Garibaldi Annex Home Learners Program

A BIG THANK YOU to Sabella and Tamara for organizing, hosting and bringing in most of the sale items for the Garage Sale for Haiti.  The sale raised $58.31 ($116.32 with CIDA matching funds) to send to Haiti.  As we did with the previous donation – these monies will be donated to the UNICEF Haitian Relief Fund.

Canadian Heritage has just launched the Canada Day Poster Challenge 2010.  This year’s theme is:  My Canada is…

Children aged 5 to 18 are invited to take part in the Poster Challenge by designing a theme-based poster that illustrates their pride in Canada and in being Canadian.  There are prizes to be won and the winning posters will be displayed at the Canadian Children’s Museum at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Submissions must be postmarked before midnight, March 15, 2010.

More information.

On Tuesday, February 9th, we will be attending the performance of The Monkey King at The Centre, downtown.  As you may have read in the paper or viewed on television, many of the roads into and in the downtown area are closed due to the olympics.  Because of this, people may wish to take transit to and from the performance. 

For those who would like to join us as a group in taking transit to and from the performance from Garibaldi, we will be leaving the school to walk to the bus stop at Nanaimo and Napier by 11:00 a.m.  This will give us time for a comfortable walk to catch the 11:29 a.m. bus, which is scheduled to get us to Pender and Hamilton at 11:49a.m.  We will then walk as a group from Pender and Hamilton to The Centre at 777 Homer Street (Homer between Georgia and Robson). Bus Schedule

The performance starts at 1:00 p.m. and we are asked to be there at least 15 minutes in advance. 

Please prepare for the weather on Tuesday, as we may end up walking in rain to and from the bus.  Please also  have bus fare ready for each person travelling. 

If you would like to familiarize yourself with the story of the Monkey King and do some related activities with your children either pre or post performance, a Study Guide has been provided by the producers.  Please email Shannon if you would like a copy sent to you.

Just a friendly reminder to have your child bring a t-shirt, preferably white, to school tomorrow for science.  New or used, OK to be “decorated.”

On Tuesday, February 2nd at the PAC meeting and on Thursday, February 4th from lunch until after school, the Home Learners will be holding a “Garage Sale” for Haiti.  Thanks to Sabella for proposing this great idea!

If you have any gently-used childrens books, childrens toys, videos, games, etc., please bring them in for the sale!  All proceeds will go to the UNICEF Haitian Relief Fund.

Notices will go home to all regular-program students on Friday, January 29th.  Volunteers for the garage sale table for the PAC meeting on Tuesday, February 2nd gratefully welcomed!  We need people to help set up (6:00p.m.)  sell the items, and pack-up (7:30-ish).  Please let Shannon know if you will be attending and can help with the table.

Garibaldi will be holding our annual Chinese New Year Lion Dance and pot-luck luncheon on February 11th.  Please peruse the information and volunteer sheet:  Chinese New Year

As this is a school-wide event, bowling, book making and singing will not be scheduled that day.

Next Tuesday, February 2nd, we will be doing a combined Art/Science project.  Please have your child bring a t-shirt that can be “decorated.”  White, if at all possible.

* Also – as of this Thursday, and for the remainder of the term, we will all be going bowling as all the regularly attending students have registered for this program.  Drop-ins welcome, and students can sign up at any time.  If you haven’t yet, please join us at Grandview Lanes on Thursdays from 11:00-12:00.

We do have students who will not be bowling!  We will continue to have book making and singing at Garibaldi on Thursdays at the same time as Bowling.

On Friday, January 29th, from 9:00 to 10:30, Garibaldi will be holding our annual “Camp Read.”  Parents and family members are welcome to come to school with your children to read.  Literacy stations will be set up around the school for students to rotate through.  During this morning each class will be involved in reading as a focus for their activities.  

The morning will start with a special Author Visit and read-aloud by David J. Smith, the author of If The World Were A Village.

Everyone is invited to wear pyjamas, bring teddy bears, and be ready for a fun morning at reading camp!

The following was sent to me through VSB.  If anyone has an interest in any of  these projects and would like to take the lead, please let me know.

Below is a list of great opportunities connected to sustainability – check them out!

1. BC Green Games Competition – a chance for you school to win $1,000 towards environmental projects
2. A chance for grade 4, 5, or 6 VSB classes to join a farm-based environmental education project
3. Young Environmental Photographer of the Year competition
4. The Air Aware program – has resources to adopt active, healthy lifestyles while also reducing our environmental footprint.
5. Resources for starting a green project in your school

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1. BC Green Games – BC Green Games submission period is fast approaching – over $20,000 to be won by schools across British Columbia

www.bcgreengames.ca

BC Green Games is Science World’s environmental action contest for K-12 students in British Columbia, designed to motivate action and enable sharing of environmental success stories with other students, schools, and communities. Submissions should document students’ current eco-actions using creative media such as videos, photo-essays or PowerPoint presentations. Entries can be as simple as a photo with accompanying text, or as complex as a 3 minute video.

Starting February 1 and until February 26 2010 submit your team’s entry. View projects in the BC Green Games Gallery and vote for your favourite entries until March 15 2010!

Get inspired – check out projects from last year http://2009.bcgreengames.ca/component/project/?view=gallery&paged=1

-Search by project topic, grade, school district

We recommend submitting your project as early as possible to avoid any technical issues.

For more information or for assistance contact Kate at info@bcgreengames.ca or 604-443-7563

1. A chance for grade 4, 5, or 6 VSB classes to join a farm-based environmental education project during the 2010-2011 school year.

The Intergenerational Landed Learning school year program currently has an opening for a grade 4, 5, or 6 class from Vancouver School District #39  to join our farm-based environmental education project during the 2010-2011 school year.  Participating classes attend 12-13 UBC farm visits throughout the school year where student groups work cooperatively with senior and junior community volunteers (“Farm Friends”) through all stages of the growing cycle to plan, plant, care for, harvest, prepare, and eat food crops grown in their own garden beds.

Please find the application attached.  Applications must be received no later than Sunday, March 14, 2010.

For more information about the Landed Learning project, please visit our website http://www.edcp.educ.ubc.ca/landedlearningproject/ 

1. Young Environmental Photographer of the Year competition

Young Environmental Photographer of the Year promotes the talents of anyone under the age of 21, whilst the remaining categories are open to photographers of all ages.

The competition is divided into two groups, one open to anyone under the age of 16 and the other open to those aged between 16 and 21. The youngest entry in 2009 came from a 9 year old boy! Photographers are encouraged to highlight issues important to their generation, explore their place in society or celebrate people, places and animals that they value. This competition actively encourages entries from beginners, as well as photography students.

Winners receive cash prizes, and all winning and highly commended entries are displayed in the international Environmental Photographer of the Year exhibitions. This year, particular recognition was given to CIWEM’s Young Environmental Photographer of the Year 2009 by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown who selected Jordan Mary, 19, to take Number 10’s official Christmas card.

All the details about entering are at www.ciwem.org/arts/photographer<http://www.ciwem.org/arts/photographer>. The competition is open until 5pm on 31st July 2010.

4. The Air Aware program

Clean Air Champions, a national charity with a mission to improve air quality by working with respected athletes to motivate and educate Canadians to adopt practiced and lifestyles that enhance both environmental health, is launching a national program called Air Aware that features the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). The AQHI was developed by the Government of Canada to help Canadians understand the potential impact poor air quality can have on their health. 

The goals of the Air Aware program are to:

§         educate youth on active and more sustainable living

§         promote the AQHI and

§         inspire easy-to-achieve lifestyle changes

Air Aware offers a web 2.0 site, activities, online games, resources and includes an educational presentation about air quality and active living by a Clean Air Champion. Air Aware is a curriculum linked program for grades 10-12 and is offered at no cost to registered teachers across Canada.

We are currently offering presentation’s from January through April 2010 in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.  For further information please see the attached Executive Brief, visit our website at www.airaware.net or contact Allison our National Program Coordinator at Allison@cleanairchampions.ca or 613-226-6786.

5. Resources for starting a green project in your school

Web Resource ‘New Evergreen Workshops for Student, Teachers, Parents and Administrators – Greening your School’ by jlmoore

DO YOU KNOW PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATORS WHO NEED SOME HELP IN STARTING THEIR GREENING PROJECT?

NEED SOME SHADE TREES, A FOOD GARDEN OR A GATHERING SPACE FOR YOU TO TEACH OUTDOORS?

ARE YOUR STUDENTS BORED AT RECESS? DOES YOUR DAYCARE OFFER A RANGE OF NATURAL PLAY SPACES?

Join me and our local experts for one or all of the upcoming workshops, designed to help de-mystify the process of greening your school grounds. Janet Moore

Read more: http://www.walkingthetalk.bc.ca/node/3075

Post reply: http://www.walkingthetalk.bc.ca/comment/reply/3075#comment-form

A few more donations came to us for our Haiti fundraiser, and today, we sent $257.00 to UNICEF for Haiti.  Thanks to everyone – we are truly the little school with the big heart!

The following special update from Haiti was sent today from UNICEF.

Congratulations Home Learners! 

Today, our Bake Sale for Haiti raised $248.32.  With CIDA’s contribution, together we raised $496.64!!! 

A big Thank You to all those who contributed goodies for the sale, and to everyone in the Garibaldi community who purchased goodies and/or donated to our cause.  Also, I would like to send a big Thank You to Firehall #14, who came in to support the sale, and gave all our students a tour of their fire trucks!

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This Thursday, January 21st, we have a field trip booked to the Maritime Museum for their Pirates! program.  The field trip is from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.  Those attending should be at the museum by 12:45 p.m.  Field trip forms will be distributed in the morning and at the museum. 

Families may wish to go directly from bowling to the museum, so you may want to pack a lunch to have after bowling or in transit to the museum.

For some information on pirates check out: 

www.nationalgeographic.com/pirates

www.rochedalss.eq.edu.au.pirates

On Tuesday, January 19th, the Home Learners will be holding a bake sale at recess and lunch.  All proceeds will lbe donated to the UNICEF Haitian Children in Crisis Fund, which will help save the tens of thousands of children who are injured and separated from their families.  CIDA will double our donation to UNICEF dollar for dollar for this effort.

If you are able, please send some baking or baked items to school with your child on Tuesday.  As there are nut allergies in the school, please label your contribution.

At recess and lunch, the children will host their baking booth, receive money and make change.  The money they raise will be sent with the cards they made on Thursday.

Dear Grade 4 and 7 parents:  Please peruse the attached letter from the Vancouver School Board regarding the upcoming Foundation Skills Assessment testing. LT100104-FSA-English

The January Newsletter for Garibaldi:  Newsletter #5 January 11

The goal-setting conferences are for the regular program only and the early dismissal does not apply to Home Learners.

More information regarding the Read-a-thon will be posted closer to the event.  All Garibaldi students are invited to participate.  It is a fun morning of Language Arts in which the children participate in a variety of stations such as readers’ theatre, poetry, storytelling, etc.

The Bowling program will start on Thursday, January 7th.  The first session will be at Garibaldi.  We will be watching a short video, making a bowling booklet, putting the children into teams, and getting their shoe sizes.  I am submitting the teams and shoe sizes to the lanes in advance of our attendance upon their request,  so the lanes, the lanes staff and all the children’s shoes are  ready for us when we arrive next week.

If your child will be participating in the bowling program but cannot be present on the 7th, please email me with their shoe size.

We have some volunteers for car pooling, but do require more if anyone is available.  If you can volunteer to drive, please email me along with the number of children you would be able to take and if you require those children to bring their own car seats.  If we do not have enough car space, I will take children to and from the lanes every week by public bus.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good holiday and is ready to jump into Term 2!

Unfortunately, while I was ready for school, the school was not ready for me…our computer system was down for all but the last hour of the day!  Oh well, such is life.

Tomorrow, the schedule will be as follows as we have 3 concurrent programs from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.:

Please hang up your coats, bags, etc. as usual then head to the following room for your program

Language Arts:  Room 117

Personal Projects:  Library

French:  Room 104 (Home learning central)

All students will convene in room 104 at 10:15 for recess followed by Art and Science.

The school was cleaned over the break and is sparkling shiny! We also spent a great deal of time labelling where things need to be kept and put away in order to keep our room safe and functional. In addition, we have put up a “Lend A Helping Hand” sign-up sheet with various things that need doing around the classroom and school. We ask Parents to take a look periodically and lend a hand when you can.

I am indeed fortunate having, all my life,  friends and loved ones from many faiths and cultures.  I have celebrated Christmas, Solstice and Hanukkah, been home for the holidays, and many miles away.  I have been a stranger, and have welcomed strangers to share some food and warmth.  This time of the year is one of reflection for me.  How can I better embody the spirit of Christmas not only   1 day of the year, but all 365 days of the year?  What are the important lessons of the season I want to incorporate into my life?

One of my favorite authors, Dickens, understood the spirit of Christmas best, I think.  His best-known Christmas piece, of course, is A Christmas Carol. (His other Christmas books include The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain.) In it, Ebenezer  Scrooge, a misanthropic, miserly, nefarious “business man” is visited by the Spirits of Christmas who show him the pain and sorrow his selfish ways have caused, and offer him the hope of redemption.  It is a sad statement, and perhaps human nature that Scrooge  is as alive today as he was 150 years ago.   There is hope, though.  If Scrooge could turn things around, perhaps anyone can.  After all,  Scrooge didn’t change his true nature, for it was there all along, buried within and forgotten. He just needed to be reminded (albeit rather drastically) that he was connected to humanity and his actions did affect others.  And, as Dickens tells us of Mr. Scrooge:   “…and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!

It is my wish that this season turn around a few more Scrooges, welcome in a few more strangers, and touch our hearts to the Spirit of Christmas now and for another 365 days.

Mr. Scott has invited our children to sing at a special dinner being held at the ANAVets on December 20th.  There will be refreshments for the children and family members and friends are welcome to come.  Please see the information/sign up sheet:  Choir ANAVets

Did you know that most years have 12 full moons? A calendar month is actually longer that a lunar month, so every two or three years there is an extra full moon. This extra full moon is called a blue moon. Different definitions and cultures place the extra moon at different times of the year.

The Farmer’s Almanac used to define a blue moon as the third full moon in a season (every three months)  that has four full moons instead of three. More recently, due to misinterpretation, a blue moon came to mean a second full moon in a month. This kind of blue moon will happen on New Year’s Eve this year, December 31, 2009.  However, in Australia and most of Asia, it will occur not in December but in January 2010 due to date differences between time zones.

The origins of the name blue moon are unclear. The expression “once in a blue moon”, dating from the 19th century, means something that happens very rarely. Another explanation connects it with the word belewe from the Old English, meaning, “to betray”, since it skewed the calculations for the date of Easter in church calendars, based on moon cycles. Want more information?  Read more about Full Moon Names here.

The following information has been provided by DJ.  Anyone interested in joining in is more than welcome.  Contact information below.

Carolling 2009

Friday, December 11th  6:00p.m.
George Pearson Hospital
700 W. 57th
Go to the big parking lot, through the west door, meet inside th the long hallway. Starting on Ward #5 (go there if you are late) Then group in activity room. Bring any instruments you might have.

Contact Grace for further information: grace.shaw@telus.net 604-261-4498