Arts Umbrella

Arts Umbrella, a not-for-profit arts education centre for children and youth, will be at Lord again this week working with most classes on a fantastic program. This is a wonderful experience for students to learn and have fun with an expert!

Numerous studies indicate that people who receive arts education early in life reap many tangible, long-term, life-changing benefits. From enhanced critical thinking, improved self-esteem and ability to collaborate, to improved scores in math and science, children gain skills that can help them well into adulthood.

We are very fortunate to have this opportunity for students within the regular classroom schedule. For more information about this program at Lord, please contact the school at 604-713-6420.

Email List

To help reduce our school's use of paper, we are starting an Email List for school notices. If you would like to receive your school notices via email, please return the following details to the School office:

Student’s Name
Division
Grade
Parent/Guardian Name
Email Address

The school will not share your contact information, and you can be removed from this Email List at any time. For more information please contact the school at 604-713-4620.

Alumni Association

Dr. A. R. Lord Alumni Association (DARLAA) is mainly comprised of students from Dr. A. R. Lord that have graduated in past years. They hope to enhance the learning environment for current students, support fellow alumni, and gain support from local communities.

DARLAA will hold many fun and exciting events in the near future for everyone to enjoy! Join them and strike a win at DARLAA's 1st fundraising event SUPER BOWL on March 12th, 4-6pm. Contact lordalumni@gmail.com for more information and tickets!

Senior Badminton

Over the next few months, students in grade 7 will be invited to join the school badminton team. Mrs. Wong has volunteered to coach both the boys and girls and take them to tournaments at other schools. The philosophy is to give any interested students a chance to participate and learn the game of badminton and to have an opportunity to play against students at other schools. Good luck and have fun!

TENNIS

All classes are learning the basic skills for tennis in the gym every day last week! Expert instructors from Tennis XL are at Lord working with all of the classes. Your support with this program is appreciated. Not only are students learning how to play tennis, they are also learning about good sportsmanship as that is embedded in the Tennis XL teachings and philosophy.

Student Council

Our group of student leaders has been very busy this month! First, they planned, organized and hosted a bake sale that coincided with celebrating Valentine’s Day. The bake sale earned $154!! All of the profits are going to support the school’s World Vision Sponsor Child, Aruintuya and his family so that they have access to clean water, food, shelter, health care and education. Way to go everyone!!

Student Council has also taken the lead to coordinate the Pink T-shirt day, Wednesday, February 23. This is a designated day to stand up to bullying and stand up for what is right – treating others with kindness and respect at all times. Wear your pink clothes to show your support!

Vice Principal's Letter

Dear Families,

The month of February has been filled with exciting classroom and school activities. On February 16, all of the classes got together for a whole school assembly during which some of the divisions shared a bit about what they are learning in the classroom. One class, division 2, performed a dance piece they choreographed during music/dance with Ms Young-Eng. We also had some student leaders get the whole group moving for an activity break in the middle of the assembly! This assembly was was a great way to promote student leadership and it was just one of the high lights of the month. There will be more of these community building school assemblies over the months ahead and parents/guardians are always welcome to join us.

Lord school also had another couple of very successful hot lunches - Chinese New Year lunch on Feb. 4 and hot dog day on Feb. 16. A huge thank you is extended to all of the many volunteers who made the extra special Lunar New Year lunch so delicious. Also to celebrate the start of the year of the rabbit, we were fortunate enough to have activities in the library hosted by the REAL parents & grandparents. Gung Hai Fat Choy to all and thank you to our REAL group for all that you do to contribute to our school community!

Many students came in on the evening of Friday, February 18 to watch Toy Story 3, for another well attended Family Movie Night. Many thanks to the PAC parents who hosted this event.

Our school community has been informed by district staff that the out building at Lord may become the new site for 2 alternate education programs, Sunrise East and East Side. While the initial reaction amongst the school community is mixed at this point, I encourage you to ask any and all questions so that you have the information you are wondering about. Questions, feedback and comments are welcome in writing - they can be handed in at the office by Feb. 25 or sent via email to the Board at mcaparas@vsb.bc.ca Also, you are welcome to talk to Sarah Gray in the office. While this conversation is going on let’s remember to stay positive about what is happening right now in our lovely, thriving school. Our students continue to have wonderful learning opportunities each and every day here at Lord.

Sincerely,
Sarah Gray
Vice Principal

PAC Ideas Session

Date: Tuesday, March 1st
Time: 2:45-3:15pm
Location: School Library

Everyone is welcome to attend this informal session.
Child minding will NOT be available.

We encourage all parents/guardians to participate in creating a thriving school community by volunteering in any capacity for school programs, events and fundraisers. This afternoon session is a great opportunity for parents or guardians who are unable to attend next week's PAC meeting. Bring your ideas, thoughts or concerns to the PAC representatives present in the library. The PAC reps will do their best to answer all questions, and/or add items to the agenda for discussion at the subsequent PAC meeting.

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

Fresh, New Web Site

The PAC is pleased to announce that Dr. A. R. Lord Elementary School has launched its brand new web site!

http://lord.vsb.bc.ca/

All the information has been updated, refreshed and looks fantastic. Please check out this great site and see all that it has to offer.

Wear Pink!

A reminder that Wednesday, February 23rd is Anti-Bullying Day. Please wear PINK to show your support!

UPDATE
For photos, please view our Photo Gallery.

Spring Break Camp

It’s going to be TWO WEEKS of Spring Break this year! Have you thought about plans to keep your child busy? Why not register them for SPRING BREAK CAMP!

Held at Hastings Elementary School, the camp is open to ALL CHILDREN from all schools! Every day is a new adventure with lots of in-house activities and cool out-trips. Getting to meet new friends from other schools is the biggest bonus!

The program guides will be available on February 23rd at A. R. Lord by the main office. For more information please contact Melissa Tang at 604-713-5898.

Bought to you by the Templeton Community Schools Team.

ICE Cards

In September 2010 the Vancouver Policing Centres presented the ICE (In Case of Emergency) program to the VSB. ICE cards are being distributed to all students through the school.

ICE is an internationally recognized acronym used as a name in a cell phone contact list or on a card carried by a person that Vancouver police, Vancouver fire, and BC Ambulance Service responders have agreed to look for as the contact number for whomever is appropriate to speak to or to reach on the person’s behalf, in the event of an emergency.

For the cards to be effective, parents/guardians should enter the student’s name and one or more phone numbers of people they would want emergency responders to contact in case of an emergency. These can include phone numbers of parents, grandparents, guardians, care givers or family friends.

For more information please download the PDF (includes translation), or look on the bulletin board in the School's main hall, near the office.

Fin's Friends Program

This year Ms. Watson's Division 5 class participated in FIN'S FRIENDS, a terrific program funded by Canucks For Kids.

The Fin's Friends program is designed to teach the basic elements of character education and social responsibility to primary students throughout British Columbia.

Students are taught to respect themselves and others by emphasizing the virtues of strong character, such as compassion, kindness, and perseverance. Specific children's literature is used as a basis to stress these positive character virtues.

Ms. Watson's students had a fantastic experience with the program!

MOVIE NIGHT REMINDER

Tonight the PAC is hosting a fun movie night for families, students, teachers and friends!

"Toy Story 3"

Doors open at 6:15pm. Admission is FREE.

Any questions, please email the PAC Executive.

NO SCHOOL

A reminder to all families that this coming

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18th

is a day off from school for all students. There will be no regular classes during school hours.

There will be after school Chinese classes as usual.

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

2011/2012 PAC Nominations

Dr. A. R. Lord Elementary School's PAC is hosting annual elections for its 2011-2012 Executive Committee on Tuesday, May 10th, 6:30pm, School Library. Any parent or guardian of an enrolled child is automatically eligible to be nominated. All parents/guardians are encouraged to attend the meeting to vote in this election.

POSITIONS FOR ELECTION
• Chairperson
• Treasurer
• Secretary

Positions have a one year term. Regular meetings are held once per month, usually at 630pm in the school library. Free child minding is available on site during all meetings.

All parent/guardians are welcome to attend any PAC meeting.

If you are a parent or guardian interested in volunteering on the committee as an elected executive or general member but are unable to attend, please contact the PAC for further information.

We look forward to working with you!


Sincerely,
The A.R. Lord Elementary School PAC

VSD Proposal for Little Building

The Vancouver School District is proposing to reopen the little building at the corner of Georgia and Nootka Streets for September 2011. District staff have been asked to consult with parents and staff about the proposal.

VSD Proposal

The building would be reopened to house the following district programs and services.
1) Grade 9 and 10 program for approximately 50 students who require a supportive learning environment with a higher staff to student ratio. This would be a consolidation of two current programs, Sunrise East and East Side. The move would allow the district to terminate a lease on Commercial Street, and would bring the students into a school site location.
2) District staff providing services to hearing and visually impaired students would have their offices and their resource materials located at the little building.

There will be an information session on Friday, February 18th at 6:15 p.m. in the gym (prior to Movie Night). Associate Superintendent Maureen Ciarniello will be providing information and answering questions.

February Movie Night

Friday, February 18th

Toy Story 3
Rated G. Running time 108 minutes.

Doors Open 6:15 pm
Movie Starts 6:45 pm

ADMISSION FREE
Dr. A.R. Lord School Gym

Drinks $0.50 each
Snacks $0.50 each
Popcorn $1.00 per bag

Family Room - available for younger children and their parents who aren’t able to sit quietly through the movie
50/50 Draw - fundraiser for the Grade 7's, 1 Ticket = $2 or 3 Tickets = $5

For further information please email the PAC Executive , or send a letter through the school’s Main Office.

ANTI-BULLYING DAY

Have you heard about the Sea of Pink or Pink Shirt Campaign? It is coming up on Wednesday, February 23. This is a student-led initiative that started in Nova Scotia in 2007 by two grade twelve boys who encouraged others to wear pink as a symbol that they would not participate in bullying. Their actions were in response to homophobic taunting of a grade 9 boy for wearing a pink t-shirt to school.

All students are encouraged to wear pink on February 23 as a statement against bullying.

Although we believe that it takes a community-wide effort over time to really reduce bullying, single events like the Pink Shirt Day can raise awareness and draw attention to an issue, while generating energy to address it in a more in-depth way. In particular, we like this idea because it is being promoted largely by and for students, and it highlights homophobic taunting and intolerance as a particular form of bullying.

Homework Club

An SFU student is working at Hastings Community Centre every Thursday from 3-4:30 to help students aged 9-12 with projects, assignments and homework. This is a free club so take advantage of the extra help!

For more information please contact the HCC at 604-718-6222.

Knitting Club

Grade 7 students were invited to join our school's lunchtime knitting club. Special thanks to our volunteer Cathleen who does both one to one reading and is leading the way with our young knitters. Students are making coasters, scarves and other great items with their new needles and soft wool. What a super hobby and a great opportunity!

TENNIS

At the end of February, all classes will be learning to play tennis from a specialist instructor from Tennis BC. Permission forms need to be returned to your teachers before February 15th. The school is looking forward to learning the principles of fair play and sportsmanship through tennis!

Division 3

SmartBoard Technology
The teaching and learning in this classroom now occurs with a Smart Board as an integrated tool. This is an interactive way to bring the power of technology into the day to day learning for students.

The Smart Board is basically a computer screen enlarged for all students to see easily – the size of an overhead projector screen. The Smart Board screen responds to touch so files and images can be opened and viewed easily as easily as opening files on a computer. Also, links to the web make it simple to show You Tube clips or other educational slides that enhance the teaching of a particular lesson or idea.

Big Buddies
Another exciting event in division 3 was the first visit by high school students from West Vancouver. Students got together with their new big buddies to read and work on their First Nations study. Everyone is excited for more visits to come!

Division 2

Aboriginal People Unit & Soapstone Carving

Grade 5 & 6 students will be working with artist Robert Cahill to create soapstone carvings of an arctic animal. This enhances their study of the Aboriginal People, combining Social Studies and Fine Arts in a hands on way to learn the process and history of this traditional craft.

Division 1

We Day
Students in Division 1 have been inspired by the mission of Free the Children. Together they have decided to raise money to help those in need in Kenya.

The grade 6 and 7 students are earning and donating the money themselves – not just asking their families or neighbours. These students have come up with creative and selfless ways to make a substantial contribution. To date, they have raised well over $100 towards their charity of choice! Congratulations, division 1! What an inspiration to all of us!

Vice Principal's Letter

Dear Families,
It is a pleasure working with the students at our school; everyday, I am amazed at the learning going on in the classrooms and on the playground.

It is wonderful to see our young students problem solving with each other, taking the time to listen to each other respectfully when someone is sad and making amends.

While children often need a little bit of adult guidance to manage some of the trickier, more emotionally charged situations, our students respond quickly and positively learning from each situation.

As school staff, we see the children grow in their ability to work through the regular ups and downs of friendships more and more independently as the years go on. It is our hope that the students will carry these skills with them throughout their lives, creating peace in our school and beyond.

Sincerely,
Sarah Gray
Vice Principal

NO SCHOOL

A reminder to all families that this coming

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11th and MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14th

are days off from school for all students. There will be no regular classes or after-school activities.

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

Grade 7 Update

Please visit the Grade 7's Blog, hosted by their fantastic teachers, Mrs. Wong and Mr. Campbell.

Their Blog was "designed as an online resource for the students and families of Division One at Lord."

Check out all the great projects and resources available for Lord's graduating class. For more information please contact the school at 604-713-6420.

Fruit & Vegetable Program

This week the students will receive another delivery from the BC School Fruit & Vegetable Nutritional Program.

BC APPLES

Apples are grown on deciduous trees (Malus domestica) which reach a height of 3 to 12 meters (9.8 to 39 ft).

Tens of thousands of varieties are grown worldwide.

Apples are a pomaceous fruit, meaning they have extra or accessory flesh around the core of seeds.

For further information, fascinating facts and interesting history on this delicious fruit please read the PDF document on APPLES.

Students will receive their delivery during class time on Wednesday. This snack is not meant to replace the foods students normally eat at school. Students can make their own decisions on whether to taste the fruits offered.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the PAC or the school administration at 604-713-4620.

PAC Meeting Reminder

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

Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting.
Free child minding will be available.

We encourage all parents & guardians to participate in creating a thriving school community by volunteering in any capacity for school programs, events and fundraisers.

This PAC meeting will focus on upcoming events for 2011 (ex. Scholastic Book Fair, 2011 Raffle, etc.) as well as ongoing projects (school flyer, garden, mural, website, etc.).

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

SATISFACTION SURVEY

The Provincial Satisfaction Survey is unique in its scope, size and usefulness to schools. It gathers information from parents, teachers and students on topics related to school environment, safety, and achievement. The information is used for planning in individual schools and provides a district and provincial perspective.

Early in 2011 the Satisfaction Survey will be administered to students in grades 4 and 7, their parents, and all school staff. We encourage parents to participate in this survey, as the results are important in identifying and celebrating current strengths, as well as determining where the school needs to focus improvement. The surveys contain standard questions for the Province – in addition, questions from the school and/or district that focus on local conditions or issues may be included.

This year, the survey can be completed electronically and can be accessed on the Internet at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey

Any computer with an Internet connection can be used, and access to the e-survey is simple and secure. All that is required is a logon number that the school will provide to participants; please come to the office for your own unique logon code. Each code can only be used once. Provincial, District and School Reports for previous years can be viewed at the same site, without a logon number.

School computers will be available to parents during parent/teacher interviews on Wednesday, March 16 from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. For parents who do not wish to use school computers, local public library computers or computers at the community centre could be used.

For any questions please contact the school administration at 604-713-4620.

Thank You to the PAC

During the evening performance of the school Winter Concert, the PAC presented the school with a donation to fund the staff’s wish list. On behalf of all the staff, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of you for your participation in the school fundraising events that has made this generous contribution possible.

We will use the money to buy a number of items for the school including sports equipment, a microphone, early primary hands on materials, head phones, 2 outdoor benches for the playground and other items. This is a really positive result of all of your effort to support the many fundraising events that take place at our great school. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Sarah Gray
Vice Principal

COYOTE SAFETY

On occasion, coyotes have been seen on our school grounds. It is always important to ensure children know what to do if they see a coyote. A coyote safety presentation is set up for Wednesday, February 9th. A representative from the Stanley Park Ecology Society will present “Coyote 101” to share safety tips with the students. Here is a little bit of background for your own reference.

The coyote (Canis latrans) serves as a prime example of how urban wildlife successfully adapts to an urban environment and how community residents need to take action to reduce conflict between humans and wildlife. Coyotes may be attracted to an area because of food scraps or garbage. If you see a coyote, it is important to be BIG, MEAN and LOUD, never running away from a coyote, and children should always tell an adult that they saw a coyote.

Foundation Skills Assessments

Each year, grade 4 and 7 students write a series of tests known as the Foundation Skills Assessment. These tests give a snapshot of how students are doing in the areas of reading, writing and math.

The FSA’s are given to students during instructional time and will occur during the period of January 17 – February 25. The classroom teachers determine the exact days and times for the tests. Earlier in January, a letter went home with each grade 4 and 7 student from the Chair of the Vancouver Board of Education explaining more about the FSA’s.

If you would like further information about the FSA’s you may download or view the information brochure provided by the Ministry, or please contact Sarah Gray in the school office at 604-713-4620.

September 2011 Enrolment

The school administration is beginning to look at the registration and enrolment for the upcoming school year, starting September 2011.

All students were sent home with a bright pink notice form titled "Are you Moving?". Please fill out and return the form to the school before Tuesday, February 15th.

Happy New Year Hot Lunch

This Friday, February 4th the PAC will be hosting a special Hot Lunch Day at Dr. A.R. Lord Elementary School.

Home-made by families at our school, the students and staff will be eating delicious BBQ Chicken with Chow Mein & Spring Rolls!

Orders were due on Monday, January 28th. Each lunch is only $3.00, with extra servings of Chicken or Spring Rolls only $1.50. As always, each hot lunch comes with a cup of milk, a serving of fruit or vegetables and a fun desert.

For more information, please contact the PAC or leave a message in the PAC mailbox in the School Office.