DRE Dynamo News

September 8, 2026

What's Happening at DRE?

DRE Dynamo Newsletter

Thank you for clicking the link to read our newsletter! The purpose of this newsletter is to help families be connected to the learning and events happening in our school. The DRE Dynamo News is emailed to families bi-weekly on Monday mornings.

A Great start!

Thank you to all students, staff, and families for a great start to the school year. We enjoyed welcoming your children back to DRE. The building is so much more interesting with kids in it!

Schools across SD23 are focussed on designing learning with student agency in mind. The concept of "agency" can sometimes be a difficult thing to grasp, especially for kids, so as a school we have taken our own spin on it. We are referring to agency as "Light Up Our Learning" where students feel a strong sense of belonging, identity, inquiry and efficacy. Our focus this year will be developing student voice. There will be more to come as we dive into this learning together.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES & SCHOOL FEES

There is no need to buy school supplies. These items are provided by the school through your child’s school fees. In total, student fees are $50 which includes $40 for school supplies and a $10 cultural fee.

We strongly encourage families to pay for school fees through centralokanagan.schoolcashonline.com/. School Cash Online is an easy to use and safe way to pay your children’s school fees.

DRE Terry Fox Run

Thank you to Mr. Bouwman for organizing this year's Terry Fox Run. We will hold our school event on Friday September 25, 2026. If you are willing and able, you can donate online OR send Toonies to school. Please visit the Davidson Road specific website with the Terry Fox Foundation to donate now.

Please click here to donate online.

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.

Afterschool care - BGC okanagan

SD23 has partnered with BGC Okanagan to host an afterschool care program at Davidson Road Elementary. This is managed exclusively by BGCO. If you would like more information, including registration information, please contact BGC Okanagan directly.

BGC Okanagan

Phone: 250.762.3914
Fax: 250.762.6562
Email: info@bgco.ca

LITTERLESS LUNCH - “Pack it in, Pack it out”

Litter free lunches help us to keep our school clean and are the best form of recycling. We ask that whatever comes to school in your child's lunch kit, goes home in their lunch kit. This also helps families monitor food consumption and make adjustments as needed. Thank you for your help in creating a safe and clean place for your children to learn.

Library News

Mrs. Sochan (our new teacher librarian) and Mrs. Ball want to become GREEN in the library, this means they would like to ask that each student bring in a reusable bag, labelled with their name on it, for them to put their library books in. This helps to keep the books clean and dry from spillages in backpacks. Thank you so much for your support.

The first Scholatic Book Fair is scheduled for September 24th and 25th.

Biking/Scootering/Skateboarding

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, we recommend the use of appropriate protective equipment including 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 school community safe.

PAC MEETING - Wednesday September 16, 2026

All parents at DRE are part of the PAC and we encourage you to come join others for the monthly PAC meeting. The first meeting of the school year will take place Wednesday September 16, 2026 at 5:30pm in the library. The PAC will also be offering childcare during the meeting.

PAC Hot Lunch & Pizza Lunch

Orders for regular hot lunch (Wednesdays) and the pizza lunch (Fridays - Grade 5 fundraiser) will begin on Wednesday September 23rd and Friday September 25th. Ordering and payment is all completed online at https://munchalunch.com/schools/Davidson/.

Thank you to the PAC and Grade 5 family volunteers for providing these options for students and families.

Welcome Back BBQ

Please join the PAC and DRE staff for a welcome back BBQ at the school on Thursday September 10th from 5pm to 7pm.

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation - September 30th

Schools will be closed on Wednesday September 30th for this statutory holiday. Classes will be in session as usual on for all other days of the week, and we will recognize the day on September 29th with a whole school assembly. Please encourage your child to wear orange on September 29th.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

At Davidson Road Elementary School we maintain a safe, orderly, learning environment where pupils become responsible, considerate, caring and productive citizens. To help accomplish this we have developed a Code of Conduct that students are expected to follow while at school, while going to and from school, and while attending any school function or activity, at any location that will have an impact on the school environment. The code of conduct is reviewed regularly and is available to view on the school website.

In accordance with the new requirements from the Ministry of Education and Child Care, schools across our district have updated their Student Code of Conduct to include the restricted use of cell phones and personal digital devices during school hours effective July 1, 2024. Our School Code of Conduct reflects the requirements regarding cell phone use in schools accordingly. We encourage all families to leave digital devices, including gaming consoles, cell phones, smart watches, tablets and other internet capable devices at home. Devices that come to school must be powered off and stored in backpacks for the duration of the instructional day, including lunch and recess breaks. If necessary, students can contact home using a school phone.

Student 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.

Central Okanagan Public Schools Appeals Process

A student or a parent of a student who is entitled to an educational program in 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 Operatonal Expectations for Appeals, along with the recommended steps to follow in attempting to solve a problem, please refer to relevanent documentation under the Board of Education heading on the School District homepage.

Central Okanagan School District's Financial Hardship Clause

The Board of Education has indicated "that a student will not be excluded from any educational program due to financial hardship." Clause 8.5 in the Regulations states: "Principals are directed to establish a procedure in each school which will allow for the private and confidential consideration of financial circumstances of individuals, students and families. Such procedures will preserve the dignity of families who may be unable to pay." Please contact John Morrone if you are facing a financial hardship that may restrict the ability of your child to access a school program.

Sanctuary Schools Policy

The Central Okanagan School District's Sanctuary Schools Policy Board Policy 4030 – Sanctuary Schools (see www.sd23.bc.ca) upholds the Board's commitment to providing educational opportunities for all students who are ordinarily resident in the Central Okanagan, including those with precarious immigration status or no immigration status.

Student registrations that pertain to Policy 4030 – Sanctuary Schools will be processed through the Welcome Centre.

Policy 4030 - Sanctuary Schools

Welcome Centre

Homestay opportunities

The school district is looking for families to host international high school students from around the world.

Next round of placements begins September 2026. Homestay compensation will be $1200/month/student starting in 2026-2027.

Apply now to join our team as a host family for international students experiencing Canada.

Link:

Click here to learn more & apply

School Bus Applications for 26/27

The School Bus Transportation Application for September 2026 (2026-2027 year) is available online.

IMPORTANT:

Use the following link to submit a school bus transportation application for the 2026-2027 school year. https://busconnect.sd23.bc.ca.

Students must be registered to ride on the school bus, for detailed information regarding student eligibility for transportation please visit our website: https://www.sd23.bc.ca/transportation-services-programsservices.

For returning riders, please be sure to remember your bus pass each day. If your card is damaged or lost, replacement cards can be requested directly from the Transportation Department.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)

PAC is the acronym for the Parents' Advisory Council. Each parent/caregiver at Davidson Road Elementary is a member of the Davidson Road PAC. 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.

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. Meeting dates and times can be found on the school calendar posted on our website.

Volunteer

Parents and families are always welcome at DRE. Many parents 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.

The Parking Lot - Before and After School

We are asking families for their help in ensuring that the morning drop off and after school pick up time is safe for our students, staff, and families. We thank everyone for their patience, cooperation, and understanding during these busy times. Please note the following.

Thank you to all drivers for your patience in watching for students who may be exiting vehicles, using crosswalks, or near the parking lot area.
When walking on or near the school grounds, please keep yourself safe by using sidewalks and crossing walks.
Consider using the school Kiss and Drop lane for morning drop off or pick up (grade 1-5 only please). When dropping off and picking up your children in the Kiss and Drop lane, please encourage them to use the passenger side of your vehicle so that they are safely on the sidewalk at all times.
During school drop off and pick up times, the District of Lake Country permits parking on Davidson Road. You may choose to park on the road and walk your child up to the school. Davidson Road is very busy during these times, so be sure to use the crosswalk and sidewalks where available.
There are a limited number of visitor parking spots available in the main parking lot. When using this area, please be patient with others and mindful of pedestrians. Please do not drive through the staff parking loop. That area is reserved for staff only.
The Kiss and Drive lane and the area in front of the kindergarten classrooms are not for parking. Please do not leave your vehicle as it stops the flow of traffic and blocks school buses in our parking lot.
We have a number of students and members of the school community who require the accessible parking spots which are labelled clearly. These individuals require these spots to safely access our school. Please leave these spots for those individuals who need them.
No parking is permitted behind the school

Before and After School Supervision

Please remember that adult supervision outside the school begins at 8:00am. Thank you for waiting until at least 8:00am before dropping off your child(ren). After school supervision ends at 2:45pm. We need to keep everyone safe, so thank you in advance for staying within these time frames for drop-off and pick up.

How to Sign Up and Use SchoolMessenger.mp4

reporting Absences and Early departures

Please note that our Absence Reporting System through SchoolMessenger is our sole absence reporting system for school attendance. Families have three options on how they can report an absence, late, or early departure:

Use the SchoolMessenger App on your smartphone. This method is by far the easiest way to report your child’s absence. (Follow this link for instructions on how to sign up and get started (http://bit.ly/2FrTa0p).
Use the SchoolMessenger Parent Portal at go.schoolmessenger.ca
Phone the school and push "1" to report using the SchoolMessenger automated system

Visit http://www.sd23.bc.ca/SchoolMessenger for family resources to help you get started with SchoolMessenger. In the past, Kindergarten families have told us that it’s better to wait until after the school year begins before setting up SchoolMessenger in order to avoid any setup errors.

A reminder to all of our Davidson Road Community that we are an All-Nut Aware School. As we have many 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. This includes chocolate hazelnut spreads like Nutella. Thank you for being proactive in your decision on what your child can bring to school.

A Note About Homemade Treats

Given a number of students and staff who have serious, life-threatening allergies to nuts, we also ask that homemade baked goods, such as birthday cupcakes, are not brought to school. If families wanted to send foods on special occasions, please limit items to store-bought, pre-packaged, individually-wrapped food items. Thanks for your help in ensuring the safety of our students.

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