volume i, september 2017 safety corner dates to...
TRANSCRIPT
École Laura Secord Elementary Newsletter
Sept 18-22 Grade 7 Camp
Tuesday, Sept 26th PAC Meeting
Thursday, Sept 28th Picture Day
Friday, Sept 29th Pro-D Day – Students do not
attend school this day
Monday, Oct 2nd Orange Shirt Day
Dates to Remember in September
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Among other things, what is
September known for at
“back to school” time?
Hectic, exciting…. and busy
with traffic! For the safety of
all, please check out page 4
for more safety info.
Welcome New Students… Bienvenue! A warm welcome back to all of our École Laura Secord Elementary families and a
special welcome to all the new families joining us!
I know all the staff are very excited to be back and to be with your children helping
them learn - after all, that is what drives us all here at École Laura Secord
Elementary School.
Safety Corner 1
Dates to Remember 1
Welcome New Students 1
Picture Day is Coming 1
After School Programs 1
Terry Fox Run 2
Grade 7 Camp 2
Stop Bike Thefts 2
School Routines 3
Earthquake Preparedness 3
Allergy Awareness Corner 4
Back to School Traffic Safety 4
Orange Shirt Day 4
Reporting Student Absences 5
Code of Conduct 5
Planning Calendar 6
PAC Welcome 7
Hot Lunch 7
PAC Meeting 7
BCCPAC Update & Survey 7
Upcoming Events 7
Grouse Mtn Fundraiser 8
SPUD Fundraiser 8
PAC Would Love to Hear You 8
Principal: Janis Myers
Vice Principal: Brad Toews
Volume I, September 2017
Reminder….
NO SCHOOL FOR
STUDENTS ON:
Friday, September 29th
(School Based Pro D Day)
S A F E T Y C O R N E R
Use these tips to help your child get ready for a great-looking school portrait that
you’ll treasure forever.
1. Help your child pick out clothes and colours that look good on them. After
all, your child is the star of the photo—not their shirt, so avoid slogans,
logos, and big patterns. Small jewelry and accessories are fine but nothing
too big or distracting. Make sure to check your flyer to see sample poses
for your Picture Day. Some poses may show pants or skirts, so plan the
complete outfit.
2. Glasses are okay! Lifetouch photographers know all the tricks to reduce
glare.
3. Any hairstyle works for Picture Day. Schedule haircuts a few weeks
ahead of time to allow hair to grow back a little, or you can go for a fresh-
cut look.
4. Keep kids relaxed and ready to be themselves. Smiles can look fake if
they’re practiced ahead of time. Remember, smiles are like french fries—
they’re better when they’re fresh.
5. Don’t worry about “perfect”! That hair that always sticks up or a missing
tooth shows your child just as they are right now—and you’ll enjoy looking
back on that for years to come. On Picture Day, teachers and volunteers
will help straighten collars and check posture. And, if you like, we have
retouching options for scrapes and blemishes.
And that’s it! Remember, School Picture day is Thursday, September 28th.
Picture Day is Coming!
The Community Schools Team is putting together the schedule for our exciting After
School Programs! Prices ranged from $45 to $80 and the term will be the week of
October 10th right up to Christmas break. If you’ve participated, you know how
popular and busy these programs are.
So stay tuned! More information will be available in the coming weeks, but mark
your calendar now. Registration will begin Wednesday October 4th in the BIG
GYM at 8:20am and ends Friday October 6th. Register EARLY our programs fill
up fast!
After School Programs Coming Soon
Secord News Page 2
Stop Bike Thefts
Nearly 2 million bikes are stolen in North America annually - one every 30
seconds.
In Vancouver alone, 5-6 bikes are stolen every day on average, 9 per day in the
summer. Unfortunately, Secord experience our 2nd theft this month recently.
So what can you do?
Secure It - the best way to protect yourself against bike theft is to park your bike
in a secure bike parking facility, like many workplace bike rooms and cages, and
the lockers and parkades provided at some TransLink stations. Other good
choices include monitored parking facilities and locations, and high-visibility racks
along retail store-fronts. See Lock It Well below!
Record Your serial # - often on the underside of your pedal (crank) shaft - keep
this number in a safe place
Register It - use the free 529 Garage registry and app anywhere in Metro
Vancouver. It alerts others that your bike is stolen and helps police recover and
return it to you.
Lock it Well - watch this helpful video by HUB (and this VPD video) to learn how
to prevent bike theft with good locking techniques
Report Bike Theft - if your bike is stolen, reporting it to your local police ASAP is
your best chance for safe return (and to stimulate action by the local policing
community).
Broadcast It - social networks have been proven to increase the chance of
recovery - post a photo and details of your bike theft experience on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram.
Look for It - watch online marketplaces, and report or flag suspicious listings.
Police and RCMP advise you to not attempt a 'sting' operation of your own;
while some have been successful, the potential risk to you is far greater than the
benefit of recovery. Always contact your local police for assistance.
Log It, Lock It...Or Lose It and Free Bike Registry
Here is the VPD Log It, Lock It or Lose It campaign, and recommended bike
registry app Project 529 Garage to make it harder for thieves to steal your bike.
Project 529 also makes it easier for police to help get your bike back if it's stolen.
Secord School staff are proud to offer programs and activities that promote a
healthy and active lifestyle. As part of this focus, grade 7 students from all our
programs were invited to attend a week-long outdoor education program at
Evans Lake, September 18-22. What a great way to start their special last
elementary school year and build the “Class of 2018” bonds.
Grade 7 Camp
F
Terry Fox Run Last week we participated in the Terry Fox Run. Some students ran the back
field and some went to Trout Lake.
Cancer research and the children were the big winners on that day. Thanks
for your contributions!
Page 3 Secord News
Earthquake Preparedness
As you most probably heard,
Mexico was hit twice with
powerful earthquakes, the
most recent one destroying at
least one school. We would
like to remind everyone of the
importance of being prepared.
We here at the school have an
earthquake bin, classroom
backpacks and some basic
supplies.
For those of you at home, it
may interest you to take a
moment to read a link from
the government of BC to guide
you on how to be prepared.
School Routines
We are looking forward to working with you and your children. It is important for
students to start off the school year by being punctual and ready to learn. We are also
working on making sure that our school is a safe and healthy environment.
Outside supervision by staff begins at 8:40 in the morning and ends twenty
minutes after the 3:00 p.m. bell. Please do not leave your children in the
playground unsupervised before 8:40 a.m. and after 3:20 p.m. There is a bell at
3:20 that reminds students that they need to come to the office if they haven’t
been picked up.
Please make sure that you call the school at (604) 713-5159 ext 74 if your child is
going to be absent. Parents must sign their child in/out at the office if their child
arrives late or has to leave early.
Students will be lining up outside as has been past practice. Teachers have
shown their students where to line up. The younger students will be lining up
under the covered areas. Please see the map in this newsletter for your child’s
line up area.
We are encouraging families to continue to travel clockwise around the school and
to park on 10th Avenue. When designing the school yard we have purposefully
made the entrance off 10th attractive with brickwork and seating for families to
congregate in order to create an inviting space and to alleviate the congestion on
Lakewood in order to avoid safety issues with the lane across from the front
entrance of the school.
Please respect the 3 minutes-only stopping zone and No Stopping zone on
Lakewood Dr. in front of the school. Please also remember that there is no
parking in the alley off of Lakewood Drive. Parking is very limited around the
school, therefore, please read the parking signs carefully as officers patrol the
area all year long.
Riding bikes and scooters on school grounds before and after school (while
pedestrians are on the grounds) is NOT permitted for safety reasons since there
are so many children and adults on the school grounds at those times. We
appreciate parents reinforcing this rule with their children. City Of Vancouver by-
laws require all bike riders to wear a helmet; Police Officers have already been on
site reminding people about this.
We promote good nutrition in the school and encourage students to bring good
nutritious snacks and lunches. As we have a number of students with serious
food allergies, we ask parents to avoid preparing lunches and snacks that
contain nut and seed products.
All students are required to adhere to the school’s Code of Conduct. It is printed in
students’ agenda, is available on the school website, and is frequently reviewed
with students at school. Parents are encouraged to review it with their children.
Mobile devices: Many students bring personal mobile devices (ie cell phones,
smartphones, iPods, etc) to school (although students are welcome to use the
phone in the office to call home for emergency or other purposes). While these
items are not prohibited at school, devices that interfere with the primary purposes
of school (learning and socializing safely and respectfully) will be removed and
given back to the student at day's end or to the parent.
Parents are encouraged to review the “School Policies and Procedures” section within
the “About Us” tab of the school website.
Page 4 Secord News
The first week back to school is always a hectic and exciting time. Traffic-wise, things can get particularly busy, especially near schools. For the safety of all children we are strongly encouraging everyone to drive carefully and obey traffic signs around school grounds. If possible, we are encouraging everyone to walk, cycle (remember to wear a helmet) or carpool to school. If you must drive, consider parking a few blocks away and walk the rest of the way.
The following are traffic signs that are typically posted around Vancouver schools.
Did you know?
Tree nuts are considered a
priority allergen by Health
Canada.
People with an allergy to one
type of nut have a greater
chance of being allergic to
others.
People who are allergic to some
tree nuts generally avoid all tree
nuts and peanuts because of
the risk of cross-contamination.
Non Food Sources of Tree Nuts
Beanbags, kick sacks/hacky
sacks
Bird seed
Cosmetics, skin and hair
care products, lotions, soap,
body scrubs, sun screens
Massage oils
Pet food
Sandblasting materials
Back to School Traffic Safety Tips
Awareness without action is worthless.
For the safety of all we thank you in advance for your attendance to, and
understanding of, these signs. Let’s all have a safe and happy return to school.
“NO STOPPING 8am – 5pm SCHOOL DAYS”
These signs designate the zones where vehicles are not
permitted to stop under any circumstances. These zones are
kept clear to provide good sight lines for drivers to see students
and students to see drivers.
“NO PARKING 8am – 5pm SCHOOL DAYS”
These signs designate the zones for active picking up and
dropping off of students. Do not park and leave the vehicle in
these zones.
“3 min Parking 8am – 5pm SCHOOL DAYS”
These signs designate the zones for picking up and dropping off
of students where parking is permitted for 3 minutes.
School Area Signs
This sign is used in advance of school to warn drivers that
children may be walking along or crossing the road. On local
streets 30 km/hr signs are posted and the speed limit is 30 km/hr
from 8 am - 5 pm on school days.
School Crosswalk Signs
A school crosswalk sign indicates where children will be crossing
the road. Vehicles must yield to pedestrians at all intersections
and crosswalks. Vehicles must remain stopped until children
are safely across and on the curb. Please remember children
are playful and impulsive and may enter the roadway suddenly.
Wear Orange on October 2nd
September 30th has been declared Orange Shirt Day annually, in recognition of the
harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and
wellbeing, and as an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around
us matters. The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children
were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity
to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year.
It also gives teachers time to plan events that will include children, as we want to
ensure that we are passing the story and learning on to the next generations.
Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people,
local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of
reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.
Since September 30th is a Saturday, and September 29th is our Pro-D day, Secord
will be celebrating on October 2nd. So wear your best orange shirt and shine!
Why Orange Shirts?
Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of
the St. Joseph Mission (SJM)
residential school
commemoration event held in
Williams Lake, BC,
Canada, in May 2013. It grew out
of Phyllis Webstad's story of
having her shiny new orange shirt
taken away on her first day of
school at the Mission, and it has
become an opportunity to keep
the discussion on all aspects of
residential schools happening
annually.
Page 5
Secord News
Reporting Student Absences – New!
Student safety is of paramount importance at the Vancouver School District and Laura
Secord Elementary. Ensuring student safety is a shared responsibility. In order to
assist our school, we ask parents to notify the school of student absences. If your child
will be away from school, please phone us to report this absence as early as possible.
Parents should leave a message on a dedicated answering service by calling
(604)713-5159 ext 74. Messages will be received before the office is open. School
offices are busy places: consistently notifying the school in advance of your child’s
absence will significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Safe Arrival
Morning Routine.
To Report Your Child’s Absence – Please Call (604) 713-5159 ext 74 prior to 9 am on
the first day of the absence.
Student Sign Out Procedure
When you pick up your child during the school day, please ensure that you sign them
out at the school office. If you do not sign out your child, they will be unaccounted for,
and the school will identify your child as a ‘missing’ student and will commence a
search of school grounds. If the school staff do not locate the child, and are unable to
reach a parent promptly, the school will call the Vancouver Police Department.
Therefore, clear communication is essential for ensuring the safety of your child and to
prevent unnecessary searches.
Thank you for helping us keep your children safe!
To Report Your Child’s
Absence – Please Call (604)
713-5159 ext 74 prior to 9 am
on the first day of the absence.
All students are required to adhere to the school’s Code of Conduct. It is printed
in students’ agenda, is available on the school website, and is frequently
reviewed with students at school. Parents are encouraged to review it with their
children.
Laura Secord’s Code of Conduct
Page 7
Secord News
PAC Page: What’s New With Your PAC
Welcome Everyone!
Welcome all the new students and parents to Laura Secord: welcome to your
PAC. We have a lot of information in this update and hope to see many of you at
PAC meeting or volunteering for a fun event this year.
Hot Lunch
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Volunteers are a critical part of
what allows us to keep this the
Hot Lunch program running
each year. We are currently
recruiting volunteers for shifts
which run from 11:30-12:45.
We need about 15 volunteers
per hot lunch and it is a fast
and fun way to sneak a peek
at your child in the school
environment.
Please email
[email protected] to be
added to our volunteer list
PAC Meeting
Tuesday, September 26th
@ 6:30pm - First PAC
meeting. Please join us in
the school library for this
year's first PAC meeting. It
is an excellent opportunity
to learn what is happening
at the school this year,
meet other parents and
find out how you can get
involved. We will also hold
our PAC executive
elections. We look forward
to seeing you there! Free
childcare will be provided.
BCCPAC Update and Survey
Survey for Parents of Special Needs Children who are not receiving a Full Day
at School
BCCPAC strongly believes that every child deserves equitable access to a full day
of education. Since the spring, we have been actively advocating regarding the
problems faced by families of children with special needs who are unable to attend
school full time.
BCCPAC is conducting a three-minute parent survey to confirm how widespread
this issue is across BC public schools:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCCPACFullDaySchool
The survey will close on October 6, 2017.
BCCPAC will be taking survey results directly to the Ministry of Education with the
expectation that changes will be made to end discrimination against children with
complex learning needs.
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 @ 6:30PM
The first PAC meeting, the Secord PAC's AGM, will be held in the library at 6:30
pm. We will be discussing PAC events, fundraising, as well as NOMINATING the
PAC executive for the year
Please note some volunteers PAC positions are open:
Co-chair – 1 open seat
Secretary – 2 open seats
Members at Large – multiple open seats
English and French Primary Reps
English and French Intermediate Reps
Class Reps
Several Event Coordinating Positions
Simply coming to the meeting is a great way to keep in touch with the school and
to know what's going on. Babysitting will be available from 6:25pm in the
cafeteria.
Upcoming Events (stay tuned for details, but mark your calendar to volunteer!)
English Book Fair: October 15-19
Pumpkin Patch: October 31
Secord Clothing Sales: November 6-10
Dance: November 17
First PAC General Meeting
Upcoming Events
Page 8
Laura Secord Elementary 2500 Lakewood Dr Vancouver, BC V5N 4V1
Phone 604-713-4996 Fax 604-713-4998
We’re on the Web!
http://secord.vsb.bc.ca
Editor: Susan Pazdzior
Director of
Instruction:
Aaron Davis
Liaison School
Trustee:
Dianne Turner
PAC Chairs:
Richard Abgrail
District Parent
Representative:
Sarah McKinnon
Secord News
PAC is on Twitter!
@SecordPAC
Early Bird Grouse Mountain Pass Fundraiser
Limited Time Only. Offer Ends November 30.
They say winter is coming and could be a snowy one!
15% cash back for our PAC when you purchase a Grouse Mountain Early Bird
Pass.
Offering access to unlimited skiing, riding, snowshoeing, skating, events and
more, an Early Bird Pass is the North Shore’s best value snow pass. You’ll also
receive some incredible perks including discounts on food & beverage, equipment
rentals and private lessons! Best of all you’ll be earning money for your PAC.
Simply provide the unique promo code below when purchasing to earn money for
your school.
Buy now at grousemountain.com/early-bird
Promo Code: PAC-SECORD
Early Bird Rates Until Nov.30 Regular Rates
Adult (19-64) $499 $825
Youth (13-18) $399 $675
Child (5-12) $199 $375
Tot (4 & under) $35 $40
Family $1249 $2090
Senior (65+) $299 $725
Student (19+) $399 $675
Three Ways to Purchase:
Online grousemountain.com/early-bird-pac
Call 604.980.9311
Visit Guest Services
Share with friends and family and social media groups!
When you order organic produce boxes from SPUD, 25% will be donated to
Laura Secord and the produce will be delivered right to your door! This applies
to new and existing customers.
Here is how:
1. Create an account at SPUD.ca
2. Choose the organic produce box you want to order and add it to your cart.
The boxes are listed on the SPUD Fundraising page under the Home tab
(SPUD.ca/fundraising)
3. At checkout, enter the promo code FUNDRAISING and select LAURA
SECORD ELEMENTARY PAC from the drop down menu.
4. Complete your order. Your produce boxes and any other groceries will be
delivered to your home or office.
5. 25% is donated to our school!
SPUD Fundraiser: fundraise with Organics!
PAC Minutes
PAC Events
School Calendar
Vancouver School
Board
We would love to hear from you!!! If you haven't already, please take a moment
to fill out the PAC survey to reflect on the past and give suggestions for the
future. It is a quick 10 question survey. Secord PAC Survey Link
* Survey results will be shared at the 1st PAC meeting."