Graham Bruce Elementary School is ready to welcome our students to the school year 2023-2024!

Dear Bruce Families,

On behalf of the entire staff, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the school year 2023-2024! We are looking forward to welcoming our students back to school and to meeting the newest members of our community. The beginning of a new school year always holds such excitement and promise, as we all continue to work collaboratively to review, discuss and share our hopes and dreams for the coming year. Students and parents can look forward to working with a talented, caring staff, who provide the highest quality of education for every child. We acknowledge, based on experience and research, that to be successful in school, our children need support from both the home and school. As partners, we share the responsibility for our children’s success. Please consider joining the many events that will be organized in our school throughout the school year.

We value open and transparent communication between school and home and will continue to use different modes of communication to connect with families, including weekly or bi-weekly e-News as needed, emails, school and class websites and newsletters. If you have any questions about our code of conduct or any other school-related activities, please feel free to contact me or discuss them with your child’s teacher. 

I eagerly look forward to greeting students and families in September. I feel honoured and privileged to serve as your principal. Together, I know we will make this school year one of growth and achievement for all children. Please see below some important information as we are beginning the new school year.

FIRST DAY / WEEK OF SCHOOL

Tuesday September 5th | 9:00 – 10:00am 

• Grade 1 – 7 students who are NEW to Bruce: Please report to the front door (on Tanner Street). Students will be greeted and then placed in a class with their peers. 
• Grade 1 – 7 students who are RETURNING to Bruce:  Please line up at your last year’s drop-off/pick-up spots and you will be guided to your classrooms by your previous teachers or designates.
• New Kindergarten Students: Please line up in front of Room 106's outside door on Tanner Street. Mrs. Corie Ferreira will greet and meet with the new Kindergarteners and families in her classroom
• Last year Kindergarten Students: Please report to the front door and teachers will greet and lead you to the school library.

Wednesday September 6th | All day

• New Kindergarteners: Please refer to the Gradual Entry Schedule that was shared with you in June. Family interviews continue. 
• Last year Kindergarteners: Line up at the front door.
• Grade 1-7: First full day of school. Please ensure that students have a snack, lunch and dress for the weather! For the duration of the week, students will report to last year’s Drop-off/Pickup spots. 

As in the past, all students will remain in last year’s classes until all school organizations are considered, approved and authorized by the school board. Once confirmed, students will be moved to their new classes.

BELL SCHEDULE

8:55am: Welcome Bell

9:00am: Instruction Begins

10:40am: Recess (20 minutes)

11:00am-12:10pm: Instruction Continues

12:10-12:57pm: Lunch (47 minutes)

12:57-3:03pm: Instruction Continues

3:03pm: Dismissal 

There is outdoor supervision for students from 8:40-9:00am and 3:03-3:23pm.

GRAHAM BRUCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SAFE ARRIVAL 

If your child will be absent from school, please call 604-713-5159 to report this absence as early as possible. Parents should leave a message at the dedicated answering service by calling the number provided. You will be prompted to provide the two-digit extension for your child’s school to access the school’s voicemail box for reporting an absence. The two-digit extension for Bruce Elementary is 15 and followed by # key. It is important to report your child’s absence prior to 9:00 a.m. on the first day of the absence. If your child is late for school, they must sign in at the office before they make their way to the classroom. School offices are busy places: consistently notifying the school in advance of your child’s absence will significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Safe Arrival Morning Routine. 

STUDENT SIGN OUT PROCEDURES

When you pick up your child during the school day, please ensure that you sign them out at the school office. If you do not sign out your child, they will be unaccounted for, and the school will identify your child as a ‘missing’ student and will commence a search of school grounds. If the school staff do not locate the child and we are unable to reach a parent promptly, the school will call the Vancouver Police Department. Therefore, clear communication is essential for ensuring the safety of your child and to prevent unnecessary searches. Thank you for helping us keep your child safe!

IMPORTANT SCHOOL INFORMATION

-Notice of late return for September 2023

Will your child be returning to Graham Bruce later than noon on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, but before Thursday, September 28, 2023? If so, send an email to bruce@vsb.bc.ca that states the following:                   

• Child/Children’s full name(s)
• Current grade level for the child/children                            
• The date you will be returning
• A phone number to contact you at
• Name of parent/guardian sending the email

Also, please notify the office if you have moved out of our school’s catchment, or if your child/children will attend a different school. This will enable us to enrol students who came to our school catchment area during the school months.

-2023-2024 Graham Bruce Elementary School Code of Conduct

-2023-2024 Graham Bruce School Calendar

-2023-2024 Graham Bruce Elementary School Fee

VOLUNTARY STUDENT ACCIDENT PLANS

The VSB is offering parents access to two voluntary student accident plans which offer coverage for students and their families against accidental injury, unexpected medical/dental expenses and critical illness. The two companies that are offering this product are the IA Family Accident Reimbursement Plan (FARP) and Study Insured. Families can register online to purchase and participate in either of these plans by using the URL’s provided below; 

https://www.solutionsinsurance.com/aonbc

www.studyinsuredstudentaccident.com 

UPCOMING DATES

Tuesday, September 5: First day of school - 9:00-10:00am

Wednesday, September 6: First full day for Gr. 1-7

Wednesday, September 13: First full day for NEW Kindergarten students

Friday, September 29: Professional Development Day - School closed for students

Monday, October 2: In lieu of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - School closed

Monday, October 9: Thanksgiving Day - School closed

Friday, October 20: Professional Development Day - School closed for students

Wednesday, October 25: Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences - 2pm dismissal

Thursday, October 26: Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences - 2pm dismissal

I am looking forward to meeting you on September 5th! Have a restful and happy long weekend. Please do not hesitate to contact me at school with any questions.

Sincerely,

Armin Samiei | Principal

Graham Bruce Elementary School 

We are honoured to be working and learning together on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xwməθkwəyə̓ m | Musqueam, Sḵwxwú7mesh | Squamish & səlilwətaɬ | Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Graham Bruce Elementary acknowledges the history of our community and neighbourhood.