Community

End of School Weekly Memo

Wishing all a fun and restful summer!​

One more incredible year is coming to a close and the summer holiday is here! It has been a very positive and successful year at the Lions Gate Montessori community.

To those students and families who are moving, we wish you all the best for success at your new schools. We’d love to hear how you are doing, so please do keep in touch!

The summer will be a period of continued growth for the children and we look forward to seeing those positive changes in just a few short months. Thank you, parents, for your amazing children and your support. We wish all of you a fun and relaxing summer and look forward to seeing returning families back​ in September!

– Ms Ana Fleming, Vice-Principal

YEARBOOKS – These were delivered to the school yesterday afternoon. If you did not receive yours today, please come by to pick them up at North Creek the last week of June on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday from 10am to 3pm or during our Summer Session hours of operation.

ADOLESCENTS – Thank you! ​​ It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to some of our adolescents (and their parents/families). Most have been with us since they were 30 months of age! We’ve so enjoyed the many years with you – watching each blossom into fine young adults.  We simply can’t thank your parents enough for the opportunity to be a part of your lives. We will miss each and every one of you! We hope you have a wonderful summer and much success as you move on to the next step of your education journey. Heartfelt thanks to all our families who have been so giving and supportive. We look forward to our adolescents returning with stories of new adventures and accomplishments! ​
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ANCHOR POINT​​

​Elementary Summer Program Update: Due to the restoration at Anchor Point, the July session will be now held at the North Creek upstairs environment. The address of that location is #107-1500 Howe St. Thank you for your understanding. ​

Join us in sending warm farewells to Ms. Lynn, who will be returning to Ontario and Ms. Christine, who plans to further her studies in education, but promises to visit whenever she’s able!

NORTH CREEK

​Friday, June 26th at 9:00 AM  – The Lions Gate Montessori community garden volunteers meeting at North Creek Montessori. If you are available to help out in weeding and watering over the summer, please drop-by and join us.

Primary Summer Program Update: Due to the restoration at Anchor Point, the July session will be now held at the North Creek downstairs environment. Thank you for your understanding. ​

Happy Summer Break – Enjoy the outdoor activities for the Summer Break. May all of you stay in a good shape and enjoy a healthy dose of quality family time! See you back in September!

MESSAGE FROM THE PARENT SUPPORT GROUP PRESIDENT, KATHERINE McCoy

As another extraordinary year comes to a close, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on the people and events that make our school exceptional.

Our children – I will speak for all the parents when I say how proud we are of your accomplishments. You are the fabric through which our community is woven. Each one of your has a bright future ahead. Continue to work hard and enjoy our days as students of life.

Our teachers and staff – Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our children. As a parent, I appreciate your guidance, care, and support in making our children’s educational experience inspiring and meaningful. I feel grateful for all the wonderful gifts you offer or community.

Our parents and families – Thank you for supporting our school community. From bake sales to parent workshops to chaperoning field trips, the true beneficiaries of your efforts are our students at LGMS.

It takes a very special group of teachers, parents, staff and volunteers to nurture our students to reach their potential. LGMS is a special place where wonderful things happen everyday.

I wish you all a relaxing and restful summer,
Katherine McCoy, NC & AP Parent and President of the Lions Gate Montessori Parent Support Group

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Wondering what to do on weekends with your children? Here are some ideas below​:​

​​​​​LEGO is back at the Surrey Museum! – until Saturday, September 19th: Worlds collide when they set the masterminds of the Vancouver LEGO Club loose in the Surrey Museum. Thousands of LEGO bricks tell tales of the Fraser Valley’s past, present and future, when mammoths trudge through Cloverdale and spaceships moor at the Fraser Surrey Docks. Unleash your own mad genius as you dream up creations with our LEGO stash. For more information, click here.

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival – until Saturday, September 26th: This year, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival’s 26th season runs until September 26th. The BMO main stage offers the hilarious audience favourite, The Comedy of Errors, directed by Scott Bellis, alternating with the epic tragedy King Lear, a Theatre Calgary co-production starring Stratford Festival veteran Ben Campbell and directed by Dennis Garnhum. In the intimate Douglas Campbell tent, a world premiere of a new play based on C.C. Humphreys’ historical novel Shakespeare’s Rebel, directed by Christopher Gaze, alternates with a music-filled Jazz Age staging of Love’s Labour’s Lost, directed by Daryl Cloran. More info here.

Dragon Boat Festival – Friday, June 19th to Sunday, June 21st: A full range of entertainment, interactive art, culinary discovery and of course, world-class dragon boat racing again this year at Creekside Olympic Village. Please explore the site – you can find delicious food at the Spice Islands Food Festival, learn about tea at the Global Tea Lounge then take in some music at our World Beat Stage. If your children have energy to burn visit the Dragon’s Den. Meantime on the water, the festival welcomes participants from all over North America including paddlers with different physical and mental abilities, those facing health issues and children and youth from challenging backgrounds. The races give everyone a chance to compete and have fun in a weekend of races, entertainment and friendship. More information here.

Vancouver International Jazz Festival – Saturday, June 20th to Wednesday, July 1st: With 1800 artists, 300 concerts and 35 venues, the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival is Vancouver’s signature festival and British Columbia’s biggest music and arts presentation. Over twelve days the world’s best jazz, funk, Latin, fusion, and world music artists perform at venues big and small, indoor and outdoor across the city. There are many free events including Downtown Jazz at the historic grounds of the Vancouver Art Gallery and Robson Square during the opening weekend, Canada Day on Granville Island, and David Lam Park Jazz Weekend on closing weekend. The Festival is praised as one of the leading music festivals in the world and draws over 565,900 people. For more information, click here.

Point Grey Fiesta – Friday, June 19th to Sunday, June 21st: The Point Grey Fiesta is the community’s not-for-profit annual start-of-summer event for families and friends. Starting with a Saturday parade on West 10th avenue, the Saturday celebration continues in Trimble Park with stage performances, activities and exhibitors. Carnival rides in Trimble Park operate from Friday to Sunday. With the exception of the carnival rides and midway games, Fiesta entertainment and children’s activities are free of charge. For more information and schedule, please click here.

National Aboriginal Day at Trout Lake – Sunday, June 21th: ​Celebrate First Nations in Canada with a pancake breakfast at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre (1607 East Hastings Street) followed by an 11 AM friendship walk at Trout Lake​ followed by performances and exhibits. ​​For more information, click here .​
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​Greek Day on Broadway – Sunday, June 28th: Experience Hellenic dance, music, cuisine and much more from 11 AM to 9 PM. join the fun on Broadway (from MacDonald to Blenheim)! ​
​For more information, click here .​

Sea Monsters Revealed, Vancouver Aquarium (through September 7th): Have you checked out the Canadian premiere of the groundbreaking exhibition Sea Monsters Revealed? This highly anticipated exhibition will take you on an exciting journey to discover some of the world’s most amazing sea creatures. Like the human anatomy exhibits that now circle the globe, Sea Monsters Revealed uses the revolutionary polymer preservation technique, commonly called plastination, to reveal dissected bodies of these fascinating creatures from the deep sea. For more information, click here.

FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada, June 6 – July 5: The City and FIFA invite you and your family to join us at the Fan Zone in downtown Vancouver at Larwill Park during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015TM, June 6 – July 5.  This free, family-friendly soccer-celebration destination has been created to welcome the world and share the spirit of the World Cup with Vancouverites and visitors alike. For more information, click here.

Saturn-5 Saturdays: The Space Centre offers a series of family activities on the 3rd Saturday of the month 12:30pm – 3:30pm. Each activity will have a different space theme. On June 20th, check out Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors . . . oh my! Discover more about the difference between asteroids, comets, and meteors. Watch us make a comet out of dry ice, and participate in our meteoric activities . Free with Admission. For more information, click here.

Updates for the Week of June 15

Last Day of School – Friday, June 19th, 2015

Warm thanks to for joining us at our End-of-Year Picnic – Great fun was had by all!

Talent Show – Wednesday​, June 17th, 2015: Now that all families have had an opportunity to reserve seats, we are able to release additional tickets, on a first come first served basis. Please let us know if you would like to purchase more tickets, by submitting the attached order form to teachers at Anchor Point.

Talent Show – Wednesday, June 17th: We are all looking forward to our Talent Show! Students have been working very hard on rehearsals and are eager to perform for family and friends. We would like to share below some details on how the day will play out. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions.
– Students will be dropped off at Anchor Point at the regular time.
– We will eat an early lunch at the school, and walk over to the Roundhouse as a group.
– Sound checks and rehearsals will begin at 12:00pm.
– Student performers should remember to bring their costumes if they need one, as well as any other supplies they might need to prepare for the show.
– Students with Band Instruments should leave these at the school the day before the Talent Show, and transport them to the venue on the day of. They will need to bring these home with them after the show.
– Students will not be dismissed at the regular time. Instead, they will stay at the Roundhouse with teachers until the show. Please pack a substantial snack/dinner for your child to eat in the park before the ​performance. Please ensure that this does not need to be reheated, and is packed with minimal packaging.
– Students will be dismissed to their parents after the performance, around 7:30pm

ADOLESCENTS​

Farm Visit – Monday, June 15th: Please note that we will be at the farm for the last time on Monday, June 15 for the Garage Band’s last rehearsal before the Talent Show.

ANCHOR POINT

Elementary Summer Program, Session 1, July 13 to 31 – Yoga & Music Intensive: Ms. Sara and Mr. Joel will be leading our students to a harmonically grounded summer experience this July! Students will practice yoga asana practice as well as yoga inspired arts/crafts (eg. making paper lotus lanterns and learning the symbolism of the lotus in yoga; creating traditional block print fabric designs; henna tattoos; drawing or painting pictures of our favourite yoga asanas; etc.) in the morning followed by an afternoon of music and outdoor play. Please ensure your children attend the session wearing comfortable, active-wear attire.

NORTH CREEK

Extended-Day Going Outs – June 11th and June 16th: Our students will have the opportunity to attend short field trips in June. Going out and exploring the community outside the Montessori classroom is developmentally appropriate for this age group. Montessori believed that the students who are entering the next stage of development are suited to learn from activities outside the school learning about society, culture and the natural world. We have one last “going out” to:

Lulu Island Montessori (our brand new campus in Richmond): Tuesday, June 16th | 9:00am – Students will visit our brand new campus in Richmond, see the beehives, walk in nature and enjoy the day outside the classroom. We will be eating lunch in Richmond. Please ensure​ that​ your child ha​s​ a picnic bagged lunch that doesn’t require heating up. Thank you to the PSG for funding th​e Stanley Park​field trip!​​

​Bicycles and scooters: With the increasing number of request​s ​to park bicycles and scooters inside the classroom, it has become hazardous in the environment. We will not be able to accept them into the classroom anymore. Thank you for your understanding.​

Hot weather: As the weather gets warmer, please remember to send your child with applied sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.​

Nut-Free environment in the classroom: We’d like to kindly remind you ​that North Creek is a nut-free environment. Please refrain from packing snacks or lunch for your child​ that contains them.​ ​Thank you!​

​Work Folders:  We’d love to ensure work is taken home for your viewing pleasure in your child’s personal waterproof sleeve.​ So kindly ensure you return these to school for re-fill!

​​Punctuality Reminder:  ​Please ​en​sure punctual arrival during drop-off ​as late arrival​s​ ​are very disruptive to the work​ of the whole class ​which becomes a huge obstacle for ​our ​children’s development. Thank you for your cooperation.

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, hats, jackets, and shoes. Thank you!

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Wondering what to do on weekends? Here are some ideas below​:​

National Aboriginal Day at Trout Lake – Sunday, June 21th: Celebrate First Nations in Canada with a pancake breakfast at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre (1607 East Hastings Street) followed by an 11 AM friendship walk at Trout Lake followed by performances and exhibits.For more information, click here.

Greek Day on Broadway – Sunday, June 28th: Experience Hellenic dance, music, cuisine and much more from 11 AM to 9 PM. join the fun on Broadway (from MacDonald to Blenheim) For more information, click here.

Sea Monsters Revealed, Vancouver Aquarium (through September 7th): Have you checked out the Canadian premiere of the groundbreaking exhibition Sea Monsters Revealed? This highly anticipated exhibition will take you on an exciting journey to discover some of the world’s most amazing sea creatures. Like the human anatomy exhibits that now circle the globe, Sea Monsters Revealed uses the revolutionary polymer preservation technique, commonly called plastination, to reveal dissected bodies of these fascinating creatures from the deep sea. For more information, click here.

FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada, June 6 – July 5: The City and FIFA invite you and your family to join us at the Fan Zone in downtown Vancouver at Larwill Park during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015TM, June 6 – July 5. This free, family-friendly soccer-celebration destination has been created to welcome the world and share the spirit of the World Cup with Vancouverites and visitors alike. For more information, click here.

Saturn-5 Saturdays: The Space Centre offers a series of family activities on the 3rd Saturday of the month12:30pm – 3:30pm. Each activity will have a different space theme. On June 20th, check out Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors . . . oh my! Discover more about the difference between asteroids, comets, and meteors. Watch us make a comet out of dry ice, and participate in our meteoric activities . Free with Admission. For more information, click here.