October 27, 2017

Hi Everyone,

There is a lot of excitement in the air, it must be getting close to Halloween :)  Please see the note below regarding our class party which will be happening in the afternoon on October 31st.  There will also be a costume parade involving the whole school in the gym at 8:45 that day.

Updates/Reminders/Thank you's

Our first class party will be on Halloween Day, thank you in advance to the following students and their parents for providing treats:

Fruit Plate: Mataya
Veggie Plate: Dyllan
Cheese/Crackers: Eugene
Sweet Treat: Quinn
Popcorn/Chips: Averyelle
Other: Collette

*Students are welcome to wear their costumes on Halloween day but they will be going outside unless it is a torrential downpour so costumes should be easy to take on/off (or durable).  The party will be in the afternoon but we will have a costume parade in the morning so it is best if your child is sent to school in his/her costume.  You do not need to send in planners that day as we know you will all be busy in the evening.  We will not be eating until around 1:30 so please send a lunch with your child as you normally do.

*Your child has now brought home a bag of books called 'Just Right Reading'.  There is a letter in the bag explaining that the books should be returned daily and will be changed every 2-3 weeks.  Your child will continue to bring home a book of his/her choice each day from the class library.  Please ensure that these books are returned to the school daily so they can be exchanged for a new book.

*FYI-I have updated the calendar on this blog to include important dates in November

*If anyone has any old racquetballs they would like to donate to the class they would be much appreciated.  I bought a canister at the beginning year but they have all now been lost of 'roofed'.  They are used by the students for wall ball.

*Please sign up for the Fort Langley field trip via the parent portal if you have not already done so.  Thank you!

*our leadership group is selling 'Smencils' (pencils that smell nice) as a fundraiser for local/global charities.  They are $3 each or 2 for $5 and will be sold at lunch and after school up to and including Halloween day

•A big thank you to our parent drivers who volunteered to take us to skating on Tuesday. We had a great afternoon there and everyone participated with a smile on their faces!

October 19, 2017

Updates/Reminders/Thank you's

Our first class party will be on Halloween Day, thank you in advance to the following students and their parents for providing treats:

Fruit Plate: Mataya
Veggie Plate: Dyllan
Cheese/Crackers: Eugene
Sweet Treat: Quinn
Popcorn/Chips: Averyelle
Other: Collette

*Students are welcome to wear their costumes that day but they will be going outside unless it is a torrential downpour so costumes should be easy to take on/off.  The party will be in the afternoon but we will have a costume parade in the morning so it is best if your child is sent to school in his/her costume.  We will not be eating until around 1:30 so please send a lunch with your child as you normally do.
*Tuesday will be our first skating trip to Planet Ice.  Please complete your child's permission form online via the parent portal if you have not already done so.  Booster seats will be required for all students.  Thank you to parents who have already volunteered to drive.  A current driver's abstract will need to be on file before our field trip date.
*There is a page called 'Monthly Calendar where you can now view the important dates that are coming up each month
*Reminder that this Friday is a Professional Day so there will be no school for students
*The district cross country race for students in the class who have been training with us after school is this Tuesday, October 24th.  Do not be concerned if your child is in cross country that we won't be coming back from skating until 2:20.  The other coaches are meeting at 2:00 with students from other classes to ensure that everyone has arranged a ride and knows where they are going.  By the time they are organized they won't be leaving much earlier than we are.  Mrs. Rowledge-Toscani and I will leave after all of the students have been picked up and we will still be there in plenty of time.  You are welcome to drop off your group if you are driving or meet your child at the classroom and leave immediately to get to the race site.
*We have a reported case of head lice in our class so please keep an eye on your child and notify the office if nits/lice are found
*Students have each been assigned a day that they will be a 'Great Canadian'.  A letter and a Canada flag for the background will be coming home on Monday with the details of this assignment.  Students will need to add photos of themselves (usually they like to include pictures from when they were younger) and their families to the flag so I am letting you know now in case you want to begin the process of collecting and/or printing these.  Our first presentation will be on November 1st.  This assignment allows students to share their interests and should include a line or two about what makes them a 'Great Canadian'
*A number of students have shown an interest in assembling puzzles.  If you have any gently used (and complete) puzzles with 50 pieces or less that you would like to donate to the class that would be much appreciated.  As you can imagine, pieces tend to go missing over the years and it is disappointing to assemble a puzzle only to find that one piece is missing!
*A big thank you to Logan's mom for setting up a visit from her friend, Shannon.  She had a fantastic presentation for us on making items from wool using the same process that Holman Wang (the author we saw at the library last week) used.  The students even had the opportunity to try it out themselves!

The pictures below include: Puppet Explorations (inspired by Holman Wang's board books)
                                              Isabella demonstrating how to draw clothes (a dress, shorts and a t-shirt)
                                              Our guest speaker sharing her passion for needle felting

October 12, 2017

Dear Parents,

We had a great time on our field trip today and our bus drop off and pick up could not have been better!  Your children were excellent listeners during the presentation and we are all looking forward to applying some of the skills that we learned from Holman Wang.

Updates/Reminders/Thank you's

*You will be receiving a portal announcement regarding our upcoming skating field trip early next week (we have sent it in for Mrs. Watkins to approve).  The field trip will be in the afternoon of Tuesday, October 24th and parent volunteers will be needed.
*We have also booked field trips to Fort Langley (November 17th), Burnaby Village Museum (December 15th) and Skating (December 19th)  We will need drivers/volunteers for all of these trips if you could please 'save the date'  Thank you!
*We plan to do some (simplified) art activities based on the presentation we saw today.  If anyone has any extra yarn or other bits and pieces of craft supplies you'd be willing to donate to the class that would be much appreciated
*we spent some time discussing fire safety this week so the students know that they need to discuss a fire safety plan with you (including a meeting spot) and make sure that they know their address
*A big thank you to Logan and Wyatt's moms for coming on the field trip with us today.  Your help was greatly appreciated.

Below are photos from the field trip and of Eugene teaching his lesson about how to draw flowers.  If your child has something they would like to teach the class please encourage them to come and see me!😄

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Amanda Roberts

October 5th, 2017

Dear Parents,

I am creating this post a day early as I will be out of town tomorrow.  I hope you all enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families :)

Updates/Reminders/Thank you's

*Each child brought home a pink verification form from the office this week.  Please check that all of the information is correct, sign the bottom and return to the school if you have not already done so
*Our field trip to the library is next week, please fill out the permission form on the parent portal and send in $1.80 for bus fare if you have not already done so.  Parents are welcome to join us and should send in an additional $2.80 if you would like to come.
*Please pay for the supplies/planner online or by cash or cheque if you have not already done so ($55)
*Please send in any cereal boxes you have for an upcoming craft we are doing with our big buddies.  We need a few more and will be happily accepting them until tomorrow.
*Other items that need to be brought in include indoor shoes, entertainment books and hot lunch notices (if you'd like to participate)
*Thank you to everyone who sent in food bank donations.  The class did a fantastic job of promoting this fundraiser.  You/they will help a lot of people this Thanksgiving.  The boxes will be picked up tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. so there is still time to send in food if you would like to.
*Thank you to Mrs. Koshlay for coming in to help the students prep for an upcoming craft we are making

Have a wonderful long weekend everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Amanda Roberts

Sept. 29, 2017

Dear Parents,

We have had an exciting week at Fairview! We were fortunate enough to have Terry Fox's niece come by on Tuesday and talk to our school about Terry's life and then had the Terry Fox Run on Thursday. It was a hot afternoon but everyone was able to complete the run/walk and enjoyed orange slices provided by our P.A.C.  Our school raised over $1000 for the Terry Fox Foundation this year which meant that the students won some incentive prizes-they did my make-up on Thursday $500 incentive) and Mrs. Watkins had a few pies thrown in her face AND had two buckets of cold water poured on her ($1000 incentive)!  The students loved it!

Reminders/Updates/Thank you's

*Please send in $1.80 (plus $2.80 if you plan to join us) for our upcoming field trip to the public library. Also, please sign up via the parent portal if you have not already done so.
*The weather is now changing so sturdy inside shoes that can be worn in the gym are a must, thank you for your help in keeping our school clean and the gym safe
*Please send in supply money ($55 for the supplies/planner) if you have not already done so or pay online via the parent portal
*Thank you to everyone who has signed up for a class party.  If you have not come in and signed up or emailed me I am happy to put your name down for a party.  I will put a reminder the week before each party on this site
*Please send in your child's Entertainment books (or the money) if you have not already done so.  I realize that a lot of fundraising materials from our PAC have been recently sent home and many do not need to be returned unless you are interested in participating but these books do need to come back to the school ASAP.  Thank you!
*Monday you will be receiving a pink notification form from the office, please check that the information is accurate and sign/return the form
*If you have not already done so, please reply to my email from last Friday indicating that we have the correct email for you (please include your child's name in the reply).
*Our class is leading a food drive for the 'Friends in Need' Foodbank next week.  This is an annual fundraiser we do the week leading into Thanksgiving.  Your children were busy making posters and delivering boxes yesterday and will be making daily announcements.  We have been discussing how fortunate we all are to have homes to live in and food to eat and that even though they are young they are able to make a difference.  Our motto is 'Little people can make a BIG difference!'  Thank you for supporting this great cause by sending in non-perishable foods next week.  The boxes will be picked up on Friday morning at 9:00 so any donations up until that point are greatly appreciated.
*Thank you to the parents who volunteered at the Terry Fox Run.  I saw Logan and Wyatt's mom out there but there may have been more :)  Your help is much appreciated!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Amanda Roberts

September 22, 2017

Hi Everyone,

It is hard to believe but another week has flown by.  Your children are all adjusting well to their new classroom and are starting to follow the routines with fewer reminders.  We are working towards being great role models in the school and I was very proud of the class when I asked for volunteers to demonstrate some activity stations we had just learned to Mrs. O'Riordan's K's and they ALL wanted to help.  We met in the multipurpose room and your children did a fantastic job of teaching the kindergarten class how to do the circuit! Great work, everyone!

Updates/Reminders/Thank you's

*Our Terry Fox run is coming up this Thursday.  I have 2 students who have not completed the parent portal permission for walking field trips (it was sent to you earlier in the year by Mrs. Watkins).  This will need to be signed before I can take students off the grounds for this walk/run.  Terry Fox Run donations are gratefully accepted all week.  Thank you!
*Please send in your child's supply money ($55) or pay via the portal if you have not already done so.  Thank you!
*Also, please send in a sturdy pair of inside shoes.  This is what your child will be wearing in the gym so they need to be comfortable for active times.
*We have booked a field trip to the Maple Ridge Public Library to see a guest author speaker (Holman Wang) on the morning of October 13th.  We will be taking public transit but would appreciate volunteers to join us.  We should be back at the school by lunch time.  You will receive a field trip form to complete via the parent portal next week but we just wanted to give you the 'heads up' so you can adjust your schedule if you'd like to join us (Reminder: our skating field trip date is October 24th-portal notice to follow closer to the date)
*Please send in the Entertainment books if you have not already done so  (it is okay if you were unable to sell it)  Thank you!
*I am going to be sending you home an email in a few minutes to confirm that we have the correct email on file at the office.  If you do not get this, please write an updated email in your child's planner or phone the office directly at (604) 465 9331
*Some of your children may have brought home a notice about our cross country running club.  We will begin training on Wednesday and will be meeting after school every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  I am one of the coaches so if you are unable to pick up your child on time those days (and they aren't in cross country) I will be sending them to the office to wait for you so I know they are safely with another adult.
*A big thank you to Logan's mom for making play dough (it smells so nice!), Colette's grandpa for cutting wood for an upcoming Thanksgiving project and Dyllan's mom for organizing the Scholastic book orders.  Your help is really appreciated!

Enjoy your long weekend, everyone (Monday is a curriculum day).  I will look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday morning when we will be attending an assembly where the speaker is Terry Fox's sister.

Please contact me at any time if you have any questions or concerns.

Amanda Roberts
amanda_roberts@sd42.ca
(604) 465 9331 (Fairview phone #)

September 15, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to Division 8's class blog.  This will be the place where you will receive weekly reminders and updates.  Once I receive permission from parents (via the  portal) I would also like to post some photos of your child's learning on this site.  Please check back here each week for the latest news! :)  We are off to a great start this week.  We are beginning to get some routines in place and it is great to see your children beginning to develop new friendships.  I am looking forward to a a great year!

Updates/Reminders/Thank you's

*our Terry Fox Run will be on Thursday, September 28th.  You will receive a letter from our 'Terry Fox Run' committee via the portal outlining the details but the main things you need to know are:
1)Your child's walking permission (done via the portal) must be signed in order for them to participate on the route
2)Your child should dress for the weather that day and wear comfortable runners-we will be running/walking rain or shine
3)We are collecting donations and are hoping for $3/students to help reach our school goal of $1000
4)Volunteers are needed

*Please send in the $5 for emergency supplies if you have not already done so
*We are also collecting earthquake (comfort) kits at this time
*If you have not already signed up for a class party, please come by or send me a note.  Each family will send a treat for the class to share for one party during the year.  If I don't hear from you I will add your name to the list and notify you via this blog the week before the party-our first party is on Halloween
*Entertainment books were sent home today-please return these (or the money if you are able to sell them) at your earliest convenience.  The PAC is running a contest where the first class to return the books or money gets a free pass to Extreme Air Park!
*Is there a parent who wouldn't mind making some play dough for our class?  Please see me or write me a note if you are able to do this.  Thank you!
*Our first Scholastic book order will be coming home next week
*Thank you to all of you who have sent in the $55 or paid via the parent portal for your child's school supplies
*Please send in inside shoes to help keep our school/gym clean
*Tuesday, October 24th we are booked to go skating at 1:00 (volunteer drivers will be needed)

Important dates for September:

Sept. 21 Picture Day
Sept. 25 ProD Day-no school for students
Sept. 28 Terry Fox Run (afternoon)

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Amanda Roberts