Principal: Ms. Jillian Lewis - Head Teacher: Ms. Karen Maxwell - Admin Assistant: Mrs. Giannina Rakic

December 2018

Principal: Ms. Jillian Lewis - Head Teacher: Mrs. Karen McCormack - Admin Assistant: Mrs. Giannina Rakic

Tiger Times

Brentwood Park Elementary 1455 Delta Ave, Burnaby, BC 604-296-9003 brentwoodpark.info@sd41.bc.ca http://brentwood.sd41.bc.ca

Newsletter: Mrs. Karyn Carr

COMMUNICATING STUDENT LEARNING AT BRENTWOOD PARK Provincial Context (source: Draft K-9 Reporting Policy: Handbook for Piloting School Districts) The introduction of the redesigned curriculum has offered an opportunity to rethink the way we assess and report on student progress in British Columbia. Informed by research on effective practices and by thorough engagement with parents and educators, the draft provincial Student Reporting Policy for K-9 encompasses key policy shifts. These include: more timely and flexible communication descriptive four-point provincial proficiency scale for K-9 end of year student self-assessment of Core Competencies, as well as additional student selected evidence-based reflection during the school year School Context For several years, the teachers at Brentwood Park have been involved in a pilot project to investigate new forms of reporting student progress that reflects these changes in the BC curriculum. We began exploring these ideas when the curriculum was in the redesign process and we have continued to evolve our thinking and practice over the last 6 years. A project that began with one primary classroom teacher spread to five primary teachers. In 2015 some of our intermediate teachers joined the exploration and moved forward with different ways of communicating student learning. For the 2018-19 school year, we are happy to report that all of our teachers are now participating in this provincial pilot and are leaders in the Burnaby School District.

The new formats are supported by educational research in learning, assessment and motivation, and have focused on documenting and sharing your child’s individual growth through portfolios, both print and electronic, learning stories, and student-led conferences. This process has provided more insight into your child’s learning and what we are exploring at school. We are excited, as we believe this form of communication is more consistent with what current research has revealed about teaching and learning. The feedback we have received from parents so far has been very positive and supportive of this journey. We will continue to collect feedback as we move forward. What’s New We will continue to have at least five times where we connect teachers, students and families to share information about student progress, but this year we will be making some changes to the timing and focus of our communications. Student learning portfolios including learning samples, student self-reflections and teacher feedback will be available to you throughout the year and there will be three written progress reports.

1. December 2018: written report

four-point proficiency scale (see below) in each area of learning written comments focused on student engagement and behavior at school

personal awareness and responsibility social awareness and responsibility work habits and attitude

next steps

2. February 2019: student-led conference students share learning portfolios including work samples, learning stories, self-reflections, teacher feedback

3. February 2019: written report

four-point proficiency scale (see below) in each area of learning written comments focused on:

student engagement and behavior (as above) growth/progress in areas of learning

next steps

2

SCHOOL CLOSURES DUE TO WEATHER

As winter weather approaches, we want to remind parents/guardians, students, and staff about Burnaby School District weather related school closure

announcements. All schools will remain OPEN, unless there is heavy snowfall, damage or other circumstances (eg. power outage) that make it impossible to

operate safely. The district will do its best to communicate school or district-wide closures and bus changes or cancellations by 6:30 am. This information

will be posted on the front page of the district website. Closure information will also be provided to the media (radio and tv stations). PLEASE NOTE

THAT NO ANNOUNCMENT WILL BE MADE THAT SCHOOLS ARE OPEN.

Parents/guardians are responsible for their child's safe travel to school. Please walk elementary children to the door of their school if you are uncertain

whether the school is open or not. If for any reason you feel that your child cannot travel safely to school then you should notify the school that your child will

be absent.

4. June 2019: student-led conference/celebration of learning

students share learning portfolios including work samples, learning stories self-reflections, teacher feedback students share self-assessment of Core Competencies

5. June 2019: written Summary of Progress report

four-point proficiency scale (see below) in each area of learning written comments focused on:

student engagement and behavior (as above) growth/progress in areas of learning next steps

Four-Point Proficiency Scale

Effective Communication with Parents and Students Effective communication between the home and the school is central to student success. The goal of communicating student learning is to ensure that

communication between home and school is effective and ongoing, so that: parents are well informed about their child’s progress parents are involved as partners in a dialogue about their child’s progress and the best ways to support and improve learning students are provided with information that is meaningful to them and helps them to improve their own learning

Communication requires ongoing interactions and dialogue about student progress throughout the school year, involving the teacher, the student, and the parent, to provide up-to-date information about the student’s learning. This information should:

be descriptive, and include suggestions regarding ways that parents can support their child reinforce the importance of self-assessment and goal setting include feedback from multiple sources, as appropriate, including the student, teacher, peers, and parents encourage students to work towards their goals, build student ownership, and make clear their role in the communication process encourage students to use this information to make necessary revisions to their work and set new learning goals where appropriate, take advantage of current technological tools to promote and support communicating student learning

Communication can happen in a variety of ways, including in person, electronically, or in written form

3

WRITE TO SANTA AND HE’LL WRITE BACK

Write to: Santa Claus North Pole HOH OHO CANADA Every child who writes to Santa using a proper return address receives a reply. It’s a cherished annual tradition that fosters a love of reading and writing in children of all ages. Emails can be sent to Santa, or you can watch Santa on YouTube, via: www.canadapost.ca/santascorner

2018 WINTER MUSICAL

This Winter Brentwood Park Elementary will be presenting a K-7 Musical, Love It or List It, North Pole Edition. The concerts will be on Tuesday December 18th at 1:30pm & 7:00pm, and Wednesday December 19th at 1:30pm & 7:00pm in the School Gymnasium. *Please bring a non-perishable food item which will go towards our Food

Bank Drive.

There will be a limit of 2 tickets per family (not per child) for each concert. Each person will be required to have a ticket, including young children. A $2 donation per ticket is suggested. Proceeds from the Christmas Concerts will go towards our Fine Arts Programs. Ticket orders will be filled on a first-come first served basis. Please return the ticket order form to your classroom teacher ASAP.

Schedule is as follows:

Tues. Dec 18th — Div. 2,4,6,8,11,13,14,16,19,21 &

Band Students

Wed. Dec. 19th — Div. 1,3,5,7,9,10,12,15,17,18,20 For more information visit our Brentwood Park Music Program’s website at http://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/yankom/

Skiing is on Feb. 14th, Mar. 1st + Mar. 8th, 2019. We need parents for all

three days. Open to all Grade 5, 6 and 7 students. More info will be sent

home in December.

OUR ANNUAL BREAKFAST WITH SANTA IS ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21ST !

Students will enjoy hot pancakes, sausages, juice and a visit from Santa Claus! In order to

make this a “greener” breakfast, we ask each student to bring a reusable plate, knife, and fork to

use at the breakfast. We also suggest a plastic grocery bag to bring the dishes home in. The

PAC is asking for a donation of $3 per student; any surplus funds will go to the Christmas

hamper collection. Please note the class seating's for that morning:

9:10-9:35: Div. 7, 17, 6, 10, 21

9:35-10:00: Div. 2, 11, 5, 14, 9, 16

10:00-10:25: Div. 1, 20, 8, 18

10:45-11:10: Div. 4, 13, 3, 12, 15, 19

Book Fair

The Book Fair was a great success both due to the funds raised and the excitement it generated. Thank you to the Brentwood Park Community for always

supporting this event. Because of your support, we can add new resources to our library collection. These include student title requests, multiple copies of

popular books and literature circle and novel kits for classroom instruction. See you again next year at the same time. Special thanks to our book fair

volunteers: Grace Mui, Vernon Loo, Krissie Helfrich, Robyn Hickman, Jillian Lewis, Greg Jung and

Tannis Nielsen who managed the frenzied cash station. “school tools” table and the door.

Upcoming Literacy Event: Our 14th Annual Family Literacy Day/Readathon

When? Thursday January 31st, 2019.

We will be celebrating Family Literacy this year on Thursday January 31st, to celebrate our

love of reading and all things literacy. Everyone at Brentwood Park will be reading for 45-60 minutes

in the gym during the day.

All Brentwood families are invited to join us. Funds raised from the readathon will go towards

library and literacy-based resources for the school. The day will be filled with activities and challenges.

We asked our students and they said that this is a favourite event. Our activities are registered with

ABC Literacy Canada as a participant on Family Literacy Day. Their theme and challenge this year

is Learn at Play Every Day.

Look for information and the pledge forms to come home with your child in January. Your participation and support is welcomed and appreciated.

4

Hello Brentwood Park Families,

December has arrived, always sooner than we'd expected. We have a few events to bring to your attention this month.

Pancake Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 21st will see us off into the winter break.

Alongside the wonderful Concert Series, one of our very important fundraisers, the Winter Gift Raffle, will return on December 18 & 19. We will again

have prizes of all kinds, with donations from Best Buy, Bosa Foods, gift certificates for salon treatments, massage, dinners out for the family, toys & games for all ages, tickets from Ballet BC, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Bard on the Beach, a super comics bundle from Tazmania Comics, a sweet prize from Mercedes Benz, hockey tickets and more! How about a musical instrument or two? Or how about an awesome pair of headphones from Beats to listen

to your music?

Many of our past donors continue to support our school. We hope you too will support the event. Please check notices that your child brings home or look for

them in your email box.

Whole Foods Market at the Solo District location has been supporting our school through their Bag Donation Program. Until the end of December, each time you bring your own bags and defer the bag fee, 10 cents per bag goes into a fund that comes to Brentwood Park as a cash donation. Those 10 cents really add up. We are incredibly lucky to be the beneficiary of this program that both supports our students and also helps save the environment. Thank you

Whole Foods @ Solo District.

As ever, feel free to contact us with questions or feedback:

brentwoodpac@gmail.com

- The PAC Execs.

PAC CORNER

What is Reading Buddies?

Reading Buddies is a reading program where teens and children are

matched up for reading in a safe, fun and friendly environment. Younger

children will gain practice reading with a caring teen mentors. Teens will

develop leadership experience and community involvement. Each child will

be matched with teens that like to read and have attended a training work-

shop provided by the library. Reading will take place in the children's area

and the program room. Each session will be supervised by a librarian.

Please note: Reading Buddies is NOT a tutoring service. Our teen readers

are neither trained nor expected to correct learning problems or teach chil-

dren how to read.

Who are the Little Buddies?

Children who are in grade 2, 3, or 4 . They must live in Burnaby or attend

school in Burnaby. All reading levels welcome!

Is my child expected to attend all five sessions?

Yes! Children are expected to attend all five sessions. This is a popular

program. If you’re not sure you will be in town during these weeks, please do

not sign up and instead wait for another session in the coming months.

Who are the Big Buddies?

Burnaby teens who are in grade 9, 10, 11 or 12.

What will the Buddies do?

Teens will listen and encourage your child in their reading practice, and help

select reading material appropriate to their interests and reading level. They

will read for approximately 30 minutes and participate in activities together.

We will attempt to match one child with one teen, but there may be days

where one teen will read with two children.

Where: McGill Branch, 4595 Albert Street

When: Tuesdays, February 12 to March 12

Time: 4:15 – 5:15 pm

5

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Dental Treatment for Children

Ages 0-12 without Dental

UBC DENTISTRY

Your child may be able to receive free Dental care with the UBC Children’s

Dental Program.

Supervised UBC dental students provide dental exams and treatment on

Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons

A parent/family caregiver must accompany their child to the appointments

Appointments are at UBC in the Nobel Biocare Oral Health Center

School bus transportation is available for families who need a ride to and

from UBC

If you are interested, and would like more information please call:

6