Important Dates

Newsletter #3 –December 2011

IMPORTANT DATES December 1 Thursday Food Drive Begins 9 Friday Buddy Reading Report Cards sent home 12 Monday Christmas Concert Rehearsal 13 Tuesday Christmas Concert Dress Rehearsal 14 Wednesday Christmas Concert at 1:30 pm 15 Thursday Gingerbread Houses 16 Friday Sing Along 10:45 am Last day of school

Please check the school calendar on the Pleasantside website often as it will be updated on a regular basis.

Food Drive The staff and students at Pleasantside will start collecting food donations for the food bank on Thursday December 1st.

Report Cards Next week you will receive a mid-term report for your child. Due to the ongoing job action by the teachers, the report cards will not contain information on student achievement. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress you should contact your child’s teacher.

A New Fridge The school received a $1,000.00 grant for a new fridge from the Fruit & Vegetable Program. A very big thank you to Laura Murray who runs the Fruit & Vegetable Program at Pleasantside. We would not have received this grant if it were not for Laura.

1 The Giving Christmas Tree A giving Christmas tree has been placed in the hallway in front of the school office. On the tree are paper ornaments with a gift request written on the back. We are asking our school community to donate gifts for two hampers that the school is putting together for two families in need. All donations will be collected by our secretary Iris Gosselin in the office.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Floor Hockey Floor is happening every Thursday afternoon from 2:55 pm – 4:00 pm. This activity is open to all students from Kindergarten to grade 5. Mr. Ryan MacGregor and Mr. David Craik are coordinating and supervising the games.

Volleyball

The Volleyball team made up of grade 4 & 5 students played Heritage Mountain Elementary students on November 16th and Anmore Elementary on November 23rd. The students coached by Mr. Ryan MacGregor demonstrated great skill and exceptional sportsmanship at both games. A big thank you to Jana Demelo for her coaching support of the teams and to all the parents who assisted in transporting the players to the games. Well done Panthers!

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair took place on Wednesday November 23rd & Thursday November 24th in the school library. It was a great success! A special thank you to Barb Johnson & Chrissy Bennett for all of their hard work. Sarah Richardson and Mr. Ryan MacGregor were the book winners each receiving $25.00 work of books.

2 UNICEF Bake Sale Hannah Bennett, a grade 3 student in Mrs. Papantoniou’s & Mrs. Sidhu’s class, enlisted the help of her friends to put on a bake sale and raise money for UNICEF. The students raised $75.00 on the first day of the book fair and $62.37 the following day for a total of $137.37! This was a terrific effort for a very worthwhile cause. Congratulations to Hannah, Talia, Hannah, Mairin and Akela on a job well done!

From left to right: Hannah Bennett, Talia Mazzocchio, Hannah Oldewening, Mairin McCaskill, Akela David

UNICEF Halloween Collection Several Pleasantside students: . Katelyn Bettger, Gina Henney, Rachel Decicco, Erica Lee, William Lee, Conner Smithers, & Olenna Szakos also demonstrated their humanitarian spirit and raised money for UNICEF as part of their Halloween activities. It is very heartening to see students giving of their time and energy to help others.

Pleasantside StrongStart Centre There is a StrongStart Centre located in your neighbourhood! StrongStart BC is a free, drop-in early learning program for children aged 0-5 accompanied by a parent or caregiver. This program is funded by the Ministry of Education. At each StrongStart Centre in the Coquitlam School District qualified early childhood educators facilitate family literacy activities in a play-based learning environment. StrongStart Facilitators lead learning activities to support each child’s physical, social, emotional and intellectual development. Learning activities including stories, music, dramatic play, construction, and art help children get ready for success in kindergarten. Pleasantside StrongStart Centre, is open daily, 12:45-3:45, at Pleasantside Elementary:

Address: 195 Barber St Port Moody BC, V3H 3A8 Phone:604.469.9288 Fax: 604.469.9468 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

For more information on the Coquitlam School District StrongStart Program: http://www.sd43.bc.ca/Programs/StrongStart/Pages/default.aspx

3 Closure of Schools for Extreme Weather Conditions

In the case of extreme weather conditions such as ice, wind and/or excessive snowfall, the Superintendent of Schools has authority on behalf of the Board, to temporarily close a school. As a general expectation, parents should assume that schools are open. If parents believe the local conditions are unsafe, they should keep their child at home or arrange his/her early dismissal. If schools are to be closed before morning classes begin, an announcement will be made on local radio stations CKNW (980), CKWX (1130) and CBC (690) by 7:30 am if possible.

Student Information Stay Safe When it Snows

When it snows, the City’s streets can be especially dangerous. Vehicles have trouble stopping, drivers cannot see pedestrians very well and the City’s big snow plows are constantly moving snow to the sides of the streets to clear the roads. Vehicles and snow plows need more room on the road to turn corners and more time to slow down and stop than in normal conditions. To help keep you safe, please remember to follow these guidelines at all times when you are walking in snowy conditions:

Try to stay on the sidewalk or the boulevard and not on the street. If there is no way to get to the sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road facing traffic, pay close attention and move as close to the sidewalk as possible. When you are on the sidewalk and see a snow plow approaching, please stay far away from the road as it is passing. Play in the snow in playgrounds and yards rather than beside the street. Snow banks beside the road are dangerous because people driving their cars might not be able to see you. Do not throw snowballs at any vehicles including snow plows because it can cause drivers to have a car accident. Be careful when playing on toboggans and other winter play equipment. Have fun in the snow and be safe. (This information was sent out to school from the City of Coquitlam)

4 Community Events

Astronomy Workshop at Simon Fraser University

A special astronomy workshop for families will take place Saturday December 10, from 7:00PM-8:30PM, in the SFU Burnaby campus Academic Quadrangle (AQ) Room AQ3181.

Registration for the workshop is required and seating is limited. To have your family attend the workshop, please register at: http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/97831875

For further information on the workshop, including directions to the lecture theatre, please go to: http://www.sfu.ca/starrynights/familyworkshop.html

The workshop involves educational hands-on activities that give kids (and their adult chaperons!) the opportunity to discover how a telescope works, and how to use one. We also use a kid-friendly audio-visual presentation that introduces our guests to the night sky, including the use of a star wheel to find constellations, stars, and other celestial treasures. The workshop should be suitable for kids from grade 3 and up, or a homeschooling equivalent.

Families with grade-school age children can qualify for a free telescope (while our supplies last!) under the SFU Telescope for Schools and Families Program. To qualify, attendance at a minimum of five (5) SFU public astronomy functions is required; this must be 4 evening "star parties" (including special SFU public astronomy theme events, such as presentations and movie nights), and attendance at an indoor astronomy workshop for grade- school age children, which provides basic training in the use of a telescope and awareness of the night sky.

EVERGREEN CULTURAL CENTRE

Creative Kids! Ages 7- 11 years Studio B Evergreen Cultural Centre Mon, Jan. 16th – March 5th, 2012 3:30- 5 pm Come and create, paint, explore the art of Painting, Drawing, Storyboards, Animation Characters and Collage in this fun program lead by Artist and Teacher Judith M. Atkinson. Students will learn from the Masters and will create masterpieces and discover their own artistic genius! 8 Sessions - Materials supplied Cost: $98.00

Creative Teens! Ages 12- 17 years Studio B Evergreen Cultural Centre Mon, Jan. 16th – March 5th, 2012 5:30- 7 pm Come and create, paint, explore in depth the art of Painting, Drawing, Storyboards, Animation Characters and Collage in this program lead by Artist and Instructor, Judith M. Atkinson. Students will learn from the Masters, create masterpieces & discover their own artistic genius plus build their portfolio of work for future studies. 8 Sessions - Materials supplied Cost: $98.00

5 Continuing to Paint Adults Studio B Evergreen Cultural Centre Mon. Jan. 16th – March 5th, 2012 7:30– 9.30 pm This inspiring 3 hour program lead by Artist and Instructor Judith M. Atkinson is designed for painters of all levels a study course on contemporary painting practices and principles using a variety of media of your choice, oil or acrylic or watercolour. The course will cover colour theory, composition, skill building and technique along with masterwork painting references. Dive and enrich your creative talents. 8 Sessions Cost: $155.00

To Register via email: [email protected] In person Registration: Evergreen Cultural Centre, 1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, Dec.9th 2:30 pm- 5pm, & Jan. 4th 2-5pm

Developing Leaders Through Sport.

Vancouver Sports Club (VSC) is an incorporated not-for-profit youth sports association that offers youth year- round opportunities to participate and enjoy the game of basketball. VSC’s unique approach offers basketball training and development at the most formative stages of their learning and development through unparalleled access to exceptional experienced coaching and mentorship.

In its inaugural 2011 year, Vancouver Sports Club has launched its Mini & Micro Ballers program which includes children between the ages of 5- and 8-years-old. By focusing on fundamental skills development, the program is designed to help children develop a love of the sport of basketball in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Among other measures, VSC will gauge the success of its programming by our repeat customers, as success is defined by the number of youth we keep engaged in basketball. Each year, VSC will expand its programming by moving up with the eldest youth cohort.

Brian Lee Founder, Vancouver Sports Club