Newsletter - Selkirk Montessori School

Selkirk Montessori
School E-Newsletter
MAY 2016
From the Academic Head—Erin Hayes
With the weather turning beautiful again, kids of all ages are loving being
outside and taking healthy risks. Our most senior kids are making the
most of the west coast and heading out for their outdoor living week in
June. The students will be planning and running a few fundraisers in the
weeks to come to offset the cost. Please encourage and support them if
you can.
Inside this issue:
Bursary Fundraiser
2
Peace Education
3
Help For Syrian Refugees
5
Auction Wrap up
7-9
Selkirk Parent Group (SPG) Update
10
Harry Potter—Debating!
11
Dates to Remember
12
Be like a flower and
turn your face to the
sun.
Kahlil Gibran
Bursary Fundraiser is Blooming!
At our 35th Anniversary celebration
last year, we offered you an opportunity to take part in a special art installation.
The installation is intended to commemorate students, staff and families
in our school community over our 35
years and acknowledge those who
have donated to our new bursary
fund.
We are building a fund, independent
of tuition revenue, that will ensure
accessibility for all in times of need,
while maintaining affordability for
all families. We must never lose sight
of our roots; we are an inclusive and
diverse school that celebrates and
benefits from the varied perspectives
of all of our wonderful families.
Sample Bud
Sample
Sprout
Page 2
Tax receipts are provided for
all donations. Each donation
of $50 or greater will be acknowledged with a personally
inscribed ceramic tile that will
be included in the breezeway
art installation. Size and style
of tile will correspond to level
of donation: Sprout, Stem,
Bud, or Blossom.
We want YOU to be included
in the first flight! We already
have donations from some of
our long time families — and
we don’t want you to miss
out!
The first section should be up
before the start of the next
school year. Please contact
penny@selkirkmontessori.ca
directly for an information
package.
Sample
Blossom
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
Peace Education - Monique Gray Smith
The Kindergarten/Preschool
and grades 5-8
classes had the
privilege of
working with
inspirational
speaker and
award winning
author,
Monique Gray
Smith.
Monique is a nationally acclaimed Indigenous author of Cree decent, who came to
work with the grade 5-8 classes, developing their creative writing skills through
the lens of resiliency, truth and reconciliation. She also read her new primary board
book, "My Heart Fills with Happiness" to
the two Kindergarten/Preschool classes,
to the delight of her little listeners.
Her warm and encouraging presence was
infectious, and the students truly felt inspired by her personal stories and her
openness around her writing process.
As part of the new B.C. curriculum and
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, Selkirk Montessori
students have been working towards an
emerging understandings of First Nations,
Metis and Inuit culture and history.
Page 3
The grade 5/6 students learned
traditional beading, and did walking tours of the Gorge waterway
and the archeological sites of shell
middens, all the while paying
homage to the traditional territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
Peace education and global citizenship that does not discriminate
based on ability or visible differences is a primary focus of the
Montessori philosophy, and was
the personal vision of Maria Montessori when she imagined diversified global citizens as change
agents in the world.
Thank you to Monique and to all
the teachers and students who so
generously engaged her wisdom
and teachings throughout the
week. As Monique said, each and
every one of us has gifts, and it is
our responsibility as citizens to
carefully "lift each other up" to
these gifts, with encouragement
and a shared vision for peaceful
relations among all people and all
nations.
Tasha Henry
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
Emergency Preparedness—Linda Dombrowski
What an amazing auction, raising over $11,000
towards our emergency equipment and supplies. A very heart felt thank you to everyone.
Now comes the hard work of sorting through
and prioritizing items which need to be purchased. As we are almost at the end of the
school year, I am hoping to have an update on
this for everyone in the September newsletter.
Tsunami Drill
A group of staff members came together to
plan and establish the evacuation routes to be
taken for each of the classes on the first and
second floor. We also discussed some of the
requirements we would need after the students
are safely on the third floor.
Some of you might have heard from your
child/ren that, on April 27, 2016 at 2:30pm, the
school had its first tsunami drill.
The staff as a whole will be discussing
the outcomes of this drill. I am hoping
with the next drill we will be able to
incorporate the next component.
If you have any questions or concerns
about this, or anything else health or
safety related, please come and see me
or drop an email to:
office@selkirkmontessori.ca.
Also, on a separate note, check this
link out: www.quakecottage.com/
2016-tour-of-canada/. It is an earthquake simulator. This would be of interest to adults or our older students. It
shows the times and locations that they
will be in Victoria. I do not know if
there is a cost associated with this but
it would be an opportunity to experience a large shaker. Maybe I will see
some of you there!
Linda
P.S. With the warmer weather upon us,
a gentle reminder to everyone to please
remember to put on sunscreen and a
hat.
For this drill we wanted to keep it simple by
just having all of the students that were in the
school move up to the third floor. We had one
member of administration taking note of the
arrival times of the students to the third floor.
The announcement over the PA took about 1
minute, and it took everyone in the school approximately 4 minutes to get upstairs. For the
first time I thought that this was good, yet still
leaving room for improvement.
Page 4
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
Orca Class meets Elizabeth May!
Thanks to parent Barbara McElroy
and the Orca teachers for organizing
a visit with Green Party leader and
MP Elizabeth May. The students
were well prepared and asked very
thoughtful, interesting questions. Ms.
May was swarmed after the Q&A by
budding politicians and environmentalists looking for autographs! We
would love to see you again soon,
Ms. May!
Page 5
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
Syrian Refugee Family—We need your help!
Hello Selkirk
Families,
The Syrian family
that we have sponsored is due to
arrive in the next
few months, though
we do not yet have
a firm date. A big thank-you to the Leadership
Class for all of their support, fundraising and
participation in meetings. Our hope is that the
Leadership Class will have the opportunity to
meet the family before they graduate!

Double-stroller

Gym mat for a baby

Baby carrier, such as an Ergobaby

Newborn diapers and wipes

Thrifty or Save On Foods gift cards
(please hold onto these until the family’s
arrival)

Baby clothes (age 3-6 months)

First aid kit

Earthquake kit

Colouring books

Clothes for boys ages 3 to 6

Infant outer garments e.g. coat, muddy
buddy

Toys
Our next meeting is on Monday May 16th at
7:30 pm at my house, 75 Linden Avenue.
Please contact me if you would like to participate.
Cheers,
Penny Lloyd
As their arrival time nears, we are starting to
collect items for the four young children. If you
are able to collect and store items until their arrival, that is much appreciated! If you are not,
please contact me (penelopel@shaw.ca) and I
will find a storage space for you.
Sea Star Class—Thank you, Volunteers!
The Sea Star Class would like to
give a special thanks to Owen
Andrew’s dad, Anton, for building us a beautiful window seat
that has quickly become a favourite space in our classroom.
Thanks, Anton!
M A Y 20 1 6
Margie and Danielle would also
like to recognize Bjarke Andersen, Soren and Anni's Dad, for
helping us to create our Robotics
Immersion week, and building us
our amazing tournament table.
Page 7
Stop, Drop...and SHOP! Auction Wrap-Up
We raised over $11,000!! All of the proceeds will
go towards augmenting our emergency preparedness program and supplies for the school. We
know that in the event of an emergency, our children and staff will be as safe as possible, and we
will have emergency supplies in a safe container.
The Auction Committee was small but absolutely
outstanding! This auction came together in record
time. Thank you to the wonderful committee
members: Alex Planeta, Amy Paster, Adriana
Alvear, Sarah van Toorn, Tyl van Toorn, Laura
Siberry, Penny Barner and Erin Andrews. Linda
Dombrowski and Trudy Tuele, your expertise and
time were greatly appreciated!
Thank you to those of you who donated gift certificates and tangible items and who came to the
event to SHOP! – the school community has once
again come together and met our auction fundraising goals.
Very special thanks to the following for donations
to the Hospitality Committee:

900 Wood Fired Pizzeria

Dodd Family

Fireside Grill

The Reef

Yoshiko Barber

Hideka Mitchell

Leonar Santos

Matwick-Reid Family

Friends of Selkirk Montessori School
A tip of the hat to Dominga and Stephanie Passmore and all of the hospitality volunteers.
M A Y 20 1 6
Page 8
Stop, Drop…& SHOP! Wrap Up (cont’d)
Photo credit to parent Diane Hong.
If you would like copies of any
photos you see in the newsletter,
just email:
penny@selkirkmontessori.ca.
M A Y 20 1 6
MaryEllen
(pictured left),
thank you for all
your hard work
as chair of the
auction committee!!
Page 9
Stop, Drop...and SHOP! Auction Wrap-Up (cont’d)
Very special thanks to all of the businesses and individuals who made donations of gift certificates
and tangible items for our auction. We couldn’t do it without you!
4 Cats
Epic Escape Victoria
Sailor Jack Consignment
900° Wood-Fired Pizzeria
Victoria Fire Depart-
Schmunk, Gatt, Smith & Associ- Diane Young
Fireside Grill
Science World at Telus World
of Science
Doug & Wilda Noyce
Alert First-Aid Services
Glo Restaurant
Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse
Gwen Lloyd
Amabel de Lara
Hotel Zed
Solana Natural Beauty & Well-
Jackie Ngai
Andrew Peller Limited
Il Terrazzo
Spiral Cafe
Jean Thomson
Ballet Victoria
Imax Victoria
The Keg Steakhouse & Bar.
Jennifer Freeman
BC Aviation Museum
Interactivity Board
Timeless Toys
Jessica Sogai
Bolen Books
Japan Camera
Vancouver Maritime Museum
Joanne Nicolson
Bon Macaron
Kumon – Linda Birley
Victoria Butterfly Gardens
Julie Chamberlain
Bows and Arrows Coffee
KWB Construction
Victoria Car Wash
Ken Mason
Buddies Toys
Langham Court Theatre
Victoria Police Department
Krista McCollough
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Park
LD Glassworks
Vis à Vis Wine and Charcuterie
Bar
Kristen Birley
Capital Iron
Megson Fitzpatrick In-
Wanna Wafel
MaryEllen Bercier
Checkerboard Mercantile
Master Care Janitorial
Chemainus Theatre Festival
Mattick’s Farm
Alison Brown
Sarah & Tyl Van Toorn
Chorizo & Co.
Mayfair Mall
Amy Paster
Sarah Scorey
Coast Capital Savings
Med Grill
Carmen Wear
Shilpa Ghandi
Coca-Cola
Mille Fiori Spa
Colleen Norcross
Susan Lucato
Commodore Ballroom
Miniature World
Danica Gleave
The Singh Family
Moon Underwater
Danielle and Bjarke Andersen
The Stanger-Ross Family
Accent Inns
Cordova Bay Golf Course
M A Y 20 1 6
David Baird
Penner/Morgan Family
Page 10
Selkirk Parent Group (SPG) Update
Last day of school farewell freezies on the green
We are looking for volunteers for this year's farewell freezies on the green
on June 17. We need people to distribute the freezies at morning dismissal
and afternoon. Contact Brandi at bluebird2@shaw.ca .
You are needed on the SPG committee
We are looking to fill the SPG positions for next year. There are lots of options to be part of the committee - class rep, event organizer, treasurer. You
can also speak to current SPG members and get some ideas of all the different ways you can contribute. Pick up a form at the SPG bulletin board and drop
it off by the end of May.
Roberta
United Way/Provincial Employees Community Services Fund
Thanks to your generous donations, we have received a total of
$288 from the United Way and
$333.50 from the Provincial
Employees Community Services
Fund this year!
Page 11
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
Debate Club: Harry Potter Themed Event!
Thanks to teacher/coach Gigi Cook (and with the support of the debaters), I was able to
take part in the Harry Potter themed event at GNS this year! According to one of the organizers, Teale Phelps Bondaroff:
“This weekend, GNS once again signed itself up for the Floo Network, and played host to
the 2016 Wizarding Debate Championships, a debate tournament with a Harry Potter
theme. Witches and wizards apparated, flew, and took portkeys to arrive at GNS from two
other wizarding schools on the island (Brentwood College School and Selkirk Montessori).
There was much hi-jinx, and we were so pleased to have so many debaters, judges and volunteers in full costume, enjoying delicious magical snacks (a huge thanks to our volunteers
house elves who helped bring the feast together).
Debaters tackled some tough topics worthy of the highest chamber of the Wizengamot,
witch our tournament organizer pulled out of a hat:

This house opposes the Dementor penalty;

This house would reveal itself to the muggle world (repeal the International Statute of
Wizarding Secrecy of 1689);

This house would allow parents to use veritaserum on their children (a powerful truth
serum); and

This house would return Goblin artifacts.”
Thanks to GNS
staff for making
us so welcome,
for all the great
treats and the
opportunity to
debate with the
best! We will
be back next
year...right,
Gigi??
Page 12
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
S E L K I R K M ON T E S S O R I S C H O O L
2970 Jutland Road
Victoria, BC
V8T 5K2
Phone - 250-384-3414
Fax: 250-384-3420
reception@selkirkmontessori.ca
Operated by the Pacific Montessori Society
We can make a difference!
Casa students and staff take advantage of the good weather
to move outside the classroom environment.
www.selkirkmontessori.ca
Dates to Remember


May 11-12—
Musical Theatre:
Beauty and The
Beast!
May 20—
Professional
Development Day
(no school for
students)
Garage Sale in the
gym)


June 3—
Professional
Development Day
(no school for
students)
June 17—Last day
of school

May 23—Victoria
Day (school closed)
Year End Concerts:

May 28—Selkirk
Waterfront Festival
(Kingfisher Class

June 9 —Grade 5-8

June 10—KP

June 14—Grade 1-4