News Stories

Recently, the main entrance of Adam Robertson Elementary School (ARES) was filled with staff self-portraits, all created using a variety of techniques and supplies.

Part of the “Circle of Courage” philosophy involves taking risks and modeling bravery, which the staff definitely did. Students were challenged to guess which portrait belonged to who, and for several weeks, the main entrance was occupied by students determined to identify the mystery pictures and enter their guesses in the daily draw.

The hallways of A.R.E.S. were filled with families on April 27th and 28th for our first annual Learning Fair. Many parents have not been inside our building due to COVID restrictions, so this event was a perfect chance for parents to share in the celebration of their children’s success. The event was intended as an opportunity for A.R.E.S. students to have a voice in communicating their learning to parents. What are they proud of? What’s going well? What engages them at school? Where do they spend their day? It was a chance to see very authentic evidence of student learning.

https://www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/news/all-star-creston-students-present-shrek-the-musical/

On April 11, Adam Robertston Elementary School (ARES) students were treated to an afternoon of excitement.

When James Beaudoin goes to work each morning in Nelson to pick up his school bus, he knows that he is directly supporting a child’s education, social and physical well being.

“Being a bus driver is an important job, and the feeling of being needed and helping my community is very fulfilling. In some cases, we are the first smile that a child will see at the start of their day. Without our support, many kids would have a lot of roadblocks in the way to get to school.”

At a meeting on March 28, the School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) Board of Education directed Superintendent Trish Smillie to pause the Proof of Vaccination Regarding COVID-19 Administrative Procedure pending further changes to public health orders and further information from BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA).

The School District No.8 (Kootenay Lake) Board of Education has hired Johan Glaudemans as the new secretary-treasurer and chief financial officer for SD8, effective April 12, 2022. He will take over from Interim Secretary-Treasurer Teri Stoneman, who has been in place since previous Secretary-Treasurer Michael McLellan left to work as secretary-treasurer for School District 10 Arrow Lakes in February.

An overview of discussion items and major decisions of the Board of Education of School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake). For meeting agendas/minutes and a schedule of upcoming board meetings visit our meetings and minutes page. 

On March 10, the Province of B.C. announced several changes to existing public health orders (PHO) that affect the Provincial COVID-19 Communicable disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings. These changes come into effect the first day of Spring Break – March 14, 2022.

At a meeting on March 3, the SD8 Board of Education directed Superintendent Trish Smillie to extend the implementation date of the district’s Proof of Vaccination Regarding COVID-19 Administrative Procedure from March 11 to April 11, 2022. This one-month extension will allow the Board time to consider evolving COVID-19 data and changes to public health directives.

The purpose of the Proof of Vaccination Procedure is to safeguard the health and safety of employees and students from COVID-19.