Thursday, October 29th

TRAFFIC AT HAWTHORNE

As we enter our third month of school, parents are reminded to avoid driving their child to school whenever possible. The increased congestion does create a genuine safety concern for our students and taxes the skills of our crossing guards.If you must drive, please consider the following alternatives: dropping off at the pathway on Grove Avenue or at the parking lot for Hawthorne Park. Thank you in advance for your attention to this issue.

HAWTHORNE'S HAUNTED HOUSE

Our grade 7 students are currently hard at work setting up the 2015 edition of Hawthorne's Haunted House. Classes will be touring through the "House" during the day on Friday, October 30th. There will also be an opportunity for parents or former students to tour through from 3-3:30pm on that same day.  This is a fundraiser for our grade 7 classes and a $1-$2 donation is suggested.  Please note that the Haunted House will be hosted in our gym this year. It should be scarrrrry kids:)

COSTUME SAFETY FOR HALLOWEEN

We will be hosting a "Halloween Spirit" day on Friday, October 31st and we are encouraging all of our staff and students to participate by wearing a costume.  Prizes will be drawn for some lucky participants. We are looking forward to what should be a fun day.  Coming up with a creative disguise doesn't mean that safety needs to be forgotten, so here are some safety tips to keep in mind.

• PLEASE NOTE THAT TOY/REPLICA WEAPONS ARE NOT PERMITTED AT HAWTHORNE
• October 31 can be a chilly night so make sure that costumes are loose enough to be worn over warm clothing but not so baggy or long that trick or treaters can trip over their costumes.
• Trick-or-treaters should wear sturdy walking shoes.
• Choose brightly-coloured costumes that will be clearly visible to motorists. For greater visibility, add or incorporate reflective tape into the costume.
• Make-up and face paint are better than wearing masks which can restrict breathing and/or vision. If you choose to use a mask make sure it is one that allows the child to see and breathe easily.
• Swords, knives and similar accessories should be made of soft, flexible material.
• Look for costumes, beards and wigs labelled "Flame-Resistant" -- nylon or heavyweight polyester costumes are best. Flame Resistant does not mean 'fire proof'. Avoid costumes with baggy sleeves or flowing skirts to minimize the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources. Costumes made of flimsy materials have been found to burn more quickly when exposed to fire sources.

Think twice before changing the colour of your eyes with cosmetic contact lenses. These cosmetic lenses should be used only under the supervision of an eye-care professional. In addition, wear time should be limited to the shortest duration possible. The lenses must never be worn while asleep, and cosmetic contact lenses should not be shared with others. 

FAMILY GAME NIGHT

Families are invited to attend our Family Game Night scheduled for Thursday, November 5 from 6:30-8pm. Our PAC has hired an outside group to host this night filled with a great range of activities for families to enjoy and plenty of door prizes. We will have a variety of stations set up with student helpers providing assistance where necessary.  We hope that your schedule allows you to attend.  Please be sure to return the RSVP if you are planning to join us.

COLDER WEATHER

As the weather begins to take a negative turn, we are asking parents to ensure that our students are coming to school with clothing that is appropriate for the conditions.  As well,  it would be helpful if your child had a change of clothes left at the school to account for those occasions when they might get wet or muddy from outdoor play.  Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

During the first two months of school,  our students and staff have been engaged in some emergency planning.  We began by reviewing our fire drill procedures in September. We also participated in the "Shakeout B.C." initiative on October 15th and hosted an  earthquake drill. The drill consisted of an initial "duck, cover, hold" response followed by an evacuation. Students and staff then mustered on the gravel field while our building assessment, search, rescue and command centre teams carried out their duties. We will be conducting another full-scale emergency drill in May to practice our student release systems. Student release is the term used in reference to how schools re-connect families during an emergency. For Hawthorne's student release, parents or other caregivers will be directed by our command centre to an area for student pick up.  With this in mind,  we ask that all parents have provided the school with a list of people that their child(ten) can be released to.  As well, we would like to have an "out of province" contact that we can share information with if necessary.  This information can be updated on Parent Connect.

I would like to recognize two parent volunteers, Mrs. Barnes and Ms. Barton, for their work in re-organizing our emergency preparedness bin and taking inventory of supplies. We strongly recommend that you have an emergency plan and supplies for your home because based on the hours that students attend school (15% of the year), it is very likely to be an event that families will have to cope with. If you should have any questions or concerns with regard to our emergency planning, please contact Mr. Carruthers at the office (mcarruthers@deltasd.bc.ca).

PHOTO RETAKES 

Please note that the photo re-takes day has changed and will now take place during the morning of Friday, Nov. 6.

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday, October 30th

Halloween Spirit Day

Thursday, November 5th
Family Game Night
6:30-8pm

Friday November 6th
PHOTO RE-TAKES

Friday, November 6th

Monthly Assembly

Gymnasium 2pm

Tuesday, Nov. 10th

Walk to School Day

Remembrance Day Assembly

Gymnasium 11am

Tuesday, Nov. 11th

Remembrance Day

School Closed

Wednesday October 14, 2015

SOCIAL MEDIA AWARENESS

Last week Hawthorne hosted a parent information session on social media that was presented by Safer Schools Together.  By all accounts it was a very informative discussion and our students were engaged with the same topics during assemblies the following day.  The sessions covered a myriad of topics such as privacy, safety, bullying, self-esteem, peer pressure and new smartphone apps.  It is unfortunate that we were not able to have more parents attend the evening session as this is an area that adults should be well versed in. As you are no doubt aware, our students are venturing into a world very different from the one we faced as children. While our parents likely had similar fears and concerns for us,  the primary difference for me is the omnipresence of social media and its impact on a child's stress level or self esteem. Students can expend a lot of energy worrying about what they are missing instead of enjoying the experiences they are immersed in. When they are engaged in an activity, the pure enjoyment can get overwhelmed by a desire to "post" the event and see how many people "like" it.  For many of our students, their lives are being reviewed and refined by a group of followers on Instagram or Facebook.  Too many events or photographs are rehearsed and staged so that our students can project a life that others will "like".  Pics are adjusted, filtered and perfected leaving everyone with a distorted view of what reality looks like.  

I am wary of sounding like the "grumpy old man" when it comes to technology.  I do engage with social media and enjoy its many benefits such as connecting with relatives/friends, learning opportunities and entertainment. However, as an educator, I am genuinely concerned about the impact that social media is having on our students. It is with this in mind that I encourage you to become engaged with your child's online life and perhaps set some limits if you have not already done so.  Here are two articles that may be helpful if you choose to have a family discussion on the topic of social media:  Connected with our Phones but Disconnected from Each Other  and The Effects of Social Media: Positive and Negative.  

Thank you.  

M. Carruthers

Principal

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Over the last two weeks our students and staff have been engaged in some emergency planning. We began by reviewing our fire drill procedures on September 14th. We will also be participating in the "Shakeout B.C." initiative this week with own earthquake drill on Thursday afternoon. The drill will consist of an initial "duck, cover, hold" response followed by an evacuation.  Both drills should leave us feeling better prepared for an emergency.  If you should have any questions or concerns with regard to our emergency planning, please contact Mr. Carruthers at the office (mcarruthers@deltasd.bc.ca).

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
Mrs. Ratzlaff will once again be hosting a book fair in the library on Oct. 21 and 22.  We are in need of volunteers to assist with this event and you can contact Mrs. Ratzlaff directly (jratzlaff@deltasd.bc.ca) if you are able to help.  Thank you in advance for your support.

PARENT / TEACHER CONFERENCES

We will be hosting our parent/teacher conferences on Wednesday, Oct. 21 and Thursday, October 22 and this will result in an early dismissal on both days (2pm).  Conference booking instructions will be sent home today with students. Parents can begin booking their meetings online (Parent Connect) at 9am on Friday, October 16th.

HOT LUNCH REMINDER

Hawthorne will be hosting its first "Hot Lunch" on Friday, October 16.  Thank you to Ms. Lawton and Ms. Ranu for their work in support of the Hot Lunch program.

IMPORTANT DATES


Thursday, October 15
Shakeout BC Emergency Drill
2:30pm

Friday, October 16
HOT LUNCH DAY

Wednesday, October 21
Parent/Teacher Conferences
2pm Dismissal

Thursday, October 22
Parent/Teacher Conferences / Hot Lunch Day
2pm Dismissal

Friday, October 23
Non-Instructional Day
School Closed

Tuesday, October 27
PAC Meeting
6:30pm Library

Thursday, October 1

OPEN HOUSE
Thank you to all of the families who joined us for last week's Open House. It was a great night for people to get re-acquainted with each other and check out some of the happenings at Hawthorne.   We had a positive response to our Scavenger Hunt with hundreds of participants.   Special congratulations to the Ljungberg, Jerret, Rogers, Willford and Wischnewski families.  They successfully completed the challenges and have each won TWO front row seats to our Christmas Concert in December along with some school clothing for their children.

TERRY FOX RUN
On Friday, September 18th Hawthorne participated in its annual Terry Fox Run. Our grade seven students led us through a warm-up and then the course.   Thank you to the many parents who joined in our celebration of a Canadian hero.  Special thanks to those families who supported our fundraising efforts with all funds donated to the Terry Fox Foundation.

MONTHLY ASSEMBLIES

Parents are invited to join us for our Monthly Assemblies which take place on the first Friday of every month (with some exceptions).  These assemblies feature different discussion topics, student activities, video highlights and a group dance.  Our first assembly is scheduled for Friday, October 9th at 11am.  We hope that your schedule allows you to attend.

PORTRAIT FUNDRAISER

Professional Outdoor Portraits at Delta Municipal Hall Grounds (Oct 3/4) and Diefenbaker Park (Oct.31/Nov.1) by award winning Schurman Photography.  Back by popular demand! This fundraiser provides a great opportunity to get an awesome portrait of your family.  And it makes for a great Christmas gift!  The cost will be $40 per session - you get approx. 25 minutes (sessions booked every half hour) with a professional photographer & an 8x10 picture of your choice (colour or black and white).

Sign up for a time slot, (or 2 if you have a large group, unusually difficult toddler or just want some extra time ...note 2 time slots have to be booked back to back and the session fee will be $80 instead of $40) provide your phone number and the parent coordinator from Hawthorne will contact you.  Sign up link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4cafa62fa1fe3-portrait  Pass it on! Coworkers, neighbours, friends,  family .. the more involvement, the more successful the fundraiser will be. Need a question answered before you sign up, are interested but this date doesn't work, don't want to sign up online? ... email Leanne Pryce lpryce@telus.net or call or text 604.961.1033

GRADE 5 & 6 "REC" PASSES

Students in grade 5,6,7 and 8  can drop by any Delta Recreation facility and activate a one-year Recreation Pass. There is a $5 administration fee and student will need to present proof of birth and Delta residency. With the pass, students can skate, swim or enjoy time in the Open gym.  Accompanying youths or adults can also participate for free.  For more information you can visit www.corp.delta.bc.ca/flyers.

VISITORS

Please be sure to check in at the office whenever you visit Hawthorne during the day so that our office staff can provide you with a visitor's badge.  As well,  we ask that if you would like to meet with a teacher,  please book in advance as impromptu meetings in the hallway can lead to delays in the classroom.  Finally,  please note that student lunches can be dropped off on the table provided outside the office.

INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

Please note that individual photographs will be taken on Friday, October 2.  Proofs will arrive back at the school then sent home for you to review. Information regarding the ordering of portrait packages will follow with the proofs.

FRENCH IMMERSION

CPF-Delta Chapter would like to invite Delta parents to an information session that will take place next week, Tuesday, Oct. 6th, at 7pm at École Burnsview Secondary School, 7658 - 112th Street. The purpose for this meeting is to inform parents, whether they have children in French Immersion, Core French, or the French IB program, about the organization and how it can provide support for students of all ages and their families, as well as to inform them of various French activities and opportunities outside of the school environment. Please refer to the attached invitation.

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday, October 2
Individual Student Photos

Oct. 5-9

Walk to School Week

Monday, Oct. 12

Thanksgiving Day

School Closed

Wednesday, October 21

Parent-Teacher Conference

Early Dismissal 2pm

Thursday, October 22

Parent-Teacher Conference

Early Dismissal 2pm

Friday, October 23
Professional Day
School Closed