November 27 Parent Newsletter

3700 Hastings Street, Port Coquitlam, B.C. V3B 5K7

Phone: (604) 464-8581

Fax: (604) 461-7832

www.sd43.bc.ca/maplecreek/

School Goals 2009-2010: Goal One: To continue to improve students’ reading skills and attitudes towards reading for information with non-fiction text; specifically, determining main ideas, synthesis, and analysis

Goal Two: To continue to improve students’ sense of safety and belonging

November 25, 2009

NEWSLETTER # 3

\Dear

Parents and Guardians,

O ur a m a z i ng p e r f o r m a nc e assembly last Friday marked the quarter mark of the school year. Students have now switched their daily exploration class and exploration and CORE report cards will be coming home soon. Please make a point of touching base or meeting with your child's teacher to go over their progress and discuss how we can work together to ensure we are meeting your child's needs and assisting them to reach their full potential. The school is constantly a hub of activity and energy and we have many activities and initiatives up and running. Our student leadership team, "The Hawk Krew" not only do our morning announcement s, intramurals and a host of other leadership duties, but just started up our new recycling program. This is a huge undertaking as it includes all the garbage and recycling in the school. If you are not efficiently recycling at home, be prepared for

your son or daughter to come home with some more knowledge and transform your home waste and recycling program into a more green friendly model. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our PAC for their endless hard work a nd unf a iling support. Thanks to the PAC, we are planning on replacing the computer lab with a new set of computers over Christmas. This replacement has a positive "trickle down" effect; the computers presently in the computer lab will go into the library (an upgrade), and the library computers will go into the classroom and student services rooms - directly for our students. On Fri., Dec. 4, we are having our annual Maple Creek Family Movie Night. As it marks the beginning of the holiday season, we will be showing the timeless animated classic "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" followed by "Home

First Formal Report

Alone 2". There will be a concession with popcorn, hot dogs, chips and drinks. The cost is $2.00 per person and a nonperishable item for the food bank. If you wish, you may bring "foamies" or a lawn chair. The show begins at 7:00 pm in the gym and is open to all our students and families, our 4 elementary feeder school families, and any friends students bring. See you there. A reminder to familiarize yourself with our webpage. You will find information about our many activities, school information, and d a i l y a n no u nc e m e nt s . I recommend you visit it frequently. If you ever have any questions or concerns, my door is always open. Mr. B. Trask, Principal Mr. M. Slinger, VP

This is an important document. Please arrange to have it translated

Friday, December 11

Parent/Teacher Conferences Wednesday, December 16 (students dismissed at 1:10 p.m.) (only one school bus is available on these dates for students who utilize the school bus and it leaves at 1:30 p.m.)

ESTE DOCUMENTO ES MUY IMPORTANTE, POR FAVOR, TRATE QUE SE LO TRADUCIR AL ESPONAL LO.

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PUMPKIN PIE EATING CONTEST

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

Students and staff participated in the annual pumpkin pie eating contest.

Winter Bliss Performance Wed., Dec. 9 7:00 p.m. First Formal Report goes home with students Fri., Dec. 11 Parent/Teacher Conferences Wed., Dec. 16 1:30—6:30 pm (1:10 pm early dismissal) Christmas Breakfast Thurs., Dec. 10 7:30—8:30 am

SCHOOL CLOSURE DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER OR POWER OUTAGE Occasionally, it is necessary to temporarily close a school due to extreme weather conditions or a power outage. This decision is made by school district personnel, not the Principal. Factors such as building temperature, light availability, other general safety factors, and the recovery time for power (estimated by BC Hydro) are all considered by the school district in making a decision to close a school. Every attempt is made by the school district to communicate a school closure ahead of time via local radio and television, and through the district website. In the event of heavy snowfall, ice or high wind, please listen to CBC 690 AM, CKNW 980 AM, or CKWX 1130 AM radio stations for possible school closure information. In addition, on inclement weather days, school closure information will be posted on the school district website at www.sd43.bc.ca Unfortunately, as we have experienced in the past, events sometimes occur at the last minute, and a decision to close a school cannot be communicated ahead of time to parents. In these circumstances, we will make every attempt to contact as many parents as possible using staff or student cell phones.

STUDENT INFORMATION CHANGES During the process of updating student information from the “Student Information Verification Form” that was sent home and then returned to the school in September, it was noted that changes were requested for: students names, and/or parental custody/guardianship, or citizenship. Before we can change any part of the above we must have a legal document to support the change. If this situation is applicable to your child please forward a copy of the document to support a necessary change and we will make the corrections. Please note that it is the schools obligation to have the legal name on all formal reports, but a student can use a preferred name on informal documentation.

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Last day of school before Christmas break Fri., Dec. 18 Winter Break Dec. 25—Jan. 1 First Day back from Christmas break Mon., Jan. 4 School-based Professional Day (no school in session) Fri., Jan. 22 Literacy Conference Thurs., Feb. 11 District Professional Day (no school in session) Fri., Feb. 12

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MAPLE CREEK STUDENTS SUPPORT VOW OF SILENCE DAY

COUNSELLOR CORNER

Twenty years ago in November, the Berlin Wall fell and the Velvet Revolution reached its zenith. Amidst these revolutionary events, the Convention on the Rights of the Child – the most rapidly and widely ratified human rights treaty in history was born. This precipitated a different kind of revolution – in how societies around the globe view childhood. The Convention is an enduring consensus on how to create the best possible childhood in the 193 of 195 countries that have ratified it. It is also a tool for the 21st century, presenting a holistic view of what children need and deserve and how to deliver on that, in the here and now, rather than simply as future workers, citizens and consumers.

Last month’s newsletter focused mainly around students and in some case parents adjusting to a new school environment and I can sincerely say that the majority of students have been able to make the transition from elementary school or a relocation to middle school without major difficulty. For the students and/or parents who require further support feel free to visit me at the school or communicate via e-mail.

The milestone will be marked this year across Canada and around the world by an unprecedented number of events large and small, from local day cares and schools, to legislatures and parliaments. As you may or may not know the Vow of Silence Day was last Friday. The purpose of that day was awareness:

• • • • • •

of the 20 year old UN document called the Conventions on the Rights of the Child that outlines the rights of all children. that this document has failed to give all children those rights and millions of children around the world do not have these basic rights. of how many children don't have a voice or anyone fighting for their rights. that taking the Vow of Silence allows us to think about the power and privilege we have with our own voices, our own words, and our own rights. that taking the Vow of Silence allows us to think about others' voices, others' needs and others' rights. that being an activist/taking a stand can be uncomfortable but that we all can use our voices to speak out in support of children's rights.

The purpose of the day was to live a brief period of time without something that we take for granted, our voices. We all need to experience, in a small way, the challenges faced by others who don't have a voice. Maple

Creek Students supported this cause by committing to not using their voice for the three hours. Taking this project one step further, the students who chose to participate also donated a loonie which will be donated to our Maple Creek Christmas Hamper project. Now knowing this, we challenge you to think about what you will do with your voice. What will you say? How will you think and act and use your voice differently? Will you see it as a gift? Will you find a way to help others find their voice? Will you take the time to have a conversation about this issue?

The following article by Craig and Marc Kielburger explains the issues surrounding this document and why it's important. http://www.thestar.com/news/globalvoices/article/726368--world-s-adultsmust-honour-vow-to-children

By November the school has its diverse and multi focused programs in place with always an ear open to better ways to encompass a holistic view of “educating” students. In other words, striving to incorporate social and emotional growth within the framework of academia. For parents/caregivers who are new readers of Counselors Corner or are unfamiliar with my philosophy of lifestyle balance, I would like to reiterate that view. Simply said, the whole is not merely that sum of parts but the interaction and cooperation of all parts within the whole. For example, a few weeks ago the common usage of the term “just kidding” was addressed school wide. It had come to the attention of staff that many students behavior demonstrated that it was OK to say or do something that was either disrespectful or even cruel to others and think that saying “just kidding” would excuse or defend the behavior. This kind of behavior, if not recognized as being disrespectful and hurtful will manifest itself into adulthood. I suspect that everyone knows someone who uses this strategy when uncomfortable/defensive in a situation AND has not had the opportunity to reflect on the strategy as a way to gain insight to why they chose this style of behavior. As part of the commitment to promote holistic learning all the staff at Maple Creek communicates with one another on the social and emotional interaction of the students and how it impacts the environment of the school. Topics addressed are always in the interest of the student’s psychological health and wellness that will take them into adulthood. Open communication is a practiced policy at Maple Creek and we invite thought from parents/caregivers on topics of interests. Sheran Selluski, M.A. Counsellor

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TEAM HIGHLIGHTS Team 1 Mme Armstrong's class has been looking into the past; we are studying laws and customs from the Middle Ages. We are also using reading strategies to improve our skills and comprehension in all subject areas. All grade 8 students in the school should be finishing up their term 1 volunteer hours for the HCE program.

Team 4 Team 4 has begun studies of early people.. A skating fieldtrip is in the works for early December.

Team 5 Team 5 has been working hard in all our academic areas and will soon be looking forward to some fun.

M Kennedy's class has been studying Pythagoras’ theorem, integers, and problem solving. In addition, we learned how to integrate technology into our projects in social studies (Moviemaker) and we just completed our “How I remember” reflective writing project in language arts where we recognized the importance of honouring everyone who has been affected by war.

In Science, we are continuing to explore the area of Chemistry and have been studying matter and the many types of changes to it. We have been practicing to accurately conduct and document the scientific experiments. All of our experiments have been completed using household items and your child should be able to demonstrate his or her new found knowledge at home.

M Francescini's and Mme McInnes' classes have been studying earthquakes, volcanoes, and rocks. We have also been working on a career project in HACE. Mme McInnes' class had the pleasure of learning how to make tacos from Corina's parents! A special merci to Mme Ouelette and several Team 1 grade eight students who have been helping others with reading comprehension.

In Social Studies, we have completed our Mapping Unit and will soon be starting our study of Early Humans. Each class on Team 5 completes the topic of study at slightly different times and only some classes may begin this area of study before the Winter Break.

Team 1 is planning a sharing activity with the students from Glen Elementary; we hope to see them before Christmas and have some fun together. ***Team 1 is looking for a parent to be our CPF liaison this year. If you are interested, please contact Mme Armstrong.

Team 2 It continues to be a busy time of the year for the students of Team 2. We were very moved by the Remembrance Day ceremony and were very pleased to see such a large number of students participate in the event. They also rocked out during the performance assembly which showcased the many musical talents of the students. We are also looking forward to the upcoming reading afternoon. In Math, students are reviewing number theory and working with fraction operations. In English, students are doing memoir writing, and participating in literature circle discussions of the novel Zack. In Social Studies the students have been researching six religions and creating teaching pages which they will be sharing with their classmates. They have been working on research skills as they delve into understanding the various religions in the world around them. For Health and Career Education, students have been busy collecting volunteer hours by helping around the school. These hours have seen a positive change in the school as everyone is helping out and feeling a part of the community.

Team 3 Three months in and hard at work. Team 3 students have gotten into the routines of the classroom and are hard at work in all areas. Math has done some basic review and is moving from integers into fractions. The more practice we can get with the basic facts the better everyone is at fractions and Math in general! Science has gone from the safety rules to working on simple labs, getting to know the lab set-up and we are working to showing our own labs. Students have also been looking at cells and the inner workings of the cells. In Socials, Team 3 students have been doing some great work researching questions they have on World Religions. These questions have lead to many great discussions. In English, students have just begun looking at The Outsider’s novel. With only a month before the winter break things are sure to get even busier than the first three months.

Team 5 will soon be saying good-bye to Mr. McPhee. Mr. McPhee is just finishing his student teaching practicum. Although he worked primarily with Division 18, Mr. McPhee taught many Team 5 students through our Math and French switches, or Physical Education class and all Team 5 benefitted from his commitment and enthusiasm. We all wish Mr. McPhee good luck with the rest of his training and his teaching career. Team 5 continues to go for a daily walk outside. Not only does this help everyone stay more active and healthy, it allows our Team a chance to bond together, before we begin our day. Please continue to send your child prepared for this outside activity. In early December, we will be going on a field trip to City Centre Aquatic Centre. Look for a notice to come home shortly. Team 6 Team six has already had an eventful November, including a fabulously successful swimming field trip and a fun morning of cartoons and cereal in our pajamas. These fun moments are made possible by our student’s continued commitment to their academic assignments. With our first reports coming soon, students should be studying diligently for their Math basics tests and seeking help as needed. Math tutorials are available for students every week on Tuesday and Wednesday, both at lunch and after school with other times available by appointment. The reading log and DPA log still need to be completed and signed weekly. Students will also have tests to study for and larger projects to complete over the next few weeks.

FIRST FORMAL REPORT & PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES Our first formal report goes home on Fri., Dec. 11. Any parents, who after reading their child’s report, would like to meet with teachers on Wed. Dec. 16 between 1:30—6:00 p.m can book a conferences by calling into the school or emailing [email protected].

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ATHLETICS Maple Creek athletes have had a busy Fall season taking part in 5 different sports this term: football, volleyball, swimming, field hockey, and cross country). Students at Maple Creek performed well in all sports and displayed a level of excellence in terms of participation and effort. These sports would not be possible without the effort and commitment of our staff, these sports would not be going on. Thanks to the following staff members: Swimming: Ms Coghlan and Ms. Armstrong Cross country: Ms. Dibblee, Mr. Elson, Mr. McPhee Volleyball: Ms. Kehler, Ms. Shaw, Mr. Baran, Mr. St Prix, Ms. Lee, Mr. Lau Football: Mr. Lee, Mr. Corrado, Mr. Faulks, Mr. Lau, Mr. Gibbons (volunteer) Field hockey: Ms. Warner (parent coach), Mr. Trask (sponsor) Volleyball Gr. 8 Girls Volleyball Bump, Volley, Serve! Those three things were worked on consistently over the course of the volleyball season and it worked to our advantage. The girls displayed great teamwork and good sportsmanship with each and every game played this year. Both teams represented Maple Creek well and the coaches were impressed with the growth in the skills of the girls. The B team did an excellent job advancing to the District finals placing 5th. Well done girls, all of you should be very proud of your efforts this year. Gr. 6 Boys and Girls Volleyball Meeting twice a week at lunchtime, the Gr. 6 Volleyball team was able to have some fun while learning some new skills. Thanks to help from our Gr. 8 helpers we were able to work on volleying, bumping and serving. Our Gr. 6s represented us well at the mini games vs Scott Creek and even better against the other middle school teams at our District finals held at Gleneagle Secondary. It was a fun season and the Gr. 6s learned a lot! Grade 8 Boys The grade 8 boys’ volleyball season has come to an end. The boys met together as a group in early September and ended their season as a team in the second week of November. During that time the boys practiced hard and continued to hone their skills, developing their volleys, bumps, serves and spikes. They showed great determination, hustle and sportsmanship in all games. Congratulations to all the boys who participated and represented our school in the district playoffs, making our school proud as always. The boys’ played hard and showed the desire to win, never giving up. I would like to thank the boys for their effort and commitment to the game and their teammates. It was great working with you and continued success in your volleyball adventures. Thank you to Mr. McCullough and Ms. Gallant for taking the time to drive the team to the other schools when we had our away games.

Intramurals Students have been taking part in beach ball volleyball during their lunch hour this term. Each class will have played at least 3 games to determine the top 8 teams in the grade 8 and the grade 6/7 divisions. At stake is a pizza lunch to the winning divisions. Good luck to all teams.

CLUBS The Outdoor Club The Outdoor Club had an amazing hike to Crystal Falls in October and last week practiced their outdoor cooking skills on a very rainy after school day. Tenting in the gym in January is our next activity. This is in preparation for our May camping trip. A reminder that outdoor club is open to all students and they may join any activity. A big thanks goes to the Outdoor Club founder and sponsor, Mrs. Davies. Ski & Snowboard Club The Ski & Snowboard Club is all set to start with it’s first outing being Mon., Jan. 11. Students leave right after the bell by chartered bus and return to the school at approx. 9:15 pm. The next dates of the trips are: Mon., Jan.18 & 25, and Feb. 8. There is still space available if students are interested in participating. Registration forms are at the office (see Ms. Waddington). Cost ranges between $147 and $263 depending on package required (lesson only, lesson & lift, lesson, lift and rental equipment).

SHOULD PARENTS HOMEWORK?

HELP

WITH

Yes, f it is clearly productive to do so, such as calling out spelling words or checking a math problem that won't prove. No, if it is something the child can clearly handle himself and learn from the process. Help and support should always be calmly and cheerfully given. Grudging help is worse than no help at all! Read directions, or check over math problems after your child has completed the work. Remember to make positive comments - you don't want your child to associate homework with fights at home. Model research skills by involving your child in planning a family trip. Help your child locate your destination on a map or atlas. Use traditional encyclopedia or a CD-ROM to find information about the place you will visit; try the Internet or books in the library.

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FINE ARTS Choir

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST

♪

The choir has been meeting since September every Monday morning. They come eager to sing and ready to work on challenging songs. Our first performance was the Remembrance Day assembly where the choir sang “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson and “Travellin” Soldier by the Dixie Chicks. Both songs were sung extremely well by the choir and would have made Michael or the Dixie Chicks very proud. Our next big concert will be the Winter Bliss concert where we have some fun with Christmas Carols. Drama Over 200 students participated in this year’s Remembrance Day Assemblies performing in the advanced band, choir and/or grade 6,7 &8 drama clubs. Our two themes were: 1) Remembering Canadian soldiers, past and present, who have died and, unfortunately, continue to die in battle and in peace-keeping missions around the world. 2) Uniting as one global family to heal the world and find peace. Students involved had been rehearsing since September to help create a meaningful and respectful assembly for our student body, staff, parents and members of the community. Thank you to all who joined us and a special thank-you to all staff and students who worked very hard to put this together. The drama club will resume again in the form of auditions for our Spring Play (title and audition information will be announced soon)

MCM GREEN TEAM INITIATIVES We are very excited to have started a student led initiative to substantially improve our recycling efforts at Maple Creek and reduce our overall carbon footprint. We have student leaders coordinating our efforts with a number of teacher sponsors to keep ‘Tower Power’ going. Each division has representatives that take care of the recycling in their own class as well as another station around the school. Students now have the option to recycle all of their containers, hard/soft plastics, paper and cardboard. MCM has taken a lead amongst middle schools in the district taking advantage of some funding from the District Energy Manager. We have also signed up with Encorp to compete in a contest amongst other schools around the Province with 501-750 students to see who can recycle the most number of containers (for deposit). The students have been doing a great job and our community is working much more efficiently to recycle. We hope to see significant reductions in the total weight of our garbage, along with reductions in our use of electricity and natural gas. We look forward to parent support in helping our community ‘Go Green!”

Maple Creek School will be hosting its annual festive Christmas Breakfast on Thurs., Dec. 10, from 7:30—9:00 a.m. We wish to invite parents, siblings, and staff to come and join us for breakfast and help support our school community. The breakfast is by cash donation and all proceeds will go towards purchasing fresh food for the Christmas Hamper Program. Please take note that there will be no other breakfast served that week and that the breakfast club will resume in January. Later on in the month we will be putting together several food hampers to be given to members of our community. If you know anyone in our community who could really benefit from a Christmas Hamper, please contact our school youth worker, Brenda Coatta at (604) 464-8581.

MAPLE CREEK MIDDLE CHRISTMAS HAMPER PROJECT The holiday season is quickly approaching and here at Maple Creek plans are in the works to support some of our own families through this difficult time of the year with hampers. Your child may ask for a non perishable food donation to help out with this cause. When you are deciding about your contribution, please take the time to think about your Christmas festivities and what the foods look like on that day. Breakfast Pancake mix Lunch Cereal Dry & canned soups Syrup Canned meat and fish Juice 1litre Canned meals stews, raviPeanut butter oli Jam Condiments, ketchup, Dinner mustard, mayo Canned meats Granola bars Canned vegetables Mandarin oranges Canned tomatoes, pasta and pasta sauce Rice Stuffing mix Cranberry sauce Desserts & snacks Candy canes Hot chocolate Granola bars Jell-o & puddings Cookies Canned fruit Pickles Cake mixes Tea coffee We will start collecting on Dec 1 – 11. Should you have some perishable items you would like to contribute e.g.: turkey, ham, cheese, bacon, eggs, milk, please contact Brenda at 604-464-8581. Thanks in advance for making a family's Christmas season just a little bit brighter!

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WINTER BLISS CONCERT This year’s Winter Bliss Concert is on Wed., Dec. 9 . Both our Beginner band and our Advanced Band will be performing with some accompaniment of our school choir. Families are invited to attend this wonderful evening performance at 7:00 p.m.

REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY On Wed., Nov. 11, our Drama and Music departments presented a remarkable Remembrance Day assembly that honoured all Canadian armed forces that have served and are serving our country. We would also like to acknowledge Mr. Burton, Ms. Grant, Ms. Asher and Ms. Shaw for coordinating this presentation. Drama 6 Club A. Agostino M. Beebe K. Bondi A. Braever-Thorne R. Braever-Thorne E. Brown M. Conroy T. Desai

J. Ellis S. Ellis A Fabian T. Farrell G. Gignac K. Hammel K. La Bounty L. Latrace

K. Letain H. Liu S. Mawhinney D. McLean D. Meston J. Mikati D. Miller J. Mills

C. Mitchell T. Mohebi D. Murphy K. Nelson A. Nordstrnd M. Pelly J. Psenicka R. Stenning

G. Connor J. Edgar Q. Fowlie D. Gaita K. Guimond

S. Hong C. Kopplin S. Lee Y. Leee E. Pacyk

M. Puevas M. Salonga S. Soheili S. Sun

S. Bugos R. Caban R. Chapman A. Cho J. Gillis

D. Jordan K. Klassen W. Klun S. Lui A. Nicholson

G. Nikjou D. Tabyanian L. Valerio T. Yang

G. Connor A. Cote G. Down S. Ellis K. Guimond S. Hamzaei B. Hanson R. Harding C. Huang S. Kang

C. Kim C. Kopplin C. Lam L. Latrace S. Lee M. Lorette N. Mansuri A. Marais C. Marsh A. McLean

T. Mohebi C. Moon A. Nordstranc A. Olovyannik M. Pelly J. Psenicka A. Rahmani D. Reddy N. Rogers M. Salonga

B. Thomas S. Traub V. Vermes M. Wolsfeld E. Wright K. Yee

Drama 7 Club A. Amir Jabbari N. Anderson A. Bosch M. Cho R. Cho Drama 8 Club A. Abu-Ata N. Allen K. Anderson N. Beauregarde B. Brauer Choir A. Agostino C. Bai B. Bauslaugh M. Beebe J. Biggin M. Bischoff A. Bosch M. Brunelle K. Bryson J. Chau

C. Saunders G. Sekretaryuk I. Soares T. Tjaden M. Vega E. Wright

Advanced Band W. AveryWilson J. Biggin T. Biggin C. Bordignon K. Bryson B. Chamberlin I. Chan J. Chau

V. Chen V. Chen A. Cho R. Cho D. Dizon Q. Fowlie K. Guimond R. Harding C. Ho

J. Ho A. Huang I. Hung C. Iu Y. Jin P. Kamkar Asli N. Kang C. Kilberg A. Kim

J. Kim J. Kim S. Kim J. Lamb A. Lee T. Lee T. Lee T. Lengert M. Liao

M. Lopez W. Lu S. Lui C. Ly I. Mand A. Marais A. Markham J. Markham G. Miller

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E. Moersch T. Nan A. Park B. Park J. Park A. Rahmani B. Rees N. Romalo C. Shaw

H. Shiu G. Soares K. Sohn E. Stewart D. Sun S. Sun S. Wang B. Wei D. White

K. Wiens L. Xu T. Yang A. Yu R. Zhang S. Zhu

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Going on Vacation? Homework Policy: Each year we are approached by an increasing number of parents who wish to take their child out of school for extended periods of time. Usually this is for reasons associated with family plans or family business. We do not have a procedure for granting students a “leave of absence”. Rather it is assumed that parents will make decisions in the best interests of their own child. We are respectful of the fact that many of our families have family members far away, and spending time with them is important. Difficulties arise, however, when parents wish to have some sort of reassurance that their child will not be “behind” in their work when they return. If your child misses school for extended periods of time, he or she will be “behind” in classroom work. Students may well have other cultural and travel experiences which contribute to their overall development, but the many varied daily classroom activities they will miss cannot be duplicated through worksheets or workbooks. We are not in the position to provide assignments for children who have extended absences due to family plans. Rather we are providing a list of suggested activities which are designed to assist parents with planning for their child’s educational needs while traveling: - Set aside a time each day for reading English books. As school textbooks and library books cannot be taken on extended absences, you may wish to acquire several paperback novels or children’s magazines suitable for your child’s age and reading ability. - Have your child keep a reading response journal in which he or she records this reading activity and thoughts about what has been read that day. There are many ways of structuring this, depending on how much time the parent and child are willing to devote. - Keep a scrapbook of special places or sightseeing. This can include postcards, pamphlets, drawings, etc., with some student writing or labeling. Maps with routes marked on them and short paragraphs about the historical significance of certain landmarks would be useful additions. - Have your child keep a “math journal” or ledger, dealing with changes in time and currency, distances travelled, cost of fuel and meals... lots of real life practice with numbers and your child can help to check the VISA bill when you get home. You may wish to purchase a math workbook which will help your child keep in daily practice with basic math skills. We will be happy to see what your child has accomplished upon his or her return, but will not be evaluating or marking these activities. It is your right to take your child out of school due to family circumstances, but once you have exercised that privilege, you must also accept the responsibility of your child’s education during that absence.

Limiting Screen Time Too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family. Try the following tips to reduce screen time: Set limits on screen time. Your children should spend no more than 2 hours a day watching TV, surfing the internet or playing video games. Remove the TV or computer from your child’s bedroom. Children with TVs in their rooms spend almost 1½ hours more per day watching TV than kids without a set in their room. Provide other options and alternatives. Watching TV can become a habit for your child. Provide other alternatives for them to spend their time, such as playing outside, learning a hobby or sport, or spending time with family and friends. Be a role model. As a parent, set a good example for physical activity and screen time in moderation. If your kids see you following your own rules, they will be more likely to do the same. Make physical activity a fun family routine. Do not rely on “active” video games to get children moving. Canada’s Physical Activity Guide suggests at least 90 minutes of physical activity per day for children and youth. Yet, research studies show that more than half of Canadian children and youth are not active enough for optimal growth and development. For more information: http://www.actnowbc.ca/? section_copy_id=248§ion_id=402

Eat Well…Be Active…Live Tobacco Free.

DON’T LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR CAR A reminder to parents that there have been many “smash and grabs” on our school lots during and after school hours, so please never leave any valuables in your vehicle.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

2010 SPRING JUNIOR FIELD HOCKEY PROGRAM The TRI-CITY EAGLES FIELD HOCKEY CLUB has offered a field hockey program to younger players since 1991. The Spring program runs for approximately 10 weeks from April through until the end of June. There is a mini program for those with 2000 to 2003 birth dates, and a junior program for those with 1992 to 1999 birth dates. U-11 to U-18 teams compete in the Greater Vancouver Junior Field Hockey League and the program cost is $115. The Club’s Mini program is designed to introduce younger players to the sport and the rules and field size are modified. Season fee is $100 per participant for the Mini program and space is limited. Registration deadline is February 5, 2010 (and February 26, 2010 for Mini’s). Late registrants add $10 late fee, if space is still available. More information on the Spring program is available through the Club’s web site at www.tcfieldhockey.com or by contacting Brian Lewis at 604-619-4034. Players must first register with Field Hockey BC to gain insurance coverage and a player membership number. Under 11 and 12 players pay $15 while U-13 to U-18 pay $43. Without the player membership number, registration with our Club cannot be finalized. Traditionally our Spring program has only included girls. The Club is entertaining the idea of putting together a BOYS TEAM, depending on sufficient enrollment. Call 604-6194034 to register your interest. We hope to see your daughter/son on the field hockey pitch this Spring!

29th Annual Coquitlam Christmas Craft Sale Friday, December 4 5 - 9pm Saturday, December 5 10am - 4pm Sunday, December 6 11am - 4pm Poirier Community Centre 624 Poirier St. Coquitlam Admission for Adults is $2 for Seniors and Children it's $1 Featuring unique handmade items from 120 local crafters.

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