Chief Tomat Elementary Community Connection

Sept. 27, 2025

Important Upcoming Dates at Chief Tomat - see below for more details

Mon. Sept. 29 - Orange Shirt Day at CTE Outdoor Assembly 12:45
Tues. Sept. 30 - Schools are closed for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Wed. Oct. 1 - Mon. Oct. 6 - Watercolour artist, Janice Hennig, is coming to paint with all classes. This art will be used in a PAC fundraiser.
Wed. Oct. 8 and Thurs. Oct. 9 - Parent Teacher Conferences; early dismissal at 12:30
Fri. Oct. 10 - School Implementation Day (no school for students)
Mon. Oct. 13 - Thanksgiving (Schools are closed)
Fri. Oct. 24- Teacher Professional Day (no school for students)

Orange Shirt Day

As we honour and recognize Truth and Reconciliation week, we are having our Orange Shirt Day on Monday, Sept. 29. We are journeying to learn the hard, sad truth about Residential Schools and the impact they had to Indigenous people, then and today (in an age-appropriate way). We are also learning about reconciliation and how we can help promote justice and equity, believing that "Every Child Matters".

Terry Fox Run

We had a great time running for the Terry Fox Run and are close to our goal!

Please consider donating to help us reach our goal of $600. To donate, go here: https://schools.terryfox.ca/99131

Highlights from this Week at CTE...

Truth and Reconciliation learning through story, an Indigenous Cultural Presenter and a school wide assembly.
Terry Fox Run - Thank you to all the volunteers, teachers, and students who made this an awesome, successful event! Thank you to the PAC for the juice boxes. And especially to Mrs. Forrest and Mrs. Adams for planning and leading the event!
I Learn Bike Program - For grade 4 and 5 students
Creating communities where everyone is included and in harmony and learning about Metis beading in Miss Goodmanson's Kindergarten class.
Learning and exploring in Ms. Robertson's Kindergarten class
PAC Back to School BBQ and Movie Night - A huge thank you to the PAC Executive for all their hard work and care to plan such a successful event! It was wonderful to see so many families there!
Lego Club for students in Grade 4 and 5 started! We are hoping to start one for students in grades 2 and 3 as well and are looking for donations of Lego
Nature By Nature - Mrs. Lanes' and Ms. Neal's classes participated in a webinar to learn about how we can increase the biodiversity at our school and in our community through a grant we have received!

School Fees

School Fees can now be paid on School Cash Online. You can access the link to pay on our website, where you will find other information as well. School fees cover the cost of all school and (most) art supplies. The district can get what your child needs at a much lower cost than if you had to purchase them your selves. This fee actually saves you money.

Parents Advisory Council (PAC)

All parents and caregivers are on the PAC and invited to the next PAC meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28th in the library at 6:30. We hope to see you there!

Looking for Crossing Guard Volunteers!

Keeping our students and families safe is our top priority. Every morning, we have many students who could use help safely crossing East Boundary to get to school. If you have some time from 8:15-8:30 to be one of our volunteer crossing guards, please contact Mrs. Adamson at jennifer.adamson@sd23.bc.ca or chat with her outside!

PAC Hot Dog Day

Thank you to the PAC for organizing and providing our families with the opportunity to order a hot dog for lunch! The last hot dog day is Friday, October 31. Orders must be place by 8:00pm on Oct. 27. Ordering is done through MunchaLunch.

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.

School Speed Zone

A reminder that school zones are in effect from 7:30-5:00 every school day. Keep our families and children safe by ensuring that you are driving 30km/hr or slower along the road. In our driveway leading to the school, the speed limit is 8 km/hr.

Reporting Student Attendance

If your child is sick, will be absent from school, needs to leave early or will be late, please let the school know through SchoolMessenger! There is information here about how to sign up for school messenger so that your can report an absence. There is an App for your phone or you can go online to the Online Parent Portal at go.schoolmessenger.ca Thank you!

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

For the district's restriction for cell phone and personal digital devices, please click here or see the school code of conduct on the website. 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. Student Accident Insurance by StudyInsured 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 Plan or to find out more, click here”

Sanctuary Schools

The Central Okanagan School District's Sanctuary Schools Policy : Board Policy 421 – Sanctuary Schools upholds the Board's commitment to providing educational opportunities for all students who are ordinarily residents in the Central Okanagan, including those with precarious immigration status or no immigration status. Student registrations that pertain to Policy 421 – Sanctuary Schools will be processed through the Welcome Centre.

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.

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.

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.

Community Events and Flyers

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