Garibaldi Annex Home Learners Program

For families attending the field trip tomorrow to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, just a reminder that the program begins at 10 am so please arrive by 9:45 at the latest.  The entrance fee is $2.50 for adults and $1.50 for children.  Don’t forget to bring your binoculars!

 The final portfolio meetings of the year are fast approaching.  Portfolio meetings will be held the week of May 28th – June 1.  Please take a look at the calendar and choose a first and second choice for meeting times and I will do my best to schedule everyone in according to their choices.  Please email Shannon. 

Also – as time is flying by with many end-of-the-year events and special days, we ask that everyone work with their children to practice their lines for the plays.  The goal is for each child to have her/his lines memorized a.s.a.p. so we can practice as a group on program days, working on timing, character development,  intonations, space, movement, music, props and sound effects.

Thank you and Happy Mother’s Day!

A field trip to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary has been organized for Wednesday, May 16, at 10am.  We will be participating in the K-3 “Just Hatched” program.  There are 25 tickets which are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with registered students taking priority over adults and siblings if a waiting list develops.  The sign-up sheet is on the parents’ table and the consent forms are in everyone’s files.  The cost is $1.50 per student, and $2.50 per adult.

Ahhh…May and June.  Flowers blooming, insects buzzing, fledgling birds venturing out on tentative wing, sunshine.  Wait – sunshine? 

May and June are typically very busy months at Garibaldi with many activities and events planned to take advantage of the nice weather (?) and celebrations to mark the passing of the school year – which, in and of itself, may prove to be a dying tradition.    At any rate, there are some important dates fast approaching on our calendar that we want everyone to be aware of. 

First, Portfolio meetings start on May 25th and run through June 4th.  The afternoon of  May 31st is set aside for the school performance of The Lorax opera, which our Tuesday and Thursday students will start practicing for next week. 

Friday, June 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. will be Fun Day (AKA Sports Day).  All students are invited to join in on the fun. 

Tuesday, June 19th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. will be the end of the year Potluck and Viking Musical Play performance for the Tuesday/Thursday group.

Wednesday, June 20th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. will be the end of the year Potluck and Viking Musical Play performance for the Monday/Wednesday group.   

Thursday, June 21st will be the annual end of the year Beach Day for all Garibaldi students, at Stanley Park.

Those are “the biggies” for now! 

For students who will be in attendance this coming Thursday, May 3, there is an important notice in your files regarding the Earthquake Drill that will be taking place that afternoon.

Just a reminder that the performance of The Very Hungry Caterpillar on Thursday, April 26 at 1pm,  is at the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre (at the Jewish Community Centre) on 41^st  Ave. @ Oak Street, not at the Waterfront Theatre.

MAP:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=norman+rothstein+theatre+vancouver&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=33.601713,73.388672&ie=UTF8&hq=norman+rothstein+theatre&hnear=Vancouver,+BC&ll=49.234771,-123.128436&spn=0.00414,0.008959&z=17&iwloc=A

We are embarking on the preparation for production of two or three short plays about Vikings.  All the students who would like to have a part can, and the students yesterday were very keen on signing up for parts.  For those that don’t want parts, we will be making sets, and need “stage hands” and “associate directors” so everyone will be included and involved.

Children who volunteer to take a part will need to memorize their lines.  We will practice during program times and will present the play to parents/guardians/family members towards the closing of the school year.  Please watch for scripts coming home and practice the lines with your child to help him or her memorize them.

Arrgh!  (Viking for Thank You).

http://www.ustream.tv/hummingbirdnestcam

Garibaldi Home Learners have been sent an invitation  to attend the launch of the 2012 Canadian Wildlife Federation Get to Know Contest in Vancouver.

 The event will take place at the Vancouver Rowing Club in Stanley Park from 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM on Wednesday, April 11^th. This event will be one of more than 20 launch events taking place across Canada, and will be one of three events to celebrate the CWF Get to Know Row – a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island by the OAR Northwest rowing team, led by Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Adam Kreek.

 If you wish to join CWF for any of the following activities, please RSVP by April 5 to Claire Preston at clairep@cwf-fcf.org.

• 10:00 AM Launch of the CWF Get to Know Contest and CWF Salish Sea Expedition
• 10:45 AM Exhibits, Art Activities for Youth, Walks for Wildlife, Meet OAR NW
• 12:30 PM The rowing team OAR Northwest is expected to depart on the CWF Salish Sea Expedition during the lunch hour (weather permitting). Gold Medal Olympian Adam Kreek is part of this incredible crew.

 Please note: There will be guided Walks for Wildlife to the Lost Lagoon and Nature House at 10:45 AM, 11:15 AM and 11:45 AM. While space on the guided tours is limited, the public can also choose a self guided option if the tours fill up.

Please continue to Walk for Wildlife until May 22, International Day for Biodiversity, and log your kilometers at WalkforWildlife.ca.

Enjoy! 

Our adult Stick Insects have hatched offspring!  We have many lovely little critters who would love a good home!

As a fundraiser for the program, we would like to offer these little beings for $2.00 each.  We will also provide information on their care and feeding to anyone adopting one.

All proceeds will go into the program to purchase manipulatives, special materials, or equipment.

Spread the word!

Class photos will be taken on Tuesday, April 10, between 9 and 10 am.  We encourage everyone to be here for the photos if they can as we will be taking two different group photos – one for the Monday/Wednesday group, and another for the Tuesday/Thursday group.  Bring your best gap-tooth smile!

We have secured 10 more tickets for the April 5th performance of A Year With Frog and Toad.  If you would like to attend, please be sure to sign up early next week and submit your field trip form by April 3rd, along with your allotment request form or payment.

What a crazy week it has been!  I want to take a moment to thank all our students and families for this past week – for bearing with the disruption to family plans, routines, and valuable class time and to everyone who stopped by to visit, emailed, face-booked, tweeted or otherwise provided moral support to Juliana and I.

There is no programming for the next two weeks, as it will be district closure week then Spring Break.  Classes will return on Monday, March 26th.  I am personally disappointed as we lost last week and won’t be together next week – and thus will miss out on preparations and celebration of one of the most important days of the year:  St. Patrick’s Day!!  I had promised the students we would make Irish Soda Bread together – a special family recipe passed down through the generations, which will now have to wait until after the holiday.

Please also mark your calendars for our field trip to Carousel Theatre’s production of A Year With Frog and Toad.  We will be attending the April 5th performance at 1:00 p.m.  The sign-up sheet will be ready for sign up on and after Tuesday, March 27th.  As with the last Carousel performance, I have secured extra tickets, so there should be spaces available for everyone who wishes to attend.

And, on another note, thank you also to everyone who donated baked goods and made cash donations to our school-wide bake sale.  Our students ably staffed the table and handled the cash, graciously volunteering their recess and lunch times.  We raised a total of $190.00 from our sale!

Happy vacation everyone!

Thanks to Miles for sharing his:  Letter to China                                                                       

So many of our students have shared letters they have written to Mayors, politicians, and policy-makers this week that I am convinced the world will be a better place once their generation takes the helm!

Bake Sale for The Oldale Family 

Tuesday, February 21, 2012; Recess, Lunch & Afternoon. 

All Garibaldi families are welcome to contribute a baked item for the school-wide sale!  Please deliver baked items to the Art area upstairs.  Thank You!

For the Tuesday/Thursday Group:

We had a great class meeting this past Thursday, discussing a number of items the students raised.  The first thing we discussed was Show & Tell.  The students agreed that Show & Tell is taking too much time and that it is boring to many students.  They decided that they would like to have 4 students present their Show & Tell each week and that we time people using a timer. 

The students asked me to make up a schedule for them for presenting Show & Tell.  To keep it simple and straightforward, I will set the schedule up in alphabetical order.  So:  next week, on the 14th, Esther, Gray, Lily-Muna and Mia will be the Show & Tell presenters.  I will also put the names of the students on the calendar so people can look up future dates and find out when it is their turn.  As always, if students don’t want to participate, they don’t have to.

For Everyone:

The other item of note that was raised was helping the Oldales out after their tragic house fire.  The students would like to lead a school-wide bake sale with all proceeds going to the Oldale family.  The bake sale will be held on February 21st – so please mark your calendars!

On another note, we have a new student who is seriously allergic to peanuts, nuts and eggs.  We ask that everyone please refrain from bringing recess snacks that contain these items, as recess is eaten together in the classroom.  Lunch time is fine, as we have a special table for children with allergies to sit at so they are safe.

The Electronics Stewardship Association of British Columbia is hosting the 75,000 Tonne Challenge to registered school students in BC. 

Since August of 2007, approximately 75,000 tonnes of electronic consumer goods have been recycled responsibly and kept out of BC’s landfills through the efforts of ESABC.

What does 75,000 tonnes of recycled electronics look like to a student in British Columbia? Through any creative medium, elementary and high school students will be asked to respond to this thought provoking question.

Students may use any submission mediums – such as painting, drawing, sculpture, diorama, model, graphic design, etc. This year’s prizes have yet to be announced, but last year They awarded a netbook, HD camcorder, digital camera and digital drawing tablets.

Information on the contest can be found at  www.esabc.ca  Click on the “What’s New” button, then the ESABC 75,000 Tonne Challenge Now Open! link.

The time of the year for our second portfolio meetings of the year is fast approaching:  February 27th through March 2nd.  Please take a look at the calendar to book a time for your meeting.  Meetings can be booked by emailing Shannon at shobson@vsb.bc.ca .  

We are endeavouring to keep the portfolio meeting times to one week only so as to impact programming time as minimally as possible.  This means that the time is tight, so we ask everyone to plan ahead to be available for a meeting some time that week.  Thank you!

A rare opportunity virtually landed, unannounced, on our doorstep on Thursday morning - a one-on-one reader from the VSB.  Vicky will be with us on Thursday mornings for an undetermined amount of time (likely until spring break).  She is available to spend 20 minutes per child simply reading one-on-one, no assessments, no pressure, just some time with a teacher to read at their level.  Home Learners has been allocated two spots we can use for our students to have some reading time with Vicky.

This opportunity is open to all students.  If your child attends Monday/Wed, you are welcome to take advantage and bring your child in to read with Vicky as well.  If you are interested in having your child participate, please let Juliana or I know.

The Ministry of Canadian Heritage is once again hosting the Canada Day Poster Challenge.  Students aged 5 – 18 can submit a poster they designed that illustrates how the people,  places,  and events of the past have helped shape the Canada we know today. 

This year marks an important anniversary in Canadian History:  the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, which was a significant nation-building event that contributed to the development of our Canadian national identity. 

The artwork of the national winner will become the official poster for this year’s Canada Day celebrations across the country, and winners will receive great prizes!

Information about the contest, learning resources, games and activities are available at:  http://www.posterchallenge.pch.gc.ca/

Good Luck!