5100BrunswickDrive,Richmond,BCV7E6K9
Tel:604-668-7844Fax:604-668-6412
Email:[email protected]:homma.sd38.bc.ca
EarlyWarning604-668-6491
Ms.DebbieTablotney
Ms.DebbieTablotney
Mrs.KarenLin
Ms.KathyrnD’Angelo
Ms.KathyrnD’Angelo
Principal/Directrice
“Seeking
harmony.....
respecting
diversity”
“A la recherche de
l’harmonie ..... au
coeur de la
diversité”
Mrs.PamelaEssex
Mrs.PamelaEssex
VicePrincipal/
DirectriceAdjointe
SchoolLiaisonTrustee
SchoolLiaisonTrustee
AssistantSuperintendent
AssistantSuperintendent
Mr.MatthewWeinstein
Mr.MatthewWeinstein
PACChair
P.A.C.Chair
DailyTimetable:
8:30am.....................................................Buildingopens
8:45am.....................................................Allstudentsreporttoclass
8:50am.....................................................Schoolbegins
10:30–10:45am.................................Recess
12:25–1:10pm....................................Lunch
2:43pm.....................................................Schoolends
DearFamilies,
Februaryis“Kindness”month.Wetaketimethismonthtoletthepeoplewecareaboutknowhowmuchwe
care:people inour families,ourfriends,ourteachers,ourcolleagues,peoplewhoworkforus,andpeoplewe
workfor.Wearehopingthateveryonewillshowsomeoneelsea“RandomActofKindness”thismonth–justfor
thejoywecanbringtosomeoneelse.
We’vealreadystartedour“KindnessWork”.Herearesomeexamplesof“heartprints”.
♥ Sending Valentines – Our Family Teams made Valentines for seniors. They will be delivered by
membersofourWEDayCommittee,Mrs.LinandMs.Song.
♥ ThankyourCoach-Beingacoachisoftenathanklessjob. Ifyouarean athlete, besuretothank
yourcoachfortheircommitmenttoyouandyourteameveryonceandawhile!
♥ Make a Pledge – On February 22 students will be asked to wear Pink and take a stand against
bullying.ParticipatinginPinkShirtDayisanactofkindnessandrespect–wehopeeveryonejoins
in!
♥ Includeothers–Reachouttosomeonewhomaybeplayingalone.Askthemtojoinyourgame,read
withthem,beafriend!
♥ LaughOften-Laughter makes everything better. Havingasenseofhumorlightensyour burdens,
connectsyoutoothers,inspireshopefulnessandoffersanewperspective.Ourcommunityisfullof
laughter.Fromtheparentswhovolunteerandvisit,fromthestaffwhoworkhard,tothechildren
whograceourlives!
♥ BeKindtoPlacesandSpaces-Doyouseelitter?Pickitup!Isyourroomordeskmessy?Organize
withoutbeingasked!Istheresomethingthatyoucoulddothatwouldmakeyourclassroomshine?
Doit!Whatwouldbeawonderfulsurpriseforyourparentsathome?Maketheirday!!!
HappyFebruary!
TomekichiHommaElementaryNewsletter
1
February3,2017
SNIFFLES & SNEEZES
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
… and coughs and wheezes – it is
the season for all sorts of illnesses.
Please help in minimizing the
number of children and staff ill in
the Homma community by keeping
your child home when they are not feeling well. We
know how hard it is to find daycare for children on
short notice, but when children come to school
feeling sick, they do not learn well and pass along
their germs to others. The general guideline is to
have your child stay home for 24 hours after having
a fever and 48 hours after the last occurrence of
vomiting.
At recess and lunch, all children are expected to go
outside unless the weather is inclement. We are not
able to have children in the building unsupervised
during these break periods. If children are well
enough to come to school, they will be outside with
their peers at recess and lunch.
Thank you so much for helping us keep everyone
as healthy as possible during the winter months.
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be coming up
throughout February and March. We have two early
dismissal days planned on Tuesday, February 28th
and Wednesday, March 1st at 1:43 pm to help
accommodate these meetings. Teachers will be
getting in touch with parents regarding possible
days and times.
Conferences may take a variety of formats such as
student-led, parent-teacher or parent-teacherstudent. Whatever the format these conferences take,
this is an opportunity for you to find out more about
what your child has been doing in school and to
have conversations about their progress. We look
forward to having an opportunity to celebrate your
child’s learning.
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Kung Hei Fat Choy! Chinese New
Year was on January 28th. It is the
Year of the Rooster. Chinese New
Year starts with the New Moon on
the first day of the new year and
ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of
the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is
celebrated at night with lantern displays and
children carrying lanterns in a parade. Chinese New
Year, the most important Chinese holiday, is a time
of celebration, fireworks, gift giving, and feasting
with the family!
We wish all of our families celebrating this holiday
all the best in the coming year – The Year of the
Rooster!
SPEED CONTROL - TUESDAY, FEB. 21
ROCK AND ROLL: CANADA VS. WORLD
We are pleased to welcome this lively
group to Homma. Some of the most
innovative music in the world has come
from Canadian musicians. Follow Speed
Control through the last 50 years of
famous Canadian artists and how their
music affected others of both their own
generation and those to come. From Paul Anka to
Barenaked Ladies, audiences will learn how Canada
has become a major force in popular music in this
smart, humorous and exciting show!
PAC FAMILY BINGO NIGHT
CHOIR UPDATE
A Big Thank You to the planning
committee members (Lucie Newman
and Diana Halverson), the parents and
McMath students who volunteered at Bingo Night.
You helped make this family-friendly event a great
success! It was a fun night with lots of great prizes
supporting our Steveston merchants.
The Homma School Choir, 50 students, boys and
girls, from Grades 2 – 5, have been practicing weekly
for the past month. Their harmonious voices and
enthusiasm for singing are a treat and Tuesday
afternoons seem all that much better after spending
a half hour immersed in song in the multi-room
during lunch. We are looking forward to their big
performance at the Pink Shirt Day assembly on
February 22nd. Ms. Wright, Mrs. Tabata and Mrs.
Kishi are happy to be working with this talented,
dedicated group!
Congratulations to our grand prize ‘blackout’
winner, who won a $50.00 Gift Certificate to the Hog
Shack!
TomekichiHommaElementaryNewsletter
2
February3,2017
WINTER PARKING LOT SAFETY
As winter weather approaches
we remind parents and students
to be extremely cautious in the
parking lot during drop off times.
Please drive slowly through the
lot as we cannot ensure that this
area is salted. As always, students should unload
from cars only from the passenger side. Please be
reminded that the parking lot is for staff only.
The spots that are marked for visitors are for
employees of the school district that are visiting
for school related business only. We have a very
large staff and they come in at different times of
the day. If you are picking up your child during
the day, or dropping off a lunch, please use the
drop off lane.
Thank you for your ongoing cooperation to
ensure our students arrive at school safely.
SEE CLEAR IN THE NEW YEAR
February is a great month to
show kindness. From January 25th
until February 13th, The We Day
Committee has been collecting
donations of eyeglasses for Iris to
donate to needy families. They are being collected in
our front foyer.
Together, let’s show our Thunderhawk ‘K’indness
to others in need. Thanks Homma!
EDUCATION WEEK 2017
Education Week will be taking
place from Sunday, February 26,
2017 to Sunday, March 5, 2017.
Education Week is an annual
celebration hosted by the Richmond
School District. It is a time to
celebrate
teaching
excellence
and
student
achievement
while
highlighting
individual,
classroom, school and district accomplishments.
Education Week also provides an important
opportunity for the Richmond community to
experience and appreciate the public education
system.
Visit Aberdeen Centre where Homma student’s art
will be on display in the Rolling Art Boards event.
For a full list of this year’s events and activities,
The Education Week 2017 website is now live
at: edweek.sd38.bc.ca.
KINDNESS AT HOMMA
The ‘K’ in the acronym H.A.W.K.S.
represents ‘Kindness.’
On January 20th we continued our
focus on kindness and thinking about
others (“We Not Me”) by creating
Valentine’s Day cards for senior citizens as a Family
Teams Activity. We collected almost 500 beautiful
cards that will be delivered to Maple Residences,
Gilmore Gardens and Minoru Residences by
members of our We Day Committee. Great work,
Homma Hawks!
On February 22nd we will celebrate Pink Shirt Day
by having a school-wide assembly in the morning.
The focus will be on how we can be kind, thoughtful,
and inclusive every day of the year.
Here are what the students from Division 19, Mme
Courtemanche’s class, shared as some ideas about
Kindness.
♥
Kindness looks like helping others. Colin
♥
Kindness sounds like calm voices. Sophie F.
♥
Kindness is respect. Logan
♥
Kindness feels like someone is sharing,
being nice. Kensie
♥
I am kind when I listen to my teacher and I
don’t interrupt. Sammy
♥
Kindness is when your friends are playing
with another group and they ask you to
join them. Maya
♥
My friends are kind when they let me play
with them. Katie
♥
My teacher is kind when she notices me
doing good work. Reana
TomekichiHommaElementaryNewsletter
BASKETBALL AT HOMMA
Basketball season is upon us and we are pleased to
say that Homma has a large number of students in
Grade 6 and 7 who are participating.
Thank you to staff members Chris Redding,
Raymond Yoo, Michael Gilles, and Peter Ritchie for
giving their time to coach the teams.
We are also fortunate to have a parent, Sean
Lawson, who has also been helping with coaching
duties. We are proud of the skill and good
sportsmanship our students are demonstrating
SPRING BREAK CAMPS
Spring Break is a time for kids to be
kids! It’s a chance to be free from the
busy school schedule. That’s why the
YMCA offers day camps, so that every child can
reach their full potential. Join us for fun-filled days
of arts and crafts, games, sports and an opportunity
to make new friends. The nearest YMCA day camp
location to Tomekichi Homma Elementary School
are located at the Homma YMCA Kids Club. Visit
www.vanymca.org/daycamps for the schedule and
www.myymca.ca to register!
3
February3,2017
A NOTE FROM YOUR P.A.C. CHAIR
On January 18th we held our first P.A.C. meeting after the Christmas break. We had
announced on that night that our Treasurer, Cheyna Conder, will be stepping down
next year as her business has grown and she needs to devote her time to assisting her
clients. The P.A.C. Executive would like to thank Cheyna for her many years of
service and assistance and wish her the very best! With that being said, we do have a
Treasurer position available starting next school year and will be holding elections
coming this May. If you or another Homma parent that you know are interested and
want to know more details about the position, please let us know. You can contact the P.A.C. by email at
[email protected].
On Jan. 26th, we had our 3rd annual family bingo night which was a great success! The gym was packed full
of many Homma families having lots of fun! Many thanks to Lucie Newman who had organized the whole
event and to the volunteers who had helped out that night and the days leading up to it.
We are planning some new and exciting changes to Homma’s favourite event, the Spring Carnival; which will
be in May so stay tuned for that!
Food Day volunteers are always needed to help out with both Pizza and Sushi Days so, if you can spare an
hour on those days that would be greatly appreciated.
Our next P.A.C. meeting will be held on Feb. 15th at 6:30pm in the Library. As a reminder we do have child
minding in the Gym with volunteers from the Steveston Community Centre. Hope to see you there!
GROOVE EDGE-UCATION
Groove Edge-ucation spent the day at
Homma giving many of our students a groove
experience followed by a workshop on the
elements of dance. Kids had a lot of fun
moving, stomping, and crawling while
practicing
self-awareness,
mindfulness,
confidence and healthy peer interactions.
Teachers also got the opportunity for a mini
workshop during their lunch break.
Thanks, Tree!
DRUMMING WORKSHOP
Lyle Povah, who specializes
in drumming and health, was
leading workshops with six
primary
and
intermediate
divisions. The kids got to learn
about new instruments and
had the opportunity to try
them out. Divisions 12 and 13
benefitted even more as it tied
into their big project on Africa.
RICHMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGISTRATION TIMELINE
Feb. 9th - Letters e-mailed to parents regarding placement or waitlist in Early French Immersion
or Montessori. If you don’t receive an e-mail by the 10th, please send an e-mail to
[email protected]. Results will not be given over the phone.
Feb. 16th – Letters e-mailed to parents regarding placement or waitlist in Late French
Immersion. If you don’t receive an e-mail by the 17th, please send an e-mail to
[email protected]. Results will not be given over the phone.
Feb. 28th – Schools will mail letters to transfer applicants who submitted by Feb. 9th, regarding
their status.
st
Mar. 31 - Deadline for parents submitting Letter of Appeal for transfer applicants who
submitted by Feb. 9th.
June 16th - Deadline for registration for guaranteed placement in English programs at
catchment schools for 2017/2018, providing there is space.
June 21st – Schools will mail letters to late transfer applications who submitted Feb. 13-Jun. 16,
regarding their status.
TomekichiHommaElementaryNewsletter
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February3,2017
RichmondInternationalStudentProgram
Openyourhomeupforarewardingexperience….
The International Student Program allows overseas students to
enter Grades 8 through 12 at selected secondary schools in
Richmond, Greater Vancouver. The program gives overseas
studentstheopportunitytostudyalongsideCanadianstudentsin
theBCpubliceducationsystem.AsaHostFamily,youwillhaveanopportunitytowelcomeinto
yourhome,studentsfromaroundtheworld.Yourfamilywillhaveaprofoundinfluenceonthe
students’studyabroadexperience.Bothyourfamilyandthestudentsyouhostwillideallygaina
mutual understanding and respect for each other’s culture and world-view. In addition to
economic remuneration, your reward will be the realization that your commitment to host
international students will, in some small way, contribute to global understanding and world
peace.
Ifyouareinterestedinlearningmoreaboutourhostingprogram,pleaseforwardane-mailfor
information,Attn:KarenYork,[email protected].
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
FEBRUARY
Fri.
3............ We Day Committee to distribute Valentine’s cards to Maple Residences
Tue. 7........... French Presentation – Legend Factory
Wed. 8........... We Day Committee to distribute cards to Gilmore Gardens
Thurs. 9........... Parent Book Club, 8:45am – 10:00am, Rm. 112A
Fri.
10 ......... Pizza Day
Mon. 13 ......... Family Day – School not in session
Tues. 14 ......... Valentine’s Day!!!
Tues. 14 ......... We Day Committee to distribute cards to Minoru Residences
Wed. 15 ......... P.A.C. Meeting in the library, 6:30pm
Tues. 21 ......... KBAM – Speed Control, 9:00am
Wed. 22......... Pink Day Assembly
Fri.
24......... Professional Development Day – School not in session
Tues. 28......... Early Dismissal @ 1:43pm – Parent Teacher Conferences
MARCH
Wed.
Fri.
Thurs.
Thurs.
Fri.
Mon.
Mon.
1........... Parent Conferences, Early Dismissal at 1:43 pm
3 .......... Newsletter posted on http://homma.sd38.bc.ca/, 4:00pm
9 .......... DARE Graduation
9 .......... Reports sent home
10 ......... Hat Day!
13 ......... Spring Break begins – School not in session
27 ........ Students return to school from Spring Break
TomekichiHommaElementaryNewsletter
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February3,2017