SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 38
(RICHMOND)
December 15, 2015
THE CYCLONE
Quilchena School News
“Learning, Caring and Growing Together”
3760 Moresby Drive
Richmond, BC V7C 4G6
quilchena.sd38.bc.ca
Ms. J. Powell
Principal
Phone: (604) 668-6224
Fax: (604) 668-6117
Early Warning: (604) 718-4073
Mrs. C. Spence
Administrative Assistant
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.”
Edith Sitwell On behalf of the Quilchena Staff, please allow me to wish you and
your family a holiday filled with comfort and warmth, friends, family and home. Have a very
happy holiday and a prosperous and healthy new year.
Ms. Powell
CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE The district has updated and reformatted our school website. Please check it out. Especially helpful is a translation function! Hopefully this will help all of our families access information. Please also check out the calendar, which has all upcoming events. A new feature is a Survey, which asks you important questions. We hope that everyone will participate in the poll, which will typically be changed monthly. MATH NIGHT FOR PARENTS Have you been trying to help your child with his or her Math homework, only to have your child say, “That’s not the way Mr./Ms. So and So does it!”? HELP IS ON THE WAY. On Tuesday, January 19, from 6:30 – 7:30, our teachers will be hosting a Math Night for Parents! Our district Math guru, Janice Novakowski, will present the new Math curriculum and give parents insights into how they can help their children. This presentation is for adults only; babysitting will be available. At our Parent/Teacher conferences in February, teachers will set up Math activities in the gym so that parents can come and try them out with their children. Let’s all get excited about Math! NEW CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION DAYS As explained in the last newsletter, the Ministry of Education has decided to create two additional non-­‐instructional days to allow teachers to learn about the exciting new provincial curriculum. These days will be Friday, January 29 and Monday, May 2, 2016. All district staff will attend workshops at one of the High Schools; Quilchena staff will be at Burnett school on those days. Students will not attend school on the implementation days. HOLIDAY SING-­‐ALONG Families are welcome to join us for our holiday sing-­‐along in the gym on Wednesday, December 16 at about 1:45. Dflaksdjf;lasjf;jsdlj;sdjljsj;sdfj
BC’s NEW CURRICULUM Last newsletter, I outlined the Core Competencies. Over the next few weeks, we will go a little deeper into each competency. The first is: Communication The communication competency encompasses the set of abilities that students use to impart and exchange information, experiences and ideas, to explore the world around them, and to understand and effectively engage in the use of digital media. Communication can be oral and written, using pictures and symbols and using technology. Quilchena Examples The students who ran the Farmers’ Market used communication skills in many ways. They had to advertise their company and their produce, display their goods in an appealing way, and communicate and negotiate with their customers. SPOTLIGHT ON DIVISION 2 The following are responses to Literature Circle books. Power Paragraph on “Waiting for Normal” -­‐ Christina I chose to draw Addie’s, Bryanna’s and Katie’s rope swing that was hung from the bridge. I chose this because Addie, Bryanna, Katie and Dwight made it together and I think Addie is feeling lucky because being with your step father and half sisters is a fun time, knowing Addie doesn’t get to see them much. This makes me feel happy and sad at the same time. Happy because when Addie feels happy it makes me feel happy for her and in the story, Addie isn’t always happy. I also feel sad because I know that Addie feels sad because Addie barely gets to see her stepfather and half sisters and after a while of living with your step dad and half sisters it is hard to not see them much and feel separated. This reminds me of my childhood when I built a swing set with my dad and how fun it would be to play on it with my sisters and I think Addie is very lucky to have something to play with when she is bored or when her mom is out without her. CSI on “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” -­‐ Olivia Colour: I chose to use the colour Blue because in the book Bruno saw these people in blue striped pajamas. I also chose to use blue because it was sad when Bruno and Shmuel died. I chose blue to represent sadness because when people say that something is blue it usually means it’s sad. Symbol: I chose to draw the striped pajamas for my symbol because in the concentration camp all the Jews were wearing the same matching blue pajamas with a striped blue cap to match the pajamas. I also chose to use this as my symbol because when Bruno saw all these people dressed in striped pajamas on the other side of the fence Bruno wanted to explore those people because he always wanted to be an explorer. Image: I chose to draw Bruno on one side of the fence and Shmuel on the other because when they met they became friends and every day Bruno and Shmuel would come to the fence and talk. I chose this because I thought this image was important when Bruno and Shmuel never touched, never played only talked. I also thought this was important because Bruno has no idea how horrible it is inside a concentration camp whereas Shmuel knew how bad it was. Poem on “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” -­‐ Tylor Bruno was a good boy He liked to kick his sister’s toys Then he found a friend in a camp And tried to sneak in the camp when the weather was damp After he got inside the camp on the land He found himself dead while holding his friend’s hand Bruno was a good, curious boy MARK YOUR CALENDARS Wednesday, December 16 Holiday Sing-­‐Along 1:45 – Families welcome Friday, December 18 Pyjama Day – last day of school before winter break Monday, January 4 Back to school Tuesday, January 19 Math Night for Parents (more details to follow) Wednesday, January 27 PAC meeting and open gym 6:30 p.m. Friday, January 29 Curriculum Implementation Day – Students do not attend “The Best Little Schol in the World”