5291 Bradner Road, Abbotsford, BC V4X 2P5 604.856.3304 bradner.sd34.bc.ca
Principal, Ms. Paulette Collier
MARCH 5, 2015
Volume #12
BRADNER ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER
Principal: Ms. Paulette Collier
Secretary: Mrs. Kimberly Juulsen
Website: http://bradner.sd34.bc.ca/
PAC President: Mrs. Dawn Lewis
School Closure Info.: http://www.sd34.bc.ca/
Phone: (604) 856-3304 Fax: (604) 856-3865
BRADNER SCHOOL GOALS
Performance Goal: #1 To improve all students’ achievement in Numeracy.
Things to do this Spring Break!
10. Ocean kayaking — Vancouver. Guided tours begin with an
introduction to the sport and offer a choice of three beautiful
locations. Ecomarine.com
Abbotsford schools get out for a two-week spring break
starting Monday, March 16, 2015, which means many families
will be wondering what to do with the time. Never fear,
though—if you’re in Vancouver for spring break, there are lots
of fun, inexpensive, and educational things to do for just the
kids or for the whole family.
Bulldog Assembly
1. Planet Lazer — Richmond, Langley, New Westminster and
Burnaby. Commando laser tag action in an impressive arena
with plenty of sniper spots. www.planetlazer.net
2. Go-karts — Richmond. Make like Mario Andretti at one of
Western Canada’s largest kart tracks.
www.richmondgokarts.com
3. Playdome — BC Place. Canada’s largest indoor carnival
rocks 45 rides, including the 100-foot Mega Drop, Ring of Fire,
Super Shot, the Zipper and more, with games and a carnival
concession. www.bcplacestadium.com
4. Indoor Trampoline Park — Richmond. Canada’s largest
indoor trampoline park offers a football field-sized arena of
interconnected jumping zones. www.extremeairpark.com
5. North Shore Paintball — North Vancouver. Intense,
simulated war game for Terminator fans in wild
indoor/outdoor terrain. www.nspaintball.ca
6. Monkido Aerial Adventure — Maple Ridge. Swing, jump,
and zip line through jungle-inspired obstacle courses built with
cargo nets, rope swings, tightropes, swinging logs, wobbly
bridges, and more. wildplay.com.
7. Grouse Mountain Ziplines — North Vancouver. Soar over
the treetops at speeds reaching 80 km/h. Dress warmly, as
though you’re going for a winter motorcycle ride.
Grousemountain.com
8. Fly Zone Bodyflight — Richmond. Experience the world of
skydiving, safely, without having to jump out of an airplane.
www.flyzone.ca
9. Cliffhanger — Richmond, Coquitlam, Vancouver. Now is the
time for the aspiring Spider-Man (or woman) to learn the
ropes. Experienced climbing instructors are on hand.
cliffhangerclimbing.com
Our next Bradner Bulldog Assembly will take place on
Friday, March 6th, 2015 @ 11:00 am
IMPORTANT DATES:
Mar. 4th – PAC Meeting @ 9:30 in the Multi-purpose
room
Mar. 6th - Bulldog Assembly @ 11:00 / Weird Hair Day
Mar. 10th – 2nd Term Report Cards
Mar, 11th & 12th (Wed. & Thurs.) 1 hour early dismissal days
Mar. 13th – Wear Green Day (in lieu of St. Patrick’s Day)
March 16th-27th (Monday-Friday) - Spring Vacation - No School
Weird Hair Day – Tomorrow!
Don’t forget – Friday, March 6th is Weird hair Day. Come in the
wildest, wackiest hair styles you can manage!
Green Day
Green Day will take place on Friday, March 13th. Show your St.
Patrick’s Day spirit and come in “Ye Finest G’reen”.
The Walking Club –
Heart & Stroke Foundation
Bradner Elementary‘s Walking Club will begin on
Tuesday, April 7th and will run for 4 weeks (until
Thursday, April 30th). We will walk Tuesdays and Thursdays,
starting at 12:00 pm. Please make sure your children come
| Page 2 of 5
with proper footwear on these days. Permission Forms will be
sent home shortly!
Planning on Moving
We are already busy planning for next year. If you know that
you are moving this spring or summer, or will not be attending
at Bradner in September, could you please contact the office
and let us know. Thank You.
Daylight Savings Time
Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 8th.
Don’t forget to adjust your clocks ahead an hour.
Parents, and their children born in 2010 or 2011 are invited to
come to a Ready, Set, Learn (RSL) event at their
neighbourhood school. Every child will be given a bag of
learning supplies. Parents will be given resources and ideas
about how to support their child in using these materials.
Ready, Set, Learn is to help parents receive valuable
information for helping preschoolers experience
success and provide 3 & 4 year-old children with a good head
start for kindergarten. We will have activities with stories;
letters; words and printing. Families will receive an
information kit.
Please call Mrs. Juulsen to Register (604) 856-3304
Anti-Bullying Day
Report Cards
Bradner held an anti-bullying march with banners
on Friday, February 27th in conjunction with AntiBullying Day. There was a sea of pink all through
Bradner Elementary School. Students made their
own banners and also took an Anti-Bullying oath on this day.
Report Cards will be sent home with your child(ren)
Tuesday afternoon . Pease keep the report card for
your records and sign and return the envelope to
your classroom teacher.
Nights of Music -
Public Speaking
APRIL 8th @ 1:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Students in Division 1 and 2 will soon be
rehearsing for the upcoming School District
Nights of Music, Thursday, April 2nd at 7 p.m.
@ Abby Arts Centre. Our students will be
singing and playing handbells as part of a wonderful evening of
music.
Mark this date on your Calendar.
Kindergarten 2015-2016
Kindergarten Registration for the Abbotsford School District
commenced on Monday, January 19th. If you have a friend or
neighbour who has a child eligible for Kindergarten this
September, please advise them to come and fill out the
Registration Forms.
Our school public speaking competition is quickly approaching.
Grades 4-7 students are expected to write a speech and deliver
it. The deadlines are as follows:
- Grade finals are being conducted the week of March 31 –
April 2nd, with School finals held on Wednesday, April 8th @
1:00 pm in the school gym.
A breakdown of the Public Speaking expectations were
sent home earlier this week, please discuss these dates
with your child as there is a very tight timeline to adhere
to. We are looking forward, once again, to excellent
speeches.
Parents are most welcome to attend the finals!
All Kindergarten Programs for the 2015/2016 school year will
be Full Day Kindergarten in keeping with Ministry of Education
Policy.
(Complete information can be found on the district website
http://www.sd34.bc.ca/schools/registration/kindergarten
Thank You to our Volunteers!
Thank you to Mrs. Tanya Boyd for the Spring Theme Bulletin
Board outside the office.
Ready, Set, Learn for 3 & 4 year olds
will be held @ Bradner on WEDNESDAY,
April 22nd from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
To Mrs. Val Duma for all her hard work with teaching the Bells
to Div. 1 & 2 in preparation for the upcoming Nights of Music
and Bradner Flower Show.
| Page 3 of 5
To Karolina Rempel for dropping off Hamlet and Oppie’s feed
at Edenvale the other day.
To Mr. Peter Wise for all his help with changing our Signage
Information Board this month.
To Mrs. Jennifer Hall, Mrs. Tracy Byers and Mrs. Bray for
transporting the students taking part in the Reading Challenge.
PAC CORNER
All Parents welcome, old faces and new faces
NEXT PAC Meeting:
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4TH @ 9:30 a.m., in the
Multipurpose Room.
Childminding and coffee provided.
Please join us!
Come and have some input on how we can enhance our children's
education at this wonderful school. Also, it is a great way to get
to know some more parents, and have some insight on events
that are happening at our school.
Please join us on Facebook - Bradner Elementary PAC
Check out our new web page: www.bradnerpac.com
New e-mail [email protected] Or you can reach the PAC
President, Dawn Lewis by phone 604-746-8249
.
PAC Executive - 2014/2015
President - Dawn Lewis
Vice President - Peter Wise
Secretary - Tanya Boyd
Treasurer - Christine Bouchard
DPAC Rep – Stacey Stinson
SPC Rep – Sharon Smit
Donations needed for May Day!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Bradner Elementary School 2014-2015
- March 6th (Friday) - Weird Hair Day
- March 10th (Tuesday) - 2nd Term Report Cards handed out
- March 11th & 12th (Wednesday & Thursday) - 1 hour early dismissal days
- March 13th (Friday) - Last day before Spring Vacation/
Green Day (Wear Green for St. Patrick’s Day)
- March 16th - 27th (Monday-Friday) - Spring Vacation – no School
- April 2nd (Thursday) – Nights of Music @ 7:00 pm @ Abbey Arts Centre
- April 3rd (Friday) - Good Friday – no school
- April 6th (Monday) - Easter Monday – no school
- April 8th (Wednesday) – Public Speaking finals @ 1:00 pm in the gym
- April 10th (Friday) – Bradner Flower Show
- April 24th (Friday) - Twin Day (Dress like a friend)
- May 8th (Friday) - Non-Instructional Day #5 - no school - Professional Development Day
- May 18th (Monday) - Victoria Day/Bradner May Day – no school
- May 29th (Friday) – Hawaiian Day
- June 1st (Monday) - Non-Instructional Day#6 - no school - Professional Development Day
- June 5th (Friday) - Sports Day/Wear Team Colours
- June 12th (Friday) - Track and Field Meet at Rotary Stadium
- June 25th (Thursday) - Last Day for Students/Year End Assembly
- June 26th (Friday) - Year-end Closing - (Last Day for Teachers)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Bradner School Swim - Friday, May 1st, 2015
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Any child under 7 years of age and any child who is
considered a non-swimmer must have an adult (18 years
or over) with them in the water and at arms-length
away, at all times. Any child who is under 7 years of age
or a non-swimmer and not accompanied by an adult will
not be permitted to swim on swim day. We encourage
parents to make whatever arrangements necessary, as
early as possible, so that all students have the
opportunity to participate. Many thanks!
Spring Break
The last day of school before Spring Break will
be Friday, March 13. School will reopen on
Monday, March 30, 2015.
The Bradner PAC is collecting donations for their
annual May Day Silent Auction and Raffle. If you would like to
make a donation or know someone (Company) that would like
to make a donation towards the Bradner May Day fundraiser,
please contact Miranda @ 604-857-3382, or
[email protected] OR Conny at 604-556-0041. This
is the PAC’s major annual fundraiser that contributes to a long
list of extras for our students.
Community Listings via District Website
If you are interested in setting up a vendor table to promote
your business, please contact Tanya @ 778-552-0311 for
details.
Ms. Lee – Roots of Empaty
If you are interested in making a sponsorship contribution
please contact Dawn @ 604-746-8549.
Thank you for your support from the Bradner PAC
For the most recent happenings in our community, please visit
the Abbotsford School District website, and look under
Community & Parent Information under the Parents &
Students Tab OR go to community/parent info page on the
district website, at http://www.sd34.bc.ca/parentsstudents/CommunityInformation
Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program
that has shown significant effect in reducing levels of
aggression among schoolchildren by raising social/emotional
competence and increasing empathy.
| Page 4 of 5
At the heart of the program are a neighbourhood infant and
parent who visit the classroom every three weeks over the
school year. A trained Roots of Empathy Instructor coaches
students to observe the baby's development and to label the
baby's feelings. In this experiential learning, the baby is the
"Teacher" and a lever, which the instructor uses to help
children identify and reflect on their own feelings and the
feelings of others. This "emotional literacy" taught in the
program lays the foundation for more safe and caring
classrooms, where children are the "Changers".
Pink Shirt Day
The last Wednesday of February, is now a nation-wide antibullying awareness day, celebrated in schools and workplaces
across Canada. Our school wore pink to show our support for
Anti-Bullying Day.
They are more competent in understanding their own feelings
and the feelings of others (empathy) and are therefore less
likely to physically, psychologically and emotionally hurt each
other through bullying and other cruelties. In the Roots of
Empathy program children learn how to challenge cruelty and
injustice. Messages of social inclusion and activities that are
consensus building contribute to a culture of caring that
changes the tone of the classroom. The Instructor also visits
before and after each family visit to prepare and reinforce
teachings using a specialized lesson plan for each visit.
Research results from national and international evaluations of
Roots of Empathy indicate significant reductions in aggression
and increases in pro-social behaviour.
Mrs. Fyfe and Nixon
visiting the grade twos for
the roots of empathy
program.
Early Dismissal Days
DIV 1 – Miss Duffels/Mrs. Christian – taking a break
and enjoying the scenery on their Manning Ski trip.
March 11 & 12
On Wednesday, March 11 & Thursday, March 12,
students will be dismissed one hour early at 2:18pm.
These days are scheduled to provide an opportunity for
teachers to talk with parents about their child’s term 2
report card. Parents will be notified by classroom
teachers if a meeting is required. You may also let your
child’s teacher know if you’d like a meeting as not every
parent will be contacted.
| Page 5 of 5
Principal’s Message
New and Additional Staff Positions:
It is with great excitement that we are able to announce that
our wonderful Learning Assistance
Teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Duff, has been
hired at Bradner Elementary School for
an additional day each week. This
means more Learning Assistance (L.A.)
support for our students at
Bradner. Equally exciting to announce is that we have also
hired Mrs. Ravinder Sandhu (who job shares in division two
with Mr. Marsh), for an extra day each week as our English
Language Learning (ELL) Teacher. The ELL component has
always been part of Mrs. Duff’s responsibility, but now she can
concentrate on the LA portion of her position and Mrs. Sandhu
can concentrate on the ELL portion. It does not get much
better than this!
Bell Schedule:
You may or may not be aware, but we added two
additional minutes to the warning bell each day
at Bradner. The bell used to ring at 9:09 a.m.,
but now it rings at 9:07 a.m. We really felt that
students needed another two minutes to get themselves into
the building, their coats hung up, boots off, indoor shoes on,
books in hand, and seated to begin their day. We have really
noticed a difference to the start of the day with children more
settled in their classrooms by the time the instructional bell
rings. Amazing how such a small change can make such a huge
difference.
Renovations:
Our staffroom and multipurpose room renovations are
progressing nicely. We may be able to put the staffroom back
to normal next week and finish the
multipurpose room sometime shortly
after Spring Break. We are all very
excited about these new rooms and the
potential that each room has to offer
both students and staff. We are all
waiting patiently, but like most good
things – they take time!
Hamlet and Ophelia (aka Oppie):
If you and your family would like to go out and see Hamlet and
Oppie….they would love to see you, too! We had a family who
spent a week with them already who absolutely loved their
time with them. They sent me text messages and pictures
almost daily about the progress they were making. This family
got a chance to enter the enclosure, feed them, pet them, give
them belly scratches, talk to them, and check out the important
work that our piglets do all day (rooting in the dirt). They are
pretty funny to watch! Superintendent Kevin Godden has been
out to see them twice now and never misses a chance to give
them a good scratch and feed them from his
hand. Let us know if you would like them to be
part of your family for a week. There is talk of
getting some goats, too. With chickens and
pigs already there what’s a few more fury
friends to play with?
Off Campus Permission Form:
We sent home an “Off Campus Permission Form” last
week. This permission form is kept on file all year. It gives
your child permission to leave our campus with their class and
teacher to enjoy things like our September Terry Fox Run and
April Walking Club on Haverman Road, Bradner Community
tennis courts, Bradner Community Parks and baseball
diamonds, as well as Edenvale Community Gardens
and Education Centre without having to sign duplicate
‘Field Trip Request Forms’ each time. Any time your
child will leave our campus for any reason, you will
always be informed like any other field trip, but with this
particular form we can remove an extra step, extra paperwork,
and extra teacher time filling out policy forms.
Smartboard:
Exciting news! We have purchased a new Smartboard for our
Kindergarten classroom. Ms. Gill and her students are very
excited about the news. This additional tool will be very
beneficial for our little ones. Ms. Gill is
committed to learning more about how to
use this in her classroom to support her
student’s learning. The Smartboard should
be here and installed in the Kindergarten
class in about a month.
Here we grow again!
The lost and found box is once again over flowing.
Students and parents have a chance, over the next
few days, to search for missing articles of clothing,
shoes, etc. Please drop in and take a look for your
missing items. During Spring Break all items will
be donated to local charities.