Dear DG Families,
Happy New Year! We hope that all of you had a great holiday season. We are looking forward to welcoming our learners back to school on Monday, January 10th, 2022!
Updated Health and Safety
There have been a lot of updates from the Ministry of Education and Health. Here are the health and safety updates and reminders!
Please note the following health and safety updates and reminders:
- Please continue to complete the daily health check prior to sending your child(ren) to school. Students are to stay home when sick, and following public health recommendations.
- Staff will continue to provide daily reminders of hand hygiene (washing hands often and the use of hand sanitizers) to students
- The Provincial Health Officer’s Face Coverings Order requires all K-12 staff, students and
visitors to wear face coverings (masks) in schools and on buses. Please ensure that you are packing a mask (or 2!) for your child(ren). - Access to our building will still be limited.
- Please ensure that your child comes to school with all that he/she needs for the day which includes a water bottle, snack, lunch, masks, and a change of clothes.
Staggered Entry and Exit Times
- We will be staggering our entry/exit to limit congestion. Students with classrooms on the first floor (all primary classrooms & Ms Savu’s class) will be entering the building at 8:42 a.m. and exiting the building at 2:50 p.m. and 1:35 p.m. on Wednesdays.
- Students with classrooms on the second floor (all intermediate classrooms & Mme Oliveira’s class) will be entering the building at 8:47 a.m. and exiting the building at 2:55 p.m. and at 1:40 p.m. on Wednesdays.
- Recess and lunch times have also been adjusted to limit the number of students out at any given time.
Primary Classrooms – entry at 8:42 a.m. and dismissal at 2:50 p.m. on M/T/Th/F and at 1:35 p.m. on Wednesdays
For your clarification, Primary Classrooms are Mme Jassal’s, Mme Turner’s, Mme Sutter’s, Mme Lovat’s, Ms. Chan’s, Mrs. Burr’s, Ms. Richmond’s, Ms. Flag’s, and Ms. Savu’s.
Intermediate Classrooms – entry at 8:47 a.m. and dismissal at 2:55 p.m. on M/T/Th/F and at 1:40 p.m. on Wednesdays
Intermediate Classrooms are Mr. Mok’s, Mr. States’, Ms. Willcox’s, Ms. Arjun’s, Mme Santos’, M Lawler’s, Mme Ko’s, and Mme Oliveira’s.
- Please ensure that your child comes to school with all that he/she needs for the day which includes a water bottle, snack, lunch, masks, and a change of clothes.
- NO MID DAY LUINCH DROP OFF – Students must also bring their snacks and lunches with them in the morning as lunch drop offs at school will still not be permitted. Should a student forget his/her lunch, they will not go hungry. We will have some food supplies on hand for emergencies.
- Students will not be permitted to share food with one another (also, please do not send treats on your child’s birthday)
Here is the email attachment sent by Mme Greenhalgh:
Reporting Student Absences
If your child will be absent from school, please remember to call our office at 604-581-6185 to let us know. 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.
When you are dropping off or picking up students, please ensure that you are leaving enough space between yourself and others. This is particularly important in the undercover area where space is more limited. For this reason, do not stand with your child in their line-up. As well, parents and guardians are asked to please wear a mask when on the school grounds. We thank you for doing your part to help keep everyone safe.
Please also leave the school grounds promptly once you have dropped off/picked up your child
Board Games
In our emergency planning, we know we need to be able to keep students safe, fed, hydrated, dry and warm for up to 72 hours. But we would also need to keep them occupied.
To help with this, we are looking for donations of things like gently used board games, puzzles, Lego, card games, etc… (things that don’t take up too much space, or require power/batteries). So far, we have received a couple of donations. But, we could definitely use some more! If you have items at home you are no longer using that might be suitable, please consider donating them to our EP program. For games/puzzles, please double check there are no missing pieces. Donations can be dropped off at the school office.
Parking Lot Reminders
Please be mindful when you are driving through the staff parking lot at ALL times. Students are coming through the lot as well when they are trying to access the office.
We understand that drop off and pick up times can be very busy. We encourage families to walk to and from school if possible. Unfortunately, our school was just not designed to accommodate so much traffic during drop off and pick up. Parents can continue to help us keep our students safe during pickup and drop off times, by doing the following.
- Use the designated parent parking lot across the street from the school
- Follow the directions of crossing guards
- Keep our school/staff parking lot clear of parent vehicles and pedestrians
- Stress to your children that they should not hang out in our parking lot
- Keep vehicles clear of Downs Road
- Do not block private driveways of houses near our school
- Encourage older students to walk to school
- If possible, walk younger students to school
- Drive slowly and cautiously
- Report traffic concerns to the office and/or the Delta Police non-emergency line
Please follow the traffic signs also when dropping off your child on 112th; park only in designated parking spots.
We have been told that bylaw officers will be patrolling our school areas to ensure that everyone is following the traffic rules.
Grade 7 Information Nights for Burnsview and Delview Secondary
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.
French Immersion for the 2022-23 School Year
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.
Here are some other important reminders/dates about French Immersion:
1. 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 will be available January 4th on the District website
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
2. Parent Info Nights – Due to COVID, the French Immersion Parent Info sessions are pre-recorded. The Early French Immersion video is below (the Late French Immersion video will be available in January).
Parents/Guardians of Early French Immersion applicants will be notified by Tuesday, February 8, 2022 if:
- they have been accepted to Early French Immersion
- what school they should register at
Please visit the Delta School District Website for more information: https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/french-immersion/
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
Please note that the scheduled PAC meeting that was to take place on Monday, January 10th via zoom will be postponed until Monday, January 17th at 7:30 p.m. via zoom.
Reminder – 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. For details and to place an order, please visit our very own Devon Gardens landing page https://www.kaci.io/devon-gardens-elementary-school-level-ground. Enter DevonGardens in the discount code field at checkout and 15% of your purchase will be a payback to the school on every order of $40+. Free shipping on orders $40+
Online Stay Safe & Babysitting Courses
Offered through First Aid Hero. When registering use promo/coupon code DGPAC and our PAC will earn $8 from each registration. For details, available course dates and online registration, please follow the links below: Babysitting – https://firstaidhero.com/babysitting-courses/online-babysitting-courses/ Stay Safe – https://firstaidhero.com/stay-safe/
Questions? Send an email to pacdevongardens@gmail.com
Regards,
Devon Gardens PAC
Tuesday, January 4th – January 22nd: Early French Immersion Applications
Monday, January 10th: school reopens
Monday, January 17th: PAC meeting at 7:30 p.m. via zoom
Thursday, January 20th: Term 2 Previews sent home
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/