September 30th, 2015
GOING HOME TODAY
• PEC Newsletter
EVENTS
October 2nd – Movie Night
October 8th – Outdoor Education (Kayaking)
October 9th – School Mass
October 12th – Happy Thanksgiving (NO SCHOOL)
October 13th – Pro-D Day (NO SCHOOL)
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH
This month our virtue is friendliness. What an excellent virtue to begin the year. It is a virtue that can easily engage students of all grades and it will help set the tone for the year. As we explore the virtue of friendliness with our students we are reminded of our call as Christians to uphold the dignity of the human spirit in all we encounter.
ONLINE NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
Please go to our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Starting next week, newsletters will be delievered through our subscription. You will still get them in your email box, but it will be streamlined through our subscription services.
LATE/ABSENT
If your child is going to be late or absent, please call the office before 9:00 am., if calling prior to 8:30am, please leave a voicemail for the school secretary, do not leave a voicemail for the classroom teacher, as the teacher may not have had time to check their voicemail When your child returns to school, please ensure that an Absentee Form is completed with the correct date of the absence, the reason for being absent and a parent’s signature. This form is to be given to the teacher so that we are able to keep an accurate record for the attendance audit. An Absentee form is attached and can also be found at the school office or downloaded off of the school website. If your child is going to be late, please have him/her sign in at the office and get a late slip.
MOVIE NIGHT
COME JOIN OUR FIRST MOVIE NIGHT
Date: Friday, October 2, 2015
Time: Door opens at 6:30pm
Movie starts at 7:00pm
Fee: $4 (including movie, popcorn and drink)
Concessions are available:
$1.00 for chips, water, or juice
$0.50 for candy bags
**Please, no outside food at movie night**
Movie: KHUMBA
A half-striped zebra is born into an insular, isolated herd obsessed with stripes. Rumors that the strange foal is cursed spread and, before long, he is blamed for the drought that sets into the Great Karoo. When even his father, the leader of the herd, blames him for the lack of rain and the subsequent death of his mother, the outcast zebra leaves the confines of his home knowing that he cannot survive in the herd without all his stripes. Khumba ventures beyond the fence – vulnerable to the ferocious Leopard, Phango, who controls the waterholes and terrorizes the animals in the Great Karoo. Khumba is rescued from an opportunistic wild dog by a quirky duo: a wildebeest and an ostrich. Mama V is a self-confessed free spirit who does not want to be the average stay-at-home mom, like other wildebeest. Ironically, she mothers Bradley, a flamboyant but insecure ostrich who overcompensates for his scraggily feathers. When a mystical mantis appears to the foal, drawing a map to what could be… UPCOMING EVENTS
Movie Night
Clothing Drive
Pub Night
YOUR P.E.C.
Greg Palm
Chair
Marketing Co-Chair
Giuliana Lanci
Vice-Chair
Marketing Co-Chair
CISVA Delegate
Cheryl Chiang
Treasurer
Stephanie Drysdale
Secretary
Fundraising Committee Chair
Evelyn Urrutia
Communications Liaison
Parish Council Liaison
Marc Fournier
Maintenance Committee Chair
Ashley Hartnett
Parent Participation Coordinator
CLOTHING DRIVE
Please hold on to your used clothes and household items in order to donate to a good cause while helping fundraise for the school.
Drop-off Schedule:
October 18, 9:00am to 1:00pm
October 19, before and after school
Please drop off your items by the school gym.
Acceptable items include:
Cloth Items, housewares, used clothing, dishes, books, bedding, electronics, craft supplies, drapes, games, sewing materials, towels, glassware, shoes, pots and pans, purses, toys.
No furniture, TV’s, computers, baby cribs, baby car seats, swing sets, or any large items will be accepted.
No PILLOWS
Clothing drive bags are now available. You can pick them up in front of the school office. In case you ran out of bags, you can use the regular garbage bags.
Volunteers are needed to accept, sort and bag clothes/household items on Sunday, October 18th from 9:00am to 1:00pm, and on Tuesday, October 20th at 9:00am. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Giuliana at lanci.giuliana@yahoo.ca.
FALL SOCIAL
Date: October 17, 2015
Venue: One20Pub
Volunteers are still needed to help during the event. If you would like to volunteer, please email Stephanie at sdrysdale1@telus.net.
Last night St. Bernadette School held our annual combined Parent Information Night and Meet the Teacher Night. This allowed parents to come together to gain information on the new school year from the principal, teachers, and the PEC. It was wonderful to see so many families at the event, it was close to 100% participation. Below are some highlights of the night:
Principal’s Message
Here are a few quotes from Mr. van der Pauw’s talk to the parents:
“I feel very blessed to be part of this community… I know we are making excellent strides to provide your child with an education that is among the best in the province… we are in the profession of creating saints, we want the best for every child that walks into our school, we welcome every child with loving arms and a caring heart, and we seek to provide an education that teaches critical thinking and encourages the development of mature moral values. I came with the vision to build a culture of change, to establish high expectations in academics, and to foster meaningful and trustworthy relationships within our school community. There are several examples of the staff committing to this vision. We have a dedicated and experienced teaching staff. The teachers at St. Bernadette’s are fully committed to the whole child and are forever striving to achieve higher student achievement.”
PEC Messages
For formal communication with the PEC you can send email to ec.sbern@cisva.bc.ca or an envelope addressed to “P.E.C.” and left at school office
We have a series of new initiatives that we are starting or looking into for the new year
- Stingers Activity Club – 20+ students enrolled so far
- New Fundraising Initiatives – see below
- Increasing Enrolment – excellent enrolment in kindergarten and we are seeing an increase in some of the other grades as well.
- Pre-School Feasibility – this is a long term project that may or may not be feasible for the school.
- Preventative Maintenance – Although it is expense, it is not as expensive if we were to be reactive to the needs of the school (eg. replacing the furnaces, outside siding, repainting, new flooring, etc.)
- Security & Safety – looking into lighting and new gates/fencing
We are excited to hear that individuals and companies are inquiring about making donations to the school. We want to thank the CWL for their generous donation of $2000.00. This money will have immediate impact on the learning that takes place at St. Bernadette’s. Every donation, no matter the size, improves the quality of education. If you would like to make a donation please speak with Mr. van der Pauw (mvanderpauw@cisva.bc.ca).
We have a fundraising goal of $35,000.00 for this school year.
The following are major planned events:
- Fall Pub Night Social – October 17 – One20
- Purdy’s Chocolate Sale – November
- Lights of Hope – Ending December 10 (Christmas Concert)
- Raffle – Late December to February
- Walk-a-Thon – April 29
- Year End BBQ/Carnival – June 3
Other events:
- Clothing Drives – Various (First one: October 18-20)
- Movie / Family Nights – Various (First one October 2)
- Possible Gala Dinner in conjunction with Parish
If you can help with any of the major events, please contact Stephannie through the PEC email.
We changed the Parent Participation policy. There will be one $500 cheque cashed at the end of the year if your hours are not completed. Contact Ashley @ ashleyk.hartnett@gmail.com if you have questions.
School Reminders
Teachers have a new email address. It is grade__@stbernadette.ca (in the blank insert your child’s grade. For kindergarten it would be kindergarten@stbernadette.ca).
Please subscribe to our newsletter through our website. We currently have 70+ people subscribe, but we want all parents (mom and dad, and grandparents if necessary) to receive our newsletters.
We are a nut aware school. Nuts and foods that contain nuts are not permitted in the school.
We will be implementing the new curriculum for the 2016-2017 school year. If you would like more information please go to https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/
_________________________________________________________________________________
Those were the highlights of the presentation. It is not a list of everything that was presented. The school has two mandatory nights in the year – Parent Info Night and the AGM/Parent Support Meeting (PSM) Night. Valuable and critical information is presented at these night. Although we give an update, it does not include the discussions, all the details and questions that are apart of the evening. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending our next mandator evening, AGM and PSM on Thursday January 21st @ 6:30pm.
September 16th, 2015
GOING HOME TODAY
• Extra Supply Fee List
• PEC Newsletter
• Absent Note
EVENTS
September 17th – Meet the Teacher/Parent Info Nite 6:30
September 23rd – Hot Dog Day
September 25th – Individual Photos
MEET THE TEACHER/PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT
We hope that you will join us on Thursday, September 17th for Meet the Teacher/Parent Information Night. The purpose of this evening is to give you, the parent, an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and learn about classroom routines and expectations for the year. We will begin in the Parish Centre at 6:30 pm. This meeting is mandatory and every family MUST be represented. Every family that is represented will get 1 hour towards their Parent Participation hours.
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL PHOTOS
Individual student photos will be taken on Friday, Sept. 25th. Please ensure that your child is in full uniform on this day. Your child was given the portrait selection sheet from Lifetouch. Whether you are ordering or not please complete the form and have your child give the form to the photographer on picture day. Please ensure that your child(ren) are present at school for these photos as they are the photos that are used for the school database.
SCHOOL WEBSITE
The school website is in the process of being updated for the new school year. As many items have already been updated, more are to come. This year we will be moving away from our office emailing out the weekly newletter, instead we ask all parents to subcribe to our newletter mailout on our webiste by going to https://stbernadetteschool.ca and filling in the form located at the bottom of the homepage.
ONLINE NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
Last week we asked everyone to subscribe to our newsletter through our website. However, many received an error in the process. I identified the error and corrected it. Please continue to register through our website as we will not longer be sending personal emails out to families. Thank you for your attention and patience during this process.
STINGER ACTIVITY CLUB
The Stingers Activity Club is up and running. We are very excited by the number of registrants as it proves that there is a definite need for this club in our community. It is never too late to register. For more information contact Sheila Vader at stingersclub@stbernadette.ca.
STAFF MEETINGS
Staff meetings are held every Wednesday afternoon. Dismissal is at 2:15 pm.
CAMBRIDGE UNIFORMS
We are very satisfied with the new uniforms and have received very positive comments from parents and parishioners. We are currently in the process of securing a code so we can initiate online purchasing through their webstie. Once we have this system in place, we will inform the parents.
LATE/ABSENT
If your child is going to be late or absent, please call the office before 9:00 am., if calling prior to 8:30am, please leave a voicemail for the school secretary, do not leave a voicemail for the classroom teacher, as the teacher may not have had time to check their voicemail When your child returns to school, please ensure that an Absentee Form is completed with the correct date of the absence, the reason for being absent and a parent’s signature. This form is to be given to the teacher so that we are able to keep an accurate record for the attendance audit. An Absentee form is attached and can also be found at the school office or downloaded off of the school website. If your child is going to be late, please have him/her sign in at the office and get a late slip.
ABSENT NOTES
If your child is away for any reason, it is imperative that an absentee note be submitted to the school indicating the reason of the absenteeism. The Ministry of Education requires a note from students who are absent. Failing to submit a note may jeopardize your funding from the government.
NOTES FROM PARENTS
We require a signed note from a parent when:
• your child has been absent from school for any reason
• your child needs to leave the school for an appointment, etc.
• your child cannot participate in a specific activity
• your child cannot go outdoors during recess or lunch break
• someone other than yourself picking up your child early from school (early dismissal)
Once school has started, children who are late or who have to leave the school early MUST sign in or out at the office.
POLICY REMINDERS
If you are bringing anything to the school for your child (lunch, homework, etc.), please leave the item in the green box outside the classroom. Please do not disturb the class for any reason. If you are picking your child up during school hours for an appointment, etc., please sign him or her out and have Mrs. Gelz or Mrs. Spanjers get your child from their class.
INSIDE SCOOP
We are looking for a volunteer to be the editor of the Inside Scoop.
The Inside Scoop is an informal way for the families to communicate with other families. It is a newsletter that goes out on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. If you need services, have an item to sell, giving away items, etc. this is the place to advertise. If interested, please contact the school office.
WELCOME BACK!
The P.E.C. hopes you had a wonderful and safe summer and that you are as excited as we are for another fantastic year at St. Bernadette School.
We would also like to extend our warmest greetings to all the new families at our school. We know you will sincerely enjoy your time here. If you ever have any questions about matters relating to the school, please do not hesitate to ask a P.E.C. member or to email us at ec.sbern@cisva.bc.ca.
SOME KEY DATES FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2015-2016
September 17 – Parent Info Night
October 2 – Movie Night
October 17 – Fall Social (Pub Night)
October 18,19 – Clothing Drive
December 10 – Christmas Concert and Lights
of Hope
January 21 – Annual General Meeting
April 29 – Walk-A-Thon
June 3 – Year-End Barbeque
FALL SOCIAL
Date: October 17, 2015
Venue: One20Pub
Volunteers are needed to help before and during the event. If you would like to volunteer please email Stephanie at sdrysdale1@telus.net or call at 778-828-0374. UPCOMING EVENTS
Pub Night
Movie Night
Clothing Drive
YOUR P.E.C.
Greg Palm
Chair
Marketing Co-Chair
Giuliana Lanci
Vice-Chair
Marketing Co-Chair
CISVA Delegate
Cheryl Chiang
Treasurer
Stephanie Drysdale
Secretary
Fundraising Committee Chair
Evelyn Urrutia
Communications Liaison
Parish Council Liaison
Marc Fournier
Maintenance Committee Chair
Ashley Hartnett
Parent Participation Coordinator
CLOTHING DRIVE
Please hold on to your used clothes and household items in order to donate to a good cause while helping fundraise for the school.
Acceptable items include:
Cloth Items
Housewares
Used clothing
Dishes
Bedding
Books Electronics
Pillows
Craft Supplies Drapes
Games
Sewing Materials Towels
Glassware
Shoes
Pots and Pans
Purses
Toys
We do ask any hard items to be separated into boxes for handling purpose.
No furniture, TV’s, computers, baby cribs, baby car seats, swing sets, or any large items will be accepted.
No PILLOWS
Drop-off Schedule:
October 18, 9:00am to 1:00pm
October 19, before and after school
Clothing drive bags are now available. You can pick them up in front of the school office. In case you ran out of bags, you can use the regular garbage bags.
Volunteers are needed to accept, sort and bag clothes/household items on Sunday, and on Tuesday pick up at 9am. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Giuliana at lanci.giuliana@yahoo.ca.
September 9, 2015
WELCOME BACK
I am honoured to return as principal of St. Bernadette’s. This is a fantastic school community that has a strong connection and partnership with the staff in the education of our students. Much as happened to get the school ready for the new school year. One event was the work bee on September 5t. We had 12 parents (largest turnout in years!) in the school. The yellow lines were repainted, gardens cleaned and the school was fully sanitized. This work is greatly appreciated by everyone.
I also want to recognize the turnout at our first Welcome Back Pancake breakfast. As it was our first time doing this event we were unsure of the turnout. By 9:15am we had a full house of over 200 people. It was an amazing event with lots of positive feedback to do it again next year. I want to thank the Knights of Columbus for hosting and sponsoring the event. It is a great moment when various groups in our community come together for the betterment of the children.
I wish everyone a blessed and hopefilled new school year and I look forward to seeing you at the many exciting events we will be hosting this year.
Michael van der Pauw
Principal
EVENTS
September 10th – School Mass (bell rings @ 8:45)
September 11th – PRO-D DAY (NO SCHOOL)
September 16th – Grade 7 Timberline Fundraiser
September 17th – Meet the Teacher/Parent Info Nite 6:30
September 23rd – Hot Dog Day
September 25th – Individual Photos
SCHOOL WEBSITE
The school website is in the process of being updated for the new school year. As many items have already been updated, more are to come. This year we will be moving away from our office emailing out the weekly newletter, instead we ask all parents to subcribe to our newletter mailout on our webiste by going to https://stbernadetteschool.ca and filling in the form located at the bottom of the homepage.
STINGER ACTIVITY CLUB
The Stingers Activity Club is up and running. We are very excited by the number of registrants as it proves that there is a definate need for this club in our community. It is never too late to register. For more information contact Sheila Vader at stingersclub@stbernadette.ca.
STAFF MEETINGS
Staff meetings are held every Wednesday afternoon. Dismissal is at 2:15 pm.
CAMBRIDGE UNIFORMS
We are very satisfied with the new uniforms and have received very positive comments from parents and parishioners. We are currently in the process of securing a code so we can initiate online purchasing through their webstie. Once we have this system in place, we will inform the parents.
MEET THE TEACHER/PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT
We hope that you will join us on Wednesday, September 17th for Meet the Teacher/Parent Information Night. The purpose of this evening is to give you, the parent, an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and learn about classroom routines and expectations for the year. We will begin in the Parish Centre at 6:30 pm. Every family is expected to represented.
GRADE 7 TIMBERLINE FUNDRAISER
Wednesday, September 16th the grade 7’s will be having their Timberline Fundraiser. Students who contribute $0.50 will be permitted to wear Western attire for the day.
SCHOOL MASS
The School Mass will be on Thursday, September 10th. On Mass days the bell rings at 8:45am. If your child is late for school on a Mass day please bring him or her to the school first to sign in at the school office.
Students must be in full school uniform.
LATE/ABSENT
If your child is going to be late or absent, please call the office before 9:00 am., if calling prior to 8:30am, please leave a voicemail for the school secretary, do not leave a voicemail for the classroom teacher, as the teacher may not have had time to check their voicemail When your child returns to school, please ensure that an Absentee Form is completed with the correct date of the absence, the reason for being absent and a parent’s signature. This form is to be given to the teacher so that we are able to keep an accurate record for the attendance audit. An Absentee form is attached and can also be found at the school office or downloaded off of the school website. If your child is going to be late, please have him/her sign in at the office and get a late slip.
NOTES FROM PARENTS
We require a signed note from a parent when:
• your child has been absent from school for any reason
• your child needs to leave the school for an appointment, etc.
• your child cannot participate in a specific activity
• your child cannot go outdoors during recess or lunch break
• someone other than yourself picking up your child early from school (early dismissal)
Once school has started, children who are late or who have to leave the school early MUST sign in or out at the office.
POLICY REMINDERS
If you are bringing anything to the school for your child (lunch, homework, etc.), please leave the item in the green box outside the classroom. Please do not disturb the class for any reason. If you are picking your child up during school hours for an appointment, etc., please sign him or her out and have Mrs. Gelz or Mrs. Spanjers get your child from their class.
INSIDE SCOOP
We are looking for a volunteer to be the editor of the Inside Scoop.
The Inside Scoop is an informal way for the families to communicate with other families. It is a newsletter that goes out on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. If you need services, have an item to sell, giving away items, etc. this is the place to advertise. If interested, please contact the school office.
Dear Parents,
On behalf of the staff of St. Bernadette’s, I am happy to welcome you to the 2015-16 school year! I feel privileged to have the opportunity to return this school year as your Principal and I feel honoured to work with our highly qualified and dedicated staff, our wonderful students, and all of the supportive parents. The elementary years are critical times of development for students and families and I look forward in working with all of you to make this school year successful. I am a lifelong educator and I am committed to students and families as well as a love for learning.
This summer, our teachers have been preparing for the new school year by attending various professional development opportunities. They are working hard to implement many new strategies to differentiate the instruction for all of our student’s needs. We give many thanks to our custodian, Mr. Barry, Mr. Fournier, parent and member of the PEC, and all staff and parents who have been working diligently to prepare our school and grounds for the start of the new school year.
Staff News
There are some noteworthy changes to our staff that we would like to share with you. First, we would like to congratulate Ms. Macdonald. Ms. Macdonald became married in late August and will now be Mrs. Chu. We also want to congratulate Mrs. Hope and Mrs. Wagg on the births of their sons. Mrs. Bourassa is on a personal leave for the first part of the school year. Mrs. Chu will take her place while she is away. Some staff members have new teaching assignments for the 2015-2016 school year. Here is the teaching staff list for the new school year:
Kindergarten – Mrs. Schollen
Grade 1 – Mrs. Hillard and Mrs. Fong
Grade 2 – Mrs. Fraser and Mrs. Peck
Grade 3 – Mrs. Wilczewski and Mrs. Beliveau
Grade 4 – Mrs. Stuart and Mrs. Beliveau
Grade 5 – Mrs. Chu (Mrs. Bourassa) and Mrs. Fong
Grade 6 – Mrs. Albrecher and Mrs. Chu
Grade 7 – Mrs. Kosman
French Teacher – Madame Peck
Music Teacher – Mrs. Fawcett
Learning Assistance Teacher – Mr. Cheveldave
Physical Education Teacher – Mr. van der Pauw
Mission and Vision for the New School Year
As a staff we are committed to our mission of being dedicated to educating each child spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically in partnership with parents, parish and the wider community. We also hold firm our mission in creating lifelong learners by meeting the needs, and nurturing the individual abilities, of all the children we serve. It is our mission as a Catholic school, that we model and live our faith in order to build the Kingdom of God. As professional educators of St. Bernadette Elementary School, we have a vision to ensure every child is academically equipped to the best of their ability, to develop Catholic leaders through evangelization and service using a Christ-centered approach, to build community by creating a safe and welcoming environment for learning and to honour the whole child by teaching to their different intelligences, building on their strengths, and offering varied instructional opportunities in order to inspire a love of learning. Our Mission and Vision Statements guide our profession and focus our efforts.
Parent Partnership and Participation
It is important as we start a new year that we honour the productive partnership we have with our parents. This allows us to certify that every student can achieve his/her highest potential. We recognize that in order to be successful in school, our students need support from both the home and school. As partners in your child’s education, we share the responsibility for their success and want you to know that we will do our very best to carry out our responsibilities. We ask that you guide and support your child’s learning by ensuring that he/she:
1. Attends school daily and arrives on time, ready for the day’s learning experience
2. Completes all homework assignments given by teachers
3. Reads daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literacy skills
4. Shares school experiences with you so that you are aware of his/her school life
5. Informs you if he/she needs additional support in any area or subject
6. Knows that you expect him/her to succeed in school
We thank you for joining our parent participation program as our students can greatly benefit from your involvement and contributions to the school’s program and its operations.
The First Week Back
On Tuesday September 8th, from 8:30 – 10am we invite your family to join us for a Welcome Back Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Knights of Columbus. We are excited to have this kick off the school year as we look for ways to bring our community together. The school bell will ring at 10am to signal all students to head to the pick up area where teachers will bring them to class. Classes will be dismissed at 12:15pm on the first day.
On Thursday September 10th, we will celebrate our first school Mass. We welcome all parents to our monthly Masses. Please see our website calendar for the dates.
There will be no school on Friday September 11th, as the staff is involved in the CISVA system wide Faith Development Day.
Once again, on behalf of the staff, we feel privileged to be a part of this school family. We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you on September 8th.
Yours in Christ,
Michael van der Pauw
Principal