{"id":909,"date":"2024-04-05T15:48:41","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T22:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/?p=909"},"modified":"2024-04-05T15:50:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T22:50:14","slug":"april-newsletter-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/2024\/04\/05\/april-newsletter-4\/","title":{"rendered":"April Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><span style=\"color: #333399\">GORDON HAPPENINGS<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><strong>It has been wonderful to come back to sunny weather, clear skies and longer days. We hope that your family was able to spend some time together and enjoy the break. The last three months will go by fast so do not forget to take some time to enjoy it!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce a few new staff member to Gordon, Ellie Price and Keith Graham who are joining our wonderful SSW team. Welcome to Gordon and we are really happy to have both of you as part of our learning community!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Monday, April 22<\/strong> is our last Professional Development Day. School is not in session for students.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333399\">SCHOOL STREETS PROGRAM<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-910 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2024\/04\/school-streets-landing-300x134.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"255\" height=\"114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2024\/04\/school-streets-landing-300x134.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2024\/04\/school-streets-landing.png 670w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 255px) 100vw, 255px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>We are excited to announce that Gordon Elementary will be participating in the School Streets Program for four weeks starting <strong>May 6, 2024<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n<p><strong>What is a School Street?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A School Street is a car-free block next to a school, open for walking, biking, and rolling during drop-off and pick-up times. The program is a partnership between the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver School Board.<\/li>\n<li>School Streets have been shown to create a safer environment for children, increase active travel, improve air quality, and reduce vehicle congestion. For more information about the program, please visit <a href=\"https:\/\/vancouver.ca\/people-programs\/school-streets.aspx?utm_campaign=School-Streets&amp;utm_medium=Vanity&amp;utm_source=School-Streets_Vanity\">ca\/School-Streets<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Gordon School Street Program Details:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dates: <span style=\"color: #333399\">May 6, 2024 to May 31, 202<\/span>4<\/strong>, on all school days (4 weeks)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Location:<\/strong> Bayswater Street between W 6th and W 7th avenues (see Figure 1 in attachment)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Times: <span style=\"color: #333399\">8:40 \u2013 9:10 am and 2:45 \u2013 3:30 pm<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Extended Hours<\/strong>: <span style=\"color: #333399\"><strong>Wednesdays, 2:45 \u2013 4:00 pm<\/strong><\/span>, for Play Street activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Play Street Wednesdays<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Join the Society for Children and Youth of BC (SCY) every Wednesday afternoon from <span style=\"color: #333399\"><strong>2:45 to 4:00 pm<\/strong> <\/span>for Play Street fun! Enjoy activities like badminton, crafts, and a scooter course with ramps.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Need to drive?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While we promote active travel, we recognize that some parents may need to drive. Please consider drop-off locations a short walk away for older children, freeing up space nearer to the school for parents with younger students or those with accessibility needs. Kindly adhere to parking signage and utilize designated areas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Accessibility<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>W 6th and W 7th Avenue will remain accessible by motor vehicle as needed. Additional parking spaces may be provided for families with accessibility needs. Please contact Sharlene Steele, Principal, directly if you have accessibility needs and require more information.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Volunteers Needed!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gordon needs your help to make our School Street program a success! We are looking for volunteers to sign up for 45-to 60-minute shifts to help set up, monitor, and take down barriers. Training will be provided. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/volunteersignup.org\/8FB8B__;!!E3YeXkmunRgu!xVBfsx1RVJKnx4DdwOvd9xeyWRHQbznv50Cyc57mMpU5m_YitbWSe8iRIwLociTxeivU35f3bYh971PVux65wxOdYg$\">volunteersignup.org\/8FB8B <\/a>for details or email goldmaya@gmail.com for questions. As a token of appreciation for your time, for each shift you volunteer, you will receive a $5 gift card to a local coffee shop.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Questions and Feedback<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For inquiries about the School Street program, email <a href=\"mailto:SchoolStreets@vancouver.ca\">SchoolStreets@vancouver.ca<\/a> or visit <a href=\"https:\/\/vancouver.ca\/people-programs\/school-streets.aspx?utm_campaign=School-Streets&amp;utm_medium=Vanity&amp;utm_source=School-Streets_Vanity\">vancouver.ca\/School-Streets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Parents will receive a survey at the end of the program for feedback. Residents will also be informed via the attached letter and encouraged to reach out to the City with questions or feedback.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for supporting Gordon&#8217;s new initiative!<\/p>\n<p>HUGE shout out to our Volunteer Coordinators for all their hard work making this happen. Maya Goldstein, Negar Amini, and Stacy Buckland. Please join us at our PAC meeitng on <strong>Tuesday, April 9 at 6:30 pm<\/strong> to find out more!<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333399\"><strong>GARDEN BEDS<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-641 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2023\/03\/school-gardens-open-graph-300x157.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"108\" \/>A number of classes are beginning to plan for outdoor learning opportunities. We are excited to be using our outdoor classroom more as the weather improves. Classes will also start preparing our garden beds so students can learn about plants that are native to BC as well as those that were important to our local First Nations People. Students learn where our food comes from and what we need to do to care for it. We are also able to connect this learning to our Fruit and Veggie program.\u00a0<strong>We ask that everyone in our Gordon community respect the plants that are growing and not pick or destroy them<\/strong>. Teachers and students think of these outdoor spaces as an extension of their classrooms and therefore are asking that everyone respects them. If you see someone in our garden beds, please kindly ask them to look and not touch. We really appreciate your help and understanding!<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333399\"><strong>CL<\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-437 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2022\/04\/camera.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"106\" height=\"107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2022\/04\/camera.png 860w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2022\/04\/camera-295x300.png 295w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2022\/04\/camera-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2022\/04\/camera-768x781.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2022\/04\/camera-560x569.png 560w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2022\/04\/camera-260x264.png 260w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2022\/04\/camera-160x163.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 106px) 100vw, 106px\" \/><strong>A<\/strong><strong>SS &amp; GROUP PHOTOS<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We are excited to have Artona returning on <b>Friday, April 12 (date change) <\/b>to take class photos as well as sports teams, school clubs and the Grade 7 photos. Students will be getting a class photo and the other photos will be in our school yearbook that everyone will get at the end of the year.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333399\"><strong>RBC RACE FOR THE KIDS<\/strong><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/fundraise.bcchf.ca\/join\/GeneralGordonPenguins\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-666 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2023\/03\/RBC-Run-300x110.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2023\/03\/RBC-Run-300x110.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2023\/03\/RBC-Run-260x95.jpg 260w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2023\/03\/RBC-Run-160x59.jpg 160w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2023\/03\/RBC-Run.jpg 546w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>A message from Ms. Sinclair:<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s that time of the year again! I\u2019ve signed Gordon up as a team for this year\u2019s <i><strong>RBC Race for the Kids<\/strong><\/i>, which works towards raising funds for childhood cancer programs and research, as well as mental health initiatives. In the past, Gordon Elementary has been placed among the top earning teams in terms of fundraising. Our first year, we raised over $3,000 as a community, followed by last year\u2019s total of almost $6,000 and last over 10,000. I have set our goal as <strong>$3000<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The race will be held this year on <strong>Sunday, June 9<\/strong>, with a meeting point right beside Nat Bailey Stadium. Below, I\u2019ll included the link to register for our team. If you pledge to raise at least $50.00, the sign-up fee is only $5.00. It is always great to see Gordon Families out running!<\/p>\n<p>The following link will take you to the sign-up page for our team. Should you need any help, please don\u2019t hesitate to ask. Select whether you\u2019d like to\u00a0<i>walk or run<\/i>\u00a0the\u00a0<strong>2K or 5K.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fui-Link ___1rxvrpe f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1hu3pq6 f11qmguv f19f4twv f1tyq0we f1g0x7ka fhxju0i f1qch9an f1cnd47f fqv5qza f1vmzxwi f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn\" title=\"https:\/\/fundraise.bcchf.ca\/join\/gordonelementary\" href=\"https:\/\/fundraise.bcchf.ca\/join\/gordonelementary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Link https:\/\/fundraise.bcchf.ca\/join\/gordonelementary\">https:\/\/fundraise.bcchf.ca\/join\/gordonelementary<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333399\"><strong>IMMUNIZATION CLINIC<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Our regular childhood immunization clinic will take place on\u00a0<strong>Friday, April 26.<\/strong> If your child is required to receive their immunization, you will receive a letter from our community health nurse, Majid ShahnaziJahromi. \u00a0You can also contact him directly at <a class=\"ms-outlook-linkify\" href=\"mailto:majid.shahnazijahromi@vch.ca\"><span class=\"outlook-search-highlight\" data-markjs=\"true\">majid<\/span>.shahnazijahromi@vch.ca \u00a0<\/a>if you have any questions.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333399\">MESSAGE FROM OUR LIBRARIAN, Ms. Zdriluk.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-911 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2024\/04\/Vancouver_Arbutus-300x96.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2024\/04\/Vancouver_Arbutus-300x96.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2024\/04\/Vancouver_Arbutus-768x246.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/files\/2024\/04\/Vancouver_Arbutus.png 814w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This community really is amazing! The Rotary Club of Arbutus was truly blown away by not only the amount of books donated but the quality as well. You have enriched so many families by providing books to these children.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The final count was <strong>283 board books<\/strong> for babies and <strong>314 books<\/strong> for children for a total of <strong>\u00a0597 books<\/strong>. They all went to the\u00a0 Early Learning Centres in Vancouver.<\/p>\n<div class=\"elementToProof\">A BIG thank you to all families who supported our book fair! It was such a fun community event and it was a pleasure to meet so many wonderful Gordon families.\u00a0 \u00a0With total sales of <strong>$7247<\/strong>, I was able to take $637 in books from the bookfair and received a credit for $900 to choose books from Scholastic online.\u00a0 The bookfair also generated $903 in cash which I am spending at Kidsbooks to buy new titles including student requests. It&#8217;s wonderful to see the kids so excited about books. A special thank you goes out to tireless volunteers Ashley Drummond, Jessie Mok, Jesse Jobin, Laura Silvester, Erin Piper and library volunteer Gena Kolson (retired teacher-librarian)\u00a0 who were the calm in the storm. It was so busy that both our principal and vice principal stepped in to help! Thank you also to those families and staff who brought in so many great donations for our school library.\u00a0 They are very appreciated! &#x1f642;\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Ms. Z<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333399\"><strong>PAC NEWS<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Make sure you stay up to date on all that is happening with Gordon PAC. Please visit their website-\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gordonpac.com\/\">gordonpac.com<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>for all the news including Hot Lunch, PAC meetings and volunteer opportunities. While you are there, do not forget to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gordonpac.com\/contact\">sign up<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for their newsletter. Our school dance is coming up and you do not want to miss out! Buy your tickets through the PAC website. Below is just one example of how your fundraising efforts benefit the students here at Gordon. Our Ks are very proud of our new red wolf cub bibs!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>GORDON HAPPENINGS It has been wonderful to come back to sunny weather, clear skies and longer days. We hope that your family was able to spend some time together and enjoy the break. The last three months will go by fast so do not forget <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/2024\/04\/05\/april-newsletter-4\/\" title=\"April Newsletter\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":403,"featured_media":913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/403"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=909"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":916,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/909\/revisions\/916"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vsb.bc.ca\/gordon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}