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Principal's
Message
Welcome to the Bench Elementary School’s
Online Website.
At Bench Elementary, we encourage our students
to follow our three B’s: be
respectful, be responsible and be positive and we believe
in the principles that form
the foundation of the BC Education system:
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learning requires
the active participation of the student
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people learn in a
variety of ways and at different rates
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learning is both an
individual and a group process
Our students all receive a carefully planned
education program and are also encouraged to participate
in the many extra-curricular
activities and sports that are offered. Through exposure
to a balanced program, students develop academic skills,
an appreciation of fine arts, and in addition, social and
athletic skills.
Bench Elementary’s combination of a caring, dedicated
staff, rural setting, and history of providing students with
an excellent elementary school experience have combined to
give the school a very positive reputation. It is our goal
to continue to build on that reputation by striving to improve
as we overcome the challenges we face in the future.
Mission Statement
Mission:
To provide a safe, respectful environment while inspiring students to find joy in becoming lifelong learners.
Vision:
Bench Elementary is a safe, caring and positive community, which develops understanding, responsible citizens and lifelong problem solvers. All students’ abilities and personalities are recognized and accepted.
More about Bench
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About
Bench Elementary School
Bench Elementary was founded in 1872. It presently has approximately 325 students from Kindergarten to Grade Five. There is a music teacher, librarian, learning assistance teacher and a resource room teacher. We also have counseling and speech pathologist services available. Other resources are available via the School District. We have a Computer Lab with 30 eMac Computers and are very excited to be adding SMART Board technology to our classrooms with the majority of them up and running.
Bench students are encouraged to participate in many extra-curricular activities. Our extra-curricular sports program stresses sportsmanship, participation and fun. Teams compete in soccer, field hockey, basketball, volleyball, cross country running and track and field. In addition to our regular PE program, we have weekly whole school runs to enhance students' cardio-vascular fitness. During lunch hour, a variety of activities are available for students. These activities vary from lunch time choir to adventure playground use, outdoor hockey and soccer, playground games, skipping club, tetherball, chess club and “schlockey”. Bench is also well known for its music and drama productions, extracurricular field trips and our annual Fun Fair. For many past years we have held an annual “Jump Rope for Heart” Skip-a Thon to assist the Heart & Stroke Foundation. This event has raised several thousand dollars each year. Bench students participate in the annual Terry Fox Run, which typically raises approximately one thousand dollars for cancer research. In addition, many Bench students are also involved in activities to raise social awareness and help others less fortunate than themselves through involvement with the Make A Difference Club. Some recent projects have included heightening awareness about the environmental hazards of plastics, raising funds to drill three wells in India, helping to fight blindness in Myanmar and helping support the homeless in the Cowichan Valley. Last year, students from our Make A Difference Club were recognized as the top Eco-Kids in Canada by Earth Day Canada, winning the Earth Day Canada “Great Canadian Eco-Kids Challenge”. In addition, the Bench community has generously given to the local food banks, with well over 1000 items typically donated annually. Our students truly do make a difference!
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