Hello families,

As we head into our last week of classes this year, I wanted to share a few things we've done this month and send out a couple of information items for this week. 

My website: I have added a slide deck of photos from our year together on my website. You can check it out HERE! I've also added a bunch of math practice and videos juuuust in case anyone wants to get some extra practice in over the summer. You can find a bunch of stuff related to different things we've learned, including the rock cycle—check it out!

Library: Last week we visited Virginia at the Sidney branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library, and she told us about all the great things happening this summer. Check out the summer reading program HERE! There is also a program where students can put forward recommendations (for books, board games, video games) and they will receive a jumbo freezie. Every other recommendation they put forward, gets their name in a draw for one of the Sidney gift cards to be used in many Sidney shops and restaurants! There are even live drawing workshops on Zoom with SRC artist Jeni Chen!

Unbirthday Party: Tomorrow is our unbirthday party to celebrate anyone who has a birthday outside of the school year! 

Monday Movie: Tomorrow afternoon, we are walking to the Sidney Cinema with our little buddy class (Mrs. Collin's class), Mrs. Alberring's class, and Mrs. Coppack's class. It's going to "BEE" great!

Scrapbooks and Supplies: On Monday, we are organizing our scrapbooks. It's a great way to reflect back on what we've done. Throughout the year, students have written gratitude notes to each other, and these will be an envelope in the back of their scrapbooks. On Tuesday we will begin packing up our supplies and students will bring them home on Wednesday.

Grade Five Celebration: On Tuesday we are hosting a celebration for our grade five students! Grade five families (hopefully you received your invitation a couple of weeks ago), please join us in the afternoon—the celebration starts at 12:45, but we recommend you arrive earlier to get settled. 

Year-End Assembly: Wednesday June 28, our year end assembly is at 9:30. Families are welcome! 

Sidney Potluck Breakfast: Thursday, June 30 is the PAC potluck breakfast from 7:30-8:40. Please bring something to share and join us for breakfast! 

Report Cards: report cards will go home on Thursday. If your child won't be at school Thursday, please let me know so I can make other arrangements. If you are taking your child home early on Thursday (e.g. after the breakfast potluck), please let me know and sign them out at the office. 

It's going to be a bittersweet week--everyone has worked so hard and is ready for some summer fun, but we're also a little sad to see the end of the year. This class is such an amazing group of students who take care of each other and have grown into a loving community of learners. I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend time with them every day. Thank you, families, for your support and everything you've done to help make this such a successful year!

Alyssa

Good evening families,

It is so busy at school these days, I wanted to touch base with you about some of the things happening.

Track: Last week we had our district track meet at UVic, and it was AMAZING! Many of our intermediate students participated and the adults were so impressed with the Sidney school spirit shown. When we met yesterday to discuss and celebrate our track athletes, one student said, "When you were running in your race, you could hear everyone cheering and it sounded like our whole school was cheering for us! It was awesome!" Congratulations to everyone involved!

Open House: Hopefully you received the letter about the Open House we are hosting on Thursday June 15 afternoon (3:00-4:30) and Friday June 16 morning (8:00-8:30). This is an opportunity for students to show you what they're learning, as well as a chance to see all of the amazing LSC projects on display. Please stop by for as long or as little as you'd like! 

Tool Cart: We are completing a new wood working project, as well as an electrical project this week. I can't give out any details because they may be presents for family members, but they will come home this weekend!

Read Aloud: As you know, the class voted to read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Pax: Journey Home was a close second, and MANY excellent books made the finals). At some point in the last week, if we are finished all of our projects and jobs, I'm hoping to watch the movie with the class. If you have any objections to this, please let me know. 

Writing: We are working hard to complete our latest writing project—The Harris Burdick Stories. We are using our story writing "SKILLS" format and the students have been very excited to work on these! Please ask your child about The Mystery of Harris Burdick and their story. 

Math: Students should continue working on the Reflex Math multiplication and division fact fluency at home several times a week. We continue to celebrate student successes, and hopefully most students can get 100% fluency before the end of the year! There is a special prize for students who achieve 100% and I don't want to eat them all myself! In class, we are finishing our division unit and learning about fractions. 

Grade Five Celebration: Hopefully grade five families received the invitation to our Grade Five Celebration on Tuesday, June 27. 

Fish, Fish, and more Fish!: Your child may have told you that our HUGE classroom fish tank is full of guppies. We have new baby fish every few weeks, and therefore, have a surplus of fish in our tank. If your family would like to take some fish home before the summer holiday, please email me and let me know. 

Please check out the Dates to Remember for an updated list of what's happening at school...

Dates To Remember:

Monday: Chess Club

Fridays: Community walks

June 13: Volunteer Tea

June 15: Grade 4 Maturation Talk

June 15: Div 17 Open House after school (any time between 3:00-4:30)

June 16: Open House in the morning 8:00-8:30

                Hot Lunch Day

                Popcorn AND Cotton Candy for sale ($2) after school

June 20: Library visit

June 21: National Indigenous People's Day

June 23: Fun Day (morning)

Monday June 26: Sidney Cinema Trip with Little Buddies: The Bee Movie

Tuesday June 27: Grade Five Celebration/Farewell

Wednesday June 28: Year End Assembly @9:30

Thursday June 29: Family Pot Luck Breakfast in the gym (starts at 7:30am)

                  Report Cards go home

                  Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's learning. 

Have a great night!

Alyssa

Hello families,

A few more reminders and bits of information for you:

Intermediate Swim: The intermediate swim is today. Please send your child with bathing gear (bathing suit, shorts and a t-shirt, whatever they feel comfortable with to swim), a towel, and a plastic bag for their wet things. I highly recommend that students with long hair wear their hair in elastics. Please do not send money, but students may bring a token or money for a locker. Most students share a locker and don't lock it—there are no valuables. There are three change rooms—girls, boys, and family. If your child needs to use the family change room, please let me know. 

LSC Projects: Literature Study Circle projects are due this week. There is a copy of the letter which went home HERE on my website. Students should use the criteria on it when creating the notes for their project and presentation to ensure they have included everything they need.  

Bike to School Week: This week is bike/walk to school week. Students are encouraged to ride bikes or walk to school every day. There are adults at the bike racks in the morning who are cheering them on and handing out sticker prizes. 

Sidney PAC Spring Fling: Thank you for signing up HERE to help out during the Spring Fling and a HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed beach item for the raffle basket. Many grade five students have signed up to participate in the dunk tank, and they will receive a time. If your child is going in the dunk tank, please bring lots of extra warm clothes to change into afterwards and make sure they arrive 5 mins before their shift. The PAC is also asking that you bring a baked donation (cake, cupcakes, pie, etc.) for the cake walk station. It's going to be great!

Open House: We are having an Open House in Div. 17 on Thursday June 15 after school (2:48-4:30) and Friday June 16 morning (8:00-8:30). Please try to visit during one of these times so your child can show you their learning. You'll also get a chance to see all of the amazing LSC projects on display!

Library Visit: On June 20 we are visiting the Sidney branch of the Vancouver Island Public Library. Students will chat with Virginia about the summer reading program and get some great ideas for books to read!

Unbirthday Party: For everyone who has summer birthdays, we will celebrate them on Monday June 26.

Dates To Remember:

Monday: Chess Club

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

May 31: Assembly @ 9:15

             Intermediate Swim

June 2: LSC Projects due

           PAC Spring Fling

June 8: District Track Meet @ U. Vic

June 12: Grade 5 Maturation Talk 

June 13: Volunteer Tea

June 15: Grade 4 Maturation Talk

June 15: Div 17 Open House after school

June 16: Open House in morning

                Hot Lunch Day

June 20: Library visit

June 23: Fun Day

June 27: Grade Five Celebration/Farewell

June 28: Year End Assembly

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's learning. Have a great day!

Alyssa

Hello families,

I've been putting off the latest Div. 17 News because there always seems to be something new to add! I also keep a copy of all emails on my website HERE if you think you've missed something. We did have some issues with website access, but I've added all parent emails, so hopefully the link works and you can check out the updated photos and activities! Here's the latest News...

Reading: 

• Our Literature Study Circle unit was an excellent way for students to learn new skills and go deeper with their thinking about our exploration books. Students read books, completed double journal entries, and attended meetings to discuss the books with peers and an adult facilitator. 

• Many students have returned their 200 Days of Reading sheets—thank you for helping encourage your child's love of reading at home! 

• As you know, we finished our read aloud book Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. I hope your child told you about it and shared their thoughts! Students have suggested several other books (SO many great titles) and today we heard persuasive arguments, voted for our favourites, and narrowed it down to the two finalists (it was a tie!). Tomorrow we will hear persuasive arguments and make our final vote for the last read aloud of the year...stay tuned!

Writing: 

• During our poetry unit, students learned a variety of tools and poetry forms. Students have written acrostic poems, simile poems, haikus, limericks, and black out poetry formats. 

• We have been writing back and forth to our KELSET pen pals all year. This month, we are using a new graphic novel format!

• This week, we will begin a special short story write...stay tuned!

Math: 

• We continue our division unit including long division skills and will begin work with fractions soon. 

• If your child does not have their math facts memorized, please help them to practice several times a week on Reflex Math or using a black multiplication chart. It would be a great way to complete the year with most students obtaining 100% fact fluency!

School Garden: With the great weather this last month, we've worked hard to prepare and plant in our school garden box. Some plants continue to grow from last year, some we started as seeds, and some we planted as seedlings. Our garden looks AMAZING and we've already got things growing—like the snap peas that we ate today. Thank you for the coffee grounds donations, our plants are loving them!

Jump Rope for Heart: Thursday, May 25 is our Jump Rope for Heart Day. Our school is collecting money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and students are encouraged to bring a donation (loonie or toonie) on Thursday. 

Track: This week we begin track practices for students in grades 3,4 and 5. Interested students will meet with their grade groupings throughout the week to practice running and relay skills. Students should have also brought home a permission form for the district track meet on June 8. I will be one of the adults attending the track meet. I encourage families to join us at U. Vic and cheer on our Sidney team! If your child would like to attend, but you are not able to attend or pick them up from the track meet, please let me know and I will try to help you arrange a ride. 

LSC Final Projects: Students should be finishing their LSC projects at home, as they are due in a week and a half, on June 2. Please have your child practice their presentation at home. The criteria for the project and presentation came home on May 3, but I have attached a copy HERE for reference. After students have completed their oral presentations, we will have an open house on June 15 for families to explore all the projects and visit our classroom. 

Spring Fling: Our class is responsible for creating a raffle basket with a beach theme. Please bring beach items we can use to the classroom. We are also responsible for the store station at the Spring Fling. Please sign up HERE for a volunteer slot.

Maturation Talks: The Island Sexual Health maturation talks will take place with Sophie Bourne-Lewis, the maturation educator. This year the format will be different as the grade four and five students will have separate talks with students in similar grades. The grade five maturation talk will be on June 12 and the grade four maturation talk will be on June 15. There will be a letter coming home this week with more information for parents.

Dates To Remember:

Monday: Chess Club

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

May 24 & 25: Book Fair

May 25---Jump Rope for Heart

May 31: Assembly @ 9:15

             Intermediate Swim

June 2: LSC Projects due

           PAC Spring Fling

June 8: District Track Meet @ U. Vic

June 12: Grade 5 Maturation Talk 

June 13: Volunteer Tea

June 15: Grade 4 Maturation Talk

June 15: Div 17 Open House

June 16: Hot Lunch Day

June 23: Fun Day

June 27: Grade Five Celebration/Farewell

June 28: Year End Assembly

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's learning. Have a great night,

Alyssa

Good evening everyone,

Cross Country: Today was the last cross-country meet. What an awesome meet it was, despite the very hot weather! I was so impressed with the determination and grit shown by Sidney students--Congratulations Sidney Bees! Tomorrow we will have a celebration meeting at 1:45 to congratulate everyone in cross country and celebrate with a little treat. 

Reflex and Math: If your child doesn't have 100% fluency in multiplication and division facts yet, please help them remember to practice often at home. This skill is invaluable when we are working on more challenging math. I've even bought more special prizes in preparation for celebrating, so hopefully we can get everyone to 100% fluency! We are currently working on division and long division skills. 

Camp Shirts: Today we made our reverse tie-dye shirts and we did a "reveal" before the end of the day! I am washing/drying them at home now and will bring them back to school for students to see the final result. On Monday, when students arrive for camp, I will have their shirt in a bag with their name on it so they can change, and we can all be matching for our camp day. The plastic bag is also for students to use when they have wet bathing suits or clothing in their back packs at camp. 

NSMS: Tomorrow (Thursday)  - grade five students are off to NSMS for a tour and activities. We are leaving right away and walking there and back. As always, PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILD IS AT SCHOOL ON TIME—8:35--EVERY DAY! Please check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. Students will be provided with one piece of pizza at NSMS, but they should still bring their normal lunch as we will eat when we return to Sidney school. 

Grade 4s will be staying at school with Ms. Fitterer, Ms. Streifel, and Ms. Watson and will be working on a very special project. 

Camp Thunderbird: Monday is our Camp Thunderbird day trip. Please search your child’s backpack this evening, if you have not already done so, to retrieve the final notice with all of the very important reminders as well as a packing list. It is very important that students are at school at 7:30 AM that morning after having a good sleep, a good breakfast, and with all of their gear packed properly. I encourage students to pack their camp bag on the weekend and have it ready to go well in advance.

LSC Final Project: Tomorrow, an information notice about our final literature study circle project, as well as your child’s project plan will come home. We have worked very hard on creating and collaborating on these plans this week. I am asking that families have a look at the plan, make any tweaks necessary, sign it, and return it to me the next day (Friday). This is just to ensure that we are all on the same page, and you're aware of your child's plan for their project. I will return the plans so that you have them at home ASAP. If your child needs any supplies that you're not able to find, please let me know and I can look through our school stash of interesting things. Students have got about a month to complete this project and I love the ideas that the students have come up with so far. In June, after students have presented their projects to the class, we will have an after school open house, so families can see all the amazing projects students created which were inspired by our Literature Study books. 

Grade Five Farewell and Celebration: We are planning the grade five farewell celebration on Tuesday June 27. More details to come closer to the date, but I wanted families to have an early "heads up"!

Dates To Remember:

Monday: Chess Club

Tuesdays: Cross Country Practice

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

                Crochet Club

Thursdays: Cross Country Practice

Fridays: Community walks

May 3: Cross Country Meet @ 3:30

May 4: Grade Fives visit NSMS

May 8: Camp Thunderbird Day

May 12: Hot Lunch Day

May 19: Non-Instructional Day

May 22: Stat Holiday

May 31: Intermediate Swim

June 2: LSC Projects Due

            PAC Spring Fling

June 8: District Track Meet @ U. Vic

June 16: Hot Lunch Day

June 27: Grade Five Farewell Celebration

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Any questions, just ask! Have a great night,

Alyssa

Hello families,

We are in the last term of school for the year—can you believe it? With every email, I will continue to add special days and events, so please ensure you're reading through the Dates To Remember (spirit days, camp, Spring Fling, etc.) and adding them to your calendar. 

Welcome to a new student: Today was a special day because we welcomed a new student to our class. Her name is Nikol, and she is a grade five student from the Ukraine. I could not have asked for a better welcome from our class. Students were empathetic, excited, and went out of their way to make Nikol feel comfortable at Sidney. 

Class Website: The school district has made some privacy changes to classroom websites. Rather than using a link to access the site, I have needed to add all parent emails and sent invitations for access. It has caused some issues when people aren't logged in with the email I have on file, but hopefully everyone is able to access the website. I'll add a link HERE as well (fingers crossed this works!). Also, students are still able to access it using the link on our google classroom. If you've missed any communication (or need to find any emails I've sent) I've copied them all on the website. There are also a variety of math, science, chess, tool cart (and more) activities. 

Everyone Rides Bike Program: Please ask your child about the in-class session about bike safety, as well as the outdoor skills and safety practice. I took lots of pictures and will upload them to my website when I've got some time. 

Harry Potter Day: I can't tell you how excited we are for our Harry Potter Day, and I've been getting ready for weeks! Students can dress up if they'd like, but it's not necessary. They should bring their ticket for Platform 9 ¾ so they can enter the classroom on Friday (I will bring extras in case any are lost). We are not going for a community walk this Friday. Students will be sorted into their houses, we will play games, and in the afternoon, we are watching the movie while creating a variety of fun Hogwarts-themed crafts. A huge thank you to everyone who has signed up to bring a snack, treat, or drink—it helps make our day extra special! 

Literacy: Did you know that April is Poetry Month? To kick off our poetry unit, the word of the week is onomatopoeia—check out the catchy song on my website. 😉 We continue to work on our Literature Study Circle unit with the theme of exploration. Students are reading and reflecting on a variety of books, then attending meetings to discuss them with other students and an adult facilitator. Please ask your child which book(s) they've read so far!

     Math: We continue to work on multiplication and division skills.  

Cross Country: Many students are participating in our school's cross-country team. If your child is one of them, please see the messages below. 

Cross Country Volunteers: We are looking for 20 volunteers for our first district cross country meet on Wednesday April 19th. Sidney is one of the host schools on at Centennial Park. Any parents or guardians who are able to volunteer please meet at 3:15 at the marshaling area (the main pop-up tent) in the field at Centennial. There will be some vests provided and you will be assigned a spot along the trail to supervise during the entire meet (don't worry your child will run past you so you can still see them!). Please make a plan for where to meet them at the end of the meet or arrange for your child to wait with the Sidney teachers (who will stay until all students have checked out). Please email mcurnow@saanichschools.ca if you have any questions or to let her know you're able to help out this day!

Cross Country Meets: Our first of 3 district cross country meets is this Wednesday April 19th at 3:15 at Centennial Park. All participating students will be given a jersey at lunch on the Wednesday of the run day. Each family is responsible to arrange for transportation to and from the meet for their child. Students will gather as a Sidney group to check in with one of the Sidney staff. The group will warm up together and then we will have an opening announcement and acknowledgement. At each meet the order of the races will change. This week the grade 3 students are first. After your child's race they must sign out with Mrs. Alberring, and return their jersey back to the Sidney Teachers. You are welcome to stay for the entire meet or head off after your child's race (unless you are volunteering!). If you have any questions, please reach out to mcurnow@saanichschools.ca

Public Library Message: Some spaces have opened up in our monthly Dumbledore’s Army program! Join us at the library once a month for magical crafts, games and activities and meet with fellow Harry Potter fans from the Saanich Peninsula. This program is open to any tweens or teens ages 9+. This Month: Herbology. Want to join? Please email sidney@virl.bc.ca to register. Space is limited!

*Dumbledore’s Army*

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

https://virl.bc.ca/event/dumbledores-army/2023-04-19/

Dates To Remember:

Monday: Chess Club

Tuesdays: Cross Country Practice

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

                Crochet Club

Thursdays: Cross Country Practice

Fridays: Community walks

April 14: Harry Potter Day

April 18: Assembly @ 12:30

April 19: Cross Country Meet @ 3:30

April 21: Hot Lunch Day

               Team Spirit Day

April 24: Non-Instructional Day

April 26: Cross Country Meet @ 3:30

April 27: Author's Visit

April 28: Read Around the School 

              Popcorn Day

May 3: Cross Country Meet @ 3:30

May 4: Grade Fives visit NSMS

May 8: Camp Thunderbird Day

May 12: Hot Lunch Day

May 19: Non-Instructional Day

May 22: Stat Holiday

May 31: Intermediate Swim

June 2: PAC Spring Fling

June 8: District Track Meet @ U. Vic

June 16: Hot Lunch Day

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Have a great night, and please contact me if you have any questions about the program or your child's learning.

Alyssa

Hello!

I hope all Div. 17 families had a fabulous SPRING BREAK! 

We have a busy couple of short weeks ahead so here are a few reminders:

Tuesday April 4 - FIRST CROSS COUNTRY PRACTICE @ lunch. If your child is participating and has returned their permission form,              please ensure they have proper running attire and shoes to wear. 

Wednesday April 5- return library books

              Crochet Club

                         In- class Bike Safety Program

Thursday April 6 - CROSS COUNTRY @ lunch 

              BIKE PROGRAM - students should bring bikes and helmets to school on THURSDAY. If your child does not have               their own bike and/or helmet to bring to school on Thursday, please email me ahead of time so that we can be               prepared for that. The organization does bring a fleet of bikes to use, but I'm not sure how many they have.               They also have bikes to accommodate a variety of specific physical needs. Just reach out if needed and we can               borrow one from the program. 

Friday April 7 - GOOD FRIDAY -Holiday, no school

Monday April 10- EASTER MONDAY - Holiday, no school

Friday April 14—Harry Potter Day --Please sign up to bring a snack or drink (on my website HERE). In the morning, we will have a variety of fun activities. In the afternoon, we will watch the movie harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (the same as the book we read together) and complete a variety of crafts. 

Please return the camp permission form, cross country (if your child is participating) and report card envelopes ASAP.

Thanks!

Alyssa

Hello families,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend with your families. It was great to see so many families at our Biome Inquiry Open House last week. Thank you for showing your support and allowing your child a chance to teach you about what they've learned. I'm in the process of creating a slide deck to post on my website for everyone who would like to see more pictures or for those who weren't able to attend the Open House.

Thank you for supporting your child with the Book in a Box projects and presentations! They are amazing, and we are having a great time looking at all of the projects and hearing about the books. I've created a schedule, so each student knows the day they will present their project. Please help your child to practice giving their presentation to you so you can give feedback and helpful suggestions. 

There are a lot of things happening this week:

• Wednesday: Pink Shirt Day

• Wednesday: Library book Exchange

• Wednesday: Kindness Assembly at 12:30

• Friday: Read Around the School—please join us!

• Friday: Spelling test (words from last week)

• Friday: Hot lunch

• Friday: Popcorn Day: Kernels Popcorn bags will be available after school for $2

Parent Volunteers: I've sent this link out before, but thought I'd do it again because we would love to have parent volunteers for some special days this year. If in doubt, please fill it out! Thankfully the process to obtain your criminal record check is easy. Please  go to this link to begin the process, it takes less than 10 minutes and there is no cost. If you have completed a background check for a different organization or job, you will still need to request one using this link. Background checks are valid for 3 years. If you have previously obtained a background check for the purpose of being a school volunteer and are unsure if it is still valid, please contact the office. https://saanichschools.ca/resources/generalcommunity/school-volunteer-info

Please Check out these Dates To Remember

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

Feb. 22: Pink Shirt Day

Feb. 22: Kindness Assembly @ 12:30  

Feb. 24: Read Around the School

Feb 24: Hot Lunch Day

Feb. 24: Popcorn Day 

March 1: Early Dismissal at 1:48

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

March 10: Basketball jamboree

March 13-16: Report Cards go home

March 17: Hot Lunch Day

March 20 - 24 & 27 - 31: Spring Break

April 7 & 10: Stat Holidays

April 21: Hot Lunch Day

April 24: Non-Instructional Day

May 4: Grade Fives visit NSMS

May 12: Hot Lunch Day

May 19: Non-Instructional Day

May 22: Stat Holiday

June 16: Hot Lunch Day

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

If you have any questions, please shoot me an email. Have a good night,

Alyssa

Hello families,

A quick reminder about a few things happening. 

• The Biome Open House is tomorrow 2:45-4:45. We hope you're able to stop by at some point during this time to check out the biome dwelling projects, the slide decks, the green screen photos, read the paragraphs written about their projects, and try out the green screen with your child. The students have worked so hard to learn and research, and they're very excited to show you what they've done!

• Tomorrow we are meeting with our little buddies to gift them the stories we made. A lot of thought, time, and love has gone into these stories, and we can't wait to give them to our buddies. 

• No school on Friday for the Pro D or Monday for Family Day

• Book in a Box projects are due on Tuesday Feb. 21. If your child needs supplies, please let me know by tomorrow so I can send things home with them.

• We have some special days coming up and we would love to have parent volunteers with us. There are certain volunteer opportunities where parents will be required to have a background check submitted to our school district. Thankfully this is an easy process. Please go to this link to begin the process, it takes less than 10 minutes and there is no cost. If you have completed a background check for a different organization or job, you will still need to request one using this link. Background checks are valid for 3 years. If you have previously obtained a background check for the purpose of being a school volunteer and are unsure if it is still valid, please contact the office. https://saanichschools.ca/resources/generalcommunity/school-volunteer-info

See you tomorrow,

Alyssa

Hello families,

Please ensure your child is on time for school every day (at school by 8:35). I understand that life happens, but when students are regularly late, it is very disruptive to our classroom, starts their day off on the wrong foot, and I often have to reteach lessons to explain what they've missed. Next week is a busy week, so I thought I'd send off a quick email with some information. 

February 14 Valentines Day: If your child would like to bring valentines, they can bring them on Tuesday. This is also the last day to order hot lunch online.

February 15: Our field trip to Stelly's High School is on Wednesday. We have a special opportunity to visit the metal shop, wood shop, and work on a small sewing project in the textiles room at Stelly's. This touring trip was created to show students involved in the tool cart program some trades career options. We're very excited! Please remember to send the signed permission form by Tuesday. 

February 16: Biome OPEN HOUSE. Hopefully you received an invitation to the Biome OPEN HOUSE. Mrs. Alberring's class and my class have worked hard in teams to research, create and present projects for families. Please stop by any time between 2:45-4:45 on Thursday. Biome projects from four grade 4/5 classes will be on display. Feel free to stop by the classroom if you're in the building and would like your child to show you what they're doing. 

Friday February 17th is a Professional Development Day so there is no school for students. 

Monday Feb. 20th is Family Day. 

Book in a Box: Student book-in-a-box projects are due Tuesday Feb. 21. Please help your child to chunk out times to work on their project. I've posted a copy of the instructions on my website if your child's paper has gone missing. If your child needs any supplies, I've got lots—just send me an email or have them ask me at school. Students will present their projects to the class, so they will need to practice what they're going to say and write down some notes. After the presentations, the projects will be on display in the library for the entire school to enjoy.

Pink Shirt Day. On February 22, it is Pink Shirt Day. There will be a kindness assembly in the gym at 12:30 if you would like to attend. 

Tool Cart: Wow—we are nearing the end of our Pax Stand project. The students have learned a lot and it has been an incredible experience. As students finish their projects, they will start working on our next project creating wooden Coast Salish Shapes. We are creating a resource our little buddies to use in their classroom. 

Reading: Thank you for sending in the nights of reading sheets and encouraging your child to read good fit books on a regular basis. I have posted the sheets on my website if you need any copies. 

Math: We continue to work on multiplication and division concepts. In our class we have three different guided math groups who are all working on these concepts, but at different levels.

Spelling: Because of the Pro D Day and busy week, our next spelling test will be the following week on February 24. 

Writing: We have been working on writing in many ways. We are working with the SKILLS writing program to ensure our stories have all the necessary parts such as setting, characters, launch (problem), feelings, plan, landing (conclusion), and wrap up. Students interviewed their little buddies and wrote stories for them...starring them! They are currently working on finishing the illustrations because we're hoping to give them to our buddies next week. 

Coding: Ms. Kelley, our teacher librarian, will start working with our class next week (once a week) because she is going to teach us a coding unit!

Dates To Remember

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

February 14: Valentine's Day

Feb. 15: Field Trip to Stelly's High School Trades Program 

Feb. 16: Biome OPEN HOUSE

Feb. 17: Non Instructional Day

Feb. 20: Family Day-No school for students 

Feb. 21: Book in a Box Projects are Due

Feb. 22: pink Shirt Day and Kindness Assembly @ 12:30

Feb 24: Hot Lunch Day—orders due by Feb. 14

March 1: Early Dismissal at 1:48

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

March 13-16: Report Cards go home

March 17: Hot Lunch Day

March 20 - 24 & 27 - 31: Spring Break

April 7 & 10: Stat Holidays

April 21: Hot Lunch Day

April 24: Non-Instructional Day

May 4: Grade Fives visit NSMS

May 12: Hot Lunch Day

May 19: Non-Instructional Day

May 22: Stat Holiday

June 16: Hot Lunch Day

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Have a great night, and please contact me if you have any questions about the program or your child's learning.

Alyssa

Hello Families,

I hope you had a great weekend 🙂 Here are some things happening in our classroom: 

Book in a Box: Today we met with Mrs. Alberring's class and learned about the book in a box project. Mrs. Alberring and I shared our book in a box projects and explained the assignment. Every student should have a notice in their agenda bag and a box they chose for their project. This is a home project and students will have over three weeks to work on it before returning it to school. Please read over the notice and chat with your child about the book they are choosing for their project. Our hope is that students create a plan to work on their book diorama so they can spend some time each week working on it, rather than wait until the weekend before. If your child needs materials and you're not able to find them, please contact me. We have lots of things at school! Also, please send me an email if you have any questions about the project. 

Basketball: We are working on basketball skills during our PE times, and over half our class has signed up to play basketball intramurals. A basketball jamboree is booked for March 10, so as soon as we have the final paperwork, I will send home permission forms for all students participating in intramurals. 

Science & Inquiry: We continue to work on our Biome builds and they are looking fantastic! Every week we join with students from Mrs. Alberring's class to work on our projects. It's an amazing time of collaboration and creativity. On February 16, we are hosting an Open House to showcase all the finished projects. Please invite anyone you think would enjoy seeing them--I hope you can join us! 

Tool Cart: We are close to the finish line for our Pax stand tool cart projects! This week I will give the lesson for the last steps. Once all the students are finished their projects, we will bring them home—how exciting! 🦊

Writing: We continue to work on writing in a multitude of ways such as gratitude journals, free write, editing, spelling and word of the week. Our class is using the SKILLS writing narrative and this week, we continue to work on a project for our little buddies. Everyone has interviewed their buddy and we are creating short stories...staring our little buddy! It's been a great process as we work to include all the story elements in a way our buddies can appreciate. 

Math: We are working on our multiplication and division unit. As a class, we've learned/reviewed ways to show multiplication and multiplication patterns with numbers. Students will continue to work in small, guided math groups to learn at their level of understanding. It is very important that students continue to get at least three green lights at home on Reflex Math (they have an addition/subtraction AND a multiplication/division log in) so they learn the basic facts. You can check your child's fact fluency when they log into Reflex. 

Valentine's Day: I will send home a list of names if your child is bringing valentine cards to school. Students do not need to bring cards, but if you do, please include everyone in our class. 💕

EA: As you may have heard, Jam, the EA who works part time in our classroom, outside, and around the school is leaving Sidney Elementary. Friday February 3rd is her last day with us. I'm hoping every student in the class can bring in a flower for Jam, and we will make her a bouquet. I realize it's not flower season, but if you're able to, please send your child on Friday with a flower or two. 

Please check out the dates to remember to see when we're having Hat Day, Hot lunch, Read Around the School, and much more! 

Dates To Remember

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

Feb. 1: Lockdown Drill

Feb. 10: Hat Day

Feb. 14: Valentine's Day

Feb. 16: Open House for Biome Projects

Feb. 17: Non Instructional Day

Feb. 20: Family Day-No school for students 

Feb. 22: Book in A Box Projects Due

                Pink Shirt Day

                Kindness Assembly @ 12:30

Feb 24: Hot Lunch Day

                Read Around the School 

March 1: Early Dismissal at 1:48

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

March 10: Basketball Jamboree

March 13-16: Report Cards go home

March 14: PAC Meeting

March 17: Hot Lunch Day

                   St. Patrick's Day

March 20 - 24 & 27 - 31: Spring Break

April 7 & 10: Stat Holidays

April 21: Hot Lunch Day

April 24: Non-Instructional Day

May 4: Grade Fives visit NSMS

May 8: Special Day 😉

May 12: Hot Lunch Day

May 19: Non-Instructional Day

May 22: Stat Holiday

June 16: Hot Lunch Day

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Have a great night, and please contact me if you have any questions about the program or your child's learning.

Alyssa

Hello Div. 17 families,

I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the students in this class. They are a wonderful group of kind, helpful, supportive, hardworking, and enthusiastic students. It is a pleasure to spend time with them every day! I'm not exaggerating when I say that every time a new adult is in our room, they tell me what a lovely group of students they are, and I feel very grateful. 💗

We've settled back into the January school routine, and it is so important for students to arrive on time. Please ensure your child is at school by 8:35. Also, it is wet and muddy outside, so please ensure your child has inside shoes at school.  Please check out the Dates To Remember at the end of this email (Fun Hair Day, Read Around the School, etc.).  Here are some more things happening in Div. 17:

Bee A Reader: Thanks to everyone for encouraging your children to read over the holiday and complete their Bee A Reader book chat homework. When students prepare by writing notes and practicing with a family member, it makes a world of difference to their confidence and ability to complete the task successfully. Thank you for your support! We enjoyed hearing about so many great books. 

Homework: I'm not a proponent of huge masses of homework at the grade 4/5 level, because I know many students have after-school activities and all families have busy lives, but there are some expectations throughout the year. During the week, students are expected to work on reading, Reflex, and spelling—this will vary depending upon schedules and skills. Throughout the year, I will also send 2 or 3 assignments for students to complete at home. These assignments are always tied to our curriculum and have a sharing component. Their purpose is to extend student learning, show creativity, practice responsibility and time management, and share with classmates so we can learn from each other. All assignment information will be also posted on my website. If you ever have questions about work or experience difficulty supporting your child to complete assignments, please contact me and we'll figure out a plan. 

Reading: In order to create life-long readers, it's important for students to read books they enjoy on a regular basis. Every time a student returns a Nights of Reading sheet, they collect a prize from me and get a new sheet. Our school has an amazing bulletin board with each student in the school represented by a dragon character (they're awesome!) and each time students return a reading sheet, their dragon flies higher towards their goal. Each year, students who achieve the goal of 200 nights of reading, receive a special gift from Tanner's books. 

Reflex: I do encourage students to obtain 100% fluency on Reflex math because knowing basic facts will help them immensely when we are learning new math concepts. Students should have a routine of getting green lights on Reflex Math at home (it's approx. a 10–20-minute task) and they are encouraged to get at least three green lights a week. 

Spelling: Every Friday students will bring home the new spelling words in their agenda bag. On Mondays, I meet with each spelling group to sort and review the spelling pattern of the week. Throughout the week, we practice the words in different ways. The amount of time students spend practicing their words at home will depend upon their spelling knowledge each week. Please go over the words with your child early in the week and make a plan for practicing so students are prepared for the test on Fridays. 

* Unfortunately, some of the students in the yellow spelling group accidentally took home sort 21 instead of sort 20 (my fault). I've tried to remedy the situation, but please check in with your child if they're in the yellow group to ensure they're practicing the proper words for this week. 

Carving Workshop: Today we had the artist Dean Heron visit our class, along with a team of educators/artists. They taught us how to carve paddle pendants with wood! Dean and he is a member of the Wolf Clan of the Tlingit First Nation in Teslin, Yukon. He began formal training in drawing, design, toolmaking and carving in the City of Terrace which has a close relationship with the Kitselas and Kitsumkalum First Nations on unceded Tsimshian territories. It was a wonderful morning, and we were very excited to learn from Dean and his team! Every student completed and took home their paddle pendant. 

Biomes and Inquiry: We are collaborating with Mrs. Alberring's grade 4/5 class and all students have been put into teams of 3-4. Students are working through the design process to answer the inquiry question, “What kind of dwelling can you design to live in your biome, taking into consideration the unique climate, plants, animals, and terrain of that biome?” This week students will complete their designs and start working on their builds.

Crochet Club: Two students from our class, Evelyn and Zoe, have started a crochet club which runs every Tuesday and Thursday at big recess. All grade 4/5 students were invited and although I'm a teacher sponsor, Zoe and Evelyn are running the show. Today there were 21 students in the classroom learning and practicing their crochet skills! If you have any yarn or crochet needles you're not using, please send them to school for our club. 

Basketball: We are learning/practicing basketball skills during our P.E. classes and basketball intramurals have started this week. The intramurals have four different teams and more than eight teacher coaches. If there is a basketball jamboree, I will inform parents and the students who are involved will come home with a permission form.

Read Aloud: We finished our Global Read Aloud, Thirst. Please ask your child what they thought of the book! Students suggested titles for our next read aloud and we voted as a class. The top book was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, with Pax: Journey Home as a close second place. We've started the first Harry Potter book and hope to read the second Pax installment before the year is over. 

Dates To Remember

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

January 17: Carving Workshop

Jan 20: Hot Lunch 

              Fun Hair Day!

Jan 27: Read Around the School

Feb. 17: Non Instructional Day

Feb. 20: Family Day-No school for students 

Feb 24: Hot Lunch Day

March 1: Early Dismissal at 1:48

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

March 13-16: Report Cards go home

March 17: Hot Lunch Day

March 20 - 24 & 27 - 31: Spring Break

April 7 & 10: Stat Holidays

April 21: Hot Lunch Day

April 24: Non-Instructional Day

May 4: Grade Fives visit NSMS

May 12: Hot Lunch Day

May 19: Non-Instructional Day

May 22: Stat Holiday

June 16: Hot Lunch Day

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Have a great night, and please contact me if you have any questions about the program or your child's learning.

Alyssa

Hello families,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful time with family and friends over the holidays. Coming back is always an adjustment for everyone, and I'm very appreciative to families who reinforce good bedtime routines. We'll need a little extra time to get back into the swing of things and getting a good night's sleep makes a huge difference! Here are a few things happening in our class this month: 

Inside Shoes: Many students were missing inside shoes today. Please remember to send a pair of runners with your child, which stay at school. This helps students be safe during our PE activities as well as keep our classroom clean. Thank you!

Bee A Reader: Today, students were given an opportunity to choose a date for their Bee A Reader Winter Homework (Book Chat). If you've misplaced the paper copy which went home in December, there is information HERE on our class website. 

Please help your child to prepare and practice their book chat. The Bee A Reader Presentation Dates are:

Tues. Jan 3

Abby

Skylar

Wed. Jan. 4

Anya

Ambrose

Linnea

Kynzleigh

Thurs. Jan. 5

Zoe

Winston

Zara

Fri. Jan. 6

Daisy

Marin

Savanna

Evelyn

Alisa

Mon. Jan 9

Atticus

Connor

Leland

Charlie

Vincent

Tues. Jan 10

Kishan

Austin

Jace

Jude

Mya

Photo Retakes: The deadline for photo retake orders has been extended to Monday, January 9. Please return your orders to school or order online before then. 

Spelling: There are no new spelling words this week, but they will go home on Friday for next week's practice/test.

2023 Hot Lunch Dates: Please contact the PAC if you have any questions about the hot lunch program. 

January 20, 2023

Hot Dogs and Sushi

February 24, 2023

Pizza and Sushi

March 17, 2023

Hot Dogs and Sushi

April 21, 2023

Pizza and Sushi

May 12, 2023

Hot Dogs and Sushi

June 16, 2023

Pizza and Sushi

Monday Mingle: Another shout out to everyone who has signed up and brought a Monday Mingle snack or hot chocolate. You make our week start in a great way and this routine has really helped us solidify the community in our classroom. If you haven't signed up to bring a snack, you can find the link on my website or click HERE. 

Tool Cart: Today, we had a lesson on using planers, and students received their wood for the base of the project. I love the enthusiasm and confidence students show during our tool cart times. Today, I had two students tell me, "This is my favourite file—it does such a great job and really smoothes out the wood!" Who would have thought we'd have conversations like this--I love it!

Dates To Remember

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

Winter Break: December 19 – January 2

January 3: First day back after break 

                       Bee a Reader Homework due

Jan 10: PAC Meeting 

January 9: Carving Workshop

Jan 20: Hot Lunch 

Feb. 17: Non Instructional Day

Feb. 20: Family Day-No school for students 

Feb 24: Hot Lunch Day

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

March 17: Hot Lunch Day

March 20 - 24 & 27 - 31: Spring Break

April 7 & 10: Stat Holidays

April 21: Hot Lunch Day

April 24: Non-Instructional Day

May 4: Grade Fives visit NSMS

May 12: Hot Lunch Day

May 19: Non-Instructional Day

May 22: Stat Holiday

June 16: Hot Lunch Day

June 29: Last Instructional Day of School Year--Last Day for Students!

June 30: Non Instructional Day

Have a great night, and please contact me if you have any questions about the program or your child's learning.

Alyssa

Hello families,

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who came out to the Open House—it was a HUGE success! The students were thrilled to share their learning with you. Hopefully you got to see what their day was like and what they're learning. If you didn't have a chance to visit our classroom but would like your child to give you a tour, let me know which day (before or after school) works best for you and we'll figure out something. 

Here are some things happening in Div. 17 before the holidays:

Writing: We've continued to work on our writing through gratitude journals, free write, and pen pal letters. Hopefully all the letters will be complete and decorated this week so we can mail them to our pen pals at KELSET Elementary. 

Spelling: There are four spelling groups happening in our classroom. After a Words Their Way spelling assessment, students were put into groups which best fit their needs. Each Monday, students meet me in small groups to cut, sort, and discuss the spelling pattern of their words. Students practice in class several times a week, but many benefit from additional practice at home as well. I will try to send home the new words on Fridays, and we will have spelling tests every (following) Friday. Having said that, we will not have spelling words next week—there is too much happening during the last week before holidays, so we'll start again when we get back. 

Math: We continue to review addition and subtraction strategies, and students are reviewing or learning skills. Some students are 100% fluent in Reflex Math already—way to go! When students log into Reflex, they can show parents their fluency on the home page. Please encourage students to get at least three green lights a week until they are 100% fluent.

Science: We are working hard on researching (using books, ebooks, and websites) biomes and creating a slide deck in teams. The students are extremely engaged during these times and have worked hard to show their learning in a slide deck format. Students can log into their google drive to show you what they've been doing or to work on their project more at home. 

Winter Craft Morning: thank you to everyone who volunteered to help out on Monday Dec. 12 during our Intermediate Craft Morning. It is a lot of work to organize and a wonderful opportunity for intermediate students to mingle and be creative together. Students will bring home their crafts later in the week (many will be gifts for family members). 

Last Day before the Holiday: Friday Dec. 16 is our last day together before the Winter Break. If you're able to send in a treat we are going to have a fun afternoon and watch a movie. I haven't looked at the options yet, but we will vote on a Winter Holiday/Christmas movie. Most movies are rated PG (e.g. Elliot the Littlest Reindeer, Christmas Chronicles) so please let me know if you have any concerns with your child watching a movie at school. 

Mug Swap: Hopefully you received the information about our annual Mug Swap tradition. Every student brings a mug filled with interesting things. I draw names and students get to take a mug home. It's great fun! 

Report Cards: Report cards will go home tomorrow, Tuesday Dec. 6. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Please check out the Dates to Remember to see other things happening in our school!

Dates To Remember:

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

December 06: Report cards go home

Dec. 9: Hot lunch Day

Dec. 12: Winter Craft Morning

Dec. 13: Sing a Long in the gym 1:00 – 1:25--Families are welcome to join!

Dec. 13 : PAC meeting

Dec. 16 Mug Swap

Dec. 16 Last day together before the holiday

Winter Break: December 19 – January 2

January 03: First day back after break 

Jan 10: PAC Meeting 

Jan 20: Hot Lunch 

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

Please contact me if you have any questions about your child's learning or time at school.

Have a good night,

Alyssa

Hello families,

It's a busy time at school! Please read the following to see what we're up to these days and check out our class website HERE. 

Monday Mingle: Thank you to everyone who has contributed hot chocolate or signed up to bring a healthy snack for Monday Mingle. You make the start of our week extra special! 

Read Around the School:  We are hosting another Read Around the School on Friday November 25 from 8:45-9:10. Please come and join us in this school wide event where we read with each other and enjoy books together. Please come to your child’s classroom right after our morning announcements if you are able to attend.

Reading Link Challenge: Ms. Kelley visited our classroom yesterday and announced the reading link challenge books! This is a reading club students can join which involves the public library, reading books, and participating in a book trivia challenge. Please check out our class website to see the books and the link about this fun event. 

Nights of Reading Sheets: Please encourage your child to read every day and return their completed reading sheets. Students can read independently, with a parent, to a sibling, listening to stories, etc. We celebrate all our successes at school! 

Soccer Jamboree: The soccer jamboree will be held in the afternoon of November 25. Students will take the bus to and from school to PICE fields. We were unable to get our regular spot at Panorama, so students will be playing outdoors. Please ensure your child is dressed in layers with appropriate running shoes (no cleats). 

Writing: We have pen pals at KELSET Elementary! This week we received letters from our pen pals in Ms. Rice's class and it was very exciting to read them and see all the things we have in common. Throughout the year we will write back and forth with these students. It's a great way to practice meaningful writing and write for an audience. 

Spelling: Next week we will start our spelling program. Typically, I will send home a copy of new words on the Friday. On Monday, I will work with each spelling group to look at the spelling pattern they are focusing on for the week. We will practice in a variety of ways during the week and have a spelling quiz on Friday afternoons. Students are encouraged to practice their words at home as well. I will send home a letter explaining some of the ways you can support your child to learn the spelling patterns at home. 

Math and Reflex: We are celebrating students who have worked hard to achieve 100% fluency on Reflex Math! Please encourage your child to get at least three green lights a week. We are reviewing strategies and as we work on our addition and subtraction skills, having fact fluency makes a huge difference! 

Tool Cart: I am very pleased to announce that everyone passed their tool cart certification! We have started our Pax project and it's great fun. Please chat with your child about the skills and tools they're using and how they're doing with their project so far. 

Open House: On the early dismissal day (Nov. 30) we are hosting an open house in our classroom from 1:48-4:30 (You don't have to stay for the entire time but stop by when works for you)!  This is not a time to meet with me, but rather an opportunity for students to share the classroom and their learning with families. If you're not able to stop by on Nov. 30, let me know which afternoon you could visit after school and I can arrange an alternate time for your child to share their learning with you. 

Winter Craft Morning: The intermediate classrooms are excited to host a craft morning on Monday December 12. Students from the grade ¾ and 4/5 classrooms will gather in the gym to hear about the craft options, then have the morning to move around the classrooms crafting. If you are available to run a craft station in our classroom, please let me know! 

Purdy's Chocolate Orders: The PAC has organized a Purdy's fundraising event. Please click on the link to order and check out the PAC tab on our website for more information. What you need: Campaign number: 98605 Campaign link: https://fundraising.purdys.com/1016600-99264

Dates To Remember:

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

Nov 21:  Deadline for Photo Orders to be Returned to the School

Nov. 21: Last day to hand in Soccer Jamboree forms

Nov. 22: Picture Day (Retakes)

Nov. 25: Read Around the School 8:50-9:15

Nov. 25: Soccer Jamboree (in the afternoon)

Nov. 30: Early dismissal at 1:48 and Open House in Div. 17

December 05-09: Report cards go home

Dec. 12: Winter Craft Morning

Dec. 13 Hot Lunch

Dec. 13 : PAC meeting

Winter Break: December 19 – January 2

January 03: First day back after break 

Jan 10: PAC Meeting 

Jan 20: Hot Lunch 

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

Please contact me if you have any questions about your child's learning or time at school.

Have a good night,

Alyssa

Hello families,

Thank you for finding this newsletter and staying in touch with your child's learning! Here are a few things happening in Div. 17:

Tool Cart: We were SO excited to finish our tool cart certification, and everyone took home their certificates today. Tomorrow we are starting our first project. It's a fox stand based on a character from our read aloud PAX. This is my third year using the tool cart program in class and I'm beyond excited to share this experience with the students.

Reading: Please continue to encourage your child to read every night. For some students who are struggling to read independently, it helps to read with an adult using "I read, you read" strategies. This also helps support those students to build their reading stamina and engage in books which may be a little more challenging than their own reading level. If you've lost your child's reading sheet, you can print one from the reading page on this website, or email me and I'll send another one home. Students will get to pick a prize and get the next reading sheet when they return their completed sheets. In our class we do book chats every Wednesday and it's one of the ways we share our reading interests with others. Please chat with your child about what they're reading and if they've learned about any good books from a book chat. We finished our read aloud Pax, by Sara Pennypacker, and it was amazing! Everyone was very invested in the story and characters. We're reading a short book The Spiderwick Chronicles: the Field Guide (#!) by Tony diTerlizzi, but once it's finished, we will start our Global Read Aloud. 

Global Read Aloud: We had our Global Read Aloud launch with all the grade 4/5 classes, and hopefully you received the information letter which was sent home. The book we will be reading is called Thirst by Varsha Bajaj about a girl who lives in Mumbai and the struggles her community has with getting water. If you go to the reading page on this website, you can check out a book chat by Colby Sharp and learn more about this book. 

Reflex Math: It's always an exciting day when someone gets their 100% fluency on Reflex Math because they push the "Whoop" button, get a certificate, and choose from the full sized chocolate/candy bar box! Knowing the basic facts "by heart" really helps students to be successful when learning or practicing new math skills. Thank you for reinforcing this practice at home!

Science: We have finished our Salish Seas workshops and it's been great learning and experiencing creatures from our area. We've also continued our research on Biomes and are learning how to obtain information from text or online sources. 

P.E. : We have been working on a soccer unit for P.E. and many students have signed up to participate in soccer intramurals. Next week, interested students who have been doing intramurals will bring home a permission form for the soccer jamboree happening on November 25. We also continue to have a buddy gym time with Mrs. Alberring's grade 4/5 class and it's been great learning new skills, practicing sportsmanship qualities, exercising, and having LOTS of fun!

Little Buddies: This year our little buddy class is Mrs. Collins' kindergarten class. Div. 17 students have been incredible role models and our little buddies love spending time with us!

Scholastic Book Fair: November 21 - 25, 2022: We’re excited to announce our Scholastic Book Fair is coming! You can shop from hundreds of items in-person or online through our Sidney Elementary Virtual Scholastic Book Fair extension. Our Fair is open from November 21-25, and all purchases help us earn new resources for our school. The book fair will be open to students during their regularly scheduled book exchange time, and we welcome families to shop after school from 2:50-3:30 pm. We look forward to seeing you at the Scholastic Book Fair!

Please see the list below and take note of the holiday Friday Nov. 11 for Remembrance Day, and the Pro D Day on Monday Nov. 14

Dates To Remember:

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

Nov. 10--Remembrance Day Assembly

Nov. 11-- Remembrance Day Stat 

Nov. 14--Non-Instructional Day 

Nov. 22 -- Picture Day (Retakes)

Nov. 25 --Read Around the School 8:50-9:15

Nov. 25 -- Soccer Jamboree (in the afternoon)

Nov. 30--Early dismissal at 1:48 and Open House in Div. 17

Dec. 13 : PAC meeting

Winter Break: December 19 – January 2

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

Please contact me if you have any questions about your child's learning or time at school.

Have a good night,

Alyssa

Good morning families,

Dressing Up: Students can choose to wear costumes, orange and black, or their regular clothes on Monday, October 31. Costumes need to be elementary school appropriate. Nothing gruesome or scary, no full masks or weapons. We will also have a Pumpkin Run around the school before lunch time, so please make sure that costumes allow students to move and be active. We are a Healthy School, so we respectfully request that all Halloween Candy is kept at home to enjoy as a treat. 

Story Book Pumpkins: Students are welcome to bring in a pumpkin from home on Oct 31 decorated as their favourite story book character or book theme to display at our school for the Pumpkin Run. This is optional and students will take their pumpkins with them at the end of the day to enjoy at home. 

Clothing Swap: A reminder to all families that PAC is hosting a clothing swap in the gym on November 10 from 3-4pm. Before then, please bring any clothing that you would like to donate to the bins that are located near the front and side entrance of the school.

Sidney Bee Clothing: We have Sidney Bee clothing available to order. Choose from T-shirt, hoodies and zipped hoodies. Order forms are due back at the school on October 28. Please check your child’s agenda for an order form. There are extra order forms and sample sizes available at a table by the office.

Have a great day!

Alyssa

Hello families,

You might want to grab a cup of tea...this is a longer email update. 😉

Class Website: Please check out our class website HERE! It is a great place to read class email updates like this one, see what we have been learning and working on, and access links to educational resources. The site will only be accessible to those who have the link; not searchable on the web. Throughout the year, I will include photos of students engaging in learning activities as a way of documenting and sharing the amazing things students are learning and doing at school. Right now, you can check out the photos from our trip to the fire hall, garden harvest, school read aloud, little buddies, and more! Personal information will not be shared on this platform. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns about this.

CRC: If you'd like to help out during special days, community walks, or field trips, please make sure your criminal record check is up to date with Terry Rankin at the office. Her email is trankin@saanichschools.ca. It's a simple process, but sometimes takes a while, so please be proactive—I would love to have lots of special events this year and it's wonderful to have parent support!

The Fire Hall Field Trip was a huge success! Students attended 6 different sessions learning about fire prevention, safety, and even firefighting. Using the real fire hoses and fire extinguishers were highlights for sure. Students brought home a sheet which they can use to develop a home escape plan with their families --I encourage you to discuss safe routes out of each room and a meeting spot for everyone. Hopefully they shared the tip to always check the smoke detectors on a family member's birthday so that it is done at least once a year. 

FSAs: (Foundational Skills Assessment - Province wide) for Grade 4 and 7 students)will begin this week for some of our Grade 4 Students with the in-class literacy portion. As a class, we will all work on the in-class math sections and then participating students will do the computer lab literacy and math sections with Mr. Clesle in coming weeks. 

Community Walks: If anyone is available, I am still looking for parents who can volunteer to come on our Community Walks with us on Fridays. This is honestly one of the highlights of the week and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do! We plan to go most Fridays and would love for you to join us so just let me know ahead of time if you are able to come on a Friday morning. We go first thing after the announcements (8:45ish)and aim to be back between 9:30-10:00. 

Literacy: We engage in literacy every day in so many ways! We are well into our Read Aloud Novel PAX. Ask your child about this amazing story. We are establishing our writing routines and expectations for both our Gratitude Journals and our Free Write  books. Students are reviewing the "givens": capital letters, punctuation, spacing, best spelling etc. Students have been learning about different book formats and genres, working in their reading journals, giving book chats, and writing book recommendation cards. Every week students can sign up to share a book recommendation with our class, and we have so many students excited about reading that I often have to limit the number of book chats! Students read at school every day and are reminded to also read at home for 20 minutes or more every day. Hopefully they are keeping track of their home reading on their home reading sheets. I hope to begin our spelling program Words their Way next week. You will get a detailed notice about that soon. 

Gratitudes: In our class we practice gratitude and it's the virtue for our morning messages this month. Besides writing in gratitude journals, we have a class gratitude jar where students (and myself) write gratitude notes. Once a week(ish), I read the gratitudes and the class loves hearing them—they beg me to read them all! It is a wonderful way to build our classroom community, relationships, and show appreciation for each other. I save all of the gratitude notes they write and at the end of the year when we create scrapbooks, there will be a special envelope for all the gratitudes they've received. 

Math: Our current focus is number sense, math vocabulary, place value, and representing numbers in different ways. Students have been working with larger numbers up to the millions and decimal numbers. Many of our activities have been whole-group, and hands-on learning. Independent practice activities are differentiated to meet students where they are at. We are all working on the same math concepts, but in different ways at different times. 

French: Mme. Shannon Stevens is the French teacher for our class. If you have any questions, comments or concerns with the French program this year, please contact her at sstevens@saanichschools.ca.

Music: Lisa Kjernisted is the music teacher for our class. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns with the music program this year, please contact her at lkjernisted@saanichschools.ca.

Reflex Math: Students have also resumed work on their fact fluency for addition and subtraction using the online program REFLEX math ( Log-in info will come home this week in your child's agenda). Students are encouraged to get at least 3 greenlights at home per week and we will also try to do 2 at school per week. A "green-light" is achieved when a session is complete (you can only get one per day). The time it takes a student to complete a session will vary depending on what facts they are learning, their current fluency level, but also their typing and response times. It can actually vary quite a bit, so the green light shows each student (and parents) they have completed enough for that day. They could play longer if they chose to do so and want to earn more tokens etc. Most students have also tried their new class Prodigy Math accounts. I have created a specific assignment for them on this account which fits with the topic we are currently working on. The assignments will change as our focus changes throughout the year. It is a fun way to engage in math and review concepts when students have a bit of free time.

Social Students: We are learning about the Saanich Moons, how they represent and teach about the traditional activities of the W̱SÁNEĆ people, and also about what is happening in nature during each moon. Students are reading for information, making jot notes, and reflecting on their own experiences and observations during each moon. They are working on creating a booklet of the moons which includes some beautifully coloured images. We are listening to vocabulary, songs, and stories in SENĆOŦEN. 

Science: Mondays are Salish Sea Safari days when we have our fabulous facilitators from World Fisheries Trust come into the classroom to teach us about very cool species from right here in the Salish Sea! We have had 3 sessions and have 3 more to go. Please ask your child what they learned, did, or touched on Mondays. 

We have also launched our Inquiry Unit on Biomes. This is very exciting! Over the next few months, students will learn about the 5 major Biomes (can they name them all?) through 3 distinct parts of the program. First, they will research all the biomes by reading a variety of non-fiction texts and viewing short films. Students will be guided and supported to take jot notes and make lists and diagrams to record what they have learned. Next, students will work on 2 different projects to demonstrate their learning. One will be a slide-deck with a partner in which they will highlight some of their research about each of the biomes. In doing so, they will also be working on their digital literacy skills. This part of the program is in collaboration with Ms. Simmons, one of our Teacher Librarians. The other project will be a building project based on an inquiry question which will have small teams of students dive deeper with their learning and understanding of one particular biome. Stay tuned for more details about this! 

Tool Cart: On Friday we had our tool cart launch, and you should have received an information letter in your child's agenda today. I am SO excited to do the tool cart program for my third year! It is a wonderful program which encourages knowledge of the trade skills, builds confidence, and allows us to make connections to math, literacy, and much more. Our first project has a literacy connection to our real aloud Pax and will be a fox stand. This week we are starting the training and "certification process". 

Open House: I am planning an Open House on Nov. 30 when we have the early dismissal at 1:48. Please stay tuned for more information!

Dates To Remember:

Wednesdays: Library book exchange

Fridays: Community walks

Monday Oct. 17 -- Picture Day 

Friday Oct. 21--Non-Instructional Day--No School for Students 

Oct. 21--Non-Instructional Day--No School for Students 

November 08 -- PAC Meeting 

Nov. 11-- Remembrance Day Stat 

Nov. 14--Non-Instructional Day 

Nov. 22 -- Picture Day (Retakes)Nov. 30 --Early Dismissal @ 1:48 pm

Nov. 30--Early dismissal at 1:48 and Open House in Div. 17

Dec. 13 : PAC meeting

Winter Break: December 19 – January 2

March 8: Stelly's Climbing Wall Field Trip

As always, please reach out if you have any questions about your child, their learning or our programs. 

Thanks for reading all the way to the end!

Alyssa

Good evening families,

Thank you for taking the time to visit with me last week and chat about your child. I know the meetings are quick but it's very helpful to me and gives a lot of insight into your child. Please email me if you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns. Here are some of the things happening in our classroom...

Ms. Ellison's Website: I have a website for students and parents which can be found in my email signature or by clicking HERE. It is full of interesting information you might want to know. On the home page you'll find email and newsletter correspondence (click on the title to open), a district calendar, and a Monday Mingle healthy snack sign up, among other things. Click along the top bar to see the other pages and find information about reading, writing, tech, science (check out the video about the Salish Sea presentation we had), and more! Because we don't have FreshGrade this year, I'm trying to add more photos and information for families as well (it's a work in progress, so thanks for your patience). 

Salish Sea: We are so fortunate to have Matilda and Rachel from the World Fisheries Trust in our classroom for the next several Mondays. Each week they are teaching us about different inter-tidal species who live in the Salish Sea (the water around our island before the Pacific Ocean). This week we learned about the phylum (group of creatures) porifera (creatures with holes). Check out my website to see an example of the experiment we did! Please chat with your child about what they know about sea sponges and how they help the Earth.

Google Classroom: Students will be introduced to my google classroom next week. The link is HERE if you'd like to see what that looks like, and parents can add their contact information if you'd like to receive notifications. I use this platform to post assignments, resources, and information for students. There is also a link to my website on the google classroom stream. Google classroom is helpful when we are all working on the same assignment. We often work on these assignments in the computer lab or using the laptops so I can walk students through the lesson and be there to support.

Orange Shirt/Truth and Reconciliation Day: Our school will celebrate Orange Shirt Day on Thursday September 29 and all students are encouraged to wear orange. There will be no school on Friday October 30 because it is a National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. In our classroom we have had great discussions and a variety of books available to students who would like to read more about this topic.

Book Exchange: Every Wednesday, students in our class have a library book exchange and they can take out two books for home reading. Please help your child remember to bring back all books on Wednesdays so they can be renewed or exchanged. 

Morning Announcements: Next week we start our turn as the morning message announcers. Our focus is on gratitude and students have written messages to share with the school. We will practice tomorrow and set up a schedule so your child knows which day will be their turn. 

Terry Fox Run: On Oct. 4, we will have our school Terry Fox Run from 10:45-11:14. We encourage students to wear the Canadian colours of red and white. Families are welcome to join us outside and walk/run with us. Students are asked to bring a "toonie for Terry" and all funds collected will go to the Canadian Cancer Foundation. 

Family Read In: We are happy to announce that our school will have a Family Read In Day on Thursday October 6 from 8:50-9:10. After attendance, there will be an announcement and students can read with families and friends around the school. Please join us or invite family members (e.g., grandparents) to come and read with us. 

Fire Hall Field Trip: On Friday Oct. 7 we have a Fire Hall Safety field trip from 9:00-12:15. We will eat lunch when we come back to school, but please ensure your child has appropriate clothing for the walk and a pocket snack for the trip. 

Picture Day: Our individual student photo day is November 17. 

Important Dates to Remember:

Wednesdays: Library Book exchange

Fridays: Community Walk

Sept. 30 :Truth and Reconciliation Day: No school

Oct. 4: Terry Fox Run

Oct 6: Family Read In 8:50-9:10--Everyone Welcome!

Oct. 7: Fire Hall Field Trip

October 10 : Thanksgiving Day Stat 

Oct. 11 : PAC Meeting 

Oct. 17 :  Picture Day 

Oct. 21: Non-Instructional Day--No School for Students 

November 08 : PAC Meeting 

Nov. 11: Remembrance Day Stat 

Nov. 14 :Non-Instructional Day 

Nov. 22 : Picture Day (Retakes)

Nov. 30 :Early Dismissal @ 1:48 pm

Dec. 13 : PAC meeting

Winter Break: December 19 – January 2

Thanks for being awesome! 

Have a good night,

Alyssa

Hello families,

What a great week it has been! I have thoroughly enjoyed reuniting with returning students and getting to know new students in our class. This is an amazing group of children! We have spent some time getting to know each other and work on building a strong community in our classroom. Students have learned about the virtues of character and we're working on finding one virtue to represent us in our class name...stay tuned! 

Field Trips and Paperwork: My thanks to everyone who has checked agendas and returned forms. I know it's a lot because I have to sort and alphabetize them all! I'm enjoying getting to know your child better by reading the blue sheets you've filled out. You should have received a permission form for our Friday morning community walks. Please let me know if you're ever able to join us—we leave after the announcements (8:50ish). Tomorrow you will receive another form for our Sidney Fire Hall Expo trip coming up in October. 

Reflex Math: Our Sidney PAC has generously paid for our school to have a Reflex Math subscription. This program allows students to become proficient in math facts. You child will have two accounts—one for addition/subtraction, and one for multiplication/division. It makes a massive difference when students are fluent in math facts because instead of spending energy figuring out the answer, they can expend the energy on learning new math concepts. Your child will bring home the log in information for the addition /subtraction account tomorrow. Please help them get at least three green lights a week at home until they are 100% fluent in their facts (we will celebrate at school). 

Read Aloud: We have started reading Pax as our read aloud. It's about a boy Peter and a fox Pax who are separated and trying to find each other again. Please ask your child what they think of the book so far. 

Word of the Week: One of the ways we build vocabulary is with the word of the week. Every week we learn an interesting word and try to use it in conversation as many times as possible, so it becomes part of our working vocabulary. Students will bring home a word of the week suggestion page tomorrow. Please help them find an interesting word they can teach the class. 

Early Dismissal/Parent-Teacher Meetings: I'm looking forward to chatting with you next week. If you haven't signed up, you can click HERE to meet with me. If there aren't times available that work for you, please email me and we will figure something out. 

Important Dates to Remember:

Sept. 19--Stat Holiday

Sept 21--Early Dismissal @ 1:48

Sept 22--Early Dismissal @ 1:48

Sept.  23--Non-Instructional Day--No School for Students

Sept. 30 --Truth and Reconciliation Day

October 10 --Thanksgiving Day Stat 

Oct. 11 --PAC Meeting 

Oct. 17 -- Picture Day 

Oct. 21--Non-Instructional Day--No School for Students 

November 08 -- PAC Meeting 

Nov. 11-- Remembrance Day Stat 

Nov. 14--Non-Instructional Day 

Nov. 22 -- Picture Day (Retakes)

Nov. 30 --Early Dismissal @ 1:48 pm

Please email me with any comments, questions or concerns. 

Have a great night,

Alyssa

September 2022

Dear Families,                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Welcome to another school year! My name is Alyssa (pronounced A-Lisa) Ellison, and I will be your child's teacher for the year. I love working at Sidney Elementary! I feel incredibly fortunate to be teaching grade ⅘ for another year and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with your children. This initial newsletter is a little longer than most, and usually I will send newsletters home via email but I’m still confirming contact emails for families. If your family needs two copies of any paper communication (e.g. two different households) let me know. For the parents returning this year for grade five, please be patient with me as I will probably repeat things that you already know. 😏

About Me: I’ve been teaching for over twenty years and have worked with all ages. I spent most of my career teaching kindergarten, grade one, and grade two, but made the transition to a 4/5 classroom eight years ago. I LOVE teaching grades 4/5! I’ve been working (online and during the summer) on getting my master’s degree in education with a concentration in literacy. I have three children who are young adults and my two daughters live with me. I love football, reading, gardening, playing board games, and building/refinishing with tools. 

Looping Practice: At Sidney Elementary we believe in the practice of looping students. This means that students in grade four will usually stay with the same teacher for grade five. I can’t begin to describe what a game changer this has been to me as a teacher! Knowing the students and how they best learn takes on new levels when you are able to teach them for two years. We combine the grade four and five curriculums and alternate the science and social studies curriculum each year. Students are all taught the same curriculum, but at differing levels depending on their abilities.

Attendance: A big part of our program is project-based learning, group work, and hands-on activities. As you can imagine, when students are regularly absent, they miss important steps and we must find time to reteach lessons or explain activities. If your child is absent, there are many things I can not “send home” to work on but students can always read, get their green light on Reflex Math (info coming home soon) and write (using a google doc they share with me or old school paper). They can also check out some of the things available on my website. 

Illness: Thank you for keeping your child home when they are sick. At school we do our best to eliminate germs through sanitizing or washing our hands (e.g. transitioning outside, gym, end of day, before eating, etc.). Some students may choose to wear a mask regularly and I do have some masks available if students need them. 

Early Dismissal Days: Our school has two early dismissal days on September 21 and 22. On these days we finish school one hour early (1:48) and I will arrange meetings with parents. This is an opportunity for you to meet me, see our classroom, tell me about your child, and discuss goals for your child’s year. You should have received an email link to the sign up document, but please email me if you need to arrange another time or didn’t get the link. 

How You Can Support Your Child’s Learning: I am grateful for cooperative relationships between home and school. Here are some ways parents can help their child be successful at school. 1) Ensure your child arrives at school on time every day. When children arrive late repeatedly it affects their day and disrupts the class. 2) Ensure your child gets enough sleep every night because when children are tired it affects their academic, social and emotional growth. It is recommended that children aged 8-10 get 10-11 hours of sleep a night. 3) Ensure your child has healthy choices to eat for snacks and lunch. Please leave candy at home and send a labelled water bottle rather than juice boxes, 4) Read with your child every day. Studies show that the most important “homework” parents can do to help their children is read with them, and it is the number one factor which determines reading success. Reading aloud helps children hear fluent and expressive reading, expands their vocabulary, and involves them in stories which may be beyond their reading level. If your child wishes to read independently, use that as an opportunity to ensure their book is a “just right” fit, ask questions about what they’re reading, and ensure they are reading for a minimum of 20 minutes every day. A “just right” book is a book which your child knows most of the words, understands the content, and can read fluently. This repeated practice builds upon reading skills, improves reading confidence, and creates life-long readers. 5) Be involved in your child’s day at school. Please initial your child’s agenda every day so you’re up to date with any notices and stop by the classroom or email me if you have any questions or want to chat about your child.

Here are some of the weekly scheduled routines and activities in our class:

Monday Mingle: One of the ways we build community in our classroom is through Monday Mingle. Every Monday we sip juice or hot chocolate and talk about our lives. It’s a great way to ease into Mondays but it also helps students build strong connections with each other. If you are able to donate a tin of hot chocolate, please send it to school with your child. Thank you!

Word of the Week: One of the ways I try to instill a love of learning is through the word of the week. We learn a new vocabulary word and try to use it in our conversations and writing. If students find an interesting word, they can write up a suggestion for the class.

Reading Graffiti: We have a reading graffiti wall in our classroom. Its purpose is to collect and share quotes from book characters which inspire us. As students read books, they can submit their suggestions for our wall. 

Ketchup and Pickles Time: On Fridays, we have a chunk of time for catching up on any work (ketchup). Once students have finished their work, they can pick a choice to do (pickles). It’s an opportunity for students to play together, share interests and get to know each other better. 

Book Chats: As part of the literacy environment in our class, we share recommendations for books we love. Students have a “wish list” in their reading journal to keep track of books they would like to read. Excitement about reading and books is contagious! 

Community Walks: On Friday mornings, we will go for community walks on our own or with other grade 4/5 classes. The walks will start at 8:50, so please ensure your child is always on time. The permission form will be coming home soon. The walks happen RAIN OR SHINE, so please make sure your child has appropriate clothing for the weather. Thank you!

Agendas: Every intermediate child will have an agenda to help communicate between home and school. Please check your child’s agenda for notices/notes and initial the date to show you’ve read it. Any forms, notes or paperwork for school can go into the zippered pocket I’ve purchased for each child.. The cost for agendas will be $6. 

Scholastic: Scholastic book orders will occasionally go home with your child. You are under no obligation to buy books, but if you would like to order something, please send in the order form with a cheque made out to Scholastic Books, or order online with our classroom code RC233045. When you buy books, we earn points to get free books for our classroom. There is a wide variety of books and activities available and they are usually very reasonably priced. 

Classroom Supplies: Sidney Elementary is asking parents to pay $45 rather than buy school supplies individually. We have ordered supplies as a large group to try and cut costs (we get a discount), have the ability to share supplies (e.g. classroom pencils), as well as ensure everyone has the same supplies. This system allows me to buy supplies throughout the year and use the budget, rather than send home notes asking parents to buy more pencils, glue sticks, white board markers, etc.. If you have any difficulties with supply costs, please speak with me or our principal Mrs. Batallas. If you have already purchased supplies, your child can bring them and we can sort them out at school. 

Cell Phones: As students get older some families provide cell phones for their children who are walking/riding home from school. If a child has a cell phone, it MUST stay in their backpack on silent all day (including before school and recess). If you need to pass on a message for your child, please call the office at 250-656-3958. 

Inside Shoes: Each child must have a pair of indoor running shoes to be kept at school. They will be used for our gym classes and also as our indoor shoes. Please send these in as soon as possible.

FreshGrade: I’ve used digital reporting using FreshGrade for years, but our district is no longer using this program. I love the idea of sharing your child’s learning with you throughout the year and am working on ways to do that effectively and meaningfully. I know our district is working hard to find a replacement for digital reporting and will update you as I learn more.

I look forward to a fun and successful school year working with you and your child. I do have a website but will be updating it for this year.  If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can email me at aellison@saanichschools.ca.

Welcome to Division 17-- it’s going to be a great year!

Alyssa

Alyssa Ellison