Penguin Pages2281 Henry Avenue, Sidney, B.C. V8L 2A8 Phone: 656-3958 Fax: 656-2826 Website: http://sidney.sd63.bc.ca/SAFE ARRIVAL 656-7425

Kal Russell - Principal Tim Lampard - Vice-PrincipalVolume 05 Date: Jan. 11, 2012

Grade 5 DARE ProgramEach year, Constable Ravi Gunasinghe of our local Sidney RCMP, delivers the DARE Program to our grade 5 students. DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a 10 week program that is designed to help young people resist pressures, which may influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

The program involves classroom lessons and activities and culminates with a DARE graduation assembly where students share their knowledge and pledge to stay drug-free. Also our students get to build positive relationships with Constable Ravi and our Sidney RCMP, before they head off to Middle School.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

Jan. 16 Mon. Swim Club Starts Up Again

Jan. 16 Mon. 7:00 PM PAC Meeting in the Library

Jan. 18 Wed. 3:15-6:00 PM Ready, Set, Learn Open House

Jan. 20 Fri 8:40 AM Ice Castles

Jan. 24 Tues. 7:00-8:30PM Kindergarten Information Evening at Keating Elem.

Jan. 26 Thurs. 10:00 AM DARE Assembly (Mrs. Afford's Class)

Jan. 27 Friday Popcorn Day

Jan. 30– Feb. 3 All Week Kindergarten Registration for Sept. 2012

Feb. 17 Fri. Non-Instructional Day

Feb. 21 Tues. 9:00 AM Gr. 5’s to Victoria Symphony at UVIC

Welcome Back to School I want to take the opportunity to welcome everyone back to school. January is a great time at an elementary school. The rush of the holiday season is over and we are all focused on spending time on academics. Students and teachers are coming back refreshed from some needed time off and we hope everyone is excited about getting back into their learning routines.

It is an important time for us all to re-establish those routines that help our children learn and be successful at school. Things that help are nightly reading, being on time for school and communicating with teachers on a regular basis. I am positive that 2012 will be a great year and I hope the children are excited to be back at school.

New StaffWe would like to welcome Mr. Glenn Kachmar to our teaching staff at Sidney School. Mr. Kachmar will be replacing Mrs. Joyce who retired in December and he will be teaching grade 1. Mr. Kachmar taught French at Sidney School for a short time in 2010 and he knows our school very well. We are very excited to have Mr. Kachmar on our staff.

Ice CastlesOnce again this year we will be doing our Ice Castles on Friday, Jan. 20th at 8:40 AM. This year our Grade 5 Community Builders have suggested that each class choose a theme. Students should bring garden shovels and coloured ice to school. After making Ice Castles we will head in to our classes to enjoy hot chocolate provided by the PAC.

Our PAC will be organizing the picking up of the ice from Panorama and they will need some help from families with pick up trucks. If you have a truck and are able to help please send an e-mail to the PAC at sidney_pac@sd63.bc.ca or notify the school office.

Entering the School in the MorningWe just wanted to let parents know what we expect from students as they enter the school in the morning. When it is nice outside we ask students to wait outside or at the entrance to the gym by the Toast Club until the bell rings at 8:35 AM. The Toast Club area has some places to sit and a place for children to stay warm and get a bit to eat while they wait for the bell. If parents are with their children they may head to the classroom to visit their teacher. The bell rings 5 minutes before instruction starts so children have lots of time to get to class and hang up their coats and backpacks before instruction begins.

We have supervision outside and at the Toast Club area, but we do not have supervision in the classrooms until 8:35 AM. Thank you for helping make sure that your children are being supervised in the morning.

Registration for Kindergartenfor September 2012

Week of Monday, January 30-- Friday, February 3at your neighbourhood elementary school

▪ January 30 -Feb. 3: Registration Packages will be available at Elementary schools during regular school hours

▪ Starting February 6, Registrations will be taken at the School Board Office—2125 Keating Cross Road 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for Kindergarten to Grade 8.

PLEASE BRING: CHILD’S BIRTH CERTIFICATECHILD’S CARE CARDPROOF OF ADDRESS—Driver’s License, Utility Bill, Purchase/Rental Agreement are acceptableRegistration for the Early French Immersion Program will take place at: Deep Cove School (for North Zone residents) OR Keating School (for residents in the Central and South Zone)ALL CHILDREN BORN IN 2006 ARE ELIGIBLEParents may postpone Kindergarten entry for their child for one year. Talk with school personnel if you are considering this option.

Kindergartens Enjoying a Treat on the Playground

From PACThe Toast Club is in need of some dish cloths and dish towels. If you wish to donate some, please drop them off with the office. Thank you for your help.

School WebsitePlease check out our Sidney Elementary School website at http://sidney.sd63.bc.ca/. The website is updated to include weekly information. A school calendar is updated monthly. We hope this website will contain information that is helpful to parents. You can sign up at the website to have new posts sent directly to your e-mail.

School Planning CouncilOur school planning council is in the process of reviewing our school plan and updating it to meet the needs of our children and school. Currently our goal is: To improve students’ academic achievement and exposure to music.

This is a new goal to our school and we are already seeing positive results with our Friday Music classes and school choir.

Sidney School Choir

Grade 4/5 BasketballSchool basketball is starting this month. We will have four teams at Sidney School. All teams will have lunch hour practices and games. We end the season with a jamboree at Parkland Secondary against Deep Cove and KELSET Schools.

Safe SchoolsWe are reviewing our Safe School procedures and we want to make sure that all our students are safe. Below are a couple of things that you can do to ensure student safety:

• Contact our Safe Arrival phone line (250-656-7425) if your child is unable to be at school or will be late.

• Contact the office if you have a change in your phone number, address or emergency contacts.

• Check in at the office when visiting the school during school times.

Technology and ChildrenWe are starting to see children use more and more technology. Technology can be a great learning tool, but it can also create some other problems. We can all help minimize some of these concerns by monitoring how our children are using technology. Smart Phones, gaming consoles, tablets and laptops all give children access to the internet and should have parental controls of some kind placed on them. Check out this website for some great information on keeping your children safe while using technology.

http://Internet-safety.yoursphere.com/2011/12/holiday-technology-safety-enabler#more

Community News:• Peninsula connections for Early Childhood

(PCEC) is pleased to announce the launch of its on-line Family Resource Directory, which can be accessed at www.peninsulaconnectionsforkids.ca (or by copying and pasting this address into your browser window). This valuable resource helps connect families of young children (ages 0-6) living on the Saanich Peninsula to a wide variety of activities, parent groups, and family support programs within the Peninsula and Greater Victoria area.

2012 REGISTRATION Tuesday, January 17th, 20125:30 –7:30 pm (Returning Players ONLY) Thursday, January 26th, 2012 5:30 –7:30 pm Panorama Recreation Centre, Concourse A, (Arena Lobby), For boys and girls ages 5 – 16. For further information about playing or refereeing lacrosse: www.penlax.com

Special Education Association of Saanich and SD #63 are proud to sponsor “Becoming a Behavioral Detective: Supporting Sensory Regulation and Student Engagement ” with Kim Barthel February 17th Pro-D 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Claremont Secondary School, The Ridge Theatre. Registration and Coffee at 8:30. Lunch will be provided by Stonestreet Café and Catering .Participants will find: strategies to assist sensory regulation; excellent examples of theory and practice; strategies to promote student engagement. Kim Barthel is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist consultant with vast experience in working with children since 1984. She is a NDTA-OT Instructor, an author and owner of Labyrinth Therapies. She has offered workshops and lectures to therapists in North America, Europe and Asia. Kim has a passion for connecting with children with special needs and using the most up to date research to develop her therapy process. With 25 years of experience in the field of occupational therapy, Kim’s approach to serving clients is visionary and eclectic yet grounded and “doable” in daily life. Kim lives with her family in Victoria, B.C. Cost: $35 In District / $45 Out of District/ $20 EAs and Parents. Please make cheques payable to Special Education Association of Saanich (SEAS) ***Please register by January 15th 2012 with Theodora Saddlemyer at NSMS*** Email: tsaddlemyer@sd63.bc.ca or phone: 250-656-1129 Please submit payment as soon as possible to secure your place!

Royal Oak Open House Orientation Thursday, February 9, 2012,

7 to 8:15pmPlease join us in the multi-purpose room of Royal Oak Middle School for an Open House and Orientation. This event is open for:

• Families with students planning to attend Royal Oak in the 2012/13 school year.

• Parents/Guardians only, of current grade 5 students in Prospect Lake, Lochside and Cordova Bay Elementary. (These grade 5 students will have their own tour in the first week of May. Watch our website in April for elementary school tour dates.)

• Parents and students of families currently in School District 61 and 62 schools and other Saanich schools.

This evening is usually well attended. Please carpool with friends if possible, parking will be extremely tight. Be prepared to park within the school neighbourhood and allow time for a walk to the school.

Our new website address: http://royaloak.sd63.bc.ca

CENTRAL SAANICH LITTLE LEAGUE 2012 BASEBALL SEASON

REGISTRATION DATES Sunday January 15 & 22 – 1:00 – 4:00pm Saturday and Sunday Feb 4 & 5 and Feb 11 & 12 – 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm The Clubhouse at 1836 Hovey Road, Saanichton Registration forms are available at www.cslittleleague.com Please complete all forms & bring to registration or mail in by February 24, 2012 UMPIRES NEEDED Interested in umpiring? CSLL is in need of umpires for this coming season. For more information please call our umpire in Chief, Dave Podmoroff @ 250-652-6252. Umpire sign up sheets will also be available at registration. Training available. SPONSORS CSLL relies on our community sponsors to support our program. If you know of any individuals or companies that would be interested in being one of our sponsors, please have them contact Niki Post at 652-6750, grahamandnikipost@shaw.ca. We appreciate any support! Clinic details to be announced soon!! Check our website for the latest information at www.cslittleleague.com CONCESSION EMPLOYEES CSLL will be hiring concession employees. Must be minimum 14 years of age, responsible, able to handle cash and hold a current food safe certificate. If you are interested, please email vpfacilities@cslittleleague.com www.cslittleleague.com