Celebrating the Upper Sumas Staff

What does it mean to be a school community? The events of the last few weeks have been challenging and tested our resolve to remain a healthy and vibrant community. No school site has been thrown into this challenge more than the Upper Sumas Elementary staff. They have had to grapple with the stories of loss coming from their families because of the flooding and the prospects of being school-less as we recover from the relentless storms this past week. In this recovery and reconnection process for Upper Sumas Elementary, Principal Abby Chan described it in this way:

“We have two homes to put our things. We get to forge and improve on a positive relationship with our Sumas Reserve families and continue to develop better ties and understanding between us.”

When you think of a school community and what makes it vibrant and healthy, it comes down to the people within it. Coretta Scott King says, “the greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” What has been witnessed these past couple of weeks is a staff that was resolute in making a plan that would welcome students back to a caring, loving school community at whatever cost. Extra meetings in the evenings, last-minute changes to plans, phone calls with parents to be a compassionate support and a willingness to ensure that whatever space was called home would wrap around the students they collectively care for. They are truly a remarkable staff and exemplify what it means to be a community that gives hope to families and students amid challenging circumstances.

Submitted by Nathan Ngieng, Assistant Superintendent.