Hello Wildflower Families,

I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. Last weekend, I celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with my family, a Chinese tradition that brings loved ones together to give thanks for the year’s harvest and the many gifts it has brought. Central to the celebration is the tradition of sharing a meal and enjoying Moon Cakes together.

Similarly, this weekend we’ll gather with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving, sharing food, laughter, and gratitude. October is one of my favourite months here in the Kootenays. Life seems to slow down a little, giving us the chance to connect and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. Although things at school haven’t exactly slowed down, in fact, some days it feels like the pace is picking up,  I’m continually reminded of how much we have to appreciate.

While I can’t possibly list everything I’m thankful for, but I do want to take a moment to express my thanks and provide some reminders for upcoming events. First off my sincere gratitude to Kim and Anne, who run our food program. Their care and dedication ensure that students have access to nutritious lunches and a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

Garden Party – Oct. 17

Holidays like Thanksgiving and Mid-Autumn festival are not just about giving thanks, they are also for preparing for the winter months. Harvesting is not just about taking, but also putting things to rest and strengthening them for the inevitable cold and snow. We are so lucky that Kim and Kirsten put so much time and effort into our school garden, but they need our help so join us on Oct. 17^th from 1230 to 3 to help put the Wildflower Garden to rest.

Winter Clothing Swap – Oct. 22nd

Adding to my list of thank yous, I want to express my thanks to Emily for once again organizing the winter clothing swap on Oct. 22^nd. If you have winter clothing or gear that you are no longer using you can bring it to the school and on the 22^nd if you need clothing or gear you can come and for a small price $1-5 buy lightly used gear for your child. 

Early Dismissal – Oct. 15 & 16

Next Week on Wednesday and Thursday is early dismissal for the rest of the district but not for us. As a result, buses will be running an hour early. If your child needs to take the bus please let the office or your child’s teacher know and we will get them to the bus an hour early.

Playdates

It is really wonderful to see all of our kids getting a long together so well both inside and outside of school. We ask though that play dates are arranged prior to coming to school. We have had an increase of students wanting to call their parents at the end of the day to arrange a hang out with friends, and while hanging out with your friends is great it adds stress and confusion to the dismissal process. We will not be discouraging kids from using the phones at the end of the day unless it is an emergency. As I have said in the past we are happy to pass on messages to your children for you though if something comes up and you need to communicate with them while they are school.

New School Jerseys

On Oct. 17^th some of our students will participate in the district cross-country race. We are thrilled to be able to don our new school jerseys. A huge thank you to Jodi Dool and Blackbird Physio for making these jerseys a reality. I have attached a picture to this email so you can see how wonderfully they have turned out.

Wildflower PAC Website

Did you know that the Wildflower PAC has a website? Well it does and it is a great resource for all of your PAC related news. We are greateful that Wildflower has such an involved PAC and appreciate all of their efforts, so check out the website and see what they have going on.

Halloween Reminder

We are well on our way to Halloween and as you and your child prepare your costumes we just wanted to remind you of SD8’s expectations around costumes:

· Be respectful of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, physical or mental ability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression

· Cover the body appropriately

· Not include guns, knives, or other weapons (including play weapons)

· Not include blood and gore

· Not advertise or promote drugs, alcohol, tobacco, pornography, or intimidation

Have a great long weekend and a happy thanksgiving.

Important Dates

Thanksgiving (no school) – Oct. 13th

Garden Party – Oct. 17^th

Winter Clothing Swap – Oct. 22nd

Provincial Pro-D Day - Oct. 24

Nov. PAC Meeting – Nov. 12th

Report Cards – Dec. 4th

District Pro-D Day - Jan 19

Strategic Planning Sessions - Jan 29 & 30

School Based Pro-D Day - Feb 13

District Pro-D Day - April 13

School Based Pro-D Day - May 25

Last Day of Class - June 17

Interesting Parenting Article(s)

Personality Isn’t Destiny: Why and How Parents Should Focus on Emotion Regulation

Parents often ask me: Is my child’s temperament or their personality destiny? If my baby is shy, will they always struggle socially? If my toddler has big outbursts, will they always be “too sensitive” or “aggressive”? My answer is: temperament is the starting point, not the endpoint. As you’ve learned from Aliza, children arrive in the world with a biological baseline—some more reactive, some more inhibited, some more easygoing. But those traits are raw material. What truly shapes life outcomes is what we do with that material.

That “what we do” is emotion regulation. It’s the learned set of skills for understanding and managing our feelings—pausing before reacting, naming emotions with accuracy, using strategies like breathing, reframing, or seeking support. In my research and in my new book, Dealing with Feeling, I describe regulation as the bridge: it explains why two children with similar temperaments can develop in very different ways. Strong regulation turns sensitivity into strength.