Dear DG Families,
Thank you to those of you who were able to join us at our Remembrance Day assembly on Thursday. We are so appreciative of our staff and students for all the hard work and thoughtfulness that went into preparing for that assembly. We hope that during the long weekend that you not only were able to spend more time with family, friends and loved ones, but that you also took some time to remember those served our country.
Week(s) of Giving
At this time of year, one thing we focus on at Devon Gardens, is how help and give others hope for the holidays. Beginning November 20th, we will kick off our Week(s) of Giving initiative. This year we are supporting two organizations in particular: Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre (FRAFCA) and The Orchard, Whole Way House Society.
We will be collecting various (NEW) items, suitable for a variety of ages (for Kids and Teens) that will then be assembled into gift boxes. If you would like to help us with these donations, please keep the information below in mind when doing your holiday shopping . The gift boxes will be shoe boxes, so please keep this size in mind when sending in donations. And, if you have shoe boxes (with lids) to donate, please send those in to the school, starting any time, now!
November 20th, 21st & 22nd : Mittens & Tote Bags (mitts, gloves, reusable tote/shopping bags…)
November 23rd, 24th, 28th: Something to sip (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, cute mugs, travel tumblers, Starbucks or Tim Hortons Gift Cards, etc…)
November 29th, 30th & December 1st: Something to do / Home Decor (picture frame, art, posters, ornaments, cross word puzzle books, sodoku, rubics cubes, colouring books & crayons/pencil crayons, sketch books, playing cards, travel board games, etc..)
December 4th, 5th & 6th Something Sweet to Eat (cookies, candies, chocolates, restaurant gift cards, etc…)
December 7th & 8th: any items you wish to donate but forgot to send on the previous days.
In addition to our Week(s) of giving initiative, exchanging families with another Delta school to put together Christmas Hampers, as well as collecting canned food items, at our Christmas Concerts, for the Food Bank.
Please stay tuned for more information, coming soon.
November’s Focus – Growth Mindset
Each month we have school wide focus. For the month of November, the focus is on perseverance and having a growth mindset.
When we talk about helping kids to persevere or having a growth mindset, we’re not saying they should learn to act like things are great all the time (because that’s not real!). As we focus on perseverance mindset, one of the things we’ll be talking about is helping kids develop resilience and a growth mindset.
What Is a Growth Mindset? We all have beliefs about our own abilities and potential. These beliefs are part of our mindset, which helps determine the actions we take – or don’t take – as we go through life.
A growth mindset is the belief that our intelligence and abilities (and often our circumstances) can be improved with effort and the right strategies. A fixed mindset, on the other hand, is the belief that our intelligence and abilities are more or less stable and unchangeable.
Cultivating a growth mindset has been strongly linked to greater happiness and achievement in life. When kids know their brains are capable of growing, amazing things can happen! So how can you help them develop this mindset?
Here are some ways to help support the concept of “growth mindset” at home
1. Talk about the brain and how it works – help kids understand that the brain literally grows new connections as they practice and learn how to do something. When kids learn how their brains work and grow, they take the first steps of developing a growth mindset.
2. Talk about the two mindsets and the basic differences of growth and fixed mindsets. Find opportunities to help kids recognizing them – in story characters and even in themselves. Here’s a great video to get you started
3. Model a growth mindset for them. One effective way to do this is to let your kids overhear your thinking out loud when you go through challenges.. For example, saying “This is really hard for me. I guess I better keep practicing.”
4. Add the magical word … YET If you hear your child say he/she can’t do something, encourage them to add “yet” at the end of the sentence. eg. “I can’t do a cartwheel, yet”
Just one word drastically changes the meaning of the phrase – and the outlook moving forward!
5. Praise effort over outcome. The key to instilling a growth mindset is teaching kids that their brains are like muscles that can be strengthened through hard work and persistence. To reinforce that as parents, it’s important to praise effort over outcome. For example, instead of praising your child for a seemingly permanent characteristic (“You are so smart”), praise the effort they put into it (“You worked really hard to solve that problem.”) The first is known as people praise; the second is process praise. Process praise promotes an internal sense of self-efficacy because it reinforces that successes are due to effort (which the child can control) rather than some fixed level of talent or skill.
6. Avoid labelling – Whether it’s a positive label (You are so smart!) or a negative one (He’s not very good at math), they both communicate a fixed mindset. Instead of motivating kids, labels like these can lead to limiting beliefs about themselves and others.
7. Replace negative self-talk with these phrases. Talk to your kids about their “inner voice” and the concept of self-talk, both positive and negative. Teach them to recognize unhelpful self-talk and replace it with positive alternatives. For example:
- This is too hard, I’ll never get it… This may take more time and effort.
- I can’t do Math… I am going to train my brain to do Math.
- I suck at basketball… I am not as good at basketball yet as I want to be.
Emergency Preparedness
Thank you to those families who sent in their Emergency Prep donations. We really appreciate your support. This year our water supplies need to be replaced, so your donations will assist us in doing so. We are also needing some other items that families may wish to donate. These items don’t need to be new, just in good working condition. You may even have some of these at home that you wish to donate:
- several bright/high powered battery operated flashlights
- 2 bright/high powered battery powered lanterns
- 2 multi-tools (eg. leatherman, swiss army knife)
- large easel whiteboard
- blankets (clean, no holes)
- hand held pencil sharpeners (not electric)
If you do have something on this list that you wish to donate, please contact our Vice Principal, Mme Hamilton before bringing/sending the items to school.
Ensuring Students come Dressed for the Weather
The temperatures are dropping and the rain is falling! 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.
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.
School Goal – Writing Focus
For the last couple of years, our school academic goal has been centred around writing. Specifically, our goal has been to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to writing; explicitly teaching strategies to help students construct powerful sentences.
In order to support of our writing goal, we’ve created dedicated time for teachers to work collaboratively, in grade groups, where they meet to look at resources to support their teaching, talk about writing strategies, share ideas, co-plan activities and lessons, analyze student writing samples, and more.
Mrs. Goldman, our librarian, also arranges for some author visits. Last month, our intermediate students had an opportunity to meet author Kenneth Oppel when he visited our school. Having students hear from an author directly can be a powerful experience. It can help build relationships between kids and the written word, inspire them to pursue creative endeavours, and connect lessons learned in the classroom with the wider world. Hearing directly from an author also gives kids a behind the scenes look at how a story or book comes to be; the journey from idea to publication. When authors discuss how they have to incorporate their editors’ feedback students recognize how authors have to use the same skills that they are learning in class and make the connection with the feedback they, themselves, receive from their teachers about their own writing process.
Do you know someone who might like to be a Crossing Guard?
We are still looking for adult crossing guards, both full time (at Nordel and 112th), part time (at 112th by the entrance to the school field) and casual/on-call. Despite our efforts and multiple job postings, we have had a very difficult time filling these positions and are hoping our DG families might be able to help. If you know anyone who might be interested in being a Crossing Guard, please pass this information along. This is a paid position ($19.91 per hour), and is one hour per day – half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon. It would be perfect for someone who is retired and/or just looking for something to earn a little extra money that doesn’t require a lot of time. If you are interested, or you know someone who might be, please email our Vice Principal, Mme Hamilton, or call the school office (604-581-6185).
PAC INFORMATION
Is this yours?
This has been in the PAC kitchen since Family Fun Night last year. Perhaps it’s yours? If yes, please contact the PAC at pacdevongardens@gmail.com
Reminder – Pick up of Neufeld Farms Orders is this Wednesday (Nov 8th) at 6:00 pm in the school parking lot
If you placed an order for Neufeld Farms items, the orders will be delivered to the school for you to pick up at 6pm on November 8th. Please ensure you come to collect your orders at that time.
Additional 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.
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
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS/FAMILIES
Virtual ERASE learning sessions for families and children will be held on November 28, and 30, focusing on establishing safe, caring, and respectful digital communities. These online sessions are best suited for families and youth aged 10 and above.
Family Session: Establishing Safe, Caring, & Respectful Digital Communities – Everyone Welcome!
Details: Recommended for Parents/Caregivers/Grandparents and youth aged 10 and up as a way to facilitate the conversation of safe and caring use of technology at home and in the community. This session covers all things digital, from how to be a good digital citizen, the criminal consequences of cyberbullying, and how to report and receive support in cases of sexting/sextortion. Some of the most prominent concerns currently surrounding use of social media platforms, smartphones, and artificial intelligence will be discussed.
STUDENTS WILL LEARN:
- Digital media habits, oversharing, and digital addiction
- The permanence of online posts/activity
- The significance of your digital tattoo in how others perceive you (e.g., sports teams, college admissions, and potential employers)
- The importance of caring for peers both online and offline
- Geo-locational settings and the dangers of social media and cell phone misuse
- The social and legal consequences of cyberbullying behaviour as well as possession and distribution of intimate images (sexting and sextortion)
- An anonymous student reporting tool that can help you and your friends stay safe both online and offline
Schedule:
November 28, 2023 7:00pm – 8:00pm
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/732343096917?aff=oddtdtcreator
November 30, 2023 6:30pm -7:30pm
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/732346587357?aff=oddtdtcreator
Thursday, November 16th – PAC Special Lunch Day
Thursday, November 16th – Gr 7 volleyball @ Richardson
Monday, November 20th – Weeks of Giving begins (something cozy)
Monday, November 20th – photo retakes day
Monday, November 20th – Gr 7 volleyball @ DG
Tuesday, November 21st – Weeks of giving donations (something cozy)
Wednesday, November 22nd – Weeks of giving donations (something cozy)
Thursday, November 23rd – Weeks of giving donations (something to sip)
Thursday, November 23rd –Gr 7 volleyball @ Annieville
Friday, November 24th – Weeks of giving donations (something to sip)
Monday, November 27th – pro-d day (no school for students)
Tuesday, November 28th – Weeks of giving donations (something to sip)
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.