November 2025
Hello ESQE Families,
This month brought a range of new learning, experiences, community projects, and some sadness at ESQE. I want to acknowledge the care and compassion shown by our students, staff and families as we navigate the unimaginable loss of one of our students, Gandom. This is news no family or community ever expects to face, yet during this time I witnessed a community wrap around a family and one another with incredible kindness. Thank you.
A reminder that grief is not linear. Feelings may surface for your child in the months ahead. If helpful, here are some resources you may wish to revisit:
As we move into a very full month at ESQE, please stay connected to class updates and our weekly communications so you do not miss any of the exciting events ahead!
Cold and Flu Season is here. Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell, as this impacts our broader school community. We know everyone wants to stay healthy for the upcoming activities, so we will continue to send students home if they are feeling sick. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
A very important reminder regarding parking and safety:
We need everyone's support to keep our parking lot and school entrance safe for students. Please drive slowly, following all posted parking guidelines, and remain alert for children entering and exiting the school grounds - particularly as students use multiple access points around the lot.
We are asking our community to make this a priority. Unsafe parking and stopped vehicles continue to block our buses and create risk for students. Your careful attention and respect for these expectations help keep everyone safe.
Thank you for your continued partnership and care for our school community. Looking forward to the December Festivities ahead!
Sincerely,
Sarah Hain
ESQE Principal
Important Dates:
- Dec 1st PAC Elf Workshop Set up @ 3:15 Volunteers Needed!
- Dec 2nd PAC Elf Workshop - Volunteers Needed!
- Dec 5th Writing Day (Details Below)/PAC hot lunch
- Dec 8th Hold and Secure Drill
- Dec 9th PAC Meeting 6:30pm SQE Library
- Dec 10th Winter Showcase Group A, 1:30pm
- Dec 10th Winter Showcase Group B, 6:00pm
- Dec 11th Winter Showcase Group B, 1:30pm
- Dec 11th Winter Showcase Group A, 6:00pm
- Dec 12th PAC Soup Day - Volunteers needed!
- Dec 19th PAC Hot Lunch! No Meal Program
- Dec 19th Last day before winter break
- Dec 22nd - Jan 2nd School Closed for Winter Break
- Jan 5th First day back!
December Food Program at SQE
Since September, SquamishCAN has provided nourishing lunches to over 500 students in Squamish Schools, along with breakfast items to support growing minds and bodies. Meals feature fresh, local ingredients, from the Downtown Squamish School Farm, Pemberton Valley, and Other community produces.
Government funding covers meals for approximately 200 students. The remaining meals are made possible through family and community contributions. Without your contributions, we cannot continue offering this program at its current capacity.
How to support: We suggest a contribution of $120 per month per student. You may also donate for previous months, any amount - more or less makes a meaningful difference! Click here to donate.
Squamish Elementary Writing Day - Dec 5th!
You are invited to join your child in writing to friends and relatives for the holiday season on Friday December 5th! We will supply an assortment of writing paper.
- Please join us from 9:15am - 10:00am. Students and their families have the option of writing in the gym, the library, or their classrooms. As you come into the school, please go directly to your child's classroom to sign in on the pink paper outside the classroom door. (No need to sign in at the office first)
- If you would like to bring your own special cards or writing paper, you are welcome to do so. If not we will have paper available at the school.
Squamish Elementary Winter Showcase - Dec 10th & 11th!
Our Winter Concert will be taking place on Wednesday December 10th and Thursday December 11th. Please pay close attention to those dates and the times your child's class will be performing.
We kindly ask that families stay for the full Winter Concert, as entering and exiting during the show is disruptive for students on the stage - and they are working so hard to put on a good show for you all. The concert is fairly short, and last year we had many people leaving throughout which was difficult for our performers. Thank you for your understanding.
Wednesday December 10th
- 1:30pm Group A: Sorensen, Hryhirchuk, Dion, Hackett, West, Lapointe, Crighton, Regnier, Eade
- 6:00pm Group B GE, Paquette, Keller/Bones, Castrillo, Davies, Busschaert, Newsome, Lazar, Koscher, Goldman
Thursday December 11th
- 1:30pm Group B GE, Paquette, Keller/Bones, Castrillo, Davies, Busschaert, Newsome, Lazar, Koscher, Goldman
- 6:00pm Group A: Sorensen, Hryhirchuk, Dion, Hackett, West, Lapointe, Crighton, Regnier, Eade
Additional Details:
- Location: SQE Gym. Please walk or car pool to help keep our parking lot safe!
- All performances will be filmed for those unable to attend.
- Due to gym capacity, we can only accommodate 2 family members at any performance. Tickets will be sent home prior to the show!
- We know that your children may not be performing in the same group, so you may need to attend both shows at the time that works best for you. We also know this may be inconvenient but due to the size of our school, there is no other option.
- Please only attend the show(s) your child(ren) are in.
Celebrating SQE
We Scare Hunger was a HUGE success - congratulations on collecting well over 500 non-perishable items for the food bank!
Throughout the month of November teachers have been working through the Kelty Mental Health - Kind Minds Program, which focuses on positive mental health. We had a chance to celebrate with our first ever SQE Confi-DANCE!
Our SQE Volleyball Team has been hard at work - practicing multiple times a week! Thank you so much to Mr. Dion & Mr. Hackett for coaching this year!
Mrs. Antonio's had a super neat display set up in the Library this month, showcasing artifacts from Canadian History - these came all the way from The National History Museum in Ottawa!
Mr. Hackett and Ms. Davies classes took a trip into the city, all the way to Science World!
Ms. Wests and Ms. Keller/Ms. Bones' classes had a chance to learn about Indigenous beading and weaving from our Indigenous Support Work, Bev!
Ms. Crighton's class celebrated 50 days of school with a fancy clothing party. They also worked on building a classroom city which included a hair salon and construction site! Aren't we lucky to have such amazing community helpers.
Mrs. West and Mrs. Newsome's classes ventured north this month, checking out the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler!
Counsellors Corner!
This month, the school participated in the Kindmind Program through the Kelty Foundation. Parents were given the opportunity to participate in a workshop that focused on ACCEPTS. ACCEPTS is an acronym used in dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), and provides different strategies for managing big emotions. We like the ACCEPTS model because it is important to have a variety of tools to management.
Here are more details on the ACCEPT acronym:
- A - Activities: write in a journal, read a book, art, go for a walk
- C - Contributes: Shift your focus to someone else and help them, create a card, ask a friend about their day
- C - Comparisons: put your situation into perspective by thinking of something worse
- E - Emotions: Do something to create a new emotion that competes with your distressing emotion, for example, watch a funny movie when you are feeling sad, listening to calming music when you feel anxious
- P - Pushing Away: Visualize your emotions as separate from you (Put it in a box and bury it!)
- T - Thoughts: Keep your mind busy so you do not have space to dwell on those feelings (count backwards, name sports teams or animals etc.)
- S - Sensations: Create safe physical sensations to distract you from the upsetting emotion (think of the 5 senses, hold an ice cube, smell something nice)
We recommend reflecting and preparing some of these tools before hand, so they are ready if a big emotion comes! Be kind to yourself as you start to use ACCEPTS, it takes time to integrate the new response. Once you are calm and centered you can reflect on the situation and come from a place of clarity - using your rational brain.
The SD48 District Parent Advisory Council Presents..
SCREENAGERS - Growing up in the Digital Age
This school year our DPAC will be bringing at least three segments of the documentary series Screenagers. The series was created to help parents navigate the risks and benefits of our kids using digital devices in our current time.
This is a well-researched, and helpful series aimed to support parents in better understanding how to best support our youth, and even children as they begin to forge relationships with phones, computers, devices, and gaming systems - Exploring what is dangers, what is safe, and how it is helping or hurting our kids.
This December will be the showing of the 1st part of the 3 part series. With the 2nd and 3rd coming later in the school year (hopefully in Whistler and Squamish).
When: December 3rd
Where: Pemberton Secondary School & a virtual option!
We do recommend registering for both - giving yourself the option to watch the video before and/or after the event so that you don't miss anything!
Check out more on Screenagers here!
Stay Safe Out There! From your trusty Traffic Patrol Pylon!
