Blog Posts

Keeping the district’s focus on equity in mind, the Dr. Thomas A. Swift Elementary school community has taken on a small project of our own. Together with a couple of other elementary schools, we are using picture books to dive into topics of diversity and equity.

In our school district's four-year strategic plan, we have targeted improved early learning as a means of impacting student success. At Mathxwí Elementary, all primary classrooms have committed their year to explore practical ways to improve early literacy learning.

Noticing a shift in literacy instruction across the district? Wonder what is going on in the classroom down the hall?  

We walk into our schools each day and meet with faces, a multitude of beautiful faces behind which there are stories, personalities, interests, skills, hopes and values. And each day, we are lucky enough to have these children share pieces and layers of themselves in what might seem like surface-level interactions. A welcoming smile can draw someone in and engage them in conversation, and taking some time to listen to a child's story gives insight into their identity and, in turn, gives them the confidence they need to share with others.

The Abbotsford School District's Early Years learning team has been working to ensure that as many children and families have access to early learning support throughout our community. The following services and programs are currently available:

Harlem arrived at my school in September 2021 with a G4 file as thick as my fist. It stated that he had been in foster care for 11 years, rarely attended school, and could become violent if he became frustrated. He had been in foster care since birth and had been mainly homeschooled by his foster parents who did not value public school or his culture. When I first met him, it became apparent that we were not dealing with a violent or mean child but a soft-spoken, gentle, and curious boy.

Irene Kelleher was born in Matsqui on December 16, 1901. Irene’s parents attended Saint Mary’s and Saint Anne’s Residential School in Mission. Raised in the Fraser Valley and eventually returning to the area later in life, Irene was a vital contributor to public education in British Columbia and a respected community leader.

All the classes were able to learn a little bit about saving the earth on Earth Day. In Mrs. Liebe’s class, they were talking about recycling, saving energy, and saving water. In Mrs. Wojak’s class, the students went outside and cleaned-up the schoolyard to help celebrate. We are reminded that we all have a part in taking care of the Earth every day. 

We have three (3) different afterschool programs at Aberdeen:

Cooking – Grade 4/5
Story Book Art – Grade ½
Board Games – Grade ¾

We have been lucky to have these programs at Aberdeen and would like to thank Mrs. Andrea Senft at the school board office for helping fund these programs for us and creating positive partnerships within the Abbotsford Community. These programs are free of charge to the students and help promote our school motto of “You matter. You Belong” by providing opportunities for students outside of the regular school day.

We were lucky to have Cst. Marcus Dyck at the school on Thursday last week. He put on a presentation about social media for our intermediate students. Social Media can be a great tool for everyone but it has many dangers as well.

Age Limits for Games