Tuesday 31 May 2011

A. R. Lord Work Bee

On Sunday, June 5th at 10am we will be having a work party at the school. We will begin two of our exciting PAC projects - a wonderful mural and school garden!

Please come and join us for some painting, garden prepping and fun!
Pizza and refreshments will be provided. We hope to get started at 10 a.m. and wrap things up in the early afternoon. Come by and help out for as long as you can or just drop by to cheer us on.

If you know you will be coming, please drop us an email ahead of time so that we can plan refreshments accordingly. Keep your fingers crossed for a sunny day!!

Hope to see you then,


A. R. Lord Mural Committee and Garden Committee

Summer Day Camp at Hastings School

Open to all kids from all schools!

Register NOW!

$95 per week
Week 5 (4 days) & Week 8 (3 days) are $85 each

9am-2:45pm @ Hastings Elementary School
(supervision until 3pm)

Camps start July 4th and end Aug 24th
Week 1– “Horsin’ Around” ~ Canada Games Pool/Queens Park/Britannia Pool
Week 2– “Are You Game?”~ Laser-tag/Eileen Daily Pool/Confederation Park
Week 3– “Born To Be Wild”~Playland/Old Spaghetti Factory/New Brighton Pool
Week 4– “Coastal Tides” ~ Steam Boat Tour/2nd Beach Pool/Rocky Point Park
Week 5– “Fun At The Fair” ~ Playland/Maple Wood Farm/New Brighton Pool
Week 6– “Hay Hay Which Way?” ~ Corn Maze/Granville Is/New Brighton Park
Week 7– “The Hunt Is On” ~ Van Dusen Gardens/Hillcrest Pool/Photo Relay
Week 8– “Catch A Wave” ~ Splash Down Waterslides/BBQ/New Brighton

PRE-REGISTRATION can be done NOW directly at Hastings Elementary School in the Community Office

Other Programs This Summer:
St. Johns Babysitting/First Aide one day certificate program
PEDAL Bike Club (week long)
World Music Organization Guitar (two week)
World Youth organization Choir (two week )
SCOUTS ABOUT (week long)
Painting/Art (week long)
Gymnastics (week long)

MORE INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE END OF MAY.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAMS GUIDE BY THE MAIN OFFICE.

Brought to you by the Templeton Community Schools Team!

Melissa Tang
Templeton Community Schools Team Programmer
mtang@vsb.bc.ca

Saturday 28 May 2011

Welcome to Kindergarten

Monday, May 30
1:30-2:45 pm
School Library

This is the official Welcome to Kindergarten event for our incoming K students and their families. We will get together in the library for an afternoon of interactive, informative activities designed for these precious young learners. It is a major milestone to begin school and we all extend a warm welcome to the new families that will soon become part of our school community.

For more information, please contact the school office at 604-713-4620 during school hours.

Division 2

The grade 5 & 6 students have been learning ukulele and practicing their beautiful music preparing for the district’s annual Ukulele Festival.

The class performed 2 pieces, “You Are My Sunshine” and “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing”, under the direction of Mrs. Lau. What a wonderful and very special gift to share. Well done, division 2!

Division 3

The grade 4 & 5 students have been practicing songs on the recorder and will be performing at the upcoming Vancouver District Recorder Festival.

Well done students and thanks to Mrs. Burke for working with the students on this musical adventure all year!

Friday 27 May 2011

Division 1

PERFORMANCE
Division one students have been rehearsing and practicing songs, acting and creating sets for a class project, under Mrs. Wong’s direction and with Mr. Campbell’s support and expertise.




The students performed the musical, “Tom Sawyer” on Friday, May 27 at 9:30 for all the Lord students along with some visiting classes from Franklin.


Each person attending the performance is asked to consider making a $1 donation that will go to division one’s charity of choice, “Free the Children.” Donations will be collected by teachers until June 3. All of the donations collected will be put towards buying resources such as animals to enable the people in a village in Kenya to be better able to produce their own food. What a gift! Division 1 has been raising money for this particular cause all year as they were originally inspired by the fall conference, “We Day.” Way to go, division 1, thank you for setting such an inspiring example at our school.


SCIENCE CHALLENGE

Recently some of the students from division one attended an all day science challenge hosted by UBC. One of our school’s teams, the Flying Hamsters won the “School Spirit 2011 Award” at the event! Team members Tony, Tony, Brian and Christian are congratulated for their great spirit as positive, enthusiastic participants, cheering for each other and the other teams while maintaining a great attitude and putting in their best effort!

Vice Principal's Letter

Dear Families;

Its that time of year; we are heading into celebration season at school while meaningful learning continues in each classroom every day.

Over the past couple of years, our school goal has been focused on healthy living. At our most recent Professional Development day, staff spent time reflecting on our progress with this school goal and planning ahead to re-focus our goal for next year. We have much to celebrate - many healthy initiatives have been taken on and are now part of our school culture.

While healthy living will always be important at Dr. A. R. Lord, we are shifting our focus to literacy as a school goal for 2011-12. There are a number of effective literacy practices and opportunities in place already and with this as our school goal we will build upon those with other exciting ideas that are grounded in best practice.

We do indeed have much to celebrate at Dr. A.R. Lord! Our students amaze us with their kind actions, genuine interest in school and the positive growth we see in them daily. Please join us for the special events coming up over the next few weeks.
Sincerely,

Sarah Gray
Vice-Principal

Thursday 26 May 2011

Hot Lunch Reminder

This coming FRIDAY, MAY 27th is Hot Lunch Day at Dr. A. R. Lord Elementary School!

Students who have pre-ordered will enjoy a yummy hot dog with fruit or vegetable and a tasty dessert!

For more information please contact the PAC Executive, or leave a letter at the School's Main Office.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

NO SCHOOL

A reminder to all families that this coming

FRIDAY, MAY 20TH
MONDAY, MAY 23RD
TUESDAY, MAY 24TH


are days off from school for all students. There will be no regular classes during school hours.

If there are any questions or concerns, please phone the school office at 604-713-4620 during regular school hours.

Monday 16 May 2011

Sports Day!

This coming THURSDAY, MAY 19TH is an exciting and fun day for students and staff!

Please have students arrive at school by 8:30 on Friday morning to get organized for this fun morning of games, races and lots of laughter! Parents and families are welcome to come and share in this exciting event - cheer for your child, take a photo or two...simply enjoy! Your support is always appreciated!

IMPORTANT
School hours are 8:30am-12:30pm.

Sports Day will be celebrated come rain or shine. If the day is rainy, Sports Day will be held inside or undercover (though raincoats are recommended).

Our PAC is providing snack and a hot lunch for everyone on the day. If you have any questions please contact the Executive.

Please ensure your child is properly dressed with running shoes and sturdy clothes.

There will be a concession stand open throughout the morning selling snacks, drinks and treats.

A fun annual tradition - please join us for this years Sports Day!

Friday 13 May 2011

Our School Mural

A mural committee has formed and we are planning the details to revitalize the front of our school building with a beautiful mural. The main image incorporates the ideals of diversity and community. The image was created by Chris Taylor, a Lord parent and skilled artist.

All students will participate in generating ideas for ‘key words’ to be added near the front door and they will each have a chance to paint part of the mural in June. Thank you to Chris Taylor, Tracy Spring, the other volunteers, all of our staff and, of course, all of the students for your positive energy going into this ambitious yet rewarding project. The process and the product will be community building and it is a real high-light for our school.

Please let the PAC or Tracy Spring know if you are able to assist with the painting for our new mural.

Playground Benches

Have you noticed the new park benches near the playground? These were purchased by the PAC and installed by the VSB Grounds department. What a welcoming addition to our school. Once the weather permits, the benches will be painted. Please enjoy! Thank you PAC and thank you Grounds department!

Vice Principal's Letter

Dear Families;
There are a number of exciting school activities in the works at this time. Track and Field, the mural project, the edible garden, a new bike rack and the new park benches by the playground - just to name a few things happening outside.

Classes are engaged in a variety of in-school events as well with field trips and special celebrations being planned. Meanwhile, staff are looking ahead to organize the school for September. Every spring, administration works with HR at the VSB along with the teachers and support staff on site to work out details for student placements for next year. If you would like to share your thoughts about your child's learning needs, please complete a form, available from Cheryl in the office and return to Sarah Gray on or before May 19 (Sports Day.) We will begin our work on student placements this month with the details being reviewed and finalized in September. The criteria used for class placements considers both the individual needs and overall classroom structure. More information on the criteria for class placement is available from the office.

Please remember that next week we will be having our Sports Day. Students are asked to attend from 8:30-12:30 that day. We all hope you can join us for this very exciting, community building tradition. I know the students are working towards the day with posters, team cheers and wardrobe planning! Good luck to everyone and most importantly, have fun and do your best!

Sincerely,
Sarah Gray, Vice-Principal

Thursday 12 May 2011

New Bike Rack

Our school now has a brand new bike rack! This was a donation through an Olympic legacy program in partnership with the Vancouver School Board. Lord is one of 50 VSB schools to get a bike rack.

The front of the school is the location of the bike rack so that it is easy to access and visible during the school day. Students are welcome to ride their bikes to school and lock them up for the day. It will be wonderful to see our students riding into school in the morning – what a great way to start the day!

Please review safety with your child (wearing a helmet, stopping at all intersections before proceeding when safe to do so, etc.) to make this a positive and well utilized feature.

Wednesday 11 May 2011

Special Event Reminder

A reminder that this Sunday, May 15th is our school's fundraiser event!!

1:00-5:00pm
Hastings Racecourse
FREE ADMISSION


Students, staff and families are invited to come and enjoy a fun afternoon in the pavilion area with horse racing, a large playground area, concession sales and a cash bar.

There will be a 50/50 draw and great prizes to be raffled off with all proceeds going to the A. R. Lord mural project.

There are a few lunch tickets left to purchase ($5 each) through the PAC, please email today if you are interested.

See you at the races!

Elected Executive for 2011-2012

Thank you to all the PAC parents who attended last night's meeting!

The new PAC Executive for 2011-2012 are:

Shannon H, Chair
Lisa P, Secretary
Tracy S, Treasurer

These parents will be fulfilling their volunteer roles from May 10th, 2011 until the 2012 May PAC meeting (next election). Congratulations and good luck!

If you'd like to contact these parents, please email arlordpac@gmail.com, or leave a letter in the PAC mailbox in the School Office.

Thursday 5 May 2011

Mother's Day Breakfast Reminder

Don't forget our special Mother's Day Breakfast!

FRIDAY, MAY 6th
8am - 9am
School Gym

Hot tasty pancakes, sausages and fresh fruit, with juice, coffee or tea will be served. Come and eat a yummy meal with your kids!

Minimum $2 donation.

For more information, please contact the PAC Executive.

PAC Meeting Reminder

Date: TUESDAY, May 10th
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Location: School Library

The PAC's next meeting is a very important one! We will be voting for next year's PAC Executive - Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary positions will be decided by the parents that attend this meeting.

These volunteers will be helping guide fundraising and event decisions for our school's PAC for 2011-2012. It's important that parents come to this meeting and VOTE!!

The PAC is especially looking for an organized person to take on the Treasurer role, to help keep track of our fundraising dollars and ongoing expenses. If you, or another parent you know (perhaps a new family starting at A. R. Lord in the fall) might be interested, please contact the current PAC Executive.

All parents are welcome to come and vote!!
FREE child minding is available.

Please download the
Agenda for more details. The PAC is also discussing a number of other important projects and decisions in addition to the elections.

For further information please contact the PAC Executive or with a letter through the school's Main Office.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Community Day at the Races

SUNDAY, MAY 15th
1:00-5:00pm
Hastings Racecourse
FREE ADMISSION

The PAC will be hosting a ‘Community Day at the Races’ on May 15th at Hastings Racecourse. Students, staff and families are invited to come and enjoy a fun afternoon in the pavilion area with horse racing, a large playground area and concession sales.

There will be a 50/50 draw and great prizes to be raffled off with all proceeds going to the A. R. Lord mural project.

More details will be coming soon so watch for the posters around the school and the newsletters coming home with students. Please contact the PAC for more information.

Vancouver Board of Education

The Vancouver Board of Education (VBE) is currently considering the school calendar for 2011-12. The proposed calendar will be similar to this year with 5 district closure days, a 2 week spring break and a 45 minute lunch break to make up the instructional time. Trustees will vote on the proposed calendar at a public meeting on May 11. The district calendar committee will continue to explore the concept of a balanced calendar.

The draft VSB budget for 2011-12 has been made available on-line. Public feedback is welcome – please see the VSB website for details about feedback meetings over the next couple of weeks. The budget for 2011-12 will be voted on by trustees on May 5.

DARLAA - Lord's Alumni Association

The Dr. A. R. Lord Alumni Association has continued to meet and have fundraising events in support of our school. Recently, members of the executive came to Lord to find out what art and P.E. supplies they could help with. They left with a list of wishes – everything from glitter glue to soccer balls - from teachers that they intend to get for our students’ use soon.

It is very generous of these young adults to take such an interest in our school in such a tangible way. What amazing role models for our students and what great help to our school community.

PAC Nominations

The PAC's next meeting, Tuesday May 10th, is a very important one! We will be voting for next year's PAC Executive - Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary.

These volunteers will be helping guide fundraising and event decisions for our school for 2011-2012. All parents are welcome to come and vote!! Free child minding is available.

For more information please contact the PAC or with a letter through the school's Main Office.

Little Building Update

Parents and staff from Dr. A. R. Lord have formed a committee and had an initial meeting to discuss details regarding the transition process for the co-location of the alternative programs on site at Lord elementary. They are working with the staff of the alternative programs to determine designated play spaces and behaviour expectations so that we will co-exist on the site in harmony.

Also, you may have already noticed that the boards are off the little building and workers are in and out getting the building prepared for the secondary students to begin in September. All questions and suggestions from elementary parents or staff are to be directed to Mrs. Gray in the office both through the spring and during the 2011-12 school year.

If you would like to participate in the committee working on the transition, you are more than welcome to join - please talk to Mrs. Gray.

Earthquake Preparedness

Every year in May, all VSB schools undergo an earthquake/disaster exercise simultaneously. Ensuring the safety and comfort of all students in our care during an emergency is always our first priority. School emergency preparedness plans are reviewed and updated annually, under the direction of the administrator and according to VSB procedures and guidelines. This includes but is not limited to: inspection of the emergency supply container and ensuring adequate provisions (water, some food, light sticks, etc.) are in supply, establishing roles of current staff to take on during a disaster (command post, first aid, utilities team, student release team, radio communications with VBE etc.)

In the event of an emergency, we expect that parents, guardians or other adults authorized by parents would come to the school to pick up the children. Students who are not picked up would be looked after by school staff. Students will be released to a parent or designate once specific information is recorded: who is picking up the child and where you are taking the child. Only those authorized will be able to take a child off site. In the event of a real earthquake, other family members might come to the school after you have already picked up your child. Thus, the information provided about the child’s next destination is very important.

In addition to this district wide drill that contributes to our preparedness as a larger community, we also hold our own drills at Lord throughout the year. These include: fire drills, earthquake drills, code red drills and code yellow drills. We always follow VSB emergency procedures for all of our drills.

For more information please contact the School Office at 604-713-4620.

Easter Bunny Visit

The Easter Bunny was here at Lord school on Wednesday April 20th!! All of our students, along with about 40 little ones from Hastings Preschool, enjoyed some Easter activities – crafts, an egg hunt and receiving an edible prize, thanks to the Easter Bunny and assistants - Kathy Mar and her team of grade 7 helpers. The excitement of having a visit from the Easter bunny is contagious!

Track and Field

Track and Field season is here! Ms. O’Neill and Mrs. Burke are the lead coaches and organizers for this year’s team. Track is open to all grade 4, 5, 6 and 7 students. The practice schedule is being decided and students will have a chance to learn, participate and improve in the areas of running, relays, shot put, and long jump. If you have time and skill to offer to assist with coaching, please let Mrs. Burke, Mrs. O’Neill or Mrs. Gray know when you are available and what track activity you can help coach. With thanks! Good luck to all track team members!

Senior Badminton Team

Mrs. Wong and Division 1 students have been learning and practicing badminton over the past couple of months. Students were invited to participate in tournaments after school. Sportsmanship was emphasized in many ways, including a creative solution to a limited number of spots being open at each tournament - students rotated, taking turns going to the tournaments so that everyone interested in competing with other schools could have a chance to play. Great idea, div. 1! The final meet was Thursday, April 21 at Tupper Secondary, an afternoon mini festival with students from all over the city. Thanks to Mrs. Wong for making this team possible and to the students for their commitment to this fun sport!

Division 7

The kindergarten and grade 1 students are doing a lot of reading! Magic Treehouse is a favourite series of these young readers. The salmon study continues and students created self portraits and “I am special” messages – please enjoy the work posted in the upper hall.

Division 5

Students are doing science experiments to learn about solids, liquids and gases. They have also been working on educational websites, learning about keyboarding and other skills both in the computer lab and with the Smart Board. These are just a couple of the interesting things going on with the grade 2 & 3 students.

Monday 2 May 2011

Mother's Day Breakfast

Friday, May 6th
8 - 9am
Gymnasium

All families are invited to a special breakfast to celebrate our moms!

Hot tasty pancakes, sausages and fresh fruit, with juice, coffee or tea will be served.

Minimum $2 donation.

Please let the PAC know if you are planning to attend by emailing arlordpac@gmail.com.