Meet the School Counsellor - Ms. Danielle

My name is Ms. Danielle and I am the new School Counsellor at Dr. A.R. Lord Elementary. I am very excited to be here.  My role in the school is to work with parents and staff to facilitate the educational, personal, social and emotional development of students. I will be working at the school on Thursdays in room B111.  I look forward to meeting you as I settle into this new role.
Sincerely, Ms. Danielle

Individual Photo Orders Due today

Today was the last day to submit your individual photo orders with Mountain West.  If you forgot to hand in your form to the office, you still can submit online at: order.mountainwest.ca using the login code on your form. 

There will also be individual photo retakes on November 14th. 

Halloween Celebrations - Boo!

Monday October 31st is Halloween and Dr. A.R. Lord Students are free to come in a costume to school if they would like. We recommend that if they have a weapon prop (eg. gun, sword, knife etc) as part of their costume, that they leave these at home. An assembly costume parade will be held at 9:20am and parent/caregivers/siblings are welcome to attend. If your child  is having a classroom party and you have been asked to send a snack to share, please ensure that it is nut-free! 

Kindergarten Registration at A.R. Lord Opens November 1st

http://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/lord/Publications/2016-2017%20Kindergarten%20Information.pdf

Choir Practice

Students participating in the school choir meet each week under the guidance of Ms. Watson and Ms. Young-Eng. They are preparing to perform at the upcoming Remembrance Day Assembly which will be held on November 9th before the long weekend break (November 10th professional day and the November 11th statutory holiday.) They will also practice select songs for the Winter Concert to be held in December. We can't wait to see them perform! 

Kindergarten

Dr. A.R. Lord welcomed a wonderful new group of kindergarten students this year and they are well into their new routines and learning. The exploring process includes creating artistic works collaboratively and as an individuals using ideas inspired by imagination, inquiry, experimentation, and purposeful play. The recently developed BC Education curriculum for Kindergarten for Arts can be found at:  https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/arts-education/k

Big Shakeout Drill at A.R. Lord Elementary

The staff and students at A.R. Lord Elementary plan and practice emergency procedures. Drills undertaken during the BC Big Shakeout helps students practice and learn what they need to do in the event of an earthquake. It builds confidence for the students and also reinforces procedures for staff and teachers. 

At 10:20 am on Thursday October 20th, students were alerted to  Drop, Cover and Hold On. After 60 seconds they received an all clear and instructions to evacuate from the school  They assembled on the school field and all students were accounted for.  In a real earthquake they would be supervised until each child is picked up by a parent or an authorized “emergency contact”. 

Final Cross Country Meet

The final meet, scheduled for 1:00pm on Thursday October 20th, will cap off the cross country season. It will be held at Trout Lake and the A.R. Lord Team will be giving their all! Good Luck Lord Lions!

Terry Fox Run

All the A.R. Lord students and teachers attended the annual Terry Fox Run School Run Day at Hastings Park this year. Many school parents and families also joined in on the activities. The highlight of the event included a young teenage guest speaker who spoke about her own experience with cancer in her leg and how she has benefited from the advancements in cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation. It was a beautiful day and a great cause that was supported by all the school and community. 

Ultimate Frisbee

Students had the opportunity to learn and practice Ultimate Frisbee from Ulti Pros Academy. Ultimate frisbee is a game that anyone can learn and puts teamwork and sportsmanship at the forefront. Coaches Ari and Dani also talked about their program at the recent Parent Advisory Council Meeting. They have experience as competitive players at the variety and professional league level as well as extensive coaching. Parents with kids interested in ultimate frisbee should speak to Ms. McCandless for upcoming activities or visit website: ultiprosacademy.com

Dr. A.R. Lord Elementary will not be considered for closure

Tuesday is Individual Student Portrait Day - Oct 18th

PREPARING FOR YOUR PHOTO SESSION

Parents, before your children leave for school on photo day, please remember to look them over and help them look their best. Faces that are clean and clothes that are stain-free will make for great photos!

Can't decide what to dress them in? Simple is always a great choice - dress them in a collared shirt or sweater that fits well, and that also complements their eyes and hair colour.

A dress or a neat tee-shirt will work well too. It's best to choose an outfit that complements, and does not distract from your child's face.

• Neat, well-groomed hair always looks best
• Bright, solid colours photograph nicely, and long-sleeves are preferred
• If you're planning a hair or bang cut for your photos, it's best to schedule it at least a week before your photo day
• Headbands work well for bangs that are growing out
• Bright, solid colours always look great
• If your child comes to the camera in a hat or baseball cap we'll generally photograph both with and without the hat. Unfortunately, after wearing the hat for even a short while before photo time, "hathead" may result. Hathead can be avoided if you ask your child to keep his cap or hat off until after his first photos are taken.

Cross Country Mini Meet at Clinton Park

The Lord Lions were out in full force last week at the cross country mini-meet held at nearby Clinton Park. The school cross country team is one of the most popular extra-curricular activities and has excellent participation with over 40 students on the roster. Morning practices are held a couple times a week and a few competitive meet are held through out the season.  Boys and girls run separately by grade category and are cheered on by their team mates! Many parent volunteers also help organize and supervise the run.

This mini meet was open to public elementary schools in the district and is in preparation for the city wide meet that will be held on October 20th at Trout Lake. Thank you to our wonderful teacher coaches: Ms. O'Neill and Ms. Burke.  Well done to all! 

Power of One Presentation

A school wide presentation on "bully-proofing" was performed at A.R. Lord Elementary and  for fellow students from nearby Matthew Begbie Elementary. Produced by Soren Bennick Productions, this is a participatory presentation that explains the different types of bullying and encourages students to not be bystanders when they see bullying. A modified version of the presentation was adapted to younger students for primary grades.
http://www.sorenbennick.com/power_of_one.html

Flipgive Online Fundraiser

A.R. Lord Elementary has launched a new Flipgive Fundraiser for this school year.  This is an easy way to make your regular online purchases at popular retailers and they will take part of the proceeds and remit cash back to the school Parent Advisory Council. Alternatively you can also just make a simple donation directly to the school.

Eligible retailers include Hardware and home improvement stores, popular clothing stores, luggage, books, gifts, sports suppliers and more!  It is that easy! Share with your family, friends and co-workers:

https://www.flipgive.com/campaigns/49445-dr-ar-lord-elementary-pac

E. Van T shirts Clearout - Youth Large

We have just a couple of A.R. Lord designed exclusive E. Van T-shirts (Youth Large black with white logo for $10 each) in stock from our previous fundraiser at a reduced price. 
If you would like one, please email: arlordpac@gmail.com
All Proceeds go to Dr. A.R. Lord PAC Fundraising
(Shopping bags and adult tshirts are sold out for now. If you are ordering a tshirt (all sizes (youth, women's or mens) in black or grey) for an upcoming order, please email us with the details (size quantity). 

Submit A Story or Photo to the A.R. Lord PAC Blog

Calling all teachers, students, parent/caregivers!!! Submit an interesting school or community story, update or article to the Dr. A.R. Lord PAC Blog (and Facebook and Twitter). Let others know about the special and exciting things that are happening in classrooms and around the school. Do you have an education related article that would be of interest? Share a great story or tip. Submit an interesting photo or a picture of artwork and projects with a brief description.  
... send your contribution to: arlordpac@gmail.com

Making Portraits

Self Portraits drawn or painted by young students decorate the school hallways at A.R. Lord Elementary School.  These beautiful creations do double duty as they also provide an opportunity for others to learn the names and recognize other students.                                                        Some classes also do family portraits and this creates strong recognition of diversity, empathy & the understanding that people and families come in all colours, shapes & sizes! 

PAC Meeting Tuesday 11th

Parents/Caregivers of A.R. Lord Students play an active role in our school community.  Come join us for our first Parent Advisory Council Meeting next week on Tuesday October 11th at 6:30pm in the school library. Free childminding will be provided.  It is a great opportunity to share your ideas, hear updates from the school principal and teachers as well as have your say on upcoming activities and events. We hope to see you there! 

School Library Hours

The library's hours for the year are now officially set! Ms. M and library monitors will have the library open for your enjoyment from 8:30am until morning bell, Monday - Thursday! Please do not send your children (monitors or readers) any earlier, as supervision does not begin in the library until 8:30, or outside the school until 8:40. After school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, the library will be open for a little while if Ms. M is not in a meeting or otherwise occupied. Please come visit our wonderful library space with your children, and sit in the comfy chairs on a cold morning to enjoy a great book or two!

Eating Lunch Outdoors

On warm weather days, A.R. Lord students head outside for lunchtime. The outdoor classroom is a great place for kids to gather and enjoy the fresh air. Children are assisted and watched over by the supervision aids and even some parents, grandparents and caregivers will come by. After eating, lunch kits are dropped into their division tote to be brought back to the classroom and children head off to play in the playground. 

Extra benefits to eating outdoors include:

* A Dose of Vitamin-D - Kids gets an extra dose of the "sunshine" vitamin with their meal which helps the immune system and the heart and and is thought to prevent bone disease

* It is a natural mood-booster 

* Helps with learning and concentration in the classroom