Selkirk Montessori School E

Selkirk Montessori
School E-Newsletter
JANUARY 2015
From The Academic Head,
Erin Hayes
It’s here, it’s here! It has
arrived! The best term of the
year!
taking responsibility for
choices and negotiating opportunities.
Guess what happens when
students have forged strong
bonds with their teachers and
each other? Students have
the confidence to take
healthy risks, acknowledge
mistakes, and to learn from
both.
Guess what happens in term
two? All of the above! It is
the most wonderful time of
the year!
Guess what happens when
students have internalized
the routines and expectations
of the classroom? They easily become absorbed in the
tasks at hand and the learning opportunities that surround them.
Guess what happens when
the exceptional experiences
of term one (team building
activities, concerts, holiday
festivities) subside? Students
become wholly engaged in
their core academic learning,
A big shout out to Daisy Jassar who is our fundraising
coordinator for the SPG.
Along with Shilpa Ghandi,
she works tirelessly throughout the year to make sure our
reciprocal value fundraisers
happen. In the lead up to
Winter Break, with the help
of her band of merry elves,
she coordinated both the
poinsettia and the Purdy’s
fundraiser. The money from
all of the SPG fundraisers
goes straight into programs
and materials for your children.
cont’d on page 2...
Inside this issue:
From the Board of Directors
2
Registration information
3
4
“You are never too old
to set another goal or
dream another dream.”
5
6
Bear’s Den
7
Dates to Remember
8
C.S. Lewis
Message from Erin Hayes (cont’d)
With Daisy’s youngest son graduating this
June, we are going to have some big shoes
to fill. If you are interested in becoming the
SPG fundraising coordinator, or would like
to run an event, please get in touch with any
SPG member or stop by the office to find
out more.
A big thank you as well to our resident
crafting elf. She plans, gathers supplies,
works with kids, follows up with teachers
and makes sure every student in our school
has an opportunity to make the ornament
prepared for that class. She then sets up the
giving tree for all to admire the works of
our students. She is one of our ubervolunteers! Thank you for this very special
Selkirk tradition.
Our many holiday fairies also created a
kindness advent calendar and a beautiful
Hanukkah display in our display case. Delightful to be in the hallways and overhear
the students take notice.
They opened
with a powerful reflection,
written by the
students, “
Nearly all the
cultures we
studied for this project had most or all of the
following elements included in their celebrations: lighting of candles and colourful
lights, sharing festive foods with others,
giving small gifts to loved ones, displaying
bright decorations, singing or listening to
music, giving to the poor and hungry, asking
and giving forgiveness, gathering with family, expressing thanks to God and or nature..”
I know my
daughter
and I are
inspired and
feel a deeper
sense of
appreciation
for, and
connection to, her peers for it. What a culturally rich school we have!
I also want to thank all the parents who donate their time and precious resources to
share their winter traditions and celebrations
with our students. You could see that modeling reflected at the winter assembly hosted
by the Sea Star and Cormorant classes.
(more photos on page 3)
Page 2
S E L KI R K M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L E - NE W S L E T T E R
Assembly Photo Gallery
So many celebrations to enjoy in our rich, multi-cultural
school environment. Thanks to all of our students and families for sharing theirs with us!
From the Pacific Montessori Society Board of Directors
To cover increased operating costs for the school, the board has approved a modest 1.5%
increase in tuitions for the school year 2015/16. This will result in an additional cost of
$7 to $12/month per child. This is balanced by new funding sources that the school administration has been working on as part of the approach to keeping tuition increases
moderate and balanced. The majority of the increased revenue will be used to provide a
1% increase to the staff salary grid.
The board has recently launched a strategic planning process. Our expectation will be to complete a
three year plan by the start of the 15/16 school year. We will be inviting input from all parents and staff
in the new year through a survey planned for early February 2015. This is your opportunity to help
shape the school and our planning and we urge you to take the time to provide us with your feedback.
We look forward to working with you to make our great school even better.
Page 3
S E L KI R K M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L E - NE W S L E T T E R
Registration for 2015-2016
Re-Registration
We will email a registration form to you
next week. Deadline for the return of completed registration forms is Friday, January
30th. Please be sure that you have read and
understood all of the information on the
forms. You must mark the programs you require and sign the form for it to be considered complete. Remember that space is limited and we do operate using a first-come,
first-served model to fill spots.
Siblings
If you are a returning family and have a new
sibling to enrol for the 2015-2016 school
year, instructions for registration of siblings
are in the package mentioned above . Again,
the deadline for submission is Friday,
January 30th.
Waitlisted Children
We expect to be in touch with families of
children on the waitlist by mid to late February. Please be patient….but don’t hesitate
to contact us if you are anxious! I am always happy to hear from parents that they
are still keen to get their child(ren) enrolled.
Not Returning
The decision to move a child from one
school to another is never an easy one; however, for many reasons (religious affiliation,
finances, moving, convenience, family history – just to name a few) you may decide
Page 4
not to return to Selkirk for the 2015-2016
school year. We’ll be sorry to see you go.
We ask that you let us know as soon as possible. Your child will let us know if you
don’t; maybe not in so many words, but in
their own way, that they are not coming
back. It has been our experience that children become confused when they are told
they are making a move. They wonder, “Is
Selkirk still my school? Is there any reason
to keep working hard here? Do I still have
to follow the rules of the school?” We’ve
even had children say, “I don’t have to listen
to you because I’m not coming back to this
school.” You can imagine the detrimental
effect this can have on your child’s education, especially as we still have six months
of school to get through!
We want to ensure that your child’s experience at Selkirk is a positive one, right down
to their last day of school. It’s a fact of life
that some of you will be leaving. Come talk
to us about making the transition an easy
one for your child, for their teachers and for
the school community as a whole.
If you have any questions about registration
for 2015-2016, please email me at
penny@selkirkmontessori.ca or call
250-384-3414.
S E L KI R K M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L E - NE W S L E T T E R
Farewell from Emily
Dear Selkirk Families –
When Penny first broached the subject
of coming to work at Selkirk on a temporary basis, the initial timeframe she
proposed was ‘just one or two weeks
to help with inventory’. The past eight
months have been the longest ‘two
weeks’ of my life, but in every other
respect my time at the school has
flown right by!
It’s been such a special experience to
come back to Selkirk as an adult; to
see just how much love and care and
dedication goes into the school behind
the scenes, to get to witness firsthand
just how much the teachers and staff
care about the children who go here. I
Page 5
never could’ve predicted how much
joy the job would bring me.
There’s so much about the school I’m
going to miss: warm hugs from smiling children, peeking into classrooms,
supervising Casa lunches, the love and
support of the staff, the insanity of
pick-up and drop-off, office visits
from little ones – and of course getting
the chance to work alongside the administration and see firsthand all the
amazing work they put into this
school.
When you’re a student at Selkirk you
don’t realize how lucky you are to live
and grow in this environment; you
think that it’s just what school is like.
It’s only as an adult that I’ve been able
to realize just what a unique and incredible place the school is – and how
wonderful the staff, parents, and especially students truly are.
Thank you for welcoming me into
your school community; it’s been such
a privilege getting to know and love
your children.
Warm Regards,
Emily
S E L KI R K M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L E - NE W S L E T T E R
Outdoor Education—Term 1 Wrap Up
Students in
grades 7 and 8
worked with
the City of
Victoria to remove invasive
species and
replace them
with native
species at
Cecilia Cove
beach near the
school.
(below)
They had an orienteering
fieldtrip/hike to Mt. Finlayson.
(below) They took part in a Cuthbert
Holmes Nature Walk Fieldtrip with the
Northwest Animal Preservation Society.
They also had a fieldtrip to the Gorge
Waterway Nature House to learn about
eco-stewardship on the Gorge. Next
term...adventures in outdoor education
for our grades 5 and 6 students.
Page 6
S E L KI R K M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L E - NE W S L E T T E R
Selkirk Parent Group (SPG) News
Happy New Year from the SPG!
First of all a huge thanks to everyone who
sent along loonies and twoonies, and socks
and shoes to provide some winter comfort
for the poorest people in our city. Collectively we have provided for hundreds of
Victorians who would otherwise be cold,
wet and excluded from holiday traditions.
Thank you, thank you!
As well, closer to home, thanks to everyone who organized and supported the poinsettia and chocolate sales for the holidays.
These fundraisers help provide for social
and educational events throughout the year.
And more thanks to those who participated
in the Random Acts of Kindness calendar.
A beautiful idea for all of us, children and
adults alike, to share. This would be a
lovely tradition to continue in the school
(just saying…!)
Page 7
The Lunch
Program needs a
new coordinator!
We have been very fortunate to have Colleen Norcross shepherd this major fundraiser over the past few years, but it is time
for her to move to new challenges and we
need someone to step into that position.
Colleen will continue for this year and mentor a new volunteer, but as we turn the calendars to 2015 the pressure is growing to
find a replacement. This exciting job can be
done mostly away from the school (eg it is
do-able even if you are working during
school hours), is mostly low intensity except for brief periods when orders are coming in twice or three times a year, and is
well established so that the new person does
not have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak.
Please consider this and speak to any SPG
member if you are interested.
And please join us for our next meeting
on WEDNESDAY January 21, 2015 at
7:00 pm in the staff room. (Come around to
the Jack Ladder Lane entrance and we can
buzz you in.)
S E L KI R K M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L E - NE W S L E T T E R
The Bear’s Den—A Word from the Library
Heading for a great read?
We are now on the countdown for the Grand
Opening of the new Bear’s Den. Our Selkirk
community can hardly contain its enthusiasm
for the long awaited completion of our new
school Library. As I wrote this, just before
Winter Break, we were eagerly awaiting the
occupancy permit, assembly of bookshelves,
and carpet tiles and some creative and fun furnishings to arrive. Opening day will be in
January, the exact date to be announced soon.
Hope everyone had a relaxing holiday season
with lots of time to curl up in front of a cosy
fireplace and read a captivating novel. Finished reading all your new books? Wondering
what to read next? Great news! It’s time to
prepare for next month’s Scholastic BOOK
FAIR.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered
and/or purchased books during the October
Book Fair.
Please volunteer to help at the BOOK FAIR
and sign up for your preferred time. Sign-up
sheet is in main floor hallway.
Help promote a love of reading and support
our Selkirk School Community. Please volunteer. It’s fun!
Page 8
Save the Date!
Scholastic Book Fair
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Fair will be held in the school Gymnasium at the following times:
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
This popular event gives you and your child
the opportunity to buy quality books and
products at affordable prices.
BOOK FAIR Volunteers Needed (Sign-up
Sheet in the main floor hallway)
We will need a total of 14 volunteers for setup, take-down, and sales and customer service.
S E L KI R K M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L E - NE W S L E T T E R
2970 Jutland Road
Victoria, BC V8T 5K2
250-384-3414 (tel)
250-384-3420 (fax)
reception@selkirkmontessori.ca
We can make a difference.
www.selkirkmontessori.ca
Dates to Remember

January 15, 2015—Open House/
Transition Meetings (5:30-8:00 pm)

January 21, 2015—Selkirk Parent
Group (SPG) meeting (7:00 pm)

January 26, 2015—Pacific Montessori Society Board Meeting (6:00
pm)

February 9, 2015—Family Day
(Provincial holiday)
Page 11
Once again, students have carefully prepared Angel
Gifts for delivery to Our Place. We appreciate the
opportunity to make a difference — especially during
the holidays!