GORDON HAPPENINGS

We have a very busy month ahead with a number of exciting fieldtrips planned and events happening. Please take the time to update your calendars and read the emails and newsletters that come out. You don’t want to miss out!

It is so nice to see the sun and feel that Spring is finally here! I want to give a special thank you to our PAC for organizing a night of learning for parents and caregivers that looked at exploring historical relationships and working towards reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples. It was a powerful experience and one that the families who took part in really appreciated. Thank you also to our babysitters who looked after our younger students.

Our final sporting team for the season is Track and Field for Grades 3 – 7. Students were given permission forms and practices have started on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8:00 AM, rain or shine! Extra forms are in the office if your child has not brought one home.

CLASS PLACEMENT REQUESTS

Close to the end of the year, teachers start to think about next year and the placement of students into classes. When it comes to considering class placements, classes are put together carefully and with a great deal of thought by classroom teachers. When placing students into classes, many factors such as academic level, social-emotional learning and learning style are taken into consideration as well as personality and social dynamics. Teachers use objective criteria to assess students’ abilities and needs. Some of the factors used to make decisions are class size, student-teacher ratio, and the overall composition of the class, which can affect how well a student will perform and learn. At Gordon, we believe that parents are partners in education and can bring an important perspective to the class-placement process. They can provide useful insights into their child’s strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. It is important to understand that information provided by parents is one component of the process. This year, instead of filling out a form, please share information you believe relevant with your child’s current teacher before the end of May. Please note that we do not accept input or requests for specific teachers nor for combined classes versus straight classes.

WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN EVENT

You and your child are invited to Gordon Elementary’s Welcome to Kindergarten™ event on:

Date: Thursday, May 11, 2023

Time:  11 am

Place: Gym at Gordon Elementary

2268 Bayswater St, Vancouver, BC

School RSVP: haleung@vsb.bc.ca

Please reply by email by May 5, 2023

Due to space limitations, we request a maximum of 1 parent/guardian to accompany our new kindergarten students to this event.  We request that you please do not bring younger siblings along with you. This is a time for parents and children to learn together.

This will be a great opportunity for you to meet other parents and students who will be attending in September 2023 as well as some of the Gordon Staff.  Activities to encourage readiness for Kindergarten will be shared, and each child will receive a complimentary gift bag with FREE educational materials to take home.  We encourage parents to continue practicing these activities at home to help prepare their child for kindergarten.

If for whatever reason your child is not able to attend our school in September, we ask you to inform the school office as soon as possible.

Please R.V.S.P. to this invite by May 5, 2023 to secure your child’s spot at this event.

GARDEN BEDS

Students are very excited about seeing their hard work growing in our garden beds.  A number of divisions have been learning about where our food comes from and how to grow our food.  Besides the garden beds, classes have also been part of a project called “spuds in tubs” where they are growing potatoes in pots.  To learn more, click here.  As tempting as it is for kids to explore and play in the garden beds, we would appreciate your support in reminding your children that our garden beds are part of our outdoor classrooms and that they need to be respected.  Our teachers and students are very proud of our garden and would like to see their hard work rewarded with a bountiful crop to harvest.

SPRING WEATHER

As the weather hopefully gets nicer, so does the need to dress and prepare ourselves for the sun.  Please remember to send your child to school with a hat, cool clothing, and suntan lotion already on.  We will not be able to apply suntan lotion to children.  Don’t forget their water bottle as well.  Thanks for your support!

BIG ONE AT 2

The safety and welfare of our students and staff are our highest priority at the Vancouver School Board. As such, we practice safety drills throughout the year to help our students know what to do in an emergency.

On Thursday, May 4, 2023 the VSB will be conducting its annual district wide Big One @ 2 emergency drill.  As a part of this year’s drill at 2 pm, we will be conducting a full school student release. This means that if parents are able to come to the school between 2 – 2:30 pm, they will be able to be part of the drill and take part in what we call our student reunification procedures. This is a voluntary activity and if work schedules do not allow you to come to the school early, students will be dismissed at 3:00 pm as per our normal practice.

If you choose to be part of our drill, students will only be released to parents and/or alternates listed on the emergency information forms you provided to the school.  These are the ONLY people who will be allowed to sign for the release of a student in an emergency situation (and on the day of the drill).  It is MANDATORY that the parent/guardian picking up the child MUST show government issued ID.  No child will be released to a parent without it.

Please be sure that this information is current and accurate. Alternates should live within walking distance of the school as transportation disruption is a possibility if a real emergency occurs.

During the drill on May 4, students will be released from the designated evacuation area at the school.  Parents or alternates will be expected to:

1. Identify and report to the Student Reunification table located at the front of the school where you will show your ID. Please line up along the northwest corner of the building according to your child’s last name.
2. Obtain a release slip from the Student Reunification table that you bring to supervising staff members who will go and collect your child from the student holding area.
3. Leave the grounds with your child(ren) and not allow your child(ren) to play on the playground while the drill is still occurring until 3:00 pm.

*Please be prepared to show identification, as it is an expected requirement for student release.

It has been a while since the school has done a full release, so we ask that those of you who wish to participate please be patient with us. It will take some time to go through the procedures so you might have to wait to pick-up your child. We also ask that everyone not arrive right at 2:00 pm but stagger your arrival, just like in a real emergency.

If you have any questions regarding the procedures for student release on May 4, please contact your child’s classroom teacher or Ms. Steele at ssteele@vsb.bc.ca.

This is a great reminder to review your own emergency preparedness at home and talk about what you as a family would do if there was a natural disaster.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Online registration began on April 26, 2023.

Students are limited to one Ministry Funded course and must register in their current grade level as of June 30, 2023. Students can register in as many fee-based courses that fit in their schedule.

Please visit the VSB website for more information.

GRADE 7 FAREWELL

We are excited to be able to plan for our Grade 7 Farewell this year. Please save the date for Thursday, June 22, 2023. More information will be sent home to grade 7 families once plans have been finalized. If parents are interested in helping plan for this event, please email Ms. Heidi at haleung@vsb.bc.ca.

RBC RACE FOR THE KIDS

A message from Mr. Carter:

I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable Spring Break! With only three months to go until our summer break, I’m excited to announce Gordon’s participation in this year’s RBC’s Race for the Kids. RBC’s Race for the Kids is an annual fundraiser for the BC Children’s Hospital, supporting the research and cures of childhood cancers and mental health initiatives. It’s a fantastic cause that Gordon has taken part in for the past few years, raising in total over $8,000.00.

This year’s event will take place on Sunday, June 11^th,2023. The race, should you choose to join our Gordon team, is either a 2 or 5KM run or walk – up to you! Our Gordon team fundraising page is up and running, and I’m excited to announce that we’ve already grossed close to $500.00 so far. This event has been a passion of mine since I began here at Gordon in 2017, and as this is my final year at Gordon, I’d love to compete with our highest turn-out and fundraising goal ever!

You may join our team, The General Gordon Penguins, here:

https://fundraise.bcchf.ca/join/GeneralGordonPenguins

When prompted, enter our team passcode “gordon2023” to proceed to the sign-up site. When selecting which team you’ll join, you will have to scroll down to find Gordon, even if it already says our team in that section!

Many of our staff members will be joining me, and I encourage all families to sign-up, bring their families, and help Gordon take part in this noteworthy cause. The event provides music, snacks, and entertainment for the entire family. Should anyone have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email at mcarter@vsb.bc.ca– I will answer any concerns as best I can.

LOST & FOUND

We have many lost items of clothing and containers including a number of coats and sweaters. Please come in and have a look and claim any items that might belong to your child. Any left-over items will be donated to charity. It is also a good reminder to label your child’s clothing so it is easier for us to return any items. Thank you!

PAC EVENTS

Please continue to stay up to date on all things PAC by visiting their website @ https://gordonpac.ca/ or signing up for their newsletter by clicking HERE.