Cordova Bay Elementary 5238 Cordova Bay Road, Victoria, B.C. V8Y 2L2 Phone: 250-658-5315 Safe Arrival: 250-658-4002 Fax: 250-658-4014 School website: http://cordovabay.sd63.bc.ca Twitter: @SD63CordovaBay CALENDAR Principal: Mrs. K. L. Urarii MAY 2015 May 12......PAC meeting at 7 pm May 18......Victoria Day May 22......PAC Lunch May 27......K Orientation at 1:45pm May 27-29. Outdoor Camp for Grade five students June 5........PAC lunch June 9........Field Meet at Cordova Bay June 11......Track Meet at UVIC June 19......Fun Day; PAC lunch June 25......Year End and grade five assembly at 9:00 am NEWSLETTER Recently the teaching staff had a chance to connect with a consultant from Vancouver who has been working with us on the concepts surrounding Inquiry based learning and teaching. Through those conversations, groups of teachers continued their collaborative efforts that incorporate these ideas with the new curriculum. As these have evolved there have been exciting ideas and ways to connect various teachers and consequently various groups of children. The tapestry of community continues to evolve through these opportunities. We encourage you to ask your children about what they learn, how they learn and who is involved in that process. Some classes are reaching out beyond the school community to pull in others to support their learning and help them make a difference in their greater community. Watch for more examples of Inquiry and connection~in our classrooms, hallways, through teacher communication/emails and through resources such as our website and Twitter feed. “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney Are you moving? For purposes of planning 2015-16 classes, please let us know if you are moving... The joy of that curiosity is evident in all of our classrooms. May we continue to recognize and foster it. Mrs. K.L. Urarii Thank you to our dedicated parents for helping with recent school events such as Plant Sale and Bike Roadeo! WELCOME FIGURE After Spring Break, we were excited to have Doug and Kathy LaFortune join us at Cordova Bay as they shared stories and the carving of “Dancing Bear” who will become a Saanich District Welcome Figure at the School Board Office. The students were fascinated with the tools that are used and the tradition that surrounds the carving of such a figure. Students worked in their classrooms to examine the thoughts around local animals and then worked in their family groups to create their own Totem. These are displayed in the main hallway for all to enjoy. 5 2 3 8 C O R D O VA B AY R O A D , V I C T O R I A , B C , V 8 Y 2 L 2 WEBSITE : PH:250.658.5315 http://cordovabay.sd63.bc.ca/ FAX : 250.658. 4014 EMAIL : S A F E A R R I VAL : 2 5 0 . 6 5 8 - 4 0 0 2 [email protected] TRACK AND FIELD Grade 3-5 students are beginning to practice the necessary events to participate in our Track and Field season this year. Field events are scheduled to occur at Cordova Bay on Tuesday, June 9. We will be looking for parent volunteers to help us with the Field events. Our District Track Meet is scheduled to occur at the Univeristy of Victoria on Thursday, June 11. CROSS COUNTRY Students from grade 3-5 participated in our District Cross Country meets this year. Cordova Bay Comets did extremely well, with many students improving their finishes each week. Special thanks to Mrs. Nelles, Mrs. Fitz and Mrs. Kinshella for their support of our team. TRIATHLON CLUB Special thanks to the Frohloffs and to Mrs. Kinshella for sponsoring the Cordova Bay Triathlon club. Over 45 students have been participating in weekend sessions that push their physical limits and encourage the discipline of an athlete. Much enjoyment has been had by all involved! MARATHON We were pleased with the efforts by our students in the recent Marathon experience. In combination with members of 55+ the students ran or walked enough kilometres to get from the West Coast to the East Coast of Canada and back again! In total we've counted 6400 kilometres. Well done! 5 2 3 8 C O R D O VA B AY R O A D , V I C T O R I A , B C , V 8 Y 2 L 2 WEBSITE : INTERGENERATIONAL GROUPS We've been so pleased to complete the second sessions of our intergenerational groups with our 55+ members leading the experiences of cooking, knitting, friendship bracelets (thanks to Ms. Amarilli) and Lego groups. Approximately 50 students participated. In total, with the two groupings there were over 95 students who participated! Recently Cordova Bay Elementary was awarded the “Golden Star Award” by the Retired Teachers' Association of British Columbia. The $1000 prize money will go toward continuing these types of intergenerational projects. CORDOVA BAY 2015-16: PARENT INPUT We are in the beginning stages of looking forward to the 2015-16 school year. To assist us in our planning we provide an opportunity for parents to give input into student placement. If you have any information that would help us with this complicated task, please complete an input form (available at the office after May 5) or on-line in our 'Forms' section of the website. We use that information, as well as input from the students to help in our decision making. Classes are created based on the following: •....hetergeneous groups •....gender balance •....academic and social needs •....peer relationships For the 2015-16 school year we will likely have a variety of class placement options, including multi-age classes. If you are completing an input form, please refrain from identifying teachers. Please submit your input by June 18, 2015. Every effort is made to have students receive their educational program in a balanced, enriched classroom environment. We know you are aware of how complicated student placement can be and appreciate your support with the process. PH:250.658.5315 http://cordovabay.sd63.bc.ca/ FAX : 250.658. 4014 EMAIL : S A F E A R R I VAL : 2 5 0 . 6 5 8 - 4 0 0 2 [email protected] MULTI-AGE CLASSROOMS This year Cordova Bay embarked on their school year with several classrooms that were configured with multi-age students or two grades. Our rationale for choosing this type of configuration was based on: •....research that demonstrated student success in these situations •....an effort to create positive social situations •....a belief that students learn well when they can be leader and/or follower •....a belief that student learning is individual and unique and that this can be effectively addressed in multi-age classrooms (as well as in single grade classrooms) •....numbers of students that necessitated a variety of classroom settings We also know that: •....flexible thinking is promoted in a classroom environment with multi-age students •....conversations with Royal Oak Middle School have led us to understand that students are more successful when they have had several opportunities to be in multi-age classrooms •....students are less likely to compare themselves against another when they are in multi-age classrooms~everyone is progressing •....the students quickly let go of their worry about 'grade' and became a member of the learning community •....it is less important to 'grade' than to support students in their progress and interest •....using the Inquiry process is effective in a multi-age or single grade scenario; student interests cross grade restrictions We are dedicated to creating class environments where students are supported to learn. Encouraging prosocial behaviour and peer connections has always been critical to effective learning. 5 2 3 8 C O R D O VA B AY R O A D , V I C T O R I A , B C , V 8 Y 2 L 2 WEBSITE : P.A.C. NEWS 2014-15 PAC Executive include: Co-Presidents: Jill Shaw, Luanne Richardson Past Presidents: Christa Easton, Lynn Bartle Vice President: Maegan Thompson Treasurer: Kara Morson Secretary: Elisa Greenway Social Coordinator: Courtney Lloyd Class Rep: Samantha Silva NEXT PAC meeting: Tuesday, May 12 at 7 p.m. Child-minding is available HOT LUNCH DATES to mark May 22 June 5 June 19 SUPPORT FOR FISH TANK for 2015-16 As you enter Cordova Bay Elementary you can't help but notice the fish tank filled with interesting fish near the entrance. This tank is maintained by a couple of families. One of those families will be leaving our school next year and we are looking for another volunteer to help with the maintenance of the tank. If you are able to help, please contact the school office. Thank you! PCEC: 1000x5 If you have any new or gently used preschool books that you would like to donate, we are collecting them. These books are then re-gifted to families with young children. The research is clear that children who are read 1000 books by the age of five achieve significantly higher levels of success as they progress into the school system. Donations are collected at the school office. Thank you! PH:250.658.5315 http://cordovabay.sd63.bc.ca/ FAX : 250.658. 4014 EMAIL : S A F E A R R I VAL : 2 5 0 . 6 5 8 - 4 0 0 2 [email protected] SCHOOL CALENDAR 2015-16 Schools open Tuesday, Sept 8, 2015 Thanksgiving Monday, October 12 Remembrance Day Wed., November 11 Winter Vacation Dec. 21- Jan. 1, 2016 Schools reopen January 4, 2016 Family Day Monday, February 8 Spring Break (includes one week closure, Good Friday and Easter Monday) March 14-29 Schools reopen Wednesday, March 30 Victoria Day Monday, May 23 Administrative Day (no students in session) Thursday, June 30 Non-Instructional Days (NID) Friday, October 23, 2015 Thursday, November 12, 2015 Friday, November 13, 2015 Friday, February 19, 2016 Friday, April 22, 2016 Monday, May 9, 2016 Early Dismissal Days Tues-Thursday, October 13-15, 2015 Wednesday, February 10, 2016 Hours of instruction offered: Kindergarten~853 hours (fewer hours of instruction per year due to gradual entry in September) Elementary~ 878 hours Middle~ 903 hours Secondary~ 952 hours Bell schedule for 201-15 8:37 Warning bell 8:40 Instruction begins 11:14-11:50 Play time 11:50-12:14 Eating time 12:14-1:15 Instruction 1:15-1:30 Recess 2:48 School dismissal CONSTRUCTION UPDATE As you are aware, construction has begun on our new addition. The necessary inside work has been completed and now there is an insulated wall that separates the school from the construction area. Much work continues behind that 'wall'. Beginning next week we will see changes to the roofing above the old Multi-Purpose Room. Following that work, excavation of the site that will hold our addition will begin. We are pleased to be working with such a respectful Construction Team. They have been thoughtful to any questions that our students have and have done their best to mitigate any noise, dust or damage. Once the revised blueprints are available they will be displayed in the main hallway. Phase One of the renovation will include four new classrooms, a common learning space, new washrooms and HVAC area. Phase Two will include the deconstruction of the back wing, as well as a change to the library and computer room areas. When this is completed, there will be a Learning Commons space (Library) and computer room space. As well, there will be an outside teaching space that will connect to the inside courtyard. A multi-purpose room and additional classroom space will complete Phase Two. The estimated timeline may be as long as two years. We are looking forward to having these significant changes positively impact our school! RETIREMENT OF SERGEANT ROSS We had a chance to say good-bye to Sergeant Nick Ross, who has been our school liaison officer for the past years. We surprised him with an assembly and were happy to hear that he enjoyed his time with us. We'd like to welcome Constable Dani Frohloff as our next School Liaison Officer!! 5 2 3 8 C O R D O VA B AY R O A D , V I C T O R I A , B C , V 8 Y 2 L 2 WEBSITE : PH:250.658.5315 http://cordovabay.sd63.bc.ca/ FAX : 250.658. 4014 EMAIL : S A F E A R R I VAL : 2 5 0 . 6 5 8 - 4 0 0 2 [email protected]
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