St. James-Assiniboia School Division

🚩 This week, SJASD is flying the Lifesaving Society flag in recognition of National Drowning Prevention Week, which runs from July 19 to 25.

🌊 According to the Lifesaving Society, there are 22 fatal drownings in Manitoba every year. July marks the peak of water-related incidents each year. Follow these tips to stay water in, on, and around water this summer:
✅ If you’re not within arms’ reach, you’ve gone too far. Always supervise children. 👀
✅ Boat sober. Alcohol consumption is a factor in 35 per cent of boating-related fatalities. 🚤
✅ Choose it. Use it. Wear a lifejacket! 🦺

🏊 SJASD continues to support water safety skill development through our Grade 3 Swim, Adapted Swim, and Newcomer programming.

🔗 See link in bio for more water safety information.

https://lifesaving.mb.ca/water-smart/national-drowning-prevention-week

🎓 Approximately 720 SJASD students received their diplomas last month from all five high schools.

👏 Congratulations to all of our graduates and their families for reaching this milestone!

🍎 As always, thank you to SJASD staff members for your dedication to these students over the years.

🌟 Wishing our graduates all the best on their next chapters and we look forward to 2026–27.

🔗 See link convocation details. 💙💛
https://www.sjasd.ca/pages/newsitem.aspx?ItemID=593

SJASD graduates Hayley, Kelcee, Drew, Elijah, and Aries received the Governor General’s Academic Achievement medal for 2026!

The award recognizes the outstanding scholastic achievements of students graduating with the highest average in their school over the course of their Grades 11 and 12 years.

Congratulations to award winners for this amazing accomplishment!

🎓 Earlier this week, Grade 12 alumnus Gus Moar was interviewed as part of a series of stories featuring outstanding graduates.

🎵 ➗ The John Taylor Collegiate Piper talked about his passion for music and math, his plans for the future, and the important role teachers have played in noticing his gifts and encouraging him throughout his high school experience.

📺 Gus will be featured tonight at 6 p.m., and a web story spotlighting Gus and other grads will be posted on Saturday.

🙌 Shout out to Gus, his mom Charlene, JT Music teacher Steve Hamilton, and others for supporting this feature.

🔗 See links for live stream and web story here: https://linktr.ee/st.james_assiniboiasd

🎓 Earlier this week, Grade 12 alumnus Gus Moar was interviewed by CBC Manitoba as part of a series of stories featuring outstanding graduates.

🎵 ➗ The John Taylor Collegiate Piper talked about his passion for music and math, his plans for the future, and the important role teachers have played in noticing his gifts and encouraging him throughout his high school experience.

📺 Gus will be featured on CBC Winnipeg News tonight at 6 p.m., and a web story spotlighting Gus and other grads will be posted at cbc.ca/manitoba on Saturday.

🙌 Shout out to Gus, his mom Charlene, JT Music teacher Steve Hamilton, and others for supporting this feature.

🔗 See links for live stream and web story here: https://linktr.ee/admin/links

🎯 Two high school students from Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate put their skills to the test at the Skills Canada National Competition in Toronto, Ontario from May 28 to 29, 2026.

🦺 ⚡Huskies Kira Simpson (Workplace Safety) and Andrei Kargin (Electronics) were part of Team Manitoba—a group of 64 high school, college, and young apprentices who earned the right to represent Manitoba after placing first in their respective trade or technology field at the Skills Manitoba Competition earlier this year.

🥈 Andrei took home the silver medal in Electronics for all of Canada at the high school level.

🙌 Congratulations to Kira and Andrei for representing Manitoba, SJASD, and CSHC! And thanks as well to Vocational Electrical Instructor Gary Yakimoski for his long-time support, advocacy, and mentorship of students and Skills.

🔗 See link to full story: https://www.sjasd.ca/pages/newsitem.aspx?ItemID=588

🧣 At today’s Public Board Meeting, find out how the SJASD Indigenous Education Team is delivering Michif language learning to the Division’s youngest students and a cohort of SJASD educators.

📅 Piikishkweetaak aan Michif! / Let’s Speak Michif! kicked off in September 2025. Since then:

➤ All SJASD Kindergarten classrooms have been engaged in learning Michif. 📖
➤ A cohort of 25 SJASD staff members have been taking Michif lessons and are integrating the language into their classrooms and schools. 💻

🌱 Next year, the Indigenous Education Team hope to grow the program to support Kindergarten students as they transition to Grade 1.

🔗 To learn more about this new program, see the link to watch the live stream at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, or attend in person at the SJASD Board Office.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8gHpW6LmU