District Newsletter

Thank you to SWIS worker Arina Mitina who is building belonging, empathy, and academic support for newcomer ELL students with the Wednesday After-School Homework Program that she hosts at KSS. AP student volunteers generously donate time to support newcomer students with their academics and along the way build newcomers' confidence to engage in conversation, make new friends, feel at ease to ask questions, and see that they are not alone in their learning journey.

Kudos to everyone involved for building learner agency, empathy, and living the vision of Together We Learn!

Thank you to the staff, students, and host families at GMS and CNB for welcoming 101 students and educators from Haruhigaoka Junior High School in our sister city of Kasugai, Japan. Thanks to this now 41-year partnership, students continue to learn intercultural communication, collaboration, and cultural humility. Thanks to the leadership efforts of our staff who organize an international learning experience on such a grand scale, our guests were honoured and students from two different continents got a life-changing experience.

Want a great way to celebrate and support inclusive education? Contact WHEELS with your ideas for everything from t-shirts to mugs!

With every order, large or small, you get great prices while you support our learners as they transition to employment!

Call 778-484-4054 to see how WHEELS can help!

Thank you to HMS teacher Deena McDell, SVM teacher Chad Wardman, consultant Tobias Blaskovits, and the many other volunteers and parents who made the First Lego League event at HMS possible. HMS welcomed teams from all over the Southern Interior for friendly competition among more than 70 learners who programmed and troubleshot their way across a challenging archaeology-themed problem. This annual event continues to spark interest in robotics among our learners while teaching them that they can solve real-world problems through teamwork and innovation!

Congratulations to the KSS Sr Boys Curling Team for winning the Provincial Championship! They went undefeated and won the Gold Medal 8-0! The boys are elated and very proud to bring that banner back to KSS! Go Owls!

The Long-Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) is the District’s required planning document that guides long-term decisions about school construction, program placement, capacity, and capital priorities based on enrolment and community growth. As we update the Plan, we invite families, staff, students, and community members to complete the survey and help shape future facilities decisions. Survey is open until 11:59 p.m. on March 13.

There's still time to share your thoughts on the 2026-2027 Budget Survey to ensure the next budget reflects the priorities of our community!

At the February Public Board Meeting, the Board learned more about the WHEELS Transition to Employment Program and how it works to remove barriers to work-based learning by

centering student strengths and voice, and building partnerships with local employers. The program ensures that learners who are traditionally under-represented in employment have equitable access to real-world opportunities.

The Board of Education made the following declarations at the Feb. 18 Public Board Meeting:

• Bullying Awareness (Pink Shirt) Day is February 25, 2026

The next Public Board Meeting is on Wednesday, March 11.

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.

Click the link below to sign up for Spring Break programs at the Y.

As part of Women in Aviation Week, the KF Centre for Excellence is hosting an evening fireside chat celebrating women shaping aviation in the Okanagan. This is a great opportunity for all students interested in aviation, aerospace, STEM, trades, business, or leadership to hear directly from local industry professionals and learn more about career pathways in the field.

Thursday, March 5, 2026
5:00 – 8:00 PM
KF Centre for Excellence (5800 Lapointe Drive, Kelowna)

$10 per person | Registration required

If you’re curious about aviation careers or want to explore future opportunities in the industry, we encourage you to attend.

It is time to start thinking about the annual District SumoBot Competition!

SumoBot is a high energy, friendly robotic wrestling competition between schools and students. SumoBot teams consist of 2-3 students working together to strategize, design, build, and code an autonomous "sumo" inspired robot.

With the huge success of previous years' events, we are looking forward to another at a big year for SumoBot in 2026. There are a limited number of spaces available so please be sure to get your teams registered. Interested students should talk to their teachers about getting involved soon!

Not Just Tourists is a non-profit, volunteer organization founded with the purpose of getting medical supplies to those who can’t afford them. Ordinary tourists are given the means to change the lives of the locals they visit.

If you are interested in taking NJT medical supplies as a donation on your next international adventure, visit the NJT website at https://njt.net. NJT also requires donations of lightly-used, wheeled, full-sized suitcases that will be used to pack the medical supplies.

Host families make lasting relationships that span the globe and receive compensation of $1100/month/student.

stətm̓áliʔs means relatives in nsyilxcən.