1951 Estevan Road Principal: Jacquie Poulin
Nanaimo, B.C., V9S 3Y9 Secretary: Linda Cowling
Phone: 250-754-5442
Fax: 250-741-8310 Date: October 9th, 2003
School is now well underway at Princess Anne
Elementary. Teachers and students have
worked diligently to establish daily routines and procedures. Taking the time to build this foundation in
the classroom is beneficial as the year proceeds. The school Code of Conduct has been reviewed with each class
also, to ensure both students and staff
have the best opportunity to work and learn in a safe, respectful, and
caring environment.
We thank you for your support during this busy
start-up time. The strong foundations
for learning we create now, both at home and at school, will ensure your child
has the best opportunities for success throughout the coming year.
Please be sure to take the time to read through the
newsletter each month, as it will contain important information about our
school, events happening, and highlight accomplishments of various
students. If you ever have any
questions, please be sure to contact me at the school. I thank you again for your ongoing support.
Yours in education,
Jacquie Poulin
Our Monday Morning Assemblies are up and running
once again. Each Monday morning at 9:00
am all the students meet in the gym to have a brief assembly. This gathering starts with the singing of “O
Canada”, followed by the morning announcements read by Grade 6 and 7
students. The rest of the assembly is
used to introduce or review the “Virtue of the Week” and to recognize specific
students.
The students recognized in September for Responsibility
were:
Division 1 – Recognized twice – Kayla Balmer,
Casey Bock, Adrian Choromanski, Sam Hansl, Corey Henwood,
Hillary Hertzberg, Jon
Jones, Sarah Latour
Recognized once – Kyle Curtis,
Kendra Howland, Hayden Kirkpatrick,
Ivana Mazurski, Kelly
Schmidt, Robin Tait
Division 2 –
Recognized three times – Ben Hall, Connor Robertson
Recognized twice – Brice Brookes, Ian Farrow,
April Hansl, Corey McEwen, Dylan Moore, Martina Rye,
Ayla Wagner, Jewels Greenhough
Recognized once – Jessa
Arnold, Josh Bell-Surette, Maurice Dawson, Katelyn Dunbar, Harrison Grant,
Tim Latour, Rohit Nagi, Mitchell Vipond
Division 3 –
Zac Creighton, Georgia Grant, Tori McKenzie, Michael Ribicic, Amber
Ryan, Quince Sholberg, Lisa Tran
Division 4 -
Justus Davey, Meleah Desjarlais, Sydney Howlett, Kaitlyn Kjargaard,
Daniel MacDonald,
Makayla Seltenrich
Also, a special thank you to Mrs. Mayor’s Grade 2/3
class for their presentation on Responsibility. It was great to see students at the front talking about one of
our Virtues – well done!
The first term conferences are scheduled for the
week of October 20th to 23rd. (A reminder
that Friday, October 24th is Pro.D. Day for staff, and students will
not attend school.) From Monday to
Thursday this week, our students will be dismissed at 1:45 pm,
instead of the regular 2:45 pm.
Conferences with parents will be scheduled at that time. Please make every effort to attend these
important meetings as they provide you with an opportunity to build a rapport
with your child’s classroom
teacher. Conferences also are valuable
as they help build a well-rounded profile of your child in their learning
continuum. Watch for your
appointment letter, going home soon!
Eating lunch at school is considered a
privilege. Students eating at school
must do so in a respectful, responsible, and safe manner. Students who are not able to live up to these
expectations may be asked to eat at home.
Please note that, for safety reasons, children who eat lunch at school
may not leave the school premises without written permission.
September was very kind to us with lots of sunny,
warm days. With the start of October has
come the cooler, rainier days. Please
ensure that your son/daughter has the appropriate clothing to go outside in all
types of weather. A warm sweater and/or waterproof jacket are
valuable items on the west coast.
Most days, students will be asked to go outside as there are covered
areas on the playground and it is important to get some fresh air throughout
the day. On those days where it is
exceptionally windy, and/or raining quite hard, an inside option will be given
to students if they choose.
Our School Plan for 2003-04 has been submitted to
the Board Office. After meeting with
the staff and with the School Planning Council, our goals for this year are:
Our Action Plan has been established and we will
continue to work in these areas throughout the year. Updated information will be shared in the newsletter also.
The issue of skateboards, bikes, and scooters on
school grounds continues to be a challenge in many schools in the
district. For the safety of students,
parents, and staff at Princess Anne Elementary, we will be reminding students
to not ride their skateboards, bikes, or scooters on the school grounds. This will be enforced each day up until 4:00
pm as we often have people in and around the school until that time. Students are asked to get off their bike,
skateboard, or scooter as soon as they reach the school grounds, and to not get
on it until they are completely off the school grounds. We appreciate your understanding and support
on this important safety issue.
As we settle back into the year, it is a good time
to review the student code of conduct at Princess Anne Elementary. We have gone over this with students in
class, a review one on one at home would also be beneficial. Outlined below is the Princess Anne
Elementary Code of Conduct:
Philosophy:
We believe that:
Goals:
We will strive to:
Rules:
Thanks for taking the time to review this with your
son/daughter. By working together our
school will continue to be a safe, considerate, co-operative learning
environment.
The Self-Managers Program at Princess Anne has begun
once again this year. Students who are
responsible, respectful, independent workers, who follow school and class
rules, may choose to apply for Self-Manager.
Applications are available in each classroom and in the office. In order to be considered for Self-Manager
for November, applications need to be in by October 28th. We look forward to issuing Self-Manager
badges at the beginning of November.
These students will have opportunities to work in the classroom,
library, and computer lab before school, at lunch, and during afternoon recess.
Princess Anne Elementary is one of the schools that
will be part of the small school closure consultation process. Outlined below are the timelines and
process:
i) Public meetings to present information regarding facilities in
general, to review
alternatives available to the District, to respond to
questions, and to afford people an
opportunity to express opinions and/or offer suggestions.
Monday, October 20 7:00
pm John Barsby Community School
Tuesday,
October 21 7:00 pm Woodlands Secondary School
ii) Public meetings at individual schools to
provide background information, to discuss
the possible closure of each school, to respond to questions,
and to afford people an
opportunity to express opinions and/or offer suggestions.
Princess
Anne date – Wednesday, October 29th, 7:00 pm at Princess Anne
iii) Special Business Committee meeting(s) to
hear presentations from parents and/or
members of the public.
Monday,
December 1 6:00 pm NDSS
Tuesday, December 2 6:00
pm NDSS (if necessary)
iv) Special Business
Committee meeting to discuss facilities in general and small
schools specifically, with partner groups having an
opportunity for input and all
trustees having full voting privileges relative to any
recommendations that might be
made to the Board.
Wednesday, January 21 (time and location to be
determined)
v) Board meeting to consider recommendations of the Business
Committee relative to
facilities in general and small
schools specifically.
Wednesday, January 28 (time and location to be
determined)
As mentioned in an earlier newsletter,
one of the areas that many of our elementary schools are focusing on this year
is in increased physical activity and healthy eating. Many of our schools have been involved in the Terry Fox Run, have
had students outside enjoying the sunshine and some exercise, and have begun
intramural and extra-curricular opportunities for students.
An extension of this push
for daily physical activity and healthy eating is to include articles in our
school newsletters, written by professionals in our community, that promote
ways to be active and incorporate healthy diets. Here are the next couple articles – enjoy!
With a
new school year underway, its time to focus on healthy and quick-to-prepare
breakfasts. Research shows that
students who eat a healthy breakfast concentrate better, have improved math
skills, improved problem solving abilities and improved behaviour. 42% of Canadian children do not eat a
nutritious breakfast before school. A
good breakfast includes foods from at least 3 of the 4 basic food groups of
Canada’s Food Guide. Breakfast doesn’t
have to be limited to cereal and fruit.
Leftovers of pizza or cold meats, or even grilled cheese sandwiches can
be a way to break the fast. Some
strategies to help with healthy breakfasts:
·
Stock up on quick breakfast fuel foods such as
muffins, bagels, whole grain breads and cereals fruit and yogurt. Create a breakfast corner where these items
are within easy reach for family choices.
·
Add a protein food to feel full longer, (eggs, nut
butter, cold meat or cheese.)
·
Try a glass of “sunshine milk” for a quick start to
the day:
Mix
1 cup of milk with ¼ cup of frozen concentrated orange juice and a few ice
cubes. Whirl in a blender. You may wish to add a ripe banana or some
berries to the mix before blending.
For more
information on healthy eating contact Jeri Manley at the Nanaimo Health Centre,
755-6256.
Hallowe’en is only a few weeks away and we have
already begun to hear plans from students about their costumes. This year at Princess Anne we will be
planning some fun activities for that day.
Outlined below is the plan for Friday, October 31st:
- All staff
and students will be encouraged to dress up for Hallowe’en. When choosing a costume for school, please
ensure that it is safe, allows for easy movement in a classroom, and will not
be too hot to wear inside all day.
Also, please do not have students wear masks as they really limit
visibility. Any ‘accessories’ that are
of a more violent nature, such as plastic swords, guns, or knives, will need to
stay at home and not be part of the school costume.
- During the
afternoon, all students will be participating in cross-grade activities. Students will be put into groups of 10-12,
with all ages in each group, and will rotate through a variety of stations.
If you are able and willing to help out at one of
the stations, please let Jacquie Poulin or Anita Mayor know as soon as
possible. We are looking forward to a
fun time on this exciting day!
Autumn is typically the season for cross country
running in Canada. Running on trails is
a nice change from the average road race or track race. The softer running surface reduces impact on
the knees and other joints. The uneven
and undulating terrain of most cross country courses helps to develop good hill
running skills and better balance. The
same basic principles apply to train for a cross country race as any other
event but there are a few things you can do specific to trail running.
As in everything, start out slowly, be consistent
and build gradually. In the beginning
of your training cycle concentrate on “covering the distance” at a comfortable,
relaxed pace. Run on trails or grass as
much as possible. You need to get used
to uneven surfaces. Cross country
courses often provide a variety of roots, rocks and other obstacles along the
way. It is important to focus and be
aware of your surroundings to avoid stumbling or tripping.
Most cross country courses have their fair share of
hills – up and down. So, it is
important to practice running both up and down hills in training. Do not push the up hills so hard that you
end up too tired to effectively work the down hills. Keep under control and monitor your breathing rate on the way up
and let loose and fly on the way down.
The start line of many cross country events are
crowded and then proceed to a narrow course where it may be difficult to
pass. It is helpful to practise quick
starts and then falling into your pace.
Relax into your comfortable pace has soon as possible and save a little
energy for that final kick at the finish.
Living in Nanaimo, we are incredibly fortunate to
have an amazing number of options to run on trails. Westwood Lake, Linley Valley, Morrell Sanctuary and Colliery Dam
are a few of the most popular enjoyed by hikers and runners of all ages and
abilities.
Hope to see you enjoying one of the many trails
nearby. Take care
It’s great to be back at Princess Anne again. I have been very busy this past month weeding some of our old books off the shelves. The library looks a lot neater. I have started an Owls Unit with Mr. Shaw’s Grade 4/5 class, and a Survival Unit with Mrs. Kanachowski-Biggs’ Grade 6/7’s. I am looking forward to some good learning in the Library this year!
Dates to Remember, 2003:
Thursday, October 9, 7:00 p.m. – Princess Anne
Parent Group Meeting. Everyone welcome.
Monday, October 13 – Thanksgiving – no school
Monday to Thursday, October 20 – 23 –
Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences – early dismissal at 1:45 pm
Monday, October 20, 7:00 pm – Public meeting re.
facilities – at John Barsby
Tuesday, October 21, 7:00 pm – Public meeting re.
facilities – at Woodlands
Friday, October 24 – Professional Development Day –
no school for students
Sunday morning, October 26 – time to turn our clocks
BACK ONE HOUR – ‘Spring forward, Fall back’
Tuesday, October 28 – North Zone, Small School
Cross-Country Meet, Neck Point Park
Wednesday, October 29, 7:00 pm - Small School
Closure Consultation Meeting at Princess Anne
Thursday, November 6 – District Cross-Country Meet,
Rotary Bowl (behind NDSS)
Friday, November 7, 12:30 pm - Fine Arts Performance
– Axe Capoeira – at Cilaire
Monday, November 10, 11:00 am - Remembrance Day
Assembly. Please join us.
Tuesday, November 11 – Remembrance Day – no school
Wednesday, November 19, 9:00 a.m. – Photo Re-take
Day – please let office know/return unwanted packages.
Friday, November 28 – Term 1 Report Cards sent home
Friday, December 5, 9:15 am - Fine Arts Performance
– HOJA – at Cilaire
Saturday, December 13 – Our ‘Fabulous Annual
Christmas Craft Fair/Trees Sale’, sponsored by the PAC
Tuesday afternoon, December 16 – School Wide Skate,
Frank Crane Arena
Wednesday, December 17, 6:30 p.m. – Family Craft
Night
Friday, December 19, 1:55 p.m. – Schools Close for
Winter Vacation – return on January 5th, 2004
Our school has received two children’s
tickets for each Clippers home game. If
you are willing to take your child to a Clippers game, and would like to have his/her
name in a draw for the tickets each week, please return the following entry
form to the office. Two names will be
drawn each week and the tickets will be sent home with the lucky winners.
I am able to take my son/daughter to a
Clippers game if s/he wins one of the tickets.
I would like his/her name added to the draw.
Student’s name _________________________
Parent/Guardian signature
_____________________