Dear DG Families,

These are busy days at DG!  You can read all about what coming up, here!

Term 1 Learning Updates

A reminder, Term 1 Learning Updates (report cards) will be posted on-line this Thursday (December 12th).   They will be viewable via Parent Connect.  Families will receive an email once they are ready for viewing.

We understand there are occasionally extenuating circumstances which may prevent you from viewing your child’s report card online (eg. limited access to technology).  As such, you may request a printed copy of your child’s report card.  Should you need this, please send a note or email to your child’s teacher by Monday, December 9th.

Concert Tickets – Keep them in a safe spot

Our Christmas concert is coming up soon – December 17th!  There will be two shows: 1:30pm and 6:30pm.  Families have been issued 2 tickets each for the evening show.

Please put your tickets in a safe place! There are no extra tickets so we will be unable to replace any that are lost.   If you have lost your tickets, you may come to the afternoon show as tickets are not required.   Tickets ARE required for the evening show.

If you will not be using your tickets for the evening concert, please return them to the school office asap.  We have a list of families who have requested additional tickets should any become available.

Winners of the “Best Seats” contest have all been contacted, via email.

Christmas Hampers for Delta Families

For the past few years, we have partnered up with another school in Delta and exchanged families in need, in order to provide them with Christmas hampers/gifts.  This is something we are doing again this year.  Our sister school will provide hampers/gifts for our families and in turn we are collecting items to help their families. We do this in the spirit of trying to keep things private and confidential for the families to whom we are donating.

This year we are collecting items to help provide a Christmas for 3 Delta families:

Family #1 – mom and 3 children (girl 16, girl 7, boy 4)

Family #2 – mom and 7 yr old boy

Family #3 – 7 yr old boy and guardians

We have put together a google doc that provides a bit more information and gift suggestions for the families. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12RQbodNxq_QhmDpSMzD0Qvw1hw8lG6UocCSPB10uAqg/edit?usp=sharing

Should you want to sign up to buy an item, please do so on this link.  You DO NOT need to write your name – you could use your initials, or put “yes” or a check-mark, etc…  we are just trying to make sure that we don’t get 16 soccer balls & to ensure that we have items for all 3 of the families.

We are asking that all items please be brought to the school by Monday, December 16th, so that we have time to assemble and deliver the baskets before school is out for Christmas Break.   Again, thank you all for your generosity!

Canned Food Drive – December 17th

As we have done in previous years, we are once again collecting donations of non-perishable food items for Delta Assist by asking that you please bring a donation for the food drive as your “entry” to the Christmas Concerts on December 17th.  There will be boxes just inside the gym doors in which to deposit your donations, and student greeters will be there to assist with this.    Before leaving home, please double check expiry dates for your donations. 

Christmas Concerts

Our Christmas Concerts are next Tuesday, December 17th, and we CANNOT WAIT to see you there!!!

There will be two shows – 1:30pm and 6:30pm.

• Please bring a canned food item as your “entry” to the concert.
• Tickets are also required for the evening concert.

As typically there are more guests at the evening concert, we are encouraging those who are available to come to the afternoon performance to do so.   There is no limit to the number of family members who can attend the afternoon show and tickets are not required.

You will, however, need your tickets (sent home a couple of weeks ago) in order to get in to the evening concert.   We have issued two tickets per family.  There are a few (very few) additional tickets that have been returned to the office, which will be distributed to families on the waiting list this week, first come first served.

Also, for both the afternoon and evening concerts, the PAC will be selling 50/50 tickets, and running a concession in the undercover area, so bring along some cash!  50/50 ticket will be 3 tickets for $5.00 or 10 tickets for $10.00, and concession items will be a dollar or two.

Please also see our Christmas Concert Q & A list, below:

Question: When is the Christmas Concert?

Answer: Tuesday, December 17th. There are 2 performances – 1:30pm and 6:30pm.  Doors open 30 min before the concert start times (so 1:00pm and 6:00pm)

Question: Is there early dismissal on Tuesday, December 17th?

Answer:  No, it’s a regular dismissal day

Question: Do students stay at school until the evening concert begins?

Answer: No.  Students go home at regular dismissal time, and are asked to be back at the school at 6:00 pm – not earlier.  Students will report to their classes, using their usual doors.  There is no entry for students or guests through the front door of the school.

Parents who are staying to watch the evening performance will line up at the outside gym doors.

The door closest to the staff parking lot will be for winners of the best seats contest only 

General admission will be through the outside gym doors closest to the Playground Pals Bin and undercover area

Please note, there is no entrance to the gym for parents/guests through the school.   Entry to the concert for parents/guests is through the outside gym doors only.

Parents who aren’t staying for the evening performance, you can drop your child off outside their usual entry door (we will have grade 7 students there to meet them) and come back to pick them up when the concert is over, at approximately 7:30pm

Question: Is there an entry fee for the concert?  

Answer:  No, but we are asking for a canned food item as we’re collecting donations for Deltassist.  For the evening concert, you will also need to present your tickets (sent home Nov 21st). No tickets are needed for the afternoon concert.   

Also, the PAC is running a concession and a 50/50 draw, so be sure to bring some cash!

Question: Will my child be performing in both the afternoon and the evening concerts?

Answer: Yes!  We want to ensure both audiences see a great show.  This means we need students to attend in the evening as well.  If your child will not be attending the evening performance, please advise your child’s teacher as soon as possible.

Question: Given that my child will be performing in both the afternoon and evening shows, should I come and watch both performances?  

Answer: No.  Due to limited seating capacity, we ask that parents and guests attend either the afternoon or the evening concert, but not both.   Tickets are required for the evening performance.  2 tickets per family were sent home November 21st.   Tickets are not required for the afternoon performance, so this would be a great time for siblings in high school, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc… to come and see the concert.

Parents who aren’t attending the evening performance should drop their child off at their usual door/line-up area at 6:00 pm.  When the concert is over, at approximately 7:30 pm, parents will pick students up from their classrooms.

Question: Can I leave right after my child’s class is finished performing in the concert? 

Answer: No, please stay and enjoy the entire show!  Leaving part way through isn’t polite!  It’s disruptive to the other audience members, not to mention the student performers.   All of our students and staff have worked really hard to put this event together so we want to ensure that the classes performing at the end of the concert are not looking at a bunch of empty seats. That would be really discouraging!

Question: If I won the “best seats” contest for the evening performance, do I still need my tickets to get in?

 Answer: Yes, for the evening concert.  If you won best seats at the evening concert, you still need your tickets to get in to the evening show.  No tickets are required for the afternoon concert.

If you won the “best seats” contest (winners have all been notified by email), this means you have reserved seating in the first 4 rows (ie – the “best seats”!).   “Best seats” winners will be entering the gym through the outside gym doors closest to the staff parking lot.    Your “best seats” will be labelled with your names.

 Question:  What doors do students use for the evening when coming for the evening concert? 

Answer: For the evening concert, students should arrive at 6:00pm (no earlier)  Students will use their own/regular entry doors.  Grade 7 student helpers will be stationed at the doors to greet students and assist them to their classrooms.

Parents, while you are welcome to walk your children to their classrooms if you wish,  we suggest that you don’t as you will, then, need to then go back outside and line up outside the gym doors for entry into the concert.  Our suggestion, instead, is that you drop your children at their entry door and then make your way to the outside gym doors to line up for admission to the concert.  This is why we will have big buddies at the doors to greet students and make sure they get to their classrooms. Please note, there is no entry to the gym, for audience members, through the interior of the school.   

Question: What doors do parents and guests use when coming to the concert. 

Answer: For both the 1:30 and the 6:30 concerts, parents/guests will use the outside gym doors.  There will be no entry to the gym/concert for parents/guests through the school.

The door closest to the staff parking lot will be for winners of the best seats contest only 

General admission will be through the outside gym doors closest to the undercover area

Doors will open 30 min before the concert start time (1:00 for the afternoon concert and 6:00 for the evening concert).  

Question:  Are you as excited as we are?  

We can’t wait to see you there!

If you have any further questions about the concerts, please contact your child’s teacher.

What exactly is PAC?   Check out their one-pager, here

PAC POPCORN SALE FUNDRAISER –  This WEDNESDAY at RECESS!

The PAC will be holding a Popcorn Sale on Wednesday, September 11th, at recess.

• $1.00/bag, limit 2 bags per student
• Students are asked to please bring exact change

PAC Fundraisers ongoing throughout the year

Return-it Express

PAC has created a school fundraising account. To participate, simply bring your containers to the depot in sealed, clear bags, and enter the registered phone number, 604-581-6185, into the Express kiosk. You will be prompted to select the number of bags you’re dropping off, the kiosk will automatically print the same number of sticker tags displaying our PACs unique Express account code. Tag each of your bags with a sticker tag and drop the bags off in the designated Express drop-off area to be counted. For a list of Return-it Express location visit https://www.return-it.ca/locations/express/

Cobs Bread Dough Raiser Program

This program enables us to raise money for our school throughout the year! Be sure to mention Devon Gardens Elementary (or code 7806) each time you make a purchase at COBS Bread Scott 72 Centre; they will donate 10% of your purchase back to our school

Online Stay Safe & Babysitting Courses

Offered through First Aid Hero. When registering use promo/coupon code “DevGardens25” and our PAC will earn $5 from each registration. For details, available course dates and online registration, please follow the link: www.FirstAidHero.com

Questions? Send an email to pacdevongardens@gmail.com

Kinder Books

Introducing the Kinder Books Loyalty Program for schools! This year-long fundraising program is designed to help schools earn credit towards purchasing books for their school library.

Here’s how it works: for every net book purchase made at Kinder Books, the school will earn 10% of the purchase amount towards a credit at our store. At the end of the fundraiser, we will notify the school of their credit amount. The school can then decide to use the credit at the beginning of the new school year or at the end of the calendar year.

The best part? This program applies to all book purchases at our store, including special orders for kids and books for adults. Plus, orders can be placed online at www.kinderbooks.ca, making it easy for grandparents or other family members who live out of town to participate. Simply mention your school’s name at checkout, and we’ll credit your school accordingly.

Online orders can be picked up at the store during business hours or shipped through Canada Post

Information from the School District

French Immersion for the 2025-26 School Year

There are two French Immersion Programs offered in Delta: EARLY French Immersion Program (Kindergarten to Grade 12) and LATE French Immersion Program (Grade 6 to Grade 12). Do you, or does someone you know, have a child who might be interested in the French Immersion Programs staring in September?

While it might seem early, now is the time to start looking into it!  There is an application process, with very strict deadlines.

The first step is to attend a French Immersion Parent Information Meeting.

Early French Immersion (Kindergarten Entry):

In-Person Information Nights

Jan 13, 2025 at 6:30p.m. at Burnsview Secondary

Jan 14, 2025 at 6:30p.m. at South Delta Secondary

Application deadline: January 22, 2025 at 4p.m.

Late French Immersion (Grade 6 Entry):

n-Person Information Nights

Feb 10, 2025 at 6:30p.m. at Chalmers Elementary

Feb 11, 2025 at 6:30p.m. at Cliff Drive Elementary

Application deadline: February 12, 2025 at 4p.m.

Online registration for both programs begins on January 4th, at 8:00 am   Online Application Page

If this doesn’t apply to your family, but you know someone else who might be interested, please pass the information along.

Delta Choral Society Children and Youth Choir – Spring Term Starts in January

Delta Choral Society, a not-for-profit, non-denominational community organization, is committed to offering an inclusive, affordable choral music experience for students in the Delta area.

In 2025, the Delta Children and Youth Choir spring term will run from January 6th through to May 3rd. Artistic director, John R. Williams, is an accomplished choral conductor, composer, pianist, adjudicator and recording artist and holds a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington. With John at the helm, children and youth will be provided with weekly rehearsals that cultivate an appreciation for music and teach proper singing techniques in a fun but structured environment.

Delta Choral Society singers will share their talents with the community at two end-of-term concerts.  The choir currently rehearses at Benediction Lutheran Church, 5575 6th Ave, Tsawwassen, on Monday evenings from 5:15-6:00pm.

If your child has an interest in singing and being part of a musical team, sign them up for only $70 per term. For more information, visit https://www.deltachoral.ca/delta-childrens-choir/  Feel free to email your questions to info@deltachoral.ca and to register your child for next term go to https://www.deltachoral.ca/join-new-members/

Virtual Event: Now What? A Beginning Conversation to Support Families Moving From Reacting to Responding When Our Kids Begin Experimenting With Substances

Description: Learning that our kids are trying substances can be scary. As families, we are a valuable resource to help them navigate the choices they are making, but it can be hard to know how to respond. This video introduces parents and caregivers to some ways that can help us move from reacting to our fears about substance use and towards a more thoughtful response that supports connection with our kids.

Registration: FamilySmart – Events

Dates: 

•  December 10th 6:30pm – 8pm
•  December 11th 6:30pm – 8pm 

Wednesday, December 11th – Recess Snack day (popcorn)

Thursday, December 12th – Term 1 Learning Updates (report cards) available on line, via Parent Connect

Monday, December 16th – last day to bring Christmas Hamper Gift Donations

Tuesday, December 17th – Christmas Concerts 1:30pm & 6:30pm

Thursday, December 19th – Special Lunch Day (panago)

Friday, December 20th – Spirit Day (red & green)

Friday, December 20th – last day of school before Winter Break!

Other dates and events are listed on our school calendar on our website: https://dg.deltasd.bc.ca/events-calendar/