KERRISDALE HAPPENINGS

Welcome Back and Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is ready to dive into an exciting new year of learning! This time of year has always been my favourite—even back when I was a classroom teacher—because it’s a season where we can really settle in and focus on learning without many interruptions. It’s a chance to build momentum, explore new ideas, and grow together.

I encourage each of you to take full advantage of the opportunities ahead. Let’s make this a time to enjoy learning, challenge ourselves, and celebrate the progress we make every day. Here’s to a fantastic start to the year!

A huge thank you to M Kershaw and Mme Toula for their incredible efforts in organizing our Kerrisdale Talent Show, and to all the students who participated. It was an amazing showcase of talent—from those shining on stage to those working behind the scenes to make sure everything ran smoothly. Your creativity and teamwork truly made this event special! Thank you to all the families that came out to support our students as well.

As we move through the winter months, the weather can often be unpredictable—especially with cold and wet conditions. Please ensure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the season and consider sending a change of clothing (such as socks, pants, and indoor shoes) to keep them comfortable throughout the day.

 

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING TRAFFIC SAFTY RULES!

We appreciate all the families who are obeying traffic rules, using crosswalks to cross safely, and dropping off students in the designated areas. Your efforts help keep everyone safe.

This is a friendly reminder that the staff parking lot is for VSB employees only, both in the morning and after school. If you are dropping off or picking up your child from the YMCA, please use the available street parking instead.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us maintain a safe and efficient environment for our school community!

 

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

Our Scholastic Book Fair was a huge success!
Thank you to all the families, teachers, and students who participated and supported our school while building wonderful home libraries. A special thank you goes out to our amazing parent volunteers who helped throughout the fair, as well as those who assisted with setup and cleanup. Your hard work and dedication made this event possible—and truly successful!

We sold $8,709.68 in books and educational resources! Thanks to your investment in reading, our school earned $520.75 in new books for our library and $1,917.05 in cash, which will be used to purchase additional books and new seating for our readers.

We can’t wait to hear about the exciting new stories you’ve added to your home libraries!

Any items ordered online or at the fair will be delivered to your child before the end of the week.

Thank you again for supporting our Scholastic Book Fair!

Happy reading!

Mme Bonilla

 

KERRISDALE WINTER SALE

What an amazing success this was! Huge shout out to all the parent (and grandparent!) volunteers. You made this event truly special for all our students. Thank you to the students who helped wrap as well as all the families that made donations. I am sure there was some very surprising and wonderful gifts unwrapping over the holidays!

 

BE IN THE KNOW, WINTER IS HERE!  

VSB has procedures in place for when severe weather, like heavy snowfall or extremely high winds, may affect schools.

During severe weather events, all schools in the Vancouver School District will remain open, if possible. If a District – wide closure is necessary, that will be decided and publicized by 6:30 a.m.

District-wide school closures will be announced through the media, the District website, school websites and our social media channels.

Follow our socials for updates:
Facebook: Vancouver School Board
Instagram: @vsb39X: @vsb39VSB website: vsb.bc.ca

How are decisions made about school closures:

We monitor forecasts and conditions, and work with the City of Vancouver and other partners to assess safety when there may be:

• heavy snowfall
• extreme cold
• freezing rain
• extreme heat
• other hazardous weather/emergency conditions that pose risks to student and staff safety

We coordinate with neighbouring school districts to align our decisions where possible. The decision to close schools is made in consideration of safety, equity and well-being.

We would like to remind you to slow down and remain alert in and around school zones.

We consider other impacts weather conditions may have, like transit delays, meal programs for students, and other essential student supports and impacts to learning. If weather conditions begin or worsen during a school day, usually, schools will remain open until the end of the school day.

Except under extreme circumstances, all schools and offices will remain open, if possible. Typically, no announcement will be made that schools are open. Only cancellations, closures or delayed school openings will be announced.

Extra-curricular activities, school events and field trips may be cancelled because of weather – even when school remains open.

Remember to dress for the weather and take extra care when traveling between school and home.

 

What if I don’t think it is safe for my child to go to school due to weather conditions?  

Student safety is our top priority. If for any reason a parent/guardian feels that a child cannot travel safely to/from school, they can notify their child’s schools about the expected absence. Students will not be penalized.

You can find more information on the VSB podcast After the Bell. Listen using your usual podcast platform or app.

 

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Priority registration for next years Kindergarten students ends on Saturday, January 31. Families must register online and submit their documents to the school before this deadline.  Any family that registers after this deadline will be waitlisted until we have confirmed our numbers.

Applying for a District choice program is a separate process and runs from January 6 and February 3, 2026. Visit the Kindergarten District Choice Programs page for more information.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

February is Black History Month. Each year, the Vancouver School District marks Black History Month through a number of events and school-based activities. This year, teachers and students will be participating in activities that honour and celebrate Canada’s Black History and how all of us can make a conscious effort through our thoughts and actions to make this a community and world where everyone feels accepted and valued. Stay tuned for upcoming events.

 

Wednesday, February 25 is Pink Shirt Day. Our school is planning some activities around this important day that focuses on kindness and accepting everyone for who they want to be and showing empathy toward others. We ask that all staff and students wear something pink to

 

KERRISDALE PAC

Make sure you stay up to date on all that is happening with Kerrisdale PAC. Please visit their website for all the news and to sign up for their fabulous revamped newsletter! It includes important information about their upcoming events like Lunar New Year.