Coyote Connections

École George Elliot Secondary School Family Newsletter

May 8, 2026

Learning Updates posted to MyEd Portals - MyEd

View our school calendar at https://ges.sd23.bc.ca/calendar-main

This week at GESS: May 11 - 15

May 11 - Monday/lundi
B/A

PAC Meeting 6:30pm in the library

May 12 - Tuesday/mardi
D/C

Grad 2027 - current grade 11 parent meeting at 6pm in the library
Grad 2026 - current grade 12 parent meeting at 7pm in the library

May 13 - Wed/mercredi
B/A

Student Learning Council Meeting at lunch in the library
Learning Lounge: ALL SUBJECT academic peer support @ lunch in room 136

May 14 - Thursday/jeudi
D/C

Block Rotation for half day
- D Block (9 - 10:20am)
- D2 Linear (9:40 - 10:20am)
- BREAK (10:20 - 10:25 am)
- C Block (10:25 - 11:45 am)
- C2 Linear ( 11:05 - 11:45am)
Early Dismissal for all students @ 11:45 am buses will run accordingly
Grade 12 Capstone in the afternoon
(Grade 11's observing)

May 15 - Friday/vendredi
B/A

$100 Academy deposit fees - due today
Wellness Clinic in the am
Pizza Friday $2/slice🍕

Coming Soon!/à venir

May 18
- Victoria Day Holiday (No School)
June 1
- Metal Monday wear your favourite band shirt
- 26'-27 Academy balances due today
June 3
- Indigenous Grad @ 5:30pm-8:30pm
June 5
- Wellness Clinic in the am
- ICBC Presentations in the theatre
(Grade 11's: 9:05-10:05 am)
(Grade 12's: 10:35-11:35am)
June 8 - 19
- Lit & Numeracy Assessment Catch-up

Capstone Day at George Elliot Secondary: May 14

With the newsletter, we wanted to send a reminder about our early dismissal at 11:45am on Thursday, May 14th 2026 at George Elliot so that we can host our Gr.12 Capstone Presentations in the afternoon.

All students will have an abbreviated schedule in the morning:
- D Semester classes – 9:00am – 10:20am
  - D1 Linear 9:00am – 9:40am
  - D2 Linear 9:40am – 10:20am

- MORNING BREAK – 10:20am – 10:25am
- C Semester classes – 10:25am – 11:45am
  - C1 Linear 10:25am – 11:05am
  - C2 Linear 11:05am – 11:45am

Grade 9 and 10 students do not attend in the afternoon
Grade 11 students attend their booked observation times to learn what to expect during the graduation year. They are dismissed after their observation session(s).
Grade 12 students will return to school only for their scheduled Capstone presentation and are dismissed once their presentation is complete
All buses will run early at 12:00pm, with another regular run at 3:15pm

The Capstone presentations are beyond just an important graduation requirement – they are a way to give our graduating students an opportunity to demonstrate their learning, passions, and post-graduation goals through a meaningful culminating project.

Route 32 Update from BC Transit

The District of Lake Country and BC Transit are pleased to announce an adjustment to Route 32 service, effective Monday, May 11.

Starting next week, two buses will depart George Elliot Secondary after school each day. An additional bus will leave at 3:30 p.m. and complete the full Route 32, followed by the existing Route 32 departure at 3:36 p.m.

This additional service will help increase after-school capacity for students travelling on Route 32 and support more students getting home right after the bell, Monday through Friday. The added service will remain in place until the end of the school year.

We would appreciate your assistance in sharing this update with students, staff, and parents/guardians through the school’s communication channels.

For full route and stop information, please visit the BC Transit website here:
https://www.bctransit.com/kelowna/schedules-and-maps/route-overview/?route=32

Prom Tickets on Sale - May 4 - 15

The George Elliot Parent Prom Committee has been working hard to plan and organize a memorable prom evening for our graduating students. Tickets for prom go on sale on Monday, May 4 to Friday, May 15. Tickets for this year's prom are $95 each, and they will be available for purchase on schoolcashonline.com. If after logging on to schoolcash, you do not see a prom ticket for sale, please be sure that:

your student is a "grad in good standing' in that they are on-track to have enough credits for graduation;
students outstanding school fees must be paid schoolcashonline.com;
students must have returned any overdue library or text books.

Please direct any questions about graduation credits and school fees to your child's vice principal, Mr. Mayer or Mrs. Hall, and contact the school library with questions about overdue books. Your child's vice principal can also help with questions about financial hardship.

The price for prom tickets varies from year to year and is largely dependent on the amount of fundraising done by students and families. When we compare this year's prom ticket price to area schools who are hosting similar events, the George Elliot prom ticket price is cheaper.

GESS BAND TRIP TO THE ISLAND

UVIC'S Farquhar Auditorium in a workshop with Taylor Takach

Everyone enjoying the ocean air

Mr. McGarry and the amazing chaperones!

Experience OC

This past Thursday, 98 grade 11 students participated in Experience OC! Students had the opportunity to participate in post secondary sessions ranging from solving a murder, to the role of cats and dogs in ancient Egypt! OC also treated our students to a pizza lunch, lawn games and a DJ- creating great post secondary vibes!

Candy Crime session, which involved extracting the DNA from M&Ms with Myah & Kloe

Lake Country Schools Collaborate!

On Wednesday, April 29th, Lori Day's grade 4/5 class from Oyama Elementary came to GESS for the second time this year to learn alongside the students in the AP Passion to Action class. The students were helping our grade 11/12's with their Do Good Inquiries and helped us to plant a pollinator garden, make dog toys to donate to Paws It Forward, make nature art for a Youth Art Walk event our students are hoping to host, build and decorate bird houses, create 'happiness' flower bouquets to spread a little joy around the community, create mental health buttons to hand out to students, make paper from flowers and recycled paper at the school, and create make up from natural materials like aloe vera. It was a very fun day and the students (old and young) all felt very proud about what they were able to accomplish.

Grade 9 Parents!

Thank you for your support during the Grade 9 Immunization Clinic. We appreciate you taking the time to complete consent forms, discuss immunizations with your child, and support them through the process. The kids all did incredibly well during the clinic!

If your child missed the clinic or if they want to discuss immunizations with a nurse we will be at the school May 15 and June 5 from 9-11:45am in the counselling room. Please stop by!

If you have any questions please contact the Lake Country Health Unit at 250-980-6111.

Thank you again for your continued support.

Lake Country Public Health

GRAD ANNOUNCEMENTS

LAKE COUNTRY BOTTLE DEPOT FUNDRAISER:

Have refundables? Donate them to the ‘GESS GRAD’ account at the Lake Country Bottle Depot. There’s no need to sort them! Proceeds go towards prom for this year’s grad class.

IMPORTANT - GRAD FORMS REMINDER:

There are a number of important and time-sensitive forms grads must fill out. Visit the ‘CLP GRAD 2026’ Google Classroom to find forms pertaining to the following:

Grad Write-Up
Dietary Restrictions Form (for Prom)
“Most likely to...” Form

Grads are encouraged to complete these forms ASAP. If there are any questions, please connect with Ms. Johnson in rm. 301, or via email.

Please visit the grad website for more details on grad events and general grad information.

Grade 9 & 11 Students Can Earn $30 in Gift Cards Through Research Study

In our April 17 Coyote Connection newsletter, we shared some exciting news about the new outdoor learning space being built behind our school. As part of this project, Grade 9 and Grade 11 students have an opportunity to take part in a research study led in partnership with the University of Victoria and the BC Parks Foundation.

The study is looking at how having access to nature on school grounds can support student and staff well‑being, learning, and overall connection to the environment. The research team is interested in learning how this new space makes a difference for our school community over time.

In the next few days, parents and guardians of Grade 9 and 11 GESS students will receive an email asking for consent for their child to take part in an optional online survey. Students who participate can earn up to $30 per year in gift cards, including options like Starbucks, Tim Hortons, and more.

Please keep an eye on your inbox for the consent email, and thank you for supporting this exciting opportunity!

Paying School Fees Made Easy with School Cash Online

We use School Cash Online to make paying school fees quick and easy for families. It’s a safe, simple way to take care of payments without having to send cash or cheques to school.

With School Cash Online, you can:

Pay for school fees, field trips, athletics, and Grad fees
Get email reminders so you don’t miss a deadline
Pay anytime, anywhere
Keep track of all your payments in one spot

To get started, head to schoolcashonline.com, create an account, and select our school to connect your child(ren). If you already have an account, follow the link to logon.

If you need help setting things up or have questions, feel free to contact the school office. We’re here to help.

Moving?

As we begin planning for the upcoming school year, we ask families to please let the school office know if you anticipate moving or if your child will not be returning to our school next year. Having this information helps us with class organization and staffing and supports a smooth start for everyone in September.

Thank you very much for taking a moment to share your plans with us. We truly appreciate your help.

If you have any updates to share, please contact the school office at 250‑870‑5102 or email ges@sd23.bc.ca.

Financial Assistant for Athletes Through KidSport BC

Did you know that KidSport BC helps kids and youth play organized sports when cost might otherwise be a barrier? Through this program, families can get help with registration fees, so every child has the chance to join in, have fun, and enjoy the benefits of being active.

Sports are a great way for kids to build confidence, make friends, and stay healthy—and no child should miss out because of finances. If your family could use a little extra support, or if you know someone who might, we encourage you to check out this great program.

Learn more or apply anytime at www.kidsportcanada.ca/british-columbia.

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