September / October / November / December / January / February / March / April / May
Welcome back! I trust you all enjoyed a restful summer and
managed to work in lots of outside play time as families.
As planned through the accreditation process and the School Planning
Council, our school goals for this year focus on writing and on
social responsibility. We will be working on implementing our
writing 'mini-curriculum' this year as well as our Redfish 'word
wall' words and our standardized editing process. Please see your
child's teacher to find out how that will look in his/her class.
As a school we are taking on the challenge to memorize our Code
of Conduct. The Primary children are challenged to memorize the
four headings and give examples for each. The Intermediate students
are challenged to memorize the entire code OR memorize the four
headings and rewrite the rest in their own words before they memorize
it. Our goal is to maintain the strong feelings of safety expressed
by our students and it seems logical to begin with learning the
Code of Conduct. Parents, please feel welcome to take on the challenge
as well!
Mrs. Johnson, happy to be spending more time in her garden, has
been replaced by Mrs. Betty Vnoucek. Because of a cut in secretarial
time, Mrs. Vnoucek's schedule will be different from Mrs. Johnson's
- please watch the next newsletter to find out the best times
to contact her.
Welcome
· to the new students and their families who have joined the school community here this year:
· to our new Kindergarten students and their families:
Parents . . .
Would you like an exciting opportunity? The Redfish Parent Advisory Council is welcoming members, old and new. The first meeting will be held Monday, September 15 at 10:00 a.m. Come on out and get involved! For more information contact Reg Clarkson.
Code of Conduct
We feel fortunate at Redfish Elementary to have a group of respectful, hard-working students in our school community. We appreciate the efforts put out by both the students and you as parents in creating a positive learning environment for everyone. Our behaviour expectations for members of the school community are:
Respect for Self
Respect for Others
Respect for the School
Safety at all Times
Please take some time to discuss appropriate, respectful behaviour with your children to ensure a successful year for everyone. Thank you.
Class Structure
As of the first day of school we have 79 bright, healthy children attending Redfish Elementary School. Thank you for sharing them with us! The class structure that has been set up is as follows:
K & Gr.1 21 students Mrs. McDermott
Grade 2-3 18 students Mrs. Blair
Grade 3-4 22 students Mrs. Stein/Mrs.Dehnel
Grade 5-6 19 students Mr. Chirico
Learning Support/Library: Mrs. Stein
Prep/Principal Ms. Bailey
We are also fortunate to have the following support staff working with us this year:
Mr. Babakaiff Custodian
Mrs. Vnoucek Secretary/Library
Assistant
Mrs. Reid Teacher Assistant
Ms. Hall Teacher Assistant
'Rise to the Challenge' Board
This year the large bulletin board outside the library will focus on our school motto "Rise to the Challenge". From time to time, teachers will put up a new challenge for children to work at - either as an in-class activity or as an enrichment option. If a child takes on and completes a challenge, his/her picture will be added to the board . . . . hopefully many times! Please encourage your children to 'rise to the challenge' and help us celebrate success in our students.
Help!
We are looking for your castaways!
If you have . . .
- empty paper rolls
- old magazines (especially with colorful pictures)
- egg cartons
- wrapping paper that you will never use
- etc . . .
that we could use in our art center, please send them in to Ms.
Bailey! Thanks.
Read, Read, Read!
As we enter the new year, I'd like to take a minute to remind
you as parents of the power of reading to and with your children.
Please read with your children in the Intermediate years as well
as the Primary years. Reading and talking about stories or articles
is a great family activity!
Scholastic Book Orders
Have you ever wondered about those Scholastic book orders that arrive in your home? Traditionally, Scholastic has provided good books for children and their parents at a reasonable price. Because we want to encourage reading, we believe that there is value in having an opportunity like this. There is also a small benefit to the classroom in the form of free books with each order, but there is no obligation for parents to purchase books. If you do not wish for your child to bring home the order forms, please let your child's teacher know.
School Planning Council
Last year the Ministry of Education introduced a new committee at the school level called a School Planning Council. According to legislation, this council is to be an advisory body whose main responsibility is to consult with the school community to develop, monitor and review school plans for the improvement of student achievement. This committee consists of the principal, one teacher and three parent representatives. Please come out to the first PAC meeting to here more about how you could get involved in the council.
Open House
We will be holding our annual 'Meet the Teacher' night on Thursday, September 25 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Parents are invited out to see the classroom and meet your child's teacher. This is an informal gathering - parent/teacher interviews will be scheduled for November 24.
We plan also to run our Book Fair on Open House evening. The fair provides an opportunity for people to buy good books at great prices while supporting the school library program. Stock up on Christmas gifts early!
Volunteers are needed to help with the set-up and running of the fair both at lunch hour and in the evening. Please contact Mrs.Stein if you can help.
Bus Notes
If you wish to have your child travel to a different bus stop
from his/her regular stop, to get a ride home with another adult
or to wait at the school for you to pick him/her up, please send
in a note giving directions. This will eliminate confusion at
the end of the day. If you have another adult who typically picks
up your child, please let the school know. This will help us to
keep your children safe.
Parent Volunteers
We welcome the contributions of parents and community members
who wish to share talents and energy with the children here. Typical
tasks done by volunteers are
- helping with field trips
- helping out in the class
- sharing special talents
- coaching a sports team
- helping with hot lunches
If you wish to be a volunteer at the school this year, please plan to attend our volunteer orientation. We will hold a session on Monday, September 15 at 11:00 (just after the PAC meeting). Please call Mrs. Vnoucek to confirm your attendance. If you wish to volunteer and can not attend the session, please let Mrs. Vnoucek know, and we will work to accommodate you.
Terry Fox Run
In the fall of each year our students learn a little about Terry Fox and his 'marathon of hope' run across Canada. We also participate in a 'Terry Fox' walk to keep his dream for a cure for cancer alive. Our Terry Fox run will be held this year on Friday, September 12 at 1:00 p.m. Donations of any amount are accepted at the school and will be forwarded to the B.C. Cancer Society. Receipts will be issued upon request for donations of over $10. More information on Terry Fox can be found at http://www.terryfoxrun.org
The annual Terry Fox Run in Nelson will be held on Sunday,
September 14 at 10:00 at Lakeside Park.
Head Lice
In order to protect families from the inconvenience of head lice, we have a group of trained parent volunteers who come in to check our students' heads following each school break. If a student is found to have lice or nits, the parents will be contacted and will be requested to treat the child's head, removing all nits before the child returns to school. Our first lice check will be held tomorrow, September 5. Please send your child to school tomorrow without gel or mousse. Thanks!
If nits are found in a child's head, the parents in that child's class will be notified that there are nits in the class.
If you wish to help out with lice checks, please contact Janice Elder.
Chicken Pox
There have been a few cases of chicken pox reported in our school community. Attached to this newsletter is the Ministry of Health information on this illness. If your child breaks out in chicken pox, the Public Health nurse recommends he/she stay home until five days after the first rash occurs and until the blisters crust over. Thanks for your help!
Newsletters
We send home a school newsletter on the last Thursday of each month. Please watch for it! It will be sent home with the oldest/only child in your family. Please use the newsletter to keep up with what is happening at school! If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Bailey. Thanks.
School Schedule
8:04 First bell
8:07 Classes begin
9:40 Recess break
10:00 Classes begin
11:15 Lunch break
12:00 Classes begin
2:05 Dismissal
Our Kindergarten students will be in attendance on Wednesday and Thursday from 8:05 - 2:05. This schedule change accommodates a decision made by the School Board to eliminate Kindergarten bussing. In mid-February the Kindergarten students will begin attending on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Important Dates
September 12 - 1:00 p.m.
Terry Fox walk/run
September 15 - 10:00 a.m.
PAC meeting
- 11:00 a.m.
Volunteer Orientation
September 25 - Open House
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
September 26 - Pro-D
(Students do not attend school)
September End Of Month News
We have had an excellent September here at Redfish. The children
have settled in well to their new classes and are working hard.
We have had our Terry Fox Walk and two classes have been to Kokanee
Park for field trips about the Kokanee. Mrs. Blair's class has
the kokanee tank up and running and we are looking forward to
another hatch of fry in the spring. The running club has begun
and the challenge is out to run a total of 25 km in the next few
weeks.
Tonight we will be having our Open House, where parents are welcome
to come in to the school to meet the teacher and take a look at
your child's classroom. Mrs. Stein also has the Book Fair open
tonight and parents are invited to drop in and look at the selection
of books for children and adults.
Thank you . . .
Head lice
Keeping our school 'nit-free' is a high priority for families at this school. Although they do not pose a health threat, head lice are a major inconvenience to families and also are often expensive to get rid of. For this reason we have a 'nit free' policy. After school breaks we have a trained group of volunteers who comes in to check for lice. If lice are found on a child's head, the parent is contacted and asked to treat and remove all nits before the child returns to school. We will also send a note home to let you know if there have been lice/nits found in your child's classroom. That will give you an opportunity to keep a close eye on your own children.
Volunteer Orientation
We hold a volunteer orientation early each year for all parents who wish to volunteer in the school. There is a volunteer orientation planned for October 2 at 9:30 if you missed the first one - please note that you are expected to attend an orientation each year - thanks for your interest! If you are unable to attend on October 2 and wish to volunteer, please leave your name with Mrs. Vnoucek.
School Planning Council
Our school planning council held its first meeting this week, to go over our growth plan, prepare for our presentation to the board and take a look a the draft SPC policy. The committee consists of three parents, one teacher and the principal. The role of the School Planning Council is to work with staff, parents and students to create a growth plan consistent with Ministry and District direction. We meet at least three times each year.
We are looking for one new parent member for this council. If you are interested in being a part of this committee, please contact Reg Clarkson, Parent Advisory Council Chair.
Recycling
Because many students bring a number of recyclable beverage
containers to school everyday, Encorp has developed a program
to encourage the recycling of these containers. The grade 2/3
class is collecting recyclables and turning them in for a full
refund at the end of each month. The money is typically used for
field trips for all classes. The grade 2/3 class also hopes to
win cash prizes of $200 to $500 for collecting the most beverage
containers per student in the province. Thanks for your support
in our efforts! See http://www.encorp.ca/elemprogram/ for more
information on the program.
- submitted by Mrs. Blair
School Fees
School fees are collected each year to cover
- the cost of agendas
- the cross country ski program
- the cost of Kindergarten supplies
Fees are $30 for Kindergarten. Grades 1-6 fees are $19.50 per student (to a maximum of $39 per family). If you are unable to pay these fees, please contact Ms. Bailey. Thanks.
Apologies . . .
Sorry . . . in our list of staff at the beginning of the month we missed Mrs. Zeeman's name. Sharon is our noon hour supervisor!
Hold Your Magazine Renewals!
Redfish Elementary PAC will be doing our annual QSP Reading
Program Fundraiser. This magazine subscription campaign has been
very successful. Redfish keeps 37% of the magazine cost. We hope
you will be able to help out. Do you have neighbours, friends
or co-workers who enjoy reading, would like to order or renew
and help our school? Many of you previously subscribed and have
already received renewal notices.
Please hold your renewals until our campaign begins on October
2nd. Your
subscription should continue without interruption. Watch for more
info coming in your childs' backpack!
- submitted by Helen Price
Cross Country Running Club
The Cross Country Running team has begun to train! The children run every day with their classmates. Children in Grade 2-6 are running ten-fifteen minutes each afternoon. They have been given the challenge to run a total of 25 km over four weeks (the equivalent of running to Nelson!). Did you know that three laps around our field is approximately 1 kilometer?
We will be participating in a run at A.I. Collinson today! The District run will be at Lakeside Fields on Thursday, October 9th. Parents are welcome to come out and cheer on the team.
Community News:
Please remember - if you wish to inform families about non-profit activities or community events, please submit your article by the last Monday of the month. Thanks!
Procter Gymnastic Club Fall Sessions
Gymnastic classes will be held after school on Thursday, October 16th, 23rd, 30th, November 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th, December 4th, and 11th. For ages 4 years and up.
Class times will be announced once registration is completed.
Trampoline classes will be held on Wednesdays, October 15th, 22nd, 29th, November 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th, December 3rd, and 10th. For ages 7 years and up. Classes -- Level 1 Beginners and Level 1 Advanced.
Registration -- Friday, October 3, 2003
Procter Hall 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Cost: Gymnastics $54.00
Trampoline $54.00
Plus Insurance $20.00
For further information call Janice Elder 229-5796
Important Dates:
October 2, 9, 16, 23: Hot Lunch Thursdays
October 2: 9:30 am Volunteer Orientation
October 9: Cross-country Running Meet
Lakeside Park. 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
October 10: Schools Closed
October 13: Thanksgiving Holiday
October 14: ProD Day - Students do not attend school
October 15: PAC Meeting 7:00 pm
October 20: Axis Theatre -- Broccoli & Butterflies 9 am
October 22: Picture Day
October 24: District-wide Pro-D Day. Students do not attend school.
Redfish Elementary School
265 Bryan Road
Nelson, B.C. V1L 6M9
(250) 229 - 4224 (phone)
(250) 229 - 5676 (fax)
Ms. Lorri Bailey, Principal Mrs. Betty Vnoucek,Secretary
www.res.sd8.bc.ca
Another busy month has passed . . . our Cross Country Running club participated in the run at Lakeside Park early this month and performed well. The K-4 students had an excellent 'Clean Hands' presentation sponsored by Save-On Foods, all students participated in a fire safety day sponsored by the Balfour-Harrop Fire Department and we also were treated to an excellent performance by the Axis Theatre entitled 'Broccoli and Butterflies'. The Student Council candidates ran strong campaigns and the new council is in place as of today!
Students are excited about Halloween and the Grade 6 group did a great job of building a haunted house for children to walk through. Thanks for taking on that leadership role, Grade 6!
** Please note - there will be an assembly tomorrow morning
(Friday, October 31) at 9:00 a.m.** The next assembly will be
to commemorate Remembrance Day, on Monday, November 10 at 9:00
a.m.
Thank you . . .
Ø to the Elder family for the donation of Duplo and
the water bottles!
Ø to Mrs. Zeeman for organizing our fire safety day
Ø to the volunteers of the Balfour-Harrop fire department
for running activities for fire safety day
Ø to the parents who volunteered to telephone for our Winter
Activities survey
Ø to the parents who cheerfully answered the Winter Activities
Survey questions!
Student Council
Our students are amazing. We had the pleasure of listening to twenty-six speeches to fill the nine spots on the Student Council. It is exciting to see how confident and clear the children are becoming in their public speaking - thanks to all of the parents who encouraged children to 'rise to the challenge' and present a speech. Each child who spoke was well prepared and the speeches were a treat to hear!
Our Council is now in place and we wish the new group well as they work to become a leadership team in our school.
Please help!
Your donations of paper rolls, fabric scraps, etc. have really been appreciated this year. Please continue to keep and bring in anything that you think might be fun for children to use as art materials. All of the children in the school have a chance to access the Art center in Ms. Bailey's room at some point, so everyone benefits from your donations - thanks!
The Kindergarten class is making a collection of 'teeny tiny treasures' to be used in early literacy activities. Teeny tiny treasures are those items that are smaller than an egg and sit in the bottom of your toy box or your drawer. Items may include little animals, little tools, single pieces from games, tiny souvenirs, items left from goodie bags, etc. As long as these items are identifiable and easily named by children, we would love to use them. Right now, for example, we are using the teeny tiny treasures for sorting by beginning letter sounds. If you have any teeny tiny treasures that are looking for a good home, please send them in!
The Art center in Ms. Bailey's room is also looking to start a LEGO collection. If you know of anyone who is looking for a good place to donate LEGO, or sell their collection at a reasonable price, or if you see some going for a cheap price at a garage sale, please think about the school (we will reimburse you if you get a good deal at a Garage Sale!). Thanks!
School Planning Council
Our School Planning Council presented the growth plan to a committee of trustees, a parent, a principal and a District Staff member this month. As you are aware, our goals are in the areas of Social Responsibility and Writing this year. Already our staff has dedicated one Professional day to each of these areas this year. The growth plans of all District schools are put together into one District plan. This plan should be out soon and will be posted on the parent board if you wish to take a look.
QSP Reading Program
We surpassed our goal! Our students sold over 100 subscriptions. Amazing! That's over $1000 profit for our school. Thank you to all students, parents and staff who supported this fundraising campaign. Awesome job everyone!
The 5 lb. Chocolate Bar Draw will take place at the assembly on October 31st. Who whooo whoooooooo will win? Students receive one entry for each magazine order they sold. The winner will need to arrange safe transport home of this massive prize.
The Prize Locker prizes are sent from QSP. We should expect these prizes in by mid November and will be distributing them to the children during a lunch break.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding these magazine
subscriptions there is
1-800-667-2536 on the back of the pink copy of the order form,
they will help, or you can call me at 229-4740.
- submitted by Helen Price
Hot Lunch News
We all seem to have settled in to Thursday Hot Lunch days. A reminder to all -- to send a non-breakable cup and plate each hot lunch day. To keep lunch costs down, we don't purchase cups and have been using up supplies used for other functions. Please send a cup.
Something Different -- Any interest in Pizza to Go -- $12
for a large 14" ? If you would like to pre-order, prepay
and arrange pick up (at school), I can add to my Thor's Pizza
order. Call me at 229-4740 if you'd like to try this.
Submitted by Helen Price
Winter Activities
Thanks to all of you who provided feedback in our Winter Activities survey. It was clear that the Winter Activities program is considered to be a valuable use of time by the majority of our parents. On the question about whether we should move to a system where children do not have choice but move from activity to activity with their grade group there was a pretty even split in the vote. There was some concern expressed over whether all of the activities we offer are actually 'winter' activities but there was also a strong wish by others to make sure we included different 'indoor', non-athletic activities. Downhill skiing was suggested by some people as an option to consider and there was a long list of ideas for other activities to try.
For this year we will run a similar program as last year and then in Spring we will revisit the structure to see if there is a way to offer different activities at the primary and intermediate level. At this point I'm not sure how to offer downhill skiing as with rentals and the bus costs the price adds up pretty quickly. For this year we are looking into swimming, skating, gymnastics and dance or drama at the school. We tried to sign up for curling but can not get ice time to coordinate with pool time . . . Please watch next month for a choice sheet.
Thanks again for your help!
Lice Check
Thanks to all of the parents who came to help out in our latest lice check. There are still a few nits in the Grade 5-6 class and parents are working diligently to clear them up.
Remembrance Day Poppies:
The Royal Canadian Legion has provided poppies for all students to wear at our assembly on November 10th. We are collecting donations for the Legion and have a collection box available in the office. Thanks!
Photo Retakes:
The photographer will be here on Thursday, November 20th
- 8:20 a.m.
In order to ensure delivery of all portraits before Christmas,
photos will only be taken for those students who submit a Photo
Order Envelope with payment to the photographer on Photo Day.
If you wish to have retakes for your child, or if your child missed photo day and you would like a school photo, please write a note in your child's agenda and we will send home an order envelope.
Book Fair Is Coming!!
This year the students in grade 3/4 are having their annual Scholastic book fair from Thursday, November 20th to Tuesday, November 25th. The parents and students are invited to visit the book fair during lunch (11:25-12:00) on book fair days. As well, the books will be available to purchase on November 24th, which is Parent-Teacher Interview day at the school. This annual fundraiser provides free books for all the classrooms as well as the library. Depending on sales, the school gets up to 60% of the sales total in free books. Books make great Christmas gifts.
Mrs. Stein is looking for parent volunteers to work at the book fair on Parent-Teacher Interview day. Usually one-hour shifts are assigned and can be worked around your interview schedule. If you can volunteer your time, please contact Mrs. Stein or leave your name with Mrs. Vnoucek at the office. Thank-you!
Important Dates for November:
6, 13, 20, & 27: Hot Lunch days
10th - Assembly 9:00 a.m.
11th - Remembrance Day Holiday
20th - Photo Retakes.
24th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Students do not attend school.
November 2003
Thanks to all of you who braved the first snow of winter to come out to parent-teacher interviews. Thanks as well, to those of you who set up alternate dates to meet with teachers - we have a very high attendance rate for interviews and your commitment is appreciated.
The children in Grades 2-6 had a chance to hear a guest speaker on backpacks and backs last week. It was recommended that elementary children carry only 10% of their body weight in a pack and that the heaviest things be placed closest to the back. The children were also reminded to wear the backpacks properly, not sling them over their shoulders for the walk to and from the bus.
Thank you
· to Mrs. Zeeman, Chief Mathieson and the Balfour-Harrop
Fire Department for sponsoring 'Fire Chief for a Day' and taking
two of our children out for lunch and a tour of the hall!
· to all of the children and parents who supported the
Book Fair
· to Mr. & Mrs. Plant for their consistent, awesome
donations to the art centre
· to Ron Weaver for donating the big bag of teeny tiny
toys for the Kindergarten collection
· to the children who supported the Student Council Bake
Sale
Book Fair:
Over $800.00 was made at the book fair in November and we would like to thank everyone who purchased books from our sale. About 25% of the book fair total is returned to the school as books for all the children to enjoy. A special thank you to Gaye Isenor, Becky Young, Lynn Betts, Allison Hodgson and Pat Hodgson for volunteering to help at the fair. F
Two former students of Redfish also helped at the fair.
Thanks again for your support!
Ww had four winners of the draw for free books. Each winner received
a free book and poster from the fair. Congratulations to all!
Winter Activities
Our winter activities for the year are tentatively planned and plan to offer the following activities from January 13 to February 17 (Tuesday mornings)
- swimming
- gymnastics
- badminton (at the school)
- skating
Please return the attached form to indicate your preferences for your child this year. If there are not enough children signed up for an activity, it will be cancelled so please be sure to pick a second choice.
Something to think about . . .
Some schools offer a shorter program (ie. 3-4 sessions) and then run swimming lessons for all children in June. Would this be an affordable idea for our community?
Volleyball
We will be hosting an intermediate co-ed volleyball tournament here on Friday, December 5 from 12:00 - 3:00. Parents are welcome to come and watch. Good luck to our two teams!
Student Council News
Cookie/Cupcake Sale:
Students, bring your quarters to spend on December 3rd -
during recess (leftovers for sale during lunch).
Cookies - 50 cents
Cup cakes - 50 cents
Drinks - 50 cents
Christmas Concert Night:
"Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot . . . ." Come on out and hear more of 'The Grinch who Stole Christmas'! Our play will be held on Thursday, December 18th at 7:00 p.m.
Parents, please watch for the note to come home about costumes . . . .
Flu Season
Flu season is back!. We have received the following guidelines from the health nurse to help us keep all of the children healthy!
A child should stay home from school if
· he or she is too ill to participate in the normal activities
of the day. This means that if your child is too ill to go out
to play, or too ill to listen and to concentrate on writing and
reading, then your child is too ill to go to school
· he or she is suspected or known to have measles, mumps,
rubella, whooping cough or chicken pox - until he/she is non-infectious
· he or she has a general rash or fever
· he or she has pink eye, impetigo or ringworm
· he or she has chronic symptoms such as a persistent cough,
persistent headache or persistent fever needing medical evaluation
· he or she is vomiting or has diarrhoea
· he or she has head lice or scabies
Headlice
Thanks to all of our faithful checkers and diligent parents, we are now nit-free! Please remember to check your child's head as part of your routine . . . it seems that these creatures are becoming more resilient . . . . . . .
Computer Corner:
Our school's web page can be found at http://www.res.sd8.bc.ca. You will find Learning Links for all subject areas, safe search engines, information on SPC, PAC, bus schedules, etc. If you haven't had a chance to visit yet, please do!
The BC Ministry of Education has licensed the keyboarding program 'All The Right Type' which is used in our school by intermediate students. You can purchase this program for your home use for the reduced price of $12. Download this program from http://www.ingenuityworks.com/iworks/main/
Our school has purchased World Book Online for students in grades 3 to 6. The web site is www.worldbookonline.com and our ID and password is SD8WB.
- submitted by Mrs. Blair
Community News:
You are invited to celebrate the United Nations International year of Fresh Water at the Nelson Community Splash evening. The event will feature entertaining guest speakers, artistic and cultural presentations, and water-inspired art, photography and literature exhibits.
When: Tuesday, Dec. 2nd, doors open for art/literature exhibits
at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Charlotte Small Theatre in the David Thompson Cultural
Centre, 621 Baker Street.
Admission is free.
The evening features two guest speakers who are presenting their perspectives on the ecological, economic, social and cultural significance of water.
Important Dates
December:
2nd: Snow Safety Gr. 4-6
3rd: Student Council Bake Sale
4th, 11th & 18th: Hot Lunch Days
5th: Volleyball Tournament
11th: 9:00 a.m. PAC meeting
18th: Christmas Concert 7 pm
19th: Schools close for Christmas Holiday. There is no school
on Friday, December 19.
January 5th: Schools reopen.
December 2003
Merry Christmas! Have a safe and happy holiday. See you in January.
Important Dates in January
5 Back to School
8, 15, 22, 29 Hot Lunch
13, 20, 27 Winter Activities
Thank you . . .
· to the PAC for your generous donation of equipment
and resources for the school!
· to the parents who helped with costumes for the Christmas
concert.
· to the parents who spent evenings practising lines for
the concert!
Welcome . . .
Welcome to Ms. Michelle Hartridge who has joined our school staff as the school secretary. Please drop by at the office and welcome her to our school community!
Volleyball News
Both Redfish teams represented our school very well at the
District tournament held here last week. Each team won two games
and lost one. Special thanks to Norma Lock and Barb Augsten for
coaching with Mr. Chirico!
We are looking forward to the start-up of basketball in the second
week of January!
Winter Activities
Reminder - Winter Activities will start on January 13th, and run every Tuesday for six weeks until February 17th. Your child's choice has been included in this letter. Fees are due by January 9th and will be the following:
$65 Skating
$50 Gymnastics
$40 Swimming
$36 Badminton**
**Badminton players will need to bring/wear running shoes and shorts or pants. No Skirt
Please note the above dates for those students who chose skiing as their winter activity.
Basketball and Chess are well underway and we are looking forward to participating in tournaments in both of these activities. Cross country skiing is happening, weather permitting, in our gym classes and winter activities are also well underway.
If
you are at the school, please stop and look at our 'Rise to the
Challenge' board. On this board you will find a variety of challenges
for students of different ages . . . . and pictures of the students
who have taken on and mastered the challenges. We congratulate
our children for their enthusiasm for taking on challenges!
Thank you . . .
·
to Phillip Carpendale, our tech rep, for all of the work he has
done over the past months to give us a good sound system for our
gym.
· to the parents who volunteered for our lice check this
month.
· to Barb Augsten and Reg Clarkson, for helping Mr. Chirico
coach our basketball teams.
Chess News
We will be running a Chess Fun Day for all students on Monday, February 16 from 12:00 - 1:30. Children will be involved in mini-games (Pawn Game, King-Pawn, Mad Queen, Knight's Driver's test etc.) as well as full chess games.
In order to make this a fun tournament we are inviting parents and community members to attend. If you play chess, or have ever wanted to try it out, please join us. Just write a note in your child's agenda so we can fit you in!
Send a Message
February
is Heart month! To help raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation,
the grade 3/4 class will be selling "send a message."
Family, staff, and students are invited to buy a message for .25Ë
to send to someone special. After lunch each day the messages
and a sweet treat will be delivered. Send a Message starts on
Wednesday, February 14th and ends on Friday, February 28th. Messages
will be on sale at recess and lunch.
Supplies Needed!
The grade 3/4 class will be starting a unit on First Nations people soon. We would liketo build some Totem Poles in our classroom and are looking for empty Diaper Genie Refills.
Community News
Volunteers Needed to Help New Moms and Babies
Remember
how hard the first months are after a new baby arrives? Remember
how important it is to have friendship and support? That's where
the volunteers with the Life After Birth Program come in. The
volunteer program works as a "buddy" system. New moms
are matched with experienced mothers who provide emotional support
by calling, visiting, helping with baby care, and offering rides
etc. Volunteers offer one to three hours of help a week.
So, if you want to share your wisdom and experience with a new
mom and her baby, become a volunteer with Life After Birth. All volunteers
attend an orientation session and quarterly educational meetings.
If you are interested please call Judith Fearing or Gwen Kayniuk
at The Family Place, 505-5392 or email judithfearing@interiorhealth.ca.
The
Family Place
· Play group-come for crafts, stories, songs and more.
Friday Mornings 10:30 -12:00.
· Drop-in to the playroom and meet other parents and give
children an opportunity to play with other children. Have a break
and learn about the importance of play. Monday afternoons from
1:00-3:00 and Friday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00.
Can you Help?!?!?
Mary-Jo
Fetterly was seriously injured in a skiing accident on Sunday,
Jan. 25 and is in critical condition at the Vancouver General
Hospital. She has shattered her c5 and c6 vertabrae and was paralysed
from her chest down.
We are starting to post updates on Mary-Jo current condition on
her website (www.mary-jo.com).
One of our biggest concerns right now is to take care of Amanda
and Kate, her 2 daughters. Mary-Jo is a single mom and there is
no other source of income to support them. A number of fund-raising
events have already being planned but any direct donations would
be very very appreciated!
Secure Donations can now be made via PayPal at www.mary-jo.com
One of the fund raising events being planned is a "Silent
Auction" to be held in Nelson. Anyone wishing to contribute
items of value please phone (250) 229.-4171 or for further information
please contact Gerry MacKinnon at (250) 505-3925
Don't forget to check out our school's website!
http://www.res.sd8.bc.ca
10 REASONS TO READ TO YOUR CHILD TONIGHT!!!
1. Because when you hold them and give them this attention,
they know you love them
2. Because reading to them will encourage them to become readers.
3. Because children's books are so good that they are fun even
for adults.
4. Because illustrations in children's books often rank with the
best, giving children a lifelong feeling for good art.
5. Because books are one way of passing on your values.
6. Because books will enable your child's imagination to soar.
7. Because, until they learn to read themselves, they will think
you are magic.
8. Because every teacher and librarian they ever encounter will
thank you.
9. Because they might turn off the T.V.
10. Because you'll get a chance to read some great books you missed
when you were a child.
Submitted by Mrs. Stein
Welcome to spring! It is hard to believe
that the second term of the year is almost over. Thanks for all
of the work you are doing at home to help the children be successful.
Life at school has been busy this month. Winter Activities are
now finished. Grades 1 - 6 students have been learning to play
chess and our Chess Club is going strong! Our Chess Fun Day was
held on February 16th and all students played mini-games and challenges
in the afternoon. Fun for All!
Basketball season is well under way as well and the teams will
be attending a District tournament in Marc. Please note that the
Science Fair has been set for April 11th.
Thank you!!!
· to Barb Augsten for helping to coach the girls' basketball
team!
· to Reg Clarkson for helping to coach the boys' basketball
team!
· to our Maintenance Department for moving our sign and
painting a screen on our gym wall for assembly presentations!
· to Ms. Dehnel and the grade 4/5 class. $211.08 was raised
for the Heart and Stroke Foundation from the Send-A-Message. Way
to Go!
· to Angela Schade from WH20 for the Mountain Caribou Presentation
to Grades 4, 5 and 6!
Library News
Come and visit our Library. We have just received over 40 new books with titles such as: Lizzie McGuire, Bernstein Bears, Deltorra Quest, Elliot Moose, Pixie Tricks, and a new Guinness Book of World Records!
Library Tip: Take the trip together. Take the time to see what your kids are doing online and what their interests are!
Important March Dates
Hot Lunch………………………….…4th
11th 25th
Jazz Band Concert……………….…..………5th
First K Friday………………………….…...….5th
Bball Tourn…………………………………...…..11th
Report Cards………………………………..…..12th
SPRING BREAK……………….……..15th-
19th
Back to School………………….…………….…22nd
Chess Tournament………………..……..….26th
Important April Dates
Hot Lunch……………………………………………….1st
Science Fair……………………………………………1st
School Closed……………….………..…………..8th
Good Friday…………….………..………….…….9th
Easter…………………..………………….…………..11th
Back to School………………………….…………14th
Welcome!
Our school has received 5 new students during the month of February!
We Welcome:
· Hunter Murray (K)
· Taylor MacLeod (gr.2)
· Mitchell MacLeod (gr.4)
· Myra Martin (gr.4)
· Michael McNabb (gr.5)
Time for Spring Cleaning!
Our lost and found is overflowing!
Please ask your son or daughter to look for any missing items.
Any clothing or dishes left after spring break will be donated
to the Salvation Army.
Chess News
The chess club has been meeting every
Thursday to hone their skills. On March 29th we are sending one
or two teams to compete in the West Zone School District Team
Chess Tournament. More information will be sent home closer to
the date.
On April 3rd, our school is hosting the BC Interior Chess Tournament
for grades 1 through 7. Trophies and plaques are awarded at each
grade level. Winners qualify for the Provincials, which will be
held in Burnaby on Easter Weekend.
Basketball News
The Intermediate students are busy practicing their basketball
skills during lunch hours and after school. Grades 4, 5 and 6
students will be participating in a tournament on March 11th
Girls will be playing at Redfish and boys at South Nelson. Parents
please come out and cheer!!!
Science Fair
Our School Science Fair is coming up on April 1st. If you are
interested in helping to Judge, please contact Ms. Bailey
Community News
Nelson Youth Soccer
The deadline for Nelson Youth Soccer registration is coming up. Students interested in playing soccer this coming season: Please remind your parents that this is the last week for soccer registration. The deadline is Monday, March 1st. Registration takes place at the Recreation Office in the Civic Centre in Nelson.
Family Place
Parent Chat: A time for parents to come together, share ideas,
and learn some new ways of doing things. Wednesday mornings at
10:30 - noon. Free childminding available.
Spring Fling: Come for some Spring Fun! We'll be painting bulbs, making hats, playing games and more! For all ages. Wednesday, March 17th, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Playgroup with a Cultural Flair: The Family Place is pleased to offer a new playgroup with a cultural flair. Two Canada Youth Exchange participants, fresh from three months in China, will host the group. Activities include crafts, stories, games and a snack. Monday Mornings from 11:00 to 12:30.
Don't Forget to Check out our School's Website!
www.res@sd8.bc.ca
Welcome Back! I hope you had a great time with your families over the break. It was great to come back and see the asphalt swept and the soccer field snow-free (almost)! Truly the signs of spring at Redfish.
You should have received a report card for your child on Friday before Spring Break. If you have any questions, or did not receive a report, please contact your child's teacher. Thanks.
It is a busy time of year at Redfish. We have just finished basketball season, with a wind-up tournament the week before Spring Break. The District Chess tournament is being held tomorrow, March 26 and we have twenty children going as representatives of our chess club. The Science Fair will be held next week as well and children are busily preparing their projects. We welcome back Mrs. Makeiv, who has returned from maternity leave. She will be taking on a number of small teaching assignments to finish off the year - in the K-1 class, the 3-4 class and the 5-6 class.
Science Fair…
We will be holding our Science Fair on Thursday, April 1st. Judging
will take place in the morning and the fair will be open to parents
and friends in the afternoon. All students in Grades 4-6 will
be participating, and primary students are welcome to create projects
as well.
Please come out from 12:15 - 1:30 on April 1 to see the great
projects our children are creating!
Kindergarten Registration
The District has set March 26 as the deadline for Kindergarten registration, in order to determine staffing levels for next year. If you know of families with Kindergarten-aged children, please remind them to drop by or telephone the school.
Chess Tournament
The B.C. Interior chess tournament will be held at Redfish Elementary School on Saturday, April 3. Children from across the province in grades 1-7, (outside the lower mainland) are invited to participate. If you would like to enter your child, or know of friends outside the area who have chess playing children, now is the time to register! Please see attached sheet for registration and further information.
Golf Cards…
Once again the Kokanee Springs Golf Course has given the Grade
6 class a set of coupon cards to sell. If you are interested in
purchasing a card, they will be available for purchase from the
office for $10. The card gives golfers special rates at the Kokanee
Springs Golf Course. If you know of any golfers who may be interested
in the cards, please let them know!
Library Tips for Parents and Kids
Here are some tips to help your son or daughter choose new
books, and different ways to keep them interested in Reading!
· Include different authors, genres (biographies, adventure,
historical fiction, science fiction, myths, legends, poetry, cartoons,
comics and mystery) topics, and themes.
· Cover multiple time periods (historical past, present,
future).
· Include books with unforgettable characters.
· Allow children to choose their own books and to allow
them to pursue their own interests.
· For good readers, choose books with a reading level that
will challenge and stimulate.
· For reluctant readers, choose books they can read without
difficulty yet keep their interest.
· Include picture books, even for older children.
Important April Dates
1st Science Fair
7, 15, 22, 29 Hot Lunch Days
3rd BC Interior Chess Championship at Redfish Elementary
8th School is Closed
9th Good Friday - No School
11th Easter Sunday
12th Easter Monday
13th School is Closed
17th Regional Science Fair Mt Sentinel
22nd Earth Day - Pitch In/Clean-Up
30th School is Closed
The year is flying by! We are
into the third term and are really enjoying the warm weather that
has come our way. Now that the sun is out, we encourage you to
send your children to school with hats, cool T-shirts that protect
their shoulders and sunscreen.
April 22nd was Earth Day and our children participated in our
annual 'Pitch In' day to clean up the neighbourhood. It was amazing
to see how much garbage came back from their hunt! Thanks for
being socially responsible, Redfish! Mr. Livingston came over
from PRT and gave us a 'tree talk' as well and the children each
took home a healthy little tree to plant. Thanks to the Livingston's
for organizing this event for us.
Birth Announcement
We had over one hundred 'swim-up
fry' in our Kokanee Aquarium! They were released before Easter
Thanks to Mrs. Blair's class for the effort they have put in to
hatching these fry.
Science Fair
Our Science Fair went well again this year. Our children continue to improve in their scientific thought and their presentations are looking great! Congratulations to three Intermediate students for also participating in the Regional Science Fair. One project on electromagnetic fields won a trophy and $100 from B.C. Hydro!
Thanks to Mrs. Farenholtz, Ms. Dehnel, Mr. Dehnel, Dr. Dehnel, Mr. Costain, Mrs. Pozin, Mrs. Leukoff, Mr. Stefani and Mr. Reid for being great judges and listening to our children speak about their projects.
Chess News
Congratulations to our students
who took part in the Interior B.C. Elementary Chess Championship
Tournament. We had some winners
Julie Poetsch 1st place - Grade 2. Shion Major 2nd place - Grade
2.
Thanks to all of you who help to keep chess alive and growing
at Redfish!
Computer Corner
Our web page at http://www.res.sd8.bc.ca
has been updated to include our School Planning Council meetings.
Look for the SPC link in the menu bar.
School Planning Council
Our School Planning Council
attended a training session this week, in preparation to look
at our goals for the 2004-2005 year. We will be working together
as an SPC and a teaching staff on Friday to look at our progress
towards last year's goals and set new ones for next year.
The goals for 2003-2004 were:
to increase student achievement in writing conventions.
to have all students memorize
the Redfish Code of Conduct.
Our teachers have put a lot of work into their writing programs
this year, becoming more familiar with the Ministry Performance
Standards and developing more consistency between the grades on
expectations.
Mrs. Blair will be adding to the Writing page on our website so
parents can have access to our K-6 spelling list and our proofreading
marks.
At Redfish we went through the accreditation process a few years
back and out of that inclusive process came a commitment to work
on writing and social responsibility. Because these are areas
to work on over a number of years, we anticipate that our goals
will remain similar for next year.
We have begun to collect our data in the area of Social Responsibility
and it is noteworthy that:
· 20/31 of the Primary children tested (a few were absent
at test time) can recite and give examples of the Code of Conduct
compared to 8/48 in the fall.
· 26/39 of the Intermediate children tested (a few were
absent at test time) can recite and give examples of the Code
of Conduct compared to 0/45 in the fall.
The number of children referred to the office at Redfish since
September to fill out and discuss a behaviour plan is 26, mostly
in the area of 'Respect for Others'. Almost all of our children
are competent at solving their conflicts with minimal adult help
and are keen to ask for support when they need it. It is great
to see that our children are too busy learning, having fun and
enjoying each other to spend time sitting out of activities.
Thanks to the children, the parents and the staff for all you
do to make Redfish a great place to learn and have fun!
Important MAY Dates…
3: Jump Rope for Heart
6: Hot Lunch
7: Faustwork Mask Theatre (Cultural Performance for children)
7: Assembly 9:30 (to accommodate for performance)
9: Mother's Day
13: Hot Lunch
13: PAC Meeting (8:30 am)
15: School/Class Photos
20: Hot Lunch
20: Gr.6 Orientation - Trafalgar
24: Victoria Day - No School
27: Hot Lunch Days
29: Read In/Write In Day
Library News
Come and visit our library, we just received some new books with the following titles:
Action Jackson
My Friend Rabbit
The Red Tree
Noah's Ark
Salmon Creek
Twelve Days of Kindergarten
Young Chef's Italian Cooking
Only in Canada…
And a lot more!
PAC Minutes of March 31, 2004
Attendees: Lorri Bailey, Reg Clarkson, Becky Young, Gerry MacKinnon, Helen Price
Call to Order: 7PM
Adoption of Minutes
Unavailable - tabled to next meeting.
Treasurer's Report
Surplus to date on fundraising efforts:
Hot Lunch - $2791
Magazine Sales - $1194
Coupon Book Sales - $1752
Total: $5737
Surplus to date Receipts over Payments - $3317
Contributions to the school for Special Events, Library, Classroom supplies, Equipment - $4300
Total Funds in Bank presently unallocated: $4014
Gerry moved the Treasurer's report be accepted as read. Helen seconded.
Principals Report
Redfish Elementary won 1st
place in the District Chess Tournament for the 4th year in a row.
(How to go Redfish!!)
Basketball has finished and special thanks to the coaches Barb
Augsten and Reg Clarkson.
Science Fair is tomorrow.
SPC (School Planning Council) has a training session in Nelson
on April 26th.
There are presently 12 children registered for Kindergarten next
year.
Coupon Book Plans for this year.
We would like to get the coupon
book published and ready to sell for early May.
Need to contact last year's participants and recruit new participants
for this year's publication.
Need to negotiate publishing costs.
Need plan to promote and sell books.
Committee meeting scheduled for April 13th.
ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP WITH THE COUPON BOOK COMMITTEE - YOUR CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! THIS PROJECT IS ON-GOING. Please call Becky (229-4448) or Reg (229-4248) for more information.
Adjourned: 8:15pm
