Week at a Glance Jan 17 – 21

Dear DG Families,

It has been great to welcome our students back to school last week.

Just a reminder of the changes to our schedules based on the Ministry guidelines.  In particular, please note the slight change to entry and dismissal times.  We have also gone back to having 2 different recess and lunch breaks (downstairs classes together & upstairs classes together).  These changes are necessary in order to avoid congestion in the hallways at transition times and to reduce the amount of students out on the school grounds during recess and lunch.

First Floor Classrooms (Ms. Burr, Ms. Chan, Ms. Richmond, Mme Lovat, Mme Turner, Mme Jassal, Ms. Savu, Ms. Flag, Mme Sutter)

  • Entry time is at 8:42 a.m. and dismissal is at 2:50 p.m. (1:35 p.m. on Wednesdays)
  • Recess time is 10:40 – 10:55 a.m.
  • Lunch time is 11:50 – 12:20 playing outside and then 12:20 – 12:35 eating inside

 

Second Floor Classrooms (Mme Oliveira, Ms. Willcox, Mme Santos, M Lawler, Mme Ko, Mr. States, Mr. Mok, Ms. Arjun)

  • Entry time is at 8:47 a.m. and dismissal is at 2:55 p.m. (1:40 p.m. on Wednesdays)
  • Recess time is 11:00 – 11:15 a.m.
  • Lunch time is 12:20 – 1:05 p.m. (eating time is 12:20-12:35 and outside time is 12:35 – 1:05)

 

 

Reporting Student Absences 

If your child will be absent from school, the school policy for reporting an absence is that parents MUST notify the office directly.   You can do this by either:

  1. calling the school (604-581-6185) and following the prompts to leave a message
  2. by sending an email to the general school email address devongardens.elem@deltaschools.ca

In your message, please also let us know the reason of your child’s absence.  If your child is away due to illness, please also let us know your child’s symptoms.  

Please note – Just advising the teacher, or another staff member, is not sufficient. 

The Ministry is requiring that schools track absences (especially student illnesses) very carefully and we’ve now had several instances where absences have been missed because the absence information was communicated to someone other than the office.  For example when dropping off their other child, a parent informs a staff member of the sibling’s absence.  a parent emailed the teacher regarding a student’s absence but the teacher didn’t see the email until after school, or in another situation the teacher didn’t see the email because they were also absent that day.

For this reason, please report your child’s absence directly to the office, via phone call or email.   If you like, you may also advise the classroom teacher of your child’s absence, but the requirement is that parents report their child’s absence to the office.

Please ensure your child comes prepared for the day & dressed for the weather

We still have many students arriving at school unprepared for the day.  Please make sure your child brings the following items with them to school:

 

 

Our Next Cops for Cancer Fundraiser is gonna be Sweet, so don’t miss out!

For our next Cops for Cancer fundraiser, we are offering families the chance to order festive chocolates for either/both Lunar New Year and/or Valentine’s Day.   Order forms were sent home Thursday with the youngest/only child, and are due back this Wednesday (Jan 19th).   If you need another copy of the order form, it’s on our website

Cops for Cancer Feb Chocolate Fundraiser

Thank you, in advance, for supporting this worthwhile cause!

 

Term 2 Previews

Term 2 previews will be sent home electronically to families on Thursday, January 20th. Please look for it in your inbox.

 

French Immersion Application Deadlines are Quickly Approaching!

Please share this information with other families you know who may be interested in French Immersion for next year

Our district offers both early (Kindergarten) and late (grade 6) French Immersion programs.  Both programs require an application prior to registration. 

Applications are required even if you already have a child in the French Immersion program

Here are some other important reminders/dates about French Immersion:

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.   Applications are available on the District website  https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/french-immersion-applications

Application deadlines are:

  • Early French Immersion (Kindergarten-Grade 12) 4p.m. Saturday, January 22nd, 2022
  • Late French Immersion (Grade 6-Grade 12) 4p.m. Saturday, February 12th, 2022

Parents/Guardians of Early French Immersion applicants will be notified by Tuesday, February 8, 2022 if:

  1. they have been accepted to Early French Immersion
  2. what school they should register at

 

Please visit the Delta School District Website for more information: https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/french-immersion/

 

 

Student Led Conferences

When we set our calendar last Spring, we weren’t sure how long the pandemic restrictions would last and we were hopeful that, by now, things (like student led conferences, originally scheduled for Thursday, January 27th)  might be back to “normal”.  Little did we know!
With our current COVID restrictions, we are unable to host our traditional student-led conferences (where groups of students and their families come to the school at a selected time to look over student work). COVID continues to require us to pivot and make adjustments to the way we might typically do things and to figure out how we could still hold student led conferences while following COVID rules. Student led conferences are valuable to help parents become actively involved in their child’s learning, so we did not want to cancel them. We will still have student led conferences – just in a different way.
If you remember what we did last year, we’ll be doing something similar again this year:
  • We will still have the one hour early dismissal (1:50- primary classes and 1:55 pm Intermediate classes) on January 27st, 2022. Teachers will use the early dismissal time to work on the take home conferences that will be sent home the following week. The format may look different from teacher to teacher, but in general, you can expect your child to bring home a portfolio/some sample of their work that they will share with you while they discuss their learning this year.

 

  • The following week, teachers will help students prepare their take-home conferences and on Thursday, February 3rd, 2022 students will take their conference portfolios home.  Just as you would do in a traditional student-led conference, parents will be asked to conference with their child about his/her learning. Your child’s teacher will provide some guiding questions for you to discuss with your child and will ask for some feedback, from both you and your child.

 

  • When your child brings home their portfolio, please set aside some time to review it with them and talk with them about the learning they’ve done so far his year.As we know that families are busy, we will ask that you do this sometime between February 3rdand February 9th.

 

  • Portfolios and feedback forms will be due back to the teacher by Thursday, February 10th.

INFORMATION FOR THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR

 

Kindergarten Registration 2022

Kindergarten registration takes place mid-February each year. A child may be registered to attend Kindergarten in September if his or her fifth birthday occurs on or before December 31st of the current year.

Kindergarten registration for the 2022/2023 school year will be held from February 14-20, 2022. Please register ONLINE for your catchment area school. For verification of your catchment area school, please check the School Locator. Instructions on how to register will be posted here in early February.

Please have the following documents ready to upload with your child’s registration (all documents must be received for registration to be accepted):

  1. Proof of birth date for the student (birth certificate or passport) (registration will not be accepted until proof of birth date is received).
  2. Proof of citizenship for both the parent and the student (Canadian birth certificate, citizenship card, passport, landed immigrant document, permanent resident card).
  3. BC Services Card
  4. Proof of Residency (Property Taxes – current receipt, purchase/rental agreement or rental receipt).

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/schools/student-registration/kindergarten/

Grade 7 Information Nights for Secondary Schools:

Burnsview Secondary

French Immersion Information Night

The French Immersion information night will be in the format of a Zoom meeting and will be held on Tuesday, January 25th at 7:00 pm. The Zoom link will be provided at a later date. This evening will provide information specific to the Immersion program at Burnsview including testimonials from students, descriptions of Immersion courses and activities, and a question and answer period. All Grade 7 French Immersion students and their parents are invited to participate.

Grade 8 Program Information Night

The second information night will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, February 1st at 7:00 pm. This session will include an overview of the Grade 8 program including a description of courses, the course selection procedure, and extra-curricular opportunities offered at Burnsview. This evening is open to all Grade 7 parents and students interested in attending Burnsview. Parents participating in the French Immersion information session will also benefit from attending this evening as other material will be covered.  A link will be provided once the date has been confirmed.

 

Delview Secondary

Grade 7 parent night at Delview is January 26 at 6:30pm.

More information will be shared in the new year as to whether or not it will be virtual or in person.

 

 

Crossing Guard Schedule

Please check the crossing guard schedule for when your child is scheduled to be a crossing guard. Reminders to please find someone to take your spot if you are unable to be out for your shift. Many thanks!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BMm71ezj8vyuCaZ2IBOJVu2osV2625I0zcJIqqkwYCk/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

Thank you

Thank you to all the families that donated for our Christmas hampers and throughout our week of giving in December.

We are pleased to share with you this email and video sent from one of the recipients (Union Gospel Mission Vancouver) of our week of giving.

Email from one of the staff at UGM:

Hi there,

My co-worker in reception here at UGM Vancouver let me know that your students came and dropped off some great clothing donations on Christmas eve – thank you so much!

He also said that you had requested a video to be sent as a thank you for the students and as a bit of information on the impact of their donation. My co-worker Margarita was onsite today and was able to put together a little video for your students here: https://share.vidyard.com/watch/VVAmQSAX9A83CAnmsLWVim?autoplay=1

Feel free to pass it along, and if you ever have any questions about donating to UGM in the future, please feel free to reach out to me at this email or to annualgiving@ugm.ca

 

Hugabull Year in Review Video:

Hugabull, one of the other organizations we helped during our week of giving, also sent along their heartfelt thanks to our students for the donations they received.  They also provided us the link to their “year in review” video that they share with their supporters.

 

Virtual PAC Meeting

Our next virtual PAC meeting will be on Monday, January 17th at 7:30 p.m. via zoom. A zoom link and the agenda will be sent out via email on Monday morning. All parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend.

SOCIAL MEDIA AWARENESS, DIGITAL
CITIZENSHIP, AND CYBERBULLYING

Delta Parent Session January 20 2022 (2) (1)

PARENT SESSION: 90-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A
As a parent, you lead the charge as a digital role model. Help your child develop a strong digital citizenship foundation while reminding them that their digital tattoo reflects their real and online selves. Parents have an important role to play in providing support and guidance during critical periods. A snapshot of current trends and concerning apps will be provided to equip you in your digital parenting strategy.
PARENTS: Do not miss this free event!
• Social Media Update – The most current apps and trends in your children’s social media lives
• Digital Parenting Strategy – How to have important conversations with your child around social
media safety including information about sextortion and online recruitment
• Digital Footprint and Reputation – With their future approaching, recruiters and employers are
taking note – What will they find?
• Family Tech Plan – Recommendations for family guidelines and parental controls
TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK:
https://forms.office.com/r/2UiU2Bibdt

Monday, January 17th: PAC meeting at 7:30 p.m. via zoom

Wednesday, January 19th: Chocolate order forms due back

Thursday, January 20th: Term 2 Previews sent home

Saturday, January 22nd: Deadline for Kindergarten French Immersion Applications

Thursday, January 27th: Early dismissal at 1:50 p.m. Primary Classes/Downstairs Divisions and 1:55 p.m. Intermediate Classes/Upstairs Divisions

Friday, January 28th: Professional Development Day (School is not in session for students)

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

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