Resources for Parents

Information for Families

Our Rayleigh Family & Student Handbook is filled with information to help you understand how our school operates and how to best support your child.  Please take a few minutes to read through this valuable information.

Open Parachute Program

We are using a school-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program called, Open Parachute.  The goal of the program is to equip students with the well-being skills to help them navigate the challenges of life.  Open Parachute offers a number of helpful resources for families to access.  We hope you will join our staff in supporting students' growth in this vitally important area. 

Here is the link to access the Open Parachute Family Portal   

Community Resources for Families

The Boys & Girls Club (BGC) offers a number of programs that families may be interested in accessing.

Circle of Friends - this program provides a safe space for children between the ages of 6 and 12 to navigate the stages of pain and loss (e.g. family separation, divorce, death of a loved one or pet, change in life circumstances, etc.)

Connect Parent - Connect Parent is an attachment-focused program that looks at the behaviours demonstrated by our children as indications of needs not being met as opposed to problem behaviour. The intention of this program is to shift our thinking from behaviour modification to meeting the needs of our kids in order to diminish the behaviours we are seeing. This 9-week program will be facilitated Wednesday evenings, from October 2nd to November 27th, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, with dinner provided at 5:15 pm.

Check out this comprehensive overview of programs offered by BGC Kamloops Youth Programs

YMCA Fall 2025 Program Opportunities

Growing Mindfully 

Growing Mindfully is a physical and mental wellness program for youth ages 8-12 that helps support youth to be more active and learn healthy coping strategies. 
This program will run at the John Tod Y.
Information Session: Saturday, October 4 at 10 am
Program Dates: Saturdays October 18 - December 6 from 10 am - 12 pm

Y Mind Teen 

Y Mind Teen is a 7-week program that supports teens ages 13 to 18 who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety to learn and practice healthy coping strategies to better manage stress and anxiety. Our groups provide an opportunity for teens to learn within a safe, comfortable, and fun environment, surrounded by other teens experiencing similar thoughts and feelings.  This program will run at the John Tod Y.  

Information Session 1: Thursday, October 16 at 6 pm
Information Session 2: Thursday, October 23 at 6 pm
Program Dates: Thursdays, November 6 - December 18 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm

Y Mind Teen with Canucks Autism Network

This Y Mind Teen program is run in collaboration with the Canucks Autism Network.  It is a 7-week program that supports teens ages 13 to 18 who are on the autism spectrum and are experiencing symptoms of anxiety to learn and practice healthy coping strategies to better manage stress and anxiety. Our groups provide an opportunity for teens to learn within a safe, comfortable, and fun environment, surrounded by other teens experiencing similar thoughts and feelings.  This program will run at the John Tod Y.  

Information Session 1: Monday, October 6 at 4 pm
Information Session 2: Monday, October 20 at 4 pm
Program Dates: Mondays, November 3 - December 15 from 4 pm to 5:30 pm

Y Mind Youth

Y Mind Youth is a free 7-week psychoeducational and support group for young adults ages 18-30 who experience anxiety. Participants learn healthy coping skills, connect with other youth in the community, and get support all in a safe and friendly environment.  This program will run at the John Tod Y. 

Information Session 1: Tuesday, October 14 at 5:30 pm
Information Session 2: Tuesday, October 21 at 5:30 pm
Program Dates: Tuesdays, October 28 - December 16 from 5:30 pm to 8 pm (no session on Nov. 11 for Remembrance Day)

Aging Mindfully

Aging Mindfully is an 8-week free program for seniors and focuses on physical activity, mental wellness and social connection for ages 55+. With a regular weekly meeting including 30 minutes of physical activity, 45 minutes of mindfulness practice, and 45 minutes of socializing and connecting as a group, our goal is to address 3 major pillars of holistic wellness - mental wellness, physical wellness and social inclusion.  This program will run at the John Tod Y. 

Program Dates: Fridays, September 12 - November 7 from 10 am - 12 pm (no sessions on October 31)

Prenatal Wellness

Our Prenatal Wellness program is a support group for expecting parents. Participants will learn coping strategies including mediation, mindfulness and self-compassion tools to use during labour and the first years with their new bundle of joy. The group will have weekly guest speakers who will touch on topics of interest and will be time for participants to connect with one another, ask questions and meet other expecting parents.  This program will run at the John Tod Y.

Program Dates: Wednesdays, October 22 - December 10 from 6 pm - 7:30 pm

Postpartum Connections

Support group for women experiencing isolation, sadness, or mild to moderate pre-or post-natal depression and/or anxiety.  Peer support with an educational component.  Child-minding available.  This program runs at the John Tod Y. 

Program Sessions:  Wednesdays 12 - 1:30 pm

** For more information and registration for Postpartum Connections, please contact Mikaela at mbainpatrick@interiorcommunityservices.bc.ca or 250-554-3134 ext. 327 **

Circle of Security Parenting Program  

Circle of Security Parenting Program offers a weekly education program for parents and caregivers to improve the parent-child attachment. The program assists parents to better understand and respond to their child's needs and improve confidence in parenting skills.  This program will run at the John Tod Y.  

Program Dates: Wednesdays, October 15 - December 3 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Please reach out to mentalwellness@bc.ymca.ca or 250-376-4771 ext.122 if you have any questions or would like to register for one of our programs.

Kamloops Hospice

Grief Support Services - they offer counseling services to anyone in the community facing a palliative diagnosis.  Counseling sessions take place in a safe and confidential environment at their Cooper Community Centre located next to the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Memorial Hospice home.

Counseling support is free of charge for patients and their loved ones during their stay at Kamloops Hospice.

For community members, there is a fee per session.

More information can be found on the Kamloops Hospice Website

SD73 Programming 2025/2026

Worry Bugs Program -  Worry Bugs is a group for children in Kindergarten and Grade 1 who struggle to manage day-to-day worries.  Together, children and caregivers will learn strategies to manage anxiety.  There are Fall & Winter Sessions offered of this program at the Henry Grube Centre.

Interior Community Services

Provide a number of programs that families may want to access.

In Office Counseling Program - for families that do not have counseling benefits through their an employer and have children under the age of 19, families can access 6-8 free counseling sessions.

Mind Over Madder - this program supports the development of conflict management skills for adults, teens and children (8-12 years old).

BC Family Justice Services 

Provides support for families going through separation or divorce.  These free services includes family mediation, supporting parent/child communication challenges and much more.  Contact can be made to Alvina Snell (Family Justice Counsellor - Certified Family Mediator) at 778 696 2132.