Coyote Connections

École George Elliot Secondary School

September 18, 2026

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

This week at GESS: September 21 - 25

Sept 21 - Monday/lundi

A/B

Yearbook Meeting - Rm 139 @ lunch
Boys Soccer TEAM PHOTO - 3:45 pm Wear your HOME KIT - GESS Field
PAC Meeting in the LLC at 6:30 pm

Sept 22 - Tuesday/mardi

C/D

Parents of New Athletes Meeting at 6:00 pm in Library Learning Commons

Sept 23 - Wed/mercredi

A/B

Sept 24 - Thursday/jeudi

C/D

SPIRIT DAY: "Baller's or Scholar's" - come dressed as either one!
Grad Council Meeting - Rm 301 @ lunch

Sept 25 - Friday/vendredi

A/B

Grad Breakfast at 8:45 am in the Courtyard
Pizza $2 / slice 🍕
Grad Logo Contest Closes

Coming Soon!/à venir

Sep 29 - Truth & Reconciliation Activities
Sept 29 - Orange Shirt Day
Sep 30 - Truth & Reconciliation Day (Schools Closed)
Oct 1 - Terry Fox Walk/Run
Oct 1 - National Custodian Day
Oyama Ziplines - Oct, 1, 2, & 5
Oct 2 - Public Health Nurse in morning

Parents of 2027 Grads - Check out the GESS Grad Website at https://gesgrad.weebly.com/

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE AT GESS

During the Wellness Clinic in the school, biweekly on Fridays a Public Health Nurse will be available to talk with students and answer any questions about public health nursing services, such as health and wellness promotion/disease prevention information, and resources. This is also a great opportunity for senior high school students to meet with a public health nurse to assess their immunization history and ensure they have all the necessary vaccinations before they graduate. Some post-secondary schools/training programs require immunization history prior to starting the program. Additionally, based on information gleaned from the recent 2023 McCreary Adolescent Survey indicating a growing concern from students regarding a variety of health-related topics, these in-school clinics will offer improved access for students to reach out to a health professional. Covid-19 or Influenza vaccines will not be offered or provided at these Wellness Clinics.

To view the public health nurse's message to the community, please follow this link.

Caitlin Harper. Caitlin is excited to return to George Elliot Secondary for another school year, having supported students and staff at the school for the past two years. She has over 18 years of nursing experience and has worked in public health and community-based nursing roles since 2020. Caitlin is passionate about promoting preventative health, supporting youth, and strengthening community connections. Outside of work, Caitlin loves spending time with family and friends, reading, camping and watching her kids dance and play sports.

Wear Orange on Sep 29 – Orange Shirt Day

On Tuesday, Sep 29, we invite all students, staff, and families to wear orange in recognition of Orange Shirt Day. This day honors the experiences of Indigenous children who were sent to residential schools. Wearing orange is a simple but powerful way to show support, raise awareness, and stand together for truth and reconciliation. Let’s fill our school with orange and with kindness.

General Field Trip Permission Forms

Every student is required to have a general field trip permission form on file for each school year. This permission form enables classroom teachers to take their students off site for walks in our community throughout the year (ie: Terry Fox Run, Rail Trail walks, etc.). These forms will be given out in homeroom and we’ve also included the form below to download below, for those who are able to complete this from home. Please have your child bring these back to their homeroom class as soon as possible. Thank you!

Field Trip, general form 2026

PAC (Parent Advisory Council) Corner
Join us on Monday, September 21 at 6:30 for our first PAC meeting of the new school year!

Our PAC is the voice of the George Elliot parent community. Together with school staff, the PAC is dedicated to providing positive communication between home and school, encouraging parents to become valuable contributors to educational decisions, and allowing parents to make funding decisions to help benefit students. If you are a George Elliot parent or guardian, you are already a member of PAC. You are welcome to attend PAC meetings, and you are entitled to vote.

How to get involved:

Attend a PAC meeting: The PAC meets at 6:30pm for approximately 1 hour in person. The next PAC Meeting is Monday, September 21 at 6:30 pm. Meeting details can be found in the Coyote Connections and on this webpage
Join our executive board - Please join our Executive Team! Please email ges.pacpresident@sd23.bc.ca if you would like more information.
Follow PAC on the GESS PAC Facebook

Mobile Food Deliveries

A friendly reminder to our school community: please do not order DoorDash or other food delivery services to the school. Delivery drivers arriving throughout the day create interruptions and distractions that are disruptive to learning and can interfere with school operations.

If students would like to purchase lunch, snacks, or refreshments, we encourage them to support our local eateries during the lunch break. Taking a walk to a nearby restaurant or café is a great way to enjoy their lunch while supporting businesses in our community.

Thank you for helping us maintain a focused learning environment and for supporting our local food establishments.

BC Transit Customer Satisfaction Survey

With summer wrapping up and September service changes now in place in some communities, this is a great time to hear your feedback on how we're doing and learn more about your recent transit experiences.

Fill out the Customer Satisfaction Survey and have a chance to win free transit for a month!*

Take the survey here!

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

Join our Circle of Caregivers

Support children, youth and families in your community by becoming a caregiver!

We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of children and youth in British Columbia and promoting their right to live in safe, healthy and nurturing families, where they are strongly connected to their communities and culture.

When a child or youth is unable to live at home, they need a safe, emotionally supportive place to live until they can safely return home. Caregivers can support families by caring for children and youth on a temporary basis, while helping them to keep connected to their families, communities and culture. There are many types of caregiving that make up B.C.’s network of care. Family and community members provide kinship care, individuals or families foster children and youth in their homes and individuals working for community social service agencies provide care for children and youth with complex needs in a specialized environment. These diﬀerent caregivers each play a vital role in caring for vulnerable children and youth in our communities.

Click this link for more information.

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.

Financial Assistance 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.