April 2015 - Dr. Roberta Bondar Elementary School

APRIL 2015
32717 Chilcotin Drive, Abbotsford, BC V2T 5S5 - 604.864.8572 - bondar.sd34.bc.ca
Principal: Pat Jensen - Administrative Assistant: Sharon Yokoyama
“Be kind.” “Be safe.” “Be respectful.” “Be responsible.”
BONDAR’S NEWSLETTER for APRIL 2015
BONDAR’S P.A.C. EXECUTIVE
President - Mr. Jason Petty
Secretary - Mrs. Jessica Melnick
Vice-president - Mrs. Jennifer Pucek
Treasurer - Mrs. Amy Gill
D.P.A.C. - Mrs. Robyn Maltais
Hot Lunch - Mrs. Jennifer Pucek
Fund Raising - Mrs. Amy Gill
- Mrs. Jessica Melnick
- Mrs. Shannon Lukasek
- Mrs. Amy Gill
- Mrs. Alexa Wittenberg
- Mrs. Rhonda McClelland
Bake Sales - Mrs. Rhonda McClelland
Fruit and Vegetable Program - Mrs. Colleen Bertrand
- Mrs. Jessica Melnick
- Mrs. Heather Neufeld
- Mrs. Shannon Lukasek
BONDAR’S SCHOOL TRUSTEE
BONDAR’S ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT
Mr. Stan Petersen: stan_petersen@sd34.bc.ca
Mr. Steve Carlton: steve_carlton@sd34.bc.ca
BONDAR’S SCHOOL PLANNING COUNCIL
Mrs. Colleen Bertrand, Mrs. Amy Gill, Mrs. Sylvia Seebach, Mrs. Pat Jensen
Please note that Dr. Roberta Bondar Elementary is a “Peanut Aware School”.
We ask that you enjoy your peanut products at home as several of our students have peanut allergies.
School Closure Information: School District: www.sd34.bc.ca OR 604-859-4891 OR www.abbynews.com
Newsletters are posted monthly on the school website at bondar.sd34.bc.ca
Hardcopies of this Newsletter are available from the school office upon request.
BONDAR SCHOOL CALENDAR - see School Calendar on our website for updates.
April 3,6-Good Friday - no school and Easter Monday - no school
April 8 - Bondar’s “Public Speaking Challenge” for grades 3, 4, and 5 in the school gym
April 9 - Ms. Born’s and Mrs. Samulski’s classes field trip to the Aboriginal Education Centre
April 10- Mrs. D’Souza’s, Mrs. Davies’, Mrs. Johnson’s, Mr. Bubel’s classes field trip to the AgRec Centre
April 10-Bake Sale - Thanks to our PAC and Mrs. Samulski’s and Mr. Bubel’s classes!
April 13- 9:00-10:30 Monster Theatre presentation of “The Little Prince” in the school gym
April 14-7:00-8:00 - PAC meeting in the school library - All parents welcome!
April 15-10:45-11:45 Bondar’s “Vaisakhi” Assembly in the school gym-All parents welcome!
April 15 -6:30 pm-Abbotsford Police & School District Forum-Matsqui Auditorium - “Parents & Schools!”
April 19- Earth Week - Taking care of our world!
April 21,22-“Stream of Dreams” watershed protection workshops for students
April 23- Mr. Blackwood’s and Ms. Greenway’s classes field trip to the Blue Heron Reserve
April 24- Ms. Born’s and Mrs. Samulski’s classes field trip to the Matsqui Auditorium
April 27- Roller Blading week in gym classes - Thanks to Bondar’s PAC!
April 30- Jean’s Day - BC Children’s Hospital Fundraiser - Help us help the kids!
April 30-12:10 - Pizza Day - Thanks to our PAC!
“Step by step, and child by child . . . we help shape the future.”
SCHOOL GOAL
“ . . . to increase the oral language skills of all students in Kindergarten to Grade 5”
Bondar’s staff and School Planning Council are in the process of updating the School Plan for Student
Success for the upcoming school year. The foundational literacy goal of strengthening oral language skills
will continue to ground our practices and programs as we guide students into being informed and thoughtful
thinkers as they come to know, understand, and use vocabulary. Their ability to speak, read, and write in
meaningful ways in all their subjects is enhanced as their vocabulary develops.
BONDAR SCHOOL NEWS
KEEP THEM COMING!
Kindergarten registrations for attending Bondar this September are taking place now. Call Mrs. Yokoyama in
the school office at 604-864-8572 for details or come by to register. Bondar’s kindergarten students in
2015 can choose a Nature Kindergarten Program, if interested. Visit the school website, bondar.sd34.bc.ca
and look under Programs to find Nature Kindergarten for a look at our purpose and our plans.
THANKS for THE HELP!
Thanks to Bondar’s Intermediate students and families for supporting our Jump
Rope for Heart Fundraiser for the BC and Yukon Heart and Stroke foundation. We
were able to send a cheque for $481.50 to help with the research and supportive
care provided by this organization.
GETTING READY!
We are beginning to make preparations for next year’s schooling for our students. Please let the school
office know if . . .
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you have children ready to come to Kindergarten at Bondar this September
you plan on moving out of the Bondar area by September
you have neighbours moving in who plan on coming to Bondar in September
Your timely information allows us to make the best preparations for our students in next year’s classes!
FOUNDATION SKILLS ASSESSMENTS
Bondar’s Grade 4s took home their provincial FSA test results this week. 96% of our students achieved a
score of meeting/exceeding expectations in Reading, 92% for Writing, and 92% for Numeracy. Good work,
Grade 4s! The successes of our Grade 4s is a testament to the strong instructional practices in place for
Bondar’s Kindergartens, Grade 1s, Grade 2s, Grade 3s and Grade 4s as they build their foundational
education skills in their early schooling years.
VAISAKHI
Bondar’s annual Vaisakhi Assembly will be held on Wednesday, April
15th in the school gym starting at 10:45am until about 11:45am.
Parents are welcome to join staff, students and special guests for
this assembly. Students will present information on the customs of
Vaisakhi and entertain us with several dances they have learned,
thanks to their dance teachers: Mrs. Manju Sharma, Mrs. Hardeep
Grewal, Mrs. Rajinder Thind, and Mrs. Cori Dorsey. Students will
continue to enjoy this special celebration over the lunch break as
they are treated to samosas and juice during the eating period.
EARTH WEEK
April 19th begins Earth Week across the country. Bondar students will once again participate in “Pitch-in,
Canada” to learn how they can each do their part in taking care of our earth. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! is the
message our Destination Conservation student team from Ms. Born’s and Mrs. Samulski’s classes are
spreading through the school. You’ll see us cleaning, weeding, and planting to take care of our schoolyard.
STREAM OF DREAMS
Something fishy is coming up! All students will be participating in a Stream of Dreams workshop this month
to learn about watersheds from the Stream of Dreams Mural Society instructors. Their mission is “to
change environmental behaviour through education and the creation of public art”. Get ready for the fishy
art work to be displayed on our school fence later this month as students each paint a fish as a colorful
representation of their lessons on the importance of caring for fish and wildlife habitats.
JEANS DAY
Bondar continues to participate in the B.C. Children’s Hospital annual fundraiser
supporting the care of sick children and researching childhood diseases. Several
thousand children from the Abbotsford area alone used the services of the B.C.
Children’s Hospital last hear. Buttons for the 2015 fundraiser year will be on
sale at the school office all through the month of April. Each button is $5.00.
Last year Bondar students sent in $300 as part of the $1.2 million raised
province-wide. Be sure to wear your jeans on April 30th to show your support!
SPORTS AT BONDAR
Athletic Games and Badminton are on the schedule for PE classes this
month. We’ll wrap up April with a week of Roller Blading, thanks to the
organization of Ms. Sullivan and the sponsorship of Bondar’s PAC!
PARENTS AS LITERACY PARTNERS: “Together, we make literacy happen!”
Readers’ understanding of a story increases if they are able to identify some link or ‘connection’ between
themselves and the main character. In this way, they step into the story and view the events from the
perspective of the reactions and emotions they share with the main character. Being engaged in the story
increases the reader’s understanding of story events.
PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (P.A.C.) NEWS
The PAC is holding a Pizza Lunch on April 30th. Order forms can be found on our school website in case your
child has misplaced theirs. They’re also having a Bake Sale on the 10 th with the help of students and their
families from Mrs. Samulski’s class and Mr. Bubel’s class.
The Bondar Parent Advisory Council will be meeting on . . .
Tuesday, April 14th from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the school library.
Be sure to check the school website at bondar.sd34.bc.ca for P.A.C. minutes.
MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL and OUT-OF-SCHOOL CARE
The Montessori Preschool at Bondar operates weekday mornings from 9:00 am to 11:30 am. They also maintain an OutOf-School Care Program from 7:00 am to the start of school and from school dismissal to 6:00 pm on school days as well
as an All-Day Care Program on weekdays from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm when school is not in session such as on
Professional Development Days and School Breaks throughout the year. Registrations can be made at 604-859-5061.
STAYING IN-THE-KNOW
Please check the web address: http://www.sd34.bc.ca/parents-students/CommunityInformation for finding out information about
community events, programs, and activities for students and families in Abbotsford.
This site is updated regularly by the Abbotsford School District so you’re ‘in-the-know’ about what’s around town.
You can also find a link from our Bondar website to Community Information.
RECYCLING AT BONDAR
Bondar student monitors collect empty juice boxes after lunch each school day to send to the Regional Recycling Depot in Abbotsford.
We have scheduled pick-up dates and authorized collection bins.
You are welcome to send your recycling pop cans, juice boxes/cans to add to our collection.
Just drop them off at the school office when you’d like to get rid of them - any amount, any time. The school receives the recycling
deposit to use for miscellaneous items at school. We could also collect your small electronics, light bulbs, batteries, chargers, wires,
DVDs, keys, etc. to send to the recycling depot to help our environment!
Thanks for sending your Campbell’s product labels to school for the PAC’s ongoing fundraiser.
Any Campbell’s label that includes the product’s FULL “UPS” bar code is acceptable.
The PAC redeems these labels for school gym equipment throughout the year.