ÍY SȻÁĆEL (Good Day),

I hope this message finds you well. As we settle into November at NSMS, I wanted to take a moment to share some important updates and reflect on the exciting things happening at our school.

Last week's North Saanich Middle School Remembrance Day ceremony was an opportunity for our students to reflect on and honour the Canadians who fought for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. This year, we were able to honour our Indigenous Veterans on National Indigenous Veterans Day (November 8th) while simultaneously recognizing the sacrifices of all Canadians who gave their lives to serve our country. It made for a very powerful assembly.

The event was made even more special by the collective effort of our speakers, tech team, band, honour guard, and special musical guests, as well as the beautiful artwork created by our students. Together, these elements all combined to create a meaningful and thoughtful tribute. We were especially grateful to our students, who demonstrated incredible respect and exemplary behaviour throughout the ceremony. It was truly heartwarming to see such engaged and respectful participation from everyone involved. Thank you to those of you who were able to join us in this important event. Your presence made it all the more special, and we are so proud of how our school community came together to honour the bravery and sacrifices of others.

Earlier in October, we had the opportunity to celebrate Halloween as a school community. It was fantastic to see our students and staff dressed up in creative costumes, and I want to thank everyone for their enthusiasm and participation. Our Halloween festivities brought a lot of fun and excitement to the school, fostering school spirit and a sense of community.

To coincide with Halloween, we held our annual fundraiser to support our local food bank. Thanks to the generosity of our students, families, and staff, we were able to raise a significant amount to help those in need in our community. I want to express my appreciation to Division 2 for organizing this annual We Scare Hunger initiative. It’s inspiring to see how our students continue to embrace opportunities to give back, demonstrating the kindness and compassion we value so much at North Saanich Middle School.

Looking ahead:

• Non-Instructional Day on November 18th. This is school-based and will be assessment-focused.
• PAC Meeting on November 19th.
• VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR: Shop online or in-store at Munro’s Books between November 22nd - 30th.
• Band Concert Dec 5th.
• Our next pizza and spirit day is on December 6th.

HÍSWKE (Thank you) for your continued support as we journey on this school year together.

Best regards,

David Mark
Principal
North Saanich Middle School