Welcome Back to School!
Dear students and families,
Welcome back to school! My name is Mr. Gord Ritchie and it’s my privilege to be the Principal of J.L. Jackson Secondary School. On behalf of Vice Principal, Mr. Rhys Waters, and our entire staff, we are excited for you to be joining our learning community this September.
Below is some important information regarding the start of school. Please don’t hesitate to call or stop by the school during the week of Aug 29-Sept 2 (8:30am-2:00pm) if you have any questions or concerns.
First Day of School
The first day of school is Wednesday, September 7. Unlike previous years, the first day of school will be a full day. When students arrive, there will be Block A Class Lists posted in the main foyer. Students are to double check these lists to ensure they know which location to go to for Block A.
During Block A, students will be provided with plenty of information about our school, including locker assignments, and student schedules. Students will then rotate through their remaining first semester courses, meeting each of their teachers, and finding out more information about their classes (including required supplies).
9:15am – 10:36am Block A (81 min)
10:41am – 12:02pm Block B (81 min)
12:02pm – 12:47pm Lunch
12:47pm – 2:08pm Block C (81 min)
2:13pm – 3:33pm Block D (80 min) / Dismissal
Student Schedules & Course Changes
We have been busy over the summer working on the school timetable and hiring fantastic teachers. Due to the evolving nature of this work, some student schedules may have changed. Students should have received a paper copy of their schedule in the spring.
Families can check their student’s class schedule by logging into MyEducation BC Student Portal or Family Portal. For help logging into the MyEducationBC portals please go to https://jlj.sd83.bc.ca/parent-portal/.
Counsellors will be in the school from Monday, Aug 30 to Thursday, Sept 2 to assist those students who would like to request course changes. Please note that due to scheduling constraints, we cannot make course changes based on teacher preference or friendships.
If you have any questions or concerns about your schedule, please contact one of our counsellors via email, or set up an appointment by phone (250) 832-2136.
Nicole Cosh ncosh@sd83.bc.ca Heather Buikema hbuikema@sd83.bc.ca
Locks and Lockers
Lockers and locks are provided to all students. Only SD83 assigned locks allowed to be used on our lockers. Lockers will be assigned during Block A.
School Communication and Information
We utilize our website (www.jlj.sd83.bc.ca) to publish up-to-date news items and information. At times we will also send short, topic-specific emails or electronic newsletters. If you would like to follow us on social media, please use the links below:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JL-Jackson-Secondary-104563572387511
Twitter page: https://twitter.com/JLJacksonSD83
Food Services and Water
J.L. Jackson is extremely fortunate to have an outstanding Lunch Program brought to you by the Local Shuswap Food Action Society and Shuswap Community Foundation. Please watch for information in the first week or two about when this program will begin and how to place your orders. Also, please remember to bring a water bottle to school as our water fountains have been replaced with water bottle filling stations.
School Wi-Fi and Office 365
Student permission forms need to be completed to take advantage of our Wi-Fi and Microsoft Office 365 cloud services. These paper forms will be coming home on the first day of school. We recommend students have this set up as soon as possible.
SD83 Bus Transportation
Only registered student riders are allowed to ride a school bus. Please contact School District No.83 Transportation with any questions or concerns: (250) 832-9415
Fall Sports
Tryouts and start-up practices for our fall sports begin with the start of school. Students are encouraged to listen to the daily announcements to hear more about Football, Volleyball, Cross Country Running meetings/practices. Families can reach out to our Athletic Director for more information: Krys Pick (kpick@sd83.bc.ca).
Attendance Matters
Regular school attendance and punctuality is critical to student success. If your child is unable to attend school, please contact the school to let us know.
Have a wonderful finish to your summer! We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Wednesday September 7th at 9:15am!
Sincerely,
Gord Ritchie Rhys Waters
Principal Vice-Principal
gritchie@sd83.bc.ca rwaters@sd83.bc.ca