December News

A) PAC

Food Day:

                Thursday, Dec. 1

Thursday, Dec. 15

        Soup Day:

                Thursday, Dec. 8

               

Next Meeting:

                January 16^th, 2012

B)Christmas Concert

This year we will be having our concert on Wednesday, Dec. 7^th  starting 12:30 PM. Ms. Rankin and our staff are working very hard with our students to put together a great concert. Our dress rehearsal will be Wednesday, Dec. 7^th  at 9:30 AM. We will also have a donation box for our local Food Bank set up at the concert. Please bring one canned item as an entry donation. Thanks!

C)Christmas Concert Bake Sale

If you are looking for Christmas baking, we will be having a bake sale at the concert again this year. This bake sale will be in the multi-purpose room and staff room. We will be selling these items after the concert concludes.

D) Food Hamper

We will be collecting nonperishable food over the month of December for our local food bank. We will also have donation boxes available at our Christmas Concert. Our staff will be encouraging students to consider helping people who are less fortunate than ourselves.

E) Christmas Break

The Christmas break begins Dec. 19^th this year. School reopens on Tuesday, January 3^rd. And just as a reminder Spring Break this year is two weeks beginning March 12^st. School reopens on Monday, March 26^th .

F) Christmas Letter Writing Day

You are invited to come to the school to join with your children in writing to relatives and friends before the Christmas postal deadline. Our Christmas Letter Writing Day is planned for Friday, December 2^th at 10:30. As in the past, Parents and Grandparents are invited to attend. We will have writing paper, envelopes and writing areas set up around the school for you to write with your children.

G) Movie Night

Thanks to our PAC who organized dinner and movie last month!! It was a great success!! Great to see lots of our families enjoying time together socializing and enjoying a movie. We have plans to do another evening in February.

H) School Spirit Event

We invite you to join us for our first school spirit event at the Swimming pool in Salmon Arm. We are planning this event for Thursday, December 15^th. Preschoolers are welcome, but a parent must accompany them in the water. Kindergarten parents must have one-to-one supervision in the water. A notice will be coming home shortly with further information. See you in the water!!

I) Report Cards

At the time of writing this note we are not sure what is going to be happening with our report cards. The Labour Relations Board is making a ruling shortly on whether or not teachers will need to complete report cards for the first term. I will inform you of it’s ruling as soon as possible.

J) School Talk

Have you experienced this:

      “What did you do at school today?”

       “NOTHING”

If you have try these strategies.

§ Instead of asking about the day as a whole, ask about math or lunch playtime or science, etc.

§ Don’t ask yes or no questions.

§ Ask about the best thing that happened.

§ Share experiences from your day this opens the door to conversation.

K) Toonie Tuesday

Thank you for your support!! We were able to provide $190 towards a water system for a school in Kenya. We have made a huge difference in many children’s lives by helping them to have fresh clean water to drink.

L) Remembrance Day Assembly

Thank you to those parents who attended our Remembrance Day ceremony at school!! The students did a great job of their presentations. Of special note were our Grade 5 ‘Masters of Ceremonies’ Alex Taylor and Chantel Jeffrey!!

M) Peanut Awareness News

Many people believe that nuts and peanuts come from the same botanical family. In fact, peanuts are a member of the legume family (peas, beans, and lentils). Nuts grow on trees and sometimes are called tree nuts to distinguish them from peanuts. People allergic to peanuts are not necessarily allergic  to tree nuts, and vice versa.

N) Winter Wear

Just a reminder that in order to keep our school clean and our children safe, students need to have shoes just for inside use. On wet and snowy days students are required to remove their outside footwear at the door before entering. Also, please be sure your child is well dressed for all kinds of weather conditions so they are able to enjoy the fresh air even when the weather is wet or cold.

O) Young Naturalist Club

Students (5- 14 yrs) are invited to join the Club at Carlin School Thursday, Dec. 8 at 2:30. Please bring along your special find from nature. For more information call Mrs. Dawkins 675-2220.

P)Monthly Math Problem

We had 30 entries in our math problem draw. The winners of the Math problem of the month draw were MacKenzie Packer for the K-2 students and Aidan Laug for the Grades 3- 5 students. Congratulations!!

Dates to Remember

Dec. 2 – Christmas Letter Write

Dec. 7 – Christmas Concert

Dec. 15 – School swim at Community Center

Dec. 16 – Last Day of Term

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December newsletter

November

A) PAC  News

Food Days:  Thursday,Nov. 3

 Thursday,Nov. 17

Soup Days: Wednesday, Nov. 9

              Wednesday, Nov. 23

Next Meeting: Monday, Nov. 21

Family Movie Night:

              Friday, Nov. 18

B) Reporting to Parents

At Sorrento School, we have an open door policy; meaning that we are ready and willing to talk to you at any time about any school related issue. Communication between the home and school is critical to a successful year for your child. Research shows that the more communication between the home and school the better the child’s academic progress.

If you are concerned about your child’s progress please contact your child’s teacher to make arrangements to meet to discuss your concerns.

C) Photo Retakes

Photo retakes will be on Friday, November 4. For students to get retakes they must prepay using a “Photo Order Envelope” from the office. This will ensure that you receive your photos prior to Christmas Break.

If your child was absent for the original photos, or if you have chosen to have retakes, please have your child obtain a Photo Order Envelope from the school office prior to retake day. The student will give the Photographer your payment enclosed in the Order Envelope on Photo Day.

Thank you from Mountain West Studios.

D) Dressing for School

The weather has slowly been getting more winter like!! Please ensure that your child is prepared to be outside at recess and lunch time unless the weather is particularly bad.

Thank you for sending your child with an indoor pair of running shoes and for sending him/her to school dressed to learn.

If you have any questions regarding the school’s dress code, please contact Mr. Horton.

E) No School

Students do not attend school November 11^th or 14^th  this month. November 11^th is Remembrance Day and November 14^th is a school based Professional Development Day for our school district.

F)Coats for Kids

As mentioned in our PAC notice, we are hoping to provide an opportunity for you to trade in any new or gently used winter snow gear on November 3, 2:15- 6:00 or Nov. 4, 2:15-6:00. Items can be dropped off at the office any day prior to these dates. Thanks!

G) Safety on Roads

With the time change taking place soon it is a good time to go over being visible while walking to and from school or around home. “Be safe, be seen” - we would encourage our students to be wearing bright colours, or reflective tags as the day light hours get shorter and shorter. Check out the web site www.iwalktoschool.org for other road safety tips.

H) Remembrance Day

We will commemorate Remembrance Day on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 10:30 this year. Parents are more than welcome to join us for this assembly.

I) Askew’s Vouchers/Cards

We will be raising funds for our school through the sale of Askew’s cards again this year. If you shop at Askew’s you can purchase cards from us and use them as cash at Askew’s.

We bulk purchase cards and earn funds based on the amount of our bulk purchase. You may pick up the cards from the office or send a cheque with your child and we will send the cards home with your child. Thanks!

J) Family Movie Night

The PAC is planning a Family movie night for Friday, November 18. They are planning a Hot Dog dinner to start at 5:30 with a movie to start at 6:30. As I write this note they are not sure of the movie to be shown but will send out a notice at a later date.

K) Christmas Light-up

For your information this year’s Christmas Light-up will take place on November 25^th  at 7:00 pm on the plaza in Sorrento. Everyone is invited to attend.

L)Christmas Concert

This year we will be having our concert on Wednesday, December 7^th , starting 12:30 pm. Ms. Rankin and our staff are working very hard with our students to put together a great concert. Our dress rehearsal will be Wednesday, Dec 7^th   at 9:30 am. We will have a donation box for the Food Bank set up at the concert. Please bring one canned item as an entry donation. Thanks!

M) Things Best Left at home

We work hard to make our school as safe as possible for our children. With this in mind it is best for the following items to be left at home:

·         Wheeled shoes(healies)

·         Knives

·         Lighters

·         Laser pointers

·         Cameras

·         Deodorants

·         Toy weapons

Thanks for helping us to make our school a safe place for our children.

N) Christmas Letter Writing Day

You are invited to come to the school to join with your children in writing to relatives and friends before the Christmas postal deadline. Our Christmas Letter Writing Day is planned for Friday, December 2^nd  at 10:30. As in the past, Parents and Grandparents are invited to attend. We will have writing paper, envelopes and writing areas set up around the school for you to write with your children.

O) A Note from our  Speech-Language Pathologists  

DID YOU KNOW . . . that 1 in 10 Canadians has a speech, language or hearing problem?  Communication disorders in school-aged children are often misdiagnosed as learning disabilities or behaviour problems.  Children with problem behaviours are ten times more likely than other children to have language disorders. Communication problems can also have an impact on the following aspects of a child’s experience at school – social interaction, classroom activities, learning and literacy.  Speech-Language Pathologists can help when a child is struggling with communication skills.

P)Purdy’s Chocolate sale

We do very few fundraising events through the year. This is one of our biggest fundraising events planned for this year. Please help us to raise as much as possible by letting all your friends, neighbours and relatives know about this great opportunty to buy Christmas gifts. Our sale goes from Nov. 1 until Nov. 15.

Thanks for helping to make this fund raiser a great success!!

Q)Christmas Concert Bake Sale

If you are looking for Christmas baking, we will be having a bake sale at the concert again this year. This bake sale will be in the multi-purpose room and staff room. We will be selling these items after the concert concludes.

R)Nutrition Bite

Tips for Including More Whole Grains in Your Child’s Diet:

·         Try to substitute whole grains for at least half of the bread, crackers, pasta, or rice you eat. Substituting even more is even better!

·         Try substituting whole wheat or oat flour for up to half of the flour in pancake, waffle, muffin, or other flour-based recipes

·         A lot of food products advertise that they are “whole grain” or “made from whole flour” but they may actually be mostly refined. Be sure to check the ingredient list – “whole wheat”, “whole oat”, or “whole rye” should be the first ingredient on the package. Also, choose foods that say “100% whole wheat” instead of foods that say “made with whole grain”.

Remember whole grains make us feel fuller for longer while adding lots of vitamins and minerals.

S)Monthly Math Problem

We had 27 entries in our math problem draw. The winners of the Math problem of the month draw were Micheal Gravells for the K-2 students and Chantel Jeffrey for the Grades 3- 5 students. Congratulations!!

Dates to Remember

Nov. 4 – Photo Retakes

Nov. 9 – Remembrance Assembly 10:30

Nov. 11 – Remembrance Day (no school)

Nov. 14 – Professional Development Day

Nov. 21 – PAC Meeting 6:30

Dec. 7 – Christmas Concert 12:30

Sorrento School October Newsletter

A) Parent Advisory Council

Food Days:  Thursday,Oct. 6

 Thursday,Oct. 20

Next Meeting: Monday, Oct. 17

The following people have volunteered to represent you on our PAC executive this year:

            President: Jamie MacLean

            Vice Chair: Susan Bungay

            Secretary: Jodi Daburger

            Treasurer: Erika Zazzi

            Fund Raising: Mandi Davis

            Food Days: Martha Torrie

           

            School Planning Council:

               Tracey Paulus            Donna Curdyk

   Stephanie Odermatt  Susan Bungay(exec.)

Our PAC meetings will be on the third Monday of each month again this year starting at 6:30. We had a great turn out for our first meeting. We hope to see you at our next meeting.

We continue to collect Campbell soup labels. We use the labels to buy new equipment for our gym. We have a box in the office for the labels.

B) Safe Arrival

Our safe arrival program is in need of parent volunteers. We want you to be aware that your child has arrived safely at school. If your child is going to be absent please telephone the school in the morning. Should they not arrive and you have not called the school we will telephone you to let you know they did not arrive.

This program requires a parent volunteer to be at the school each morning to do the calling. If you could help one day a week for half an hour or so first thing in the school day it would be very much appreciated. Call Mrs. Cassman to volunteer or for more information. Thanks!

C) When you have a concern

When you advocate on behalf of your child the way you express your concerns has an effect on the outcome.

Ø Do your best to control your emotions; be reasonable and respectful. The less defensive people act, the easier it is for them to listen to your concerns. You can provide information that will help professionals make a decision that meets the needs of your child.

Ø Consider the views of others. You may not agree, but by listening you will understand where they are “coming from” and where a solution may be found. When both sides are heard, it is easier to work together to find solutions.

Ø Document your information. It is easy to get confused or forget information. Jot down notes. Keep copies of everything you send and receive.

Ø Commit to resolution. Ensure that you are working to solve the problem. Be honest with yourself and others. Plan how the problem could be solved. Be both flexible and open minded. Another plan might work or be even better.

Ø Stay involved. Confirm your action plans and arrange follow up. Help to define reasonable deadlines for each goal. If one solution is not working, be willing to try another.

D) Sorrento Blog

Over the past few years our newsletter has been posted on our blog at

http://sorrentoelementaryschool.blogspot.com

Why not become a follower of our blog and receive our posts on your computer.

E) No School

A brief reminder that children do not attend school Monday, October 10 (Thanksgiving) or

Friday, October 21 (Province wide Professional Development Day).

F) Bussing Notes                  

With our current bus routes our busses are very full. The Transportation Department has a policy of no courtesy riders due to this fact. Should you wish your child to ride a different bus or bring a friend home by bus you are requested to telephone the Transportation Department (832-9415) to confirm there is room available on the bus. Using the bussing system for transporting children to birthday parties is a particular problem.

We would also like to remind everyone that should you or your child be changing plans regarding bus transportation we need a note for the teacher/bus driver. Please do not leave messages on our answering machine that involve changes to transportation plans as we may not get the messages before the end of the day. We do not have a full time secretary at the school.

G) Nutrition Bites

Tips for Packing Healthy Lunches:

·         Include a variety of foods from at least 3 of the 4 food groups – Vegetables and Fruit, Grain Products, Milk and Alternatives, and Meat and Alternatives

·         Try a hot lunch by using a wide mouth thermos – chilli, pasta, soups, stews, or baked beans are all good options.

·         Some easy non-peanut protein options – soy butter, cheese, tuna or salmon, hummus, edamame beans, hard cooked egg, chick peas

Remember to include your child in the planning of their lunch – no meal is a good meal if it is not eaten so work with your child to create a healthy lunch that they will find tasty.

H) Parking lot

Firstly, we would ask that you drop off your children on Passchendaele Road or Vimy Road. Our goal here is to reduce the number of vehicles in the parking lot. Secondly, we have made the westerly part of the parking lot a “staff only” parking area. If you must use the parking lot please park and drop of children in the area past the cross walk.

Thanks for your help in keeping our students safe!

I) Youth Resource Center

Come join us for a night of fun! Activities include pool tables, darts, snacks, music, movies and much more! Youth from 11 to 17 years old are welcome. We meet every Thursday from 6:30 until 9:00 pm at the Sorrento Community Drop In Center.

J) Intramural Soccer

Our intramural soccer tournament started last week. The Division one, two and three students are thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to play 6-aside soccer in a round robin tournament. We are playing Tuesdays and Thursdays for about 3 more weeks. Thanks to Mr. Horton for organizing and supervising this event for our students.

K) Electronic Devices              

Over the years we’ve had many problems regarding electronic devices (cell phones, mp3 players, etc).  We prefer they not come to school, however, if they must, they are to remain in backpacks throughout the day and may be used on the bus only. 

L) Monthly Math Problem

We had 20 entries in our math problem draw. The winners of the Math problem of the month draw were Matteo Bordin for the K-2 students and Alex Taylor for the Grades 3- 5 students. Congratulations!!

Dates to Remember

Oct. 4 – Photo Day

Oct. 6 – Food Day

Oct. 10 – Thanksgiving (No School)

Oct. 12 – Cultural Event 9:20

Oct. 17 – PAC Meeting

Oct. 20 – Food Day

Oct. 21 – Pro-D Day

Oct. 25 – Toonie Tuesday

Nov. 4 – Photo retakes

Teacher Job Action

Just another reminder that our School District has removed recess breaks from our school day to ensure the safety of our students. Due to this our lunch break is 15 minutes earlier than usual and we end our school day 15 minutes earlier as well.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause!!

September News

A) Welcome Back

We hope that you have had a great summer break!! On behalf of the staff, I would like to welcome you and your children back to school. A special welcome is extended to our new students and their families, especially our Kindergarten children who are just beginning their school journey!!

At Sorrento Elementary we have a strong group of teachers and support staff. We believe that education of children is a partnership between the home and school. We encourage your participation and input at all times. Students whose parents and teachers model a positive and constructive attitude towards learning generally do well.

Things we can do to help our children include discussing the school day with them, reading with them and to them at night, as well as providing a consistent time and place for homework.

Please feel free to come in and meet with your child’s teacher(s) to discuss your child’s learning. Establishing lines of communication enable both the home and the school to work together effectively.

We welcome your thoughts regarding any aspect of our school’s operation.

B) Dressing for School

Students need to be comfortable to learn. At Sorrento School, students are expected to wear clothes that are appropriate for school. A good rule of thumb we share with the students is that beach wear is not appropriate at school. Spaghetti strap tops and open mid-rift blouses should be saved for summer wear. Likewise T-shirts with inappropriate language or illustrations should not be worn to school.

Thank you for sending your child with an indoor pair of running shoes and for sending him/her to school dressed to learn.

If you have any questions regarding the school’s dress code, please contact Mr. Horton.

C) Staff for 2011-12

We are pleased to welcome back Mrs. Hadath,

Mrs. Wiltse, Mrs. Moerike, Mrs. Blacklock,

Mrs. Zinck, Mr. Letkeman, Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Smolne, Mrs. Ruckle, Mrs. McManus, and Mrs. Cassman.

We would also extend a warm welcome to our new staff Ms. Tyssen, Ms. Rasmuson, Ms. Rankin. and Ms. Killy.

D) Class & Staff Organization

    Division 7 - Mrs. Ruckle

    Division 6 –Mrs. Zinck

    Division 5 – Ms. Tyssen

    Division 4 - Mrs. Blacklock

    Division 3 - Mrs. Hall

    Division 2 - Mrs. Hadath/Mr. Horton

    Division 1 - Mrs. McManus

Learning Resource Teacher – Ms. Rasmuson

School Counselor – Mrs. Moerike

Music – Ms. Rankin

Library – Ms. Killy

Secretary – Mrs. Cassman

Special Ed. Assistants - Mrs. Wiltse & Mrs. Smolne

Custodian – Mr. Letkeman

E) Teacher Job action

As you may know the BCTF has given 72 hours strike notice. This will cause some of our normal plans and arrangements to be changed this year.

As a part of Phase One of this job action teachers will not handle money sent to them by parents. With this in mind, when you send any money to the school please place it in an envelope clearly marked with the student’s name, grade and what it is for as all these envelopes will be processed in the office.

F) Newsletters

School newsletters will be issued on a monthly basis usually during the first week of each new month. These newsletters are an integral part of our home-school communication plan. Please take time to read them with your children.

Newsletters are also available on our blog as well at: http://sorrentoelementaryschool.blogspot.com/

To reduce paper consumption we plan to give them to the eldest member of the family attending our school.

G) Parking Lot Safety

The parking lot at Sorrento School gets very busy at the start and end of each day. Please drive with extreme caution!! Do not block the bus loading and unloading zone at the front of the school at any time.

If you pick up your student(s) make sure they use the cross walk and do not run through the bus zone to get to your vehicle. Thanks.

H) Bussing Issues

The Transportation Department sent a card home this summer regarding bus stops and schedules. If you did not receive yours or have questions, please

contact Transportation Dept. at (250) 804-7890.

I) Askew’s Vouchers/Cards

We will be raising funds for our school through the sale of Askew’s vouchers/cards again this year. If you shop at Askew’s you can purchase vouchers/cards from us and use them as cash at Askew’s.

We bulk purchase and earn funds based on the amount of our bulk purchase. You may pick up the vouchers from the office or send a cheque with your child and we will send vouchers home with your child. Thanks!

J) Parent Advisory Council

Our first P.A.C. meeting will be Monday, September 26 at 6:30 pm in the Staff room. All parents are encouraged to attend and add their input to the operation of the school. For new parents this is an excellent way to get to know other parents involved in our school.

We are still looking for volunteers to be our PAC President, and Treasurer. Should you be interested be sure to attend our first meeting.

K) Terry Fox Run

As you may know, we alternate between doing a Terry Fox run and a Turkey Trot at the start of each year. The Terry Fox Run raises money for cancer research and our Turkey Trot raises money and food for our local Food Bank. This year we will do our Terry Fox.  It will be on September 16^th this year.

L) Growth Planning /Pro-d Day

This year our first Pro-d Day is Monday,

September 19^th. Teachers will spend half the day planning how we will implement our growth plan and half the day doing professional development. Students do not attend school on this day.

M) Bell Schedule

            8:35 – Warning Bell

            8:40 – Lessons begin

            10:15 – Recess begins

            10:30 – Lessons recommence

            12:00 – Lunch Play time

            12:20 – Lunch Eating time

12:45 – Lessons recommence

            2:33 – Dismissal

Morning supervision does not begin until the first bus arrives at 8:10 am. Students who do not come by bus should not arrive prior to this time as there is no supervision of students. Thanks!

N) Head Lice

Each year we ask parents to check their child’s hair on a regular basis for head lice. September, January and April are often times when schools seem to have a greater incidence of head lice.

If you are willing to help with routine checks in the school please call the school and leave your name with Mrs. Cassman our school secretary. Thanks!!

O) Kindergarten Planning

Our Kindergarten class for this  year will begin on Wednesday, September 7 at 8:40 with pick up time at 12:00 until Tuesday, September 13^th .

Bus pick-up will NOT be available for these first few days. Kindergarten students will begin regular

full days on Monday, September 14.

P) Allergy Alert

We feel that all parents should be aware that we have a few children in our school with severe life threatening food allergy (anaphylaxis) to nuts. This is a medical condition that causes a severe reaction to specific foods and can result in death within minutes. Although this may or may not affect your child’s class directly, we want to inform you so that you may choose to send foods to school with your child that are free from nut products. Thanks!

Q) StrongStart Program

This year we will be offering the StrongStart program in our school on Tuesday’s and Friday’s from 9:00 until 12:00. It is a free literacy program for any preschool children and their parents. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and caregivers are invited to join in the fun with their preschoolers. You may attend regularly or on a drop-in basis. Healthy snacks will be provided each day.

R) Math Problem of the Month

Attached to this newsletter you will find the

“Math Problem of the Month”. There is one for grades K-2 and another for grades 3-5. With each newsletter this year you will get a Math problem. We encourage each family to solve the problem together in the space provided and to return the solution to the draw box at the office. At the end of each month we will draw from the correct entries for a k-2 and grade 3-5 prize.

Dates to Remember

Sept. 16 – Terry Fox run

Sept. 19 – Pro-D Day – no school for students

Sept. 26 – PAC Meeting 6:30