Walter Lee Elementary School 9491 Ash Street, Richmond, B.C. V7A 2T7 Tel: 604.668.6269 Fax: 604.668.6414 Safe Arrival: 604.668.6269 & press 1

Ms. M. Pendharkar, Principal Mrs. S. Tse, Vice Principal Ms. W. Lim, Area Superintendent Ms. A. Wong , School Liaison Trustee

School web page: lee.sd38.bc.ca

The Lion’s Roar

Date:    Thursday,  January  21,  2016    

     

Dear  Parents  and  Guardians,    Happy  New  Year!    We  are  excited  to  be  starting  a  new  term  with  the  days  getting  longer  and  warmer.    We  encourage  you  to  continue  helping  your  children  to:  

• Get  a  good  night’s  sleep  –  school  aged  children  should  sleep  9  –  12  hours  each  night.    They  should  wake  up  rested  and  ready  to  go.    If  you  have  to  drag  your  child  out  of  bed  each  morning,  please  consider  an  earlier  bedtime.  

• Eat  healthy  food  to  have  good  energy  to  grow,  to  think  and  to  focus  at  school.  • Play  actively  every  day.    Active  play  helps  your  child  to  get  enough  exercise  and  also  to  learn  

how  to  get  along  with  others.  • Limit  screen  time.    Young  children  should  be  playing  outside  and  interacting  with  positive  

adults  more  than  being  entertained  with  electronics.    We  are  also  asking  for  your  support  to  keep  your  child  home  from  school  when  they  are  ill.  When  your  child  is  sick,  he/she  is  unable  to  learn  well.    Also,  sick  children  need  rest  to  get  better.    Finally,  when  your  sick  child  comes  to  school,  others  also  become  sick.    Please  keep  your  child  home  from  school  if  they  have  the  following  symptoms:  

• Fever  • Diarrhea  and/or  vomiting  in  the  previous  48  hours  • A  rash  that  has  not  yet  been  diagnosed  • Cough,  runny  nose  and/or  sore  throat.      

Please  continue  to  tell  your  children  to  wash  their  hands  regularly,  cover  their  mouths  when  sneezing  or  coughing,  and  to  throw  away  tissues  that  have  been  used  for  nose  blowing.    Please  also  encourage  your  children  not  to  share  drinks  or  anything  that  has  been  touched  by  another  person’s  mouth.    Let’s  try  to  keep  everyone  at  school  healthy!    Thank  you  for  your  continued  support  of  your  child’s  education.        M.  Pendharkar                   S.  Tse  Principal                     Vice  Principal  

Attendance Survey  Each   spring   we   are   required   to  survey   our   population   to   see  whether   your   children   will   be  attending   Walter   Lee   in   the  2016/17   school   year.     You   have  received  this  survey  in  an  email  this  week.    This  survey  is  extremely  important  because  it  gives  the   school   district   data   that   is   used   to  determine  how  many  classes  (and  teachers)  to  assign   to   each   school.   If   you   signed   up   for  emails   from   the   school   and   are   not   receiving  them,  please  see  Mrs.  Marinakis  at  the  office!    Please   fill   in   the   attendance   survey   at   your  earliest   convenience.     It   can   be   sent  electronically   or   printed   off   and   handed   in   to  the  office.    Thanks  so  much!  

Clothing Drive a Success!

Our   very   efficient   and  generous   Parent   Advisory  Council   (PAC)   has   just  completed  a  Clothing  Drive.    

A   huge   thank   you   to   our   PAC   Chair   and  Clothing   Drive   Co-­‐ordinator,   Mrs.   Lesley  Schnepper,   for   spending  hours   and  hours   and  hours   organizing   the   bags   for   distribution,  making  sure  all  the  bags  were  full  and  ready  to  be  picked  up,  as  well  as  giving  pencils  to  all  the  participating   children.   Thank   you   also   to   Ms.  Tina   Leung,   Ms.   Anja   Rosenke,   Mrs.   Regina  Yee,   Mr.   Mike   Knapp,   Mrs.   Birgit   Knapp,   Mr.  Alan   Louie,   Mrs.   Angela   Louie,   Ms.   Jen  Saunders,   Mr.   James   Vint,   Ms.   Rasoda   &   the  students   in   Div.   3   for   all   of   their   help   with  stuffing  and  moving  the  heavy  bags!    Thank   you   to   all   the   families   who   brought   in  their   used   clothing   and   household   items.   We  collected   over   247   bags   and   raised   $750!    Congratulations   to  Will   in   Division   1  who  won  the   draw   for   the   Cineplex   movie   tickets   and  water  bottle.  Well  done,  everyone!  

Acceptance Dance Celebration

 Students   in   Divisions   1,   2,   3   &   6   will   be  participating   in   an   Acceptance   Dance  Celebration   at   a   Vancouver   Giants   game   on  February   17th.   The   students,   along   with  students   from   50   other   schools   in   the   Lower  Mainland,  are  going  to  be  learning  a  dance  that  they  will  perform  in  a  flash  mob  at  the  Giants'  game.    All   students   will   be   wearing   a   pink  "Acceptance"  t-­‐shirt   in  honour  of  Anti-­‐Bullying  Day  and  as  a  way  of  delivering  a  positive  social  message   to   the   community  regarding   acceptance.   All  students   at   Walter   Lee   will  have   an   opportunity   to   learn  

this  same  dance  during  a  Pride  Activity  in  February.  

“Learning & the Brain” Conference for Parents

 All   Richmond   parents   and   guardians   are   invited   to  the   17th   Annual   Learning   and   The   Brain   Conference  on   Saturday,   January   23,   2016   from   8:15   a.m.   -­‐   1:15  p.m.  at  MacNeill  Secondary  School  (6611  Nov.  4  Road  at   Granville   Avenue).   This   conference   has   been  organized   to   help   parents,   guardians   and   educators  to   understand   how   children   learn.   The   keynote  speaker   this   year   is   Deborah   MacNamara,   who   will  speak   on   the   importance   of   raising   resourceful   and  resilient  children.      For  more  details  about  the  conference  or  to  register,  please  go  to:  http://learningandthebrain.sd38.bc.ca/    

Redesigned Curriculum

The   BC   Ministry   of   Education   has   developed   an  updated   curriculum.   For   information   about   the  changes,   please   have   a   look   at   this   website:    https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/    Teachers   have   been   provided   with   release   time,   as  well   as   additional   training   days   to   become   familiar  with  the  new  curriculum.    School  will  not  be   in  session  for  students  on  Friday  January   29   –   this   is   the   first   training   day   for  teachers.    The  second  training  day  is  Monday,  May  2.    

Are You “Any Day Ready”? As the winter weather has added some challenges to playing outside, we are asking for your help to ensure that your children can have fun outside in any weather. To be "Any Day Ready," students are asked to have the following items at school:

• a waterproof jacket with a hood (or a rain hat)

• boots or waterproof shoes or a change of shoes

• a change of clothes in case your child is wet from playing outside (i.e. extra pants & socks)

• mitts, hat, scarf and layers for cold weather play

Please make sure to LABEL all of your child's clothing that is sent to school. We know that having all the students outside each day for fresh air and a chance to enjoy the outdoors no matter what the weather will allow them to become re-energized and ready for learning when they return to their classrooms. Thank you in advance for your support with our rainy day plan!

Focus on the Hallway As  part  of  being  socially  responsible  at  Lee,  we  encourage   our   students   to   be   “PAWSitive.”  PAWS  is  an  acronym  for  Problem  Solve,  Accept  Others,   Work   Together,   and   Show  Responsibility.  For  the  next  couple  of  months,  we   will   be   focusing   on   hallway   behavior.   We  expect   our   students   to:   walk   quietly,   stay   in  line,  use  an   inside  voice,   stay   to   the   right,  use  the   correct   entrances   and   exits,   keep   hands  and   feet   to   them selves,   respect   displays   and  respect   the   personal   space  of   others   while   walking   in  the  hallways.  We  know  you  can  do  it,  Lee  Lions!  

School-Wide Skating All   students   at   Walter   Lee   will   be  going  by  bus   for  school-­‐wide  skating  days   on   Thursday,   January   28th   and  

Wednesday,  February  3rd  at  Minoru  Arena.  We  welcome   lots   of   help   from  parents  with   tying  laces   on   skates,   especially   for   the   primary  students.   Parents   are   also  welcome   to   join   us  on   the   ice!  You  may  bring  your  own  skates  or  pay   for   skate   rental   when   you   arrive.   Please  refer   to   your   notice   to   see   what   time   your  child’s  class  will  be  skating  at  the  rink.  Hope  to  see  you  there!    

Basketball Season is Here!

Basketball   season   is   in   full   swing!  Thank  you  to  Mr.  Lew  for  coaching  the  boys’   basketball   team   and   to   Ms.  Bazso  and  Ms.  Yurkovich  for  coaching  the  girls’  basketball   team.   Thank   you   to   Mr.   Chan   for  helping   to   referee   the   games!   For   a   complete  schedule   of   games,   please   go   to   our  website.  Go,  Lee  Lions,  go!  

Pro-D Day Camps The   fun   doesn’t   stop   on   Pro-­‐D   days!   The  district   offers   all   day   programs   for   children  ages   5   –   11   on   District   Professional  Development   Days.   This   year,   full-­‐day   camps  will   take  place  at  Rideau  Park  Learning  Centre  (8560   Demorest   Drive)   on   January   29th   and  April   22nd   from  9:00  am  –  3:30  pm  for  $40  per  child.  Early  drop-­‐off  at  8:00  is  also  available  for  an   additional   $8.   For   more   information   or   to  register  your  child  please  call  604-­‐668-­‐6532.    

Foundation Skills Assessment

 The  Foundation  Skills  Assessment  (FSA)  is  a  set  of   reading,   writing   and   numeracy   tests  administered   each   winter   to   B.C.   students   in  grades   4   &   7.   The   FSA   does   not   measure  students’   ability   to  memorize   specific   facts;   it  measures   reading,  writing   and  math   problem-­‐

solving   skills   that   students   have   gained   during  several  years  of   learning.  Some  of   the  questions  are  easy   and   some   are   more   challenging.   Students  answer   the   multiple   choice   questions   on   the  computer  and  do  their  written  work  in  a  booklet  that  goes   home   to   parents   by  March   31,   along   with   the  student’s   overall   assessment   results.   FSA   results   do  not   count   toward   student   grades.   If   you   have   any  questions   about   the   FSA,   please   contact   Ms.  Pendharkar  at  the  office.  

Ready, Set, Learn You  and  your  pre-­‐school  aged  child  are  invited  to  join  us  for  “Ready,  Set,  Learn,”  a  free  event  sponsored  by  the  Ministry  of  Education.  Come  to  Walter  Lee   for  a  free  concert  with  Will  Stroet  and  join  us  for  some  fun  activities   on   Wednesday,   February   17th   from   9:30   –  

11:00   a.m.   There   are   many   other   events  scheduled  for  both  mornings  and  afternoons  at  a  number  of  schools  from  January  13  –  March  9.  Please   see   our   website   for   the   complete  schedule  of  events.    

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Wed.  Jan.  27   �McRoberts  Gr.  7  

Program  Planning  Night  with  Parents  6:00  p.m.  

 Thurs.  Jan.  28   �School-­‐Wide  Skating     �No  Canteen  today     �MacNeill  Gr.  7  Open  House  6:30  

p.m.    Fri.  Jan.  29   �Pro-­‐D  Day  –  School  Not  in  Session    Wed.  Feb.  3   �School-­‐Wide  Skating     �McNair  Gr.  7  Info  Night  on  Mini-­‐

School  6:45  p.m.    Fri.  Feb.  5   �McRoberts  Course  Selection  

Sheets  due  to  Gr.  7  teachers    Mon.  Feb.  8   �Family  Day  Holiday  –  School  Not  

in  Session    Wed.  Feb.  10  &   �Early  Dismissal  at  2:00  for  Thurs.  Feb.  11   Parent/Teacher  Conferences    Thurs.  Feb.  11   �Dufflebag  Theatre  for  K  –  Gr.  3  

9:00  a.m.    Fri.  Feb.  12   �McRoberts  Transfer  Applications  

due  today  �Jump  Rope  for  Heart  Kick-­‐Off  event  9  a.m.  

 Fri.  Feb.  17   �Ready,  Set,  Learn  9:30  –  11:00  a.m.     �Div.  1,  2,  3  &  6  attend  Giants’  

Game  for  Acceptance  Dance  Event     �Lee  PAC  Meeting  7  p.m.    

Fri.  Feb.  19   �Professional  Development  Day  –  School  Not  in  Session