Briar Hill Families

“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.” — Anonymous


As the weather gets colder, please remember to send your child to school with a warm jacket, mitts and a hat for outdoor play.

We are also saying goodbye to Jenn Sparksman and thanking her for all she has brought to Briar Hill. We wish her well as she moves to Woodlands School! We are pleased to welcome Sonjia Stevenson as our temporary secretary and are grateful to have her joining our team.

A quick reminder that our doors open at 8:30 a.m., and learning begins promptly at 8:40 a.m. Many classes begin with a morning meeting to review the day ahead, connect with one another and help students feel prepared for learning. Arriving on time allows children to settle in and take part in this important start to the day. Thank you for helping your child begin each morning feeling connected and ready to learn!

Nathan deBoer - Principal


📊 School Development Plan

This is the third year of Briar Hill’s three-year School Development Plan. Our two goals continue to guide our work: improving numeracy and strengthening student well-being. Our data shows encouraging progress in both areas.

📈 Numeracy Highlights

    • 96.6% of students meeting grade-level expectations in Number and Pattern & Relations.
    • 89.7% of Grade 6 students achieving Acceptable on the Mathematics Provincial Achievement Test, compared with 60.9% provincially.
    • 55.2% of Grade 6 students achieving Excellence, compared with 21.1% provincially.

💚 Well-Being Highlights

    • 95.7% of students and 100% of teachers agreed that learning environments are welcoming, caring and safe.
    • 95.3% of students and 98.4% of teachers reported positively on active citizenship.
    • 96.7% of students and 100% of teachers agreed that students experience safety, care, respect and fairness.
    • 99% of students met report-card expectations related to well-being.

These results reflect the collective work of our students, staff and families in building a school where children feel safe, connected and ready to learn. As we enter the final year of our plan, we will continue using assessment evidence to guide instruction, identify students who would benefit from additional support, and strengthen the strategies that help every learner thrive.

Explore our school planning and results:


🕸️ Halloween at Briar Hill🕷️

🎃 The Pumpkin Parade

      • Mon-Tues, Oct. 26–27: Bring a labelled, decorated or carved pumpkin to fill our front pathway with creativity!
      • Wed-Thurs, Oct. 28–29: Classes will visit and explore the Pumpkin Parade.
      • Friday, Oct. 30: Mr. deBoer will announce the winners!
      • Categories: Scariest, Most Educational, Largest, Smallest, Silliest, and The One I Want to Steal and Take Home!

👻 Dressing-Up

      • Thursday, Oct. 29: Kindergarten PM students are invited to wear costumes.
      • Friday, Oct. 30: Students are invited to wear their costumes for our school-wide parade.
      • Costumes should be school-appropriate, faces must remain visible, and weapons or weapon-like props are not permitted. Students should be able to participate comfortably in classroom activities.

🦇 Halloween Howler

Join us for an evening of family fun at Briar Hill! Enjoy games, crafts, dancing, pizza, a bake sale, a costume contest and more.

      • 📅 Thursday, October 29 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.
      • 🎟️ Tickets must be purchased in advance through the Briar Hill Foundation.
      • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Students need to attend with their families.
      • 🚪 Entry is through the front doors, which open at 5:30 p.m.


📝 Provincial Literacy & Numeracy Assessment Reports

Families of students in Grades 1–5 will receive information about their child’s provincial literacy and numeracy screening results this week. These assessments help teachers identify students’ strengths and areas where additional support may be helpful.

    • Monday, October 26: Watch for an email from the CBE explaining the assessments and how to interpret the reports.
    • Wednesday, October 28: Students will bring home their assessment reports in a brown envelope.

For more information, visit the CBE Curriculum, Assessment & Reporting page.


💚 Well-Being Ambassadors

We’re excited to introduce Briar Hill’s 2026–27 Well-Being Ambassadors! These 12 teacher-nominated student leaders from Grades 3–6 will help strengthen well-being, belonging and connection across our school by bringing student voice and ideas into action.

    • Student voice: Gathering K-6 ideas and feedback
    • Belonging: Promoting inclusion and connection
    • School-wide initiatives: Planning Spirit Days and celebrations
    • Positive change: Turning student ideas into action.
    • Environmental action: Exploring waste reduction and recycling.


🧥 Jacket Racket Coat Drive

Our Grade 5/6 students are leading this ongoing winter clothing drive until November 2. Help keep our community warm by donating gently used:

    • 🧥 Winter jackets
    • 🧤 Mitts
    • 🧢 Hats
    • 🧣 Scarves

Donations can be placed in the school collection boxes or given to classroom teachers. Please note: boots cannot be accepted.


📱 Stay Connected

Instagram: @briarhillschool
School Website: Briar Hill School
Briar Hill Foundation Website: Briar Hill Foundation

 

📅 Important Dates


  • Oct 26-27: Pumpkin Parade Pumpkin Drop Off
  • Oct 29: Halloween Howler (School Council Evening) 
  • Oct 30: BHS Halloween Dress-Up  
  • Oct 30: Value Awards 
  • Nov 2: Gr.5/6 Field Trip (Nat Geo Presentation & Downtown)  
  • Nov 10: Remembrance Day Assembly (10:30am) 
  • Nov 11-13: Fall Break 
  • Nov 19: Fun Lunch 
  • Nov 24: School Council Meeting 12:05pm
  • Nov 26 -27: Parent Teacher Conferences
  • Nov 26: Pizza Lunch 
  • Nov: 30: Value Awards 
  • Dec 3: Grade ½ Layton Art Centre

Briar Hill Calendar with all CBE & School dates HERE