M.J. Norris Elementary

12928 – 66A Avenue, Surrey, BC V3W 8Z7

Telephone: 604-594-7150 Fax: 604-572-4796 Website: https://www.surreyschools.ca/schools/marthajanenorris

Principal: Mrs. Jean Sveinson

Vice Principal: Mrs. Amber Flanagan

PAC President: Mrs. Kathy Gill

NEWSLETTER NO. 2 2012 October 1

Principal’s Message What a busy, wonderful first month of school we have had! Our classes were able to settle early, thanks to a great deal of advance talking and planning from all of our teachers. Did you know that planning for next year’s class organization is a year round process that intensifies beginning as early as January? Your children were placed after many hours of discussion with many staff members. Placement is as thoughtfully done as we can do you’re your input as parents is tremendously helpful- always! Although we are a large school, it is apparent that we really are a close community. Our teachers know many more students than just those who are in their class. The adults in the building (Principal, Vice Principal, teachers, SEA’s, noon hour supervisors, support staff) work hard at learning names and getting to know all the students individually. We have a very warm and caring school. You have wonderful children! Please keep in touch with your child’s teacher, and remember:

If you have concerns or

information regarding your

child, please speak with your

child’s teacher directly. If you

leave a note in the planner, the teacher will contact you. Thanks!

I wish all the children a great school year,

and hope that all parents are happy as well.

Make sure you let us know if you are

wondering about anything. Your child’s

teacher will be happy to help you!

Thank you for helping us out at home by

supporting your child’s learnings at school.

It does make a difference!

Jean

I hope you all have a wonderful

Thanksgiving with your

families and friends.

We all truly have a lot to be

thankful for!

Just a friendly reminder to call the school at 604-594-7150 if your child will be absent from school due to illness, medical appt., etc. You may leave a message on our answering machine after school hours. Thank you.

Terry Fox Run

M.J. Norris Terry Fox Run was held on Friday, September 28th. Thank you to everyone who donated. To the parents who helped supervise traffic safety while our students completed the run...thank you!

Mark your Calendar

1-5 Learn Not To Burn Week 8 Thanksgiving Day - school closed 10 PAC General Meeting - 7:00 pm Library 13 PAC General Meeting - 7:00 pm Library 19 Pro-d Day – school closed 22 Grade 6 HepB/HPV Vaccine 25 Kindergartens to Richmond Country Farm 9:15-1:45 25 PAC Family Photos 4 – 8:00 pm

Fall is upon us... Students are asked to dress for West Coast weather (coats, boots, and hats) as they go outside for fresh air during the break times. Students are expected to be sensible about staying as dry as they can when they go outside. If a student purposely gets their clothes wet, they will NOT be given permission to phone home. I am happy to report that students (even the little ones!) understand this, and are behaving nicely and staying dry when it is rainy and there are tempting puddles outside! NOTE: If you have clothes, socks and extra footwear to donate to the school, we would gladly accept any donations, to have on hand for those students who do by chance get wet. Thank you in advance! If a student is too ill to go outside, we ask that he/she rest at home until healthy. Colds and flus arrive because of direct contact (coughing in faces, hands rarely being washed, sneezes not being covered, etc.). Fresh air helps us stay healthy.

Professional Development Day

Our next professional

development day

will take place on

Friday, October 19th

School is not in session

Permission Forms Throughout the year, different activities take place that require parent permission. One permission form for each of the following activities is required: • walking field trips • use of the internet • media release From time to time the media requests permission to take a picture of a group event, or student teachers videotape a lesson taught to the class as part of their course work. The Media Access form must be signed by you if you wish your child to be included in this type of activity. We ask that parents return all permission forms ASAP so children are not excluded from these activities.

Medical Alerts

If your child has a life-threatening medical

condition (allergies, diabetes, asthma etc.)

please contact the office as soon as possible.

Staff cannot give any medicine without

parents having completed a Medical Alert

form (available at the office).

Some parents have made up 2 kits for their

allergic children - one to be kept in the

classroom and one to be kept at the office.

This is a great idea, and very helpful! Please

contact the office if you have ANY concerns

regarding your allergic child, or if you have

questions about allergies in your child’s

classroom.

We want everyone to feel and be safe here at

school!

Parent Parking Several neighbors living near the school have expressed their concerns regarding parents parking and blocking driveways when picking up their children. We would like to remind all parents to please be courteous and not block driveways, even for just a few minutes. License numbers are now being recorded by both the school and the neighbourhood Blockwatch and WILL be given to the RCMP. On a great note: You may now park your car in front of the school on the street alongside the wooden railing.

PHOTO DAY TUESDAY,

OCTOBER 16, 2012 Lifetouch Studios will be at our school on Tuesday, October 16th to take student portraits. When completed colour proofs of the photos arrive they will be sent home with your child. Upon receiving your order envelope, please note the “Due Date” on the envelope and ensure that your order is returned to the school by that date. For best results, on photo day do not wear green coloured clothing or clothing that has green coloured patterns in it. Attention to hair and grooming contributes to great photographs!

PAC NEWS “FAMILY PORTRAITS” Thursday, October 25th 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

PAC GENERAL MEETING Wednesday, October 10th –

7:00 pm in the Library.

Healthy Hair Throughout the school year, parents may receive a letter with regards to head lice in the classroom. Head lice are an ongoing problem in today’s society. They are not a major public health concern in that they do NOT spread disease. Head lice become a school concern because of the nuisance and discomfort surrounding infestations and ability to spread to others. Head lice are frequently spread through head to head contact. Sharing of combs and brushes may contribute to the spread of head lice, and is discouraged. Braiding or tying back long hair reduces the spread. When a classroom has one or more students with head lice, the school will send home a letter that outlines treatment procedures. We ask that parents do occasional hair checks and contact the school if you suspect that your child has head lice. If you require further information about head lice, please contact Newton Health Unit at (604) 592-2000.

Small changes can make lunches

healthier

It’s that time of year again: the kids are back in school.

As you start cruising the grocery store for the latest in

granola bar technology, prepping your kids’ lunches can

be a bit daunting. A few small changes can add serious

nutritional value, without causing much disruption to your

family’s usual routine. Here are a few subtle substitutions

you can make that will go a long way to helping your

child pack a powerhouse lunch.

INSTEAD OF APPLESAUCE,

SEND APPLES…

It’s a simple change, but choosing a piece of

whole fruit over a fruit puree – yes, even

the unsweetened varieties adds valuable

vitamins (including C), minerals (including

potassium), fibre, and antioxidants that are lost when the

peel is removed. The same goes for peaches, pears, plums

and any fruit where the peel is usually eaten.

SEND SEEDS OR SOY NUTS NOT

PEANUTS… With most public schools going

nut-free, it’s tough for kids to

get enough healthy fats

(like the heart-healthy

monounsaturated ones),

vitamin E (found mostly in nuts

and seeds) and magnesium (found in whole grains,

nuts and seeds) in their diets. So if PB and J is

verboten, try sending a trail mix with soy nuts (dry-

roasted soy beans), sunflower or pumpkin seeds,

raisins or cranberries, and Shreddies or Cheerios.

INSTEAD OF FRUIT JUICE,

SEND MILK… Milk has, in many ways, fallen out of

favour. Milk consumption among

kids has declined steadily over the

past 30 years. Unfortunately, at the same

time, the intake of fruit juice and sweetened beverages has

gone up. This means that we are substituting drinks that

are high in sugar for one that is rich in protein, vitamin A,

vitamin D and the fat that purportedly fights disease,

conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The bottom line: for

many kids milk has more to offer than we give it credit for.

AS FOR THE SWEETS…

Try sending homemade baked goods, like

banana or carrot bread, oatmeal raisin cookies

or fruit based muffins. If they’re made at least

partly with whole-wheat flour, they’re not a

bad choice, especially compared with

commercially prepared versions that are often

higher in white flour and sugar.

(all above suggestions are compliments of

the Vancouver Sun, Nutrition Section)

NEW WEBSITE

Please read:

The MJN newsletter is ELECTRONIC

ONLY, and will be available on our new

Norris website:

www.surreyschools.ca/schools/marthajanenorris

A few copies of the newsletter will

be available at the office upon request.

If you would like to subscribe to the online

newsletter, please go to our new website

and scroll down to the subscription box

and type in your email address.

You will receive a confirmation, please

reply to accept

HALLOWEEN PUMPKINS

Pumpkins are commonly carved into decorative lanterns

called jack-o‘-lanterns for the Halloween season in North

America. Throughout Britain and Ireland, there is a long

tradition of carving lanterns from vegetables, particularly

the turnip. The turnip has traditionally been used in

Ireland and Scotland at Halloween, but immigrants to

North America used the native pumpkin, which are both

readily available and much larger—making them easier to

carve than turnips. Not until 1837 does jack-o’-lantern

appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, and the

carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is

recorded in 1866.

In the United States, the carved pumpkin was first

associated with the harvest season in general, long before it

became an emblem of Halloween. In 1900, an article on

Thanksgiving entertaining recommended a lit jack-o’-

lantern as part of the festivities that encourage kids and

families to join together to make their own jack-o’-

lanterns.

Christmas Store Needs Your

Items! Please have a look around your home for items that

can be re-gifted and sold at this year’s Christmas

Store. Last year we raised over $500 for school and

class activities, AND the students had a lot of fun

buying things for their friends and families. The more

items we have, the more fun the store is, and the more

money we make for the school!

Please drop your items off at the office or your

child’s classroom anytime. We all have many items

that we could clear out of our houses and donate to

the school for someone else to enjoy!

Thank you!