Wednesday, March 30

TRACK AND FIELD
Track and Field practices are about to begin to prepare our participating students for the May 10th Regional Track Meet.  We will meet with all of the interested students on Thursday, March 31st for a preliminary session and our full schedule of practices will begin next week.  Please note the following points regarding Track and Field:

• students are required to attend 80% of the practices in order to participate in the Regional Track Meet (there may be some exceptions due to extenuating circumstances)
• all students who meet the attendance requirement will be placed into an event for the regional meet
• students who are training for a "field" event must also attend one running practice per week
• there will be a Ladner Mini-Meet hosted later in April at DSS that will feature a 60m race for gr.4/5 students and a 100m race for gr. 6/7 students

AUTISM SPEAKS and LIGHT IT UP BLUE
Light It Up Blue is a unique global initiative to help raise awareness about the growing public health concern that is autism.  This event was launched by Autism Speaks in 2010 in support of World Autism Awareness Day which takes place each year on April 2.  On this day, over 3000 structures around the world will be illuminated in blue to shine a bright light on autism.  We would like Hawthorne to participate in the event by having staff and students wear blue this Friday, April 1st.  Thank you in advance for your support.

READY, SET, LEARN

Hawthorne Elementary will be hosting a Ready, Set, Learn event for 3 year olds and 4 year olds who will not be joining kindergarten next year.   This is happening in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Ministry of Health Services. These organizations have joined forces to celebrate literacy and assist you in the teaching role that you play for your child. British Columbia’s Ready, Set, Learn program recognizes that families need positive connections with the school system and community agencies that provide early childhood development resources, support, and services.

Hawthorne's event is scheduled from 9:30-11am on Friday, April 8th.  This session will begin with brief introductions followed by hands-on-learning opportunities for the children that will model fun and effective literacy strategies. A "nut-free" snack and drink will be provided during the session.  We will also include a brief explanation of the kindergarten program and discuss strategies that will help to prepare your preschooler for elementary school.  Those who attend will receive a literacy kit for use at home. 

For planning purposes we ask that you please advise Mrs. Fast  (jfast@deltasd.bc.ca) if you are planning to participate.  Please note that parents are required to attend with their child.  We hope to see you on April 8th.

TALENT SHOW

On Thursday, March 10th we hosted our Talent Show and were treated to a great variety of performances.  Our participants are to be commended for their efforts and the positive risk-taking that they modelled for the rest of the school. Special thanks to the following students who helped this event run so smoothly:

Hosts:  Lauren Amundsen, Lexy Granum, Ryley Ferguson

Sound crew: Jake Lemoignan, Keegan Denman

Stage Crew:  Marlena Loewen, Colten MacLean, Nathan Pannell, Kaity Morris

Talent Show Participants:

Our grade one students,  Laila Nissen, Emily Abraham, Jessica Lieuwen, Claire Peters, Amorey Cronmiller, Avani Johal, Kylie McGowan, Aza Fernandes, Kailyn Ives, Caden Pacaud, Suneil Dhaliwal, Marlena Loewen, Nathan Pannell, Mattais Ljungberg, Yusuf Tutuncu, Ryley Ferguson, Helix Hunter, Tavin Fletcher, Nicolas Regalado, Tiffany Leung, Rowyn Card, Morgan Regalado, Caitlyn Jerrett, Pryanshu Chugh, Michael Norcott, Sarah Nivens, Tayler Butcher, Teala Pannell, Elizabeth Graham, Annise Gill, Gabby Ranu, Ava Manzur, Yooie Mak, Reanna Randhawa, Anita Van Wierengen, Mackenzie Claybo, Michaela Fischer.

MOVING?

Please contact Mrs. Page at the office (cpage@deltasd.bc.ca) if your family is considering a change of schools next year.  This information is an important part of our planning for the 2016-2017 school year.  Thank you in advance for your consideration.

PARENTING WORKSHOP
Deltassist is presenting a series of free parenting workshops for parents of children ages 5-12 years.  These sessions will be held on consecutive weeks during the months of March and April. Here is an overview of the sessions followed by registration information.

Self-Care/Stress Management - Learn healthy practices for developing more patience when dealing with stressful life situations and parenting.

Healthy Boundaries/Effective Communication - Learn how to set boundaries and communicate expectations of yourself and your children. By learning how to implement healthy boundaries, your children learn how to set appropriate boundaries in their relationships with others.

Attachment Parenting - Attachment parenting is the foundation from which you parent. Learn why attachment parenting is important and how to strengthen the attachment between you and your children.

Behaviour/Discipline - Learn the 4 Goals of Misbehaviour, the purpose of discipline and how to implement appropriate discipline strategies in your home.

Parenting Styles/Child Development – Explore your parenting style; learn the stages of child development to assist your child during developmental milestones.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! Please contact Deltassist directly at 604-594-3455.

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday, April 1st

Light It Up Blue / MonthlyAssembly

11am

Friday, April 8
Ready, Set, Learn /
Walk To School Day
9:30-11am

Friday, April 15
Professional Day
School Closed

Monday, April 18
Professional Day
School Closed

Friday,  April 22
Hot Lunch

Monday, April 25
PAC Meeting
6:30pm

Wednesday, March 9th

SPRING BREAK
Families are reminded that our Spring Break begins on Monday, March 14th.  Students and staff will return to school on Tuesday, March 29th.  We hope that the break provides all of you with plenty of time for fun and relaxation.

TALENT SHOW

Hawthorne will be hosting its annual Talent Show on Thursday, March 12th at 1:45pm. If your child is participating, please ensure that he/she is prepared with their proper equipment or music.  We hope that your schedule allows you to attend.

AUTISM SPEAKS and LIGHT IT UP BLUE

Light It Up Blue is a unique global initiative to help raise awareness about the growing public health concern that is autism.  This event was launched by Autism Speaks in 2010 in support of World Autism Awareness Day which takes place each year on April 1.  On this day, over 3000 structures around the world will be illuminated in blue to shine a bright light on autism.  We would like Hawthorne to participate in this day by having staff and students wear blue.  Students will be reminded of the details when we return from Spring Break.

ADHD

There is a free education day being held at BC Children's Hospital on Wednesday may 4, 2016.  Parents can register on the PHSA learning hub ( can be found on Google) by creating an account and then searching for the "one day ADHD education day".  Topics include: ADHD diagnosis,Treatment and medication for ADHD, ADHD goes to school and ADHD and parenting.  For more information on ADHD you can visit the CADDRA website.

PARENTING WORKSHOPS

Deltassist is presenting a series of free parenting workshops for parents of children ages 5-12 years.  These sessions will be held on consecutive weeks during the months of May and April. Here is an overview of the sessions followed by registration information.

Self-Care/Stress Management - Learn healthy practices for developing more patience when dealing with stressful life situations and parenting.

Healthy Boundaries/Effective Communication - Learn how to set boundaries and communicate expectations of yourself and your children. By learning how to implement healthy boundaries, your children learn how to set appropriate boundaries in their relationships with others.

Attachment Parenting - Attachment parenting is the foundation from which you parent. Learn why attachment parenting is important and how to strengthen the attachment between you and your children.

Behaviour/Discipline - Learn the 4 Goals of Misbehaviour, the purpose of discipline and how to implement appropriate discipline strategies in your home.

Parenting Styles/Child Development – Explore your parenting style; learn the stages of child development to assist your child during developmental milestones.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! Please contact Deltassist directly at 604-594-3455.

IMPORTANT DATES

Thursday, March 10th

Talent Show

1:45pm Gym

Friday, March 11th
Hot Lunch

Monday, March 14th
Spring Break Begins
School Closed

Monday, March 28th

Easter Monday
School Closed

Tuesday, March 29th

Return to School

Friday, April 1
Monthly Assembly / Light It Up Blue Day
11am

Tuesday, February 23rd

DROP EVERYTHING AND READ DAY (DEAR DAY)

We will be celebrating our 5th annual DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) Day at Hawthorne this year on Wednesday, March 2.  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 share personal experiences of how reading has helped them in their chosen career.  Special thanks to Mrs. McGill and Mrs. Ratzlaff for coordinating this event.  We look forward to an incredible day celebrating reading.

PINK SHIRT DAY

Tomorrow,  thousands of students and staff members around B.C. will be recognizing anti-bullying initiatives by wearing a Pink shirt.  This movement commemorates an incident that took place a number of years ago at a high school in Nova Scotia.  Students at the school,  rallied together against bullying by supporting a student who had been targeted with homophobic remarks after wearing a pink shirt to school.  The day after he was teased, hundreds of students wore pink to support him and the bullies received the message loud and clear.  Many of our staff members and students will be wearing pink tomorrow and we hope that this day provides everyone with a reminder of what they can do to keep Hawthorne a safe, welcoming place for everyone.

TALENT SHOW

Hawthorne will be hosting its annual Talent Show on Thursday, March 10th at approximately 1:45pm.  We will confirm the start time once we have finalized our list of performers.  We will be hosting a rehearsal on Monday, February 29th in preparation for what should be a fun event.  If your child is participating, please ensure that he/she is prepared with their proper equipment or music for the rehearsal. We hope that your schedule allows you to attend.

PEANUT AWARE

Please note that Hawthorne is a "peanut aware" school.  We have a number of students with a life-threatening allergy to peanuts. As a result, a letter is sent home for those respective classrooms advising them of the safety concern and discouraging the use of peanut products.  We also closely monitor the contents of lunches and  clean surfaces where necessary.  For those students and families dealing with anaphylaxis it is important to know that while Hawthorne is "peanut aware" we cannot claim to be "peanut free" as we are not able to monitor every lunch or food item that arrives at the school.  Thank you for your attention to this issue.

SPRING BREAK MAKER CAMPS 

If your child is interested in making stuff, this is the camp for them. Projects will include learning how to program with the famous Logo Turtle language and then building and programming a real turtle robot that can draw things and bring your programs to life. Each participant will build a turtle robot, then take it home to keep! Participants will also learn about drawing and sketching, 3D design and 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, metal works and more. There are two options at each of the North End and South End Maker Labs: To register and for more information, please go here:   https://onlineca.activecommunities.com/connectandlearn/Activities/ActivitiesAdvSearch.asp 

IMPORTANT DATES

Thursday, Feb. 25
PAC Meeting
6:30pm

Wednesday, March 2nd
DEAR DAY
9am-3pm

Thursday, March 10th

Talent Show

1:45pm Gym

Friday, March 11th
Hot Lunch/Walk to School

3pm

Monday, March 14th-25th
Spring Break
School Closed


COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

February 2, 2016

NEW CURRICULUM

We live in a rapidly changing world that is vastly different than previous generations. In order to ensure our children are well prepared for this deeply connected knowledge-based world they are entering, the Ministry of Education and the British Columbia Teachers' Federation embarked on redesigning our curriculum. The new curriculum will foster the skills and competencies students need to succeed today and in the future.  The Delta School District will be holding an information session for parents on May 3rd at Ladner Elementary and a registration link will be sent out in the Spring.

Please note that the new curriculum has also brought two additional professional days for teachers.  We have one scheduled for Monday, February 22nd and the other is Monday, April 18th.  Schools will be closed to students on those days. You can find more information regarding at the following link:  http://www.deltasd.bc.ca/content/resources/newcurriculum .

PEANUT AWARE

Please note that Hawthorne is a "peanut aware" school.  We have a number of students with a life-threatening allergy to peanuts. As a result, a letter is sent home for those respective classrooms advising them of the safety concern and discouraging the use of peanut products. We also closely monitor the contents of lunches and  clean surfaces where necessary.  For those students and families dealing with anaphylaxis it is important to know that while Hawthorne is "peanut aware" we cannot claim to be "peanut free" as we are not able to monitor every lunch or food item that arrives at the school.  Thank you for your attention to this issue.

RED CROSS BABYSITTING COURSE

So you want to be a babysitter? Or, do your parents want you to take this course so they feel confident leaving you at home alone? Babysitting with First Aid Hero emphasizes learning through real life scenarios. information covered includes: Exploring the business of babysitting, creating safe environments, safely caring for ages 0-12, and first aid skills.

Red Cross Babysitting Course

Hawthorne, Feb.19th, 2016, 8:30-3:30                        

Grade 6+     

$60 + GST online registration

http://www.firstaidhero.com/babysitting-vancouver.html

BOOK FAIR

Mrs. Ratzlaff will once again be hosting a Book Fair in our library during Hawthorne's Student-Led Conference on February 3rd and 4th.   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 Monday, February 15th from 9am-Noon.  More details to follow in our next blog post.

RAISING CHILDREN IN A DIGITAL WORLD
English Bluff Elementary School's PAC would like to invite you to attend a FREE parenting workshop.  Dr. Deborah McNamara will be examine the benefits and pitfalls associated with the digital revolution through the lens of developmental science.  The session will be held on Thursday, February 11th from 7-9pm at English Bluff Elementary in Tsawwassen.  Doors will doors open at 6:45pm.

IMPORTANT DATES

Wednesday, February 3rd

Parent Teacher Conferences
2pm Dismissal

Thursday, February 4th

Parent Teacher Conferences

2pm Dismissal

Friday, February 5th

District Closure Day

School Closed

Monday, February 8th

Family Day

School Closed

Monday, February 15th
Kindergarten Registration
9am-Noon

Friday, February 19
Professional Day
School Closed

Monday, February 22
Professional Day
School Closed

Tuesday, January 19

MOVIE NIGHT

Your PAC will be hosting a FREE Movie Night for families on Friday, January 22nd.  Doors will open at 6pm with the movie (Inside Out) set to begin at 6:30pm. There will be a limited concession on site featuring popcorn, pizza, chips and juice boxes. Families can also bring their own snacks to this event.  We will also have a fundraising table set up by some of our grade 4 students. They will be selling decorative magnets with proceeds donated to Children's Hospital.  Any support would be greatly appreciated. It should be a fun night and we hope your family can attend.

HEAD LICE

Last week, a number of parents volunteered to conduct a "lice check" at Hawthorne. We'd like to thank Ms. Barton, Ms. Barnes, Ms. Ranu, Ms. Kolinsky, Ms. Sigouin, Ms. Pryce, Ms. Brookes and Ms. Gaytmenn for their efforts.  Our volunteers checked each class and a number of cases were found however the overall results were encouraging. We did notice more cases with our primary students however and we will be taking the following precautions at the school:

- hanging coats on the back of chairs rather than in the cloakroom
- not sharing hats, headphones, pinnies, combs, coats and dress up clothes for centre time
- regularly cleaning carpet and upholstery
- discussing this issue openly so as to remove the stigma that may prevent disclosures
- enlisting the support of our Public Health Nurse to support families with chronic cases

Here are some considerations for families at home:

- please keep long hair tied up in ponytails, braids or in a bun
- lice tend to avoid certain hair products: hairspray, gel, shampoo with lavender, coconut/tree tea oil
- regularly clean hair care accessories
- regularly clean bedding, coats, hats and upholstery

Head lice is an ongoing concern within the Ladner community but by following some of these preventative measures, we should be able to minimize its impact at Hawthorne. Thank you in advance for your support and feel free to contact Mr. Carruthers if you should have any further questions or suggestions.

HOUR OF CODE

A number of Hawthorne classes were involved in the Hour Of Code initiative before Christmas.  That work will continue in the New Year and it has been recognized within a story for the Surrey/Delta Leader.  You can read the story at this link:  Hour of Code at Hawthorne Elementary.  Special thank to Ms. Harris for spearheading our efforts:)

MEETING WITH TEACHERS

If you wish to meet with a teacher or visit a classroom, please be sure to set up an appointment prior to arriving at the school.  As well, we would ask that visitors report to the office before heading to the classroom. Parents are always welcome at Hawthorne but impromptu visits can be disruptive to classroom routines.  Thank you in advance for your consideration.

STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES

We will be hosting our student-led conferences on Feb. 3rd and 4th. As we get closer to the date,  parents will be provided with instructions on how to book their appointment online through Parent Connect.

WHEELS / DOGS ON THE PLAYGROUND

We would like to remind parents and students to refrain from riding their scooters, bikes, skateboards, etc. while on the school grounds.  Families are also asked to keep their dogs on a tight leash when visiting the school  We have some students who are allergic to dogs while others have a fear of canines. 

CROSS BABYSITTING COURSE

So you want to be a babysitter? Or, your parents want you to take this course so they feel confident leaving you at home alone? Babysitting with First Aid Hero emphasizes learning through real life scenarios. information covered includes: Exploring the business of babysitting, creating safe environments, safely caring for ages 0-12, and first aid skills.

Red Cross Babysitting Course

Hawthorne, Feb.19th, 2016, 8:30-3:30                        

Grade 6+     

$60 + GST online registration

http://www.firstaidhero.com/babysitting-vancouver.html

BOOK FAIR

Mrs. Ratzlaff will once again be hosting a Book Fair in our library during Hawthorne's Student-Led Conference on February 3rd and 4th.   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 Monday, February 15th from 9am-Noon.  More details to follow in our next blog post.

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday, January 22nd

Walk to School Day
Movie Night at 6pm

Friday, January 29th

Hot Lunch Day

Wednesday, February 3rd

Parent Teacher Conferences

2pm Dismissal

Thursday, February 4th

Parent Teacher Conferences

2pm Dismissal

Friday, February 5th

District Closure Day

School Closed

Monday, February 8th

Family Day

School Closed

Monday, February 15th
Kindergarten Registration
9am-Noon

Friday, February 19
Professional Day
School Closed

Monday, February 22
Professional Day
School Closed

Thursday, January 7th

WELCOME BACK

We hope that you enjoyed  a wonderful holiday break filled with great memories and time to relax with those closest to you.  The New Year will bring countless opportunities to Hawthorne and its students.  We are excited about what lies ahead and look forward to working with our student and parent community to make this next term a memorable one for everyone involved.

MOVIE NIGHT

Your PAC will be hosting a Movie Night for families on Friday, January 22nd.  Doors will open at 6pm with the movie (Inside Out) set to begin at 6:30pm. There will be a limited concession on site featuring popcorn, pizza, chips and juice boxes. Families can also bring their own snacks to this event.  It should be fun and we hope your family can attend.

LICE CHECK:  PARENT HELPERS NEEDED

As mentioned in the last blog entry,  we have experienced numerous cases of lice at Hawthorne during December  We will be conducting a follow up "lice-check" for all of our classes next week.  We are in need of some volunteers to assist with this process and ask that you contact Ms. Barnes if you are able to help out (skbarnes@dccnet.com).  We also ask that parents check their children regularly so that we can limit the spread of head lice in January.  For more information, check out this Fraser Health link: head lice checks/treatment.

TRAFFIC CIRCLE

Please note that community volunteers will be on site (bright yellow jackets) over the coming months 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 abide by 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  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.  Our next “Walk to School” event is scheduled for Friday, January 22nd.

CROSS BABYSITTING COURSE

So you want to be a babysitter? Or, your parents want you to take this course so they feel confident leaving you at home alone? Babysitting with First Aid Hero emphasizes learning through real life scenarios. information covered includes: Exploring the business of babysitting, creating safe environments, safely caring for ages 0-12, and first aid skills.

Red Cross Babysitting Course

Hawthorne, Feb.19th, 2016, 8:30-3:30                        

Grade 6+     

$60 + GST online registration

http://www.firstaidhero.com/babysitting-vancouver.html

BOOK FAIR

Mrs. Ratzlaff will once again be hosting a Book Fair in our library during Hawthorne's Student-Led Conference on February 3rd and 4th.   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 Monday, February 15th from 9am-Noon.  More details to follow in our next blog post.

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday, January 15

Monthly Assembly

11am Gymnasium

Friday, January 22nd

Walk to School Day

Friday, January 29th

Hot Lunch Day

Wednesday, February 3rd

Parent Teacher Conferences

2pm Dismissal

Thursday, February 4th

Parent Teacher Conferences

2pm Dismissal

Friday, February 5th

District Closure Day

School Closed

Monday, February 8th

Family Day

School Closed