January 9, 2014

WELCOME BACK

We hope that you all had an enjoyable break filled with great memories shared with family and friends. The new year stands to be a busy one for us at Hawthorne and we are excited about what lies ahead.

TRAFFIC CIRCLE

Please note that community volunteers will be on site (bright yellow jackets) for a number of weeks working in concert with Delta Police's traffic safety program.  They will be monitoring parking/driving habits and issuing warning tickets to any traffic violators.  With this in mind,  please consider the following traffic guidelines.

 DROP-OFF / PICK-UP RULES IN SCHOOL DRIVEWAY:

• The curved lane in front of the school has been designated for "drop-off and pick-up" only.  This is a FIRE LANE and there is NO PARKING ALLOWED, however, we are allowing only drop-off, pick-up and exiting.  Do not leave your vehicle unattended, including Daycare providers
• Please note that the elevated area and the end of the roundabout is RESERVED for Daycare Providers
• Enter the “Drop-off – Pick- up” lane and proceed forward as far as possible to the next car ahead so that other cars can enter the lane
• Do not leave your vehicle (NO PARKING), as this blocks others from exiting
• Keep your place in the line up. Do not cut in front of another vehicle
• Please do not idle your car
• When driving, please do not use your cell phone
• Follow the correct flow of traffic indicated by the arrows on the road
• Children should use the passenger side car doors that open to the sidewalk

Our parking lot is restricted to staff for 30 minutes before and after school. The existing parking stalls are needed for school staff as well as district staff who arrive and leave our school at different times throughout the day. If possible, please consider having your child(ren) walk to school or walk to school with them. We will continue to participate in initiatives and events that promote walking to school, teach environmental responsibility and reduce car dependency.  Please watch for announcements regarding our next “Walk to School” event. 

REVERSE LUNCH

We will continue to host "reverse lunches" on Fridays for the foreseeable future.  The early reviews have been positive and we'd like to gather more information before determining whether to maintain, expand or eliminate this initiative.

SCHOOL PLANNING COUNCIL

Hawthorne is in need of three parents who would be willing to sit on the School Planning Council (SPC) for 2014.  These councils were created by the Ministry of Education to reflect the importance of parental involvement in schools.  Hawthorne's SPC has been dormant for two years and we are hoping to re-establish its presence in our school community.  School planning councils are advisory bodies. Their major responsibility is to develop, monitor and review school plans for student achievement in consultation with the school community.  These school plans are connected to district and ministry initiatives. For more information on SPC's you can visit the following link: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/spc/guide.htm.

If you are interested in joining Mr. Carruthers on the SPC, your work will consist of 2-3 meetings and perhaps some home reading over the next 5 months.  Please contact Mr. Carruthers at the office (mcarruthers@deltasd.bc.ca) if you would like to put your name forward.  We may have to hold an election at our next PAC meeting if we have more that three interested parties.  Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity.

JESSIE MILLER / INTERNET AWARENESS

Jessie Miller is an expert on Social Media (www.mediatedreality.com) who will be presenting for parents at Genesis Theatre on Wednesday, January 22nd at  7pm.  This presentation is being coordinated by Delta Senior Secondary for all Ladner schools and Hawthorne has 40 tickets to distribute.  Please contact Mr. Carruthers (mcarruthers@deltasd.bc.ca) if you would like to attend this event.

PINGUARD/FLOOR HOCKEY

Over the next few weeks, most of our upper intermediate students will be participating in Floor Hockey (grade 7) or Pinguard tournaments (Grade 6).  These experiences are unique to Ladner schools and provide our students with another opportunity to work together as well as meet their peers in the community.  The tourney details are as follows:

3pm     Tuesday, January 14th at      Delta Christian        Grade 7 Girls Floor Hockey

3pm     Thursday, January 16th at     Delta Christian        Grade 7 Boys Floor Hockey

3pm     Tuesday, January 21st at    Sacred Heart     Grade 6 Girls Pinguard

3pm     Thursday, January 23rd at  Sacred Heart     Grade 6 Boys Pinguard

Special thanks to our coaches,  Mrs. Mack, Mrs. Robinson and Mr. Granum for their support of these tournaments.  We hope that parents can make plans to attend and cheer on Hawthorne's teams.  Go Hawks!

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS CHALLENGE

This week every student at Hawthorne was invited to participate in Hawthorne's first Rock, Paper, Scissors challenge.   We had well over 250 students engaged in this activity after hosting separate qualifying rounds for  intermediate and primary students.  The contestants competed under the watchful eye of our referees: Mr. Bourgeois, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Holliday,  Mrs. Mack, Mr. Carruthers, Mrs. Emigh and  Ms. Nixon. The following students qualified for our finals at tomorrow's (Jan. 10th) 11am assembly:

Primary Finalists:  Mackenzie Claybo, Aidan Lockhart, Dimitri Boufeas, Jalen De Dios

Intermediate Finalists:  Lukas Zhanel, Madison Steele, Mckenzie Gray, Josun Saxelby

BOOK FAIR
Mrs. Ratzlaff will once again be hosting a Book Fair in our library during Hawthorne's Student-Led Conference on February 19th and 20th.   Proceeds will support the purchase of new library resources.  Volunteers are needed and parents are asked to contact Mrs. Ratzlaff (jratzlaff@deltasd.bc.ca) if you are able to help out.  Thanks in advance for your consideration.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Please note that kindergarten registration at Hawthorne will be held on Friday, February 28th from 9am-Noon.  More details to follow in our next blog post.

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday, January 10
Monthly Assembly
11am Gymnasium

Friday, January 24th
Walk to School Day

Friday, January 31st
Hot Lunch Day

Thursday, December 19th

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Last week, parents and other guests enjoyed Hawthorne's festive presentation of "T'was the Night Before Christmas".  The concert involved all of our classes and showed off the talents of our staff and students.   Special thanks to Mrs. Oakley (decorations),  Mrs. Robinson (stage crew) and Mrs. Cherry for coordinating our efforts. Both performances were well attended and we thank you for your support.  We have already received a substantial amount of positive feedback and, after changing the format this year,  we would like to get input from our parent community.  Feel free to send your feedback to mcarruthers@deltasd.bc.ca so that we can consider this in our planning for next year.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20th

Please note that there are a few special events scheduled for tomorrow, Dec. 20th.  We are hosting our final Walk to School event for 2013 and encouraging students/staff to show their Christmas Spirit by wearing red & green, santa hats, elf hats, reindeer antlers, etc.  Your PAC will also be hosting a festive event after school, offering hot chocolate and treats for students outside our front office.  It should be a fun day!

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Please note that our Christmas break begins tomorrow (Dec. 20) at 3pm and students return to school on Monday, January 6th at 8:50am.   We hope that you have a great holiday filled by warm memories shared with family and friends.  Merry Christmas!

IMPORTANT DATES


Monday, January 6th
Return from Christmas Break
8:50am

Friday, January 10th
Monthly Assembly
11am

Friday, January 31st
Hot Lunch

December 5th, 2013

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Our 2013 Christmas Concert will be hosted on Thursday, December 12^th with shows at 1:30pm and 6:30pm.  Thank you for returning the seating reply forms so promptly as it allowed us to determine our needs.  As it turns out, we expect the same number of people for our afternoon show and evening show.  In advance of the performance, please consider the following:

1. Students will be dismissed at 3pm from their classroom after the afternoon performance.

2. If you are attending the afternoon performance, we ask that you plan accordingly to ensure that your child can attend the evening show.

3. Students should be dropped off for the evening performance no earlier than 6:10pm and they can enter through the office or go directly to their outside classroom door.

4. Students will be supervised during the evening performance by their classroom teacher and parents can pick them up after the show.

5. We anticipate that the show will be 45-60 minutes in length and we ask our audience to stay in their seats until its conclusion.

6. Families are encouraged to walk to school for the performances as our parking lot does not accommodate many cars.

Our classes will be presenting a variety of songs connected to “Twas The Night Before Christmas”.  There will be a few familiar tunes and some unique ones that address the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.   It should be a fun experience and we look forward to hosting you.

FOOD AND TOY DRIVE

We are currently collecting non-perishable food items and wrapped toys for Deltassist. A number of boxes are already full but we hope to see that accumulation grow much larger.  Any support you can provide would be greatly appreciate as we consider the needs of those in Delta who are less fortunate.

MONTHLY VIDEO

Our school met today for our December assembly.  We had a guest speaker from the "B.C. Guide Dog Society" who introduced us to one of her dogs and answered a number of questions from students.  We also discuss the notion of "consideration" with students and asked them to consider ways that they can help others in need.  You can view our latest video here:  https://vimeo.com/81147987 .

REVERSE LUNCH

Our students and staff will be experiencing their first "reverse lunch" tomorrow (Dec. 6).  Students will head outside at 12:03pm to play and come back in to eat at 12:38pm.  We will see how this trial goes in December and determine whether we want to continue on Fridays or expand.

IMPORTANT DATES

Christmas Concert

Thursday, Dec. 12th

1:30pm and 6:30pm

Hot Lunch

Friday, Dec. 13th

Grade 7 Band Concert

Monday, Dec. 16th

1:30pm

Report Cards Issued

Wednesday, Dec. 18th 

Christmas Break Begins

3pm, Friday Dec. 20th

Hot Chocolate Served with Santa

November 20, 2013

DISASTER RELIEF IN THE PHILIPPINES

The devastating typhoon that recently hit The Philippines resulted in thousands of deaths and left towns in ruins. The stories are heartbreaking, with so many people now in desperate need of food, water and shelter. Donations in support of the relief effort can be made online at: www.redcross.ca/typhoon-haiyan.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Further to last week's correspondence, we are pleased to announce that Hawthorne will be hosting its annual Christmas Concert on Thursday, December 12th.  There will be two shows (1:30pm and 6:30pm) and a reply form will be sent home next week 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.

TOY AND FOOD DRIVE:
We will be collecting food and toys for Deltassist beginning on Monday, December 2nd until Friday December 13th.  We are asking for new, unwrapped toys and non-perishable food items to support Delta families in need. Your support would be greatly appreciated.

LOOMING FOR LIVES:
A group of grade five girls (Michaela Fischer, Maggie Rennert, Shelby Bains, Sophia Kessler, Kara Kovalick and Ava Da Silva) decided that they wanted to make a difference in this world and support "Kids With Cancer and Blood Disorders". With this in mind they will be selling Rainbow Loom bracelets on Wednesday, November 27th and then donating all proceeds.  The bracelets will come in a variety of sizes and colours with each selling for $1.  Thank you in advance for any support  you can provide and thank you to these girls for trying to make a difference!

REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE

Hawthorne hosted its Remembrance Day service on Friday, November 8th at 11am.  The program included presentations by a variety of classes as well as some thoughtful reflections from some of our grade 7 students.  We also had two students, Saje Hunter and Ashley Johnston, who represented Hawthorne at Ladner's service on November 11th.   They can be seen walking towards the cenotaph in the picture below.

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 at school and ready to learn at 8:55am.

VOLLEYBALL

We are near the end of our volleyball season for the grade 6 and 7 teams.  Both teams are participating in final tournaments this week to cap off successful seasons.  Congratulations to the students for their success on the court and to the coaches (Mrs. Pipe, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Holliday, Mrs. Mack) for all of their work in preparing our students.  Way to go Hawthorne!

LICE CHECKS

Head lice is a persistent problem in the Ladner community and it requires diligence to eradicate.  This year we have sent home a number of letters with student who had a case of lice discovered in their classroom.  We are asking that all parents at Hawthorne commit to conducting regular lice checks and follow up with the appropriate procedures if necessary.  For more information,  you can click on the following link: http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile06.stm . 

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 2003 or 2004). 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 me 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.ca.

No 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.

# # #

For more information on the Grade 4 and 5 SnowPass program, contact the Canadian Ski Council, tel: 705-445-9140, e-mail: info@skicanada.org, web: www.skicanada.org

The Canadian Ski Council is a national, not-for-profit ski and snowboard organization whose mandate is to increase participation in recreational skiing, snowboarding and cross country skiing in Canada. The Canadian Ski Council was founded in 1977.

November 7, 2013

REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE
We will be hosting our Remembrance Day Service tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 8) at 11am and parents are welcome to attend.  We will be reflecting on our past and looking toward a more peaceful future.   Our service will feature students from the following classes:  Mrs. Robinson, Mr. Bourgeois, Mrs. McGill, Mrs. Retallick,  Mrs. Emigh and Mrs. Cherry.  Please note that Ladner will be hosting its own ceremony on Monday,  November 11th beginning with a flag ceremony at 10:10am.  Two of our intermediate students, Ashley Johnston and Saje Hunter, will be representing Hawthorne at this event.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Each of our grade 3-7 classrooms have now chosen two representatives to work on Hawthorne's student council.   These students will be working together to plan spirit days, fundraising events and  our Talent Show in March.  They have already hosted a successful Halloween event and we look forward to the next school spirit day in November.

Student Council Representatives	2013-2014 School Year
Dylan Broad Sophie Hornby Jack Morgan Owen Badenhorst Ava Manzur Matthew Fischer Kira Wong Carly Mountain Colton Turrell	Jake Stamatiou Taylor Li Madelyn Hunter Teah Bryce Kylie Christopherson Michaela Fischer Lauren Amundsen Braedyn Jones Gabrielle Valle

PERSONAL VALUABLES AT SCHOOL
Please note that students are discouraged from bringing valuables of any kind to the school.  This includes electronic equipment such as iPods or headphones.  Cell phones are allowed as long as they are stored in backpacks and turned off from 9am-3pm.  We are also asking that students please keep their card collections (Pokemon, Magic, Hockey, etc.) at home as we have had a few too many go missing or get damaged.  Thank you in advance for your attention to this issue.

PAC NEWS

Parents are invited to check out your PAC's new website that provides our community with all the information needed to be an informed parent at Hawthorne.  Thank you to Leanne Pryce for coordinating this effort. 

PAC website address: http://hawthornepac.wordpress.com/

AN INTERESTING READ
I was recently forwarded an interesting article from a British author who speaks passionately about the importance of reading.  You can learn more about Neil Gaiman's perspective at the following link.  Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Graham for bringing this to my attention.

October 24, 2013

HAWTHORNE'S HAUNTED HOUSE

Mrs. Robinson's class is currently hard at work setting up the 2013 edition of Hawthorne's Haunted House.  Class will be touring through the "House" during the day on Thursday, October 31st.  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 class and a $1-$2 donation is suggested.  It should be scarrrrry kids:)

COSTUME SAFETY FOR HALLOWEEN

Our student council will be hosting a "Halloween Spirit" day on 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. 

COLDER WEATHER

During the past two weeks of fog we have seen the temperature dropping steadily.  As the weather takes a turn for the worse, 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

Over the last two weeks our students and staff have been engaged in some emergency planning.  We participated in the "Shakeout B.C." initiative last week and hosted our own earthquake drill.   The drill consisted of an initial "duck, cover, hold" response followed by an evacuation, building assessment, search and then rescue.  On Monday of this week, we were engaged in "code yellow" lockout drill.  Our police liaison officer,  Cst. Doolan, was on site to oversee our efforts which involved securing/locking the school and each individual classroom.  We also worked through our communication plan with staff providing updates from their classroom via an email conference.    

Both drills have left us all 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).

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday,  October 25th

Professional Day

School Closed

Wednesday,  October 30th

PAC Meeting

Library  6:30pm

Thursday, October 31st

Halloween Spirit Day

Friday, November 1st

Monthly Assembly

Gymnasium 11am

Friday, Nov. 8th

Walk to School Day

Remembrance Day Assembly

Gymnasium 11am

Monday, Nov. 11th

Remembrance Day

School Closed

October 10th, 2013

TRAFFIC CIRCLE

The early reviews for our traffic circle are quite positive.  The re-located crosswalk seems to be simplifying the process for everyone and helping to maintain a steady flow of traffic.  Despite the early success, we ask that you still consider the following:

• have your child walk or wheel to school every day
• drop off your intermediate child at either the path on Grove Avenue or at the parking lot near the Hawthorne Park tennis courts
• do not leave your car unattended in the roundabout
• watch carefully for guidance from our adult and student crossing guards
• do not park in the staff parking lot between 8:30-9am

Thank you in advance for your attention to these points.  Through our collective efforts we are working to make the traffic circle as safe as possible for our students.

PARENT / TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parents are reminded that they can call in tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 11th) from 9am-noon and 1- 3:45pm to book your conference(s) time.   We will be hosting our conferences on Wednesday, Oct. 23rd and Thursday, October 24th and this will result in an early dismissal on both days (2pm).

RECREATION PASSES CORRECTION

We would like to make a correction on some information that was provided in our previous blog entry.   As of last year,  Delta Council expanded the Recreation Pass Program and the municipality is now offering a free year pass for both grade 5 and grade 6 students.  They are also providing 10 free passes for grade seven students.  To obtain a pass,  families can visit a Delta Recreation Centre and present proof of birth date and residency in Delta.

WE DAY

On Friday, October 18th we will be taking twenty students from Hawthorne to participate in the annual WE Day event scheduled for Rogers Arena.  Students will be engaged with leading activists, speakers and entertainers. This year's event features: Kofi Annan,  Martin Luther King Jr. III, Hedley, Down With Webster and so much more.  WE Day is 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.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

Mrs. Ratzlaff will once again be hosting a book fair in the library on Oct. 23 and 24.  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.

FAMILY HARVEST BOXES

You are invited to visit a farm to see where food comes from, learn how to plant, harvest and prepare fresh produce.  The Earthwise society has also developed a program to support families in need.   Family members can "work" the farm in exchange for a Family Harvest Box.  This program is coordinated by The Delta Food Coalition and you can find more information at the following link:  http://earthw.primesignal.com/index.php/partnership/delta-food-coalition/.


IMPORTANT DATES

Monday, October 14
Thanksgiving Day
School Closed

Thursday, October 17
Shakeout BC Emergency Drill
10:10am

Wednesday, October 23
Parent/Teacher Conferences
2pm Dismissal

Thursday, October 24
Parent/Teacher Conferences
2pm Dismissal

Friday, October 25
Non-Instructional Day
School Closed