KERRISDALE HAPPENINGS
We’ve had a fantastic month here at Kerrisdale, filled with incredible learning experiences. A heartfelt thank you to all the parents and family members who organized a wonderful Lunar New Year celebration. The event featured impressive displays of local talent deeply rooted in cultural traditions, hands-on learning opportunities with artifacts and exhibits, delicious treats, and engaging arts and crafts activities. The students and staff truly appreciated all the work that went into this event. Shout out to the committee organizers, Lynne Lin, Julia Du and Kathy Liu!
Our basketball teams have had a great season. Huge thank you to our coaches, Mr. Mattias, Mr. Bullard, Mr. Philip Madame. Louise and Ms. Dixon. We could not run these teams without you! Congratulations to the Senior Girls team who won their playoff game against University Hill Elementary. They advance to play at Churchill next week. Our Senior Boys Jamboree team will play at Osler on Wednesday. Go Falcons! We are looking forward to Track and Field after Spring Break. Players, please return you washed jersey to Madame Isabel after your last game.
We would like to thank Joshua Lax, Rebecca Lovell, and Siobhan McCallum for representing us at the Vancouver District Science Fair as exhibition projects. Congratulations!
Our second Written Learning Update (CSL Report Card) will be going home to families on Monday, March 10. This report will outline the learning that has happened from the last written learning update to now. To learn more about the new reporting order, please click on the link HERE or visit the VSB website.
It is hard to believe that Spring Break is just around the corner. Spring Break this year is Monday, March 17 to Friday, March 28 with first day back for students and staff on Monday, March 31. Good Friday is on Friday, April 18 and Easter Monday on Monday, April 21. If your child will be leaving for holidays before these dates or returning to school later, please phone our Safe Arrival Line to report the number of days away and when your child will be returning. Thank you!
EARTHQUAKE PROCEDURES
As you know, there was a 4.6 magnitude earthquake last Friday afternoon. Since Kerrisdale is a seismically upgraded school, only a few of us felt it. Some classes practiced the Drop, Cover, and Hold drill. Every class was checked on, and teachers reviewed procedures with their students. We will continue to review our safety measures as we prepare for our big drill in May. Next month, I will also be communicating to families our pick-up procedures if we do need to evacuate the school for any type of emergency. This serves as a good reminder that every household needs an emergency plan and an earthquake bag with supplies. The Big BC Shake Out website has some good resources for families.
PINK SHIRT DAY
Our classes engaged in a number of activities in their classrooms to celebrate Pink Shirt Day and carry on the message of being kind to everyone and create an sense of belonging in our Kerrisdale community. Below if one example of the activities that the students in Mme. Isabel’s Kindergarten class did.
WINTER CARNIVAL
As a French Immersion school, Kerrisdale has decided to embrace the French Canadian culture and celebrate the Winter Carnaval.
We will launch the event on Monday, March 3rd with an assembly introducing the history, songs and presentation of Bonhomme Carnaval. We will have the visit of the Maple Man on Tuesday, March 4th who will bring “la cabane à sucre” to us. Soap carving, sculptures, ceintures fléchées bracelets, hockey shoot, Bonhomme toss and many more fun activities will be happening next week.
March 3rd & 4th are our school spirit days where we are asking students and staff to dress in Canadian Spirit wear. Examples are tougues, scarfs or mittens, Kerrisdale spirit wear or Canadian hockey jerseys or red and white. “Kerrisdale Spirit will never freeze over!”
Thank you to Ms. Dixon, Ms. Grudman, Ms. Spencer, Mr. Kershaw, Madame Elodie, Madame Toula and Madame Louise for organizing the event.
FROM THE LIBRARY
Congratulation to the following students for becoming published authors! Fiona Chen, Apollo Davis, Rowyn Kennedy, Sebastian Lang, Dylan Lum, Rachel Marks, Anna Shalyshkin, Isabelle Sun, Petra Vecei, Maryam Soliman, Imaan Ali and Aarathy Yogeshwaran. These students wrote short stories and/or poems for the Polar Bear Expressions contest back in November. Their stories have made the first round which mean they will be published in a book. The published book will be available in the library next September. We wish them luck in the second round. The contest will reopen in September 2025 for next year’s publication. We hope many more stories will be published!
PAC NEWS
Make sure you stay up to date on all that is happening with Kerrisdale PAC. Please visit their website https://sites.google.com/kerrisdaleschoolpac.ca/kspac/home for all the news! There are a number of fundraising initiative happening right now with deadlines fast approaching. You don’t want to miss out! West Coast Seeds, Purdy’s Chocolate, Grade 7 Fundraiser “Jibbits” and Maple Syrup (deadline is today!). You can find all the information and how to order on the PAC website.