August 26, 2025

Dear Parents/Caregivers: 

We are excited to welcome our families back for the 2025/2026 school year next week! We hope you had a wonderful summer spending some quality time relaxing or on adventures.

Please, continue to access our Diefenbaker School website for information updates and calendar items at https://diefenbaker.sd38.bc.ca/

This news has important information details about school start-up next week. 

Diefenbaker Staffing Update

We say good bye to:

Mme Stevenson (vice principal)

Ms. Torris – Administrative assistant

Ms. Ngan - Teacher

Mr. Kerby - Teacher

Mr. Woods – Band teacher

Mrs. Fraser (Educational Assistant)

Mrs. Crasto (Educational Assistant)

Warm welcome to our new and returning staff members:

Mr. Pantaleo – Acting Vice principal for this school year

Ms. Kwok – Administrative assistant

Mrs. Avendano (Mon, Tues) and Ms. Chien (Wed, Th and Friday) – classroom teacher

Ms. Lucovic - classroom teacher

Ms. Wong (returning from maternity leave) – Resource teacher

Mr. Bredenholler – Band teacher

Seismic project update

As you may have noticed on the back field, the preparation of the ground for our new two-story school building began over the summer.  The construction area is enclosed by a yellow fence.  Students, families and staff can access and travel around the school building.  The actual construction will begin in the spring of next year 2026 with the projected opening of the new school in September 2028.

We will continue learning in our existing building. Students will have access to the playground and to most of the fields and basketball courts.

We welcome our Grade 1 - 7 students on Tuesday, September 2nd from 9 am to 10 am.  Our new Kindergarden students will attend from 1 - 2 pm and then follow their Gradual entry schedule until September 11th when they will attend full time from 8:45 am to 2:45 pm. 

Grade 1 - 7 students will attend full time from 8:45 am to 2:45 pm from Wednesday, September 3rd.

Our first day of school is Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025.  The schedule for that day is as follows:

9 – 10 am:  ALL students in Grade 1 – 7 (returning and new) attend

• Returning students should proceed to their classroom from last year using the exterior doors.

• Ms. Lucovic will teach Grade 7 students in last year’s Mr. Pantaleo’s class
• Mrs. Avendano will teach Grade 4 and 5 students in last year’s Ms. Ngan’s class

• New students/families will meet with Ms. Vosahlo, Mr. Pantaleo and Mrs. Hikida in the Library.  Please, enter the school through Door #2 on the Garden side by the Main Office.  Meet your child at 10 am at the front of the school.

• All Grade 6 LFI students will enter through outside Doors #20 and #21 by the school playground; Mme Lupini and M. Martyniuk will greet you and lead the students to their classrooms.

• All Grade 7  LFI students will enter through outside Doors #13 and #14; Mme Bourne and Mme Yick will greet you at these doors and lead you to your classrooms.

We will be moving students in the English program to new classes on Friday morning.

1 – 2 pm: ALL Kindergarten students attend

• New Kindergarten students will be greeted at the outside Door #3 by the Main Office to meet our Kindergarten teachers and Support Staff.

New Kindergarten parents and caregivers will meet in the library for welcome presentation with our school administrators, Ms. Vosahlo (Principal) and Mr. Pantaleo (Vice-principal).

Please, follow the Gradual Entry Schedule for your Kindergarten child until Thursday, September 11^th when all students attend full time from 8:45 am to 2:45 pm

Visitor access to our building will be limited to Door 2 (main office door on the Garden side) and all visitors must sign in at the office.  

Parking Guidelines:

The school parking lot is reserved for staff; please use the drop off lane for student drop off, or park in the neighbourhood streets and walk to school.

Please, stay in your vehicle at all times in the drop off zones.  If you are not able to, park in the neighbourhood streets and walk to school.

We still notice cars making u-turns on Fortune Avenue where families cross the street to get to school. This is dangerous and illegal. Please, help us make our school community safe for everyone.

The September calendar, updated staff list and Bulldog Bulletin will be emailed to you on Friday, September 5^th.

Please, access the school website at Diefenbaker.sd38.bc.ca at your convenience and of course, feel free to contact us at the school if you have any questions.   We very much look forward to seeing everyone next week! 

Kind regards,

Ms. Regina Vosahlo                     Mr. Pantaleo

Principal                                                 Vice-Principal