School Name

• Dasmesh Punjabi School

Management

• Dasmesh Punjabi Educational Association

Founding Principal

• Dr. Dalip Singh Gill

Established

• in the sacred memory of the 10^th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
•  as a weekend Punjabi Language School in 1983
• as an Independent English-medium School, certified and funded by the province of BC, in 1986

Mission Statement

• Creating a safe and healthy environment for quality education and heritage preservation.

School Motto

• Deh Shiva bar mohe-ehai/Shubh karman te kab hun na taro

School Mascot

• Falcon

Number of Students

• 580

Number of Staff

• 42

Grades Taught

• K – 10

Facilities

• 25 classrooms (portables and main building)
• well-equipped science lab
• primary/French computer lab
• secondary computer lab
• library (13,000 non-fiction and fiction books and still growing)
• home economics lab
• 2 Shabad Kirtan (music) rooms
• soccer field  and trail
• gymnasium & 2 playgrounds
• basketball and 4-Square courts
• near Matsqui Park

Curriculum

• Regular BC Ministry of Education courses
• Punjabi and Sikh Studies for K-10
• Core French for K-Grade 7

Special Programs

• Phonics for Primary students

• Accelerated Punjabi Program for Grades 8-10 (Grade 10 students appear for the Punjabi 12 Provincial Exam for 4 credits)   
• The 3L’s Program for Literacy Enhancement and Learning and Language Assistance (K-Gr.4)
• Leadership (Monitors and Prefects; Van City Junior Credit Union)
• Yearbook 10 Class for Grade 9 (BAA Course for 2 credits)
• Shabad Kirtan (Punjabi devotional  music)
• Sikh Studies and moral instruction every morning
• French from K-Grade 7

Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular Challenges and Activities

• District #34 Science Fair and Heritage Fair
• CanWest Spelling Bee
• Commonwealth Essay Competition
• Optimist Club Speaking and Writing Comps.
• Pythagoras and Fibonacci Math Contests
• Terry Fox Run 
• Food Bank Drive
• Salmon Enhancement Program 

Points of Pride

• based on the traditional school model
• focus on positive attitudes and respect
• school uniform
• zero tolerance for drugs, alcohol, smoking, and bullying
• daily Sikh Studies assembly  and moral instruction
• focus on a healthy lifestyle- junk food policy since the school inception.
• Science Fair (national level 2007 & 2008)
• Grade 10 Provincial Exams –near perfect pass rate to date
• Grade 12 Punjabi exam  (perfect pass rate to date)
• Students  performed better than or equal to the 2006 PIRL international benchmark in Reading and Writing  and a record-breaking half of the classes have  exceeded expectations in Numeracy (Math) over the last two years (FSA exams)

Clubs

• Science (student-run Vector Club)

• Academic/Fitness/Environment  (Math/Writing/The Green Team/TRADCAP- traditional dancing, culture, and arts)

Sports and athletics

(inter-school/intramurals)

• Coaching by PE Dept. and committed parents/students

• volleyball
• basketball
• middle-grade track and athletics meet
• lunchtime games