May 5th Monday- Pro D Day (School not in session)

May 6th Tuesday-

May 7th Wednesday-

May 8th Thursday-

May 9th Friday- Concession

Dear LIS Families,

I hope this message finds you well and that you’ve had a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Next week will be a short but busy one. Please remember that Monday is a Pro-D Day, and school will not be in session. On Thursday, we will be participating in a district-wide earthquake drill, followed by group and class photos on Friday, so please ensure your child comes prepared for both events.

We also want to acknowledge the recent Lapu Lapu incident in Vancouver. It’s essential that we create safe spaces to talk with students about events like this—discussing them openly and helping to remove stigma is a critical part of supporting their mental well-being. We’re fortunate at LIS to be piloting the Open Parachute program, a social-emotional learning initiative designed to equip students with tools to manage their mental health and foster resilience and empathy.

As always, thank you for your continued support in helping us create a caring and inclusive learning environment.

We are Kind....

We are Compassionate...

We are LIS...

Huy'ch'qa,

Dionte Jelks

Principal

Monday May 5, 2025

Pro D Day (School not in session)

Friday May 9, 2025

Class & Group Photos

May 12-16, 2025

Dramafest

Friday May 16, 2025

SAM2 Performance

Monday May 19, 2025

Victoria Day (School not in session)

Thursday May 29, 2025

Fun Fair

Tuesday June 3 2025

Zone Track & Field Meet (Rotary Bowl) *****Rescheduled Date*****

Thursday June 12, 2025

District Track & Field Meet (Rotary Bowl)

Tuesday June 17, 2025

Grade 7 Leaving Ceremony (Transfer Beach)

Monday June 23, 2025

Air Band Show in Gym (6:00pm-8:00pm)

Wednesday June 25, 2025

Year End Student BBQ and activities

Thursday June 26, 2025

Last Day of School ( Reports emailed home)

The virtue for May is citizenship, and these amazing students have shown what it means to lead with kindness, responsibility, and community spirit. Congratulations to all our Tiger Pride Award winners! 🐯👏

STEM time in Mr. Paugh’s Grade 4 class recently shifted into high gear—literally! What began as a hands-on exploration of science, technology, engineering, and math turned into a fast-paced, student-led Rocket League-style game that combined creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Inspired by the popular video game, students used spheros, where they worked in teams to score goals and apply basic physics concepts like force, motion, and angles. “It was amazing to see the kids so engaged,” said Mr. Paugh. “They were thinking critically, collaborating, and having fun—all while learning real STEM principles.”

Are you looking for low to no cost events and activities in Nanaimo and Ladysmith? Head over to NLPS Community Connections webpage by clicking the button below. Here you will find a variety of locally-based events, camps, and resources.

On Red Dress Day, and every day, we honour the lives of MMIWG2S by raising awareness of this ongoing national tragedy, and we hold in our thoughts the families and communities who carry the weight and live with the grief of losing loved ones.

To raise awareness and pay tribute on this day, wear red, inform yourself about MMIWG2S, and participate in your local community events to commemorate this day.

If you, or someone you know is experiencing signs of distress, don’t hesitate to reach out to services available 24/7/365:

• Hope for Wellness Help Line (Indigenous-centred): 1-855-242-3310
• Crisis Services Canada: (Canada-wide) 9-8-8
• National Family and Survivors Circle: 1-844-413-6649

These events are part of FamilySmart's National Child & Youth Mental Health Day celebrations. For more information and resources, and details of these events visit may7icare.ca.

The Ministry of Education and Child Care is hosting free webinars focused on helping families create a personalized step-by-step plan for implementing substance use prevention skills at home. Please click on the link to access information. Please share with your families.

• Munchalunch Updates:
• Maya Norte lunches have been added for May 6 and May 20. New menu items and prices. Dairy Free, Gluten Free, and Vegetarian options available.

• Popcorn will now be offered on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month. $2/bag. Orders taken online as we are moving away from a cash-based system for this event. Order in the lunch area of Munchalunch. Popcorn delivered to classrooms.
• Fundraiser: Panago Pizza coupons for sale, $14 a coupon
• Fundraiser: LIS Merch - LIS pencils ($1) and rubber bracelets ($4) available for sale, colour changing.

• Fun Fair, Thursday, May 29th: We will need lots of volunteers running games, selling game tickets, helping with the Cake Walk, helping with the BBQ and concession, 50/50 tickets, etc. We will have various time slots during the day and from 2:30 pm until 8:00 pm.

• Save-A-Tape, Dates: Ongoing: Save your receipts from any Country Grocer and hand them in to your child's teacher. We have collected over $27,000 in receipts so far. For every $1,000 in receipts we receive a $10 gift card from Country Grocer.

• Hot Lunches:

• April 28: Subway

• May 6 (Tuesday): Maya Norte

• May 12: Panago Pizza

• May 20 (Tuesday): Maya Norte

• May 26: Ironworks Crêpes (we are continuing with the Duncan Ironworks as the Ladysmith location has sold)

• Order via Munchalunch (cutoff: 10:00 pm the Thursday before)

• Panago Coupons: We will be selling 225 more Panago coupons on Munchalunch in April and May and will deliver them to your child weekly on hot lunch days (Mondays/Tuesdays). $14 each for a medium pizza coupon. LIS makes $4 from every coupon sold!

Next PAC Meeting

We'd love to see some new faces come out to our school's PAC meetings. We'll be meeting in person in the LIS library on Thursday, May 1st @ 6:30 pm. Join us virtually if you can't make it in person!

Donations and Contributions

• Used Books Wanted: Gently used youth novels (e.g., Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Wings of Fire, Alan Gratz novels) are welcomed.
• Country Grocer Receipts: Submit receipts to your teacher; LIS receives 1% back in gift cards for every $1,000 collected.

Thank You to Our Community Sponsors

We’re grateful for the support of:

• Save-On-Foods (juice for hot lunches)

Volunteer Opportunities

We’d love your help with the following:

• Mondays (Hot Lunch): 11:20 am–12:30 pm (1 helper needed per lunch).
• Fridays (Concession): 10:30 am–12:30 pm (2 helpers needed per concession).
• May 1 (Thursday): PAC meeting in the LIS library @ 6:30 pm
• May 16 (Friday): Drama Fest Full Stage Play - Evening Performance
• May 29 (Thursday): Fun Fair (setup, running games, or takedown. Shifts from 2:30 pm–8:00 pm).

Meet Your PAC Members

Our Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is here to support the LIS community! Feel free to reach out to any of us or email us at ladysmithintermediatepac@hotmail.com.

• Marcy Drinkwater: Chair (Zekie, Grade 5)
• Susan Randle: Treasurer (Lindsey, Grade 4; Amanda, Grade 6)
• Andrea Gollmer: Secretary (Summer, Grade 5)
• Devon Warren: Hot Lunch/Fundraising (Colbie, Grade 6)
• Lindsey Conover: PAC Member/Concession (Ethan, Grade 5)
• Michelle Hiebert: PAC Member (Rose, Grade 7)
• Shiela Guay: Concession Lead/Popcorn (Olivia, Grade 6)
• Sarah Schaefer: DPAC rep (Gavin, Grade 4)
• Anna Coe: Graphic Design (Beatrice, Grade 5)

We ask parents/guardians to call the school before 9:00 am at (250) 245-3351 or email Info.LI@sd68.bc.ca to notify the school of your child’s absence. Please follow up with a note to your child’s teacher when your child returns to school so the teacher can address any missed work, homework issues, etc. Also a reminder that if students need to leave early, they should be signed out in the main office.

The following is a reminder about the NLPS school closure procedure for students.

If schools are closed due to snow, or any other weather-related problems, announcements will be made on local radio stations (WOLF 106.9 FM, WAVE 102.3 FM, and 91.7 COAST FM) by 7 a.m., or earlier, on the day of the closure. Please do not call the radio station – tune in and listen for the announcements, which will be made on a regular basis.

In addition, the district will post the information on the district’s website, Twitter, Facebook, and mobile app. Families may also receive a message through the School Messenger notification system via phone, email, or text. Please keep in mind, however, that there may be situations where this is not always possible, for example, power outages or technical problems. The most reliable method is to listen to the local radio stations.

ADDRESS:

Ladysmith Intermediate School

317 French St. Ladysmith, BC V9G 1B1

(250) 245-3351

INTERNET/SOCIAL MEDIA:

WEBSITE: https://li.schools.sd68.bc.ca/