May 2026 Newsletter

Happy Music Monday!

April was a busy month. On April 13, staff and the Student Leadship Team from HS Grenda Middle School visitied with all of our grade 5 students to kick off thier transition to their new school. This is the time of year when our grade 5 students really start to think about what next year might look like for them. This past week, our students in grades 1-5 participated in the 'Okanagan Freestyle Fencing' program in our gym. Fencing is an exciting sport that improves cardio, strength, balance, and eye-hand coordination, and it can be matched to all ability levels! Fencing is often called physical chess, as it involves the same aspects of focus, strategy, and decision making. These mental aspects of the sport help our athletes to become confident and disciplined. We wish to thank our Parent Advisory Council for making this exciting opportunity a reality for students every year!

Track and Field - Now that we can count on more sunshine and warmer afternoons (maybe!!), you will be seeing the Intermediates honing their Track and Field skills three days a week after lunch. Thanks to a group of eager teachers, we are once again providing an array of track and field experiences for grades 4 and 5. Each student will be exposed to many new skills that they can apply to our fun Apple Bowl Track and Field Meet, slated for Monday, May 25. If you are not aware, this is the day when we take all intermediates to participate, along with Oyama Traditional School, in a fun, light-hearted track and field experience at the Apple Bowl, where good sportsmanship, honest effort and teamwork are more important than talent. We are still looking for parent volunteers. If you can help, please contact your child's teacher by email of Class Dojo. Students looking for a competitive experience may be chosen to attend the School District Track Meet on Wednesday, June 3. We will be allowed to send two boys and two girls from each grade to each of the events. There is also an additional competitive opportunity for students offered by Okanagan Athletics Club. They are hosting a “Twilight Meet” on May 28th. It’s open to all ages from 9 years old and older. This meet is perfect for those wanting to compete or for those wishing to learn more about Track and Field. There will be coaches at each event to help athletes that want some pointers and guidance. More info is available at https://okac.ca/twilight-meets/

On April 30, we hosted our annual Early Learning for Families (ELFF) event. We had 25 families sign up this year, the most ever! Thanks to Mme Kelly, Mrs. Payne, Mme Jenna, Ms. Sarbit, Mme Dewolf, Ms. Kuzik, Ms. Alexis, Ms. Albrecht, and Elder Randy Swanson for organizing and hosting our annual ELFF night. Our Public Health Nurse, Cailtin Harper, also made an appearance. The purpose of ELFF is to build connections between home and school and to help children gain some foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, health, and social-emotional learning. When parents are involved in their children’s education, their children do better in school. Parents came away with lots of ideas too!

With Gratitude,

Mr. J. Minkus and Ms. T. Kuzik

It's Music Monday time! This morning, all staff and students met in the field to fill the skies with music Our anthem this year is I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing) by astronaut Chris Hadfield and the band Barenaked Ladies. We also enjoyed several performances from music classes as well as student favorite 'Fruit Canon.' Music Monday is an annual Canadian celebration held on the first Monday of May to raise awareness for the importance of music education in schools and communities.

On April 23, 10 students will be representing "Ecole Peter Greer Elementary (PGE) at the upcoming district/zonal "Battle of the Books" competition! Great job reading all 8 books! The district "Battle of the Books" competition was held at Casorso Elementary. Congratulations to the following students:

Gr. 5 Students

Teagan Little (Dion)

Tianna Lussier (Dion)

Gr. 4 Students

Ellie Schumer (Catton)

Evelyn Bolton (Latendresse)

Emily-Dawn Aronson (Latendresse)

Mila VanCoughnett (Letourneau)

Hannah Wong (Latendresse)

Lottie Rasmussen (Latendresse)

Amaya Sanson (Letourneau)

Amelia Lannin (Latendresse)

Thank you to Ms. Savage for sponsoring this great opportunity for the students!

In order to make accurate plans for next year’s school organization, we need your assistance in confirming student enrollment for September. If you know you will be moving between now and the end of summer, please call Mrs. Nuyens in the school’s office or write a brief note to your child’s teacher at your earliest convenience.

May 4 Music Monday 9:30

May 4-10 Mental Health Week

May 4 Parent Info Session for Parents of Grade 5 Students at HS Grenda Middle School 5:30

May 4 Fire Drill # 6 10:55 am

May 5 Cross Country Running Race at PGE 3:00 pm

May 6 Ceremonial Sockeye Salmon Release at Vernon Creek

May 6 Wear Green for Mental Health Week

May 6 Grade 3 Swimming at Kelowna Y 10:45

May 7 Cultural Performance: Body Positive Bollywood 10:00 am

May 8 Lake Country Fire Dept Safe Program 9:10 am

May 12 Cross Country Running Race at DRE 3:00 pm

May 12PAC Meeting in the Library at 6:30 or on Zoom (https://sd23.zoom.us/j/2735419423; Meeting ID: 273 541 9423)

May 13 Talent Show Matinee for Students 12:15

May 13 Talent Show for Parents/Caregivers 5:30

May 14 Cultural Performance for French Immersion Students at Evangel Church

May 14 StrongStart Closed Today

May 14 Tait and Henderson Field Studies Allan Brooks Nature Centre

May 15 StrongStart Closed Today

May 15 Lake Country Fire Dept Safe Program 9:10 am

May 18 Victoria Day: Schools Closed

May 19 Kindergarten Vision Screening in C Pod

May 20 Kindergarten Vision Follow Up by Optometrist

May 20 Kindergarten Parent Orientation 4:30 PM on Zoom

May 25-28 Kindergarten Sessions in StrongStart

May 21 Family Fun Night 4:30 pm

May 25 Track and Field Meet with OTS at Apple Bowl

June 1 Learn to Ride Bike Program for Grade 4/5 Classes

This year, Mental Health Week runs from May 4th to the 10th. Mental Health Week aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining our mental health, end the stigma around mental health issues, educate people about mental health supports, and increase the conversation about mental health. Let’s come together to raise awareness, promote understanding, and support mental health initiatives. Students and staff are encouraged to wear GREEN on Wednesday, May 6th.

Families will soon be receiving confirmation of registration letters for both English and French at École Peter Greer Elementary for the 2026-2027 school year. Once the required documentation from you is on file here in the office, please consider your family part of our PGE community.

We are so excited to meet all of you and your children! To start the welcoming process, we ask that you:

• Attend the Parent Information Session on Zoom @ 4:30 pm Wednesday, May 20. This will be a short presentation of what to expect and an opportunity to ask questions. You can join the Zoom meeting: https://sd23.zoom.us/j/6512159894 (Meeting ID: 651 215 9894)

• Show your child our introductory video. A link will be emailed to you and placed on our website in early June. The video will help students familiarize themselves with some PGE faces and spaces.

• If there is anything you would like us to know about your child that you feel may ease their transition, please fill out this optional digital form. We will be gathering additional information during the first week of school in September.

• Play Based Sessions – You and your child are invited to attend school for a learning session so that they are introduced to a school-based learning through play experience. Spaces are limited to 8 students for each group so please RSVP by signing up for a session here. These sessions will be held in our StrongStart Centre.

The other half of the Kindergarten Transition process will take place in the first week back to school starting on Tuesday, September 8. In late August, you will receive a letter/email detailing additional plans for helping your child make a successful transition to Kindergarten. Some key dates for these plans are:

Tuesday, Sept. 8

First Day of School for Grades 1-5. Orientation Mini Session for K Students and Parents. The morning will be divided into two sessions and a parent or guardian must attend. More detailed information will be shared in a separate letter to parents in late August.

Wednesday, Sept. 9

Mini Sessions for Students Only

Thursday, Sept. 10

Mini Sessions for Students Only

Friday, Sept. 11

No school for your child as this day will be used for forming/deciding classroom placements for the year. Please expect a call on this day to learn who your child’s Kindergarten teacher will be.

Monday, Sept. 14

First Full day of Kindergarten for all students

The purpose of these mini-sessions is to share information about basic daily routines and expectations for kindergarten students and to provide an opportunity for your child to see the school/classrooms and meet some of the other students. Please note that classroom placements are not determined until Friday, September 11, after teachers have had an opportunity to assess each class grouping. Teachers will notify each family of their child's classroom placement.

Okanagan Public Schools Transportation department currently operates 76 school bus routes providing school bus transportation service to students in Lake Country, Kelowna, West Kelowna and Peachland.

Changing student demographics requires the Transportation Department conduct a review of the bus routes each year and apply adjustments where required. School bus routes are designed to service eligible students attending their English catchment school whose application was received on or before the deadline date of May 31.​

Although our Transportation office accepts applications throughout the school year, priority for the next school year is given to the applications submitted before the deadline of May 31.

SCHOOL BUS REGISTRATION TIMELINE 2026-2027 Year

Applications received for eligible students between February 2 and May 31, 2026 will be processed in the order the application was received, and will take until to end of June to complete. Applications for courtesy riders received before June 1 will be processed in June and July.

Most bus routes are at full capacity once all applications received before June 1 are processed.

Applications received after May 31 will not be processed until August or later and students will be placed on a waitlist. Parents will be notified when the application has been processed and advised if seat space is available. School bus route and bus stop information will be distributed to parents during the last week of August.

Transportation Fees will be applied to the parents School Cash Online account in September.

Payment in full or monthly payments must be set up within 30 days of your child being assigned to the school bus route.

Passenger Requirements:

Parents are required to submit the online transportation application. A confirmation email will be sent to the parent advising if their child has been assigned to a route. If seat space is not available on the bus route, parents will be advised that the application was placed on a waitlist.

A student must be registered on a route to ride the school bus. Students that are registered on a bus route will be issued a bus pass by the driver. The bus pass must be scanned by the student, when boarding or exiting the school bus. Only registered riders may be transported on the school bus, no guest passengers are permitted to ride. Other than a student's water bottle, food or beverages may not be consumed while riding on the school bus and lunch/snacks must remain in the students backpack or lunch kit.

To apply for school bus transportation, click here.

The countdown is on for our Peter Greer PAC Family Fun Night!!!

Join us Thursday, May 21st 4:30-6:30 for an evening of FREE FAMILY FUN for our Peter Greer Families!!!

New Kindergarten students WELCOME!

When you arrive to the event come and get your “Passport to Fun” at the PAC tent. You will get your passport stamped at the different stations.

There will be bouncy castles, Plinko, face-painting, cupcake walk, whacky hair, glitter tattoos, fishing game, soccer dart, UBC STEM Activities, lawn games and more!

Remember to bring cash for the 50/50 and food trucks. The Chuck Wagon, SiSi, and The Daily Grind will be there. Meal planning made easy!

Volunteers Needed - As always, we cannot do these fun events without you. We need volunteers to make this event happen!! Please sign-up for a shift here.

Creating a fun free night for all PGE families is important to the PAC. If you would like to donate cash to support the event or a prize, please contact: Pge.PacPresident@sd23.bc.ca

Track and Field for our Intermediate classrooms is officially starting! As you may already know, our annual Apple Bowl with Oyama Traditional School event relies heavily on parent volunteers. This year is no different. We are seeking parents to lead our groups from station to station, help run various track events, and general supervision. If you are available and would like to volunteer, please return the bottom portion of the form in the below attachment to your child's teacher as soon as possible! The Apple Bowl experience is truly a special one!

StrongStart is a free drop-in early learning program for children aged 0 to 5 years (prior to entry into kindergarten), who are accompanied by their parents or caregivers. It is the beginning of a special partnership between families and schools. The program at Peter Greer is facilitated by Chelsea Coates, a Licensed Early Childhood Educator. Click here for more information.

If you are a returning StrongStart family, then feel free to drop-in on days that work for you. StrongStart Centres are open: Monday – Friday 8:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

We are currently holding student placement meetings to arrange classes for September. Your child’s current teacher plays a significant role in making these decisions as does next year’s teachers, Administration, and in some cases, staff from support services (i.e., Learning Assistance teacher, Counselor, Inclusion Teacher etc.). The development of class lists is given a great deal of time, careful thought and understanding with the knowledge teachers have of each student and what will be in the child’s best interest. Since teachers see how students function in a classroom every day, they are confident that they can make a suitable placement for your child. Every year, we have a small number of parents wishing to make placement requests for their children and we ask that those requests come before we start the process of creating classes. We do encourage parents to have a conversation with your child's current classroom teacher prior to making a request. Parents requesting a specific class configuration/division, should place their request in writing to their current classroom teacher and copy to the office. Requests for placements are considered during the class building process, but not all can be accommodated for a variety of factors, and we are not able to accommodate parent requests for students to be 'switched' from one class to another once classes have been set.

There are many factors that are considered in the process:

• academic achievement
• class size, composition and balance between genders
• neuro-divergent needs of students
• learning and teaching styles
• peer dynamics and social groupings
• teacher and School Based Team recommendations
• previous placement history

It should be noted that there are several additional factors, including changing enrolments, Provincial class size and composition legislation, and budget restrictions, that sometimes make the placement of students a very complex issue. Therefore, parent requests will be accepted as input but should not be considered as the driving force behind placement decisions. Our goal in creating each classroom composition is to provide the best possible educational placement for the students within the various constraints of the system within which we function. We appreciate your understanding of this very important issue.

We will reassess the class and school organization after the August registration period as we become aware of any enrolment changes that have taken place over the summer. As is the case every year in all schools, teaching assignments and class organizations are subject to change in the fall. Class lists will be posted (by student PEN number) on our website on the Friday before the first day of school in September and again by name at the front of the school on the morning of the first day of school. In this process, the Principal has the ultimate responsibility under the School Act for the final decision regarding placements of students.

As of May 2026, our projected enrolment is approximately 375 students. The tentative teaching staff and class configuration can be viewed in the attachment below.

As the school year draws to a close, some parents may find that in the coming school year, their child will be placed in a "mixed age, split or blended" classroom. There is a great deal of research showing both pros and cons, but the reality is, blended classes are in every school and at every grade level across North America. Here are some considerations of blended classes:

• Achievement is the same as, or better than, the academic achievement of children in same-grade classrooms. Mixed-age classrooms do not negatively affect student achievement, and students in these classrooms have significantly more positive attitudes toward school, themselves, and others (Stone,1998; Veenman,1996).

• There is a wide range of academic, social, and emotional abilities within any grade grouping.

• Students are assigned a grade based on their age and not based on academic achievement, ability or social/emotional factors. In every classroom, there are students who may be reading at one, two, even three grade levels higher or lower than the grade they are assigned. Blended classes can often have less of a range of abilities because students are sometimes grouped homogenously. It's a fact that in any classroom, there will be at least 3-4 different reading levels amongst the students. This is why all Primary classrooms have leveled reading resources from levels 4 – 17. This allows teachers to match each student's needs to an appropriate level.

• The curriculum focuses on each student’s needs and skills as opposed to grade level content. With the focus on skills and core competencies, grade configuration is not a significant factor in student achievement. Engaging students in personalized, deep learning is our goal and blended classes lend themselves to this approach.

Other Considerations of Blended Classrooms

Instead of looking at a classroom of students ‘assigned’ to a specific grade due to their birthdate, think of the classroom as simply a group of students, all at different levels of ability, needs and strengths.

Children develop a sense of family with their classmates. They become a "family of learners" who support and care for each other. Older children can serve as mentors and take leadership roles.

Children are more likely to cooperate than compete. The spirit of cooperation and caring makes it possible for children to help each other as individuals, not see each other as competitors. This is consistent with our school district's goal to ensure we prepare all students for today and tomorrow, and to inspire them to be thinkers, learners, collaborators, contributors, and innovators – attributes that can only be developed in diverse learning environments.

In a multi-age classroom, older children model more sophisticated approaches to problem solving, and younger children can accomplish tasks they could not do without the assistance of older children. This dynamic increases the older child’s level of independence and competence.

Blended classrooms promote a positive school culture because the older students have learned the routines of the school and they are in a position, through daily classroom experiences, to model, mentor and help support the younger students. They “show them the ropes” so to speak (a very powerful influence, more so than adults).

Cultural Performance: Body Positive by Bollywood Artist Karima Essa

10:00 Thursday, May 7 in the Gym

Families Are Invited!

FOR NON HOST SCHOOLS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT THE BC GAMES THIS SUMMER

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