Kind thanks to all for helping make this first term at school a success. May your holidays and New Year be filled with joy and happiness shared among family and friends!
See you all back in January,
The Staff at Lions Gate Montessori
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Monday, December 21st to Friday, January 1st – Winter Holidays.
Monday, January 4th – First day back at school.
More important dates to remember can be found in our private calendar (log in required).
GENERAL NOTICES
HOT LUNCH JANUARY, FEBRUARY & MARCH: Hot lunch orders are now open for our winter session! Kindly note the month(s) for which you are paying for on the memo line of your cheque(s). Please also note the following deadlines dates for ordering with Choices:
Orders for January – Deadline: Wednesday, December 30th 4pm
Orders for February – Deadline: Wednesday, January 27th 4pm
Order for March – Deadline: Wednesday, February 24th 4pm
These deadlines must be followed without exception in order for Choices to organize themselves and deliver the correct number of lunches. There is, however, flexibility when ordering pizza. Please let us know by Thursday of any week for an upcoming Pizza Mondays and we’ll be happy to add/modify your child’s/children’s orders.
ELEMENTARY COMMUNITY
Friday, January 15th, 8:15am – Grouse Mountain Field Trip: Students will learn about wildlife, and have fun in the snow! We will be taking the a school bus for this field trip, departing from school promptly at 8:45am (students must be dropped off at 8:15am that day) and will be leaving the mountain at 2:30pm. Please check the weather on the day of the field trip and send your child /children to school with appropriate clothing and footwear such as waterproof apparel that is also removable for the indoor curriculum portion of they day. (Students will be spending time indoors and out.) Students should also bring a bagged lunch and a light snack. Please note that half of the admission of this field trip and transportation is being covered by the Students’ Enrichment Fund (children’s fundraising efforts). Please find the information sheet and permission slip attached. Kindly return it with payment no later than Friday, January 8th.
RE-REGISTRATION ELEMENTARY: Forms are due on Friday, January 15th. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
CASA COMMUNITY (PRE-SCHOOL & EXTENDED-DAY)
RE-REGISTRATION PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN: Forms are due on Friday, January 15th. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Montessori Practicum Students: Ms. Vicky Liu and Ms. Soma Keo from the Montessori Training Centre of BC have completed their first assigned practicum session in the classrooms under the supervision of Ms. Julia and Ms. Kelly. Their next practicum session will be from February 22 to March 4.
COMMUNITY NOTICES Wondering what to do with your family over the weekend? Check thes
Saturn 5 Saturday, December 19, 2015 12:30 pm – 3:30pm: HR MacMillan Space Centre is offering a series of family activities related to Saturn 5 (Saturn V), rockets were used by NASA for the Apollo and Skylab programs. The Saturn 5 holds the record for the tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket used on a regular basis. You can see part of a Saturn 5 engine at the Space Centre. Each activity will have a different space theme.
The 22nd Annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival, Monday, December 21, 2015: Come celebrate this free community event with a glowing constellation of lanterns shining in four Vancouver neighbourhoods. These four little festivals are community-based and reflect the unique nature of each neighbourhood. Intimate and accessible, each invites your participation. Wherever you wind up, we hope you feel connected to your community and to the universal spirit of celebration! The event begins at 6:00pm with lantern processions in each neighbourhood followed by multicultural performances and activities in a variety of indoor venues. These include: Yaletown (Roundhouse Community Centre, the Gathering Place), Granville Island (False Creek Community Centre, Performance Works) and Chinatown/Strathcona (Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Strathcona Community Centre).
The Peter Pan Prequel for All of Us WhoNever Grew Up until Sunday, December 27, 2015: How did Peter Pan become, well, Peter Pan? This story of the celebrated character with the never-ending childhood traces his journey from lonely orphan to beloved boy hero. Audiences are transported to a magical, whimsical world filled with swashbuckling pirates, magic amulets, and singing mermaids. Join the intrepid Peter on an adventure that takes him from the orphanage to the decks of a ship called the Neverland where he is challenged by the ship’s greedy captain as he seeks out the Queen’s secret treasure—Starstuff. Cheer for Peter and his ragtag crew as they risk their lives to protect the Starstuff and save their friends. Tickets now on sale.
Capilano Canyon Lights until January 3, 2016: Celebrate Canyon Lights until January 3, 2016. 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. See the world’s tallest living Christmas tree (153 feet tall!), go on a Snowy Owl Prowl, decorate gingerbread cookies and make your own Christmas card in the Winter Pavilion, and sing-along with the holiday band. New this year? Canyon Lights illuminating the river and cliff face! Park hours are 11:00am – 9:00pm. Canyon Lights tickets are valid all day with holiday activities beginning at 4:00pm.
Van Dusen Festival of Lights Tuesday, December 1, 2015 – Thursday, December 31, 2015: The 2015 Festival of Lights takes place from December 1 to 31, 2015 from 4:30pm to 9:00pm every night, except on December 25, 2015 when the Garden is closed for Christmas Day. From December 18 to 23, 2015, we are open an extra hour from 4:30pm to 10:00pm. Purchase tickets before you go or check dates and availability before you go! Highlights include:
• Santa’s Living Room : check times and dates for Santa
• Svend and Jens, our Scandinavian Christmas Elves appear nightly in the Center Court
• Dancing Lights on Livingstone Lake: starting at 4:30 pm with a show on the half hour
• Gingerbread Wood
• Golden Chain Walk
• Community Choir Concerts check Schedule.
• Make-a-Wish Candle Shrine
• Candy Cane Lane
• Interactive Sparkling Spruce in the Center Court
• Candy Cane Express Model Train
Robson Square Ice Rink and Plaza, Tuesday, December 1, 2015 – Sunday, February 28, 2016: The Government of British Columbia’s Robson Square Ice Rink, located in downtown Vancouver, is opening on the afternoon of December 1, 2015 and 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. Find more about this great opportunity here.
KOOZA Cirque du Soleil Sunday, November 1, 2015 – Sunday, December 27, 2015: KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world. KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil: It combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.
BodyWorlds – Animal Inside Out! @ Science World, Tuesday, November 3, 2015 – Monday, March 28, 2016: Body Worlds creator and anatomist, Dr Gunther von Hagens takes you on an anatomical safari with Animal Inside Out! As you explore this captivating exhibition, you will experience the intricate biology, zoology and physiology of a variety of the world’s most spectacular creatures. Animal Inside Out contains more than 100 specimens that have been painstakingly preserved by the remarkable process of Plastination, invented by Dr von Hagens. Students will be able to examine the anatomical intricacies of familiar and exotic animals like giraffes, camels and octopuses. This exhibition is an unforgettable way for students to learn about animal science.
CommonGround: An Exhibition of Young People’s Art Saturday, October 17, 2015 – Sunday, March 27, 2016: Common Ground is an exhibition featuring a variety of projects that present how students in schools across British Columbia explored their local landscape and its relationship with the people, animals and plants who live there. Dynamic environments and ecosystems became hubs for artistic investigations. Experiential learning provided opportunities for students to engage in diverse art forms such as drawing, weaving, felting, printmaking and embroidery. Students gained an enhanced understanding of native and invasive plant species and the animals that depend on them. They cultivated an appreciation of the relationships between natural resources and the traditions of local Aboriginal cultures that have maintained a strong connection to the land from ancestral times. ArtStarts Gallery is located at 808 Richards Street (at Robson) in downtown Vancouver. The ArtStarts Gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 4:30pm. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.