Dear Stinger Families:

Once again, we would like to welcome everyone to a new school year at Chalmers Elementary. We hope everyone had an enjoyable summer and that the days of school have been smooth.  A warm welcome is extended to our new families, both those in kindergarten and those with older children. We hope your children are settling into the school and that new friendships are already starting to form.  It has been wonderful to hear and feel the energy that is created when our classrooms and playgrounds are filled with the excited sounds of children playing and learning together.  Our students all seem to be enjoying being back at school and working with their teachers and friends.

All staff have been busy preparing for the new school year and are excited as we look forward to meeting and working with you on the learning adventure that lies ahead.

With students now in their permanent classes, we’d like to thank all of you for the patience you showed during the past week.  Students and parents are anxious to find out which teacher(s) their child will work with, and teachers are anxious to meet their students and begin teaching.  With that behind us now, we’re expecting the routines and procedures of the school year to be up and fully running in the days ahead.

Changes in K-12 Student Reporting

To support students as they gain skills and knowledge for the future, school districts will update their kindergarten through Grade 9 student progress reporting to align with curriculum modernization that started in 2016. For more information, please visit:

• K-12 Student Reporting One Pager for Parents and Caregivers
• K-12 Student Reporting Presentation for Parents and Caregivers
• https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023ECC0051-000985

Your healthy back-to-school guide

As summer winds down, it’s time to gear up for a healthy back-to-school season. Set the stage for a smooth transition back to school. Here are some practical tips to get you started.

Prioritize sleep

Ensuring your child gets enough sleep is an important part of a healthy back-to-school routine. Quality sleep helps with concentration, mood and overall well-being. In the weeks leading up to the start of school, gradually adjust your child’s sleep schedule so they can adapt to the new routine. Aim for nine to 11 hours of quality sleep per night.

Eat well

Support your child’s learning and development with scheduled meals and snacks. Breakfast kick starts their morning, while snacks and lunches nourish them throughout the day. Pack a water bottle to help them stay hydrated.

Boost immunity

As with any public environment, school exposes children to various germs and viruses. Ensuring they are up-to-date on their vaccinations helps protect them and others. Specific immunizations are recommended for children prior to entering Kindergarten as well as in grades six and nine. Help your child avoid the spread of illness by encouraging them to wash their hands regularly, teaching them to cover their coughs and sneezes and keeping them home when sick.

Keep active

Adding physical activity to your child’s routine sets them up for success. Activities like walking or biking to school, playing sports, dancing, swimming or helping around the house are great ways for your child to stay active. Set limits on screen time and promote outdoor play as much as possible for overall well-being.

Make time for talking and connection

Going back to school can be a cause of anxiety or stress for children. Make it a point to encourage open communication and support your child to talk about their feelings and help them feel heard and understood. Integrate downtime into their routine where they can relax or focus on a special interest or hobby.

Find more school health tips and resources on Fraser Health’s website: https://ow.ly/gS1S50Pegic

 Parent Connect

Updating Family Information Using the Parent Connect System

The Delta School District’s Parent Connect program is a piece of online software that provides parents with the ability to update personal family information and monitor your child’s school records and attendance.

Changes to demographic information cannot be completed online by a parent at this time. Changes can be made by emailing this information to the school office at chalmers.elem@deltaschools.ca

For the convenience of our families, a quick link to the Parent Connect program has been placed on the Chalmers Elementary website (Home Page). Alternatively, parents can log into the Parent Connect program using the address: https://cimsweb.deltasd.bc.ca/schoolconnect/parentsignone.aspx

Please contact the school office if you have any questions regarding the use of the Parent Connect program.

Helpful Suggestions for a Successful School Year

Here are some suggestions that will be helpful in establishing school routines and will make this year the most successful one yet for your child!

Read Together – Children who read at home with their parents are more successful in school. Show your children that you view reading as an important activity by keeping lots of reading material around the house and set aside time each evening for reading. Also, model reading yourself.

Establish A Daily Family Routine – Set a specific quiet time and place every day for homework or general reading. While you should be actively involved in your child’s homework routine, let them do household chores, being firm about times to get up and go to bed (most children require about 10 hours of sleeper night) and have dinner together whenever possible. Don’t forget about the importance of a healthy breakfast and lunch to ensure your child has the energy needed to make it through the day productively.

Talk Together – Find some time each day to ask your child about school. Ask specific questions that will require explanations. Not only will this provide you with an overview of what your child is learning each day but explaining their learning to you will heighten their understanding of their lessons.

Home-School Relationship – The importance of a strong home-school relationship cannot be overstated. Get to know your child’s teacher(s) and what they expect. Let them know you will reinforce the importance of schoolwork at home and keep them informed of important things happening in your family that may be affecting your child at school. Make sure your child knows that you are interested in their school. This will send the message that what they are doing is important.

Have High, But Realistic Goals – Make sure you set goals with your child that are achievable, but not too easy for their age, maturity, and ability. Don’t forget to celebrate when these goals are achieved.

Snack, Lunch, and Water Bottles

Please ensure that your child packs a snack, lunch, and water bottle daily, as access to our school building is still limited (i.e. please do not drop off lunch for your child at the office).

This year, we will continue to have students pack out what was packed in their lunch. That is, we will ask that whatever comes in your child’s lunch bag goes home in their lunch bag,

including empty juice boxes and food wrappers. In this way, we will create far less garbage at school, and you will have a better idea of what your child is finishing for lunch.

School Supply List

Our school supplies list for the 2023-2024 school year can be found at the links below. Now that classes are settled, teachers would appreciate school supplies being sent to school. https://ch.deltasd.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/03/School-Supply-Lists-2022-2023.pdf

Chalmers has some backpacks and a small collection of school supplies available for families currently in need. If you are in need, please email mbhatti@deltaschools.ca by September 20 with your child’s first/last name and grade, and we will contact you to make arrangements to get the items to your child.

 New Stinger Staff:

While many of our staff are returning from last year, there are a number of new faces joining (or re-joining) the “Stingers” team. Please join me in extending a welcome to the following new and returning staff members:

1. Mehra (Grade 4/5 Teacher)
2. Robie (Grade 6 LFI Teacher – covering Mme Klose’s maternity leave)
3. Bhangu (Grade 5 Teacher- Tues)
4. Mackenzie (Grade 3 Teacher- Alternating Wed’s/Th/Fri)
5. Leigh (Music Teacher)
6. Bryan (Vice-Principal and LST Support)
7. Asre (Office Support)
8. Rickey (Counselor)
9. Cowx (Child and Youth Care Worker)
10. Anderson (Education Assistant)
11. Rattan Education Assistant)
12. Leonard (Returning Grade 5/6 Teacher covering a leave of absence)
13. Sidhu (Returning LST Teacher)

School Organization

We start the year with 460 students spread into 20 divisions. Staff are excited to get underway with a year filled with inspiring educational experiences, and we look forward to working together with you so we can have your children be the best that they can be!!

Dressing for the Weather

Our students will be heading outside for recess and lunch throughout the school year. Please ensure that your child is dressed for the weather to go out to play. Please expect that kids will go out for recess and lunch, unless there is extreme weather.

School-Wide Medical Alert

Several of our students have life-threatening allergies to eggs, peanuts, nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, pecans, macadamias), and sesame seeds. Exposure to even tiny amounts of nut particles – residue on a desk, a book, a door handle, a computer keyboard, or a drinking fountain – may be enough to trigger a reaction. Please help us create a safe environment for them by keeping foods containing eggs, nuts, peanuts, and sesame seeds at home. Several companies are now making nut-free snacks and we encourage you to look for these new products when shopping. Other names for peanuts and other nuts include: arachide, arachis oil, beer nuts, goober nuts, goober peas, ground nuts, kernels, mandelonas, nut meals, valencias, anacardium nuts, calisson, marzipan, pinion, Queensland nut (macadamia). Label reading is the key to sending safe, egg-free and nut-free foods to school. Please do your part to ensure our school environment is a safe one for all our students. THANK YOU!!

Administration of Medication

Schools are required to maintain a safe procedure for dispensing medications. We would like to have information regarding medication administration within the first two weeks of school. If your child is required to take medication at school, please request a Request for Administration of Medication at School form from the office. These forms must be completed each year and are required to be signed by your physician.

Terry Fox Run

We are having our Annual Terry Fox Run this Friday September 15^th and we will be collecting toonies for Terry all this week in their classrooms. Please help us support this cause and have your child bring in a toonie before we go outside and run.

School Calendar

Friday, September 15 Terry Fox Run

Thursday, September 21 Chalmers Open House

Friday, September 22 Professional Development Day (School is not in session)

Thursday, September 29 Orange Shirt Day and Assembly

Monday, October 2 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (School is Closed)

The post appeared first on Chalmers Elementary.

The post Updated: Chalmers Communicable Disease Prevention Plan appeared first on Chalmers Elementary.

September 8, 2020 – School Re-Start Info

The post School Start Up Information and COVID-19 Protocols appeared first on Chalmers Elementary.

This information is for parents / guardians regarding student return to school on a voluntary, part-time basis at Chalmers Elementary School. 

Students must not attend school if they demonstrate any signs of illness.

Click on the link below for a printable PDF copy of this information:

May 29th Chalmers Elementary Return to School INFORMATION Letter

Dear Parents / Guardians:

We are pleased to welcome your child(ren) back to school and provide you this information in order to inform you about the routines and protocols required to ensure the health and safety of all in our school communities. The BC Center for Disease Control, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education provided guidance for these measures. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

By now, those students returning next week should have heard from your child’s teacher with regards to the schedule assigned to your child. In order to provide more physical space for everyone we will be working with a staggered schedule. Your child’s class has been scheduled as either a part of Cohort A or Cohort B. These schedules are:

Please note that all schools in the Delta School District are being asked to schedule operating hours from 9:00am to 3:00pm Monday – Friday. This means there will be no 2:00pm dismissal on Wednesdays during the month of June.

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Everyone entering the school needs to make sure that they are healthy. Anyone who is feeling sick needs to self-isolate at home so they don’t get others sick.

• Everyone entering the school needs to make sure that they are healthy. Anyone who is feeling sick needs to self-isolate at home so they don’t get others sick.

• Parents and caregivers must assess their child daily for symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other infectious respiratory disease before sending them to school.

• Children who show any signs of illness should stay at home and parents must notify the school. All students and staff who have symptoms of COVID-19, OR travelled outside Canada in the last
14 days, or were identified as a close contact of a confirmed case or outbreak must stay home and self-isolate, including children of essential service workers who are ill.

• If you are unsure about sending your child to school, please refer to the BC COVID-19 SelfAssessment Tool, or contact 8-1-1, or the local public health unit to seek further input.

• If your child does become sick while at school, they will be isolated and you will be notified and asked to pick up your child immediately.

• Parents who indicated that their children would be returning to school on June 1st on the Stage 3 Return to School Survey, must notify the school if their child will absent or late on their assigned day.

PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR A DAY AT SCHOOL

• Please ensure that your child washes his/her hands before school and when they return home. This will be a routine procedure throughout your child’s day at school.

• Your child will be asked to use only their personal items and not to share them.

• Please pack water bottles, as all water fountains will be turned off.

• Students should take home all food packaging, food scraps, utensils, etc. in the same container. • Students will not share food. • The school will not be handing out utensils to students.

• Send food in containers that your child can open independently. If your child cannot open the container, please use an alternative.

• Please apply sunscreen to your child before they arrive at school, or send sunscreen they are able to apply themselves (teachers will not be permitted to apply sunscreen to your child), and a hat for sunny days, and proper clothing for all kinds of weather, as we will be spending lots of time outdoors.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

• Adolescent children should physically distance themselves where possible when outside the family unit or household.

• For younger children, maintaining physical distance is less practical and Provincial Health Office guidelines focus on minimizing physical contact instead.

• Students will be reminded to avoid close greetings (e.g., hugs, high-fives, handshakes, etc.).

• Students will be reminded about keeping their “hands to yourself”.

DROP OFF AND PICK-UP

We ask that parents:

• Bring their child to school on time and pick up their child at the end of the day promptly at their scheduled time and location. Staff cannot supervise children outside of these times. This is a safety consideration.

• Students should lineup using the markers to ensure appropriate social distance.

• Please do not plan for your child to wait at the office for pick-up beyond the school hours.

• Not enter the school building or classroom unless pre-arranged with the office.

• Observe physical distancing and leave school grounds promptly upon drop off or pick-up their child.

ENTERING THE BUILDING

• Students will be invited in from the line up one by one.

• Upon entering students will either wash their hands and/or receive hand sanitizer from their teacher

• Each student will go to their desk/table in the classroom and wait there until all of the students arrive

CLASSROOM SET UP

The classroom will look different:

• Desks/tables/spaces will be set up to leave at least 2 meters of space in between them.

• Many things in the classroom will be put away.

• Students will sit at their own table or desk.

• There will be tape/markers on the floor for one-way travel to avoid accidental close contact.

LOTS AND LOTS OF HAND WASHING

• There will be many hand washing times throughout the day.

• You may want to send hand sanitizer to keep in your child’s area for their personal use.

• Children will regularly wash their hands. Handwashing will occur and be facilitated by staff:

1. Upon arrival and before departure.

2. Before and after any transitions within the school setting.

3. Before and after eating and drinking.

4. After using the toilet.

5. After playing outside.

6. After sneezing or coughing.

7. Whenever their hands are visibly dirty.

• Staff will teach, practice and model good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette (such as coughing or sneezing into the creases of elbows and throwing tissues out immediately after use).

WASHROOM USE

• We will limit washroom use to one at a time.

• We need to limit the things that we touch and keep it clean.

• Washrooms will be cleaned twice a day.

HALLWAY TRAFFIC

• There will be directional flow markers for students to follow in hallways so that physical

• distancing can be observed.

SNACKS AND LUNCHES

• Children should bring all food in a lunch bag and containers that can be packed in and all remaining food and wrappers will be packed out (you may want to send an extra baggie to pack the garbage in).

• There will be NO lunch drop off after school starts. • Students will eat snacks and lunch in their assigned seat.

• Students will eat only their own food, and will not share with others.

RECESS AND LUNCH BREAKS

• There will be NO physical contact sports, but there will be more time outside with classmates.

• Playground structures will be open starting June 1.

• Students will not be able to share equipment at school.

• Students will need to find other things to do outside, and keep their distance from others. They may consider bringing an item to play with during breaks. Any item brought to school must go home with your child each day.

INSTRUCTION

• There are many things that we will be able to do at school!

• Students will need to stay at their desk or table and do their activities on their own, keeping distance at all times.

• More time will be spent outside, with physical distance boundaries observed.

• Efforts will be made to keep students with their usual teacher. However, this may not be possible for every class or on every day. Staffing decisions will be made in consideration of the health and safety of students and staff.

SOME SPACES WILL BE OFF LIMITS

• Gym, Library, Music portables will be No-Go Zones

THE CUSTODIANS WILL WORK HARD TO HELP KEEP OUR SCHOOL CLEAN

• Students will be reminded to respect how we use all areas of our school.

• Students/Staff can make their job easier by making sure that we clean up after ourselves and leave our desk/table spaces clear.

• Our school will be cleaned more frequently, including classrooms and high touch areas.

The post Important Information Regarding Student Return to School on June 1st on a Voluntary, Part-Time Basis appeared first on Chalmers Elementary.

The office will be open beginning on Monday, August 27^th, 2018 (9:00am – 3:30pm). If you would like to register your child, please do so between Tuesday, August 28^thand Friday, August 31^st, 2018.

The beginning of a new school year can be a time of uncertainty. Although tentative classes are put together in the spring, final organization cannot be done until September, as there are many families who will arrive or leave during the summer months. Even slight changes from projected enrollment numbers can create staffing changes and require that classes be reorganized once school has started in September. This can be very disruptive to all concerned.

With this in mind, the staff at Chalmers has spent much time planning for our September opening and how we might alleviate some of the uncertainty around “back to school”.

Despite not being able to set our classes ahead of time, we want to ensure a smooth entry for our students. Please read the following section carefully as it fully explains how students in Grades 1 – 7 will be organized for the first week of school (new Kindergarten students have already received information in the mail regarding the September gradual entry schedule):

• Students in Grades 1 – 7 will return to school on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 from 8:45 – 12:25 pm
• All returning students will report to the classroom that they were in during the 2017-18 school year
• All Grade 6 & 7 Late French Immersion students will report to their new classrooms which will be posted on the first day of school
• All new students will report to the gym for placement in classrooms
• School hours during the first week back will be as follows:

Tuesday
                    –                      8:45 – 12:25 pm

Wednesday
              –                       8:45 – 2:00 pm

Thursday/Friday       –                       8:45 – 3:00 pm

• During the first week of school, most students entering Grades 2 – 7 will work with the teacher they had during the 2017-18 school year. However, students entering Grade 1 and some students entering Grade 2 will work with other teacher(s), as their last year teacher will be needed to welcome new kindergarten students and/or students entering Grade 1. Those students whose teacher is no longer at Chalmers will work with the newly assigned teaching staff
• During the first week of school, students are asked to only bring a limited amount of school supplies (pencil box containing pencils and pens, pencil crayons, scissors, etc.). All other supplies should be left at home until they are assigned to their classes for the year. Our school supply lists can be found at the following link:

http://ch.deltasd.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/06/2018-19-School-Supply-Lists-1.pdf

We look forward to a smooth start to the 2018-19 school year!

The post School Start-Up – September 2018 appeared first on Chalmers Elementary.

Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec velit neque, auctor sit amet aliquam vel, ullamcorper sit amet ligula. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Curabitur arcu erat, accumsan id imperdiet et, porttitor at sem. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Proin eget tortor risus.

Curabitur arcu erat, accumsan id imperdiet et, porttitor at sem. Donec sollicitudin molestie malesuada. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Donec sollicitudin molestie malesuada. Praesent sapien massa, convallis a pellentesque nec, egestas non nisi. Curabitur non nulla sit amet nisl tempus convallis quis ac lectus. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

The post Another Blog Post appeared first on Chalmers Elementary.

Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec velit neque, auctor sit amet aliquam vel, ullamcorper sit amet ligula. Nulla quis lorem ut libero malesuada feugiat. Cras ultricies ligula sed magna dictum porta. Praesent sapien massa, convallis a pellentesque nec, egestas non nisi. Cras ultricies ligula sed magna dictum porta. Proin eget tortor risus. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Sed porttitor lectus nibh. Quisque velit nisi, pretium ut lacinia in, elementum id enim.

Donec sollicitudin molestie malesuada. Cras ultricies ligula sed magna dictum porta. Sed porttitor lectus nibh. Nulla quis lorem ut libero malesuada feugiat. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Proin eget tortor risus. Nulla quis lorem ut libero malesuada feugiat. Quisque velit nisi, pretium ut lacinia in, elementum id enim. Vivamus magna justo, lacinia eget consectetur sed, convallis at tellus. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat.

The post Demo Blog Post appeared first on Chalmers Elementary.

The post Hello world! appeared first on Chalmers Elementary.