Important Dates

March 6                 Grade 6/7 Parent Camp Meeting in the gym at 6 pm
March 7                 Interactive Fairytales Performance 1:30 pm
March 7                  Blaze Pizza fundraiser
March 11-15          Talent Show auditions at lunch
March 11-15          CSL reports go home and ready on-line (FreshGrade)
March 13                Early dismissal 1:27 pm for Student Led Interviews
March 14                Theme Day: Green Day
March 15                Last day of classes before Spring Break
April 1                     Schools open
April 1-12               Ruben’s Shoes
April 5                     Fishy Friday after school
April 8                    Pro D – classes not in session
April 10                  Talent Show (primary audience) at 1 pm
April 11                  Talent Show (parent audience & intermediate students) at 1 pm
April 12                  Fishy Friday after school
April 18                  Theme Day: Jersey Day
April 18                   Fishy Friday (on a Thursday)
April 19                   Good Friday holiday – classes not in session
April 22                    Easter Monday holiday- classes not in session
April 26                    Fishy Friday

Sports

Well done to both our girls and our boys basketball teams.  Our girls team came in first place on their Play Day.  They not only won all their games but also one the team shooting competition.  Simone from division 2 won the individual shooting challenge.  A BIG thank you to our two coaches Ms. Champion and Ms. Chong

Our boys basketball team came in second place on their Play Day.  Their final game was so close!  The boys have one more tournament left before the season ends.  A big thank you to Mr. Henderson for coaching the team.

Our badminton season has started!  We have a grade 5/6 team and a grade 7 team.  Thank you to Ms. Chamberlayne and Ms. Beale for coaching the grade 5/6 team and thank you to Ms. Song and Ms. Burrell for coaching the grade 7 team.

Grade 5/6 badminton team:

• practises are on Mondays 2:45 – 3:30
• games on Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Grade 7 badminton team:

• first practise is on Tuesday, Feb. 19
• Tuesday and Wednesday practises 7:45 – 8:25 am **no Wednesday practise until March
• games on Thursdays 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Talent Show

The Talent Show will take place after Spring Break on April 10th and 11th.  Parents are asked to be part of the audience on April 11th.

Talent show auditions will take place March 11 – 15th during the lunch hour in the Multipurpose Room.  Students are encouraged to think outside the box when thinking about a performance.  In the past we have had students perform comedy acts, dancing, singing, martial arts, and gymnastics.
Auditions Schedule:
March 11 – Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2
March 12– Grade 3, Grade 4
March 13 – Grade 5, Grade 6
March 14 – Grade 7
March 15 – Any missed acts

If you have any questions, please talk to Ms. Chohan.

Student Leadership

A big thank you to all of our students and parents who purchased cupcakes for our WE Bake for Change fundraiser. We raised a total of $904

For the first two weeks of April, our school community is continuing to pay if forward by supporting Ruben’s Shoes.  In countries like the Dominican Republic, children are unable to go to school because they have no shoes to wear.  Adults in some of these countries have difficulty going to job interviews because they do not own a pair of shoes.  Please donate your gently used shoes to help families in need.

Each of our classrooms has a box for shoe collection.  Take a look through your closet and donate those shoes that your children have outgrown and shoes that you no longer wear.  Give your shoes a second life and someone in need a new beginning.

PAC Fundraisers

On Thursday, March 7th we ask our Pacific Heights families to save themselves a night of cooking and treat themselves to a pizza night at Blaze Pizza.  Come to Blaze Pizza (located in Grandview Corners) between 5 – 9 pm on March 7th and show the flyer that was emailed to you, to the cashier before you pay.

February 27, 2019

Dear Parent / Guardian

I want to ensure you are aware of an Internet-safety issue that has recently surfaced.

You may also soon see news media reports about something called the “Momo challenge”. The challenge invites users on social media platforms to message an account called “Momo”. The account may then send disturbing images and instructions for self-harm, as well as threats if the instructions aren’t followed. It also warns not to discuss the challenge with adults. The challenge may also involve messages hidden in seemingly child-friendly games and videos.

Parents should have a conversation with children about safe Internet use and the risks associated with any “challenges”. Below are links to a district brochure that may assist you.

Sincerely,

Sundeep Chohan
Principal
Pacific Heights Elem.

Internet Safety brochure (English):

https://www.surreyschools.ca/ParentServices/ParentInfoBrochures/Documents/InternetSafety-English.pdf

Internet Safety brochure (Punjabi)

https://www.surreyschools.ca/ParentServices/ParentInfoBrochures/Documents/InternetSafety-Punjabi.pdf

Construction Update

If you are dropping off or picking up tomorrow, please note that on 26th Avenue, there will be construction occurring on the north end of the sidewalk (where the site access point is).  The north end of the sidewalk will be dug up tomorrow between 9 am and 2 pm.  The work should take day or two to complete.  There will be fill put in place or a plate to cover the hole where students walk.  There will also be flag people around the site to ensure student safety.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call the office and speak to Ms. Chohan or Ms. Fadum.

Thank you.

Upcoming Events

February 21          We Bake for Change – Cupcakes $2 each
February 21          Theme Day- Twin Day
February 22          Pro D – classes not in session
February 26          Basketball Play Day (boys) 12-4 pm in the gym
February 27          Pink Shirt Day – Assembly at 1 pm
February 28          Basketball Play Day (girls) 12-4 pm in the gym
March 6          Grade 6/7 Parent meeting re: Camp @ 6 pm in gym
March 7          Duffle Bag Theatre performance at 1:30 pm
March 11          Communicating Student Learning Reports go home this week
March 13          Early Dismissal at 1:27 pm for Student Led Conferences
March 14          Theme Day
March 15          Last Day of classes before Spring Break begins
April 1          Classes back in session

Student Leadership

Video produced by Li Hung (Div. 2 student)

Every year our school supports a foundation called ME to WE. The WE foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1995 that is set to make places better in a variety of ways. They come together and tackle major problems in undeveloped countries, trying, bit by bit to make the world a better place. They focus on 5 different pillars which are water, food, health, opportunity and education. They have a numerous amount of movements /charities that help make doing good doable. Many of these movements include We Walk for Water, a charity that helps raise money and awareness for water in undeveloped places, We Are Silent, a charity to raise awareness for those who go unheard and (amongst the others) We Scare Hunger, a food drive that sends unperishable foods to places with famine. In a nutshell WE make’s doing good doable. Our school participates in these movements and charities; donating and raising money whenever we can.

Our school has also focused on multiple different countries and pillars and this year is no exception. This school year we are focusing on tackling opportunity in India with the help of WE. The Grade 6/7 Student Leadership Team is focusing on a $250 farm bundle that goes to rural Indian villages and helps them generate money and food for their consumption, this bundle contains 3 goats and 15 farm animals that can produce milk and eggs. This helps give men and women in poverty the opportunity to start a small business or the opportunity to consume fresh food. This is our plan for this year. https://www.we.org/ is the official WE website.

This year we plan to participate in the following

• WE Scare Hunger, a food drive where we sent food to our local food bank two times already this year (October and December)
• WE Walk for Water, a charity where we walk and raise money for water in places that need it.
• Rueben’s Shoes, where we donate shoes for children to go to school.
• WE Bake for Change, a bake sale that raises money for education and opportunity.

Written by Arman Nangia (Div. 1 student)

Sports

Our basketball season has only two more weeks to go.  The students have played exceptionally well and have continued to develop their basketball skills every week. We are all looking forward to the basketball play days on February 26th and 28th.

Our badminton season is starting soon!  We have a grade 5/6 team and a grade 7 team.  Thank you to Ms. Chamberlayne and Ms. Beale for coaching the grade 5/6 team and thank you to Ms. Song and Ms. Burrell for coaching the grade 7 team.

Grade 5/6 badminton team:

• first practise is Tuesday, Feb. 26
• practises are on Mondays 2:45 – 3:30
• games on Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Grade 7 badminton team:

• first practise is on Tuesday, Feb. 19
• Tuesday and Wednesday practises 7:45 – 8:25 am **no Wednesday practise until March
• games on Thursdays 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Construction Update

We are sure your children have been keeping all of you up to date with the types of construction trucks they are seeing on site.  The site has been dug up and there is a lot drilling!  In the next 6-8 weeks the sanitary foreman installation will be happing – it will take at least two months to complete the underground utility works.

This means there will be a trench/tunnel dug up along 26th Avenue.  It is important to note that work times will be between 9 and 2 pm.  This is to minimize disruption to drop-off and collection times.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school office.  Your input is important.

Grade 6/7 Camp Meeting for Parents

Our grade 6 and 7 students are going camping this year at Camp Imadene for three nights (May 13-15).  It is important all grade 6 and 7 parents attend the information session on March 6th at 6 pm in our school gym.  During this meeting we discuss the transportation, parent volunteers, student expectations, what students need to bring, the cost of the trip (expenses are broken down), and much more.  It is imperative that at least one parent attend with his/her grade 6/7 child.

After the camp meeting ends, we will ask that Grade 7 parents stay and we will go over the year end activities for Grade 7’s.  Please take a look at the agenda items listed below.  The year end celebration for our grade 7’s requires planning and volunteers.  We need grade 7 parents to attend this meeting so the planning can begin!

Agenda

• Year end field trip
• Parent drivers
• Costs- budget for events
• Freezie Fridays
• Yearbook costs
• Legacy Gift Ideas
• Donations- for year end celebration (photo booth, etc.)

Visitor Sign In at the Office

Please be aware that all  visitors, including parents, must sign in at the office.  We understand that many times students forget lunches, supplies, water bottles, and so many other items.  We appreciate parents and family members who drive to the school to drop items off.  It is important that all visitors sign in at the office for the following reasons:

• Instructional time cannot be interrupted.  If you are dropping off a lunch or other item for your child, you can let the clerks (Ms. Batista and Ms. Williams) at the office know.  The clerks, call the classroom and the student is sent down to the office to get his/her supplies.
• For safety reasons, we must know of all adults in the building. Once the adult has checked in at the office, they receive a visitor badge.  Our clerks are aware of the adult in the building and the reason why the adult is in the building.

Schools are closed for instruction today, as they were yesterday.  Look at all that snow…have a great day in the snow and be safe!

Due to the heavy snowfall all Surrey schools are closed today for instruction.  Crews need a chance to clear parking lots and walkways.

Be safe and enjoy the snow outside!

Upcoming Events

February 5:  Book Fair opens after school
February 11: Interactive Fairytales performance 1:30 pm
February 11:  Last Day for Book Fair
February 13: PAC meeting 6 pm in the library
February 12-15: Zumba in the am (each class gets one Zumba session)
February 18:  Family Day Holiday (classes not in session)
February 21:  Theme Day: Twin Day
February 21:  We Bake for Change (cupcake sale) fundraiser
February 22: Pro D (classes not in session)
February 27: Pink Shirt Day

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As you may know, Mr. Loosemore has been away and will need to be away until the end of the school year. During his leave, Ms. Pather will be replacing Mr. Loosemore as your child’s teacher.

In addition, we have asked Mrs. Karen Fadum be the acting Vice Principal for our school.  Please join me in welcoming both Mrs. Fadum and Ms. Pather.

We want to make this transition smoothly so please feel free to reach out directly to me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

Ms. Chohan

Primary Maker Faire

It was great to see all the parent volunteers this past week at our primary Maker Faire.  All volunteers came well equipped with glue, cardboard, and plenty of tape.  The students were so very proud of their creations.  We even had a rocket ship that worked!  Take a look at the videos and pictures below:

Canadathon

January is the month we do our Canadathon fundraiser.  Students are busy studying Canada facts and trivia and then collecting pledges from family.

We had our very first Canadathon Game Show.  We had 5 teams enter the competition and our goal was to have fun while we displayed our knowledge of Canadian trivia.   There was a lot of cheering and good humour as we played the game.  We even had an impromptu round with teachers!

The five teams who made it to the game show were:

The Canadian Geese: Anjili Jette, Griffin Sowden, Maximus Jeng, Taya Trapp-Brodie
The Red Maple Leafs: Evan Leith, Janica Li, Kiana Sahota, Regis Liang
The Canadian Maple Syrups: Connor MacLellan, Grady McDonnell, Seren Zhang, Adam Wilson
The Canadian Timbits: Connor Halewood, Zachary Bi, Hannah Bao, Alex Sowden
The Goldrushers: Serena Zhang, Alishah Khan, Richard Shen, Ajmer Ghuman

Winner of the first round was The Canadian Geese and winner of the second round was The Red Maple Leafs.

Please have all Canadathon pledge money into the classroom teacher by February 15th at the latest.  All money collected goes towards learning materials for students to use in the classroom (books, field trips, etc.).

Upcoming Events

January 30:  Maker Faire Primary (making day)
January 31:  Maker Faire Primary (viewing day)
February 1:  Canadathon Game Show (intermediates only)
February 5:  Book Fair opens after school
February 11: Interactive Fairytales performance 1:30 pm
February 11:  Last Day for Book Fair
February 13: PAC meeting 6 pm in the library
February 12-15: Zumba in the am (each class gets one Zumba session)
February 18:  Family Day Holiday (classes not in session)
February 21:  Theme Day: Twin Day
February 21:  We Bake for Change (cupcake sale) fundraiser
February 22: Pro D (classes not in session)
February 27: Pink Shirt Day

Construction Update

As you have seen, the access road has been built along the backside of the school coming in from 26th avenue.  You can see in the picture the road goes over the sidewalk and is not accessible for strollers due to how rocky it is.  We are hoping to have a piece of plywood we can put over the the access road during drop off and pick up times by the end of the week.

We have had some questions around site workers and the protocol they are to follow working on a school site.  All site workers have had a criminal record check and therefore are allowed to work at our school site.  All construction workers have been instructed to not talk to any children and they are not to use washrooms in the building (the crew has their own porta potty).  We have instructed students to not talk to the site workers because we do not want to distract the workers from the job they are doing.  Please follow up with the students at home on this important rule.

With so much happening on school grounds, the students will be tempted and/or distracted – they will stop to watch the construction (can’t really blame them).  For this reason, students in portable classrooms are being sent to the washroom in pairs.  Also for those portables right by the construction site (Ms.Champion, Ms. Darby, Ms. Beale, Mr. Loosemore) the students are walking all the way around the portables and right by the roundabout… these students must go to the washroom in pairs.

Maker Faire

Our intermediate Maker Faire was a big success.  Our students made some great stuff that required problem solving and thinking outside the box. Watch the two videos below with students explaining what they made and how it works.  For more videos and pictures please visit our school Instagram account: pacific heights_learns

Canadathon Game Show

We are having our first Canadathon Game Show!  The Canadathon is a fundraiser we do every year. Money raised goes towards classroom supplies such as books and field studies.

How do you become a contestant?
The top scorers from each intermediate class will be writing a final quiz (10-15 questions) on Monday so we can narrow down the contestants to a final 32.  There will be 8 teams with 4 players on each team – a student from each grade level from grades 4-7 will be on each team.  The game show format used will be Kahoot.  Ms. Chohan will work with the teams on how to study for the Canadathon test.

Who is in the audience?
Only intermediate students will be allowed to the watch game show as primary students will quickly become bored with the questions and they will not be able to read the questions on the screen.  The tickets to watch the game show are $2 each.  Students will purchase tickets from their classroom teacher on January 29, 30, 31.

The plan is that in each grade group one teacher will go to the Canadathon with the students who paid and the other teacher will stay in the classroom with the students who did not pay.

We will also be selling red liquorice to student on this day – four pieces of liquorice for a dollar.

If you have any questions please talk to Ms. Chohan.

Scholastic Book Fair -“Dino-Mite-Stomp, Chomp and Read!”

Our book fair opens on February 5th after school.  It will be held in the gymnasium.  Schedule is as follows:

Feb. 5th: after school (primary and intermediate students)
Feb. 6th: lunch for intermediate students, after school for all students
Feb. 7th: lunch for primary students, after school for all students
Feb. 8th: lunch and after school for all students
Feb. 11th: after school only for all students

Parking Lot Safety

With rainy days ahead we must all practise proper school parking lot safety.  Our parking lot along with 26th avenue is incredibly busy during morning drop off and afternoon pick up time.  Ensuring no gets hurt is a primary concern of school staff, but it requires everyone’s participation, including parents.  If you click on the parking map below you will see there is available parking on 171 Street and 26th Avenue.

parking map

Safety Tips for Drop Off or Pick Up:

• Stay in designated pick up areas – our roundabout and parent parking lot, and  Do not arrange to pick students up on side streets, staff parking lots, or other areas that may not be as safe.
• Always pick students up at the nearest curb and do not encourage them to cross parking lots to reach the car.
• When waiting for students to be released, pull all the way forward on the curb to allow other cars ample room and minimize driving around.
• Do not dally or remain parked in the roundabout and parent parking lot.  Once students have been picked up – other parents are eager to pick up their children and moving quickly and efficiently can help keep the traffic flow more consistent.
• Arrange carpools if possible to minimize traffic near the school.
• If possible, avoid scheduling medical appointments or non-school activities immediately after school ends to minimize rushing.
• Try to pick students up five or ten minutes later to avoid the worst traffic congestion.

Most important, please demonstrate KINDNESS.  Be patient, respectful, and courteous to other drivers while they pick their child(ren) up from school. Anger and frustration can lead to careless, unsafe behavior, and being a positive role model can help students learn safe procedures.

Dates to Remember:

January 13:  Canadathon begins!
January 15:  Grade 7 Parent Night at EMS
January 17:  Theme Day – Hat Day
January 18:  PAC meeting at 1 pm
January 23, 24: Maker Faire for intermediate students
January 30, 31: Maker Faire for primary students
February 4-8: Book Fair (in the gym)
February 11: Interactive Fairytales performance 1:30 pm
February 18:  Family Day Holiday (classes not in session)
February 21:  Theme Day: Twin Day
February 21:  We Bake for Change fundraiser
February 22: Pro D (classes not in session)
February 27: Pink Shirt Day

Construction

You will have noticed the orange fencing around trees on the school property.  This is   all done in preparation for the construction that is starting next week for our new 12 classroom addition.  The addition will be on the south side of the school (where the the intermediate basketball court).  There will be a road/path off of 26th avenue that will go along the backside of the school, where the grassy hill is, for the construction vehicles to access the site.  Starting next week, the play zones for students will change because the construction site is out of bounds (for obvious safety reasons).  Students will not be allowed to play along the backside of the school, and the other areas that are fenced off by the intermediate basketball court.

The morning and after school pick up and drop procedures for some of our primary classes (Ms. Tavares, Ms. Gill, Ms. Luck, Ms. McIntyre) will most likely be affected. Once the fencing goes up along the backside of the school (where the road is made), we will see how congested the area is during morning and after school pick up/drop off.  We will then communicate with parents if drop off/ pick up locations will change.

If you have any questions about construction or if you have any concerns, please call the office.  Your input is important.

Sports

Volleyball:
Our students had a successful volleyball season with both the boys and the girls team  placing in FIRST place on the play days.  Thank you to our coaches: Mr. Unruh, Ms. Luck, Ms. Song, Ms. Champion, and Ms. Fadum.  We had a great celebration at the end of the volleyball season with the grade 7 students playing against the teachers.

Basketball Season:
Our basketball season is underway.  We have Ms. Champion along with a parent, Ms. Chong, coaching the girls team.   The coach for our boys team is Mr. Henderson.
Practises:
Girls team practise Monday and Wednesday mornings 7:45 – 8:25 am.  Games are on Thursdays.
Boys team practise Tuesday and Thursday after school.  Games are on Wednesdays.

Canadathon:

Every year we have our Canadathon fundraiser in the month of January.  Money raised goes towards classroom supplies such as books and field studies.  Students are given a study sheet that outlines the questions they are to “study” according to the grade the student is in.  Students collect pledges from parents and family members.  Once the Canadathon test is marked, the students collect the pledge money they are owed.  This year our intermediate students have a different set of questions.  We have included more pop culture in the intermediate Canadathon.

A very fun addition has been added to the Canadathon – we will be having a game show with top scorers from the intermediate classes.  More information answering these questions will be coming soon:
What do you need to score to become a contestant in the game show?
What game show format will be followed?
What questions will be asked in the game show?
What day will be the game show be on?
Who gets to watch?  Will there be tickets sold to watch the game show?

Maker Faire

One of the most fun and exciting events is our Maker Faire. Maker Faire is part science fair, part country fair and part something entirely new. Maker Faire features innovation and experimentation across the spectrum of science, engineering, art, performance and craft. Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, and students. All of these “makers” come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and share what they have learned. It’s a chance for students to show others an area they are really interested in. It can be anything from making robots, exploding volcanoes to doll dresses. If you can make it with your hands and it’s something original, then it fits in Maker Faire.

This year we are having two Maker Faire’s one for intermediate students and one for primary students.  We did this because of the size our school.  With 21 divisions, it is difficult to display and properly view all  projects in one day, and so we decided to have a Maker Faire for intermediate grades one week and primary grades the following week.

Intermediate Maker Faire
Wednesday, January 23:  students will be given the opportunity to create their project. Please ensure your child has the supplies he/she needs to build his/her project.
Thursday, January 24: students will be displaying their work in the gym. Parent viewing will be from 1:30 – 2:27 pm

Primary Maker Faire
Wednesday, January 30: Students will be creating their projects. Please ensure your child has the supplies he/she needs to build his/her project.
Thursday, January 31st: Parent viewing from 1:30 – 2:27 pm. Please pick up your child from his/her classroom between 1:30 – 2:27 pm (use the outside door) to take him/her to the gym to view projects.

Grade 7 Parent Night at EMS

When: January 15, 2019

Where: Earl Marriot Secondary School in the theatre

Who: Parents and students can attend

*After the presentation in the theatre there will be a school tour.

*Bring your child and your questions!

School is closed today. We have no power and no heat. Also we run on septic so that means the toilets are not working.

School  is closed for today.