A warm thank you to all  families who attended our Student-led Conferences and Science Fair! We hope you found their presentations were insightful and informative.

Our general notices and back to school reminders are listed below. Don’t forget to check the new posts on our Full Monte blog, and on Facebook – New posts include how failure helps your child succeed and ideas for a screen-free break.

Wishing all families a wonderful Spring Break!
The Staff at Lions Gate Montessori

GENERAL NOTICES

Upcoming Dates to Remember
Sunday, March 13 │ Don’t forget to “spring forward” – Daylight Saving Time begins
Monday, March 14 to Monday, March 28  Spring Break (NO SCHOOL for Students)
Tuesday, March 29 │ School Resumes

Hot Lunch Update: We’ve got two new Choices items available for ordering: a delicious Veggie or Chicken Quesadilla and a hearty Chicken Noodle Soup with crackers starting April! We have also added the option to order a large portion. So now, if you child wishes, you can order a large portion of Lasagna, Mac&Cheese, and Quesadilla. In addition to these offerings, we will continue with our Pizza Mondays from Rocky Mountain Flatbread. Some of you have already placed orders for April – kindly note that Quesadillas will now replace the Bento Box, and Chicken Noodle Soup will replace Minestrone. If you do not wish to swap these out, please let us know, and we’ll adjust your orders and payment. Please see below the deadlines for ordering this term:

April orders │Wednesday, March 30th 4pm
May orders │Wednesday, April 27th 4pm
June orders│Wednesday, May 25th 4pm

ANCHOR POINT COMMUNITY

Farm Visit Update: Upper Elementary students will be visiting the Farm School in Richmond consistently. Visits will occur on Mondays from April 11th to June 20th, 2016. Students will leave Anchor Point at 11:15am and will depart Richmond at 4pm. We expect to arrive back at Anchor Point approximately 5pm. You’re welcome to pick up your child directly from the site in Richmond. If this is the case, please let us know. We are scheduled to go on the following dates: April 11th, April 18th, April 25th, May 2nd, May 9th, May 16th, May 30th, June 6th, June 13th and June 20th . Should you wish to have your child participate in these visits, please fill in the permission form and return to the school by Monday, April 4th, 2016. Note that days are subject to change.

Swimming @ the Vancouver Aquatic Centre Update: Permission slips for this are now overdue. If you do not intend to enroll your child in swimming lessons, please let us know. Otherwise, kindly submit the attached form no later than Tuesday, March 29th.

CASA COMMUNITY (PRE-SCHOOL & EXTENDED-DAY)

A big thank you to Krista, mom of Extended-day student Finley Grennan Love, for offering an Introduction to Meditation to Lions Gate Montessori parents and caregivers at North Creek on March 9th. We hope all participants enjoyed the tools presented to us for quieting our mind, being centered and being grounded. The experience was both informative and insightful.

Kindergarten March Reports: The Kindergarten Progress Reports March 2016 were handed out to all families before Spring Break. If you haven’t already had a conference with your child’s Directress, but would like to one, please email us to schedule one after Spring Break.

Students’ Work: Your child’s work home has been sent home in their Student folders/pockets for Spring Break. Please take the time out to review and discuss these with your child and return the folder/pocket to school after Spring Break. Thank you!

COMMUNITY NOTICES Wondering what to do with your family over the weekend? Check these out!

Exotic Repetile Show @ Richmond Nature Park│March 12 and March 13, from 11am to 4pm: Discover the fascinating world of exotic reptiles at the Richmond Nature Park. Members of the West Coast Society for the Protection and Conservation of Reptiles will present a variety of scaly, cold-blooded creatures that are occasionally kept as pets. See or handle snakes, lizards, and geckos and talk with people who care for them. Previous shows have featured corn snakes, rosy boas, ball pythons, bearded dragons and leopard geckos. This show is suitable for all ages. Admission is by donation. Proceeds support educational programs at the Richmond Nature Park. Parking is free but please consider your impact on the environment and come by bike or bus. Disability access is available with designated parking spaces. Admission by donation.

Luminescence Group Exhibit Celebrating The Spring Equinox – exploring light with 2d + 3d works is open March 19 to April 9 (Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm): Each participating artist in Luminescence will exhibit 1-2 pieces that will explore and celebrate the use of light in its many forms. Some of the work is 3 dimensional and architectural in order to produce aspects of light not normally visible. Materials used by the artists include concrete, wood, metal, industrial paint, mirrors, glass, plaster visualize what light represents to them. For more information, click here.

Vancouver’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade│Sunday, March 13:. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place along Howe Street starting at Davie, and then along Georgia Street to Granville. Beginning at 11 am, it’s a popular parade celebrating everything Irish, green and Celtic. 2016 marks the 12th anniversary of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which is the largest and most popular event during Vancouver’s annual CelticFest festival which runs this year from March 10 to 17.

CelticFest │ March 10 to 17, 2016: Vancouver streets, concert halls, and pubs will resound with the sights, sounds, and vibrant spirit of Celtic culture. Western Canada’s largest Celtic celebration offers the best of traditional and contemporary Celtic culture in all its diversity and vitality – and everyone is invited to join in! Go to Events for more information

Spring Break @ Burnaby Village Museum │March 14, 2016 – March 24, 2016 (11:00 AM – 4:30 PM): Burnaby Village is throwing open the gates for 11 days of fun! Be one of the first to explore the Village with their new Adventure Guide which launches this Spring Break. The Guide will lead Adventurers through hands-on activities, crafts and puzzles. They will be matching, exploring, and creating their way around the Village and even enjoying a carousel ride! Available at the gates for $6/guide (includes taxes). Recommended for ages 8yrs and older or 5yrs with an adult partner. During Spring Break, admissions are free!

Spring Break @ Britannia Mine Museum │March 19, 2016 – March 27, 2016 (9:00 AM – 4:30 PM): Join them for Spring Break 2016! They have activities and events every day, plus always-fun underground train, gold panning, exhibits and more. Here are a few events they have planned:
Special event March 19th; Dig day: Spend the day with actual geo-scientists, learning about volcanoes, fossils and more.
Monday and Friday: Get up close with minerals and a real dinosaur footprint. Leave with your very own fossil imprint;
Tuesday and Thursday: See how crafty you can be and build your own timeline at our crafts table;
Wednesday: Build your own tetrahedron kite;
Easter Dino Egg Hunt: Britanniasaurus Rex is back! Enjoy Easter and send off Spring Break with our Egg Hunt March 27th.

Snowshoe Social Nights @ Grouse Mountain │Mondays: December 14 – March 28, 2016 and Wednesdays: December 16 – March 30, 2016: Join them Monday and Wednesday nights for a fun, fantastic workout and the chance to meet other alpine fitness enthusiasts. Sessions are complimentary with your Annual Grouse Mountain Membership, Winter Season Snow Pass or Grouse Mountain Admission. For more information, please click on the link above.

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival│ March 21 until April 17, 2016: The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is in its 10th year this spring! In celebration of spring and the blossoming of cherry trees, there will be events throughout Metro Vancouver, including a Cherry Jam Concert downtown, Sakura Illumination Night in False Creek, Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen Garden and more.

Family Day @ the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art│ Saturdays until May 28, 2016: Bring your kids to the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art on Saturdays. Kids can explore exhibitions, take part in art discoveries and use interactive ‘Discovery’ tables where they (and you!) can participate and learn more about the amazing art in the gallery. Staff are on site to get young people started, and keep them going, as they explore the world of Canadian art. Event Dates: Weekly on Saturday until Saturday May 28, 2016.

A heartfelt thanks for all the parents who donated to our Annual Bake Sale for our foster child, Tenzin.  We raised a total of $652.20! Don’t forget to check out our new Facebook posts on understanding your child’s developmental stages, and finding success, the Montessori way!

Join us in congratulating last year’s adolescent program graduate, Avery Quinn on his Individual Bronze and Team Silver medal wins in the 3,000 metre races at his first BC Winter Games Competition!

Wishing all families a wonderful weekend,
The Staff at Lions Gate Montessori

GENERAL NOTICES

Upcoming Dates to Remember

March 8 – 10  │ Anchor Point Student-led Conferences with Parents
Friday, March 11 │ Elementary Science Fair
Sunday, March 13 │ Daylight Savings Time begins
Monday, March 14 to Monday, March 28 │ Spring Break (NO SCHOOL for Students)
Tuesday, March 29 │ School resumes

Meditation with Krista │ Wednesday, March 9th: On Wednesday, March 9th, 6:00pm at North Creek, Krista Love, mom of Extended-day student Finley Grennan Love, is offering an Introduction to Meditation to Lions Gate Montessori parents and caregivers. Please RSVP by email if your are interested. Krista has been practicing meditation for 16 years. She is a certified Lightwork Meditation teacher and has been teaching since 2002. In this one-hour session you will learn powerful visualization techniques you can use in everyday life. Topics included: quieting your mind, being centered, being grounded, etc. But why meditate? According to Krista, you open up a quieter, calmer inner space for yourself. You can see beyond the frantic, stressful details of everyday life and experience who you really are and what life is really about. Kick-start spring with some practical new ways to de-stress and get energized!

Hot Lunch Update: We’ve got two new Choices items available for ordering: a delicious Veggie or Chicken Quesadilla and a hearty Chicken Noodle Soup with crackers starting April! We have also added the option to order a large portion. So now, if you child wishes, you can order a large portion of Lasagna, Mac&Cheese, and Quesadilla. In addition to these offerings, we will continue with our Pizza Mondays from Rocky Mountain Flatbread . Kindly note that menus will be adjusted shortly, and ordering will re-open soon!  Some of you have already placed orders for April – kindly note that Quesadillas will now replace the Bento Box, and Chicken Noodle Soup will replace Minestrone. If you do not wish to swap these out, please let us know, and we’ll adjust your orders and payment. Please see below the deadlines for ordering this term:
April orders │Wednesday, March 30th 4pm
May orders │Wednesday, April 27th 4pm
June orders│Wednesday, May 25th 4pm

ANCHOR POINT COMMUNITY

Farm Visit Update: The upper elementary students made their first trip to the farm this week. While the morning rain left the ground a bit to wet for spring planting, the students examined the plantings that had been started last year by the adolescent students. They sampled some of the spring treats out and edible right now. The winter spinach, spring chives and overwinters kale (Red Russian and Lacinto) were big hits.  When the sun came out, the students saw our bees coming out for their orienting flights. The students also took delight in spending some time at the Richmond Nature park, a short walk from the farm location. We hope that on our next visit, the ground will be ready for transplanting new berry bushes and fruit trees as well as direct sowing of seeds. The vegetable starts the students established at Anchor Point continue to reach for the sun and should be ripe for transplanting when they return from spring break.

Student-led Conferences│March 8th to 10th: Student-led conferences will take place from Monday, March 8th through Thursday, March 10th. Sign-up sheets are posted by the front door. If you can’t find a time that is convenient for you, please email us and we will do our best to accommodate your scheduling needs. Students will be showing and explaining their work to their parents. Students are given the freedom to self-edit and self-assess the work they choose to present. They are very much looking forward to sharing their work with their parents!

Science Fair│Friday, March 11th 1pm to 4pm: We are excited to be capping of this term with our Science Fair! Our students look forward to presenting their findings to Extended-day students and parents/caregivers on Friday, March 11th anytime from 1pm to 4pm!

Swimming @ the Vancouver Aquatic Centre: It’s that time of the year again! Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary students will be walking to the Vancouver Aquatic Centre (1050 Beach Avenue) to participate in swimming lessons on the following Wednesdays: April 6th, April 13th, April 20th, April 27th, May 4th and May 11th. Your child will need to come prepared with a bathing suit, towel, and hairbrush. Permission slips are due on Friday, March 11th.

Gymnastics @ the Dance Centre Reminder: Kindly drop off your child directly at the Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie Street) at 9:00AM on March 7th. This will be our last session at the Dance Centre. If this is inconvenient, please drop off your child no later than 8:45am at Anchor Point and a teacher will walk with them to the Dance Centre. Families who have not received a direct email alert about this should drop off their child at Anchor Point at the regular time.

CASA COMMUNITY (PRE-SCHOOL & EXTENDED-DAY)

Students’ Work: Your child will be taking work home in their Student folders/pockets for Spring Break. Please keep the work at home but return the folder/pocket to school. Thank you!

Donation of Egg Shells: There is a popular activity in the Casa environment named Eggshell Crushing Exercise. If you have eggshells at home from cooking, please bring them to our classroom. We would love to receive them. The eggshells will be washed thoroughly before use. Thank you!

Labeling Reminder: Please label your child’s mittens, scarves, hats, coats, and shoes so that there is no mix up at dismissal. With labels, items will be less likely to go missing. Thank you for your cooperation!

Sick Child Policy: This is a friendly reminder to keep your child at home if he/she is sick or has signs of a fever, vomiting, and/or yellowish mucus. Your child needs to rest and recuperate before returning to school. Please refer to the Sick Policy included in the Parent Handbook (website sign-in required) for more information. Thank you!

COMMUNITY NOTICES Wondering what to do with your family over the weekend? Check these out!

Festival du Bois │ March 4 to 6, 2016: Featuring a weekend of French Canadian music, food and festivities in Coquitlam, the Festival du Bois is Metro Vancouver’s premier Francophone festival. At the Festival du Bois you’ll find crafts and other activities for the kids, French Canadian foods for sale, information tables from various organizations, and a variety of musical performances throughout the weekend. Plan to wait in line if you want any of the popular foods, like the poutine and traditional snow-hardened maple syrup candy. If you like French Canadian folk music (which can be lots of fun and is the festival’s main draw), or want a chance to practice your French (but it’s not compulsory), then the festival can be interesting, especially if you’re from French Canadian heritage.

The Dancers of Damelahamid First Nations Dance Festival │ March 4 to 6, 2016: The best time to visit the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) is in the spring when the museum plays host to the Dancers of Damelahamid and the First Nations Dance Festival, which is a cultural experience everyone in Vancouver should check out!

Vancouver Art Gallery’s Family FUSE Weekend │March 5 & 6, 2016, 10am-5pm: Meet artists, musicians, dancers, performers, and educators for a weekend filled with family fun! Participate in a range of fun activities, performances, and hands-on sessions throughout the Gallery. *FREE for Gallery Members and for children age 12 & under when accompanied by an adult. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Regular adult admission rates apply.

CelticFest │ March 10 to 17, 2016: Vancouver streets, concert halls, and pubs will resound with the sights, sounds, and vibrant spirit of Celtic culture.Western Canada’s largest Celtic celebration offers the best of traditional and contemporary Celtic culture in all its diversity and vitality – and everyone is invited to join in! Go to Events for more information

Family Day @ the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art│ Saturdays until May 28, 2016: Bring your kids to the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art on Saturdays. Kids can explore exhibitions, take part in art discoveries and use interactive ‘Discovery’ tables where they (and you!) can participate and learn more about the amazing art in the gallery. Staff are on site to get young people started, and keep them going, as they explore the world of Canadian art. Event Dates: Weekly on Saturday until Saturday May 28, 2016.