Newsletter Vol 1 - 12 September 2015

7/17/2019 Newsletter Vol 1 - 12 September 2015

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Volume 1

12 September 2015

A warm welcome back toall of our Laura Secordfamilies and a specialwelcome to all the newfamilies that are joining us!

I know all the staff are veryexcited to be back and to bewith your children helpingthem learn — after all, thatis what drives us all here atLaura Secord School.

Students’ New Divisions We are pleased to have been able to move students totheir new division on Friday afternoon. The move tostudents’ new division is an exciting time. Parents canhelp make this part of their child’s “Back to School”

of the many advantages to multi-grade classes.You are encouraged to read the VSB documententitled “Information about split classes” availableon our school website in the home page underPublications or athttp://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/secord/Publications/C

ombined%20Classes%202010.pdf .

Staffing Updates New school years often bring new people and excitingopportunities to the school, but also mean saying good bye to others. Join us in saying thank you/merci andall the best to: Mr. Fred Bilodeau who was promoted over the

summer and is leaving Secord School and the VSBto be Vice Principal at École Anne Hébert in theFrancophone school district. Congratulations!

Astrid Godin, Mr Bilodeau’s teaching partner,who is moving to another school.

Ms Deb Hay, who leaves us on maternity leave.(And congratulations to her and her family as wellon the birth of a healthy baby boy!)

A big Secord welcome to: Mme Carolyn Garneau to our Late French

Immersion grade 6 class. Mme Marisol Letourneau to our Early French

Immersion grade 6/7 class.

2500 Lakewood Dr.Vancouver, BC V5N 4V1Phone: 604-713-4996Fax: [email protected] http://secord.vsb.bc.ca

Principal Richard Zerbe

Vice-Principal Teresa Wells (Acting)

Director of Instruction Rob Schindel

Liaison School Trustee Mike Lombardi

PAC Chair Mona Lu

District ParentRepresentative Stacy Yeats McCririck

http://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/secord/Publications/Combined%20Classes%202010.pdf



http://secord.vsb.bc.ca/


http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCNPovb7Q8McCFQKaiAodC2UBZA&url=http://schools.graniteschools.org/valleyjr/2015/08/16/1872/&psig=AFQjCNFVXpHYEzCwdIkVnYGMoUcC2_0rZw&ust=1442117455964679





help make this part of their child s Back to School Immersion grade 6/7 class.

format of visiting the class and teacher. Other teacherswill do brief, more formal presentations.

This year, we are adding a “Meet the School”component to the annual event. In addition to meetingyour child’s teacher , you are encouraged to follow

your child on a self-guided tour of the school, visitingthe common areas of the school, such as the gyms andlibrary, where the children can get a passport stamped.Passports will be issued in your child’s classroom.Administration and other school staff members will beon hand for you to meet as well. It’s a great way to seethe whole school.

Again this year Meet the Teacher will be followed bya Welcome Back Family Potluck from 5:30-7:30pm(outside or in the big gym – depending on weather)organized by the PAC.

Terry Fox RunFriday, September 18 is the Terry Fox Run in themorning. Please help support cancer research by

allowing your child to bring a coin donation. Therewill be containers in the classrooms for donations.

Grade 7 CampSecord School staff are proud to offer programs andactivities that promote a healthy and active lifestyle.As part of this focus, grade 7 students from all our programs are invited to attend a week-long outdooreducation program at Evans Lake, September 21-25.What a great way to start their special last elementaryschool year and build the “Class of 2016” bonds.

students that they need to come to the office if theyhaven’t been picked up.

Please make sure that you call the school at 604-713-4996 if your child is going to be absent. Weask parents to sign their child in/out at the office iftheir child arrives late or has to leave early.

Students will be lining up outside as has been past practice. Teachers have shown their studentswhere to line up. The younger students will belining up under the covered areas. Please see themap in this newsletter for your child’s line up area.

We are encouraging families to continue to travelclockwise around the school and to park on 10thAvenue. When designing the school yard we have

purposefully made the entrance off 10th attractivewith brickwork and seating for families tocongregate in order to create an inviting space andto alleviate the congestion on Lakewood in orderto avoid safety issues with the lane across from thefront entrance of the school.

Please respect the 3 minutes-only stopping zoneand No Stopping zone on Lakewood Dr. in frontof the school. Please also remember that there isno parking in the alley off of Lakewood Drive.Parking is very limited around the school,therefore, please read the parking signs carefullyas there will be officers patrolling the area duringthe first weeks of school.

Riding bikes and scooters on school grounds before and after school (while pedestrians are onthe grounds) is NOT permitted for safety reasons

since there are so many children and adults on theschool grounds at those times. We appreciate parents reinforcing this rule with their children.

We promote good nutrition in the school and



School-Home CommunicationThere will be many forms and other pieces ofcorrespondence being sent home in the next few daysand weeks as well as throughout the year. To makesure you are getting school information:

Please ask your child each day if there were anynewsletters or forms. Check your child’s backpack or agenda if need be Check our school website (http://secord.vsb.bc.ca)

regularly . We are trying to limit sending home paper copies of all announcements and events (forcost and environmental reasons).

Monthly newsletters usually come out at the beginning of the month. They are posted on the

school website and will eventually be emailed tofamilies for whom we have an email address.Paper copies are available in the office for familieswho would prefer one.

The TV monitor in the main hallway shows schoolevents for each day of that week.

This week, you can expect your child to bring home

several school start-up forms and packages withinstructions and due dates.

Contacting us Our 2015-16 staff list is posted on-line on our schoolwebsite. Should you need to contact or speak with ateacher or member of the staff, please contact theschool directly via telephone and we will pass on your

message for the staff member to call you back. As youcan understand, staff are not always immediatelyavailable to take your call right away (as they are busyteaching your children!) so they will call you back as

th S t h il d ill

teaching children how to organize and plan for school.While students are not required to have anagenda/planner it is designed to assist students with theskills of organization and time management and is avery useful communication tool often used betweenteachers and families.

Instructions on paying the fees will be sent home in thecoming days.

As a reminder, the Vancouver School Board will notdeny a child access to the school supplies required forhis or her educational program because of financialhardship. Nor will any child be excluded from

activities where a fee is charged. I f at any time thereis a fi nancial chal lenge, please contact the school

Principal, Richard Zerbe . All requests will be treatedconfidentially.

UPCOMING DATES(bolded dates indicate change in regular school times)

SEPTEMBER

Mon 14-Fri 18 Terry Fox donation collectionWed 16 First full day of KindergartenThurs 17 Meet the Teacher/School, 4-5:30pm

Family Potluck, 5:30-7:30pmFri 18 Terry Fox Run in the AM

Hot lunch orders dueSun 20 “Ernest and Celestine” at the Rio

-in French at 11am; in English at 1pmMon 21-Fri 25 Grade 7 Camp at Evans LakeThurs 24 PAC Hot Lunch

Mon. 28 Pro-D Day –

NO SCHOOL FORSTUDENTS

Wed 30 PAC Meeting, Library, 6:30 pm

OCTOBER







without — is our best preventive action when we cannotguarantee a nut-free environment.

For more information, Vancouver Coastal Health has prepared a brochure entitled “Allergy Aware School

and Childcare Settings: Tips for Parents:

http://vch.eduhealth.ca/PDFs/FF/FF.405.A55.pdf

Scents SenseAlong a similar line, we ask all families (adults andchildren) to be aware that others in the school (staffand students) may have sensitivities to strong scentsand aromas which can cause them serious reactions.Please be conscious of perfumes, colognes, or

aromatherapy products that you or your child maywear while in the school.

~ PAC News ~

What is Secord PAC?PAC stands for PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL.Every parent with a child at Laura Secord Elementaryis a member of the Secord PAC.

The Secord Parent Advisory Council aims to: Promote/facilitate communication between

parents, the school (teachers/administration) andthe District.

Actively and positively support Secord schoolspirit, and social responsibility.

Support the enrichment of the elementary schoolexperience for our children through volunteering

executive for the current school year. An agenda of themeeting will be available by September 23 on ourschool website, under the "Parents" tab in the "PACminutes" section. The meeting will be held at theSecord library from 6:30-8:00 pm and freechildminding will be provided. Please email

[email protected] for any PAC related questions.

Secord PAC Email List - For those new parents/guardians who do not have a child in LateFrench Immersion or in kindergarten, you are invitedto join our Secord PAC email list. The PAC uses thislist to look for volunteers, disseminate informationabout upcoming PAC events, and generally keeping

parents/guardians in the loop about what's happeningat school. Please email the following information [email protected] if you would like to beincluded: Your child's name, grade, division number,teacher and the parent/guardian's name, email, and phone number.

PAC Fundraisers

Hot Lunches are back!The first Hot Lunch service will be September 24thand order forms for this term will be going home withour children this week. Please read through theinstructions and form carefully and fill-in all requestedinformation. The due date for this term’s Hot Lunchesis September 18, Friday. Late orders will be returnedto the students.

Thank you for your continued support!Amy Chuang/ Hot Lunch Coordinator

K d C l F l S h R



mailto:[email protected]











Bell Schedule

8:55 am Warning bell9:00 Instruction starts10:40 Recess starts11:00 Recess ends12:10 pm Lunch starts12:25 Students go outside12:57 Instruction starts3:00 School day ends

Line –up areas(for drop-off and pick-up of students)

Teacher (div, grade)

Locations are approximate

Documents

Newsletter Vol 1 - 12 September 2015