Around the District is a monthly update that includes a collection of stories from Richmond schools. Each submission provides a window into the classroom and illustrates how vibrant learning communities foster creativity, engagement, and wellbeing in our students.
Happy Holidays
Students at Anderson Elementary submitted a piece of art for the district's holiday winter card. The students did such a great job that the superintendent wasn’t able to select just one piece. Instead, the district used every single submission to form a beautiful gallery on the card. 
Fundraising for Charity
26 students from Anderson Elementary’s French Immersion class raised $1,250 for the West Coast Kids Cancer Foundation by hosting a pajama day and craft fair. The students worked in four teams (logistics, marketing, finance, and merchandising) to host the event. They did an amazing job working together to sell a variety of items, such as fairy doors, dinosaur tails, flower pens, jewelry, and holiday items. The money raised will support programming offered by the West Coast Kids Cancer Foundation, particularly food programs to support local families.
Winter Fun
As snow fell in Richmond, many of our staff and students engaged in learning inside and outside of the classroom. On the school playgrounds, students at many elementary schools worked together to create and build snow sculptures. At Bridge Elementary, students created a magical winter wonderland inside their classroom by filling their room with decorations, crafts, and various art projects. 
Music Top 10
Students from Thompson Elementary made the top 10 for elementary vocals (grades 4-6) in the nationwide 2022 Canadian Music Class Challenge. The Canadian Music Class Challenge is CBC Music's way of showing its support for music education in Canada. Every year, it gathers some of the finest musical talent and performances from schools across the country.
"Litter Spruce," performed by the student choir at Thompson Elementary, is a beautiful song of hope, gratitude, and peace that was performed at the school’s Remembrance Day assembly this year. 
Winter Music Concerts
In December, to celebrate the winter season, many schools in Richmond held their annual winter concerts. Over 200 talented students performed at the Richmond Secondary School concert. Their concert band, jazz band, and vocal jazz groups played a variety of standards, pop, and holiday songs. The Hugh Boyd Winter Concert also featured a wide variety of music mixed with some holiday favourites performed by students in the guitar ensemble, drummers, jazz band, and concert band. 
Deck the Hallways at Mitchell Elementary
Staff, students, and families took part in the Mitchell Elementary’s annual "Deck the Hallways" competition. Classes competed either on their own or in collaboration with their hallway neighbours to make their bulletin boards festive and bright. Some chose to go with a theme, such as a "How the Grinch stole Christmas," a "Winter Wonderland," "Among Us" and Gingerbread Lane, while others chose to make interactive displays such as a Selfie elf and snow globe. Every year, the competition and holiday spirit improve exponentially! 
Holiday Story Time
The McRoberts Library Learning Commons was thrilled to welcome staff and the Kindergarten French Immersion students from Whiteside Elementary for Une heure du conte des fêtes! The Grade 8 French Immersion students chose stories from a selection of winter-themed French books & prepared some simple literacy activities to help guide understanding for their buddies. Students rotated through two stations: half of them had story time, and the other half engaged in a process art activity, choosing from a variety of materials to create winter scenes. Each buddy pair was also invited to take a short video in front of the library’s green screen. A Grade 8 student then used the videos to build a “Happy Holidays” snow globe GIF for each student. This event provided an authentic language experience for our youngest French Immersion learners, and students were able to build community across grades and schools. What a wonderful way to celebrate the winter season!
Holiday Hope Campaign
Palmer Secondary completed the school’s Holiday Hope Campaign, which encouraged students to bring collectible items to school to support the Richmond Food Bank. Students brought items that related to the day's theme, including books, toys, packaged food, canned goods, and cash donations. At the end of the campaign, students made a significant donation of needed items for the Richmond community. Congratulations to the Palmer students for this beautiful initiative and the impact they will have on families in our community. 