Dear DG Families,

We enjoyed seeing so many of you over the last week!  For the many new families joining us at DG, welcome! We are eager to get to know your children better over the course of the school year.

Individual School Photos

Individual school photos will be taken on Tuesday, September 14th.

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School Planners

At Devon Gardens, students in grades one through seven use student planners. This is an excellent tool to help students develop effective habits and take responsibility for their learning.  Planners also help keep parents informed about their child’s schoolwork, and can also be a communication tool between parents and teachers.  Please watch for a notice coming home this Thursday.

Snack, Lunch, and Water Bottles

Please ensure that your child packs a snack, lunch and water bottle daily, as access to our school building is still limited (ie. please do not drop off lunch for your child at the office).

This year, we will continue to have students pack out what was packed in their lunch.  That is, we will ask that whatever comes in your child’s lunch bag goes home in their lunch bag, including empty juice boxes and food wrappers. In this way, we will create far less garbage at school and you will have a better idea of what your child is finishing for lunch.

This year, September 30th has been designated as a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As such, schools will be closed on this day.

In June, the federal government passed new legislation  making September 30 a national statutory holiday commemorating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The designation of this day is in response to one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and is meant to honour survivors, their families, and communities. It also ensures the ongoing commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools will remain a vital part of the reconciliation process.

Here is the link to the adjusted 2021-2022 school calendar:

APPENDIX II – Final

We also have a month at a glance calrndar, which we update all the time, on our website.  Please check this calendar regularly.

Here is the link:

https://dg.deltasd.bc.ca/events-calendar/

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Dressing for the Weather

Our students will be heading outside for recess and lunch throughout the school year. Please ensure that your child is dressed for the weather to go out to play. Please expect that kids will go out for recess and lunch, unless there is extreme weather.

Health and Safety Guidelines

The B.C. government is requiring students in Grades 4 to 12 to wear a non medical mask indoors, at school.

All K-to-12 staff and visitors also need to wear masks indoors, and kids in kindergarten to Grade 3 are strongly encouraged to wear masks.

Please ensure your child comes to schools with clean masks for the day.  While we do have masks for children who forget theirs, we don’t have enough to be regularly supplying masks to students on a daily basis.

Parent Connect

Please take the time to log in to Parent Connect and to update your forms. Please see the link for details.

parent connect instructions

Managing Life Threatening Allergies at school

While many people suffer from bothersome but manageable allergies (eg. certain foods, pet dander, seasonal allergies, etc…), a small number of people have severe, life threatening allergies.   At Devon Gardens, we have students and staff who have severe allergies to nuts and onions.   Their allergies are so severe that these items cannot be brought to school, at all.

In addition to this, if your child is in a class with a student who has a severe allergy, you will receive a letter from the school outlining if certain food/products need to be avoided by students in the class in order to create a safe environment.

If your child has life-threatening allergies, please ensure you have informed the school and that you have provided the necessary paperwork and rescue medication (eg. Epi-Pen). These forms were sent home last week with students whom we already know have medical alerts.  We ask that they please be completed and returned to the office as soon as on as possible.  If your child has a medical alert and you did not receive the forms, please contact Ms. Huffington at the office.     phuffington@deltaschools.ca

Thank you for your cooperation.  With your help, we can do our best to prevent a reaction and to make sure that all of our students are safe, healthy, and able to concentrate on learning. Anyone wishing further explanation or information on this type of allergy may contact the school.

MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

If your child has any serious allergies or medical conditions, and/or needs to have access to medication such as an inhaler or epipen at school, there is a form that needs to be completed each year.   These were sent home with students we already know about.   Please complete them promptly and return them, along with your child’s medication, to the school office.   If you did not receive the forms last week, please contact our school administrative assistant, Ms. Huffington at phuffington@deltaschools.ca

Crossing Guard

We are looking for an adult crossing guard for the intersection at Nordel and 112th. This is a paid 1 hour a day position (half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon) while school is in session. If you or someone you know would be interested in this job, please email stee@deltaschools.ca

We are pleased to welcome the following staff members to Devon Gardens!  A complete list of our staff can be found on our school website.

Ms. Huffington – administrative assistant

Ms. Furlong – educational assistant

Ms. Hanna – educational assistant

Mr. Dibbley – music teacher

Ms. Richmond, teacher Regular Program

Mr. States – teacher, Regular Program

Mme Turner – teacher, French Immersion Program

Ms. Sale – child and youth care worker

Mr. Kisun – custodian

Mr. Kumar – custodian

We are still in the process of filling some positions, so please stay tuned for more Staff announcements.

To contact your classroom teacher via email, please see our contact list.

https://dg.deltasd.bc.ca/staff/staff-directory/

Our School Garden

Thank you to the families who signed up to help us take care of our school garden and our cedar tree! The garden looks fantastic and it is rewarding to see the harvest of our vegetables!

We are pleased to welcome the 2021-2022 PAC Executive Members.

Tuesday, September 14th: Individual photos taken

Thursday, September 23rd: DG Open House (details to be confirmed)

Thursday, September 23rd: Term 1 previews sent home electronically

Friday, September 24th: Professional Development day (school is not in session)

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