Dear DG Families,
Reminder – the deadline to submit orders for Term 2 Special Lunch and Snack days is this Wednesday.
Ordering info can be found here, as well as in the PAC info section, further down in this post
Drumming workshops are this week
This week we are looking forward to our drumming workshops with instructor Jordan Hansen. This opportunity has been made possible by our awesome DG PAC, who are subsidizing the majority of the costs so that we can offer the workshops for a cost of only $4 per student. If you haven’t yet sent the $4 for your child, please do so this week.
French Immersion Application Deadlines are Quickly Approaching!
Are you interested in:
- the Early French Immersion program for your soon-to-be-Kindergarten child?
- the Late French Immersion program for your currently-in-grade-5 child?
Or, do you know a family who might be?
Please note and/or pass along this important information about French Immersion for the coming school year.
Our district offers both early (Kindergarten) and late (grade 6) French Immersion programs. Both programs require an application prior to registration.
Here are some other important reminders/dates about French Immersion:
1. It’s important to attend a parent information session:
For Early French Immersion (entry in Kindergarten):
A pre-recorded Early French Immersion Information presentation is available here: https://vimeo.com/649615646
In person Information Nights:
- Jan 15th at 6:30pm at Burnsview Secondary
- Jan 18th at 6:30pm at South Delta Secondary
For Late French Immersion (entry in grade 6):
A pre-recorded Late French Immersion Information presentation is available here: https://vimeo.com/503206055
Online Information Nights:
- Jan 24th 6:30pm
- Jan 25th 6:30pm.
Sign-up form to receive the meeting link:
Late French Immersion Parent Question and Answer Period Registration Form
In-person Information Nights:
- Feb 7th at 6:30pm at Chalmers Elementary
- Feb 8th at 6:30pm at Cliff Drive Elementary.
2. An on-line application form needs to first be completed and submitted by the deadline.
This demonstrates a commitment by the families to register their child in the designated program if their child is accepted and to understand that there is a commitment for the child to stay in the French Immersion program until Grade 12.
- Deadline for Early French Immersion program (Kindergarten entry) is January 22nd at 4p.m. Link to EFI application form
- Deadline for Late French Immersion program (Grade 6 entry) is February 12th at 4p.m. Link to LFI application form
3. ALL families hoping for a Kindergarten or Grade 6 (Late Immersion) spot for September 2024 MUST apply, including families who already have children in the French Immersion program.
Having a child already in the French Immersion program does not guarantee you a spot for your upcoming child. But, it does increase your chances!
4. Spots are given following a priority order (provided your application is submitted on time)
Find out more, here https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/french-immersion/
5. There is more IMPORTANT information on the District website
Ensuring Students come Dressed for the Weather
Although it’s supposed to warm up a little this week, it’s still going to be chilly and we may even get some snow. Please expect that kids will go out for recess and lunch, unless there is extreme weather. Ensuring students come dressed for the weather isn’t just important for playing outside. It’s also important in case of an emergency requiring evacuation of the building. Students need to come to school wearing:
- a jacket, not just a hoodie
- long pants, rather than shorts
- a toque, mitts and a scarf
- footwear for winter walking (rubber soles with a good tread to prevent slips, material to keep feet warm and dry, enough room for thicker/extra socks)
In addition to ensuring your children come dressed for the weather, we ask that ALL students have a change of clothes at school (yes, even grade 7s). The field can be quite slippery and muddy. In order to avoid us having to call you (possibly at work), to bring your child a change of clothes, please ensure that your child has spare clothes at school that they can change into, just in case. Your child’s spare clothing should be labelled with their name, in a ziplock bag, and left either in the classroom or in your child’s backpack.
What happens if it snows? Occasionally the District has closed schools due to snow. In this event, any district wide closure or decisions will be decided and communicated by 7 a.m. on that day. Any announcements will be made via radio stations (CBC AM 690, CKNW AM 980, News AM 1130, Fairchild AM 1470) and via TV stations (CTV BC, CBC, City TV, Global BC). Information will also be posted on the school district website.
Walk Like a Penguin!
When walking in wintry conditions, it is important to assume all surfaces are icy and to approach them with caution. A thin layer of moisture can freeze on a cold surface, creating ice that can be difficult to spot. A good phrase to remember is to “walk like a penguin.”
• Keep your hands and arms free to help with balance
• Angle your feet pointing outward
• Maintain a lower centre of gravity and tilt forward when walking
• Take short shuffle-like steps and walk at a slower pace to react quickly to changes in traction
• Focus on walking and do not multi-task (e.g. using a mobile device, reading, etc.)
Here’s a video your children might enjoy when practising their penguin walk
Allergy Reminder
A reminder that, due to very serious allergies, we ask that seafood/fish, onions and nuts not be brought to school. Please also keep this in mind whether it be a lunch prepared at home as well as if you are dropping off a commercially prepared lunch (eg. fast food) for your child.
Volunteer Basketball Coaches Needed
Are you interested in helping to coach grade 6 & 7 basketball?
We are looking for volunteer basketball coaches, starting in January, for a Grade 7 Boys Team and a Grade 6 & 7 combined Girls Team.
Practices can be either at lunch or after school, and games are typically once a week, after school. Schedule yet to be determined.
If you are interested, please contact Ms Leveque via email at kleveque@deltaschools.ca
Early Dismissal February 1st and 2nd
Student led conferences are on Thursday, February 1st and Friday, February 2nd. To accommodate this, students will be dismissed at 2:00 pm on both February 1st and 2nd.
As teachers will be conducting conferences, students must be picked up, promptly, at 2:00 pm on these dates.
Please make a note of this in your calendars and advise daycare providers or other family members who pick up your child from school.
Appointments for Student Led Conferences will be booked through Parent Connect. Please watch for an email coming home soon letting you know the online booking system has been opened. In the meantime, please make sure you are able to log onto to Parent Connect so that you will be able to book your appointment when the time comes.
Instructions for Parent Connect can be found here
If you are having difficulty, please contact Ms Labrosse in the office.
Student Led Conferences
Student led conferences are on Thursday, February 1st and Friday, February 2nd. To accommodate this, students will be dismissed at 2:00 pm on both February 1st and 2nd. Please ensure that you make arrangements to pick-up your children promptly at 2:00 pm on these dates and/or notify your child’s daycare.
What is a Student-Led Conference? Just as it sounds, a student-led conference is a conference with parents, led by the student. The role of the classroom teacher is a facilitator in the conference process. Students lead parents through a discussion of their work and established academic and social goals. The process includes the teacher facilitating several conferences at the same time. Conference appointments will be 20 min long (some students/parents may require less time, which is fine), and several sets of parents may sign up for each appointment time.
When students have the opportunity to show, explain and demonstrate their learning, they are not only communicating their accomplishments and understanding, but also sharing with you what and how they are learning, and the criteria for success. In addition, giving students this opportunity:
- develops your child’s self-assessment and communication skills
- helps build the independence, confidence, self-esteem and pride of your child
- provides an opportunity for your child to receive supportive feedback to further their learning
- provides an opportunity to celebrate your child’s learning. While your child is leading you through the conference, the teacher will be available to join you for part of the time.
Roles and Responsibilities of Student-Led Conferences
Dogs on School Grounds
For many of us, dogs are important members of the family and we even have a canine member on staff. We know that many of our families enjoy bringing their dogs along when they walk their children to and from school.
Some important reminders about dogs at school:
- Dogs must be leashed at all times – our school grounds are not an off-leash area (this includes the gravel field). While there is an off-leash dog park called “Devon Gardens Park” (an unfortunate and confusing coincidence), it’s not at Devon Gardens Elementary School. The “Devon Gardens off-leash park” is located at 11011 McAdam Road.
- Not everyone is comfortable around dogs. Keep your dog close to you and stay alert to others.
- Please make sure you/your dog practice best manners, especially if they accompany you while walking your children to/from school.
- Please ensure you give everyone their space and don’t allow your dog to greet people unless they ask (and you agree).
- Your leash should be short enough to prevent your dog from contacting or jumping on a passersby.
- Please clean up after your dog. If you have forgotten/run out of dog poop bags, we have some! Many of our staff members carry these with them (eg. Mme Greenhalgh) and we also have dog poop bags at the office. We’re happy to give you one, so please just ask!
- If you are walking your leashed dog on school property (more that just to/from school with your children), please do so outside of instructional hours. Not everyone is comfortable with dogs, so we ask that dog owners not use our grounds during the school day when students/staff might be outside (eg. PE classes, at recess/lunch, etc…).
Please also share these reminders with any of your friends & family members who might also bring their dogs to our school grounds in the evenings/on weekends.
Devon Gardens PAC Fundraiser Hot Lunch and Snack Day
Happy New Year!
Boston Pizza Lunch – Thursday, Jan 25
Subway Sandwiches Lunch (Gluten-free bread option available) – Thursday Feb 8
Panago Pizza Lunch (Gluten-free crust option available) – Thursday Feb 22
Cobs Buns and Cinnamon Buns Snack (for recess) – Wednesday Feb 28
Whitespot Lunch – Thursday Mar 14
Deadline to submit online orders – Wednesday, January 17
How to Order
- Visit https://devonpac.hotlunches.net/ and register for an account (you must register for a new account each year, may use same login and password as previous years)
- Select items/order per child & pay
- For step-by-step instructions on registering and ordering/payment, click here.
Other information to note:
- Hot Lunch ordering is optional. Absolutely no-obligation to order.
- Proceeds from all hot lunch fundraising will be administered by the PAC and go towards the purchase of school/student/classroom needs/supplies/events, etc.
- No additional utensils or condiments will be provided. Please send utensils for your child on special lunch days.
- Please feel free to send a drink, etc. to supplement your child(s) order.
- If you have more than one child at the school, place orders for all children first and then proceed to final payment. This will save you transaction fees.
- Nutritional Information:
- Please be mindful of known absences/vacations when placing orders.
- If your child is absent on the day of the hot lunch, the meal will be automatically donated to someone else. Please email your child’s teacher if you want to pick up their food. Pick up is between 1:30-2:15PM at the office on the day of the hot lunch
- *If you need to pay through an alternate method (cash or e-transfer) please place the order through the hotlunch website and email us to arrange payment
Questions??? Please send an email to pacdevongardens@gmail.com.
Thank you,
Your Devon Gardens PAC
PAC Fundraisers ongoing throughout the year
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
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.
Level Ground Trading
Level Ground is a BC business that works with fair trade coffee, tea, dried fruit and spice producers.
Supporters enter the code devongardens in the ‘discount code’ field at the checkout.
All products on our web store qualify for the fundraiser. Orders must be $40 or more. These orders also qualify for free shipping to most addresses in Canada (there is a shipping fee on all orders shipped to NU/NT/YK). All orders are paid for through our web site and shipped directly to your supporters. No need to collect orders or distribute products to households.
Your fundraising amount is 20% of total sales. So on a $100 order your school will receive $20.
Online Stay Safe & Babysitting Courses
Offered through First Aid Hero. When registering use promo/coupon code “DevGardens24” and our PAC will earn $5.00 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
Information from the School District
WILL’S JAMS Live at Genesis Theatre!
Sunday, JANUARY 21, 2024, 3:00 pm
Genesis Theatre, 5005 45th Avenue, Ladner
Will Stroet of Will’s Jams is a JUNO-nominated musician, nationally recognized educator, and former CBC Kids TV star. His high-energy rock-pop music in English and French is full of witty wordplay and sing-along choruses, inspiring kids to be active, creative, caring, and community-minded.
Will discovered his talent for writing kids’ music while completing his Bachelor of Education at UBC. After releasing his first album in 2005 and performing hundreds of shows locally, Will knew he had found his calling. In 2009, he left teaching to pursue music full time and has never looked back. To date, Will has performed 2,500+ shows at festivals, theatres, and schools across Canada and China.
Will’s 12 albums in English and French have garnered national acclaim, including a 2017 JUNO nomination, 9 nominations from the Western Canadian Music Awards, 3 from the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and 2 from the SiriusXM Indies.
TICKETS: $12
Purchase ON-LINE: https://genesis-theatre.tickit.ca/
Week of January 15th: Drumming workshop with Jordan Hanson
Monday, January 15th: Black Excellence Day
Monday, January 15th: Kindergarten French Immersion Info Night, 6:30pm at Burnsview
Wednesday, January 17th: Deadline to order for Term 2 Special Lunch & Snack days
Thursday, January 18th: Gr 7 Parents Night at Burnsview, 7:00 pm
Monday, January 22nd: Application Deadline K French Immersion, 4:00pm
Thursday, January 25th: PAC Special Lunch Day
Thursday, January 25th: Term 2 Previews sent home
Thursday, January 25th: French Immersion Gr 7 parents night at Burnsview 7:00pm
Friday, January 26th: Pro-D day (no school for students)
Tuesday, January 30th: Gr 7 parents night at Delview 6:30pm
Wednesday, January 31st: PAC popcorn sale at recess
Wednesday, January 31st: Gr 7 parents night at Sands 6:00pm
Thursday, February 1st: 2:00 pm Early Dismissal for Student Led Conferences
Friday, February 2nd: 2:00 pm Early Dismissal for Student Led Conferences
Please note, not all important dates are listed here. Other dates and events are listed on our school calendar on our website: https://dg.deltasd.bc.ca/events-calendar/
Please check it often.