Volume 15, Issue 1

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!

It has been an exceptionally busy September, hence our September newsletter coming at the beginning of October! We are so excited to see returning families and looking forward to meeting our new families. Welcome events in qathet and the Comox Valley were well-attended and In-person Learning Opportunities have begun in both centres. You should have received a welcome email from your teacher as well as an initial email from me. If you did not receive either of those emails, please check your spam/junk folders and add sysadmin@myeducation.gov.bc.ca as a contact (you can make the name of the contact 'PIE') so you don't miss emails from me. Also, please ask your/your family's teacher to send/resend those emails if you missed them.

If you don't yet know who your family's teacher is, please don't hesitate to contact me at stephanie.hall@sd47.bc.ca.

Wishing all of our PIE families and our exceptionally dedicated staff a lovely start to the school year!

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Students and families joined PIE qathet staff in the commons for an overview of the exciting opportunities this year. Of note, Regional Principal Ian Landy set up a comic book stand for students and In-person Learning Opportunities will look a little different this year!

Students and families had the great pleasure of gathering at Selah Campground, on the traditional unceded territory of the Kʼómoks First Nation, for a welcome back picnic! Many of our staff, students and parents/caregivers wore orange in recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Week. The weather agreed and gaga ball continued to be a favourite activity for most of the students in attendance.

We are beyond excited to have our new space in the Comox Valley! The furniture arrived just in time for the start of our In-Person Learning Opportunities this week. PIE staff are giddy about having such a great space for our students and parents/caregivers to learn and make connections with other students, parents/caregivers and PIE staff.

Malakai decided to explore his interest in art and expand his knowledge by enrolling in Art Studio 11. Through the suggested assignments, he was able to research and develop his skills in art, focusing on artists who inspired him and techniques and materials he wanted to explore. Throughout the course, Malakai created several impressive pieces that we felt were worth sharing. Well done, Malakai!

Although Truth and Reconciliation Day has passed, Indigenous education and learning is an on-going process. Please enjoy some of the resources we have curated for families.

Members: All PIE parents!

President: Anna Pippus

Vice-President: Sarah Pendray

Treasurer: Kevin deBellefeuille

Secretary: Lara McKercy

Teacher Rep: Marnie Webb

Administrative Rep: Stephanie Hall

Thank you to the executive and all parents who contribute to using PIE PAC funds to add extra events and activities for PIE students each year. I'm looking forward to this year's adventures!

We have now separated the PAC funds by main centre so if you have a proposal for the qathet Region or the Comox Valley, you no longer have the restriction of making it a one-day event that students from any centre can travel to. Updated PIE PAC Sponsored Activity documents will be circulated asap. In the meantime, you can fill them out and submit them to myself for Comox Valley, Ian for qathet, and Al for Bowen Island connected programs.

For more info, please see the PIE PAC page on our website.

PIE high school students can access free online mentoring through Rural eMentoring BC. The goal of the program is to connect rural students to mentors who can help students prepare for life after high school graduation. Check it out and let us know what you think! 😀

October 🌰

5: World Teacher Day

14: Thanksgiving

25: Pro-D Day (Provincial)

November 🍂

8: Remembrance Day Assembly

11: Remembrance Day

29: Term 1 Submission Deadline

December 🎅

20: Term 1 Learning Updates Published & Last Day Before Winter Break

📸 Instagram

Email: stephanie.hall@sd47.bc.ca
Website: https://www.sd47.bc.ca/pol
Location: 7105 Nootka Street, Powell River, BC, Canada
Phone: 604-485-2756
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/16157794226
Twitter: @pie_partners

We acknowledge that we live, work, and learn on the traditional and unceded territory of the K'omoks First Nation and the final agreement territory of the Tla'amin Nation. With this privilege comes the responsibility to engage in conscious acts of reconciliation.