GORDON HAPPENINGS
It is hard to believe that it is already December, but with the blast of cold 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 Ms. Harmel and Ms. Hargrave for coahing the Seniors and Mr. Patrick, and our Secondary Coaches- Olivia and Nicole for coaching the Juniors. 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 note that school will be closed for Winter Break from Monday, December 25 reopening on Monday, January 8.
COMMUNICATING STUDENT LEARNING
On Friday, December 1, 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. With the new reporting order from the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care, this term’s report will look a bit different. This is a great time to have a conversation with your child about their learning. These reports are meant to be strength-based and a reflection of their accomplishments this term; which means that they focus on what they “can do”. Ask them, “what they are most proud of”, “what do they feel they need to work on or learn next” and “what do they need to do to get there”. If you have any questions about your child’s CSL report, please feel free to reach out to their classroom teacher.
Here is an information package to help familiarize yourself with the new report.
K-12 Student Reporting Information for Parents and Caregivers
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/reporting/resources-for-parents-and-caregivers
TRAFFIC DURING DROP OFF & PICK UP
Your child’s safety is the most important thing to us and that is why we are going to be running a traffic safety campaign this winter. With the weather getting colder and the days shorter, more and more families are using their cars to get their children to and from school. This is leading to more congestion around the school as well as an increase in unsafe driving. This is putting Gordon students at risk of being seriously hurt. We have had a few near misses that have been very scary for everyone involved.
I posted in our October Newsletter some Traffic Safety Reminders (click here to view this post again). Please take some time to review this. We especially do not want to see motorists blocking crosswalks or parking on the opposite side of the road.
As part of our campaign, the VPD Traffic Patrol and City of Vancouver By-Law officers will be visiting the school to draw attention to this important issue. If you see them out there, they are doing their job to help keep your children safe. There will also be some parent volunteers out in high-visibility vests making sure students are getting out of cars safely and crossing the street at the corners and crosswalks.
Please be respectful of the time these volunteers are giving to the school!
We have a very dedicated group of parents that have been promoting active transportation to school and our Gordon Bike Bus is still going strong! Please visit the PAC website: https://www.gordonpac.com/bikebus to learn more. Hope to see you out there too!
TRAVELING OVER THE HOLIDAYS
Please contact
Ms. Heidi (haleung@vsb.bc.ca) in the office before December 15 if your child will be travelling over the holidays and will be returning to school AFTER Monday, January 8. 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 2024-2025 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 – Applying for a District choice program is a separate process and runs from January 8 to February 2, 2024. Visit the Kindergarten Choice Programs page for more information.
HOLIDAY BAZAAR
We are excited to be holding our Holiday Bazaar again this year. This is an opportunity for students to buy gifts for their family members. All proceeds will be donated to a charity in support of our Student Council. Your child will be bringing home a form on Monday to fill out so they know who they are buying for. We ask that you limit it to immediate family members only. For our primary students, it is good to know the age of their siblings so we can help them pick out age-appropriate gifts.
Please send the bottom portion of the form back with your child on Thursday, December 7 along with their money. All gifts are $2.
The PAC is gratefully accepting donations for this.
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 6. Donations accepted during the hours of 8:30-3:30 pm right outside the office.
Please email PACgeneralgordon@ymail.com if you have any questions or would like to volunteer.
HOLIDAY HAMPERS
We will be accepting donations for Holiday Hampers to support some families who are in need. More information will be sent home from your child’s classroom teacher. Any donation, big or small, will be very much appreciated.
SPIRIT WEAR
Don’t miss out! We are excited to announce our Gordon Spirit Wear with our new logo designed by Indigenous Artist, Amber Cornick.
The store closes Sunday, Dec. 3 at midnight!
Just click on the link below to order!
https://gordonelementaryfall2023.itemorder.com/shop/home/
LOST & FOUND
Please continue to check our Lost &Found for your child’s items and label all their clothing, water bottles and containers. 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.
- Donations for Covenant House – Please click on the donation link below if you would like to make a donation to Covenant House from December 4 – 22 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.
- Spirit Day – Friday, December 22 will be Pajama Day. Staff and students are encouraged to wear their cozy PJs or comfy clothing to school in support of our Covenant House fundraiser.
Our Student Council greatly appreciates your support!
PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (PAC)
Make sure that you take a moment to visit the PAC website at gordonpac.com and sign-up for their email list. There are a number of amazing fundraisers, activities and volunteer opportunities that you will not want to miss out on!