Happy New Year!
Welcome back to school! It’s so wonderful seeing everyone back at school refreshed and eager to work!
We’ve already had a few parents visit our classes to share experiences and expertise with our students the last term and would love to have more! We’d love to learn about different cultural traditions, professional skills, and even your travel adventures. Telling stories, showing photographs, or demonstrating a skill are just some of the simple ways you can share your wisdom with our students. Please email North Creek or Anchor Point staff or speak with your child’s teachers to arrange a visit!
Wishing you a joyful weekend,
The Staff at Lions Gate Montessori
UPCOMING DATES AND NOTICES
Monday, January 15, 9:15 AM │Upper Elementary Visit to Library Square, UBC Beaty Biodiversity Museum Permission Due
Wednesday, January 17, 9 AM │Upper Elementary Visit to UBC Beaty Biodiversity Museum
Friday, February 2 │ PD DAY NO SCHOOL for students *This date was originally on January 29 and changed to allow our teachers to attend their annual Montessori Professional Development Workshops. SEE ATTACHED UPDATED CALENDAR.
Monday, February 12 | BC FAMILY DAY – Province-wide holiday
Friday, March 2 | PD DAY, No School for Students
Friday, March 2 | SILENT JOURNEY, Parent Workshop
Wednesday, March 7 | Grouse Mountain Field Trip for Students Kindergarten & Up
March 19 – 29 | SPRING BREAK, NO SCHOOL
March 30 | GOOD FRIDAY, NO SCHOOL
April 2 | EASTER MONDAY, NO SCHOOL
Hot Lunch (Elementary and Extended-day Children Only): Hot Lunch Menus for February and March are open. If you have not yet tried our lunches and would like to, please follow the steps below:
1. Click here to sign up for an account. An activation code will then be sent out to you. After you activate your account, click on the “ADD CHILD” button at the top right of the screen to enter your child in the system. You must also enter your child’s school code as follows:
Extended-Day Students: 1a5.
Anchor Point Students in Grades 1 and Up: d0
2. Click on the “Order” tab on the left of the screen, and select “New Order” on the drop down button. Click on the blue “ORDER” button to reveal monthly menus.
3: Click on blue “ORDER” button on the month you wish to order to reveal lunches on a calendar screen. Note that the following lunches provide a choice for “Regular” or “Large” orders: Lasagna, Pizzas, Quesadillas, and Mac & Cheese.
4.Payment is by credit card only and is due when you complete your order.
No order is complete without payment. A convenience fee of 3.25% will be
automatically applied to your payment. Once a lunch order is submitted, it is non‐refundable.
Feel free to email us if you need help!
Cut-off dates and times for upcoming months are as follows:
February Cut-Off:Thursday, January 25, 3:00 PM
March Cut-Off: Thursday, February 22, 3:00 PM
CASA COMMUNITY (PRE-SCHOOL & EXTENDED-DAY)
Labeling: Please make the extra effort to label your child’s clothing, shoes, food containers, water bottles, and bags. Many children have identical items. It is very helpful for the children for the staff to be able to identify the objects quickly. This is especially the case when the children identify the objects themselves. Thank you!
Preparation for Emergencies: North Creek asks each family to prepare a personal letter for your child to be kept in our emergency kit (if you have not done one already). In case of an earthquake or other disasters, a letter from home along with a family picture would no doubt be a very special item to have on hand for comfort.
ANAPHYLAXIS ALERT! We have been notified that two children in our Casa community have life-threatening allergy (anaphylaxis) reactions. The triggers are dairy, eggs, tree nuts, kiwis, and hummus. The school is following the VCH guidelines, the families are working with the school, and all AM and PM Preschool and Extended Day are learning about it. Starting in September 2017, North Creek is a nut free environment. Teachers and students will be asked to wash their hands vigilantly and regularly, both at North Creek and in the Extended Day classroom at Anchor Point. Please refrain from bringing these foods and see it as an opportunity to introduce other foods for snacks and lunches to the school environment as you introduce your child to anaphylaxis awareness. If dairy, eggs, and hummus is not avoidable, please inform the teachers of the items at the door. It will help us coordinate the classroom to protect all the children. For more information, please visit www.foodallergycanada.ca. Than k you very much for your attention and assistance.
ANCHOR POINT COMMUNITY (GRADE 1 & UP)
Monday, January 15, 9:15 AM | Upper Elementary Visit to Library Square: Students should bring their library cards to school if they plan to take out books. Kindly ensure they come to school dressed in appropriate outdoor clothing for the walk to Library Square. Please also send a snack with your child for this outing if he/she requires mid-morning nourishment as we will be at the library for the first half of the school day.
Wednesday, January 17, 9 AM | Upper Elementary Visit to Beaty Biodiversity Museum: Students look forward to participating in the “Tales of Treasure” program at UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum on Wednesday, January 17th. In 2015, UBC celebrated their first 100 years as a campus. As a part of this, the Beaty began showcasing 100 of their curators’ favourite treasures including extensive collections of over two million specimens encompassing the familiar to secretive. Students are attending this outing as an extension to their studies on the diversity of life on earth with a focus on extinct species. We will be taking public transportation to UBC, departing at 9:00 AM sharp and students will be required to pack a bagged lunch. Kindly review and return the attached permission form to the school on Monday if you would like your child to attend this outing.
COMMUNITY NOTICES Wondering what to do with your family on the weekend? Check these out!
KidPreneur Market Day | January 14: This creative bunch of hard-working kids will have a wide varety of handcrafted products for sale and are ready to demonstrate their new sales and customer service skills!
Robson Square Ice Rink | Open to End of February: This winter, renew a classic Vancouver tradition and enjoy some old-fashioned fun. Robson Square’s outdoor skating rink has opened to the public. Come and celebrate winter in style with free skating in the heart of downtown Vancouver. It’s a magical place to enjoy an activity with your friends, family and loved ones.
Chinese Lantern Festival | December 15 to January 21: Experience Vancouver in a whole new light in this 5-week celebration of Chinese culture featuring massive lanterns, amazing performances, storytelling, food trucks, and a marketplace at the PNE.
Canyon Lights through January 28, 4PM-9PM: Re-capture the feeling of wonder and excitement of the holiday season and be amazed by the hundreds of thousands of lights throughout the park. The suspension bridge, Treetops Adventure, Cliffwalk, the rainforest and canyon are transformed into a world of festive lights and visual enchantment.
