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South Nelson Elementary
About
South Nelson Elementary is located at 814 Latimer St, Nelson, BC V1L 4V7. The school describes itself as a “mindful community school” where students use Caring, Commitment to Learning, Creativity, Common Sense, and Calm to empower themselves to embrace challenge and change. The school emphasizes fostering mutual respect and responsibility, and appreciating and caring for their world.
At a Glance
School type: Public School (Kootenay Lake)
Education language: English
Religious affiliation: None / Secular
Grades: K-6
Phone: 250 354-4139
Email: dawn.snell@sd8.bc.ca
Principal: Dawn Snell
Programs and Services
Early learning (StrongStart) StrongStart is offered at South Nelson Elementary to help young children build problem-solving and social skills, and to help families connect with their neighborhood school community. Families can access registration through the district StrongStart link, and the school provides program contact emails for support. Student safety and reporting supports The school site highlights traffic safety information and provides SafeArrival for reporting absences or lates. It also links to ERASE, an anonymous reporting tool for students. Transportation (district busing) School District 8 provides student busing information including online bus registration, route information, bus passes, winter routes, and a bus code of conduct focused on safety and respectful behaviour (including rules for crossing the road after exiting, staying seated, and prohibited items/behaviour).
School Culture and Expectations
South Nelson Elementary describes itself as a mindful community school guided by Caring, Commitment to Learning, Creativity, Common Sense, and Calm. The school emphasizes empowering students to embrace challenge and change while fostering mutual respect and responsibility. The district bus code of conduct also sets expectations for safe, respectful behaviour while riding the bus and at bus stops. The district acknowledges, respects, and honours the First Nations in whose traditional territories SD8 operates and all Aboriginal people residing within SD8 boundaries.
Transportation, Parking, and Getting Here
The district transportation department provides student busing, including online student bus registration, bus routes, bus pass information, winter routes, and a bus code of conduct. The bus code of conduct emphasizes arriving early to the stop, orderly boarding, staying seated while the bus is moving, and crossing the road only in front of the stopped bus on the driver’s signal (crossing behind the bus is not permitted).
Enrollment
For StrongStart (early learning), families are directed to register using the district StrongStart registration link (sd8.bc.ca/strongstart). The district also provides online student bus registration for families needing transportation.
Location
South Nelson Elementary Reviews
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Academic Learning of South Nelson Elementary
43.97
Academic Performance
Academic Performance Score
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
Grade 4 overall score: 44 - well above the district public school average of 38, ahead by 6 points.
Literacy: 41
Numeracy: 47
Numeracy is a relative strength; literacy has more room to grow.
62.07
Student Commitment to Learning
Student Commitment
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
Grade 4 score: 62 - well above the district public school average of 55, ahead by 7 points.
Students report stronger engagement, effort, and investment in learning than comparable schools, pointing to solid day-to-day learning habits.
60.53
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
Grade 4 score: 61 - well above the district public school average of 52, ahead by 8 points.
Students report stronger problem solving, analysis, and independent thinking than comparable schools, suggesting this is a relative strength.
74.14
College and Career Readiness
Readiness for Future
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
Grade 4 score: 74 - well above the district public school average of 55, ahead by 19 points.
Students report stronger preparation for future learning, transitions, and career pathways than comparable schools, which points to a solid readiness profile.
Academic Scores by School Year
Clustered Academic Score Trends
School year trend view: Grade 4. In 2024-2025, literacy is 41, numeracy is 47, and overall is 44.
Compared with 2019-2020, the overall score declined by 8 points.
In the latest year, numeracy is the strongest of the three measures at 47, while literacy is lowest at 41.
Across the available years, literacy declined by 13 points since 2019-2020, while numeracy declined by 4 points since 2019-2020.
Academic Performance Score Change Over Years
Academic Performance Score Change Over Years
Grade 4 trend view. In 2024-2025, academic performance is 44, student commitment to learning is 62, critical thinking is 61, and college and career readiness is 74.
The strongest current area is College and Career Readiness at 74, while Academic Performance is lowest at 44.
Critical Thinking shows the largest shift across the available period, declined by 13 points since 2019-2020.
Additional Information
Data is regularly updated to reflect the latest available academic scores and assessments from official school records.
Character and Wellbeing
66.47
Civic Engagement
Civic Engagement
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
All Grades score: 66 - below the province public school average of 68, trailing by 2 points.
Students report weaker participation in school and community life than comparable schools, suggesting room to strengthen voice, involvement, and connection.
61.81
Health
Health
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
All Grades score: 62 - below the province public school average of 65, trailing by 3 points.
Students report weaker physical and emotional well-being than comparable schools, making health and well-being an area to watch closely.
69.40
Work Ethic
Work Ethic
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
All Grades score: 69 - below the province public school average of 74, trailing by 5 points.
Students report weaker effort, persistence, and responsibility than comparable schools, suggesting work habits are an area to strengthen.
Character and Wellbeing Score Change Over Years
Character and Wellbeing Score Change Over Years
Grade 4 trend view. In 2024/2025, Civic Engagement is 66, Health is 62, and Work Ethic is 69.
The strongest current area is Work Ethic at 69, while Health is lowest at 62.
Civic Engagement shows the largest shift across the available period, improved by 6 points since 2019/2020.
Resources
47.63
Learning Resources
Learning Resources
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
All Grades score: 48 - well below the district public school average of 61, trailing by 13 points.
Instructional resources are rated less positively than in comparable schools, suggesting room to strengthen access or quality.
Resources Score Change Over Years
Resources Score Change Over Years
Grade 4 trend view. In 2024/2025, Learning Resources is 48.
Learning Resources shows the largest shift across the available period, declined by 3 points since 2019/2020.
School Culture
51.61
Academic Orientation
Academic Orientation
Showing latest available year: 2020-2021. Scores out of 100.
All Grades score: 52 - below the province public school average of 53, trailing by 2 points.
Students report a weaker academic orientation than in comparable schools, suggesting room to strengthen the school's learning focus and academic expectations.
72.24
Relationships
Relationships
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
All Grades score: 72 - well below the province public school average of 77, trailing by 5 points.
Students report weaker relationships among peers, staff, and the school community than in comparable schools, suggesting connection and trust are areas to strengthen.
53.79
Safety
Safety
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
All Grades score: 54 - well below the province public school average of 59, trailing by 6 points.
Students report a weaker sense of physical and emotional safety than in comparable schools, making this an area that deserves close attention.
School Culture Score Change Over Years
School Culture Score Change Over Years
Grade 4 trend view. In 2024/2025, Relationships is 72 and Safety is 54.
The strongest current area is Relationships at 72, while Safety is lowest at 54.
Relationships shows the largest shift across the available period, declined by 8 points since 2019/2020.
Teachers and Teaching Environment
56.90
Knowledge and Skills of Teachers
Knowledge and Skills of Teachers
School year: 2024-2025. Scores out of 100.
All Grades score: 57 - in line with the province public school average of 58, within 1 point.
Teachers are rated for instructional quality, knowledge, and professional practice at levels broadly similar to comparable schools.
Teachers and Teaching Environment Score Change Over Years
Teachers and Teaching Environment Score Change Over Years
Grade 4 trend view. In 2024/2025, Knowledge and Skills of Teachers is 57.
Knowledge and Skills of Teachers shows the largest shift across the available period, declined by 5 points since 2019/2020.