Superintendent’s Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers:

In May, our stories highlight how students and staff develop strong, positive Connections and Relationships in the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan.

Child Care Provider Appreciation Day – May 9, 2025

May is Child Care Month in BC and today is Child Care Provider Appreciation Day—a day to recognize and celebrate the dedicated and caring individuals and organizations who educate and support our youngest learners. To all child care providers, whether in child care centers, homes, or school settings, thank you for your dedication, your heart, and your essential role in shaping the future.

Child care plays a critical role in healthy child development and the early years of learning. Our Early Learning and Child Care team, alongside many community partners, are committed to providing interconnected opportunities to address child care needs at our regional level. On behalf of our District, I want to share a heartfelt thank you to all the child care community agencies and Early Childhood Educators who offer safe and nurturing learning environments to children and students in Before and After School Care, Preschool, Strong Start programs, and childcare centres across our District.

Teacher Appreciation Day – May 6, 2025

This week we also celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week and Teacher Appreciation Day on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

To every teacher across our District: a heartfelt thank you for the passion, care, and dedication you bring to your work, students, and colleagues every day. Whether you’re teaching in the classroom, leading extracurricular activities, organizing field trips and special events, sharing your expertise through professional development and learning, or simply being a trusted adult in a student’s life, your impact on our schools and communities is profound and lasting. Read more.

Westmount Elementary School – May 7, 2025

Principal Styles and I started our school visit in Mr. Caputo’s Grade 6-7 class. Ms. Foster was working with Jayden on writing, and Jayden took time to say “Hello” and what he was working on. The task was for students to write a story about something that inspired them. Some students started with a character, an event, or a place. The goal was to ensure that they have key story elements while also choosing words carefully leveraging imagery, similes, and descriptive language while keeping the story to 55 words. Henry is a student in this class, and he shared how he started with ideas that came from his art, and when I asked him what kind of art he enjoys drawing the most, he shared, “I like comics.” What struck me was how engaged students were in sharing ideas with partners and working intently on the task.

Mr. Bigham’s Grade 5-6 class was engaged in analytical reasoning to determine what the math sentence symbols meant in terms of numeric values. He provided hints, and the students said, “We will take it.” They were using small white boards to share their answers as they explored possible ways to solve math problems, and their responses on the white boards provided immediate feedback to Mr. Bigham about who to help. Mr. Styles explained, “The staff got together in collaborative groups with the District Numeracy Coordinators to share strategies.” The power of enabling this cross-school collaboration was to build a common language, scope and sequence about what to teach, and strategies (how to teach numeracy).

Ms. Miller was working with Ms. Hansen’s Grade 6 class. They were studying elements, compounds, and protons. As they worked on their exercises, some students shared that they looked forward to doing dissections in Science. They provided examples of how they knew of other students who had dissected pigs, and they wanted the experience of learning about biology in that way.

Mr. Styles shared the recycling and compost room where students sort trash into recycle, compost, or trash. He shared, “We have reduced our garbage by 95%, and the parents have commented that the work done at school on sustainability is putting pressure on them at home to do the same.” Mr. Styles said that he invests time into taking the recycling to the Recycle Depot, and it has become part of his routine for school and home. He has asked to continue this project with the City next year.

Ms. Tuba was just finishing Phys. Ed and we stopped to talk with Mrs. Hunter and Nicholas who were taking a short break on the bench before returning to class. They had a wonderful start to their day with the BOKS block where they started with physical activity to prepare for the day. As the Grade 2 class settled into their classroom, they worked on spelling by reading and practicing their words. It was a vibrant day of rich learning at Westmount, and I am so glad to have learned alongside some of the students and staff.

Young Artists’ Conference Celebrates 38 Years – April 30, 2025

Last week, the Kamloops-Thompson School District celebrated the 38th annual Young Artists’ Conference—a vibrant showcase of creativity, talent, and passion from students in Grades 4–7. On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, this year’s Young Artists’ Conference brought together over 120 aspiring artists from across the District for a day of creative workshops at Thompson Rivers University. Later that day, families, teachers, District staff, and community members gathered to celebrate the students' creativity and hard work at the Young Artists’ Gallery Grand Opening at Old Courthouse on Seymour Street. Read more.

OMRIE Indigenous Student Summit – May 1–2, 2025

On May 1–2, 2025, over 150 Indigenous students from several school districts gathered at the Brown’s House of Learning at Thompson Rivers University for the third annual OMRIE Indigenous Student Summit. Over the past three years, the OMRIE Indigenous Student Leadership Summit has continued to grow, with 60 more students joining this year, and serves as a powerful platform for Indigenous youth to share their experiences, insights, and solutions. The theme of this year’s summit was “Your Voice. Your Story. Take Action” and included breakout sessions and discussions focused on Indigenous Student Mental Health. Read more.

Young Authors’ Conference Inspires Student Storytellers – May 2, 2025

Now in its 46th year, the Young Authors’ Conference is a beloved tradition that connects passionate young writers with published authors, offering them learning experiences, mentorship, and inspiration. On Friday, May 2, 2025, 350 students from Grades 4–12 gathered at Thompson Rivers University for a day of interactive and engaging workshops with acclaimed authors and facilitators. In addition to the workshops, the Marg Van Dusen Awards celebrated outstanding student writing. This year saw an increase in Honourable Mentions, highlighting the growing quality of submissions across grade levels. Congratulations to this year’s Marg Van Dusen Award Winners, Emelia Willson (Grade 7, Juniper Ridge Elementary) and Ashlee Crawford (Grade 12, Westsyde Secondary). Read more.

Students and Staff Honour Red Dress Day – May 5, 2025

On Monday, May 5, 2025, the District recognized the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ People, also known as Red Dress Day. This year, Red Dress Day was honoured by students, teachers, school leaders, and administrators by wearing red shirts and red dress pins, displaying red clothing in schools, creating impactful and educational displays, acknowledging the importance and purpose of the day with school announcements and gatherings, and participating in age-appropriate lesions and discussions in classrooms. Read more.

I hope that you take some time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and warm weekend.

Rhonda Nixon, PhD
Superintendent