The School is Closed for Winter Holidays. We look forward to seeing all of you back in the New Year on Tuesday, January 6!
Dear Families,
Another year has flown by, and not without a bushel full of changes! On behalf of the the staff and administration at our Lions Gate Montessori Community Schools, I’d like to extend our deepest thanks to the warm welcomes received by new staff from families. I would also like to thank you for your kind patience with our transitions, including the upcoming merge of Mole Hill into North Creek.
According to Dr. Montessori, adaptation (from Latin adaptare, “to fit”) is one of the key goals of human development. She suggests that to be a fully formed person, one must seek out what it means to “fit in” and to be comfortable in one’s own skin. This includes learning how to adapt to the changes we face in our lives from the ebbs and flows of feelings and the moment-to-moment shifts in thoughts, to larger changes in life circumstances. She wrote, “The great power of man is that he adapts to every part of the environment and that he modifies it…while developing himself he unconsciously develops his own adaptation of his environment.” (Meaning of Adaptation, p.5)
So, as we transition from one year to another, and from one place to another, I’d like to leave you with the moving words of Lord Alfred Tennyson, England’s Poet Laureate during Queen Victoria’s reign:
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
On behalf of all the staff, I send you best wishes for a safe and cheerful holiday, and a very Happy New Year!
– Ms. Riza Weinstein, Head of Pedagogy
UPCOMING EVENTS AND NOTICES
Talk with Vice-Provost, Cindy Weinstein, California Institute of Technology (CalTech): Professor Weinstein will be speaking to the adolescent students at our Anchor Point facility on university life and expectations on Thursday, January 8, 2015. CalTech has been ranked the top university in the world four years in a row by the Times Higher Education, Britain’s leading publication relating to the field of higher education. Interested parents are welcome to attend. Kindly RSVP office@lionsgatemontessori.org with “CalTech Talk” on the subject line.
Wine-and-Cheese Art Auction: Evening of February 13th – This event will showcase Upper Elementary and Adolescent artwork. Come and bid on a masterpiece!
Elementary Workshop for Parents: Evening of March 2nd – Greg MacDonald, Director of Elementary Training at the Montessori Institute of San Diego will be at our school to speak to parents about Montessori education with a focus on the needs of the child at the elementary stage of development.
Workshop Series, Digitizing Ourselves to Death: The Richmond Addiction Services Society is hosting a four-week workshop series on problem video gaming. The first night of the series will be January 13, 2015 shortly after school resumes. Please share this information with parties who might benefit from attending. The four evening of events will be held at the Richmond Public Library Brighouse Branch. Participants are to register directly at www.yourlibrary.ca
Arrival and Dismissal in the New Year at North Creek: The Mole Hill and North Creek staff look forward to welcoming Mole Hill families at North Creek in the New Year. Kindly note: there are two doors at that location for Arrival and Dismissal. Half-day preschool students should be dropped-off and picked-up at the Unit 107 “downstairs” door while Extended-Day students should use the Unit 108 “upstairs” door.
Supporting our school through amazon.ca purchases: The bookstore page of this website has a direct link to Amazon.ca. Any purchases that are made on the Amazon.ca site through this link will generate revenue towards scholarships and our students’ enrichment funds. This is true for any purchase (not just books!) so long as the entry to the Amazon website is from bookstore page. Please let your friends and family know that they can help support our schools through their Amazon.ca purchases through the link on our site. Anyone can access the bookstore without needing to login to the site with a password.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Wondering what to do on weekends with your children? Here are some ideas below:
28th Annual Festival of Trees -Thursday, November 20th, 2014 to Sunday, January 4th, 2015: Four Seasons Hotel and Pacific Centre Mall presents “Festival of Trees”, transforming the lobby of the hotel and and the upper level of the Pacific Center Mall into lush forests of brilliantly decorated trees. Raising funds for BC Children’s Hospital, the event sponsors include local business organizations and individuals. They have the honor of decorating these trees in a unique and exciting fashion.Come and vote for your favorite tree.
The Forbidden City, Inside the Court of China’s Emperors: Until January 11th, the Vancouver Art Gallery will be transformed into the court of China’s Emperors for the landmark exhibition. Selected from the vast collections of Beijing’s Palace Museum, the exhibition showcases nearly 200 precious works from the Forbidden City that have rarely been seen outside of China. Organized in nine key sections, the exhibition leads visitors through the realms of the Imperial Palace.
Robson Square Ice Rink Open for Free until February 28th, 2015: The rink will be open all through the Christmas Holidays, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Skating is free with your own skates, otherwise, rentals are available. The rink also features a concession stand with snacks and warm drinks.
Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park – November 29th to January 3rd: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park’s popular holiday event, Canyon Lights, has a tall order this year – laying claim once again to be the home of the world’s tallest living Christmas tree?! Standing 46.4m (152 feet) tall, this Douglas-fir will be adorned in thousands of sparkling lights.Park guests will also be dazzled by hundreds of thousands of lights glittering throughout the rainforest, across the Suspension Bridge and on CLIFFWALK. A children’s scavenger hunt, gingerbread cookie decorating, sing-a-long carols with the holiday band are all back by public demand and new this year, create your own Christmas card and enjoy holiday treats in the Winter Pavilion. Partial proceeds from your admission will be donated to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.
Van Dusen Gardens Festival of Lights – December 10th to January 4th. VanDusen Botanical Garden is transformed into a holiday wonderland every Christmas during this festival that delights young & old alike with seasonal displays & more than one million twinkling lights wrapped around trees & trellises. Guests can take photos with Santa, watch the Shadow Puppet Theatre & be entertained by the Scandinavian Gnomes, community & featured choirs & The Grinch. Closed December 25.
Winter Solstice at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden – December 21st. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Partnership with the Secret Lantern Society proudly presents: Winter Solstice. This winter impress your holiday guests as the World’s Top City Garden celebrates Winter Solstice. To astonish and excite are the goals of the evening as we carry on this ancient Chinese tradition with handcrafted glowing lanterns, musical performances, spicy dragon tea and tasty treats.
Dwellings – From Seabeds to Cityscapes: This exhibition of young people’s art explores where we live and how we inhabit space shapes our experiences, our culture, and even who we are. Investigate how creatures in different habitats interact with the spaces they inhabit, envision the human body as a dwelling space, imagine habitations for people in the future, and delve into many other creative contemplation on where we dwell. The exhibition will take place at 808 Richards Street until March 25th, 2015. For more information visit ArtStarts in Schools.