Ecole Trafalgar Elementary School4170 Trafalgar Street, Vancouver, BC, V6L 2M5

Tel: 604-713-5475 Fax: 604-713-5477Safe Arrival (to report absence/late) 604-713-5479

Principal: Mme Jacquie LavoieVice-Principal: Ms. Sarah Kramer

Administrative Assistant: Ms. Jennifer DerksenDirection of Instruction: Ms. Ellen Roberts 604-713-4594

VSB Liaison Trustee Mr. Allan Wong, allan.wong@vsb.bc.caPAC Co-Chairs Gord Lau, Karen Sadler, trafalgar2012@gmail.com

Newsletter # 18 Friday, June 10, 2016

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you to those who were able to attend our Volunteer Tea on Tuesday, June 9th. It was wonderful seeing so many parents in attendance and nice for us to have this opportunity to thank you for everything you do for our school and our students. It is truly appreciated. Thank you to the students from Anne-Marie’s Grade 3 class and from Ms. Goodisons’ Grade 4/5 class for sharing your beautiful poems and words with the parents. We are very proud of you! We the staff, are all so grateful for everything that parents do on a daily basis to make our school a wonderful place to be and learn. Thank you all!

GIFTS OF TIME

DAY AFTER DAY YOU’VE GIVEN YOUR TIME

TO MAKE THIS SCHOOL A BETTER PLACEEVERY STUDENT HERE HAS BENEFITED

AND YOUR EFFORTS CAN NEVER BE ERASED

WE SEND THIS NOTE TO TELL YOUTHAT WE ARE AWARE AND ALL AGREEYOUR GIFTS OF TIME-LARGE OR SMALL

ARE SPECIAL ONES INDEED!

Congratulations to all of our riders, including staff and parents, who rode their bikes to school last week during “Bike to School Week.” A big thank you to Janice and Lily for championing this and to all of the parents who helped out. Way to go Trafalgar Spirit Wolves, keep on biking.

The end of the year is fast approaching. Stay tuned for upcoming year end information.

Regards,Jacquie LavoiePrincipalLoonie Toonie SaleA BIG THANK YOU TO THE STAFF, FAMILIES, and STUDENTS for supporting the Loonie Toonie Sale. We raised $889.00. All proceeds will be given to the BC Children’s Hospital for the ICU in Memory of Liam Law. Without you, we would have not raised so much money for the hospital.  Congratulations to the raffle ticket winners:

Rick Riordan prize - Natalie Kwan, Div 14 Webkinz prize - Cynthia Yang, Div 14 Tintin prize - Michael Caddick Div 11F Frozen Movie prize - Cynthia Yang, Div 14 Star Wars prize - Leo Malcolm, Div 14 Prize 6- Books - Glenda Yu Div 13 Prize 7 Books - Caroline, Div 7 Prize 8 Books - Titcha Holmes, Div 7 Prize 9 Books - Hailey, Div 9 Barbie DVDs - Cynthia Yang, Div 14

Fun in the library!!!This past week has been very busy in the library.On Wednesday, we celebrated our library monitors for their precious help in the library all year. Thank you and come back again next year!

We had another celebration on Thursday for our marvelous Red Cedar readers who read all the fiction and non-fiction books. Well done Trafalgar! Next week we will be having our fantastic ''Livromanie'' party in the library. This past term, the French Immersion Grade 4 students have been studying the Inuit life in the library. They created amazing posters which have been displayed on the Trafalgar Gallery wall. Please feel free to have a look when you are in the school. Merci, Madame Elly and Madame Louise

Gotcha Winners!Congrats to Sachi Iranzad (Div. 18), Brody Malone (Div. 12), Ella Coyne (Div. 15), Andy Zhang (Div. 7), Callan Macdonald (Div. 8), and Paul Jang (Div. 1) for staying in the Green Zone and being our first Gotcha Winners! Students received free time on the playground with a friend of choice. Next week’s draw will take place on Tuesday. Good Luck!

Jerome Classic 2016 Track MeetCongrats to our students who will be competing in the Jerome Classic 2016 Relay Races at Swangard Stadium on Friday, June 17th!

Junior Boys Team:Samuel ThompsonCameron NeillyPierre LombardGunner Farstad

Senior Girls Team:Claudia SeitzElisa Neilly Sally Gaherty Eli Xiang

Senior Co-Ed Team:Matthew QuonCarsen YuenCatherine YapTiffany Xie

Lost and FoundPlease have a look through our lost and found box next time you are in the building. All items not collected by June 30th, will be donated to a local charity.

Trafalgar Fundraiser for the Red Cross Alberta Fires Appeal 2016 Success

A BIG THANK YOU!!!In the first week of May, wildfires burned out of control in Alberta. When the fires got close to Fort McMurray, the residents had to evacuate the town and leave everything behind. Some even left their animals and pets. Trafalgar’s students and parents helped to raise money to donate to the Red Cross for those people from Fort McMurray who needed help and a place to stay. We raised a total of $967.05 to send to the Red Cross Alberta Fires Appeal 2016 fund. A BIG THANK YOU to Trafalgar’s families for supporting this worthy cause. Your support is valued.

VSB Digital Fair at Science WorldLast Wednesday, June 1, four of us from Division 7 attended Science World for the Vancouver School Board’s celebration showcase of Learning using Technology. Ali Rathlef, Caroline Liu, Titcha Holmes and Jerry Zhang all represented Trafalgar School. We used ipads to show and describe our biography

project on a famous Canadian and the process of how we made our own posters. We shared and presented our work to other schools, teachers and parents. We were very happy to be chosen to go and to participate in this event. We saw a lot of other schools showing their own projects, including a moving BB-8 and dancing Lego robots! Since four of us went, two people could go and explore other stations, while two people stayed and presented our work. It was a fantastic experience and we were glad to be a part of it. Jerry, Caroline, Ali, Titcha

Staff ChangesIt is with sadness that we must announce that the following staff members will not be returning to Trafalgar next year. Goodbye to:

Mme Brown, one of our Grade 1 French Immersion teachers. We appreciate all your work this year, and wish you all the best on the island next year.

Ms. Bowyer-Smyth, also known as Ms. B. She will be relocating to the island with her family. We will miss her very much and wish her all the best!

Ms. Sukh Randhawa, who has been working with Ms. Derksen in the office two days a week. We wish her luck, wherever her next position may take her.

Mr. Tim, one of our Student Support Workers, who will not be returning to Trafalgar next year. Thank you for all your help Mr. T. Your next school will be lucky to have you.

Welcome to:

Monsieur Marc Gurumeta. Monsieur Marc will be joining the French Immersion primary team and will be teaching Grade One. Monsieur Marc is presenting teaching at L’Ecole Bilingue and has experience working in French Immersion. Welcome Monsieur Marc!

Farewell Assembly Please join us for our Year-End Farewell assembly, which will take place on Wednesday, June 29th at 9:30 am. Join us for the traditional slide show, which we know students look forward to seeing.At the assembly, we will also recognize, thank and bid adieu to our departing staff members. Our band will also be playing a few pieces. Please join us for the assembly if you are able to!

Student Teachers From Switzerland Over the past three weeks, Trafalgar has had the opportunity to host two student teachers from Switzerland. Ms. Baumli has been working with Ms. B’s and Ms. Kramer’s Grade 2/3 class, and Mr. Stan has

been working with Mme Vessali’s Grade 4/5 class and in the gym. We are thrilled that they chose to come to Trafalgar and appreciate all their help. We wish them a safe journey home and best of luck in their educational pursuits.  

Aboriginal Day Monday, June 13th

Thank you to the PAC for supporting Trafalgar’s Aboriginal Day on Monday, June 13th. All students will enjoy a performance by Git Hayetsk mask-dance group and members of our Student Council have prepared an Aboriginal story to read at our school-wide assembly.

Students will have another chance to take part in Trafalgar Circles, multi-age groupings of both English and French students, to work on a Haida Art project. The art projects will be on display in the gym. Lorie from EarthBites will be working with our Grade 3 students making “Dream Pillows”.

We hope everyone enjoy this day of celebration!

EarthBites Garden Party and Pocket MarketOn June 23rd we will be having a year-end EarthBites garden party. This will be a waste-free event, so remind your child(ren) to bring cutlery, a plate and a cup. We are also having a pocket market, so bring some change to buy Trafalgar grown produce. We look forward to seeing you there.

Self-Regulation ResourcesSee list below of resources on self regulation, sent by Bryce Recsky, our Behaviour Consultant who presented at the last PAC meeting. www.casel.orgwww.self-reg.cawww.livesinthebalance.orgwww.self-regulation.cawww.bccfa-seed.orgwww.childmind.orgwww.childhealthpolicy.ca Books Bryce recommendations are:Ross Greene 1) Lost at School 2) Lost and Found (this is his new one and while I haven’t read it, I’ve heard it’s amazing) 3) The Explosive ChildDan Siegal 1) Mindsight 2) The Whole Brain Child

School FeesAt this time of year, we are required to inform you about any possible fees for the upcoming school year. Attached you will find a letter in this regard. Please note that we are NOT requesting funds at this time. It is for information purposes only.

Final Report CardsTerm three report cards will be issued on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 29th. Unfortunately, we are unable to issue report cards before this date. If you will not be at school on this day, you are welcome to leave a self-addressed envelope with correct postage in the office and we will mail it to you, or you may collect the report card from the office late August or even in September. Please note that the last day that the office will be open is Thursday, June 30th. The office will open again on Thursday, August 25th.

Medication at OfficeIf your child has any medication stored at the office, please come by the office and pick it up for the summer.

Class Placement InputDuring the month of June, we will be working on our organization and class placements for next year. Please note that we will not be distributing a class placement form for families to complete, as this form is not a requirement of the VSB. Teachers will be meeting to create class lists. Should you have any critical information that needs to be shared about your child and their placement, please contact Mme Lavoie at jlavoie@vsb.bc.ca. Please note that if your email contains a request or comment on a specific teacher, we will not be able to accommodate your request. We ask for parents to respect teachers’ professional judgment when placing your child in the next grade. The class lists will be in draft form, as we know that student population does change between June and September. For this reason, we will not be sharing the organization until classes are set in September.

BC Lions See voucher attached from BC Lions Football Club

Canadian Parents for FrenchSee interesting article attached from Canadian Parents for French

Late Return Letter The first day of school after the summer holidays will be Tuesday, September 6th. If you know that you will not be back from holidays on the 6th, please complete the attached form so that we may hold you a space in our organization.

Community News

See attached regarding Summer Soccer camp

See attached regarding Kitsilano Gymnastics summer camp at Tennyson School

See attached on Healthy Eating Summer Camp at Maple Grove School

IMPORTANT DATES

Monday, June 13- Aboriginal Day – Presentation and Trafalgar Circles

Tuesday, June 14- PAC meeting – 7:00 pm in the library 

Friday- June 17th- Will Stroet Performance for K-3, 9:15 am 

Wednesday- June 29th – Farewell/Slide Show Assembly – 9:30 am, dismissal time 3:00 pm

SCHOOL FEES for (2016-2017)Important Information – Please Translate 这是一份重要信息 — 请找人为您翻译

کنید ترجمه لطفا- مهم اطالعاتMahalagang Impormasyon - Paki salin sa sariling wika중요한 정보 - 번역 부탁드립니다 ਮਹੱਤਵਪੂਰਨ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ-ਮਿਮਹਰਬਾਨੀ ਕਰਕੇ ਅਨੁਵਾਦ ਕਰੋ/ਕਰਵਾਓ Важная информация!Переведите,пожалуйста

SUPPLEMENTARY FEESStudent Agenda/Planner – $10.00Students at (Trafalgar School) will be using an Agenda/Planner in grades (1-7). School agendas/planners are a valuable tool for teaching children how to organize and plan for school. While students are not required to have an agenda/planner it is designed to assist students with the skills of organization and time management and is a very useful communication tool often used between teachers and families.

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Field Studies – To be determined throughout the school year at the classroom level Throughout the school year your child’s teacher may plan supplementary learning opportunities at locations outside of the school and request monies towards entrance fees, transportation or equipment rental. Your child’s teacher will communicate this information to you directly.

FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

As a reminder, the Vancouver School Board will not deny a child access to the school supplies required for his or her educational program because of financial hardship. Nor will any child be excluded from activities where a fee is charged. If at any time there is a financial challenge, please contact the school Principal, (insert name). All requests will be treated confidentially.

GENERAL $25.00 SUPPLY FEEThe Vancouver School Board offers the service of purchasing basic school supplies in bulk at wholesale prices and passing the cost savings on to families. The School Supply Fee for 2016 – 2017 is $25.00 per student.

This fee covers basic consumable school supplies used for students’ personal use such as paper, writing tools, glue sticks, erasers, exercise books and art supplies. Supplies are provided for the full year. The advantages of the Board providing families with supplies include convenience, cost savings through a one-time fee, and the standardization of supplies used in the classroom.

While parents and/or guardians are free to purchase school supplies for students and not pay this fee, please know that the $25 school supplies fee does provide the necessary school supplies at a cost which is less than one would pay if these items were purchased independently.

TRAFALGAR SCHOOL

2016 NOTICE OF LATE RETURN FORM

This form is to be completed for any student expecting to return to school LATER THAN noon on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 but prior to September 30, 2016.

The School Phone is _____________________ The School Fax is ________________

PLEASE PRINT

Dear Principal:

My child(ren) will be attending _____________________________ School for the 2016-2017 school year, but will NOT be in attendance in the school before noon on Tuesday, September 6, 2016. Please reserve a space in your school for my child(ren).

__________________________________________, in Grade ________ (Sept. 2016)Last Name First Name

__________________________________________, in Grade ________ (Sept. 2016)Last Name First Name

__________________________________________, in Grade ________ (Sept. 2016)Last Name First Name

The expected DATE OF RETURN for our child(ren) is ___________________________________________

Reason for late return: _____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Please note: Space will not be held beyond September 30, 2016.

Father’s Name: ___________________________ Mother’s Name: __________________________________

Or Legal Guardian’s Name: __________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone: ___________________________ Day Phone (F) __________________________________

Fax: _________________________________ Day Phone (M) _________________________________

Date: _____________________ Parent Signature: _______________________________________

Alternate Contact/Phone Number or e-mail _____________________________

CPF BC & YK responds to Globe & Mail criticismNo Images? Click here

Please note: If the school cannot verify your child’s attendance at school by noon on Wednesday, September 7th, 2016, your child’s space will be given to another student on the school’s waitlist.

The benefits of bilingualism,let us count the ways.

June 8th, 2016

Canada is a proudly multilingual and multicultural society with two Official Languages: English and French.

Reading Margaret Wente’s Globe And Mail article " There's just one problem with French immersion ... well, several, actually,"   (June 4th )  one could be misled to believe that the Official Languages Act of 1969, the linguistic protections guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and French language programs -- such as French Immersion -- all have all been for naught.

First, let’s be clear about the rates of bilingualism in Canada.

In 1961, 2.2 million Canadians self-identified as being able to speak French and English; by 2011 that number had ballooned to 5.8 million -- a 160% increase over 50 years.

While the hard number of bilinguals continues to climb, the overall percentage has plateaued in recent years. This is largely due to immigration. Of the 250,000 annual immigrants to Canada, 80% have neither French nor English as their mother tongue. That said, new Canadian families are some of the most determined to learn French. These parents see French as an integral part of our country and want their children to learn the languages of their new home. Moreover, it is an established norm in most parts of the world for children to learn two, three, and even four languages. I suspect the total number of bilinguals in Canada to continue to increase, as will the percentage.

Second, French immersion is a well-tested and well-established program delivery model. In fact, this made-in-Canada program has been studied and replicated around the world -- largely to preserve and protect native or minority languages. French immersion is designed to help students become functionally bilingual by the time they graduate. It’s a powerful tool in your toolbox, and graduates can use it in many different ways.

Since the first class opened in St. Lambert, Quebec in 1965, one million Canadians have benefited from the program. I’m one of them. After university I moved to Montreal, lived in the Plateau, made a great group of friends, and worked for a national non-profit organization. I felt fortunate to be able to work and live in any part of our country, and to be part of the national conversation in both Official Languages. My sister went through the French Immersion program and ended up working for Air Canada. While some of my friends who graduated from French immersion have had nominal interaction with the language here in B.C., not one of them has said they regretted the experience. In fact, when I speak with a lot of my peers who didn’t participate in the program, an astounding number of them regret not learning French. They feel like they missed out.

Unfortunately, in some ways they have.

According to Stats Canada, Canadians who speak both French and English earn, on average, 10% more, and have a lower unemployment rate, compared to Canadians who only speak one of our two Official Languages.

As well, there are the cognitive developmental benefits of learning an additional language, such as: stronger listening skills, improved focus and concentration, increased ability to understand complex problems, and a higher tolerance, insight and understanding of other cultures. So, yes, quite naturally parents want their children to

benefit from programs like French immersion. What parent doesn’t want the very best for their child? From firsthand experience, I can tell you it’s a life-changing opportunity.

The real challenge is to continue to expand programs so that no interested family is turned away. Turning students away as a result of a lottery or a “first-come-first-serve” registration is inherently unfair and leads to inequality. Why should some students gain the life-long benefits, and others not? This is where parents ought to work with local educators and plan for growth. The trend lines are not changing, so it’s a question of being proactive. Some school districts have managed growth well, such as the Victoria school district where FI enrolment is now over 20% and there are no district-wide wait-lists.

Moreover, we need to provide stronger learning assistance and learning support to all students. Research shows that a child with a learning disability or a learning challenge will have the same obstacles in the English program as they will in French immersion. With the appropriate learning support the overwhelming majority of students can thrive in French immersion.

Finally, yes, we must address the shortage of qualified French second language teachers across Canada. Red-hot demand is putting pressure on the post-secondary institutions to meet the new realities of our education system.

Solving some of these “access challenges” will not be easy -- but striving for inclusion and excellence never has been.

Glyn Lewis, Executive Director, Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon

French Immersion Grad, Burnaby B.C.