Professional Day - October 1 , 2021

As Thursday September 30, 2021 is Reconciliation Day (no school), administration has decided to make the next day (Friday October 1, 2021) into a Professional Day. Teachers will be coming into school to upgrade various skills while students can enjoy the benefits of a long weekend.

A new sign

During the summer, we completed a few construction projects in order to make Choice School a better place to work and learn. This included the following:

• A new sign outside the parking lot
• Renovated boys, girls and staff washrooms on the second floor
• Blue contrast siding band on the exterior of the school building is 80% complete (will be finished this month)
• Painting and carpeting of stairwells and admin offices

We particularly loved the new sign in the parking lot. It is colorful, bright and increases the profile of our school.

Marina Dykman,

Kindergarten & Grade 1 Teacher

Marina is very passionate about teaching and believes that she will learn just as much from her

students, as they will learn from her. She is a lifelong learner who enjoys looking at things from a multiple perspectives, the sign of a good critical thinker! When she has free time she can be found reading a book, kicking around a ball, or exploring nature.



Marina has completed both of her B.Ed and B.A with a Concentration in English at St. Mary’s

University in Calgary.

Katie Harries,

Grade 4 & 5 Teacher

Katie is very excited to be joining the Choice School staff this year. Katie studied both history and education at the University of British Columbia. She has taught students in Vancouver, Kitkatla, Penticton, and Calgary, and is thrilled to be continuing her career with the amazing students of Choice!

Katie is very passionate about inclusive education, incorporating the First Peoples Principles of Learning, and encouraging both critical and creative thinking in the classroom.

Mika Sueyoshi,

Grade 2 & 3 Teacher

Mika is excited to be part of the Choice School team as an elementary school teacher. She has experience working in countries around the world, including Japan, England, and the United States. She most recently moved from New York to resettle in her hometown of Richmond. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Childhood Education and Special Education.

Mika is returning from her second maternity leave and we are so pleased to welcome her back to our Choice family.

Marija Mikulic

Educational assistant

Marija has an eclectic background including teaching art and art therapy, customer relations, project coordination, and design. She has worked with a range of students and adults with various diagnosis and abilities. She is friendly, compassionate, empathetic and loves to help people. 

Marija completed her undergraduate degree in Studio Arts with a focus in Ceramics at Concordia University and later a diploma in Computer Graphics in Montreal. She is excited to be at Choice School and wishes to provide support and advocate for students with a wide range of abilities. On her time off Marija likes spending time with family and friends, enjoying cultural events, being creative, hiking, camping, gardening, cooking plant-based foods, road trips and researching tiny houses. 

Mr. Sukhbir Bolina,

Principal

Sukhbir joined Choice School in the summer of 2021. He comes with a variety of experiences in the independent school system. After building the math department in a prominent school in Vancouver, Sukhbir became Head of Mathematics before embarking on a leadership role in a Surrey school. Sukhbir is very passionate about education and believes that the whole world is a classroom. For several years, Sukhbir has been leading community service trips with Habitat for Humanity in which youth are taken to less developed countries and embark on building projects in the local communities.

Sukhbir loves teaching and is a life-long learner. He believes that learning does not stop, regardless of age. In addition to his experiences in education, Sukhbir also has qualifications and experience in finance and is a qualified accountant. He holds a private pilots licence and loves to fly when time permits. 

Annual General Meeting

Please note the Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday October 4, 2021. There are three Director's positions open on the Board and Statements of Interest in serving on the Board must be received by Saturday September16, 2021.

This is the perfect opportunity to have a say in the direction and policies of the school and have a positive impact.

For more information, contact:

Zoom the teacher

Originally, we had reserved two days in the coming week as "Parents as Partners). At this event, parents would have been invited to attend the school and meet with the Principal and the teachers and discuss the curriculum. However, with the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, this would not be safe - therefore, this event is cancelled.

So, we are again using our "virtual tools" to keep families in the loop! We will be holding the following events online:

Wednesday September 15 - Parents as partners



Parents will be invited to join Jonathan Weisman, Board Chair and Sukhbir Bolina, Principal to discuss school issues and answer any questions.

Monday September 20 - zoom meet with CMS teachers

Tuesday September 21 - zoom meet with Kindergarten/Grade 1 teacher

Wednesday September 22 - zoom meet with Grade 2 and 3 teacher

Thursday September 23 - zoom meet with Grade 4 and 5 teachers

Details and links will provided during the week.