ear Sidney Parents and Guardians,

‘Tis the season of giving! While the heartfelt words, beautifully crafted cards, and thoughtful gifts from students and families mean so much to our Sidney staff, please know that the greatest gift of all is your child(ren). We are truly grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow with them every day.

As we look ahead to 2026 and more wonderful learning experiences, we invite you to join Sidney staff and the Parent Advisory Council in giving students the best gift for success in Terms 2, 3, and beyond—the gift of regular school attendance.

We understand that there are many reasons why students may miss school, and we are committed to working alongside families to make improvements. Our upcoming Bee Here Because... campaign will help raise awareness about why consistent attendance matters and how our school team can support you and your child in achieving it. Together, we can create attendance plans that lead to continued success. You are our most valuable partners in education—your child’s first teachers and key supporters in preparing them for each great day of learning.

I also want to share a tremendous resource I discovered at a recent three-day conference with the First Nations Education Steering Committee: the Attendance Counts! Toolkit. This toolkit offers valuable information for all families and emphasizes the critical importance of student attendance. In the new year, I’ll be sharing key insights from this resource as we work together to “attend to attendance” (pun intended!).

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support.  A huge thank you also goes out to PAC and all parent volunteers for their ongoing contributions to student success, and most importantly for the PAC's endorsement of the Bee Here Because... campaign at the December PAC meeting. Sidney School's Parent Advisory Council is pure heart, care, kindness and generosity - another great Sidney School gift!!!

Wishing you and your family a joyful holiday season and a bright start to the new year!

Warm regards,