The Week Ahead – Bert Ambrose Elementary

The Week Ahead- Nov 4-Nov 8

danielleb — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 15:08:58 +0000

Welcome to November!

Thank you to Mrs. Barclay, Mrs. Barr, Miss Brekkas and our wonderful Gator for organizing and hosting the annual Halloween costume parade. What an amazing assortment of costumes this year … and so wonderful to have so many parents and little ones join us for the parade. Just a reminder that students should NOT be bringing an abundance of sugary treats to school this week. We recognize they will still have Halloween candy, but I would encourage you to save the treats for after school. Thank you!

On Friday, we will be holding our Remembrance Day Assembly in the gym at 11:00 am. If you plan to join us, please arrive between 10:45 – 10:55 am. The gym doors will be closed when the assembly begins and we would ask that you not interrupt the program; but rather wait for a break between performances and then enter at the back of the gym. Thank you.

– Also, poppies are available at the school. Students are asked to bring their donation to the office and Mrs. Selin will give them a poppy.

Mrs. Lee will be coordinating Operation Christmas Child for our school. Shoeboxes will be available at the office and can be returned to the school this year. Please refer to the email sent out last week for more information about this community project.

RETAKES for school photos will occur on Tuesday, November 12^th. If your child missed having their photo taken, this is your last opportunity to have school pictures done through Mountain West photography. Please contact Mrs. Selin in the office for an order envelope as photos must be prepaid.

IMPORTANT:

On Thursday evening (7:00 pm), there will be a Public Meeting with Mr. Jarrod Bell, Director of Instruction with School District #60. The purpose of this meeting is to begin the consultation process for changes to catchment areas as we prepare for the opening of the Anne Roberts Young Elementary School next year. If you have questions about how the changes to catchment areas might affect you, I would strongly encourage you to join us on Thursday evening. If you are not able to attend this session, please check the District website to find out the dates/times of the other meetings.

Sincerely,

Ms. Wright

Parent-Week-Ahead-2019-20-4 Download

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The Week Ahead June 24-27

danielleb — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 15:44:21 +0000

Hello … it is not often that I am organized enough to send off The Week Ahead on Friday but I finally managed to achieve it for the final week of the school year!
On behalf of the staff, I would like to thank each and every one of our parents for your support over the year. We really appreciate the wonderful home-school relationship we have with our families and hope you have a great summer spent enjoying time together. I would like to encourage you to read to and with your child every day; and to have the older ones also read independently throughout the summer. This is so important to helping you child maintain or extend their current reading level.
Last week I shared information about the staff that was leaving our building and I, unfortunately, have another name to add to the list. Mrs. Lavoie has accepted a Vice Principal position at Duncan Cran so will be leaving us at the end of this year. It is an exciting opportunity for Mrs. Lavoie but she will be greatly missed in our school community.
At this time of the year, we also prepare ourselves to say goodbye to students who will not be returning to Bert Ambrose next year. This year’s group of Grade 6 students has a special place in my heart as many of them were in Kindergarten the year I first came to Bert Ambrose as Vice Principal. It has been such an honour to watch them grow into the young people they have become and I am really going to miss the daily connection with them. I hope they will come back to visit and let me know how they are doing at Middle School. We also say goodbye to students who are moving away from our area and I would like to wish these families all the best in their new homes and new schools.
We have 3.5 days of school next week and a multitude of special activities occuring; including the annual Talent Show at 1:00 pm on Wed. June 26 and the Year End Assembly at 10:30 on Thurs. June 27. We hope you are able to join us for these events.
Lastly, I need to send out another plea for parents/guardians to come and check the school’s LOST AND FOUND. We have so many items here – including shoes, bike helmets, a backpack, and many clothing items. These items will be taken to a local second-hand store on the afternoon of Thursday, June 27th if they are not claimed.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Ms. Wright
Parent – Week Ahead 2018-19

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The Week Ahead- June 17-21

danielleb — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 15:30:51 +0000

Hello and welcome to the last two-week installment of “The Week Ahead” for the 2018-2019 school year! I’m still not sure how this year managed to slip by so quickly …
The final weeks of school are a busy and exciting time and there are many special activities occurring. It is important for students to remember school expectations apply when they are away from our building on field trips and I would ask for you to reinforce this message before sending your child to school on the days their class has a field trip. Thank you!
At this time there are several changes to our staff that I would like to share with you:
We have 3 teachers retiring after many years of service to our District and to Bert Ambrose School. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their dedication to the educational system and their passion for working with students.

Ms. Trockstad – Learning Assistant Teacher
Mrs. McKinnon – Grade 1 Teacher
Mr. Frankham – Grade 3/4 teacher

We are also saying good-bye to Mrs. Tewari (Grade 2/3 teacher) as she has accepted a job at Robert Ogilvie and to Mrs. Louie (Grade 4 teacher). I would like to thank both of these teachers for their time in our school community and wish them all the best as they move forward with their teaching careers.
In September, we will be welcoming Mrs. Dutchak and Mrs. Gatt (both currently teaching at Alwin Holland) as well as Ms. MacPherson (currently teaching at Prespatou) to our staff. We are very excited to have these individuals joining us.
Planning for the next school year is well underway … please remember to let the school know if your child/children are not going to be attending Bert Ambrose nexy year. Additionally, if you have concerns about student placement for the upcoming year, please make sure to place these in writing and submit them to me prior to June 26th. Such placements will be considered on an individual basis and must be based on a sound educational rationale. There are many factors that are taken into consideration when we place students and it is not always possibile to grant parental requests. Your understanding of this process is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Lastly, a reminder from our PAC – one that has my full approval due to the on-going concerns I have for the number of items in our LOST and FOUND! (See below in red.)
Looking forward to an amazing two weeks to wrap up a fantastic year at Bert Ambrose!
Ms. Wright

PAC NEWS: Please have a look at our ongoing fundraiser
Keep all their gear organized and out of the Lost & Found! We’ve partnered with Emily Press Labels to help identify belongings so they return home.
Their personalized name labels are super durable, dishwasher and laundry safe.
·        Slim labels for lunch boxes, water bottles and school supplies
·        Shoe labels for runners, boots and sandals
·        Clothing labels for jackets, uniforms, gym clothes and hats
·        Lots of designs and labels to choose from online
Support our fundraiser! You must order through our special shopping link so we get the commission and help our fundraiser.
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The Week Ahead (2018-19) june 10-14 parents

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The Week Ahead- June 10-14

danielleb — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 21:57:29 +0000

Good day to everyone,

We are on the home stretch now, and it’s the busiest time of the school year!

Attached are the next 2 weeks of events in June.

Unfortunately, Ms Wright has to take one more week of medical leave. We miss her and continue to wish her the best.

Please come and check the lost and found items; there are so many!

Here’s to a great weekend!

Ms. Brekkas

The Week Ahead (2018-19) june 10-14 parents

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The Week Ahead- May 27-31

danielleb — Fri, 24 May 2019 18:28:46 +0000

Good Day Everyone,
As you know Ms. Wright is away on Medical Leave, if you have concerns please do not hesitate to contact me (Ms. Brekkas) at the office. Everyone here at Ambrose would like to wish Ms. Wright a speedy recovery
Thank you to all those who helped with “Pitch In” today. It is great to see our playground and surrounding areas much cleaner.
The Grade 6 students enjoyed their Barkerville trip and are travelling home today. Arrival time is usually around 5pm.
Again, we want to remind students that their behaviours should align with the 4 guiding words for the school (Safe-Respectful-Responsible-Kind). We really hope that the remaining few weeks of school are positive; both on the playground and in the classroom. At this time of the year, there are many special field trips and we don’t want students missing these activities due to poor choices made at school. Please know every effort is made to prevent this from happening; but Ms. Wright and I will support our teachers if they are not comfortable in taking a student off school grounds due to poor behaviour choices.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Ms. K. Brekkas

Parent – Week Ahead 2018-19 (11)

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This Week at Ambrose- May 21-24

danielleb — Tue, 21 May 2019 15:19:57 +0000

Hello everyone!
I hope all our families had a wonderful long weekend … thankfully the weather was beautiful on Sunday and Monday and I hope everyone remembered the sunscreen!!
Thank you to all of the parents/grandparents/guardians who came out to volunteer with the Track Meet last Thursday. We can’t hold some of these events without the wonderful support we received from our school community and want you to know how much we appreciate each one of you. Also, a thank you to the many parents and family members who were able to attend and cheer on our students. While the weather was less than ideal, I think it was a great dayd and we have an awesome team of students selected to represent Bert Ambrose at the District Track Meet on June 7th.
Our Grade 6 students leave for Barkerville early Tuesday morning. A HUGE thank you to Mrs. Barr and Mrs. London for taking on the organization of this trip for their classes. And another thank you to the many parents who have stepped up to assist with preparations for this trip and/or agreeing to chaperone. We are sending you off with the hopes that it is an absolutely amazing experience for everyone!!
Last week saw an increase in behaviours that do not align with the 4 guiding words for the school (Safe-Respectful-Responsible-Kind). Miss Brekkas and I had MANY conversations with students and parents and we really hope that the remaining few weeks of school are more positive; both on the playground and in the classroom. At this time of the year, there are many special field trips and we don’t want students missing these activities due to poor choices made at school. Please know every effort is made to prevent this from happening; but Miss Brekkas and I will support our teachers if they are not comfortable in taking a student off school grounds due to poor behaviour choices.
The annual “Pitch-In” effort will happen on Friday – parents and family members are welcome to join us for this event. Please check with your child’s teacher to confirm the time each class is heading out to contribute to cleaning up our school community.
Ms. Wright
Parent – Week Ahead 2018-19 (10)

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The Week Ahead May 13-17

danielleb — Mon, 13 May 2019 15:15:21 +0000

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the amazing mothers and grandmothers in our school community. I hope each family has had a wonderful day of celebrating. Special hugs to those of you who also have sadness associated with this day … while it is a time to celebrate, it is also a difficult time for many of us who are missing children, our own mom’s, and grandmothers.
We are now at 7 weeks and counting down to summer holidays … and from the looks of my school calendar, they will be very busy weeks. Please remember to also check the calendar on the school website for an up-to-date account of what is happening at the school.
I would also like to inform you that I will be away from work from May 23 – June 10 due to shoulder surgery. While this is not an ideal time to be away, I know the school will be in great hands under the direction of Miss Brekkas. Mrs. Sandberg will be joining us to cover Miss Brekkas’ teaching duties. I will still be available via email but hopefully will not be replying to any messages until the full effects of anesthetic have worn off.
Tuesday, May 14th is our next PAC meeting. Please join us at 6:30 pm for an evening of laughter and a shared commitment to working together to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. If you have not yet attended a PAC meeting, I encourage you to come out and experience one. Note: this is also the AGM and elections will be held for the 2019-2020 PAC Executive. Please note … PAC is not only for Moms … we have a couple brave Dads and I am sure they would love to have a few others join them!
Thursday, May 16th is the Bert Ambrose Track Meet for students in Grades 3-6. Parent volunteer forms have been slow to trickle in and we could really use some additional helpers to ensure the day runs smoothly. Teachers will be running the event stations and we need parents to help supervise groups of students and make sure they get to their scheduled events. Please return your form or contact the office if you are able to volunteer. PAC will be running a canteen … see information below:
PAC will be selling food in the canteen on sports day for all the athletes and volunteers. There will be pizza available starting at 11:00 for $3.00 a slice. As well, we will have water, juice, milk, chocolate bars, chips and popcorn for $1.00. We do have some leftover yogurt tubes available to purchase for .25 each.
If your child is gluten free and you would like to special order them their own pizza, please email bertambrosepac@gmail.com to place your order. Individual size Hawaiian, cheese and peperoni are available for $10.00 each. Please note there will NOT be gluten free available unless you order it before Tuesday at midnight.
Gardening Club update from Ms. Yorke: The Gardening Club was very busy last week. All garden beds were dug to loosen the soil. Two beds were planted with an assortment of lettuce, spinach, radish, and herb seeds. Two more beds will be prepped and planted with seedlings early this week. Donations or loans of hand tools for Monday and Tuesday would be appreciated. Please label your tools. Please contact Anita Yorke (ayorke@prn.bc.ca) if you have any questions.
At this time of the year, planning and preparation for the next school year is well under way. Please let the office know if you will be moving from our school catchment area over the summer. Also, if you have a child who will be entering Kindergarten and have not yet registered (or know of a neighbourhood child who might be coming to school); please come in and complete the registration process as soon as possible. Our WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN event will be held on Tuesday, June 4th and we don’t want any little ones to miss out on this exciting experience.
Lastly, just my on-going please to check Lost and Found on a regular basis. It has only been one week since we removed all of the old items from our tables and ALREADY the table is full. We know that these items came to school with your children and we would really like them to go back home at the end of each day.
Looking forward to an awesome week and then the May long weekend is upon us!
Ms. Wright

Attachments area

Parent – Week Ahead 2018-19 (9)

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The Week Ahead- May 6-may 10

danielleb — Mon, 06 May 2019 15:30:38 +0000

Hello and welcome back to a brief winter interlude! Hopefully this white stuff disappears quickly as the weather forecast for the upcoming week looks more like the spring conditions one associates with the month of May!
This week is another short one as we have the last Non-Instructional Day of this school year on Friday. Our teaching staff will be working with Mrs. Wanda Forster, District Literacy Coach, to address writing skills (one of our focus areas for next year).
A Garden Club is starting up at Bert Ambrose. There is a lot of initial interest from the students- approximately 70 students came out to the first meeting. Most of the meetings or work sessions will be during recess and lunch. Any parents who would like to help out are welcome. This upcoming week will be especially busy.
*We are looking for a few supplies, especially for this upcoming week. On Monday and Tuesday, we will need garden forks and spades, as well as hand tools. Our goal is to prepare the soil for planting. If you have any extra bags of soil, compost, or peat, we would like to add it to the soil. If you have any questions, please contact Anita Yorke at ayorke@prn.bc.ca
Thank you for your support.
Friday, May 10th is the last day to order the beautiful YEARBOOKS that are compiled by our talented, Mrs. Hart. A special thank you to Mrs. Hart for capturing so many special memories for our school community. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated photographer take on this project. Cost of the yearbook is $35.00. Check previous emails for ordering information or contact the office.
Friday, May 17th is the last day to submit orders for the Growing Smiles Fundraiser that PAC has organized. Last year the plants and flowers were amazing and we anticipate the same high quality again this year. Ordering information was sent home with students last Wednesday so please check agendas and backpacks if you have not seen this information.
The Bert Ambrose Track and Field Day for students from Grades 3-6 will be held on Thursday, May 16. We have placed an order for good weather but Mother Nature does not always grant our requests. We require a number of parent helpers to make sure the day runs smoothly and is a safe, fun day. Please return the volunteer form that was sent home with your child last week if you are able to assist us that day. We appreciate the support of our parents (and grandparents). THANK YOU!!
Lastly, I was asked to forward this information to parents about an upcoming workshop: Wednesday May 22 – Dancing in the Early Years Educator’s Workshop

Wednesday, May 22 @ 6PM
North Peace Cultural Centre
$20 per person (16 & older)
Perfect for educators, artists, dance/music/theatre teachers, parents, program coordinators
Participants are invited to dress with comfortable clothes for moving, a water bottle and a note book.This workshop is for educators, parents or artists of various disciplines working with the very young to explore benefits and strategies for more dance in their curriculum. The workshop starts with a conversation and exchange on the topic of dance in the early years to assess the needs of the group and create a community of peers. We will explore Foolish Operations’ strategies for relationship-based dance exercises that respond to children’s attachment needs and respects the physical developmental stages of children in the early years. The workshop will close with self-care relaxing movement exercises. Julie Lebel graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance and is a choreographer specializing in community engaged arts and dance in the early years.
Looking forward to another great week at Bert Ambrose!!
Ms. Wright
Parent – Week Ahead 2018-19 (8)

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This Week at Ambrose – April 29- May 3

danielleb — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 15:50:23 +0000

Good Evening,
I’m hoping everyone has had a wonderful weekend and that students (and staff) are prepared for a 5-day week that looks very busy! Thankfully the weather forecast has been adjusted and most of those little snowflakes have disappeared from this next week. It is still important to make sure that students dress in layers AND that they bring all items home. Our LOST AND FOUND has been displayed on a table at the front Primary entrance as well as along the window ledge and I encourage all parents and guardians to please come and check for missing items. Our bins are overflowing so we will be doing another donation run to the local thrift store of unclaimed items at the end of this week.
Thank you to Miss Brekkas and Mrs. Lee for all of their work with this year’s Badminton players, to Mrs. Holloway for helping supervise practice, and to all the parents and family members who came out to support out players at last week’s tournament. Congratulations to all of our players for representing our school so well and a special acknoweldgement to the following students for their achievements:

Quin Stigners– 3rd in A Boys Singles Event
Jonathan Toews – 3rd in the B Boys Singles Event
Quin Stigners/Kaitlynn Ross – 1st in the Mixed Doubles B event.
Conrad Hall/Adrianna Hartnell – place 4th in the Mixed Doubles A event.

Our next school sport is Track and Field – please mark your calendars and put in a special request for good weather on Thursday, May 16th as this will be the Bert Ambrose Grade 3-6 Track & Field Day. We will be sending home a request for parent volunteers soon. Those students who qualify for the District Track Meet will participate in this event on Friday, June 7th.
The upcoming week seems to be heavy with respect to fundraising activities and we apologize for so many activities falling into the same time period. We’ll make sure to note this on our calendar so this doesn’t happen in the future. The Royal Seed Home and School fundraiser for Ghana is being organized by Mrs. Barr’s and Mrs. Tacey’s classes and includes a Cupcake Sale on Tuesday, April 30 as well as a week long coin drive. All money raised will go to support the work done at the orphange and school in Ghana. On Wednesday, May 1, our Hot Lunch Program will be McHappy Day and a portion of each McHappy Meal goes to support the Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities. On Thursday, May 2, Mrs. Kursteiner’s class has spearheaded fundraising efforts to support Jean’s Day and raising money for BC Children’s Hospital.
We will be having another Spirit Assembly this week (Thursday at 9:00 am) as there are several special acknoweldgements to be made.
With only 9 weeks remaining in this school year, it is important to continue to reinforce expectations about positive school behaviour, consistent attendance – including arriving on time, and the need for for students to complete all assignments to the best of their ability. It can be difficult to focus on school when the weather warms up and it is easy for routines and regular bedtimes to slide. Please know how much the school staff appreciates your assistance in keeping these routines going until school is out.
Lastly, it is with a very heavy heart that I share with our school community that the new portables were broken into over the weekend. We do have outside surveillance cameras around the school and are hopeful there will be clear video footage of those persons responsible for the damage done to the portable. If you become aware of any information that may assist us with this issue, please contact the local RCMP or myself. Thank you.
Ms. Wright Parent – Week Ahead 2018-19 (7)

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The Week Ahead- April 23-April 26

danielleb — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 15:26:29 +0000

Hello,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend and enjoyed special moments with family and friends!
We have lots of activities continuing to happen at school so please watch the website or school FB page for updates/photos.
I would like to encourage parents/guardians to come in and check the LOST AND FOUND box and table as it is already overflowing. We will lay items out until the end of April and then take another load to the thrft store as we simply do not have room to keep everything that has been abandoned by your children. It truly amazes me at the quality of the items that are left unclaimed as well as the quantity. We strive to instill a sense of responsibiltity in our students and need your assistance with this as well. Thank you!
Don’t forget the PAC Movie Night on Thursday – it is a great Family evening. Pizza and popcorn are available so it also gives you a night off cooking duties! Thank you to our PAC for continuning to do so much for our school community! We are so fortunate to have this group of dedicated volunteers.
Looking forward to an awesome week!
Ms. Wright
Parent – Week Ahead 2018-19 (6)

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