Cowichan Secondary School

Quw'utsun Secondary - New name, same location. Tues. Sept 3 - Grade 10's and new students. Wed. Sept 4th - all students. Future social media will be on Instagram or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quwutsunsecondary

Sr. Girl’s Field Hockey Tryout information

Dear Students and Families,

Welcome to a new school year! I am excited to return as Principal of Quw’utsun Secondary and can’t wait to meet all of you. Staff have planned a first week of school designed to support student wellness. Our design focuses on building connections, intentional learning about navigating high school at QSS, and easing into the learning.

Opening Day:
Enclosed in this letter is information important to review for a smooth start to the year. Opening day this year for all Grade 10 students is Tuesday, September 3rd. Students new to our school are welcome on this first full day, as well to register. Grade 10’s will meet on the main field where we will have a welcoming and introductions beginning at 8:55am. Students will meet their A Block teacher on the field and be led to their first class of the day. Throughout the day students will make their way through an accelerated day of school, and we will have activities along the way. The day will end after a BBQ lunch, activities, and t-shirts. The day ends at 1:15pm.

Grade 11 and 12 students will start on Wednesday, September 4th, which will be a full day. You will begin the day in your A Block class which will serve as your homeroom. If you do not have an A Block class, please assemble in the library learning commons to receive start up information, forms, etc.

Student Timetables:
Due to the cyber incident in June, our timetables are still being balanced. If we can complete them early this week, we will upload them to the MyedBC parent and student portal and send out login information. If we are unable to balance the schedules before the end of the week, then
students’ A Block class will be posted on walls around the building. Once in your A Block homeroom, your teacher will have a copy of your schedule.

A reminder that student schedules were based on the courses and alternates requested in the Spring. Counsellors and admin have made their best efforts to ensure students schedules reflect these choices. However, even in a large school we are logistically not always able to fulfill everyone’s requests. If you are needing to make a change, times will be given out during the first week to speak to counsellors. We require time to fulfill new registrations, and the course change process may not begin until late in the first week. Students that indicate they are requesting course changes may be called from their classes. If you are not in your scheduled class, we will move onto the next person.

FEES:
Annual Student Activity Fee ($25) is due at the beginning of the year. Student fees help cover a range of activities for all students, including guest presentations, whole school events, special assemblies, intramurals, and it often offsets the cost of field trips. Grade 10’s and new students also have a one-time Textbook Deposit Fee ($25). This fee is refunded when you leave the school, or is put towards your grad fees when you graduate. You can pay by cash, debit, credit card, or School Cash Online. Our preferred method of payment is through School Cash Online which can be found on our website https://css.sd79.bc.ca/ on the top tab “Pay Online.”

NEWS & COMMUNICATION:
Each month we will send out a “low tech, high info newsletter” that will be informational only.

Our social media accounts will be the way to follow along and see what’s happening in the building, along with reminders of upcoming dates and events. Follow us at:
• Facebook - www.facebook.com/quwutsunsecondary
• Instagram -

Website - We are currently in the process of getting a new site and migrating to Quw’utsun Secondary. Once complete, you will find all the information you may be looking for.

Administration:
• Principal Darcy Hoff [email protected]– Admin support for last names A-F
• Vice Principal Lindy Thompson [email protected] – Admin support for last names G-M
• Vice Principal Jennifer Merrett [email protected] – Admin support for last names N-Z

Clerical Support for Families
• [email protected] – Financials
• [email protected] – Counselling and registration
• [email protected] – Careers and dual credit
• [email protected] – General inquiries and attendance

IMPORTANT SEPTEMBER DATES:
September 3rd: Opening Day for Grade 10’s
September 4th: Opening Day for Grade 11 and 12 students; all students in attendance
September 23rd: Non-Instructional Day (school not in session)
September 30th: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Statutory Day – No School
Stay tuned for an open house in early October

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:
What works for each student and class can be quite different, and we offer so many different learning opportunities it is not practical to send out a prescribed list. In general, a binder with lined paper, pens and pencils, and a scientific calculator will get you through. Teachers will let students know if there are any special requirements for their classes. If the cost of school supplies is a concern and you would like support, please contact us at the school.

BUS REGISTRATION:
Students that require bussing must register each year. Registrations were due in June. If things have changed for you, you can register here: https://sd79.bc.ca/services/transportation/

INFORMATION TO COME:
There is more information still to come out later this week. This will include access to the updated student/parent handbook, updated cell phone policy, an update on the new building, and more.

We look forward to welcoming you all back for another great year at Quw’utsun Secondary School.

Kind Regards,

Quw’utsun Secondary Administration
Darcy Hoff, Lindy Thompson, and Jenn Merrett

Transportation – Cowichan Valley School District The Cowichan Valley School District proudly serves learners across many diverse communities. We offer world-class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs to help prepare our learners for a world they will create.

Important Notice: Report cards will be available on the Parent Portal Monday July 8th. An e-mail will be going home to families with specific details shortly.

Due to the cyber incident that the school district is working to resolve, we will not be able to post year-end report cards to the parent / student portal tomorrow as was originally scheduled. Getting year-end reports to students and parents is our priority, and we will publish as soon as we are able. Until the issue is resolved, we will not be able to email parents / families en masse, so we will post to our page & Instagram account, with the hope that messages reach a wide audience. Thank you for your understanding.

Important Message from Cowichan Valley School District. This has impacted us at Cowichan Secondary School. We will provide further updates as they become available.

Today - June 21st marks National Indigenous People’s Day. At CSS this week we have been watching the Nations Rising series. 4 different videos with Indigenous people that demonstrate resilience. This video features former CSS student Ellashani George! Check out all the videos in the series.

Nations Rising - Ellashani George. Ellashani George, Cowichan Secondary grad and current University of Victoria student, shares her love of paddling and how it has shaped her life in her conve...

Thank you Nourish Cowichan for providing healthy and delicious meals all year! Today’s lunch was incredibly special! ❤️

Spirit Days this week!

End-of-Year Band Concert - 6pm tonight at Quamichan School Theatre! Entry by donation.

Congratulations to Jadyn Ferrario who placed 2nd in the MC Poetry & Spoken Word Competition. To view the winning submissions visit the website cowichanfoundation.com

Congratulations Ms. Kinney!!

Congratulations to the BCTLA awards winners.

Winner: BC New Teacher-Librarian of the Year
KD McArthur - Surrey
Rebekah Rustad - Prince George

Winner: Val Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award
Tina Cousins - Prince George
Geoff Orme - Victoria

Winner: BC Teacher-Librarian of the Year
Lisa Seddon - New Westminster
Sarah Coull - Comox Valley

Winner: BCTLA President's Award of Merit
Sheri Kinney - Cowichan

Thank you to those who nominated them!