<p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This year’s Terry Fox Run is scheduled for Friday, September 25 at 1:00 pm at Highland Park Elementary. It is the 46th annual Terry Fox Run. Our PAC will be providing a small freezie for all students as they finish the run. As a school, Highland Park has been learning about Terry Fox, his impact on cancer research and his hope for children with cancer. We are hoping to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation this year, so, if possible, please send a Loonie or Toonie to school with your child as a donation.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We know that you may be excited to come and watch your child participate. We appreciate this and so will have designated viewing areas at both the front of the school (K-3) and back of the school (4-5). Those parents with “approved volunteer” status (those who have completed a SD83 criminal record check) and who want to help supervise the run, can reach out to Ms. Mac (</span><a href="mailto:mmacdona@sd83.bc.ca" target="_blank" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">mmacdona@sd83.bc.ca</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">). We will accept a small number of additional supervisors. Approved Volunteers are asked to check in at the office for a HPE lanyard. </span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is a short inspirational video that classes may view before running the Terry Fox run. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MoGWYw4B34&amp;t=13s" target="_blank" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Try Like Terry</span></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/98ba82f3-13e9-5ac5-806d-5cc61c8faa6e?fingerprint=ppb20251217061916" alt="" width="731" height="716" style="width:731px;height:716px;display:inline-block"></p>

<h2 class="editor-heading-h2" style="text-align: start;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Hello Highland Park Huskies,</span></h2><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We have a few Husky Highlights that we wish to send out prior to this long weekend for students. We look forward to seeing everyone back to school on Tuesday, September 22.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Terry Fox Run:</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> will be taking place on Friday, September 25</span><sup style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>th</span></sup><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.&nbsp; We encourage students to bring a “Toonie for Terry” in support of Cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">PLEASE REPORT YOUR CHILD’S ABSENCES: </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As part of our safe arrival practice, we will contact you if we do not hear from you regarding your child’s absence.&nbsp; It is imperative that all students are accounted for each day as soon as possible.&nbsp; If your child will not be in attendance, please contact Ms. Tammie Turner by email </span><a href="mailto:hpe@sd83.bc.ca" title="mailto:hpe@sd83.bc.ca" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">hpe@sd83.bc.ca</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> or phone 250-546-8723 (leave a message if no one picks up) to report your child’s absence and reason for their absence.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you for your assistance in helping us ensure all students are accounted for each day. The time it takes to track down this information can take away time from other important tasks in our office.&nbsp; We thank you for making the reporting of student absences an ongoing priority throughout the year.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY – Monday, September 21, 2026 </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">is a Pro-D day so there is no school for students.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">PAC MEETING – </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Tuesday, September 22</span><sup style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>nd</span></sup><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2:30 in our library. </span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">HOT LUNCH – </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Weekly</span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Hot lunches through Souper Meals will start on Wednesday October 7</span><sup style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>th</span></sup><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. Please stay tuned for more information from our PAC that will come home with your child in the coming weeks.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">PAC FUNDRAISER – DAVIDSON ORCHARDS APPLES</strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Fundraiser is due Tuesday, September 29.&nbsp; Please </span><a href="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/news/davison-orchard-pac-fundraiser-orders-due-sept-29-2026" rel="noreferrer" title="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/news/hpe-pac-fundraiser-%E2%80%93-highland-park-elementary-school-1761685026874" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> for more information.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">BACK TO SCHOOL BARBEQUE – </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday, September 24</span><sup style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>th</span></sup><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> is our Back-to-School Barbeque from 5 – 7pm. Our PAC will be selling Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Chips and Drinks for $2.00.&nbsp; Please </span><a href="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/news/welcome-back-to-school-bbq-thursday-september-24-5pm-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/news/welcome-back-to-school-bbq-thursday-september-24-5pm-" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> for more information.&nbsp; We hope to see everyone there!</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As always, please check our school</span><a href="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> WEBSITE</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/calendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="https://hpe.sd83.bc.ca/calendar" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">CALENDAR</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> for the most up to date information.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" style="text-align: start;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Have a good weekend!</span></p>

<p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of Students in Grades 4 &amp; 7,</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Re: Foundation Skills Assessment 2026</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the time of year when our students in grades 4 &amp; 7 begin participating in the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). This annual provincial assessment measures students’ academic skills and provides the District with a snapshot of students’ foundational skills in literacy and numeracy. All students in grades 4 &amp; 7 are required by the Ministry of Education and Child Care to participate in FSA.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Parents and caregivers who would like more information about the FSA, including sample questions, brochures, and frequently asked questions, can visit the Ministry's Foundation Skills Assessment webpage: </span><a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/program-management/assessment/foundation-skills-assessment#brochures" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) - Province of British Columbia</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is a legislated provincial assessment and is considered part of the regular curriculum, instruction, and learning that takes place at school. As such, schools will not be providing alternate instruction or programming for students on the days the FSA is being administered. Students who attend school on scheduled assessment days will be expected to participate in the FSA unless a decision has been made at the school level to exclude an individual student from participating, based on the criteria established for FSA participation. We appreciate families’ support in ensuring students attend school regularly and participate fully in the learning and assessment activities that form part of their educational program.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The District does not use the FSA data to rank or compare schools, teachers, or students. The results of the FSA serve as an important tool to support student learning in SD83. Results from the assessment data assists in supporting the alignment of resources during our annual budget discussions. It is important to note that FSA data is not part of the formal student evaluation process and is not included in student report cards.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;Some quick facts about the FSA include:</span></p><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The FSA is written in sections that are spread over six weeks between September 28 – November 6, 2026.</span></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">FSA data is not part of the formal student evaluation process and is not included in student report cards.</span></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Most students required a total of 3.75 hours over those 6 weeks to complete all the components of the FSA. Students requiring additional time are provided with that time.</span></li><li value="4" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The written response section of the FSA is marked within the District by our educators.</span></li><li value="5" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The First Nations Leadership Council of BC strongly supports the FSA, identifying it as an important tool to assist learning and gauge system progress in improving outcomes for Indigenous learners.</span></li><li value="6" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> English Language Learning (ELL) students who have not reached a level of proficiency sufficient to provide meaningful responses to the literacy or numeracy sections of the FSA are excused from participating.</span></li><li value="7" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">School principals may excuse students whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) documents a learning need, that precludes the student from writing the FSA.</span></li><li value="8" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Principals may excuse a student in the event of a family emergency, lengthy illness, or other extenuating circumstances of similar seriousness.</span></li></ul><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;I trust this information will clarify any questions you may have about the Foundation Skills Assessment.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;As always, I thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in your child(ren)’s learning.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely,</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Donna Kriger</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Superintendent of Schools</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Additional Resources:</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><a href="/documents/255bc5f3-46fc-47c8-a832-df338858523d/FSA-Parent-Letter-2026.pdf?fingerprint=ppb20260915203047" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Downloadable Letter to Grades 4 &amp; 7 Parents Regarding Foundation Skills Assessment 2026</strong></b></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><a href="https://www.sd83.bc.ca/fsa-information" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Foundation Skills Assessment (District webpage)</strong></b></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p>