Good morning, Families,

Due to blowing snow, there are no busses today. Each school day is important for learning so there are still learning activities that are important to accomplish today. We understand that it can be difficult to accomplish this at home or to care for your children if you are working. If you would like to drive your child(ren) to school, please let your homeroom teacher know (or text the school if needed), and there will be a staff member to help supervise them. Teachers are also available for support, in person (for some), by email, or by Zoom.

Please let us know how we can support your child’s learning needs today.

Take care out there!
Kristin

Dear Families,

As we continue to learn more about the devastating tragedy that occurred in Tumbler Ridge, many of us are experiencing big and difficult emotions. Events like this can shake our sense of safety, and it is natural for children and adults alike to feel unsettled.

Please know that our commitment to safety and trauma‑informed practice remains strong. Incidents of this nature are extremely rare, and schools continue to be among the safest places for young people. Our staff are trained in emergency response, we have well‑established safety protocols, we participate in regular practice drills, and our procedures are reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis.

We also recognize that this is a tender time for many in our community. We encourage you to seek connection, talk with trusted people, and extend extra kindness to those around you.

Attached is a letter from the Ministry of Education with information, action items, and available supports. If you are looking for guidance on how to navigate conversations with your children or support them as they process difficult news, we are also sharing a resource available to all PCS families:

Supporting Your Child After a Tragedy in the Community

It covers tips for speaking to kids/teens about the event, signs to look out for that may indicate they are struggling, how to support them if they are, and when/how to seek outside help.

We are holding the Tumbler Ridge community in our thoughts, and we remain committed to supporting your family with care and steadiness. Thank you for your ongoing trust and collaboration as we care for our children together.

Sincerely,
Kristin

Tumbler Ridge – Letter for Families INDEP.docx

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred in a neighbouring community today. Incidents like this are upsetting and difficult for all of us to process, and our hearts are with the families directly impacted. I have reached out to the RCMP and there has been no indication that we have any concerns for safety at our school in the upcoming days.

In moments like these, maintaining a sense of stability is important for children. Our plan is to keep school routines as normal as possible and continue providing a calm, supportive learning environment. Students benefit from the reassurance that their day-to-day life remains steady, and our staff will be attentive to any signs of worry or need for extra care. We will have additional supports in place for anyone who may need guidance as they process this incident.

We will continue to pray for the families affected, and we hold them close in our thoughts.

If, as parents, you feel your child would be better supported by staying home for a day or two, we completely understand. Please let us know if that is the case so we can plan accordingly and ensure continuity of learning when they return.

Thank you for your partnership and for the trust you place in us each day. If you have any concerns, or if your child expresses worry at home, please reach out. We are here to support your family.

Sincerely,

Kristin Atherton
Principal

Good morning, there are no busses today due to the road conditions.

Teachers will be sending out learning activities. Please watch for them and do your best to have your child do the activities. There will be staff at school today if you have transportation for your child(ren), feel it’s safe to get them there and need the childcare or learning environment for them to get work done.

Please let your homeroom teacher know if you will be dropping your child(ren) off so we know who to expect.

Stay safe out there!
Kristin

Dear Families,

We hope you had a good weekend. We enjoyed our ski day on Friday and were happy to have most students and several families join us.

Please note the items below for this week and upcoming events.

Have a great week!
Kristin

Wed Jan 28 – Gr 9-12 Science Fair – Parents are welcome to come by and see the booths during the day. Students will be showing their booths in the morning between 9:15 and 11:15.

Fri Jan 30 – Non-Instructional Day

Sun Feb 8 – Ski day to Powder King – Paper forms will be handed out to those interested soon. Families are welcome. Students/families are responsible for arranging their own transportation.

This Week – School Survey – Please watch your email for the link for families (we encourage all to participate!) and see the opt-out notice for students:

In the following weeks, students in grades 6 through 12 will have the opportunity to participate in a 15-minute survey about the overall culture of the school. The surveys will be completed online and during school time, at no cost to you.

The results will provide valuable information to school leaders and may help your school community improve in meaningful ways.

The areas the survey explores are: School Climate, Academic Climate, Civic Open Classroom Climate, School Mission & Vision, and Social-Emotional Competencies (optional). The primary purpose of the survey is to help your school understand its culture better. The secondary purpose is to provide the field of education with new insights into how various stakeholders in schools perceive elements of their school culture, using anonymous data for secondary research.

The survey was designed by educational researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Education Policy.

All responses are anonymous and will be analyzed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. School personnel will not have access to individual responses. No names, birthdates, addresses, student IDs, or IP addresses will be attached to any responses.

All participants can select a language other than English (Spanish, French, Creole, Vietnamese, or Arabic), using the drop-down menu on the first page of the survey.

Participation for your child is completely voluntary. If you DO want your child to participate, you do not need to do anything. If you DO NOT want your child to participate, please advise your child to answer “NO” to the first question on the survey. There are no penalties for not participating or withdrawing from the survey at any time.

If you want to see the questions beforehand, please ask your principal/head of school or any member of the Johns Hopkins team. Their contact information is below.

Thank you for participating in our survey. Please know that we are listening to your input.

Respectfully,

The team at Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy

For questions about research, contact:

• Dr. David Steiner, d.steiner@jhu.edu or 410-516-7896
• Johns Hopkins IRB office, hirb@jhu.edu or 410- 516-4820

For general questions about the survey, contact:

• Dr. Kecia Jackson, Kjackson18@jhu.edu
• Dr. Carol Macedonia, cmacedo3@jhu.edu

For those going skiing tomorrow, the PCS bus will be outside of Windrem to take students to PCS and then will leave from PCS to go to Bear Mountain soon thereafter. Dress warm and see everyone soon!

My apologies for missing a Friday Flash item:

Tuesday Jan 20 also has our Parent Committee meeting at 5 pm! Please join if you are able.

Hope you’re having a good weekend!

Hello Families,

As we come near to the middle of the year, we see great progress in our students. Every Friday our staff share student highlights with each other and it is great to hear about the positive attitudes and leaps in learning that we see.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Mrs. Atherton

This Week

• Mon Jan 19 – Bear Mtn Ski forms & payment due – would love to see most of our students come!
• Tues Jan 20 – Parent Committee Meeting at 5 pm
• Tues Jan 20 – Gr 10 Numeracy Assessment, 9-11 am
• Tues Jan 20 – Gr 12 Grad Photos
• Thur Jan 22 – Gr 10 & 12 Literacy Assessment, 9-11 am
• Fri Jan 23 – Bear Mtn Ski Day & Pastor Neil’s last day at PCS

Upcoming Events

• Jan 28 – Science Fair Gr 9-12. Parents are welcome. Booths manned from 9:15-11:15.
• Jan 29 – End of First Semester (some Gr 9-12 classes)
• Jan 30 – Non-Instructional Day

Good to Know

• Chapel Week – We had a great week with our guest speaker, Pastor Manny. We are thankful he came from Williams Lake to connect with us and guide us closer to God. His basketball skills on the staff team today were also appreciated!
• Next Year Registration – We may not be ready to think about next school year but the time is upon us! The one-time tuition fee for the 2026-27 school year is $325 (K-Gr 5), $370 (Gr 6-9) and $405 (Gr 10-12). Please watch for a specific email asking for your re-registration – we would love to have everyone back! If you have friends or relatives thinking about coming, we encourage you to let them know to reach out for a tour, application, or to be added to the list for the Kindergarten Open House (happening in February).

Shout Outs!

• We appreciate our parking lot being sanded a couple of times this week!
• We continue to enjoy hot lunches and appreciate all the work to make and serve it. Thank you to all who participate!

Resources

• Vaping Information Sessions for Youth –

  In partnership with Health Canada, clark.

• MyEd BC
• Online Calendar

Verse of the Week – Matthew 5:14-16

"You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

This verse reminds us that our lights matter – shine it brightly!

Families,

We have concerns about the safety of students around the bus transfer area. To keep everyone safe:
1. Please stay out of the Windrem School parking lot.
2. Please drive slowly.
3. Please follow road rules and have your children cross the road appropriately. Going into the parking lot between the rec center and Chetwynd Secondary and having your children walk to/from the bus is likely a safer option.

Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone safe. Please encourage other families to do the same.

Regards,
Mrs. Atherton

Hello Families,

The weather seems like spring yet we know it’s still January and winter isn’t done yet! We will enjoy the lack of cold while we can.

We’re back in the routine of learning with a small bump today due to a power outage for a while but classes continued as normal while we waited for the lights to come back on (and we were thankful they did!).

As you may be aware, our community has been impacted and are grieving the loss of two young members of the Peace Region. Our prayers go out to those grieving. Please see the attachment for resources, guidance and free upcoming training sessions to support families.

Please see the notes below for items this week and upcoming in January. And as always, reach out if you have any questions.

Walk carefully out there!
Mrs. Atherton

This Week

• All Week – Chapel Week with guest speaker Pastor Manny!
• Tues Jan 13 – Northern Health visit for Gr 6 & 9 Immunizations (for those who signed up please wear a short sleeve underlayer)
• Thur Jan 15 – Treat sale grad fundraiser at lunch time

Upcoming Events

• Jan 20 – Gr 10 Numeracy Assessment
• Jan 20 – Gr 12 Grad Photos
• Jan 22 – Gr 10 & 12 Literacy Assessment
• Jan 23 – Bear Mtn Ski Day
• Jan 23 – Pastor Neil’s last day at PCS
• Jan 28 – Science Fair Gr 9-12
• Jan 29 – End of First Semester (some Gr 9-12 classes)
• Jan 30 – Non-Instructional Day

Good to Know

• School Closures – In the event that school is closed (due to bad roads, lack of electricity, etc), there will always be communication to parents directly from school. This is often an email, along with a Bloomz message and sometimes on social media as well. We encourage you to check our communication methods if your young person tells you that school is cancelled and feel free to call or text us to verify if needed.
• Bear Mtn Ski Day – Permission slips went home on Friday. We encourage all to come and enjoy physical activity together as a school. Parents are welcome. If you plan to ride the lift, please complete the permission slip for yourself as well as your children.
• Gr 9-12 Science Fair – We would love parents to come by the Science Fair if you are able. The booths will be manned by the students from 9:15 until about 11 and the room will be open all day.
• Farewell Pastor Neil – Pastor Neil has accepted a youth director position in Alberta, starting at the end of January. His last day at PCS will be January 23. We have appreciated having him here and he will be missed! We wish him all the best in this new path ahead.

Resources

• MyEd BC
• Online Calendar

Verse of the Week – Psalm 46:1

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble."

This verse reminds us that we are never alone in times of trouble.

CYMH Resources for Families – Northeast BC (Jan 2026).pdf