What a wonderful break for us to join the PSG Picnic Lunch on our PD Day this past Monday! Warmest thanks to all parents who took part in hosting the event. The weather was glorious and so was the company!

This past PD Day provided us the opportunity to meet with our local health nurse, Anne Carten. Anne kindly updated us on the latest health concerns facing schools as well as new treatments and findings related to those concerns. The information is then used to help us update and revise our current safety plans and policies related to student health. Thank you, Anne, for all your helpful tips and advice!

We’ve been updating our Facebook site on a regular basis with articles and insights on Montessori and beyond, so don’t forget to​ check in!​

Wishing  you a wonderful weekend​!​
The Staff at Lions Gate Montessori

General Notices

TERRY FOX NATIONAL SCHOOL RUN DAY – ​Our annual run for Terry Fox was an incredible success, and fun was had by all! Warmest thanks to the parents who ran/walked with us! ​
​Keep your eyes open for a blog post filled with pictures of the run! If you haven’t had the chance, click here to donate online to the Terry Fox Run with our school!

WALK & WHEEL TO SCHOOL WEEK, October 5th to 9th:​ October is International Walk to School Month! Millions of children, parents, and community leaders from 40 countries around the world join together annually in celebration of International Walk to School Month. We will be celebrating Walk and Wheel to School Week from October 7th to 9th. So, if possible, please walk or wheel to school next week!​

Why walk or wheel to school? It’s great for:
– Celebrating active transportation and encouraging daily physical activity
– Promoting opportunities to practice safe walking and biking skills and identifying safe routes to school
– Enhancing the connection between students, parents, schools, and communities in a fun and interactive way
– Reducing school traffic congestion and vehicle emissions

SCHOOL DIRECTORY​: There have been recent updates to the school directory. Please find the updated directory on our School Information page. (Log in to website required.)​ Kindly look through your listing and let us know if there are any misprints!​

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM: ​Our Hot Lunch Program is optional and available to Extended-Day and Elementary students attending our downtown North Creek and Anchor Point facilities. Information about the program, menu, caterer and how to order can be found​​ ​here​. ​Please note we can no longer accept orders for October, and are updating some choices for November. ​Thank you for your patience!​

NEEDLE SAFETY PETITION – ​Our students, not unlike other children throughout the city, use public parks regularly. Sadly, we continue to find needles and other paraphernalia strewn on the grounds. Although we applaud our city’s efforts in providing safe needles to those in need, there is a lack of safe needle disposal units in places frequented by the most vulnerable – our children. Sign our petition for needle safety in Vancouver. Let’s keep our parks, beaches and playgrounds safe for everyone!

ELEMENTARY COMMUNITY​

Central Library Outing, Wednesday, October 7th – ​Our​ first visit of the year! Elementary students use the city’s Central Library when the need arises for borrowing research books not found at school. If your child does not have a library card yet, please click here for instructions on how to apply and return the VPL Juvenile Registration form to the school on the day of the outing.

Elementary Thanksgiving Feast​ – October 9th​: Elementary students ​will prepare a Thanksgiving feast on October 9th to celebrate the day of giving thanks!  ​An ingredient will be assigned to each individual child to contribute to class next week.​ Students are welcome to bring their own lunch if they wish, but we STRONGLY encourage all to participate in the sharing of our first communal meal together. ​Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions with “Thanksgiving Meal” on the subject line.

Upper Elementary – WE Day, October 21st: Our Upper Elementary students (grades 4 to 7) are invited to attend this year’s WE Day on October 21st at Rogers Arena. WE Day is an educational program that empowers young people to become active local and global citizens. An unparalleled stadium-sized experience, WE Day brings together world-renowned speakers and performers with stands packed with young social innovators to honour their contributions and kick-start another year of change. Thanks t​o​ generous sponsors, the event is free for schools enrolled in the WE Schools Program.​  The show starts at 9:15am. On that day, kindly drop off your child/ren at 8:30am at Anchor Point and pack your child a picnic lunch. If you prefer to drop-off/pick-up your child at Rogers Arena​ (800 Griffiths Wa​​y) ​ directly, please let us know. Kindly return the permission form as well as a copy of the We Day Media Release Form to the school no later than Thursday, October 15h.​ ​For more information, click here​.​
​
Physical Education​: Our physical​ activities​​ held on Monday mornings are underway! Kindly drop off your child as the follows:

​Lower Elementary (Grades 1 to 3, Ages 6 to 9): Directly at the Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie Street) If this is inconvenient for your family, please drop off your child no later than 8:45am at Anchor Point and a teacher will walk with them to the Dance Centre.

Upper Elementary (Grades 4 to 7, Ages 9 to 13): Regular drop off at Anchor Point (9:00am).

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Lower and Upper Elementary: Kindly submit the permission form with payment this Monday, October 5th, if you haven’t done so already.

Pumpkin Patch – Friday, October 16th: Preschool, Extended Day and Elementary students will be visiting the pumpkin patch at Richmond Country Farms (12900 Steveston Hwy, Richmond) on Friday, October 16th, 2015. Please find the participation form attached as well as important information regarding our visit. Spaces in the bus will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please submit the permission form and payment ​this coming Thursday, October 8th.

​​CASA COMMUNITY​ (PRE-SCHOOL & EXTENDED-DAY)​

University of Oxford, PhD Research Project: We have been selected by PhD candidate, Ms. Hanako Shimamura, to conduct her research work with four year-olds. Ms. Hanako is a certified AMI (3-6) Montessori teacher who completed her training at the Montessori Training Centre of British Columbia. Kindly submit the permission form by Friday, October 9th should you wish to participate with your child.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Extended-day Students: Kindly submit the permission form with payment this Monday, October 5th.

​Casa ​Parent Discussions​ @ North Creek – ​Thursday​, October 15th​, ​4:30 to 5:15 pm​
Topic: Festivities and Celebrations​ – ​ Have you ever wondered what’s behind our approach to festivities and celebrations? One’s coming up soon! We invite all parents to our first Casa round-table ​discussion​. Kindly RSVP us by Tuesday, October 13th with Casa Discussion on the subject line if you plan to attend. We look forward to learning together!
​​
​Extended-Day Students – Bring a vegetable, October 8th: All Extended-day Students are invited to bring a vegetable to school on or by Thursday, October 8th​as a contribution to ​
the making of our traditional​ ​”S​tone ​S​oup” ​as part of their​ communal ​Thanksgiving lunch on Friday,​ ​October 9th.​ ​
​
​Pumpkin Patch – Friday, October 16th: Preschool, Extended Day and Elementary students will be visiting the pumpkin patch at Richmond Country Farms (12900 Steveston Hwy, Richmond) on Friday, October 16th, 2015. Please find the participation form attached as well as important information regarding our visit. Spaces in the bus will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please submit the permission form and payment this coming Thursday, October 8th, if you haven’t done so already.

Please bring containers for left-overs on the days when your child has ordered a hot lunch​ – Thank you​!​

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

Doors Open Vancouver, Saturday, October 3, 2015, 10 am – 5 pm: Enjoy free, behind-the-scenes access to popular City of Vancouver sites! Learn what it takes to run a city while experiencing Vancouver’s architecture, green design, and cultural heritage at this all-ages event.

Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL) @ Science World – Saturday, October 3, 2015: OWL provides care to over 400 birds of prey each year! Meet a raptor and learn about the work that OWL staff and volunteers do to rehabilitate injured and orphaned birds. Saturday, October 3 from 11am–3pm @ Science World.

Fossil Show @ Richmond Nature Park – Sunday, October 4, 2015: Learn about BC’s fascinating prehistoric past with real fossils displayed by the Vancouver Paleontological Society. Make fossil casts and fossil rubbings too! Admission is by donation. Proceeds support the Richmond Nature Park Society’s environmental education programs. This event is suitable for all ages. More info call 604-718-6188.

LEAP (Learning Early About Playwriting) – Mid-November 2015 to April 2016: “LEAP is a dynamic, interactive program for young playwrights. Participants learn the basic principles of playwriting, share their work with classmates, and provide feedback for one another in a safe and supportive environment. Students also receive feedback from theatre professionals and have their plays workshopped and presented to the public in staged readings.” LEAP offers 3 different courses for students at diferrent levels. Any student with an interest in writing of any kind is encouraged to apply. The program is designed both for those interested in theatre-making and those with a creative writing background who want to learn to write in a different genre.

We’ve enjoyed a beautiful first month back! If you’re wondering what your children have been up to, please visit our Full Monte page (log in required). A post on our Anchor Point happenings is up, and more news is coming!

This year, our Kindergarten and Elementary students will receive a total of 1150.5 hours of instruction versus 879 hours found in traditional private and public schools. Our students are at school 7 hours per day and receive 6.5 hours of instruction per day (vs. 4.75 hours per day in the traditional schools)​. Even our 30 minutes for lunch, although not counted officially as instructional hours, is, from the Montessori point of view, a learning opportunity to reinforce Grace and Courtesy and other Practical Life activities. In total, LGMS students in kindergarten and up will receive 271.5 more instructional hours this year which translates to the equivalent of over ​40 more school days!

As usual, please find below our general notices for all families, followed by reminders for specific facilities and community notices.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

The Staff at Lions Gate Montessori

General Notices

​PD Day – Monday, September 28th: Please note that there will be NO SCHOOL for students this upcoming Monday. It is a Professional Development Day. Thanks!

Back-to-School Picnic – Monday, September 28th – PD Day – 11am to 1:30pm: The Parent Support Group cordially invites all LGMS families and teachers to a Back-to-School Picnic at George Wainborn Park on Monday Sept 28. This is our first PD Day of the school year and an excellent opportunity to meet, mingle, and re-connect. Bring your picnic lunch and blanket – Sports equipment/games welcomed! Look for us by the picnic tables. This is not a potluck but you are welcome to bring a snack to share if you wish.George Wainborn Park is located at 450 Beach Crescent, close to the schools. This event is weather permitting. While the forecast looks excellent for Monday, it could change; please check your emails the morning of the event and we will advise if it is cancelled.

Winter Party 2015 & Talent Show 2016 DVDs: We still have a few DVDs left to be ordered from last year’s Winter Party 2015 and Talent Show 2016! Order yours now and enjoy children’s amazing performances! The price of the DVD is $12. Please email us if you want one! If you haven’t had the chance to order yours or would like to give out as a gift to family and friends, now it’s your chance!

School Directory: There have been recent updates to the school directory. Please find the updated directory here. (Log in to the website required.)

Hot Lunch Program: ​Our Hot Lunch Program is optional and available to Extended-Day and Elementary students attending our downtown North Creek and Anchor Point facilities information about the program, menu, caterer and how to order can be found here. To  order, click here. At this time we are only receiving cheques as payments. The due date for October orders is Monday, September 28th 5pm. Kindly make all cheques payable to Lions Gate Montessori.

November Orders: Due date is Thursday, October 29th 5pm

December Orders: Due date is Thursday, November 26th 5pm

Terry Fox National School Run Day – Wednesday, September 30th: Our community looks forward to this annual run in memory of Terry and anyone affected by cancer! Parents are welcome to come run or walk with us. We are meeting 9:30am at Sunset Beach. Some of us will run, some of us will walk but either way, we will be joining millions of students across Canada to take part in this run and raise funds for cancer research. Click here to donate online to the Terry Fox Run with our school.

ELEMENTARY REMINDERS

UPPER ELEMENTARY – WE DAY, October 21st: Our Upper Elementary students (grades 4 to 7) are invited to attend this year’s WE Day on October 21st at Rogers Arena. WE Day is an educational program that empowers young people to become active local and global citizens. An unparalleled stadium-sized experience, WE Day brings together world-renowned speakers and performers with stands packed with young social innovators to honour their contributions and kick-start another year of change. Thanks to generous sponsors, the event is free to attend for schools enrolled in the WE Schools Program. The show starts at 9:15am. On that day, kindly drop off your child/ren at 8:30am at Anchor Point and pack your child a picnic lunch.

Please find the permission slip attached (bring it back to school no later than Thursday, October 15th) as well as a copy of the We Day Media Release Form. For more information about this great opportunity, click here.

Please ensure your child comes to school wearing active wear for our Physical Education activities, or feel free to send extra active wear clothing to be kept at school. Kindly drop off your child as the follows:

LOWER ELEMENTARY (Grades 1 to 3, Ages 6 to 9): Directly at the Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie Street) If this is inconvenient for your family, please drop off your child no later than 8:45am at Anchor Point and a teacher will walk with them to the Dance Centre.

UPPER ELEMENTARY (Grades 4 to 7, Ages 9 to 13): Regular drop off at Anchor Point (9:00am).

Language Lessons: All new students have enjoyed French and Mandarin this week! Please note that learning a second language is not mandatory for students in BC until grade 5. If you have any questions about your child’s participation in these lessons, please let us know.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Lower and Upper Elementary:  Kindly submit the permission form with payment no later than Monday, October 5th.

Pumpkin Patch – Friday, October 16th: Preschool, Extended Day and Elementary students will be visiting the pumpkin patch at Richmond Country Farms (12900 Steveston Hwy, Richmond) on Friday, October 16th, 2015.  Spaces in the bus will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please submit the form and payment no later than Thursday, October 8th.

NORTH CREEK

University of Oxford, PhD Research Project: We have been selected by PhD candidate, Ms. Hanako Shimamura, to conduct her research work with four year-olds this term. Ms. Shimamura is a certified AMI (3-6) Montessori teacher who completed her training at the Montessori Training Centre of British Columbia. If you would like your child to participate, kindly return the participation form to the teachers at North Creek.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Extended-day Students: Kindly submit it with payment no later than Monday, October 5th.

Pumpkin Patch – Friday, October 16th: Preschool, Extended Day and Elementary students will be visiting the pumpkin patch at Richmond Country Farms (12900 Steveston Hwy, Richmond) on Friday, October 16th, 2015. Spaces in the bus will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please submit the form and payment no later than Thursday, October 8th.

Preparation for Emergency: North Creek asks each family to prepare a personal letter for your child to be kept in our emergency kit.  In case of an earthquake, a letter from home will be a very special and personal item to have in hand for comfort.

COMMUNITY
Wondering what to do with your children this weekend? Check out the following!

​BC ​Culture Days​, September 25, 26 & 27: A​ collaborative, Canada-wide volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. The first annual Culture Days event swept across more than 700 Canadian cities and towns during the last weekend of September 2010, generating an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm in the process. ​Check out their activities here.

Contemporary Art Gallery, Saturday, September 26, 2015 – Free Family Days: On the last Saturday of each month, the Contemporary Art Gallery invites all ages to drop-in for short exhibition tours and free art making activities that respond to our current exhibitions. Location: 555 Nelson Street, Vancouver. For more information, click here. Palette Portraits – Explore conceptual portraiture in response to Ryan Gander’s series of portraits and palettes painted from memory. Create your own ‘palette portrait’. This event will run from 12-3pm and is free.

MetamorFest, September 26th from 12pm-6pm: MetamorFest will hit the streets of Mount Pleasant. The festival is located on two blocks: one north of East Broadway on Fraser Street and one south of East Broadway on Prince Albert Street. The day includes live music, many activities and booths for children including a bouncy castle, seniors, and everyone in between. Some of our featured activities include Zumba and Laughter Yoga in the park.

Doors Open Vancouver, Saturday, October 3, 201510 am – 5 pm: Enjoy free, behind-the-scenes access to popular City of Vancouver sites! Learn what it takes to run a city while experiencing Vancouver’s architecture, green design, and cultural heritage at this all-ages event.

Queen Elizabeth Park Temporary Zipline – Open until Wednesday, September 30, 2015: To celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 75th anniversary Flightlinez Vancouver, a local company is building a temporary zipline for families to experience the park in a whole new way. Visitors of all ages (weight restriction of 27-113 kg (60-250 lbs)) will be able to take in the view of the city & North Shore mountains from atop our takeoff tower, the highest point in all of Vancouver! The tower is located beside the Bloedel Conservatory & takes you soaring 180 m (600 ft) through the air over an extinct volcano landing on the other side of the quarry garden. Tickets are available onsite for $20/adult, $14/child or in advance online for $18/adult & $12/child. Click here for more info.

​​At the Intersection: Where Art and Education Meet – Open Until Sunday, September 27, 2015: This exhibition showcases how students embodied learning through diverse art forms such as movement, painting, drawing, weaving, sculpture, sewing, dying, printmaking, shadow puppetry and more. It takes place at the ArtStarts Gallery (808 Richards St.). Admission is free and all ages are welcome! The ArtStarts Gallery is the first in Canada devoted exclusively to young people’s art. Since the gallery opened in 2006, exhibitions have celebrated the exciting artwork that emerges when students, educators and professional artists work together to deepen learning, creativity and community connections. For more information, go to the ArtStarts Gallery website.

LEAP (Learning Early About Playwriting) – Mid-November 2015 to April 2016: “LEAP is a dynamic, interactive program for young playwrights. Participants learn the basic principles of playwriting, share their work with classmates, and provide feedback for one another in a safe and supportive environment. Students also receive feedback from theatre professionals and have their plays workshopped and presented to the public in staged readings.” LEAP offers 3 different courses for students at diferrent levels. Any student with an interest in writing of any kind is encouraged to apply. The program is designed both for those interested in theatre-making and those with a creative writing background who want to learn to write in a different genre. For more information, click here.