Uy’Skweyul Snuneymuxw Mustimuxw,
It has been a busy time here at Qwam Qwum Stuwixwulh Community School. Our students have been working really hard to finish of their year in a good way!

May 2015 list of meetings, consultations, and events that have happened at QQS:

• CAT 4 Testing / DIBELS Monitoring / Benchmarking
• FNSA Essential Learning Outcomes K-4 Meeting in Vancouver for Becky Manson (May 16th & 17th, 2016)
• FNSA Principal Professional Learning Community in Vancouver for Roxanne Harris (May 18th &  19th, 2016)
• Author Lea Dorian visited QQS on May 4th, 2016. Author Julie Flett visited QQS on May 5th, 2016.
• Gary went to the Hul’quiminum Language Professional Learning Community Group in Cowichan on Friday, May 8th, 2016.
• NEW QQS – Staff from QQS went to look at Stz’uminus Commmunity School on Friday, May 13th, 2016. We were happy to explore a new school and get ideas for the building of our own new school! Exciting! J
• Grades 4/5/6/7 classes did Anti-bullying workshops with Snuneymuxw Health Staff.
• Nikki’s Grade 4/5 Class has been doing fundraising for their annual trip to Strathcona. We would like to thank everyone for your continued support!
• Cultural Day – Friday, May 27th our Grades 4/5/6/7 Classes went to Newcastle Island and had a great time with Snuneymuxw Author Celestine Aleck. Monday, May 30th, 2016 our Preschool to Grade 3 Classes went to Newcastle on Gary Manson’s tribal journey canoe. Everyone had a great time!

Our attendance Contest has been going really well! We are happy to see most of our students here every day! Our overall attendance has improved. We are excited about the improvement because this means that our students are here daily and are learning something new every day! I would like to encourage parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and friends to continue to encourage our students to make school a priority! We are seeing children happy to learn here at QQS!

Our QQS students went to defend our title at Sputital Hul’quimin’um Language Competition at Ladysmith Secondary School on Thursday, May 19th, 2016. We entered three teams into this competition and I am proud to announce that all three of our teams placed! We had Tina’s Grade 6/7 class enter a team and they came first! We had Nikki’s Grade 4/5 class enter and place 2rd! Lisa’s Grade 2/3 class place second as well! We are so proud of our students and thankful to  Tina, Nikki and Lisa and Gary our Hul’quimin’um Language Teacher for all of their guidance and support!

Hay’ ch qa, Roxanne Harris, Principal

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Hike to Ammonite Falls

The grade 6/7 class along with the 4/5 class went on a hike to Ammonite Falls on the northwestern edge of Mt. Benson. As soon as we started to walk I saw tons of salmon berries, I tried one but they were still a bit sour. A bit further into the walk we crossed a bridge that was not stable and it was falling apart, and everyone was walking on it at once. When we got closer to the fall I heard the water and I was the first one to see the stream, it was fun and scary because we had to climb down a hill with rope to get to the waterfalls it wasn’t that bad until you look down. But at the end it was worth getting my hand and clothes dirty because it was beautiful and the water was clear. Finally, as I wondered around I found a huge fossil in the rocks it was a big shell that was they size of my face; it was so cool to hike to Ammonite Falls and worth the hike!

By Julienne Wyse-Seward, Grade 7 ,Qwam Qwum Stuwixwulh Community School