Volunteer Form as well. Please contact the office for a form if you are interested.

Open Parachute is a program that some teachers are using in our school. This program is designed by a team of Clinical Psychologists, Educators & Filmmakers, to teach mental health skills to all students in a way that is engaging and relatable, while being easy for educators to facilitate. Every lesson features an authentic peer voice, role modeling self-reflection and Resilience. Please see the link below for parent resources.

https://learn.openparachuteschools.com/parent/login?id=CA_RHDBtgi2