Dear DG Families,

We hope you had a wonderful long weekend!

Important Safety Information regarding the Crosswalk at 112th

As we’ve previously shared, we are having difficulty finding adult crossing guards and there is still no crossing guard at Nordell and 112th.  If you know anyone who may be interested in one of our paid Crossing Guard positions, please contact Mme Hamilton at hhamilton@deltaschools.ca

Author Visit – Emily Seo

Mrs. Goldman, our Librarian, has arranged for author Emily Seo to come and speak to primary classes, this Thursday, about her book  The Perfect Sushi.

Emily Seo holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of British Columbia. She worked as an Associate Editor for two science journals and ran a multidisciplinary laboratory before experimenting with creative writing. 

The Perfect Sushi is about Miko,  a perfectionist who struggles to make sushi for her grandmother’s birthday. Along the way, she discovers the key ingredient to making the perfect gift. Infused with playful onomatopoeia, this story delivers a universal message about the importance of determination and heart.  Students will be taken on a journey of how to write a picture book about something or someone they love. A lively reading of The Perfect Sushi will follow with a discussion of the inspirations behind the story and the structure and components of a picture book.

Parent Appreciation Day – Friday, May 31st

Please mark the date!   We hope you will be able to stop by DG on Friday, May 31st, before school, for our Parent Appreciation Event.   Whether you’re able to stay for a bit of a visit, or just pick up a to-go goodie bag on your way, we look forward to seeing you to say “hello and thank you” to all our parents and guardians!

We will have stations with staff around the school areas (by the undercover area, by the side door, by the courtyard, and by 112th Street) to greet you.

Welcome to Kindergarten

If you have an incoming kindergarten student joining us at Devon Gardens in September, please save the afternoon of Wednesday, May 29th for our Welcome to Kindergarten event!  More information has been sent out directly to our incoming Kindergarten families.  If you have a child coming to Devon Gardens for Kindergarten in the fall and you did not receive your letter, please contact Ms Labrosse in the office.   Similarly, if you know of someone who has a child registered for Kindergarten at our school and they did not receive their Kindergarten Orientation letter, please encourage them to contact the school as soon as possible.

2024-2025 School Year

Will you be somewhere else next school year?  If you are moving and are not planning to return to Devon Gardens in the fall, please make sure that you let our office know.

2024-2025 Class Placement Information

In the coming weeks, we will start to tentatively look at next year’s organization and possible class placements for students.

Some Things to Know about Our Process:

Class placements are important decisions and something that teachers consider very carefully.

FACTORS & CONSIDERATIONS: Assigning students to classes is a very complex task that takes into consideration a variety of factors, including: learning styles and strengths, what a student is able to achieve in relation to the goals of the curriculum, degree of independence in work habits, social and personal needs, age and physical maturity, previous placements, gender balance of class, etc….

The number of staff members assigned to our school is decided by the Superintendent’s Office and is based on projected student enrolment. Enrolment estimates and class size guidelines affect the configuration of classes, which may also necessitate a particular organizational configuration (i.e. whether or not we have combined or “split” classes and the number of students, per grade, in the class).

SCHOOL-BASED DECISIONS: The professional staff is in contact with children in the school setting for 30 hours a week. Your child’s present teacher, along with other educators who work with your child, have a year’s worth of current, rich information and insight about the conditions under which your child learns best. Therefore, decisions around where to place students are determined through school-based, team decisions, based on their recommendations.

INPUT FROM PARENTS: As our partners in education, parents may also have important information to assist us with the placement of students. Parents are welcome to share with the school personal, educational, or social information that could affect their child’s placement. Our staff will keep in mind this information, along with the above considerations, when building classes.

If you have information about your child and the kind of learning environment in which she/he best works and learns, and you would like to share this information with our staff, please fill in the “Parent Information” form by clicking on the link below.  This is optional.     Please complete the form no later than Friday, May 24, 2024  

It is important to note that it is not possible for parents to choose their child’s teacher or make requests regarding other students. Teachers who are currently on staff may not be here next year, may not be assigned the same grade, or may not teach a class configuration that meets your child’s learning needs. Whatever the scenario, we strive to place your child in a warm, caring environment that will maximize his/her learning potential.

Should you have information you wish to share with us, please fill in the form by Friday, May 24, 2024.  Please fill in 1 form for every child.

Please note, parents are not required to do this.  It’s optional.

https://forms.gle/YX6xhj4ULh1tq9ec7

Optional School Supplies Ordering through SchoolStart for 24/25

We are trying something new for school supplies for next year and are offering parents the opportunity to purchase quality standardized school supplies through School Start for the 2024/2025 school year.

This is optional and orders will not be handled through the school, but rather with this company directly.

3 WAYS TO ORDER:

1. ONLINE: You can place your order online at www.schoolstart.ca.
   

   Our site is best compatible with Firefox or Chrome.

2. PHONE: You can call our customer service centre at 1-800-580-1868 to place your order over the phone.

3. EMAIL:   You can print and fill out the order form and return to our office via email to: info@schoolstart.ca.

HOME DELIVERY:

The supplies will be packaged and delivered directly to your house. If you have a P.O. Box, please use your street address (the address you would give 911 in an emergency).

Because the kit (s) are delivered to your home, you will have the ability to:

Pre-label your child’s supplies

Add supplies to your order for home use or for your child in another school

SCHOOL START CALL CENTRE IS AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH ORDERING: 1-800-580-1868 Email: info@schoolstart.ca

Summer Volunteers Needed to Water our Garden Area!

You may have seen the Western Red Cedar tree and the planter boxes on the front grass area of the school.  This area is well-used as an outdoor learning space during the school year and both the tree and the garden boxes require regular watering.   While school is in session, teachers and students take care of this.  During the summer, though, we need your help.   For the past three summers we have had families volunteer to water the garden boxes and cedar tree and we need to do the same, this summer.

As we’ve done for the past three summers, we will put together a schedule of volunteers to take turns doing the watering so that it’s a manageable task (many hands make light work).  You will have access to water and a hose at the school, and we will show you exactly what needs to be done before the end of the school year.

 If you are willing to help out with watering this summer (particularly if you live nearby!), please email Mme Hamilton at hhamilton@deltaschools.ca   And, if you’ve helped with this in previous summers, you’re now an expert, so we’d love to have you on the team again this year!  

PAC EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS

At our next meeting on June 3^rd, we will be holding our elections for the 2024-2025 Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Executive Committee. To view the Executive Officer positions available and their respective duties, refer to the PAC constitution.

The Devon Gardens PAC cannot function without dedicated volunteers. We welcome nominations for all elected positions and hope you will join us in fulfilling our mandate to represent the parent voice and support our school. Below is a list of the PAC executive positions, name of the current appointed representative, with years served and intention to continue for the 2024-2025 school year.

Executive Officers shall be elected by the Voting Members at the AGM held in June each year. The term of office shall commence in September of each year and shall be held for one year. Any Elected Member of the PAC may serve on the Executive for as many years as is elected to a position.

NOMINATION Process 

To express your interest, agreement to serve, and confirm your qualifications for the position you would like to nominate yourself for, please email send an email to pacdevongardens@gmail.com with the following information:

• Full name
• Contact information
• Position interested in

Nominations will also be accepted from the floor during the AGM.

We hope you will consider running for a position on the 2024-2025 DG PAC Executive Committee.

Thank you,

Devon Gardens PAC

Canadian Parents for French

Our PAC is looking for a DG representative for Canadian Parents for French. For more information on CPF, please check out their website: https://cpf.ca/en/

If you’re interested, or would like more information, please contact the PAC at pacdevongardens@gmail.com.

Family Fun Night Update:

Baked Goods for Musical Cakes:

We have also asked for baked goods to help support the musical cakes portion of the evening! This is a very popular activity, so we need a large number of cakes, cookies, donuts, etc. to support this!

Please email the PAC (pacdevongardens@gmail.com) if you can bake or donate items! Items to be brought to the school the morning of June 13.

 

Final reminder…. RAFFLE BASKETS! 

The deadline is MAY 31! Notices were sent home a few weeks ago with your child’s classroom basket theme. There are many baskets that only have 1-2 items in them 🙁

Please consider bringing in an item (or 2!) to help us make these baskets plentiful! Remember,  the primary and intermediate class that has the most items in their basket will win an ice cream treat!

Cash donations are also welcome to support purchasing extra basket items. In this case, please make sure the money comes in a clearly marked envelope so we know what it’s for.

Thank you all for your continued support!

Stay tuned for more Family Fun Night updates!

 

 

 

 

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

Are you interested in hosting an International Student?  Or, do you know of a family who might be?  Delta School District International Programs is currently recruiting homestay families for international students coming to Delta School District for September 2024. They will arrive from all over the world and have a strong desire to be in Delta.

The reimbursement for hosting will be increasing to $1,150 per month as of September 2024. Multiple students from different nationalities can be hosted in one home. The majority of students in the homestay program are from Germany, Japan, Spain, Italy, and Brazil. At the moment, more that 20 different countries are represented in the homestay program.

Many are looking for a family connection and being a part of a family during their stay in Delta. Their study periods range from 3 months to half a school year, to a full school year, to multiple years.

We have two 3-week summer programs where host parents welcome younger English learners into their home. It is a great way for students to see what school (and life) in Delta is like and for new homestay families to get a small sample of what hosting is like. Reimbursement for each 3-week program is $850 per student.

If you are interested in hosting, please reach out to homestay@godelta.ca. If you are not able to host but know of a family who can, please send them our way. There are referral bonuses available for referring families.

Public Education Event – Child Safety

The Delta Police Department in partnership with The Delta School District is holding a public education at North Delta Secondary from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on the topics of child exploitation, human trafficking, and gangs.

Supporting Children to have a Positive Relationship with Food

Delta Choral Society and Youth Choir

Delta Choral Society (DCS), a not-for-profit charity, is committed to offering an inclusive, affordable music experience for students in Delta with its Children and Youth Choirs. If your child has an interest in singing and being part of a musical team, sign them up for only $70 per term. Terms run September through December and January through May. The choirs provide children and teens with the opportunity to cultivate an appreciation for music and share their talents with the community at end of term concerts. They will learn proper singing techniques in a fun but structured environment. Our 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. The Delta Youth and Children’s Choir currently rehearses at Benediction Lutheran Church, 5575 6 Ave, Tsawwassen, on Monday evenings from 5:15-6:00pm.

For more information, please email info@deltachoral.ca and to register your child for the fall term, please visit https://www.deltachoral.ca/join-new-members/

Community Supports for Parents and Families

Summary of services/supports and Parent/Caregiver Monthly Events.:

We are a team of FamilySmart Parent Peer Support Workers for Surrey, Delta, and White Rock. We support parents and caregivers whose children (0 to 24+ years old) struggle with mental health and/or substance use. We have no waitlist, no diagnosis is needed, and our services are free. We provide the following:

Peer Support – We can meet with parents by video chat or phone. We listen, to better understand what might help, and offer resources and information to support what a family may need now. Here is a link: FamilySmart Parent Peer Support Video.

Monthly Events – Each month, we host online events for parents and caregivers on topics important to many families. We watch a video by an expert speaker, then open it up to discussion and questions: Parent/Caregiver Monthly Events.

We also have a video library available for anyone: Our Video Library.

Workshop “Help for the Hard Times” – A monthly workshop for families and caregivers whose child or youth has had an inpatient stay or has had ER visits due to a mental health concern: HHT Info & Registration. We have attached a poster on this program.

Surrey, White Rock, Delta

Parent Peer Support Workers – Surrey, White Rock, Delta

604-607-9587

www.familysmart.ca

Typically reply within a few business days.

Languages: Currently, provide support in English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu

Friday, June 14th: Sports Day