Dear Cordova Bay Families,
As I read through the first term reports of Cordova Bay students, I noticed many comments about great participation in classroom discussions, progress in the area of social responsibility and many comments around student involvement in school activities, such as Choir, Soccer and Swim Club. Cordova Bay students should be very proud of all of their hard work and their contributions to the school community.
Over the two week winter break, I encourage you to take some time to celebrate your child's successes this term and to make plans for improvement. The New Year is a wonderful time to set new goals. I know that you will be connecting with your child's teacher(s) and finding ways to support even more growth from now until the end of June.
As we head into Winter Break, here are some family-friendly ideas to help keep your child's skills sharp:
Read
for pleasure.
Winter break provides the
perfect opportunity to read for fun. Encourage relatives to gift books to your
children, and gather the family in front of the fire to take turns reading from
classic tales, holiday stories, or the newest installment from their favorite series. Check out the greater Victoria Public Library Website for their
holiday schedule.
Cook
up an easy lesson.
Invite your child into the
kitchen to help you whip up a special dish this holiday season. Not only will they learn a valuable
life skill, but all of those half-tablespoon and quarter-cup measurements are
great practice with fractions.
Write
thank-you notes.
Penning notes of appreciation
to gift-givers teaches gratitude and helps polish writing and spelling skills.
A mug of hot cocoa can make this task feel more festive!
Make
the most of car rides.
Turn the drive to or from a holiday get-together into an opportunity to
practice letters and numbers. You can look for license plates from different
provinces, try to find the alphabet on the license plates, or count the number
of red (or white or green) cars you see.
Maintain
reasonable bedtimes.
With no school to get up for in
the morning, it can be tempting to let kids become night owls. A few days
before school starts up again, ease back into the regular bedtime schedule so
your child can start the year bright-eyed.
Ask
for grocery list assistance.
Have your child help write up
the grocery list, sort coupons and pick out what to buy. Not only are you
teaching them valuable money saving lessons, but you're also sharpening their
reading and writing skills.
Let kids help with online shopping.
Need a last-minute gift for Grandma or Uncle Joe? Log onto your favorite shopping sites and let your child help you select presents. This helps children work on their computer and research skills.
Have
a family game night.
Chances are many of your
family's favorite board and card games reinforce skills such as counting, reading, and drawing.
Gather the group to play games you usually don't have time for on school
nights.
(Borrowed/Adapted from the Educator Newsletter, December 2014)
As we move into second term, we say goodbye to our cherished Cordova Bay K teacher Ms. Marsie Fitz. We thank her for her incredible smile, her professionalism and the kindness and care she showed with every wee child that she welcomed into her class. To honour her time here, the mural bear that adorns the wall in the gym, has been, in part, named after her. Cedar Fitz is a fine bear and we will always remember Ms. Fitz when we look up to see Cedar during assemblies or special events. Thank you also to Ms. Fitz for her collaboration with Ms. Nelles on the bi-annual book sale. Over $1000 was raised to support Cordova Bay Families! Your commitment to this terrific fundraiser was greatly appreciated.
Replacing Ms. Fitz, we welcome Mrs. Sandy Lockhart who some of you will know as our Thursday/ Friday Music teacher. She worked her magic for this year's concert and in 2019 will take her incredible energy, patience and great care into the K class where she will share not only her love of music but also her incredible joy for learning.
As Mrs. Lockhart will be in the K class full time, we have recently hired a Ms. Carly-Jane Thornton for the music piece. Ms. Thornton is an experienced teacher from Alberta who is very excited to share her love of music and dance with our students. Welcome Ms. Thornton!
And finally, thank you everyone for supporting my transition to the Cordova Bay Principalship. I appreciate the open and ongoing dialogue and your support. I am thankful for such a strong community and for your participation in all of the wonderful activities run by your PAC and school staff.
Wishing you all many special family moments over the holidays and lots of rest and relaxation. We look forward to seeing you all back refreshed and ready to take on the many learning challenges of term two!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Heron