THE DIEFENBAKER REPORT

WEBSITE: http://diefenbaker.sd38.bc.ca/ PAC website: http://diefenbaker.sd38.bc.ca/parents

April 2017 Enjoying our Park After School

We are pleased to see our students taking advantage of the good weather and playing outside after school. Getting fresh air and exercise is important for all of us! Just a reminder that there is no supervision after school, and our younger students must have someone watching them for safety reasons. Older students who are staying after school need to be reminded that school behaviour also applies to those using our school grounds before and after school. If students have a difficult time

making good choices, we will let you know, and they will be asked to go straight home after school. We want to make sure that our school and park are inviting places to be for our community! Professional Development Day Monday, May 1st is our next Professional Day. Most staff will be participating in Session 3 of a three-part series with Faye Brownlie, while others will be participating in separate curriculum and inquiry-based professional learning activities. There is no school for students on May 1st. Supporting the Anxious Child Your Diefenbaker PAC has arranged an opportunity for Diefenbaker Parents to attend a session to help understand anxiety in children. See below for more information. Speaker: Patti Drobot Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 Time: 7:00pm – 8:30 (Lord Byng Elementary) Topic: “Supporting the Anxious Child" There is currently an epidemic of anxiety affecting children of all ages. Anxiety can many forms including panic, phobias, sleep issues, physical illnesses as well as a host of perplexing behaviours including seeking attention and avoidance. Today’s world can create many challenges for children with school pressures, peer interactions, family dynamics, negative self-image, perfectionism and many other stressors that impede a child’s ability to play, learn and grow. Through stories, examples and theory, Patti Drobot, Registered Counsellor and Faculty at the Neufeld Institute, will suggest ways in which parents can understand anxiety and help support their children to find psychological and emotional rest in their world. TCO2 Presentation On Friday, April 28th, young adult members of The Children of the Street Society will be coming to Diefenbaker again this year to present to our grade 6 and 7 classes about online safety and protecting themselves from sexual exploitation through a workshop called Taking Care of Ourselves, Taking Care of Others (TCO2). The Children of the Street Society is a provincial organization and federal charity dedicated to preventing the sexual exploitation of children and youth in British Columbia. They have created public awareness through educational strategies and supported families since 1995. Their programs and staff have been recognized for numerous achievements and awards in their work to prevent sexual exploitation. The TCO2 workshop teaches students to identify potential risks for sexual exploitation, who may be involved, and how to prevent it from happening. This includes: • Warning signs of luring and/or recruitment • The use of technology in exploitation • Recognizing healthy relationships both online and in-person • Local community resources and how to get help For more information, refer to childrenofthestreet.com, look under Programs, then TCO2. We are fortunate to have this valuable resource come to all our schools. Please contact the school if you have any questions. Spring Fair Thank You A huge thank you to the Diefenbaker PAC and all the parent and student volunteers who helped make this year’s Spring Fair a success! It was a busy day, with lots of visitors coming to see a variety of vendors and to try to win a cake at the cake walk. The games for kids were also very popular! We would also like to extend our thanks to Save On Foods Ironwood, for their generous donation of hot dogs, buns, drinks, chips and condiments. Thank you for being a part of our community! We are looking forward to next year…Keep an eye on your calendars and don’t miss it! Scholastic Half-Price Fair On Thursday, May 11th Diefenbaker will be hosting the Scholastic Half-Price Book Fair. This event is open to the public and will run in the gym from 8am to 5pm. It is a great chance for you to stock up on books for birthdays and other events! Come and check out the great deals! Welcome to Kindergarten We are looking forward to meeting our new Kindergarten students! Our Welcome to Kindergarten event will be held on Friday, May 12th at 1:15 PM. This is an opportunity for you and your child to come to the school, to participate in some

Daily Schedule 8:30 Doors open 8:40 First Bell 8:45 Classes begin 10:30-10:45 Recess 12:25-1:10 Lunch 2:38 Dismissal

activities and to learn more about what Kindergarten looks like. Each student will receive a bag of resources and activities from The Learning Partnership. If you have registered for Kindergarten with us next year, you should have received an invitation by mail or email. Please call the office to let us know if you are attending. If you have any questions, please contact the office. Track Meet

Our Gr. 3-7 students will be participating at the annual track meet at Minoru on Tuesday, May 30th. Now that the field has dried somewhat, we will be starting our track and field practices. As we get closer to the date, students will be put into events and a notice will be sent home outlining times and plans for the day. We have booked a couple of buses to help shuttle students to the track meet in the morning, but we will likely need some parent drivers as well. Pick-up for Gr. 3-7 students will be at the track, so please arrange for a someone to be there to pick up your child(ren).

Upcoming Dates April 28 TCO2 Presentation Gr. 6/7 May 18 Gr. K and 6 Immunizations May 01 ProD (no school for students) May 24/25 Band Concert 6:30 PM May 09 Election Day May 26 PAC Movie Night May 11 Scholastic Half-Price Book Fair May 30 Track Meet @ Minoru May 12 Welcome to Kindergarten June 02 PAC Walk-a-Thon Be sure to read your newsletters to keep up-to-date, and refer to our school website, where we will post additional information.

Please call our Early Warning Line (604-718-4094) to report students late or absent.