Daily Schedule 8:30 Doors open 8:40 First Bell 8:45 Classes begin 10:30-10:45 Recess 12:25-1:10 Lunch 2:38 Dismissal

THE DIEFENBAKER REPORT

WEBSITE: diefenbaker.sd38.bc.ca/

October 2016 Student Arrival and Pick up at School Thank you to parents for using parking spaces or parking on the street when you want to come into the school! It makes such a difference to student safety and traffic flow! Our new crossing guards have been doing an excellent job getting our students across the street safely. Parent-Teacher Conferences

Diefenbaker’s two parent-teacher conference days are Wednesday, October 26th and Wednesday, November 2nd. Teachers may also be scheduling conferences outside of these days as well. Please note that all students will be dismissed at 1:38 pm on both Wednesday, October 26th and Wednesday, November 2th. If you have any questions about conference times, please contact your child’s teacher.

From the Library The Scholastic Book Fair has been booked for October 25th to 27th and will take place in the library. On Wednesday, October 26th (parent conferences), the book fair will be open from 12:40 to 1:05 and from 2:00 to 6:00. On Thursday, October 27th the book fair will be open from 12:40 to 1:05 and from 2:45 to 4:00. Photo Retakes If you missed our first photo day or your child’s photo did not turn out as you had hoped, photo retake day is on Tuesday, November 15th. Report Cards This term, we will send report cards home one week later than was originally planned. Report cards will now be sent home on Thursday, December 15th. This change is due to a new reporting program we will be using this year and staff will need time to familiarize themselves with it. Professional Development Day On October 21st, staff participated in the Province-wide Professional Specialist Association Day. Our staff participated in a variety of professional learning activities throughout the Lower Mainland and had the opportunity to connect and learn with professionals in other schools, districts and with professional associations. This school year, there will be one Curriculum Implementation Day on Friday, November 18th. The purpose of this day is to provide teachers with time to work collaboratively with peers across the District on the revised curriculum. There will be no school for students on Nov. 18th. Outdoor Education Our Gr. 6 students went to Camp Elphinstone on the Sunshine Coast for three busy days of Outdoor Education. Students were engaged in a variety of activities including voyageur canoeing, fire building, kayaking, high ropes, rock climbing, human marine impact, field games, fishing, swimming and campfire in addition to team-building and reflective activities. Thank you to our staff team that supported this opportunity (Mrs. Anderson, M. Ardanaz, Mr. Cho, Mr. Shuto) and for taking time from your families to give to our students. The students had a wonderful experience and continue to talk about the great time they had! Cross Country Fun Run This year, the Diefenbaker Cross Country Fun Run Team expanded to include primary students. We took 30 students from Gr. 1-7 students to Minoru for the annual District Cross Country Fun Run after school on Oct. 12th. Diefenbaker students competed against students from schools across the district on a distance course through Minoru Park. It was a long run, and we are so proud of all our students for finishing their races. Great Diefenbaker spirit was shown by everyone! Terry Fox Run Our annual Terry Fox Run was an amazing success! We came together as a community to honour the achievements of Terry

Fox through an assembly and presented the special “red shirt” to one of our students, who is a cancer survivor. We then headed outside for our run in the back field and saw staff and students pay tribute to Terry by pushing themselves to complete as many laps as possible. Your generosity raised $900, which is going to help researchers as they search for a cure for cancer! Thank you!

Volleyball Our volleyball season is underway! There has been so much interest from our Gr. 6/7 students, that they have been divided into separate groups to accommodate everyone. They eagerly arrive early in the morning for practices and are excited about their after school games! Thank you to our coaches Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Cho for their time, to our parent drivers, whose ability to transport students allows the students to play away games, and to everyone who comes out to cheer for our teams!

Halloween Halloween is fast approaching, and we can feel the excitement building in our students! On Monday, students are welcome to wear their costumes to school. Please keep your costume weapons at home. As we are mindful of the recent publicity about “creepy clowns”, we ask that students do no wear those costumes. We want everyone to enjoy this special time of year, but most importantly, we want them to be safe! The Richmond Fire Department and RCMP remind us of safety tips each year: •wear lightly coloured costumes or affix reflective tape that can be seen by motorists •be sure you can see through your mask or only wear make-up. •wear flame retardant costumes •be sure costumes are short enough to prevent tripping •travel while there is still daylight and carry a flashlight •travel in groups, preferably with a parent or guardian •walk on sidewalks or along the curb, never on the street •don’t carry sharp or pointed objects •don’t eat treats until your parents have checked them. For more safety information, visit the Richmond Fire Department and RCMP websites. Remember that there are Fireworks Bylaws in Richmond and it is illegal to possess, sell or ignite fireworks in Richmond without a permit. This also includes firecrackers. Leadership Team Members of Diefenbaker’s Leadership Team are getting into the Halloween spirit with a new way to raise awareness about local hunger…a haunted house experience to raise donations for the Richmond Food Bank! On October 31st, our Gr. 6 and 7 leadership students will be inviting all Diefenbaker students to visit their haunted house (primary and intermediate students will attend separately and content will be adjusted for the primary students). Students are asked to bring in non-perishable food items on October 31st. The items will be collected at the door of the Art Room as students visit the haunted house. For students who do not want to enter, a game will be available for them to play so they can also participate in Halloween activities. These Gr. 6/7 students will engage in a variety of activities and initiatives throughout the year that reflect their commitment to raise awareness and funds for local and international initiatives. We believe in the power of young people to change the world! Thank you to our teacher sponsors… Mrs. Anderson, Mr. Cho, Ms. Mohammed and Ms. Yager! Halloween Candy for Donation McMath Secondary students and Diefenbaker Elementary students are working together to support a project which assists the homeless living on the Lower Eastside of Vancouver. 7 days a week, 365 days a year – GOOD SHEPHERD volunteers provide homeless people with candy bags, food, hope, and encouragement. It is not unusual for them to give out 90 candy bags per night. In support of this project, McMath and Diefenbaker are collecting any LEFTOVER HALLOWEEN CANDY. Our current donation record is 4000 candy bags ~ we are hoping this year, with your help, we could beat that record. Please drop-off any donations in the tote bins located at the front of the school. Interested in Opening Your Home for a Rewarding Experience? The International Student Program allows overseas students to enter Grades 8 through 12 at selected secondary schools in Richmond, Greater Vancouver. The program gives overseas students the opportunity to study alongside Canadian students in the BC public education system. As a Host Family, you will have an opportunity to welcome into your home, students from around the world. Your family will have a profound influence on the students’ study abroad experience. Both your family and the students you host will ideally gain a mutual understanding and respect for each other’s culture and world-view. In addition to economic remuneration, your reward will be the realization that your commitment to host international students will, in some small way, contribute to global understanding and world peace. Each member of your family and your student will come to know each other in depth. Our Homestay program is the ideal setting for this type of experience. If you are interested in learning more about our hosting program please forward an e-mail for information. Karen York Homestay Coordinator, International Student Program, Richmond School District 38 Tel 604-295-4303, kyork@sd38.bc.ca Red Cross Babysitting Course Students in Gr. 6 and 7 can register for the babysitting course, which will be held at the school on the November 18th Curriculum Implementation Day from 8:30am-3:30pm. Register online at http://www.firstaidhero.com/babysitting-vancouver.html. The cost is $60 + GST for online registration. Information was provided to all interested students. Please contact the office if you are interested but do not have the paperwork. Upcoming Dates Oct. 25-27 Scholastic Book Fair Nov. 18 Curriculum Implementation Day (no school) Oct. 26 Early Dismissal for Conferences (1:38pm) Nov. 18 Red Cross Babysitting Course (Gr. 6/7) Oct. 27 PAC Meeting (6:30pm) Nov. 24 PAC Meeting (6:30pm) Oct. 28 Hoja Performance (9:00am) Nov. 25 PAC Family Movie Night Nov. 02-03 PAC Family Photo Nights Nov. 28 Bhangra Dancing Begins Nov. 02 Early Dismissal for Conferences (1:38pm) Dec. 05 Professional Day (no school) Nov. 10 Remembrance Day Assembly (10:45) Dec. 06 PAC Family Skate Night at Minoru (5:45-7:00) Nov. 11 Remembrance Day (School Closed) *Dec. 08 School Performance Evening (Tentative) Nov. 15 Photo Retakes Dec. 15 Report Cards Home Nov. 17 Gr. 6 Immunizations Dec. 16 Last day of school before Winter Break *Please stay tuned for more information about our School Performance Evening, as it is possible that the date may change. We will let you know as soon as possible.

Be sure to read your newsletters to keep up-to-date, and refer to our school website, where we will post additional

information. Please call our Early Warning Line (604-718-4094) to report students late or absent.