Gabriola Elementary School
680 North Road, Gabriola, BC V0R 1X0 Phone: (250) 247-9342 Fax: (250) 247-8639
Principal: Dave Travers
Secretary: Joanne Pick November 30, 2016
GABRIOLA SCHOOL SCHEDULE
Monday 8:40 – 1:32
Tues – Fri 8:40 – 2:32
Principal’s Message
It has been a great three months. Thanks for the support from parents like you. Also thanks to all that volunteered for the number of events that have happened.
Here are just a few of the events that have been going on in the school and a few starting up
- High intensity training is up and running. This is a great lunch time activity that occurs on Wednesdays. Open to all students
- Congratulations to all cross country runners. Many of our students represented Gabriola in the Zone and District meet. Thanks Coach Bowes and Tufnail
- Leo DeWarle and Cailin Coats were fire chief for a day. Thanks to Rick our fire chief for taking our winners to lunch and a ride on the fire truck.
- Drama club presented a great production for the school and parents. Well done students and thanks to Ms. Reynolds and Ms. Moher.
- Remembrance Day assembly was a very respectful time to remember those who made a supreme sacrifice. Thanks to choir students, students in uniform, Jasmine and River our MC’s, students playing instruments and Ms. Gilroy and Mr., Bradbrooke for sharing your time and talents.
- Volleyball has started. Coach Culbertson and Bradbrooke have the boy’s and girl’s teams looking good.
- Floor hockey happens every Friday at lunch. Thanks Derek and Jack Mattes
- Ms. Gilroy has started after school basketball for boys and girls on Fridays after school.
- Grade 3 “Swim to Survive” ended in November.
- The Metis society put on an awesome hands-on presentation for our senior grades. Students in Division 1 and 2 are now studying Metis culture.
- Pancake and PJ day was the best day ever. Thanks to all who helped.
- Hot lunches are still the best in the district in my opinion.
- We have had a series of Earthquake, fire and lock down drills. Thanks to our supportive RCMP on our island for participating in this last lock down drill.
Many things will be happening in December making this truly a GREAT Year. Please read on for more in depth events happening.
Dave Travers
Christmas Sing – a – Long
The daytime “Solstice Sing-a-long” will happen from 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm. The evening concert will happen from 6:00 pm- 7:00 pm. Both on Wednesday December 21. Looking forward to this event.
Reporting: Ongoing communication
You may be wondering “Where is the that report card?” Just to let you know that report cards will go out on Feb 10th and then again at the end of the year. However, teachers are having “ongoing communications” around student learning. You should be receiving at least one before our break in December.
Tics
In moving to be more eco-educational and place based we are often taking students outside in the forested areas. Please look for tics that may be on your child. Tics generally like to crawl up to the highest part on a person’s body. That is why checking your child’s head, under their collar, or even arm pits is a good habit to get into. Thanks for your increased awareness.
*Chill Zone
We have two VIU practicum students running an anti-anxiety program for grade 4 – 7 students. This program will run two 8 week sessions on Fridays, starting Oct 28th. At present time this program is run under my supervision. Student have been identified by their teacher for this program.
Chill Zone program: Dec 16th after lunch recess our VIU students have organized a whole school event. They would like to have a cookie decorating station, ornament making station and two games stations. They would love to have parents attend and make it a community event. The afternoon would look like this:
- 12:30 – 1:20 Tufnail, Gilroy and Svensson
- 1:30 – 2:20 Gurr, Hodson, Bradbrooke/Culbertson, Reynolds
Rainbows
Gabriola Elementary is offering a Rainbows Program which is designed to guide kids through life storms. What is a Rainbows Program you might ask? Rainbows program works to support children who have experienced a loss or painful transition such as: death, separation, divorce or family changes. When something significant happens in a family the entire family is affected. Rainbows peer support program offers the possibility for children tolearn fresh perspectives on how to deal with changes and heal from them, in a safe and understanding environment. Through this peer support group, we hope to assist your child in expressing and understanding his/her feelings, to feel acceptance for what has happened and to feel a sense of belonging. Please call GES at 250 247-9342 to speak with our Child, Youth & Family Support Worker, Wenda Allan to learn more about Rainbows.
World Town Planning – Showcase Dec. 7th after long recess.
This is a global initiative that connects communities to the processes that shape their creation. We are very fortunate to be engaged in another year of celebrating this important processwith the support of theLocal Islands Trust. At Gabriola Elementary School, students in Ms. Reynolds Grade 3/4 class and Mr..Bradbrooke & Ms. Culbertson's Grade 5/6 class have been learning about Town Planning directly from the planners and decision makers in our community. To deepen this learning, we have been able to develop our place-based understandings using a variety of maps, an introduction to the MapIT tool, and tours to sites around the island. In addition, visits to the Islands Trust Office and a Local Islands Trust Planning Meeting are also helping us to learn about the many social and environmental factors that the public and the planners have toconsider when making plans. While it is the officialjob of some people, we are also seeing how we all share responsibility for preserving and protecting our Island Community as a place where we can live, work and play together! To celebrate their learning, students will be putting together projects that showcase their new understandings and unique ideas for possible plans for our community.
GIRO program
Division one is being coached by Michelle MacEwen, GIRO manager to spearhead some exciting and meaningful incentives around GES. We have started a zero waste challenge with the other six classes, counting garbage and recycling on a weekly basis throughout the classrooms. November’s classroom winner will earn a PE class with Division One and in December we are planning to share a “waste free” potluck lunch with the class that has the least waste. Good luck everybody!
HOPE Program
The “Hands On Preventive Education” program is also in the works again this year, led by Alisha Okum of the HOPE centre. This 24 week, research-based program guides students through activities to strengthen their communication, social problem-solving, empathy and resiliency skills, as well as many other important skills to help them to reach their potential. This popular program is for the first time being offered to Grade Six students as well as Grade Sevens, to address the increasing awareness that many children benefit from learning these skills at a younger age.
Volunteer Driver Forms and Criminal Record checks
It is great to see so many parents helping out with school events. Please remember that a criminal record check needs to be done if you plan on helping and if driving students volunteer forms need to be completed.
Telephone Messages
Please try to use the planners for messages and reminders of dentist, doctor appointments
and after school arrangements for your children. If there is a change and we receive a call in the office, we will page the students come down to the office before lunch recess or at the end of the day to inform them. There is a phone in the front foyer for students to contact parents – however, we encourage students to make play dates prior to coming to school in the morning. We do our best to get the message out but pre-planning is the best way to communicate with your child
School website
The only thing updated on the website is the Newsletter. J
School closure due to weather
Please listen to 106.9 or 102.3 for school closures due to weather. SD 68 website will also let you know if schools close due to weather.
Newsletter Distribution/Updates
One small way that you can help us reduce paper usage and save the costs of printing is to sign up to receive the newsletter by email. Our school newsletter will be emailed near the end of the month.
Have you subscribed for our email newsletters and Updates?
Please visit our website and subscribe for our school Subscription News Listsrv. J
You can find a link to sign up on our school webpage, or you can email
.
IMPORTANT: When you sign up, you will receive a confirmation email with a link that you need to click to complete your subscription. If you do not do this step you will not be signed up yet on school listserv for any school information, newsletters etc.
If you don’t receive the confirmation email, be sure to look in your Spam or Junk folder.
ERASE* Bullying! (*Expect Respect And a Safe Education) You can help ERASE bullying by using the new on-line Reporting Tool. http://www.erasebullying.ca
Allergies
At GES we have a number of children who have serious, life threatening
allergies to food such as nuts and seafood. Please avoid sending foods to school
with nuts and peanut butter.
If you indicated the presence of serious allergies or existing medical conditions on your child’s Student Verification Form, you will be receiving an additional form to be completed and returned to the school. You will be asked for the details of your child’s condition. This information is kept on hand to assist our first aide personnel in the event of an emergency.
Thank-you for your ongoing support to ensure the safety of all our students.
BC SCHOOL FRUIT & VEGETABLE PROGRAM
The BC Schools Fruit & Vegetable program continues again this year serving up fresh and ready to eat. All the fruit and vegetables provided are BC grown and our students learn the healthy benefits of fruits and vegetables and the types of produce grown in BC.