UPCOMING DATES...
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March 11th |
District Swim Meet for Swim Club Members |
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March 12th |
Report Cards Home |
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March 13th |
PAC Hot Lunch – Boston Pizza for those that ordered. Don’t forget a snack! |
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March 16th-27th |
Spring Break – Students do not attend school. Have a wonderful break! |
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March 30th |
Marathon Kick-Off |
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April 10th |
Good Friday (STAT Holiday) – Students do not attend school |
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April 13th |
Easter Monday (STAT Holiday) – Students do not attend school |
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April 21st |
PAC Meeting, 7:00 with special guest David Nickoli |
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April 19th |
Ordering for Hot Lunch on April 24th closes TONIGHT at midnight. |
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April 24th |
PAC Hot Lunch – SUBWAY for those that ordered. Don’t forget a snack! |
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April 27th |
Non-Instructional Day – Students do not attend school |
SCHOOL NEWS...
Utensils for Eating Snacks & Lunches: A reminder for families to please pack utensils for your child so they are able to eat their snack or lunch! In an effort to reduce plastics, we no longer have cutlery to hand out.
Reporting of Student Absences: A friendly reminder for families to ensure that you contact the school Safe Arrival Line at 250 658-4002 if your child will be absent from school. Please speak slowly and indicate your child’s first and last name and teacher. If you’re child will be away for more than one day, please ensure that you call of all the days that your child will be away. Thank you!
The Power of Why: A Blog by the Superintendent of Schools: “Does Feeling Guilt Make Us a Better Person?”
International Women’s Day: Some of our families may already be aware that this year's International Women's Day (March 8th) was celebrated with a fun and creative pose called "Each for Equal". Each for Equal means that EVERYONE CAN:
- play with any toys they choose (superheroes, dolls, cars, Lego, etc.)
- grow up to be anyone they want (teacher, gardener, mechanic, astronaut, etc.) and
- be equally recognized and respected for everything that makes them special and unique
Cordova Bay students asked me to join them in sharing the Each for Equal message with you. We also invite you to drop by the table, located just past the office and close to the gym, and write down on a sticky what makes you or a friend special and unique. You are also invited to support the Victoria Women's Transition House with a cash donation (deposit box on the same table). Victoria Women's Transition House supports women and children in need. To learn more about this incredible community support, please visit: https://www.transitionhouse.net/.
Another great link that supports this year's message of Each for Equal can be found on the SOGI 123 website: https://www.sogieducation.org/
Please contact me, if you wish to speak further about Each for Equal or how BC teachers weave SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) lessons in to the B.C. Curriculum. SOGI is not its own curriculum; it is one aspect of diversity that is embedded across a range of grades and subject areas. Please find attached a parent brochure on SOGI.
Respectfully, Mrs. Mary Lynn Heron
The Connection Between Video Gaming and Gambling: Information provided by Shannon Husk who is a Clinical Counsellor and Prevention and Community Engagement Service Provider for BC Gaming who specializes in issues regarding technology (social media and gaming).
Tips to Help Your Children Manage Their Screen Time
Do you notice that your child/youth is taking a long time to do homework? Are you aware that heavy users of social networks are “significantly more likely than other students to have lower grades?” A psychology professor, Dr. Larry Rosen found that students tend to lose focus after about 3 minutes.
In the last few months I have been talking to parents and students about how to stay more focused while doing their homework. After giving my sixteen-year old daughter many chances to self-regulate we in-stalled Self Control, a free app for Macintosh computers, in order to help her to stay focused. She can set the time limit to be able to do school work while blocking out YouTube and other distracting content. Cold Turkey Blocker and SelfRestraint are alternatives for Windows users.
Some students tell me that they give their parents their phones until they are finished their homework be-cause it is their cell phones that cause them distraction. Others say working in a common area rather than their bedrooms is also helpful.
On Dr. Ruston’s blog “Tech Talk Tuesdays” the film maker of the documentary “Screenagers” shares that one of the parents she interviewed said that her son sets the YouTube app on his phone so it automatically shuts off after 15 minutes. Dr. Rushton also suggests some other helpful apps on her site, https://www.screenagersmovie.com/tech-talk-tuesdays. One of the suggestions is Screen Time that is now available for iPhone and iPads and is one that I use myself. The one flaw is that it is great for being aware of time on one’s phone but it is too easy to ask for another 15 minutes or an hour by just my putting in your password. If the parent is the only one who knows the password, then this could be a valuable tool.
My colleague Kelly and neighbor Pat use Disney’s Circle (costs $99/year) and says that it has really helped their kids manage their school work better.
Many parents have shared that they want their kids to be able to self-regulate themselves but unfortunately very few students can because of the dopamine hits they receive keeps them coming back for more and the pre-frontal cortex of their brain that manages impulsivity and self-regulation (the brain’s judgment center) is not fully developed until their mid-twenties.
References:
Rosen, L. (2016) The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High Tech World. MIT Press, USA.
PAC NEWS...
Easter Purdy's: Deadline for Orders: March 30. ONLINE ORDERING ONLY. How to Order:
- Go to: https://fundraising.purdys.com/
- Click SUPPORT
- Click SIGN IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT or Fill out the fields below to Support an Active Campaign.
- Once you sign in, you’ll see our School DASHBOARD.
- Click SHOP ONLINE at the top.
- Choose MARKETPLACE to shop by photo. (This is easiest)
- Start adding to your bag.
- Once done you can view you bag or Click PROCEED TO CHECKOUT…. Pay and you’re done.
PAC General Meeting: April 21, 7:00 pm, Guest Speaker: David Nickoli will present on how to navigate and teach children about internet safety, How to deal with cyber bullying, helpful apps, how to recognize suspicious behaviour etc. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for our eventbrite signup.
COMMUNITY NEWS...
Opera Works: Pacific Opera’s Spring Break Camp, March 23-27. See below for more information.
2020 Fastball Season: Registration is now OPEN. See attached for how to register.
Western Educational Adventures Inc: Spring Break 202 Camps https://westernadventures.ca/sp-pgm-spring-break.htm
