On December 6th we all came together to start off this holiday season with our annual Breakfast with Santa. We had over 450 of you join us on this morning to enjoy time together with other members of our community and to get in an early visit with Santa Claus. Santa was on hand to listen to children’s stories and have his picture taken. During this time, a holiday themed raffle was also held and proved to be quite popular with our youngest guests. We had a difficult time getting students to leave the gym in the morning. The ticket holders wanted to wait to see if they were the lucky winners of some very cute stuffed Christmas themed friends. It was the perfect day for stuffies as we held our Student Council Spirt Day. The theme of the day was Pajama and Stuffy Day! What could be more fun than coming to school in your pajamas, with your favourite stuffy, listening to Christmas carols, talking to Santa, eating with your friends and family, drinking chocolate milk and eating a candy cane or two. Thank you to everyone who came out to support this event. We also want to thank our community business partners that supported us. Thank you to Starbucks for donating the coffee for the adults. Thank you to Agropur for donating the milk for students. Thank you to Superstore for the gift cards that went towards purchasing the muffins and oranges for all.

Our next and final school wide holiday event will be our annual winter concert. Our Annual Winter Concert will be held on Thursday, December 19th. Doors will open at 1:15pm and the concert will begin at 1:30pm. In order for us to transition our students safely from lunch and into their classroom, please do not arrive before 1:00pm. Thank you for your consideration and cooperation. Our students are busy practicing their songs and routines for you. Please make sure you have an hour/ hour and a half to come and enjoy the whole show. Please do not get up and leave after your child has performed. It is very distracting and discouraging for the students. Show caring and kindness to all the stu-dents by watching and valuing all their efforts. We are sure you won’t be disappointed. There is nothing that lifts the spirits like the beautiful voices of children in song!

NEWSLETTER #5- DECEMBER 2019

Director of Instruction: Mr. Aaron Davis Principal: Ms. Harjinder Sandhu

Liaison Trustee: Mr. Alan Wong Vice Principal: Ms. Kamala Coughlan

PAC Chairperson: Ms. Maya Toews and Mr. Ross Kukard

如閣下需要翻譯服務，請與校務處聯絡。謝謝！

October through January is a time of celebrations across many cultures. With December holidays quickly approaching, parents may be looking for ways to make sure healthy options are included in the festivities. Here are a few tips to help you and your family eat well over the holiday season: Keep meals and snacks scheduled at regular times rather than allowing grazing

throughout the day. This will help make sure kids come to meals hungry! Serve holiday treats at set times during the day - offer them with healthy snacks or meals. Keep washed, cut up vegetables and fruits in the fridge to make healthy snacking easier. For healthier meals, follow Canada’s Food Guide – aim for at least two food groups at snack

time and three to four food groups at meals.

Looking for healthier options to send with your child for school celebrations? Try one of these kid-friendly ideas:

Baked tortillas with salsa or bean dip. Cut-up round tortillas into triangles, place on a baking sheet and bake in a 375_ oven for about 10 min (5 min. on each side) or until toasted

Fruit kabobs – alternate cut-up fruit such as melons, grapes and kiwis on wooden skewers (for safety reasons, cut-off pointy ends of skewers)

Fruit platter served with a yogurt dip Homemade mini muffins - they’re the perfect size for younger kids Baked samosas Veggie platter with bean dip For healthier baked good recipes for school celebrations, bake sales or at home, check out the “Bake Better Bites: Recipes and Tips for Healthier Baked Goods” resource, developed to meet the Guidelines for Food and Beverages Sold in BC Schools. The resource can be found at www.healthyeatingatschool.ca under the resource section. Ideas from: Melanie Kurrein, RD, Citywide Nutritionist with Vancouver Coastal Health

Winter is upon us and in the event of unsafe weather conditions (e.g. snow),

a CLEAR ANNOUNCEMENT stating that schools are closed will be provided by 6:00 a.m. to local radio stations.

CKNW (980 AM) CKWX (NEWS 1130 AM)

CBC RADIO (690 AM, 105.7 FM) BCTV/Global (cable channel 11)

FAIRCHILD Radio (CJVB AM 1470/CKHG FM 96.1)

CITY TV (cable channel 13)

In Addition, Information on snow closures will be available on line at www.vsb.bc.ca.

Many of our classes have taken their learning out into the community this year. Here is the latest field trip with one of our intermediate classes: “Division 18 had a great trip visiting the Vancouver Art Gallery. The Guided tour and Workshops at the gallery are wonderful ways to learn about the cultural, artistic and philosophical background of the artists and their artworks. This time we had guided tours on Transits and Returns and Cindy Sherman exhibitions, and also participated in a photo-based workshop inspired by Cindy Sherman’s work.”

This fall Mr. Tse and Division 4 are working collaboratively with CAG. Together, they are looking at artist Olivia Whetung’s exhibition which focusses on the a key intimate relationships between plants, animals and humans while commenting on the food harvesting systems that surround them. They are discussing and exploring Whetung’s practice and concerns. This collaborative inquiry also serves as a platform for connecting the Grade 5/6 students to curriculum and communicating their vision for their future neighbourhoods by cultivating biodiversity and reciprocal relationships with other beings that they want to see. The main project of their collaborative work is student research. Students are researching a relationship between organisms native to the Pacific Northwest area. For example, they may be learning about how licorice fern root makes use of fallen trees to grow, and that this root can later be eaten for its yummy ginger and licorice flavor. Students are also creating visual representations of the species involved in their researched relationship by using felt of various colours. They are accenting these designs by beading into the felt. When shown together, these individual pieces create a collaborative portrayal of the many diverse systems and food sources in our local area.

Kindergarten students in Divisions 13 and 14 are learning about the Zones of Regulation. The classes listened to a story called, “I Can Try”, which helped the students to focus on overcoming challenges by replacing “I can’t do it” thoughts with “I can try thoughts!” Students are learning how to differentiate between big, medium and small problems and have the appropriate response. Problems are considered to be small when the students are able to fix the situation themselves such as when something falls or spills. Small problems allow the student to stay in the “green zone”. Problems are considered to be big when they require adult help such as fires and other emergencies. At home, when your child reacts to a problem, ask them what the size of the problem is.

The Growing Chefs Program pairs volunteer Chefs with elementary schools to give students hands-on experience on planting, growing and harvesting vegetables and cooking their own meals. Division 16 has been a part of this program for the past two year. This innovative program is currently in over 30 classrooms across the district, getting kids thinking about urban agriculture and where their food comes from. Students engage in the entire food cycle-digging in the soil, planning seeds, harvesting vegetables, learning basic cooking skills. They connect with food, and often serve themselves up second helpings of vegetables they used to refuse to eat! Division 16 just wrapped up their 7 weeks in the program

where they enjoyed learning knife skills, food handling skills, how to write a recipe and other cooking skills! Let’s see if their parents will have them practicing any of these newly developed skills this holiday season!

Division 3 is busy working on their French unit “La Maison” - Some students are busying building houses using materials to create three dimensional models. Others are opting to utilize the technology available to them and creating virtual houses.

The students are including different components of a house they learned in French. They are building rooms, complete with furniture and appliances. Some working independently, while others are collaborating in groups. Welcome future architects and interior designers!

.

The Senior Girls volleyball team had a tremendous season of growth and success, unparalleled in recent memory! This was punctuated with the competitive tournament held last week. The girls came together and played beyond expectations, advancing to the quarter-finals. Their tournament experience was full of strong plays from the serving line as well as at the net. Renfrew was highly commended by many coaches from other schools for their grit and skill. Some tears of joy and pride were shared. Best of luck in your future volleyball adventures! The Senior Boys volleyball team had a stellar volleyball season! The competitive team played in the tournament on December 4th to display gravity defying digs, strong blocks and even some killer spikes! More importantly, our Renfrew Tigers demonstrated care through their good sportspersonship for the opposing team players. They worked hard and made it to the second round! Here, they fought valiantly and concluded the strongest season on recent Renfrew record. We are so proud of our senior boy’s skill development, teamwork and they support they provided each other. We can’t wait to see what lies ahead in their volleyball future. Go Tigers! The coaches are all extremely proud of their players and are already looking forward to next year! Thank you to Mr. Wong, Ms. Heyworth, Ms. Wong and Mr. Bar for coaching this year. Thank you to all of the staff and parents that provided encouragement and transportation! You helped make our tournament play possible!

Do you have a child born in 2015?

Kindergarten registration started on November 1st

------- All Kindergarten applicants are required to submit an online application to their English catchment elementary school. This includes families who wish to apply for choice programs and/or a cross boundary placement. The priority registration period for Kindergarten opened on Friday, November 1st and closes at 4 pm on Friday, January 31

st. Students who submit an application within this priority period will be accommodated

before late applicants. In a few Vancouver schools there may be more in-catchment applicants than the school can accommodate. In this event, applicants who applied within the priority registration period (Nov 1 to Jan 31) will be included in a draw for available spaces. Students with siblings already in attendance at the school (and who will be attending next year) will be given priority ahead of the draw. When registering your child please bring: Proof of residence in Vancouver Child’s birth certificate Immigration documentation (if applicable) Immunization records

For more information on Kindergarten registration please visit:

http://www.vsb.bc.ca/kindergarten

Applications for Choice Programs The district offers a variety of choice programs including French Immersion, Mandarin Immersion, Fine Arts, Aboriginal Focus School, International Baccalaureate and Montessori. If you are planning to apply for Choice Program(s) you still need to register for kindergarten at your Neighbourhood catchment school first. The online application process opens on January 13th, 2020 and closes on February 4, 2020 at 4:00 pm. http://www.vsb.bc.ca/kchoice There will be a district supervised draw to select applicants for the available program space. Offers for program spaces will be made by late February. You will be given a formal offer of a space in a Kindergarten choice program or an indication of where you sit on the waitlist. MONTESSORI ADMISSION PROCEDURES FOR 2020/2021 The most common point of entry for Montessori is Kindergarten. Students may enter in Grade 1 if space is available. Registration for Kindergarten can be found on the VSB website: http://www.vsb.bc.ca/programs/early-french-immersion The first step for everyone is to register with your neighbourhood English catchment school regardless of whether you plan to send your child there or not. The application process for the Kindergarten Montessori Program will be online beginning mid January. To apply, you will need your child’s Personal Education Number (PEN) which you will receive in early January IF you have registered for kindergarten at your Neighbourhood English catchment school. A random computer draw will determine the successful applicants. Applicants will be notified as to placement in late February. An information session for parents interested in District Montessori program at Renfrew will be held on Friday, January 10th @ 10:00 am in our Library.

Kindergarten Registrations Received Between November 1st and February1st: In-catchment Kindergarten registrants who have a sibling currently attending and who will continue to attend their in-catchment school in 2020-21 will be enrolled first. The names of all other in-catchment registrants will be entered in a random draw, should one be necessary, for the remaining Kindergarten spaces. Students who cannot be accommodated will be placed on a waitlist in numbered order.

Kindergarten Registrations Received AFTER February 1st: All in-catchment Kindergarten registrations received after February1

st will be added to the

existing waitlist by date and time of application. Please Note: There will be no priority given to

registrants with siblings already attending Renfrew after February 1st.

The Cold and Flu season continues to be upon us so thank you in advance for keeping your children home if they show signs of illness. Continue to reinforce hand washing along with covering coughs and sneezes with the inside of our elbows. Also make sure students are dressed appropriately for playing outside in the cold weather.

One of our school goals is to improve the literacy skills of all our students. We want all of our students to be able to read and comprehend (understand what they read) at grade level. You can support your child with this goal, you can support your child’s reading! Reading is all around us. We see print in books, on flyers, in magazines, in stores and on Billboards. A child’s first discovery about reading is that it makes sense! Parents can support their children’s reading in the following ways: By reading aloud with them By talking to them about books By listening to them read

Our Winter Term is about to begin: January 16th to March 12th. Many of these programs were in high demand and filled up quickly. We apologize that not everyone who wanted to participate was able to enroll. After School Program Locations Please Drop off/Pick up children from Multi-Purpose Room

To Register: Come to Registration Day (in person) December 17th @ 3:10pm in the Multipurpose Room. NO EARLY LINE-UP. Please arrive at 3:10pm for the line-up order draw to determine your place in line.

Monday Programs: Location

High School Hangout Windermere

Thursday Programs: Location

Mini Chefs grades 1-2 Staff Room on top floor

Art Around the World grades 3-4 Room 203 on top floor

Piano Lessons grades 1-7 Top floor hallway or Room 105

Coding Kids grades 4-7 Computer Lab

Friday Programs: Location

Fastbreak/More Sports Indoor Soccer grades 2-4

Multipurpose Room or Gym

PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC)

Parents play an important role in the school and we encourage parents to participate as much as they

can. Please come learn about our school goals and initiatives as well as the role of the PAC. We hope

to be able to encourage more of our parents to take an active role. Childcare will be provided. For

more information please email: chair@renfrewpac.com

Our next PAC Meeting will be held on January 14th at 6:00 pm in the library.

Child-minding is provided.

Mark Your Calendars!

December 19th - Winter Concert @ 1:30 am in the gym

December 20th - Last day of School before the Winter Break

December 23 to January 3rd - Winter Break—No School

January 6th - School Opens

January 6th to January 30th - Gym Make Sense Gymnastics (6 sessions for all classes)

January 10th - Montessori Information Session for New Kindergarten Families

January 16th, 23rd and 30th - Ready, Set, Learn for toddlers and parents @ 1:15pm in the

Strong Start Centre

January 20th - Pro-D Day - No School for Students

January 22nd - 9:15am performance Hip Hop Hoop Dance Productions

January 30th - Report Cards go Home