École Laura Secord Elementary Newsletter

Sept 18-22 Grade 7 Camp

Tuesday, Sept 26th PAC Meeting

Thursday, Sept 28th Picture Day

Friday, Sept 29th Pro-D Day – Students do not

attend school this day

Monday, Oct 2nd Orange Shirt Day

Dates to Remember in September

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Among other things, what is

September known for at

“back to school” time?

Hectic, exciting…. and busy

with traffic! For the safety of

all, please check out page 4

for more safety info.

Welcome New Students… Bienvenue! A warm welcome back to all of our École Laura Secord Elementary families and a

special welcome to all the new families joining us!

I know all the staff are very excited to be back and to be with your children helping

them learn - after all, that is what drives us all here at École Laura Secord

Elementary School.

Safety Corner 1

Dates to Remember 1

Welcome New Students 1

Picture Day is Coming 1

After School Programs 1

Terry Fox Run 2

Grade 7 Camp 2

Stop Bike Thefts 2

School Routines 3

Earthquake Preparedness 3

Allergy Awareness Corner 4

Back to School Traffic Safety 4

Orange Shirt Day 4

Reporting Student Absences 5

Code of Conduct 5

Planning Calendar 6

PAC Welcome 7

Hot Lunch 7

PAC Meeting 7

BCCPAC Update & Survey 7

Upcoming Events 7

Grouse Mtn Fundraiser 8

SPUD Fundraiser 8

PAC Would Love to Hear You 8

Principal: Janis Myers

Vice Principal: Brad Toews

Volume I, September 2017

Reminder….

NO SCHOOL FOR

STUDENTS ON:

Friday, September 29th

(School Based Pro D Day)

S A F E T Y C O R N E R

Use these tips to help your child get ready for a great-looking school portrait that

you’ll treasure forever.

1. Help your child pick out clothes and colours that look good on them. After

all, your child is the star of the photo—not their shirt, so avoid slogans,

logos, and big patterns. Small jewelry and accessories are fine but nothing

too big or distracting. Make sure to check your flyer to see sample poses

for your Picture Day. Some poses may show pants or skirts, so plan the

complete outfit.

2. Glasses are okay! Lifetouch photographers know all the tricks to reduce

glare.

3. Any hairstyle works for Picture Day. Schedule haircuts a few weeks

ahead of time to allow hair to grow back a little, or you can go for a fresh-

cut look.

4. Keep kids relaxed and ready to be themselves. Smiles can look fake if

they’re practiced ahead of time. Remember, smiles are like french fries—

they’re better when they’re fresh.

5. Don’t worry about “perfect”! That hair that always sticks up or a missing

tooth shows your child just as they are right now—and you’ll enjoy looking

back on that for years to come. On Picture Day, teachers and volunteers

will help straighten collars and check posture. And, if you like, we have

retouching options for scrapes and blemishes.

And that’s it! Remember, School Picture day is Thursday, September 28th.

Picture Day is Coming!

The Community Schools Team is putting together the schedule for our exciting After

School Programs! Prices ranged from $45 to $80 and the term will be the week of

October 10th right up to Christmas break. If you’ve participated, you know how

popular and busy these programs are.

So stay tuned! More information will be available in the coming weeks, but mark

your calendar now. Registration will begin Wednesday October 4th in the BIG

GYM at 8:20am and ends Friday October 6th. Register EARLY our programs fill

up fast!

After School Programs Coming Soon

Secord News Page 2

Stop Bike Thefts

Nearly 2 million bikes are stolen in North America annually - one every 30

seconds.

In Vancouver alone, 5-6 bikes are stolen every day on average, 9 per day in the

summer. Unfortunately, Secord experience our 2nd theft this month recently.

So what can you do?

Secure It - the best way to protect yourself against bike theft is to park your bike

in a secure bike parking facility, like many workplace bike rooms and cages, and

the lockers and parkades provided at some TransLink stations. Other good

choices include monitored parking facilities and locations, and high-visibility racks

along retail store-fronts. See Lock It Well below!

Record Your serial # - often on the underside of your pedal (crank) shaft - keep

this number in a safe place

Register It - use the free 529 Garage registry and app anywhere in Metro

Vancouver. It alerts others that your bike is stolen and helps police recover and

return it to you.

Lock it Well - watch this helpful video by HUB (and this VPD video) to learn how

to prevent bike theft with good locking techniques

Report Bike Theft - if your bike is stolen, reporting it to your local police ASAP is

your best chance for safe return (and to stimulate action by the local policing

community).

Broadcast It - social networks have been proven to increase the chance of

recovery - post a photo and details of your bike theft experience on Facebook,

Twitter and Instagram.

Look for It - watch online marketplaces, and report or flag suspicious listings.

Police and RCMP advise you to not attempt a 'sting' operation of your own;

while some have been successful, the potential risk to you is far greater than the

benefit of recovery. Always contact your local police for assistance.

Log It, Lock It...Or Lose It and Free Bike Registry

Here is the VPD Log It, Lock It or Lose It campaign, and recommended bike

registry app Project 529 Garage to make it harder for thieves to steal your bike.

Project 529 also makes it easier for police to help get your bike back if it's stolen.

Secord School staff are proud to offer programs and activities that promote a

healthy and active lifestyle. As part of this focus, grade 7 students from all our

programs were invited to attend a week-long outdoor education program at

Evans Lake, September 18-22. What a great way to start their special last

elementary school year and build the “Class of 2018” bonds.

Grade 7 Camp

F

Terry Fox Run Last week we participated in the Terry Fox Run. Some students ran the back

field and some went to Trout Lake.

Cancer research and the children were the big winners on that day. Thanks

for your contributions!

Page 3 Secord News

Earthquake Preparedness

As you most probably heard,

Mexico was hit twice with

powerful earthquakes, the

most recent one destroying at

least one school. We would

like to remind everyone of the

importance of being prepared.

We here at the school have an

earthquake bin, classroom

backpacks and some basic

supplies.

For those of you at home, it

may interest you to take a

moment to read a link from

the government of BC to guide

you on how to be prepared.

School Routines

We are looking forward to working with you and your children. It is important for

students to start off the school year by being punctual and ready to learn. We are also

working on making sure that our school is a safe and healthy environment.

Outside supervision by staff begins at 8:40 in the morning and ends twenty

minutes after the 3:00 p.m. bell. Please do not leave your children in the

playground unsupervised before 8:40 a.m. and after 3:20 p.m. There is a bell at

3:20 that reminds students that they need to come to the office if they haven’t

been picked up.

Please make sure that you call the school at (604) 713-5159 ext 74 if your child is

going to be absent. Parents must sign their child in/out at the office if their child

arrives late or has to leave early.

Students will be lining up outside as has been past practice. Teachers have

shown their students where to line up. The younger students will be lining up

under the covered areas. Please see the map in this newsletter for your child’s

line up area.

We are encouraging families to continue to travel clockwise around the school and

to park on 10th Avenue. When designing the school yard we have purposefully

made the entrance off 10th attractive with brickwork and seating for families to

congregate in order to create an inviting space and to alleviate the congestion on

Lakewood in order to avoid safety issues with the lane across from the front

entrance of the school.

Please respect the 3 minutes-only stopping zone and No Stopping zone on

Lakewood Dr. in front of the school. Please also remember that there is no

parking in the alley off of Lakewood Drive. Parking is very limited around the

school, therefore, please read the parking signs carefully as officers patrol the

area all year long.

Riding bikes and scooters on school grounds before and after school (while

pedestrians are on the grounds) is NOT permitted for safety reasons since there

are so many children and adults on the school grounds at those times. We

appreciate parents reinforcing this rule with their children. City Of Vancouver by-

laws require all bike riders to wear a helmet; Police Officers have already been on

site reminding people about this.

We promote good nutrition in the school and encourage students to bring good

nutritious snacks and lunches. As we have a number of students with serious

food allergies, we ask parents to avoid preparing lunches and snacks that

contain nut and seed products.

All students are required to adhere to the school’s Code of Conduct. It is printed in

students’ agenda, is available on the school website, and is frequently reviewed

with students at school. Parents are encouraged to review it with their children.

Mobile devices: Many students bring personal mobile devices (ie cell phones,

smartphones, iPods, etc) to school (although students are welcome to use the

phone in the office to call home for emergency or other purposes). While these

items are not prohibited at school, devices that interfere with the primary purposes

of school (learning and socializing safely and respectfully) will be removed and

given back to the student at day's end or to the parent.

Parents are encouraged to review the “School Policies and Procedures” section within

the “About Us” tab of the school website.

Page 4 Secord News

The first week back to school is always a hectic and exciting time. Traffic-wise, things can get particularly busy, especially near schools. For the safety of all children we are strongly encouraging everyone to drive carefully and obey traffic signs around school grounds. If possible, we are encouraging everyone to walk, cycle (remember to wear a helmet) or carpool to school. If you must drive, consider parking a few blocks away and walk the rest of the way.

The following are traffic signs that are typically posted around Vancouver schools.

Did you know?

Tree nuts are considered a

priority allergen by Health

Canada.

People with an allergy to one

type of nut have a greater

chance of being allergic to

others.

People who are allergic to some

tree nuts generally avoid all tree

nuts and peanuts because of

the risk of cross-contamination.

Non Food Sources of Tree Nuts

Beanbags, kick sacks/hacky

sacks

Bird seed

Cosmetics, skin and hair

care products, lotions, soap,

body scrubs, sun screens

Massage oils

Pet food

Sandblasting materials

Back to School Traffic Safety Tips

Awareness without action is worthless.

For the safety of all we thank you in advance for your attendance to, and

understanding of, these signs. Let’s all have a safe and happy return to school.

“NO STOPPING 8am – 5pm SCHOOL DAYS”

These signs designate the zones where vehicles are not

permitted to stop under any circumstances. These zones are

kept clear to provide good sight lines for drivers to see students

and students to see drivers.

“NO PARKING 8am – 5pm SCHOOL DAYS”

These signs designate the zones for active picking up and

dropping off of students. Do not park and leave the vehicle in

these zones.

“3 min Parking 8am – 5pm SCHOOL DAYS”

These signs designate the zones for picking up and dropping off

of students where parking is permitted for 3 minutes.

School Area Signs

This sign is used in advance of school to warn drivers that

children may be walking along or crossing the road. On local

streets 30 km/hr signs are posted and the speed limit is 30 km/hr

from 8 am - 5 pm on school days.

School Crosswalk Signs

A school crosswalk sign indicates where children will be crossing

the road. Vehicles must yield to pedestrians at all intersections

and crosswalks. Vehicles must remain stopped until children

are safely across and on the curb. Please remember children

are playful and impulsive and may enter the roadway suddenly.

Wear Orange on October 2nd

September 30th has been declared Orange Shirt Day annually, in recognition of the

harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and

wellbeing, and as an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around

us matters. The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children

were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity

to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year.

It also gives teachers time to plan events that will include children, as we want to

ensure that we are passing the story and learning on to the next generations.

Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people,

local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of

reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

Since September 30th is a Saturday, and September 29th is our Pro-D day, Secord

will be celebrating on October 2nd. So wear your best orange shirt and shine!

Why Orange Shirts?

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of

the St. Joseph Mission (SJM)

residential school

commemoration event held in

Williams Lake, BC,

Canada, in May 2013. It grew out

of Phyllis Webstad's story of

having her shiny new orange shirt

taken away on her first day of

school at the Mission, and it has

become an opportunity to keep

the discussion on all aspects of

residential schools happening

annually.

Page 5

Secord News

Reporting Student Absences – New!

Student safety is of paramount importance at the Vancouver School District and Laura

Secord Elementary. Ensuring student safety is a shared responsibility. In order to

assist our school, we ask parents to notify the school of student absences. If your child

will be away from school, please phone us to report this absence as early as possible.

Parents should leave a message on a dedicated answering service by calling

(604)713-5159 ext 74. Messages will be received before the office is open. School

offices are busy places: consistently notifying the school in advance of your child’s

absence will significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Safe Arrival

Morning Routine.

To Report Your Child’s Absence – Please Call (604) 713-5159 ext 74 prior to 9 am on

the first day of the absence.

Student Sign Out Procedure

When you pick up your child during the school day, please ensure that you sign them

out at the school office. If you do not sign out your child, they will be unaccounted for,

and the school will identify your child as a ‘missing’ student and will commence a

search of school grounds. If the school staff do not locate the child, and are unable to

reach a parent promptly, the school will call the Vancouver Police Department.

Therefore, clear communication is essential for ensuring the safety of your child and to

prevent unnecessary searches.

Thank you for helping us keep your children safe!

To Report Your Child’s

Absence – Please Call (604)

713-5159 ext 74 prior to 9 am

on the first day of the absence.

All students are required to adhere to the school’s Code of Conduct. It is printed

in students’ agenda, is available on the school website, and is frequently

reviewed with students at school. Parents are encouraged to review it with their

children.

Laura Secord’s Code of Conduct

Secord News

Page 6

For Your Planning Calendar….

Page 7

Secord News

PAC Page: What’s New With Your PAC

Welcome Everyone!

Welcome all the new students and parents to Laura Secord: welcome to your

PAC. We have a lot of information in this update and hope to see many of you at

PAC meeting or volunteering for a fun event this year.

Hot Lunch

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteers are a critical part of

what allows us to keep this the

Hot Lunch program running

each year. We are currently

recruiting volunteers for shifts

which run from 11:30-12:45.

We need about 15 volunteers

per hot lunch and it is a fast

and fun way to sneak a peek

at your child in the school

environment.

Please email

secordPAC@gmail.com to be

added to our volunteer list

PAC Meeting

Tuesday, September 26th

@ 6:30pm - First PAC

meeting. Please join us in

the school library for this

year's first PAC meeting. It

is an excellent opportunity

to learn what is happening

at the school this year,

meet other parents and

find out how you can get

involved. We will also hold

our PAC executive

elections. We look forward

to seeing you there! Free

childcare will be provided.

BCCPAC Update and Survey

Survey for Parents of Special Needs Children who are not receiving a Full Day

at School

BCCPAC strongly believes that every child deserves equitable access to a full day

of education. Since the spring, we have been actively advocating regarding the

problems faced by families of children with special needs who are unable to attend

school full time.

BCCPAC is conducting a three-minute parent survey to confirm how widespread

this issue is across BC public schools:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCCPACFullDaySchool

The survey will close on October 6, 2017.

BCCPAC will be taking survey results directly to the Ministry of Education with the

expectation that changes will be made to end discrimination against children with

complex learning needs.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 @ 6:30PM

The first PAC meeting, the Secord PAC's AGM, will be held in the library at 6:30

pm. We will be discussing PAC events, fundraising, as well as NOMINATING the

PAC executive for the year

Please note some volunteers PAC positions are open:

Co-chair – 1 open seat

Secretary – 2 open seats

Members at Large – multiple open seats

English and French Primary Reps

English and French Intermediate Reps

Class Reps

Several Event Coordinating Positions

Simply coming to the meeting is a great way to keep in touch with the school and

to know what's going on. Babysitting will be available from 6:25pm in the

cafeteria.

Upcoming Events (stay tuned for details, but mark your calendar to volunteer!)

English Book Fair: October 15-19

Pumpkin Patch: October 31

Secord Clothing Sales: November 6-10

Dance: November 17

First PAC General Meeting

Upcoming Events

Page 8

Laura Secord Elementary 2500 Lakewood Dr Vancouver, BC V5N 4V1

Phone 604-713-4996 Fax 604-713-4998

We’re on the Web!

http://secord.vsb.bc.ca

Editor: Susan Pazdzior

Director of

Instruction:

Aaron Davis

Liaison School

Trustee:

Dianne Turner

PAC Chairs:

Richard Abgrail

District Parent

Representative:

Sarah McKinnon

Secord News

PAC is on Twitter!

@SecordPAC

Early Bird Grouse Mountain Pass Fundraiser

Limited Time Only. Offer Ends November 30.

They say winter is coming and could be a snowy one!

15% cash back for our PAC when you purchase a Grouse Mountain Early Bird

Pass.

Offering access to unlimited skiing, riding, snowshoeing, skating, events and

more, an Early Bird Pass is the North Shore’s best value snow pass. You’ll also

receive some incredible perks including discounts on food & beverage, equipment

rentals and private lessons! Best of all you’ll be earning money for your PAC.

Simply provide the unique promo code below when purchasing to earn money for

your school.

Buy now at grousemountain.com/early-bird

Promo Code: PAC-SECORD

Early Bird Rates Until Nov.30 Regular Rates

Adult (19-64) $499 $825

Youth (13-18) $399 $675

Child (5-12) $199 $375

Tot (4 & under) $35 $40

Family $1249 $2090

Senior (65+) $299 $725

Student (19+) $399 $675

Three Ways to Purchase:

Online grousemountain.com/early-bird-pac

Call 604.980.9311

Visit Guest Services

Share with friends and family and social media groups!

When you order organic produce boxes from SPUD, 25% will be donated to

Laura Secord and the produce will be delivered right to your door! This applies

to new and existing customers.

Here is how:

1. Create an account at SPUD.ca

2. Choose the organic produce box you want to order and add it to your cart.

The boxes are listed on the SPUD Fundraising page under the Home tab

(SPUD.ca/fundraising)

3. At checkout, enter the promo code FUNDRAISING and select LAURA

SECORD ELEMENTARY PAC from the drop down menu.

4. Complete your order. Your produce boxes and any other groceries will be

delivered to your home or office.

5. 25% is donated to our school!

SPUD Fundraiser: fundraise with Organics!

PAC Minutes

PAC Events

School Calendar

Vancouver School

Board

We would love to hear from you!!! If you haven't already, please take a moment

to fill out the PAC survey to reflect on the past and give suggestions for the

future. It is a quick 10 question survey. Secord PAC Survey Link

* Survey results will be shared at the 1st PAC meeting."