Our next PD Day is Friday, January 30: Please note that there has been a revision to upcoming PD Days and Parent Workshops in order to coincide with Professional Development courses offered at the Montessori Training Centre. Kindly visit our private community calendar to view changes.
Our School Directory has been updated. Please find it on the School Information page of our website.
Workshop Series, Digitizing Ourselves to Death, January 13th: 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 .
Bake Sale, Monday, January 26th: The Adolescents are organizing a bake sale on January 26th to raise money for the upcoming Montessori Model United Nations trip and other enrichment activities. We would like to invite parents to contribute baked goods to this sale. If you are interested in contributing, please let us know by January 19th. We respectfully request that parents drop off their baking contributions by 8:30am the morning of the bake sale. Other arrangements may be made if necessary. Dried fruits and nuts will also be for available for purchase at this event. Parents – let us know if you’d like to volunteer to help with this!
Primary Parent Workshop, Thursday, January 29 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm: We will be presenting a workshop on the Primary Program with an emphasis on the Extended-Day. This will also be a great opportunity for the Mole Hill parents to tour the North Creek facility and see the classroom set up! Stay tuned for more details.
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.
Hot Lunch Program: The holiday feasting is over, and now it’s time to eat healthy again. If you have never tried the hot lunch program, why not order a few meals to check it out? Food is supplied by #e Food, a local eatery that prides on healthy cuisine with ingredients that are locally sourced and sustainable. Each meal comes with a side salad or soup. 2 sizes – Small $5, Large $7.50. Tax included
Kindly note that orders must be placed at least 24 hours in advance. Just a reminder that hot lunches can be ordered anytime during the month. Please make payments as soon as you have a confirmed order. To order online, please visit https://lionsgate.hotlunch.com/plogin.php. If your child has recently transferred from Mole Hill/North Creek to Anchor Point, please remember to update your profile to ensure that lunch is delivered to the right location. If you have any questions, please let us know.
ADOLESCENTS
Farm Visit Starting Tuesday, January 20th – We are looking forward to having the adolescents begin their workshop days at the Richmond site! Please find below, some pertinent information:
Morning Drop-Off: Students departing from Anchor Point must be at school by 8:45am to catch their ride. Students being dropped off at the site should aim to arrive by between 9:15am and 9:30am. Parking for dropping off students is at the back parking area. Warm thanks to AP Parent and PSG Past-President, Marijke Wortman as parent volunteer driver!
Afternoon Pick-Up at Anchor Point: Students who need to be returned back to Anchor Point by 4pm will depart the farm site by 3:00pm. All others will complete their school day at 4pm. Students may be picked up directly at the farm or at Anchor Point by 5pm, unless alternate arrangements have been made. Kindly let us know if you would like to make alternate arrangements for dismissal.
ANCHOR POINT
Upper Elementary Students Skating at Robson Square Ice Rink on Monday, February 2nd: The Upper Elementary students will be going to the Robson Square Skating Rink on Monday, February 2nd. Students may bring their own helmets and/or skates. Please fill out the attached form and submit it by Thursday, January 29th.
Swim Lessons: We started our first swimming lesson on Wednesday. Swimming will continue every Wednesday until February 18th, 2015. Please be sure your child brings a winter hat to wear on the walk back to school.
Hip-hop Lessons: Hip-hop Lessons for the Lower Elementary starts on Monday, January 19th at 9:00 a.m. The students will be walked together to The Dance Centre. Hence, please drop off your child/ren no later than 8:45 a.m. to ensure a full hour of class with Mr. Yoshi Hisanaga.
Yoshi is a versatile and innovative dancer who brings a fresh and energetic flavor to dance where ever he goes. Yoshi is a passionate teacher who believes in passing down his knowledge to the next generation and giving back to the Vancouver hip-hop dance community. He focuses on old school hip-hop basics and fundamentals. His classes include everything from popping, bboying, locking, to street jazz. His passion and dedication to the art has caught the attention of the renowned hip-hop group, Over the Influence, which Yoshi has become the latest member of. He also embraces the competitive element of hip-hop. He is an award winning choreographer who specializes in a unique and abstract blend of hip-hop and break dancing. He was the choreographer and dancer for the 2005 Senior Canadian National Dance Competition Champions, and the choreographer for the 2005, 2006, 2007 Junior Canadian National Dance Competition Champions (Elktrik). He also represented Canada at the Hip-hop International Championships in the summer of 2007 in L.A and 2008 in Vegas.
Pizza Fridays: On February 6th and 13th, we are will offer Pizza Fridays! Pizza will be ordered from Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. All of the flatbread pizza bases are 100% organic, made fresh daily with a blend of organic, unbleached white and whole wheat local flours, and sweetened with a touch of maple syrup. Pizza will be served with a salad, prepared by the children. For more details, please see the attached form. Please submit your order form with payment no later than Friday, January 30th.
Other Reminders:
– Please remember to advise our staff, via email or phone, if your child/ren will be absent for the day.
– During this cold weather, we have noticed that some children’s lips have been chapped, which has created some unhappy moments for them. We kindly suggest your child bring lip balm or chapstick to school to keep his/her lips moisturized and happy!
– Also, living in Vancouver, the weather can be quite unpredictable! Please dress
your child appropriately according to the weather! Rain or shine, we will bring the children out for playtime at our nearby park in order that they have their daily physical activity and fresh air!
NORTH CREEK
Primary Parent Workshop, Thursday, January 29 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm: On Thursday, January 29th, the teachers will be presenting a workshop on the Primary Program with an emphasis on the Extended-Day. Stay tuned for more details. We have arranged Child Care during this workshop. It will be held at Anchor Point. The cost is $10 per child and this includes a slice of pizza, veggies and a drink. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please fill out and return the attached form and return it to us by Monday, January 26th. Thank you in advance.
Change for Bake Sale: Anchor Point is having a bake sale on Monday, January 26th. Please send your child to school with some change if you would like your child to make a purchase to bring home. Teachers will arrange an outing to Anchor Point with children who come prepared with money.
New Email Address: There is now a new Casa/Primary email box to facilitate greater ease in communication between the teachers and families. Please use northcreek@lionsgatemontessori.org to inform us about any updates or inquiries.
Oral Hygiene: For all Extended-Day children, please bring a rinsing cup, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss to use for brushing after lunch.
Emergency Consent Cards: If your child is a new student at North Creek Montessori, please fill in the Emergency Consent Card that you will receive from a teacher at the door. It is important that you complete it and return to school ASAP.
Safety Reminder: For safety reasons, please be cautious during drop-off and pick-up and encourage your child to walk and not run on the sidewalk.
General Parking Reminder: Please be alerted that parking in front of the school is metered. Ticketing officers are quick in giving out tickets during drop-off and pick-up times!
Labeling Reminder: This is a friendly reminder to please label all of your child’s clothing, including scarves, mittens, hats, jackets, and shoes. Thank you!
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Wondering what to do on weekends with your children? Here are some ideas below:
The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik by Tim Watts – January 21st to 24th at the Waterfront Theatre, Vancouver: Presented by PuSh Festival and Vancouver International Children’s Festival. The oceans have risen and Alvin Sputnik is on a mission to save the world. This delightful work of puppetry and animation evokes the enchantment of childhood wonder and age-old storytelling. This performance will delight all members of your family, young and old. For more information, please click here.
The Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival – January 17th to February 14th, 2015: This is the fifth year of the popular event that has local cafés and restaurants serving up all sorts of varieties of the chocolatety cold weather treat. For 29 days, 24 participating “chocstars” will have a combined 57 crazy hot chocolate flavours available for purchase. For a list of participants, please click here.
Divers’ Weekend at the Vancouver Aquarium – Saturday January 17th and Sunday, January 18th: The Vancouver Aquarium is hosting the 16th annual Divers’ Weekend featuring compelling diving demonstrations, seminars, exhibits and fun gallery activities for kids. Certified divers receive 50 percent off admission or 10 percent off Aquarium membership.
For a detailed schedule and info on the event, click here .
29th Annual Brackendale Eagle Festival – January 2nd to 31st: Celebrate the 29th Annual Brackendale Eagle Festival, a month long festival featuring a special line up of concerts, lecture series, art shows, and group tours. For more information, please click here.
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. Click here for more information.
Dine Out Vancouver 2015 – January 16th to February 1st: Canada’s largest food and drink festival dishes up unlimited ways to enjoy the flavours of the city. Choose from a 17-day calendar of culinary events and experiences, hundreds of restaurants throughout the city and dozens of hotel options to create delicious dining experiences. Click here for more details.
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.