Monday – Ski day! Bring a helmet or other gear not being rented so everyone has a safe & fun time 🙂

Tuesday – Bring your student snapshot forms back for a chance to win one of three $10 Subway gift cards.

Wednesday – Pink Shirt Day! Wear pink to show you agree to not participate in bullying and want to lift others up around you.
Thursday – We’re happy to see your faces at school 🙂 Thursday needs to be special too, right?
Friday – POW at 7 pm on Facebook to complete our special week of assemblies with Pastor D focusing on "Friendship Request"

Hello! Monday is ski day and we are excited to be able to take students to both Bear Mountain and Powder King. We have snow and the weather isn’t too cold so we’re planning for a great day 🙂 For those not able to participate this time, there will be no classes. For those participating, please note the following items:

– Both groups will be leaving from PCS as soon as possible after the bus arrives (about 8:45 am).
– The concession will be open on both hills.

– Bring a sack lunch, snacks, and/or money for concession.
– Please leave valuables at home.
– Please dress warmly in layers so clothing can be adjusted for both colder and warmer weather.

Planned pickup times are:

– From Bear Mountain – between 4 & 4:15 pm at our regular bus spot in front of the high school. If there is a significant variation to this, a note will be posted on our Facebook page, which can also be seen at the bottom of our website (www.peacechristianschool.ca).

– From Powder King – about 6 pm at IGA parking lot

A few parents are participating with your children. If this is you, we ask that you please abide by the following Covid-19 related items:
– If you are exhibiting symptoms of being sick or have been in contact with someone who has been sick or in self-isolation, please do not come
– Spend as much time as possible outdoors
– Wear a mask at all times while in the lodge, except when seated and eating/drinking
– Practice and ensure physical distancing of a minimum 2m (6ft) from everyone except your family
– Bring hand sanitizer
– Wash or sanitize your hands often & avoid touching your face

Attached are copies of the assumption of risk for your reference.

Thank you for helping us make this a fun learning experience for our students!

Have a great weekend,
Kristin

Bear Mtn..pdf

Powder King.pdf

Hello Parents,

Typically we would be having student-led parent teacher interviews today and tomorrow. We are trying something different this year.

Yesterday or today your student(s) should be bringing home information about how they are doing in their classwork. We ask that you discuss this with them and have a conversation about their growth as a student.

Please also sign the paper provided and have them return it to the school. All students who return the paper by Tuesday, February 23 will be entered in a draw to win a Subway gift card.

If you would like to have a phone call or meeting with a teacher in person, we are happy to arrange that, so please call/email the school or call/text a specific teacher and we will set up a time.

Thank you for participating in this part of your student’s learning 🙂

Mrs. Atherton

Hello Families,

Cold Day: I hope you’re staying warm today. It’s a weekend for indoor books, games, and food. If it’s not warmer tomorrow, there will not be school, for the safety of all. Please watch our Facebook page (also available at the bottom of our webpage) for a post tomorrow morning.

Covid-19: Last week, the Ministry of Education announced enhanced safety measures for K-12 schools to prevent the spread of Covid-19. We are reviewing our safety plan and making any changes needed to comply with the new requirements. Our updated safety plan will be posted on our website within the next couple of weeks.

Gr 7 – 12 students (along with all staff), will now be required to wear non-medical masks in all indoor areas. The only exceptions are when:

– they are seated or standing at their desks/workstation in a classroom

– when there is a barrier in place

– if they are eating or drinking

Masks for K – Gr 6 students remain optional at school based on family preference, though we do request that Gr 5/6 continue to wear them while riding our school bus.

Information about masks and the different types can be read here: Masks (bccdc.ca). Please take time this week to ensure the students in your family have enough comfortable masks so they can have a clean one each day. We do have some cloth ones at school if a student/family would prefer that option. We will be transitioning into this change this week and requesting full compliance by February 16, 2021.

Although this is a difficult change for some, we appreciate being in school in person and not asked to learn online or part-time in person. Thank you for doing your part to help keep us in school. With it being so cold, shorter days (though getting longer!), potential fears of the pandemic, and other life circumstances, mental health challenges are very real. Please reach out to someone at school if you or your child is struggling and we will help get through this together.

Illness Tool: We appreciate the precaution we have seen from you about staying home when illness is a potential concern. If you’re unsure whether your child should attend school or when to call 8-1-1, here is a new tool to help: K-12 Health Check (gov.bc.ca).

Downhill Ski Day: Our ski day on February 22 for K-Gr 6 to Bear Mountain is a go! Slips with pricing and request for payment will be sent home our next day of school, if you don’t have it already. We are also planning a ski trip to Powder King for Gr 7-12. We are hoping for Feb 22, but still waiting on confirmation from Powder King. The cost for lift ticket, full rental and transportation will be $75/student.

Student Led Interviews: Due to the constraints of meeting in person and challenges of Zoom, we are planning to send information home for parents and students to discuss together on the 17th and 18th. All forms returned will be entered in for a prize draw.

Please enjoy some sunshine through a window today!

Mrs. Atherton

Dear Families,

The safety of your child(ren), as well as the safety of the school staff is very important to us. One way we maintain a safe environment for our children to study and learn is to practice our emergency response plans.

This coming Monday morning, January 11, 2021, we will be practicing a lockdown drill, with the assistance of the Chetwynd RCMP. This type of drill will secure the school building and safely shelter all students and staff inside the building, protecting against any danger outside or inside the building. During a “lockdown drill” doors will be locked/closed and remain locked until the danger is removed. To enable everyone to remain safe, no one will be allowed to enter the building or leave the building until the drill is complete.

For the safety of everyone involved, we respectfully request that during a drill or event, you follow these items:

• Do not come to the school
• Do not call the school offices (as they will be busy with the drill or actual emergency)
• Do not contact students or staff members via cell phone or social media (to maintain order, allow silence and a cohesive following of the safety plan)
• Avoid social media posts. For an event, correct information will be sent officially as soon as possible.
• Please make sure we always have your current contact information.
• In the event of an actual emergency evacuation, you will receive notification where to pick up your child as soon as practicable.

As you feel appropriate, please talk to your child(ren) about this drill. It does not mean there will be an intruder or unsafe situation, but it is best to have precautions in place, just like we have a smoke detector in our home or wear a seatbelt in our vehicles.

Please remember that these safety practice drills are done to help maintain our schools as a safe place to learn and work. If you have any questions, please contact me at the school.

Regards,

Kristin Atherton

We are happy to have everyone back tomorrow! A quick reminder that Covid-19 precautions are still in place:
– Please send/bring a water bottle and keep extra items (like toys) at home.
– No extra people in the building (please wear a mask if needing to come to the front entrance).
– Cleaning hands for everyone when entering the building (and when moving between areas).
– For Gr 5-12, wearing masks when on the bus and when in an area with another cohort.

We are also continuing with our other precautions, such as extra disinfecting during the day.

See you soon!

Report cards were sent home with all our students today.

Lost & found is laid out in the hall for students to pick up tomorrow. If you recognize an item in the pictures, perhaps let your child know to take it home 🙂

A link for our Christmas program video will be direct emailed to the families who participated. It is a little delayed and will be sent out tomorrow. Send us an email or Facebook message if you do not receive it. It will be available to watch until Monday evening.

Friday is noon dismissal and we will see everyone back on Monday, January 4.

Have a great holiday!

Hello again,Anti-spam features are hiding my note in the email 🙂 The note is on our website. If the link to it is again deleted, you can click on "Notes Home" in the small print at the bottom of this email and read it there. Hope your weekend is going well!
Students & Internet | Peace Christian School.

“Ideally, children should not post pictures on the Internet at all.” – Jill Starishevsky, New York City’s assistant district attorney and prosecutor of child abuse and sex crimes — Top eight expert tips on Internet safety

Dear Families,

There are many memes, jokes and comments about 2020.  It has been a year of change, upheaval and trial.  As we come near the close, I’d like to point you to a topic that 2020 has brought to the forefront at school.

More than ever, our students are spending time on digital devices instead of in person relationships and we are seeing the impact.  There are risks online for all of us and because we want the best for each student, we want to decrease these risks.  For younger students, the most common risks include exposure to inappropriate content, such as pornography and disturbing images and videos.  For older students, they include cyberbullying, over-sharing, addictive behaviours and a loss of privacy and reputation.1

“Researchers believe that as teens become hooked on social-media apps, they are less able to regulate emotions, manage impulses and make good decisions. Social-media addiction also creates lower self-esteem — the direct opposite of what teens use social media for.  . .  A parent’s greatest error could possibly be turning a blind eye to how much time teens spend online and what they’re doing there and why.”2

To help protect our students at school, the policies we have in place are:

• No personal devices for K – Gr 7 (please keep devices at home)
• Supervision while on school devices
• Actively reviewing our policy for Grade 8 – 12 students

What we are asking you as a family to do are:

• Monitor use on devices, especially content and postings on social media
• Keep communication open with your children/youth
• Remind them that anything done online is not anonymous
• Encourage them to spend time doing alternate activities: read books, develop hobbies, play non-violent games, do community service

Tips some families have found helpful:

• Use screen time limits on devices
• Buy an internet router that automatically turns off at set times
• Lock games away except for certain times

We want a healthy learning atmosphere at school, both in and out of class time, where students are learning good social skills, are physically active, and have moments to daydream during free time.3  These keep our mind and body healthier, as well as build empathy for our fellow humans.

If you are looking for reasons to not have your child start on social media, start by reading this article (10 Reasons why Social Media Should Banned for Children Under 18) or watching the documentary “Social Dilemma” found on Netflix.

Find more fabulous info here:

• Top eight expert tips on Internet safety
• Four conversations parents should have with their kids about digital devices
• Safer Schools Together Parent Resources
• 5 Reasons Youth Don’t Report Cyberbullying—and What Parents Can Do About It
• Tween & Teen Health – Social media use: What’s the impact?

Thank you for joining us in keeping our young people healthy and safe.

References

1. Protecting your family online: experts tell you how – Focus on the Family
2. Why Social Media Shouldn’t Define Your Teen – Focus on the Family
3. The Good Things About Daydreaming That No One Will Tell You , So I Will (lifehack.org)