Graduation Hoodies Arrive

"Call it a Clan, call it a Network, call it a Tribe, call it a Family, Whatever you call it, Whoever you are.... You need one" - Jane Howard

Grade 7 students were ecstatic on the last day of school before winter break as they received their Graduation Hoodies! As a group they chose the design and colours and now wear them with pride.  

Special thanks to A.R. Lord Parent Kerry M. and Todd of Action Athletic Wear for your assistance with the order! 

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown

"I never thought it was such a bad little tree.  It's not bad at all.  Maybe it just needs a little love" 

Holiday Instruments

Ukuleles and Recorders are common instruments that young students learn in elementary school.  They are fairly easy to learn, fun to play and easy to handle.  Division 7 and 6 Students performed at the recent Winter Concert.

Collecting for the Foodbank

Christmas time is traditionally the most popular time for food drives for the food bank.  A.R. Lord student council helped coordinate this year's collection of greatly needed food items and cash donations for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. The Food Bank ensures that nutritious and healthy food is available to those who need it, right in their communities and in a dignified manner.
* In Mar 2015: 852,137 people across Canada received food from a food bank
* More than one-third of this helped were children
* This was 1.3% higher compared to the same period in 2014
They also support Community Kitchens which build community as participants establish and nurture friendships, increase their food and nutritional knowledge as well as their culinary skills.

           

Christmas Choir

Families and friends were treated to both the A.R. Lord Elementary Choir and the VSB Teacher's Choir at the Winter Concert last Wednesday.  The groups sang modern and ancient Christmas choral music that filled the gymnasium and put everyone in the holiday spirit!

Jump for Joy! It's Winter Break

Winter Concert, Raffle and Food Drive

Winter Concert at 1:00pm and 6:30pm tomorrow Wednesday.
Purchase tickets for the PAC Raffle at the concert and you could win one of these great baskets:

1.  Comfort & Craft:  Handmade Pottery Bowls, Natural Honey, Tea, Cookies, & a hand loomed scarf.
2. Winter Beauty: 12 piece MAC Cosmetic and Spa accessories Basket
3. Entertainment Cheer: Holiday Mugs, Holiday Plates, Chocolate and English 'Bah Humbug" Christmas Beer
4.  Handy for the Holidays: Air Nailer Gun, Air Stapler, Screwdriver tool set.

Student Council will also be running the annual Food Drive for the Food Bank, so bring some non-perishable food items or monetary donation.  Items in most need include:

Canned fish/meat, Nut Butters, Pasta, Rice, Canned Vegetables, Pasta Sauce, Cereals, hearty stews, chill and soups.

Last Minute Gift? East Van Shopping Bags

We have a few remaining East Van Reuseable Shopping Bags for sale for all those on your "NICE" list. 

Great for your co-worker, neighbour, babysitter, or friend.  Only $13 each or two for $25 and a fundraiser for A.R. Lord Elementary. This is a great way to support our great neighbourhood, school and care for the environment.  Did you know that Canvas/Cotton reusable bags are the best? They are breathable, foldable and most importantly the best for hygiene?  You can easily toss them in the washing machine and prevent bacteria growth.   (When was the last time you cleaned your reusable bags?  Keep them clean and safe).
Email: arlordpac@gmail.com or contact one of the PAC executive.

Winter Concert

A reminder that Monday Dec 14 next week is Dress Rehearsal for the Winter Concert.  Please send your child in their costume for Dress Rehearsal:

Div 1 Ms. O'Neill - Plaid Shirt, Red Tshirt, Hat and Dark Pants

Div 2 Mr. Parungao- White long sleeve shirt, dark pants

Div 3 Ms. Wise/Ms. Kennedy - Charlie Brown Christmas Costumes

Div 4 Ms. Watson/Ms. Mitchell - White long sleeve shirt, dark pants, toque

Div 5 - Ms. Phongmany - White long sleeve shirt, jeans, scarf, toque

Div 6 - Ms. Bains/Ms. Mitchell - White long sleeve shirt, jeans, pajamas/housecoat/slippers

Div 7 - Ms. Young - White long sleeve shirt, dark bottoms, pajamas/housecoat/slippers

Winter Concert Times are Wednesday Dec 16 at 1:00pm and 6:30pm (Children should arrive in their classroom in the evening at 6:15pm)

We will also be holding a raffle for 4 wonderful gift baskets during the winter concert and collecting food bank donations.

The Library is a Wonderful Place

What makes the A.R. Lord Elementary School Library so special?  It is a warm inviting space where children have access to numerous books that spark the imagination.  Adventure, humour, graphic novels, non-fiction, poetry and so much more.  It is where children gather, search for a book that brings a smile to their face or  to use the computer resources to enhance learning.  More importantly it is where Librarian and Teachers engage students to love to read!

Parent Volunteers at A.R. Lord

Parent-volunteer, Mike Harrison came into the school and gave presentations to all the classrooms last week.  He spoke about Polar Bears, their habitat and diet.  Did you know that a polar bear weighs about the same as 15 grade 3 students?

We love the parent/ caregiver volunteers who help make our school great! All of those who help in our classrooms, chaperone on field trips, help with fundraisers and hot lunch, make donations, and everything else! Thank you!

Giving Tuesday Recipient

A.R. Lord Elementary was the recipient of an additional $5000 from the Love of Reading Foundation (on top of what we have already received). We were notified of this wonderful generous donation this week on "Giving Tuesday". These funds will be used to purchase classroom and library books and materials from Coles Indigo. A thank you card was also  prepared and signed by students and then presented to Coles Lougheed Mall Staff to thank them for their support to our school and literacy. http://www.loveofreading.org

PAC Hot Lunch on Today

Wednesday Dec 2nd is the PAC Hot Lunch (Hot Dog, Milk, Fruit/Veg and Baked Good) for those who have pre-ordered. See the pics from our November Pizza Hot Lunch.  

Thanks to our volunteer bakers who provided baked goods for Nov and Dec!

VSB Resources for Families

Everyone in your family plays an important role in the success of our students. Find out how you can get involved with your child's school, access community services & other helpful info http://www.vsb.bc.ca/families

Black Friday - Cyber Monday - Holiday Shopping and Donations for Books

Are you doing some holiday shopping or looking for  electronics, toys, books, stationary, housewares or gifts?  A Fitbit, some Lego, or a bestseller cookbook?  Take advantage of the seasonal sales and support our school.

Purchase an e-gift card at Indigo through the A.R. Lord Flipgive program! Indigo will donate a bonus additional 20% value of the gift card purchased to our school.  Eg. You buy a $25 gift card for $25 and Indigo gives the school a $5 credit to A.R. Lord PAC which we use for the purchase of books for the classroom and library.

You can give these e-gift cards as presents or use at any time to make purchases online or in store at any Coles Indigo Chapters. (buy one and use it right way for your online purchase).  Click to our fundraiser link page: indigo.flipgive.com/c/23630

School Buddies

Older grade 7 students at A.R. Lord Elementary lend a hand to Kindergarten and Gr1 students in Ms. Bain's class.  The "big buddies" helped make snowflake decorations out of recycled materials. This setting allows older students to model good behaviour, learn facilitation skills, and solidify their own knowledge.  Younger students have the opportunity to learn from many individuals and build communication skills. 

Field Trip to Science World

Grades 4-7 recently went on a field trip to Telus World of Science.  The day started off with a trip on public transit to the museum. They visited the numerous exhibits and some classes watched the documentary movie in the Omnimax theatre titled: D-Day Normandy 1944. Students also carried out a science experiment onsite which involved the testing of acid pH of vitamin C.
Participation fees for the field trip were subsidized in part by the A.R. Lord Parent Advisory Council (PAC) fundraising efforts.  Thank you for your support in enhancing the learning opportunities for our students!

Indigo Adopt a School Results

This year A.R. Lord participated in the Indigo Adopt a School Program that was hosted by the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation which has donated more than $17 million to over 1,600 schools over the last 10 years. 
http://www.loveofreading.org/

This campaign resulted in over $3100 in books for our school classrooms and library from the support of families and friends who adopted us online and the Coles bookstore at Lougheed Mall.

Kindergarten Sept 2016 Registration is Open

Registration for next year Kindergarten is now open for A.R. Lord Elementary.  If your child was born in 2011, they can start regular registration at their catchment school.


Link to details:
http://www.vsb.bc.ca/kindergarten
Note that all new children must be registered, even if you currently have an older sibling attending our school.

Forest and Wildlife Field Trip

Students learned about animals and habitats at a recent field trip to the Capilano River.  Darren of www.northwestwildlife.com led students on a guided walk and described characteristics of different animals. The young kindergarten and grade 1 students were able to get up close and touch bones, skulls and pelts of deer, bears, and birds. Activities such as this provide children with the opportunity to appreciate our natural environment and become future stewards of these precious ecosystems.

Girls Senior Volleyball Action

           
Senior Girls Volleyball will season will come to a close next week with a final mini-tournament to be held on Wednesday  Nov. 25th at Chief Maquinna Elementary School.  The A.R. Lord Grade 7 girls team has been busy over the last 4 weeks practicing and playing games against 6 other local neighbourhood schools.  They have been working on skills development while building on teamwork and sportsmanship with teacher-coaches Ms. O'Neill and Ms. Burke.