Chief Tomat Elementary Community Connection

September 13, 2024

Wolverine Day

Fridays at Chief Tomat are Wolverine Days! We love seeing everyone wearing their Wolverine shirts on Friday (and any other day!). We usually have an assembly where we learn more about how we are Caring Together Everyday and how we can be CTE Wolverines who take care of ourselves, others and the land.

Here is the link to our slideshow for the assembly (with some fun photos!)

CTE Construction Update

We are getting very close to having our playground opened up! The students have done a great job listening to the safety instructions. We've reminded them to stay on the field only where there are many staff supervisors. They are not allowed to climb or touch the fences that keep them a very safe distance from the construction. The construction crew has done a great job working very hard and virtually non-stop to get it done!

PS - the hard hats are just for fun! The students are loving the construction and they make a fun prop!

Support You Child and CTE!

What better way to raise money for the school and all the activities that the PAC provides for our students than by eating ice cream!!

On Thursday, Sept. 19, Paynter's Fruit Market will be donating a portion of the sales for ice cream, coffee and teach back to the school PAC. This money helps fund the Wolverine shirts for students, wheelchair basketball, fun-filled family events and more!

Drive Slowly ! Working TOGETHER to keep our families safe!

For the safety of our students and school community, please make sure that you are driving slowly. The speed zone near all schools in BC is 30 km/hr.

Please note that the speed limit on school grounds (as shown) is 8 km/hr.

Many families have expressed concerns with the speed of vehicles on East Boundary. If you have a concern, please phone the West Kelowna RCMP Non-crisis line with a license plate number at 250-768-2880.

CTE PAC Meeting - The next PAC meeting is Tuesday, September 24th at 6:00 in the library. We'd love to see you there!!

All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend!!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent - Teacher Conferences are on Thursday and Friday, October 3rd and 4th. On both of these days, students will be dismissed at 12:30. If your child rides the school bus, they will be picked up from school at 12:30 and brought home.

On Monday, September 23rd, you will receive an email with a link to the online conference scheduler, where you can choose a time that works best for you.

Calling All Crafters, Bakers, Creators, Entrepreneurs and Vendors to our Fall Market!

If you would like to apply to be a vendor at the CTE PAC Fall Market on October 3rd from 2-6pm, please fill out this form.

Please use your code or go to Artona website to order photos.

Students had their individual photos taken on Tuesday, Sept. 24th.

Retakes are scheduled for Monday, October 21st.

Afterschool Taekwon-Do at CTE

Central Okanagan Public Schools
Updated Restrictions for Cell Phones and Personal Digital Devices.

For the district's updated restriction for cell phone and personal digital devices, please click here. We ask that students leave their cell phones/electronic devices at home. If they are at school, they are to be kept in their backpack or safely at the office. Please contact Mrs. Adamson at jennifer.adamson@sd23.bc.ca if you have any questions.

The Central Okanagan Public Schools’ Financial Hardship Clause

Within Board Policy Regulation 425R – Student Fees (www.sd23.bc.ca), the Board of Education has indicated “that a student will not be excluded from any educational program due to financial hardship”. This clause in the Regulations provides for the private and confidential consideration of financial circumstances of individual students and families, while preserving the dignity of families which may be unable to pay. Please contact the school Principal if you are facing a financial hardship that may restrict the ability of your child to access a school program.

The Central Okanagan Public Schools’ Appeal Process

Policy 460 – Appeals states that “A student or a parent of a student who is entitled to an educational program in the Central Okanagan Public Schools may appeal a decision of an employee of the Board of Education which significantly affects the education, health, or safety of the student”. For a complete description of the Appeals Policy along with the recommended steps to follow in attempting to solve a problem, please refer to Policy 460 – Appeals that can be accessed from the Policies link under the Board of Education heading on the Central Okanagan Public Schools homepage at www.sd23.bc.ca.

Accident Insurance

Central Okanagan Public Schools does not insure expenses for student injuries that occur on school grounds or during school activities. Parents and guardians can voluntarily purchase private accident insurance. The Kids Plus Accident Insurance Program that was previously offered to our students was discontinued in 2019. The IA Financial Group now offers the Family Accident Reimbursement Plan (FARP) which is a voluntary plan that provides coverage for students and their families against accidental injury, unexpected medical expenses, and critical illness. To apply for the Family Accident Reimbursement Plan or to find out more, click HERE.

Please Be Nut Aware

A reminder to all of our CTE Community that we are an All-Nut Aware School. As we have students and staff with life threatening allergies to nut products, we ask that families are extremely vigilant in ensuring that nuts or food containing nut products are not sent to school. Thank you for being proactive in your decision on what your child can bring to school.

Biking to School

If your child rides to school on a bike, scooter, or skateboard, please have a conversation with them about traffic safety. Thank you for reminding them to walk (not ride) their bikes, scooters, or skateboards on school district property and for walking up and down the hill until they reach the road. While travelling to and from school, students must wear a helmet. Bikes should be secured with a good lock in our bike racks located at front of school. Thank you for your help in keeping our students safe.

Indoor Shoes

Thank you for sending your child to school with a pair of indoor running shoes. By changing into their indoor shoes as they enter their classroom, students can help ensure the cleanliness and safety of our school building. These shoes need to be ones that your child can independently put on and take off.

Volunteers

Parents, caregivers and families are always welcome at CTE. Many have expressed interest in volunteering at our school. All volunteers must have a criminal record check completed through our school district. The process is free and criminal record check forms are available at the school office. A successful criminal record check is valid for four years. Please note that criminal record checks that are offered for a fee on various websites are not accepted by the school district, and neither are criminal record checks done for other organizations. If you have had a previous criminal record check and want to see if it is still valid, or have any questions, you are encouraged to contact the school office.

Parent Advisory Council (PAC) - Get Involved with the CTE Community!

PAC is the acronym for the Parents' Advisory Council. Each parent/caregiver at Chief Tomat Elementary is a member of the CTE PAC. The PAC offers a great way for parents/caregivers to be involved with the school, their children, and the student body. The PAC helps the school with a variety of activities, volunteer opportunities and input.

There are a number of ways to connect with the PAC - including their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/chieftomatelementarypac/

We encourage everyone to attend monthly meetings to get up to date information on what is happening around the school and give input on how PAC funds are spent. Please check the school website and Weekly Community Connections Newsletters for meeting dates and times.

CTE School Calendar and Important Upcoming Dates

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, Sept. 24 - Student Photo day
Monday, Sept. 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - School is closed
Thursday and Friday, Oct. 3 and 4 - Parent Teacher Conferences - Dismissal at 12:30
Oct. 7 - Oct. 10 - Wheelchair Basketball for all students. Thank you PAC for your support
Friday, Oct. 11 - Administrative Day - No school for students
Monday, Oct. 14 - Thanksgiving - School's closed
Monday, Nov. 21 - Student Photo retakes
Friday, Oct. 25 - Teacher Professional Day - No school for students
Friday, Nov. 1 - Cultural Performance - Metaphor Music 12:30 pm

Chief Tomat Elementary is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels! If you’re not familiar with Mabel’s Labels, they are personalized, durable, waterproof labels. They are great for everything from shoes, clothing tags, water bottles and backpacks. You can
customize them with your name and a design, and they are dishwasher, laundry and microwave safe. Added bonus: 20% of all sales are returned to CTE and go toward activities, events, and gear for your child!

Mabel’s Labels also offers clothing stamps, silicone bands for water bottles and medical alert labels. This is a great way to ensure your items don’t end up in the lost & found or mixed up. To reduce the spread of germs, we highly recommend labelling but they are also useful for everyday life.

To support our school, click here and select Chief Tomat Elementary. You can pick out whatever labels or product you want, and it will ship for free directly to your house!

Savings Tip: If you haven’t already joined, sign up to Mabel’s Labels mailing list and receive 20% off you next order. Unsubscribe at any time!

Thank you for supporting Chief Tomat Elementary!
Chief Tomat Elementary PAC & Students

*Please remember to enter Chief Tomat Elementary as the organization you are supporting so that we can earn money for our students.

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