Blog Posts

The Abbotsford School District's Early Years learning team has been working to ensure that as many children and families have access to early learning support throughout our community. The following services and programs are currently available:

Harlem arrived at my school in September 2021 with a G4 file as thick as my fist. It stated that he had been in foster care for 11 years, rarely attended school, and could become violent if he became frustrated. He had been in foster care since birth and had been mainly homeschooled by his foster parents who did not value public school or his culture. When I first met him, it became apparent that we were not dealing with a violent or mean child but a soft-spoken, gentle, and curious boy.

Hello McMillan Families,

September is coming to a close, and what a month it was! So many fun events and opportunities to connect with both old and new friends! Thank you so much for all your support, as students settled into new routines. We also appreciated all the support from families around our cancer fundraisers. Between the popcorn sale, and the Toonies for Terry drive, we collected more than $1700 to donate to cancer research. The generosity of our community is overwhelming! Please see some photos from the day below.

Irene Kelleher was born in Matsqui on December 16, 1901. Irene’s parents attended Saint Mary’s and Saint Anne’s Residential School in Mission. Raised in the Fraser Valley and eventually returning to the area later in life, Irene was a vital contributor to public education in British Columbia and a respected community leader.

Hello McMillan Families,

Students are now settling into their new classrooms and there is lots of energy and plenty of smiles throughout the building. We are learning that change can be tricky, but fun, and that good things can happen when we take a chance and do something we might not have thought of before. We are also having so much fun reconnecting with old friends, as well as making new ones. Everyone has grown so much over the summer, and we are looking forward to a very successful year!

McMillan Elementary School has a long history of high achievement in reading. Our primary teachers are all skilled in reading instruction, using a variety of best practice strategies such as Guided Reading, Daily 5 and CAFÉ to reach readers where they are at and build reading skills. Nevertheless, we continue to encounter students who struggle, and it is these students that push us to try new things in our quest to help all students become successful readers.

We made it through the adventure that was the 2021 - 22 school year! This was the year of unexpecteds for sure, but in spite of it all, we have ended the year on a high note, and everyone is feeling optimistic about what next year will bring.

Welcome back to school McMillan Families!

I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break, and whether you stayed close to home, or were able to enjoy a vacation somewhere else, I hope you are well rested and refreshed. This term brings some new "firsts" for this year and the staff at McMillan are looking forward to working together with you to make the most our of this last term we have. Here are a few updates that everyone should be aware of;

Happy January! Well, what a start to 2022 we have had! At this point, after a very busy week, I took a step back, and enjoyed some visits to the classroom that gave me a fresh perspective on the amazing McMillan community of staff and students. I'm so glad I took the time, and I wanted to share what I saw with you.

Hello McMillan Families,

From my principal's chair in my principal's office, I have a lovely, sunshiney view, and today could feel like a very good day. But that is just the surface, and I am reminded of how everything is not always as it seems, as well as how quickly things can change.