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GRAY SCHOOL NEWS
Gray Elementary
From the Principal
Volume 2 Issue 8
Professional Development Day #6
Scent-Free School
May 2015
Those of you who regularly refer to your
Gray School Calendar will notice that the
May 15th pro-d day is scheduled to be an inlieu day for the staff. In-lieu days occur
when staff attends a professional learning
activity in the week before school starts in
September. As the school term started
late into September this year, the staff
did not attend an August professional day
and therefore we will be working at the
school on May 15th.
It has come to our attention that we
have a number of students who a
have sensitivity to scents. Some of
those students suffer severe reactions; in one case scents trigger migraines that lead to leaving school
immediately and then being absent
for the recovery time. In consideration of these concerning health issues, and in consultation with the
Parent Advisory Council and our
staff, Gray Elementary will be a
scent-free building. We are asking
visitors to the school to refrain
from wearing perfumes and scented
personal hygiene products. You will
find posters reminding visitors of
our scent-free building guidelines
posted at the main entrances to the
school. Thank you very much for
your understanding and compliance.
Dates to Remember
Summer Student Dress
Code
Hopefully, summer-like
weather will be arriving
soon. Therefore, it is once again time for a
reminder about student attire. Please remember that we ask all students, Kindergarten to Grade Seven, boys and girls, to
wear tops that cover their shoulders and
stomach, shorts that reach to the thigh,
and shoes that are suitable for active days
on the field and playground, and in gym
classes. Children cannot do the many activities required of them when they are wearing shoes that do not stay on their feet
securely, such as flip flops and loose crocs.
Students who do not conform to these
guidelines will be sent home to change their
attire or, if that is not possible, instructed
to wear a school jersey.
 May 14
District Track Meet
 May 15
Pro-D Day - School Closed
 May 18
Victoria Day - School
Closed
 May 27
PAC AGM - 7:00 p.m.
 June 4th
Starting with Stories &
KN Orientation - 1:45 pm
 May 29th or June 6th
(Date to TBA soon)
PAC Spring Carnival
Inside this issue:
Emg Prep Week
2
Planning for 2015/2016 3
Track and Field
4
Thank you
4
PAC News
5
Community News
5-9
Emergency Preparedness Week
May 4-9, 2015 is emergency preparedness week in
Canada. In the Delta School District we take emergency preparedness very seriously. All of our schools
conduct emergency drills throughout the school year.
Some of these drills may be full emergency release
drills, meaning that parents are involved in the drill
because we are practicing how students will be safely
released to their parents in the event of a disaster.
It is important that when a school has a full release
drill, that parents take part. Our students, staff and
parents need to be ready in case disaster strikes.
On Thursday, May 21st we will be holding our annual
Emergency Evacuation drill at 1:30 p.m. At this time,
we will be practicing Student Release procedures
that would be implemented in the event of an emergency. For this exercise we ask that only a parent
or legal guardian arrive to pick up their child. Students will not be permitted to leave early with anyone other than their parent/legal guardian. Any
students not picked up by their parent/guardian during the Emergency Evacuation drill will be dismissed
from their classrooms at the regular 3:00 p.m. dismissal time.
Prior to May 21st please ensure that you log onto
Parent Connect to update your emergency release
and demographic information. To find detailed instructions on how to change your Emergency Release
Contacts look on Parent Connect under the Help Tab.
Ensuring your Emergency Release Information is up
to date is crucial in order for us to successfully release students should we ever have an actual emergency event. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Please contact the office if you have any questions or concerns.
*** It is important that all parents understand that
all students, whether in kindergarten or grade 12,
will only be dismissed from school in emergency situations to their parents or designated emergency release adult. Students cannot be released to an older
sibling who is still under the age of 19. Students will
not be allowed to leave school property until a predesignated adult retrieves them. In order to maintain the safety of your children, there can be no ex-
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ceptions.**** This means that parents need to regularly plan for who will be able to pick-up their child in
an emergency situation and that the information needs
to be reviewed and updated annually. If both parents
do not work close to the school, then they should designate another trusted adult who will, most likely, be in
the area if disaster strikes during school hours. Again,
this person cannot be an older sibling who is under the
age of 19. Parents need to inform the school of who
their Emergency Release designated adult is and they
need to review this information annually and update it
if necessary. They should do so via Parent Connect
(instructions are listed below). This needs to be done
for each child you have in the Delta School District
and you need to inform each child of who his/her
Emergency Release adult is.
72 hours... Is your family prepared?
Natural disasters may be beyond our control, but
there are ways to reduce the risk and the impact of
whatever emergency we might face - whether natural or human-induced.
By taking a few simple steps, you can become better
prepared to face a range of emergencies – anytime,
anywhere. It is important to:
 Know the risks – Although the consequences of
disasters can be similar, knowing the risks specific to our community and our region can help
you better prepare.
 Make a plan – It will help you and your family
know what to do
Get an emergency kit – During an emergency, we will
all need some basic supplies. We may need to get by
without power or tap water. Be prepared to be selfsufficient for at least 72 hours in an emergency.
For more information about emergency preparedness in the Delta School District visit
http://facilities.deltasd.bc.ca/deltaprepared
GRAY SCHOOL NEWS
Planning for 2015/2016
Hard as it is to believe, we have already begun planning
for the next school year. We could really use your help
as we start thinking about the organization of the
school. If you are aware that your child will definitely
not be returning to Gray in September, please inform
the office. This will help us in determining our school
numbers. Conversely, if you know of someone with an
elementary aged child who is moving into the neighbourhood, please inform them that they need to register as
soon as their address is confirmed; preferably before
June. After June non-catchment and non-district applications that had been received before March 6th will
take precedence over catchment registrations.

boy/girl ratio

if it's a combined grade class, the numbers appropriate for each grade

match between teaching and learning styles, if possible

students with special learning needs, ELL students

students who receive support from the Learning
Support Teacher

number of students who require EA support

whether it is a straight grade or a split class, we
try for a heterogeneous group
Class Organization
This is by no means a comprehensive list. In any class,
there is a wide range of abilities and personalities. One
of the roles of the teacher is to seek to provide activities for the students that will foster their learning and
growth, whether they are in a straight grade class or a
split class. After initial class organization takes place,
we re-visit the lists to double-check if we think our decisions are educationally sound – for all the reasons
listed above. Again in September, once registrations and
attendance are confirmed, we re-visit the class lists
before moving students into their new class. After all
this, educators recognize that in every class there will
be a wide range of abilities and needs. As students progress through the grades, this gap widens. The notion
of a “straight grade” class being more advantageous to a
child’s academic progress is an educational myth.
As we plan for the 2015-16 school year, it is important
for parents to be aware of factors that are a consideration in organizing classes for next year. Split grade classes are an organizational necessity based on student
numbers. If your child is in a straight grade class this
year, you can expect that they may be in a combined
class in September. THIS DOES NOT MEAN that if
they are currently in a split grade class, they will
automatically be in a straight grade class next year.
While split grade classes are an organizational necessity,
research indicates that multi-age groupings provide very
positive learning environments for children. Studies
show that children in split grade classes learn to become
more independent, responsible learners and develop a
greater degree of social responsibility.
Class Placements
Parents frequently ask questions about how decisions are
made regarding a child’s placement into their new class.
They wonder if they should be making requests to the
present teacher, or the principal. As you can see by the
following list, as a staff, we go to great lengths when
organizing classes. It honestly takes hours! We take
into consideration such things as:

student behaviour

academic ability and progress

student personalities, e.g., outgoing and very participatory, quieter and needing encouragement to participate, etc.

student interactions, i.e., how students get along
with one another
Volume 2 Issue 8
Parent Input
As our partners, we recognize that parents have important information that can assist with the placement
of students. Parents are welcome to advise the school
of personal, educational, or social information that could
affect a child’s placement. Our staff will keep in mind
this information, along with the above considerations,
when building tentative classes. This information should
not include any request for placement in a particular
class configuration or with a particular teacher. Any
requests received of this nature will not be considered. Please know that if you send an information letter or email, it will be considered but does not ensure it
will be accommodated.
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Track & Field
Congratulations to all the Gray students who competed
in the Regional Track meet on
May 6th.
Compliments to our students who were exemplary ambassadors for the school and showed
so many examples of great teamwork! Hats
off to all the staff who coached students, supervised at the event, organized the team and
took on different students in their classrooms
so other staff members could attend the
event.
Our students were AMAZING. There were
many students who placed in events and qualified for the District Track Meet next week.
The day was a huge success and a whole bunch
of amazing photo finishes also made it very
exciting.
Thank you
As we are getting closer to the final month of the
school year, all the staff at Gray would like to
acknowledge and celebrate our partnership with you,
our parent community. We would like to thank you …...

For supporting your child’s homework or home
reading program. These routines, developed early
in school life, contribute to long-term success at
school.

For making time in your busy schedule to attend
school-wide events. Your attendance lets your
child know that our school is important to you.

For attending our monthly PAC meetings. Your
input and hard work on behalf of the school is
appreciated.

For participating in our fund-raising projects.
Your support has allowed us to provide students
with enriching experiences such as having professional performing groups visit our school and going
on educational field trips.
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
For volunteering your time to help out at the
school. Whether driving on field trips, phoning
parents regarding absentee students, or assisting teachers in the classroom.
You have made a valuable contribution to the life of
our school. With out all your help and support Gray
wouldn’t be the great school that it is. Again, thank
you very much, we truly appreciate your support.
GRAY SCHOOL NEWS
PAC News
The Gray PAC will be holding its AGM on Wednesday May 27th at 7:00 p.m. in the school library. A
very important part of this meeting will be filling
positions on the PAC for 2015/16. The PAC Executive s looking to fill the following positions:
 Fundraising/Special Events
 Vice-Chair
 Secretary
The PAC is an extremely important
part of the school community. you are interested
in joining a wonderful group of parents who make
a huge difference at Gray, please come out to
this very important meeting.
If you are not able to make the meeting on May
28th but are interested in one of the Executive
positions or the Volunteer positions, please contact the school.
 Newsletter Editor
There are also a few volunteer positions available.
These positions are outside of the PAC Executive.
The Volunteer positions available are:
 Special Planning Council Members
(2 required but they do not meet on a
monthly basis).
 Lice Check Coordinator
Community News and Events
2015 SUMMER CAMPS WITH DELTA SCHOOL DISTRICT
‘Strive ~ Express ~ Achieve’ with Delta Continuing Education’s “YOUTH ACTIVITY PROGRAMS” again offering a wide variety of Summer 2015 programs for the children and youth of
our communities. Activities, directed by teachers and other professional people, will focus in
the areas of Fine and Performing Arts, Sports and Active Living, Academic Enrichment, and
Personal Development. There will be many new programs available for students aged 5 – 13 in
each of the communities of Ladner, Tsawwassen and North Delta. Brochures will be delivered
in your local newspapers in May as well as available at the front office of each school. As well,
each elementary school’s youngest in family member will be given a brochure to take home during the week of May 25-29. Early registration is strongly recommended as courses do fill up
quickly. Be sure to bookmark: http://onlineca.activecommunities.com/connectandlearn for
on-line information and registration options or phone 604-940-5550.
Volume 2 Issue 8
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GRAY SCHOOL NEWS
Volume 2 Issue 8
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http://onlineca.activecommunities.com/connectandlearn
Registration phone: 604-940-5550
HOME QUEST: Delta Home-School Partnership OPEN HOUSE, May 7, 7:00 PM:
http://homequest.deltasd.bc.ca/
SUMMER QUEST YOUTH CAMPS, June 29 to August 14:
http://web.deltasd.bc.ca/content/programs/continuingeducation/deltayouthactivities
SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS in Delta:
http://web.deltasd.bc.ca/content/programs/continuingeducation/summerschoolregistration
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM, Fall 2015:
http://web.deltasd.bc.ca/content/programs/continuingeducation/ece
Genesis Theatre presents THE ROCKINGBYRDS:
https://www.facebook.com/events/427335434106714/
live@5005 CONCERT SERIES at Genesis Theatre: http://www.genesistheatre.ca
FACILITY RENTALS: http://web.deltasd.bc.ca/content/about/facilityrentals
Visit our Facebook page for news, updates, and highlights:
https://www.facebook.com/DeltaSchoolDistrictContinuingEducation
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GRAY SCHOOL NEWS
Volume 2 Issue 8
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