Monday, 17 November 2014

November 17, 2014

CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Further to last week's email, we are pleased to announce that Hawthorne will be hosting its annual Christmas Concert on Thursday, December 11th.  There will be two shows (1:30pm and 6:30pm) and a reply form will be sent home on November 24th so that parents can indicate which show their family plans to attend.  Please keep in mind that due to our gym's capacity,  families will only be able to attend one of the shows and we will be restricting families to 2 tickets for the evening show or 4 tickets for the afternoon performance. We look forward to what should be a fun day of holiday cheer.

DELTASSIST
Our student "We Day" committee will be collecting food and money for Deltassist beginning on Monday, November 24th until Friday December 5th.  We are hoping for donations of non-perishable food items and/or a loonie or toonie to support Delta families in need. Your support would be greatly appreciated. If you, or someone you know, is in need of extra support during the holiday season, please consider Deltassist's Christmas programs.   Registered families can have access to food and toys. You can click here for more details and to check the eligibility requirements.

STUDENT COUNCIL
On Wednesday, November 12th our Student Council met for the first time this year.  Their initial responsibility was hosting a vote in their classroom to choose a new school logo.  All of our students were provided with a vote and the school-wide results were tabulated. In the end, students have chosen the logo on the right.  This logo will be personalized to include "Hawthorne" along with our gold and navy blue colour scheme. We will also be removing the basketball. Our plan is to order school jerseys and offer this new logo on a line of clothing in the spring.

Our students also met to plan a "spirit day" for Friday, November 28th.  We will be asking staff and students to dress up their hair for crazy hair day. Some ideas may include: temporary colour, braiding, spiking, curls, 80's feathering or wearing a wig, fake moustache or beard.  We will have prizes for some lucky participants and it should be a fun day at Hawthorne.
  
Here is our student council for this year:

Grade 3:  Alexis Valle, Mattais Ljungberg, Dimitri Boufeas, Erin Wingham, Avani Johal

Grade 4: Sean Fraser, Taylor Butcher, Alyssa Aulik, Rio MacDougall

Grade 5: Tye Hemenway, Brianna Barnes, Caden Pacaud

Grade 6: Reece Palmer, Ava Da Silva, Sierra Lunan-Bramwell,  Zion Fairs-Prasad

Grade 7: Brooklyn Drake, Levi Froude, Carson Hemenway, Carson Gray, Emily Morris, 

MONTHLY VIDEO
You can view the latest monthly video by clicking here.

TARDINESS
Each year at this time, we notice an increase in tardiness and we are asking for parents to help us resolve this issue.  Chronic tardiness impacts the learning of not just the student who is late but also the classroom that is interrupted on a regular basis to accommodate a child who is late in arriving.  Your attention to this issue would be greatly appreciated and we are thankful for the vast majority of students who are at school and ready to learn by 8:55am.

SNOW PASSES: Grade 4 and 5
The snow is beginning to fall and winter is just around the corner. Get a Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass for your nine and ten year olds  and get them out on the slopes this winter! Pick up a SnowPass for your 4th or 5th grader and save this winter. Snowstorms are already starting to hit parts of Canada and with all this snow comes all sorts of fun! Don't let your kids spend the winter indoors, get them out and active; try skiing and snowboarding this winter with the Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass.

Your kids have never skied or snowboarded before? No problem! With all the snow we are expecting this season, it's the perfect time to get them started. The Canadian Ski Council has everything you need to make it easy and affordable for your children to learn. Just register for a Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass for your child and receive three free lift tickets at each and every participating ski area, all across Canada. With over 150 locations participating in the program, there are hundreds of opportunities for your kids to ski and snowboard this winter!

Registering your child for a SnowPass is easy and open to any child in grade 4 or 5 (born in 2004 or 2005). Application forms are being distributed at most elementary schools across Canada and can also be found online at: www.snowpass.ca. Online registration is fast and easy, just visit www.snowpass.ca, upload your child's picture and proof of age, enter your method of payment and presto, your child's personalized SnowPass will be mailed directly to your home in days.

The Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass is a national program and is valid at over 150 ski areas across Canada including 32 ski areas in British Columbia, 19 ski areas in Alberta, 1 ski area in Saskatchewan, 2 ski areas in Manitoba, 33 ski areas in Ontario, 57 ski areas in Quebec, 8 in Atlantic Canada and 1 in the Yukon.  With ski areas participating across Canada, families will not have to travel far to put the SnowPass to use. Kids can easily track how many lift passes they have left by visiting www.snowpass.caNo matter where you live, everyone can take advantage of this fantastic offer. The only cost is a small administration/postage fee of $29.95 including taxes.

If this is your child's first time skiing or snowboarding, the Canadian Ski Council has it covered.  Sign up for a Discover Learn to Ski or Snowboard lesson package, which includes a lesson with a certified ski or snowboard instructor, lift ticket and equipment rental, all for a very low price. Check out www.skicanada.org for a full list of ski areas that offer Discover lesson packages and their package prices.

DELTA CONTINUING EDUCATION



IMPORTANT DATES:

Wednesday, Nov. 19th
Picture Retake Day

Friday, November 21st
Professional Day
School Closed

Tuesday, Nov. 25th
DEAR (Drop Everything & Read) DAY

Tuesday, Nov. 25th
PAC Meeting 
6:30pm Library

Friday, Nov. 28th
Hot Lunch Day

Thursday, Dec. 11
Christmas Concert
1:30pm / 6:30pm


AIR CADETS
Please note that the 828 Hurricane Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, November 26th from 6:30-9:30pm.  As Canada's largest youth program, the Air Cadets offer exciting opportunities for students aged 12-18.  For more information visit www.828rcacs.weebly.com or contact via email at aircadets828@hotmail.com.

Thursday, 6 November 2014

November 6, 2014


REMEMBRANCE DAY
Hawthorne will be hosting its Remembrance Day Service on Monday, November 10th beginning at approximately 11am in our gymnasium.  We have a number of classes and students who will be presenting in honour of the many Canadians who have provided service for our country.  Parents are welcome to attend this service.   We will also be providing students and staff with poppies to be worn on this day.  These poppies are provided by the local legion and donations will be collected on November 10th.  Any support you can provide will be greatly appreciated.  Please note that the school will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th.

NEW RECYCLING PROGRAM
Over the summer Hawthorne saw its traditional garbage cans replaced by 5 new recycling centers.  Staff and students have been adjusting to the new disposal routines over the first month of school and outside of a few hiccups, the program is running quite smoothly.   Each recycling centre provides us with 4 bins to choose from: refundables, non-refundable recyclables, organics and general waste.  We had some fun with this at our last assembly when we created two teams and had them correctly sort some "waste" as quickly as they could.

This effort is all part of a greater waste reduction initiative for Metro Vancouver.  With this in mind,  we are asking for parents to assist us by working towards a litterless lunch.  Here are some ideas to consider for litterless/no waste lunches:

- a reusable lunch bag or box (not a throw-away, single-use bag)
- reusable containers for packing food (no plastic wrap/bags, foil, pre-packaged foods)
- reusable drink containers for drinks
- organic waste that can be taken home or recycled at school
- non-disposable cutlery and cloth napkins

We understand that busy lives can make this a challenge but any support for this initiative would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance.

DROP EVERYTHING AND READ DAY (DEAR DAY)
We will be celebrating our 4th annual DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) Day at Hawthorne this year on Tuesday, November 25.  Evidence suggests that children who read for enjoyment every day not only perform better in school than those who don’t, but also increase their general knowledge, develop a broader vocabulary and a better understanding of the world around them.  We have invited several influential people from our community to read to our students and also share personal experiences of how reading has helped them in their chosen career.  We are excited to welcome retired Hawthorne staff, Canadian National Soccer goalie and Sportsnet broadcaster, Paul Dolan, The Beat 94.5 radio morning show personality Jonny Staub, Delta Police Chief Jim Cessford, local author Ashley Spires and Mayor Lois Jackson just to name a few. Special thanks to Mrs. McGill and Mrs. Ratzlaff for coordinating this event.  We look forward to an incredible day of celebrating reading.


WE DAY
Twenty students from Hawthorne participated in the annual WE Day event  hosted at Rogers Arena on Wednesday, October 15th. Students were engaged with leading activists, speakers and entertainers. This year's event featured: Selena Gomez, Spencer West, Jennifer Lopez, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Mustafa the Poet and so much more.  WE Day was hosted by Craig and Marc Kielburger who have been inspiring young people for many years. We will soon be following up with our own WE Day initiatives at Hawthorne and do our part to change the world in a positive way.  Special thanks to our teacher sponsors, Ms. Retallick and Mr. Granum, for their work in coordinating this effort.

MEETING WITH TEACHERS
This is just a reminder that teachers are available to meet with parents outside of the parent/teacher conferences that were recently held.  Please be sure to arrange an appointment with a teacher rather than arrive at the classroom for a "quick chat".  Unfortunately,  these conversations can often disrupt classroom routines for the teacher and students.  If you would like to meet with your child's teacher,  please send a request through the communication book (planner), via email or by phone. Thank you for your consideration.


IMPORTANT DATES


Friday, November 7th
Monthly Assembly
Gymnasium 11am

Monday, Nov. 10th
Walk to School Day
Remembrance Day Assembly
Gymnasium 11am

Tuesday, Nov. 11th
Remembrance Day
School Closed

Wednesday, Nov. 19th
Picture Retake Day

Friday, November 21st
Professional Day
School Closed

Tuesday, Nov. 25th
DEAR (Drop Everything & Read) DAY

Tuesday, Nov. 25th
PAC Meeting 
6:30pm Library

Friday, Nov. 28th
Hot Lunch Day