Ladysmith Intermediate School

Monday, September 14th

• Sign-up for hul'qumi'num elective

Tuesday, September 15th

• Grade 7 volleyball in the gym

Wednesday, September 16th

• hul'qumi'num elective forms due to the office

Thursday, September 17th

• Flag football practice after school until 3:45 p.m.
• PAC meeting in the library at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, September 18th

• Gathering at 10:35 a.m.

Virtue of the Month: Goal-setting

hul'qumi'num word of the week: uy'yathuts It means: Be kind

Behaviour focus: Being kind at recess

Open Parachute is a district mental wellness program being used in many classrooms. A wonderful addition to the program is that it has a parent portal that you can access anytime if you are struggling at home with specific issues. It gives families an opportunity to open up the conversation about mental health, at home, so that students know it is a safe place to share how they are feeling, provide them with useful tools, and provide an opportunity to connect with you.

I will be including a weekly link for families to take a look at, but please know that you can access any of the modules that you want. The topics I send will either align with our virtue, behaviour of the month, or issues that are coming up at school.

Starting Friday, September 18th!

Yay! We have been given the green light from the district to finalize classes as they are at present. The classroom that your child is in right now is where they will stay. The teachers and I have worked very hard to ensure balanced and educationally sound classrooms as best that we can. We have considered all requests carefully as a team. No more movements will be made. You should be hearing from your child's teacher within the next few days, if you haven't already, to introduce themselves. We are all looking forward to a GREAT year!!

As you know, the RCMP have released the legal ages for riding electric scooters and electric bikes. Because the age is over 16, School District 68 has made the decision that there shall be no e-bikes or e-scooters on school property. If they are brought to school, parents will be called to come and pick them up as soon as possible. We really appreciate your support with this 🙂

Please watch for Student Verification Forms coming home this week. Please look at these, make any changes necessary on the page, do all the checkmarks on the back, and sign the back. Once completed, please return them to the school as soon as possible. These forms hold critical information for safe day-to-day operations, so the sooner we have them back, the better.

Also, watch for email consent forms for the following things:

1. Media Consent

2. Technology Consent

3. Emergency Release Form

Please complete these as soon as possible so that we have your consent on record and your child's learning is not interrupted in any way 🙂

Your child has already, or will be on Monday, been given their standard school supply package in their classroom. By the end of next week, you will get an email with information on how to pay for your child's school supplies. Supplies this year are $50 which includes a planner. Supplies are bought in bulk in order to reduce costs for families. The supplies provided are one set therefore, over the year, if something runs out or is mistreated, some supplies may need to be replaced at the family's expense. We encourage students to be responsible and careful with their supplies.

To help ensure a safe, respectful, and positive school environment for all students, staff, and families, our district has adopted a Parent Code of Conduct. This code outlines expectations for courteous communication, respectful interactions, and collaborative partnerships between home and school. By working together with kindness and mutual respect, we can maintain a welcoming learning community where every child can thrive. Families are encouraged to review the Parent Code of Conduct, which is available below. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in our students' success.

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We kindly remind all parents and visitors that anyone entering the school during the day must first sign in at the office and receive a visitor pass. For safety and security reasons, parents should not enter classrooms, hallways, or other areas of the school without checking in. This includes before and after school.

If you would like to speak with your child's teacher before or after school, please contact them by email to arrange a convenient meeting time. This helps ensure that teachers can remain focused on student learning throughout the school day while still providing opportunities for meaningful communication with families.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe, secure, and welcoming learning environment for everyone.

Students will be partaking in the annual Terry Fox run this year on Friday, September 25th, 2026. We will have an assembly as a whole school and then classes will complete a block run throughout the day. We will be collecting "Toonies for Terry" to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation. Students can bring as many toonies as they like to donate between now and September 25th. Even if everyone donates one toonie, that gets us 2/3 of the way to our goal of $1000!! We can do this LIS Community!

We are honoured to welcome the Tour de Rock cycling team to LIS this year on Monday, September 28th, around 10:55 a.m.!! They will spend some time in the gym with our students as we cheer them in and answer any student questions. Below is the donation link for this fundraiser which goes towards childhood cancer research. Please indicate in the donation line, your child's name and division because the class with the highest donations will be treated to a PIZZA PARTY!!

Bonjour!

French classes have started with Mr. Michalopoulos this week for Grade 5s, 6s and 7s. He also runs a website that includes all of the vocabulary, handouts, assignments, assessment criteria and quizzes plus due dates for each grade. French duo-tangs will be kept at school so they won’t get lost or forgotten about.

Please have your child review their French vocabulary for 5-10 minutes daily if possible. The more you use a language, the more you remember it. They should be using Mr. M’s website to review their French at home. There are also language-learning websites such as ‘Duolingo’ if your child wants to expand their knowledge.

Mr. M’s French website is located at https://mrmsfrench.weebly.com/ . The link will be permanently be located at the bottom of this newsletter under Resources. It is updated regularly. Please take a minute to visit the website for important information about the French program at LIS, Mr. M’s expectations, and to see what your child is learning at school.

Pitch Black Productions presents…

DARK WHISPERS

3 radio theatre plays...

3 stories of suspense...

...in which the dark is your greatest fear.

This year, we, at Ladysmith Intermediate School, would like to invite you to Pitch Black Productions’ thrilling Hallowe’en radio theatre drama production, DARK WHISPERS. The evening show will take place on the school’s stage in the gym on Thursday, October 29th. The show will start at 6:00 PM and should end at approximately 7:30 PM. Ticket order information will be sent out in early October. Also...

Auditions for actors from grades 5 to 7 run from September 14th to 17th. Audition scripts have been posted on Mr. Michalopoulos’ drama website at https://pitchblackdrama.weebly.com Practices will be held after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 4:30 plus a dress rehearsal until 4:30 on Wednesday, October 28th.

We hope to see you at...

DARK WHISPERS!

At LIS, the health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff are a top priority. As a nut and scent aware elementary school, we ask families to help us create a safe and inclusive learning environment by avoiding foods containing nuts in lunches and snacks whenever possible and refraining from using strongly scented products such as perfumes, colognes, and scented lotions before coming to school. These simple precautions help protect members of our community with severe allergies, asthma, and fragrance sensitivities.

I am aware that sometimes this can be challenging because who doesn't love peanut butter?? If your child does need to bring a nut item, please coach them on washing their hands and eating space after consuming these products. In some cases, your child may have a severe peanut allergy in the room and it may need to be declared a nut-free zone. Your classroom teacher will let you know if this is the case.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school safe for everyone.

Friday, September 25th - Terry Fox Run

Monday, September 28th - COPS Tour de Rock

Wednesday, September 30th - Day of Truth & Reconciliation (NO SCHOOL)

October 1st - Open House from 5:00 - 6:00

Thursday, October 15th - Individual Photo Day

Friday, October 23rd - Provincial Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)

Thursday, October 29th - DARK WHISPERS performance @6:00 p.m.

Monday, November 16th - Individual photo retakes

The PAC needs you!!! We are looking to fill positions on the PAC board since several people have left due to their children moving on up to high school! This is a great way to keep in the loop about what is going on at LIS and be a part of a fantastic group of parents who help our school in so many ways.

Please join our PAC Facebook page for updates and news on what is happening at school and with our latest fundraising events. Just search Ladysmith Intermediate School PAC to follow along.

Coming Soon

Sue DeRosa

Principal - Ladysmith Intermediate School

Email: sderosa@sd68.bc.ca
Phone: (250)245-3351