GORDON HAPPENINGS

It is hard to believe that it is already December, but with the blast of snowy weather we had this week, winter let us know that it is here! Please continue to dress your child(ren) for the weather. We will only have an inside day at recess and lunch if the weather is unusually poor and there is a potential risk to student safety.

What an amazing and action-packed few months we have had here at Gordon. Students have settled into a routine and are engaged and enthusiastic about their learning. Special thank you to Mr. Patrick and Ms. Hargrave for a very successful volleyball season. Thank you Gordon students for representing our school so well!

With cold and flu season upon us, we are beginning to see a higher number of absenteeism which is common during this time of year. Please continue to check daily for symptoms of respiratory illness, wash hands regularly and practice respiratory etiquette and to phone our Safe Arrival line if your child is going to be away. Please see our website for other tips and tricks for this respiratory illness season.

Please note that school will be closed for Winter Break from Monday, December 19 to Monday, January 2 – reopening on Tuesday, January 3.

STUDENT & FAMILY AFFODABILITY FUND

Thank you to those families who have come forward. We recognize that we are all feeling the restraints of the current economic situation and that almost everything feels like it is costing more these days. The committee has allocated money to help individual families that have come forward needing assistance, as well as providing hot lunch for some students, healthy snacks for any student in the school who needs it and offsetting the cost of some fieldtrips and school wide experiences for all students. Please contact your child’s classroom teacher or Ms. Steele if you have any questions.

COMMUNICATING STUDENT LEARNING

In January your child will receive their first written report. CSL (Communicating Student Learning) is in conjunction with BC’s redesigned curriculum which has given us the opportunity to report to parents in more flexible ways. The VSB’s goal is to create a reporting process that is tangible and more responsive with increased student ownership and parent involvement while providing clear, understandable information to parents. For more information, please click on the link below or talk to your child’s classroom teacher.

Communicating Student Learning

TRAVELLING OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Please contact Ms. Heidi (haleung@vsb.bc.ca) in the office before December 16 if your child will be travelling over the holidays and will be returning to school AFTER Tuesday, January 3rd.  Please note that the school does not provide schoolwork for students whose family choose to extend their holidays.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Thank you to all our families that have registered their child for Kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year. Please continue to make an appointment with Ms. Heidi to bring in your paperwork to finalize your child’s registration. Priority registration ends January 31, 2023. This date is especially important at Gordon as we are considered a full school and therefore if we have more K registrations than spots, the VSB will hold a lottery for space. Your child will only be considered for this lottery if they are registered with all the paperwork received at the school before this date. Please visit the VSB website by clicking HERE for more information. District Choice Programs – registration for these programs are between Jan. 3 and Feb. 3, 2023. You MUST register at your child’s catchment school first before registering for a District Program.

The VSB has launched a new podcast series named: VSB After the Bell. This month’s episode is All Things Kindergarten. More information on how to listen can be found HERE.

SAVE THE DATE

We are very excited to have Jess Dance coming to our school in January to do dance workshops with all of our students. The final session will be a performace that families are welcome to attend. More information will be sent home in the new year but for now, please save the date for Thursday, January 19th for this dance extravaganza!

LOST & FOUND

We have many lost items of clothing and containers, including a number of coats and sweaters.  Our Lost & Found is located outside the gym by the East stairs. Please come into the school and have a look if you think your child has misplaced anything.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Student Council would like to announce a few activities that they will be doing in December.

1. Donations for Covenant House – Please click on the donation link below if you would like to make a donation to Covenant House from December 5 – 16 in support of youth in our community.  For the month of December, all donations will be triple matched to make three times the impact on youth. Please click HERE to make a donation.
2. Spirit Day – Friday, December 9 will be Pajama Day. Staff and students are encouraged to wear their cozy PJs or comfy clothing to school for next Friday.

Our Student Council greatly appreciates your support!

HOLIDAY DONATION DRIVE

Two of our students, Dylan and Hazel in Division 6, will be collecting new and used blankets, scarves, gloves, coats, hats and boots for people who are experiencing homelessness. They will also be collecting unopened pet food for their pets. This is all in support of Lookout Housing Society’s emergency shelters. Donations can be dropped off in a collection bin outside the office from Dec. 1 – Dec. 16. Thank you for your support!

PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (PAC)

Make sure that you take a moment to visit the PAC website at gordonpac.ca and sign-up for their email list. There are a number of amazing activities and volunteer opportunities that you will not want to miss out on! Thank you to the PAC who are bringing back our Gordon Holiday Bazaar on Thursday, December 8.

They are gratefully accepting donations of small items students can buy for a few dollars and then give as gifts to family and friends. All money raised will be donated to Covenant House.

Like new and gently used:

– Sports accessories

– Jewelry and fashion accessories

– Toys and games

– Decorative items (e.g. candles, picture frames)

– Books and small electronics

– Donations of wrapping, ideally gift bags, tissue paper or wrapping paper, as well as tape, ribbon, and string

Please no clothes or stuffed animals

Please drop off donations by Wednesday, December 7th. Donations accepted during the hours of 8:30-3:30 pm right outside the office.

If this does not work, please email gordpac@ymail.com to arrange pickup.