Weekly Buzz May 23-26

Chères familles de Chalmers,

As we welcome warmer weather and sunny skies, it is important to plan ways to prevent sun related injuries. When outside in direct sunlight remember to Slip it! Slap it! Slop it! Wear clothing to protect your skin, wear a hat and don’t forget the sunscreen!

How do I protect myself, and my children from the sun?

• Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going in the sun
• Use sunscreen with 15 SPF (sun protection factor or higher
• Wear a broad brimmed hat & sunglasses
• Provide a water bottle with plenty of water to drink
• Seek shade between 11am & 3 pm
• Do not expose babies less than one year of age to any intense direct sunlight

How do I protect myself, and my children from mosquitoes?

¨     Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts outdoors, when mosquitoes are most active

¨     Use mosquito repellents that are registered in Canada and contain Deet

¨     Deet in repellents should not exceed 30% for adults or 10% for children (2-12 years of age)

¨     Deet should not be used on children under six months of age

¨     Follow the directions on the label

Literacy and Numeracy Summer Camps

Please see the attached flyer from the Learning Disabilities Association Fraser South (LDAFS), a local not for profit organization, regarding summer camps to help children improve their math and reading skills.

Lost and Found

Now that the warm weather is here, students have shed their winter clothing. Our Lost and Found has become quite full.  Please take a look at the photos and claim any of your child’s belongings.

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them

PAC News

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our Family Fun Night on Wednesday, May 31st from 4:30-8:30pm. There will be a food concession, dunk tank, bouncy houses, games, marketplace, raffles and more!

Bake and decorate a cake for the Chalmers Family Fun Night Cake Walk! There is a need for lots of cakes to make this event a success. Bake and decorate a cake with your child for a chance to win a gift certificate for the most creative cake in the Chalmers Cake Decorating contest then donate this cake to the Cake Walk to support your school! Please drop off your child’s cake and Cake Walk donations at the gym by 9am on Wednesday May 31.

This is a great event not only for our Chalmers families but for our entire community, so bring your friends, neighbours and family! We are in great need of volunteers to help make this event successful. If you are able to give an hour or more of your time to help, please email us at chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com.

Grade 7 Fundraising

$2 Popcorn sales will be held on:

Wednesday, May 24

Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates

Friday, May 26 – Opa

Friday, June 9 – Subway

Thursday, June 22 – Pizza Hut

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz May 15-18

Chères familles de Chalmers,

Wishing all our mothers, grandmothers, and caregivers a very special Mother’s Day. We hope you have all been enjoying the gift of warm weather. Seeing as the warm temperatures are forecasted for the next week or more, please ensure your children come to school dressed accordingly for playing outside at recess and lunchtime (e.g. hats, sunscreen and lighter clothing)

District Track MeetCongratulations to all our intermediate students who took part in last week’s track meet!  Our Stinger athletes had a lot of fun and represented our school very well.  Approximately 60 of our students qualified for the District Track Meet and will represent Chalmers at North Delta Secondary School this coming Thursday.  Way to go Stingers!

Police Day 2023
Delta Police Department’s annual Police Day is fast approaching. Delta Police have arranged for a wide range of demonstrations and displays at the Sungod Recreation Centre on Thursday, May 18 at Sungod Arena from 10am to 6pm. 

Play Day May 19th

Community Schools Partnership is hosting a Play Day on Friday, May 19th at North Delta Secondary School. The camp will run from 9am to 3pm and include Summer-themed games, crafts and other activities! If you’re interested in registering or getting more information, please see the PDF Registration Form. Parents/guardians must register and pay online through Continuing Education (https://cimsweb.deltasd.bc.ca/publicconnect/DECourse.aspx).

PAC News

Chalmers Family Fun Night Presale Extended!

You now have until May 18 to pre-purchase wristbands and concession items for Chalmers Family Fun Night on May 31! Pre-sale wristbands include unlimited inflatable access, a face paint or tattoo and 5 tickets ($5) to be used toward food and games. Adult wristbands are only available by presale. Wristbands purchased at the event only include unlimited inflatable access. Presale orders are payable by cash and online through munchalunch.

Cake Walk is back!

Bake and decorate a cake for the Chalmers Family Fun Night Cake Walk! We need lots of cakes to make this event a success. Bake and decorate a cake with your child for a chance to win a gift certificate for the most creative cake in the Chalmers Cake Decorating contest then donate this cake to the Cake Walk to support your school! Please drop off your child’s cake and Cake Walk donations at the gym by 9am on Wednesday May 31.

Grade 7 Fundraising

$2 Popcorn sales will be held on:

Wednesday, May 24

Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates

Friday, May 26 – Opa

Friday, June 9 – Subway

Thursday, June 22 – Pizza Hut

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz- May 8-12

Chères familles de Chalmers,

It is with sadness that I share the news I received that I will be leaving Chalmers and moving on to Gray Elementary for the upcoming school year.  I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know many students and families over the course of the last four years.  As a Vice-Principal for the past 2 ½ years, I appreciate the patience and kindness that all the families have shown as I navigated my way. We still have two more months of school to go, and I look forward to sharing memories with all of you and having fun with all the activities the end of the school year brings.

Parent Input

A friendly reminder to complete a Parent Input form and return to the school by June 1 if you have information about your child that you feel will assist us in making the best possible placement for them when building classes. Input received after this date will not be considered. This information should not include a request for placement with a particular teacher.  Any requests received that request a specific teacher will not be considered.

ELL Summer School

Elementary ELL: McCloskey Elementary  (North Delta) Choice of 2 sessions (only 1 per student)

• Session 1 – July 4th – July 14th 9:00 – 1:30pm
• Session 2 – July 17th – July 28th 9:00 – 1:00pm

The link for more info/registration can be found here:

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/continuing-education/summer-learning-registration/

Royal Soccer Club- Summer Camp

The Royal Soccer Club, a registered non-profit community organization, is proud to host their 31st annual popular grassroots summer soccer day camps. The program is designed to promote personal development, team building and of course, FUN! Uniquely designed to offer a soccer focus in the morning and leisure swim with other organized activities in the afternoons to all children aged 5 to 13, the program operates during all weeks in July and August. For more information or to register visit,

royalsoccerclub.com or call 1-800-427-0536.

PAC News

Chalmers PAC AGM Meeting is on Thursday, June 8 and all executive positions are up for nomination!  Nominate yourself or someone else to have the opportunity for the rewarding experience of making valuable memories for our kids and ourselves!  PAC is a great way to make new friends while doing something for your child’s school.  If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else for a position, please email your interest to the PAC at chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com.  All nominees must be present at the Thursday, June 8 AGM meeting in order to accept the nomination and/or position. Here are the ‘job descriptions’ for each executive position.

PAC Chair Responsibilities

• Chair meetings (or arrange for VP to chair)
• Give executive report at meetings (or arrange for other exec member to do this)
• Meet with school principal as necessary
• Meet with executive prior to PAC meetings to discuss agenda items if necessary
• Create agenda for meetings
• Follow up to ensure action items from meetings completed
• Ensure projects and spending decisions fit with mandate of the PAC
• Speak on behalf of PAC when necessary at school events such as Welcome To Kindergarten
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

Vice Chair Responsibilities

• Attend monthly PAC meetings as much as possible
• Support PAC Chair to help him/her achieve necessary tasks
• Chair meetings in chair’s absence
• Meet with fellow executive prior to PAC meetings to help Chair prepare for upcoming monthly meeting when necessary
• Submit updates for school newsletter to school secretary on behalf of the PAC when chair is unavailable
• Liaise with school principal when necessary, on behalf of the PAC executive
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events
• Promote parent involvement at PAC events and solicit volunteers (email contact list, posters, word-of-mouth) • Post monthly reminder posters and agenda and previous minutes prior to monthly PAC meetings.

Secretary Responsibilities

• Record minutes at general and executive meetings
• Distribute meeting minutes in a timely manner

• Start executive nominations for coming year

• Bring agendas and minutes for distribution at PAC meetings
• Meet with executive prior to PAC meetings when necessary
• Keep a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws and submit new copy to the school principal if updated
• Issue and receive correspondence on behalf of the PAC
• Check PAC email account and forward pertinent info, delete junk mail or obsolete correspondence • Keep necessary records of the PAC
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

Treasurer Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly/year-end financial statements and records
• Reconcile monthly bank statements
• Report on monthly financial statements at PAC meetings
• Prepare books and records for external audit
• Prepare and deposit funds received
• Advise on finances when necessary
• Authorized cheque signer
• Prepare and sign necessary cheques (e.g. babysitter at PAC meetings)
• Ensure that another signing officer has access to books in the event of his/her absence
• Prepare cash float for events when necessary
• Meet with executive prior to PAC meetings when necessary
• Attend monthly PAC meetings
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

• Apply for BC Gaming Grant

• Keep an ongoing record of Gaming Grant Expenditures and copies of all receipts and ensure that the GAS Report is filed on time PAC

Fundraising Chair Responsibilities

• Collate Volunteer information on master list and make specific lists according to event
• Collect information for relevant fundraisers and supply information at PAC executive and/or general meetings

• Organize appropriate groups for each fundraiser and oversee planning of events
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

District PAC Representative

• Attend District PAC meetings
• Provide report of District PAC meetings at General PAC meetings
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our Family Fun Night on Wednesday, May 31st from 4:30-8:30pm. There will be a food concession, dunk tank, bouncy houses, games, a cake walk, marketplace, raffles and more! If there are any parents that are crafters, tables are available. Please see poster below!

This is a great event not only for our Chalmers families but for our entire community, so bring your friends, neighbours and family! We are in great need of volunteers to help make this event successful. If you are able to give an hour or more of your time to help, please email us at chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com.

Grade 7 Fundraising

$2 Popcorn sales will be held on the following days:

Monday, May 8

Wednesday, May 24

Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates

Friday, May 12 – Pizza Hut

Friday, May 26 – Opa

Friday, June 9 – Subway

Thursday, June 22 – Pizza Hut

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz May 1-5

Chères familles de Chalmers,

This is the time of year when staffing allocations are made to schools and planning for the next school year begins.  Due to this, it is extremely important that our enrolment numbers be as accurate as possible and, therefore, I would ask families who will be leaving Chalmers to contact

the school as soon as possible with this information.  Similarly, if you know of a family moving into our area, please encourage them to register their children as soon as possible to secure their placement at Chalmers Elementary.

As we plan for the 2023-24 school year, I would like to make you aware of factors that are important in organizing classes for next year.

Staffing and Class Size

The number of staff members assigned to Chalmers is decided by the Delta School District and is based on projected student enrolment.  Enrolment estimates and class size guidelines affect the configuration of classes.  Currently, the class size limit is 20 for Kindergarten, 22 for Grades 1-3, and 29 for Grades 4-7.  Combined (split) classes are an organizational necessity based on student numbers.  While combined classes are an organizational necessity, research indicates that multi-age groupings provide very positive learning environments for children.  Studies show that children in multi-age classes learn to become more independent, responsible learners and develop a greater degree of social responsibility.  Achievement levels of these students are as good as, or better than, the achievement levels of students placed in single grade classrooms.

 Criteria for Student Placement

Assigning students to particular classes is a very complex task that takes into consideration a variety of factors, including learning styles and strengths, what a student is able to achieve in relation to the goals of the curriculum, degree of independence in work habits, social and personal needs, age and physical maturity, previous placements, number of ELL and students with diverse learning needs, and parental insight.   Our objective is to create balanced classes based on intellectual and social / emotional / behavioural development, as well as peer support and other needs. The professional staff, including teachers, support staff and administrators are in contact with the children in the school setting for 30 hours a week.  Therefore, the classroom placement of students must be determined through school-based professional evaluations.  Teachers have school-based knowledge of the above and therefore can best determine where individual children should be placed.

 Parent Input

As our partners, we recognize that parents have important information that can assist with the placement of students.  Parents are welcome to advise the school of personal, educational, or social information that could affect a child’s placement.  Our staff will keep in mind this information, along with the above considerations, when building classes.

This information should not include a request for placement with a particular teacher.  Any requests received that request a specific teacher will not be considered.

 Maternity leaves, retirements, and lay-offs combine to make school staffing a changing and ongoing process.  Also, staff members may change grade levels due to school needs or further professional growth.  Whatever the scenario, we strive to place your child in a warm, caring environment that will maximize their learning.  If you have information about your child that you feel will assist us in making the best possible placement for them, please see the email from the school that will be sent out this week as it contains the Parent Input form that needs to be completed and returned to the school by June 1 at the latest.  Input received after this date will not be considered.

Staff Appreciation Week

Monday, May 1^st to Friday, May 5^th is one week of the year where we get to openly give thanks and appreciate all the staff at Chalmers who truly care and make a huge impact on our students. We have an “Appreciation Station” set up at the front office for students and parents to fill out cards for any member of our staff that you would like to express gratitude towards.

ELL Summer School

Elementary ELL: McCloskey Elementary  (North Delta) Choice of 2 sessions (only 1 per student)

• Session 1 – July 4th – July 14th 9:00 – 1:30pm
• Session 2 – July 17th – July 28th 9:00 – 1:00pm

The link for more info/registration can be found here:

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/continuing-education/summer-learning-registration/

British Columbia Family French Camp – BCFFC

French Immersion students and other French-speaking children bring their families along to camp!

BC Family French Camp is offered at different times and at three different locations throughout the province.

Families camp for one week in their own campsite.

Activities at each location are designed to take advantage of the local geography, flora, and fauna.

Summer Dates Available

Okanagan (Summerland)
Week 1: July 1 – 8, 2023
Week 2: July 8-15, 2023

Gwillim Lake
(between Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge)
July 22-29, 2023

Vancouver Island (Nanaimo)
Week 1: August 12-19, 2023
Week 2: August 19-26, 2023

Find out more information in the link below:

http://bcffc.com

PAC News

Neufeld’s link is open now and orders can be placed until May 8th. Pick up is May 15th between 2:30 – 3:30 by the gym doors. https://app.neufeldfarms.ca/fundraising/2023-chalmers-elementary/ref/sm

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our Family Fun Night on Wednesday, May 31st from 4:30-8:30pm. There will be a food concession, dunk tank, bouncy houses, games, a cake walk, marketplace, raffles and more! If there are any parents that are crafters, tables are available. Please see poster below!

This is a great event not only for our Chalmers families but for our entire community, so bring your friends, neighbours and family! We are in great need of volunteers to help make this event successful. If you are able to give an hour or more of your time to help, please email us at chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com.

Grade 7 Fundraising

$2 Popcorn sales will be held on the following days:

Monday, May 8

Tuesday, May 23

Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates

Friday, May 12 – Pizza Hut

Friday, May 26 – Opa

Friday, June 9 – Subway

Thursday, June 22 – Pizza Hut

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz April 24-28

Chères familles de Chalmers,

It was terrific seeing all the families participating in our Student Led conferences last week.  In addition to the conferences, Chalmers celebrated Earth Week and we were impressed with all the efforts made to “Bee the best we can be” to our planet. Our hallways show that we have been waiting patiently for spring to come and it appears as though the end of this week will not disappoint.

Kindergarten Registration

Do you know someone whose child is turning 5 in 2023? Please remind them to register their child for Kindergarten for intake this September. For more information, please visit: https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/schools/student-registration/kindergarten/

Class Photos

Our school photographer returns to Chalmers on Thursday, May 4 for class photos.  Typically, the photographers are finished by 12:00pm.

District News

Upcoming Parent/Caregiver Workshop

Social media, digital citizenship, and cyberbullying for parents/caregivers of school-aged students

Parent/caregiver session:

APRIL 26TH – 6:30 – 8:30PM ONLINE VIA ZOOM

Girls Only Drop-In Basketball

The City is also offering Girls Only Drop-In Basketball programs –feedback indicates that it is difficult to “break in” to the male dominated drop-in times. The Girls Only Drop-Ins are offered only in the North area at the moment. One is Monday nights from 8:15-9:45pm at Sungod Rec Centre and the other is Saturday evenings from 6:45-8:45pm. Regular drop-in rates apply so Delta youth would be free and non-Delta Youth would be $7. See attached flyers.

Delta Stars Come Try Event

South Delta Minor Hockey female program The Delta Stars is having a come try hockey event for girls on May 6^th, 2023 at Tilbury Ice.

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them.

PAC News

Thursday, April 27 will be the last general PAC meeting before the AGM on June 8th. Please join us at 7pm in the school library for a special vote in regards to our family fun night as well as to hear what is going on within our amazing school community. Babysitting will be provided!

Neufeld Fundraising link is now open and orders can be placed until May 8th. Pick up is May 15th between 2:30 – 3:30 by the gym doors. https://app.neufeldfarms.ca/fundraising/2023-chalmers-elementary/ref/sm

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our Family Fun Night on Wednesday, May 31st from 4:30-8:30pm. There will be a food concession, dunk tank, bouncy houses, games, a cake walk, marketplace, raffles and more! If there are any parents that are crafters, tables are available. Please see poster below!

This is a great event not only for our Chalmers families but for our entire community, so bring your friends, neighbours and family! We are in great need of volunteers to help make this event successful. If you are able to give an hour or more of your time to help, please email us at chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com.

Grade 7 Fundraising

$2 Popcorn sales will be held on the following days:

Monday, April 24

Monday, May 8

Tuesday, May 23

Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates

Friday, April 28 – Golden Samosas

Friday, May 12 – Pizza Hut

Friday, May 26 – Opa

Friday, June 9 – Subway

Thursday, June 22 – Pizza Hut

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz April 17-21

Chères familles de Chalmers,

We hope that all our Chalmers families had a very happy and prosperous Baisakhi!

Chalmers Pledge is to “Bee the Best We can Be” by taking care of ourselves, others, and this place.  In celebration of Earth Day, the staff at Chalmers have decided to have an “Earth Week”. During Earth Week, April 17^th to 22nd, we will be focusing on taking care of this place and the earth.   Millions of people globally participate in Earth Day events and activities.

Each day during “Earth Week” we will have an activity take place with an environmental focus. These activities include:

• Monday, April 17^th Lights Out Lunch (all week)
• Tuesdy, April 18^th Wear Traditional Earth Colours: Green, Blue &/or Brown

• Wednesday, April 19^th Walk to School Wednesday
• Thursday, April 20^th Litterless Lunch “Pack In Pack Out”
• Friday, April 21^st Story Walks and Power Downs
• Saturday, April 22^nd is Earth Day! 

Litterless Lunch Ideas

Did you know that the average school-aged child who consumes a conventional disposable lunch generates a total of 67 lbs of waste per year!

While it easy to say, “let’s have a litterless lunch”, how can this be accomplished in a “low impact” way? Here are some suggestions:

• Use a reusable bag or container (not a single use plastic bag or disposable container)
• Pack food in reusable containers (no plastic wrap, foil, plastic bags, or pre-packaged foods)
• Pack beverages in reusable containers like a refillable water bottle or thermos (recyclable containers are acceptable but discouraged)
• Take home organic waste (apple cores, banana peels, etc.) for composting
• Pack cloth napkins and non-disposable cutlery

Walk to School Wednesday

In celebration of Earth Day, Wednesday April 19^th is Chalmers Elementary’s “Walk to School” day.  We are encouraging all our students to walk or bike to school.  If you must drive to school, please park a couple of blocks away and walk with your child the rest of the way.  Check in teams will be at the front and the back undercover area of the school between 8:25 and 8:40 to stamp the hands of those students who walk to school.  The primary and intermediate classes that have the highest percentage of students who walked to school will win a prize.

Thank you for encouraging your children to participate!

Student-Led Conferences

Parents/caregivers are welcome to our Student-Led Conferences on Tuesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 20. There will be early dismissal at 2:00pm for both days in addition to early dismissal on Wednesday, April 19. Sign up for the conference through Parent Connect was made available on Thursday, April 13^th.

This is an opportunity for your child(ren) to show you what they have been learning and share their goals for the last term. We encourage everyone to set aside some time to celebrate the learning your child will be sharing with you.

Homestay Recruitment

Delta School District International Programs needs more homestay families for international students coming to Delta School District for September 2023. They will arrive from all over the world and have a strong desire to be in Delta.

Hosting a student comes with a reimbursement of $1100 per month for expenses. Multiple students from different nationalities can be hosted in one home.

They are looking for a family connection and being a part of a family during their stay in Delta. Their study periods range from 3 months to multiple years. If you are interested in hosting, please reach out to homestay@godelta.ca. If you are not able to host but know of a family who can, please send them our way. There are referral bonuses available for referring families that host students for September.

The Delta School District has once again been one of five School Districts in Canada nominated for a Star Award for Excellence in International Programs.

Be sure to check out our YouTube Channel with testimonials from current homestay families.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLDT30tf-KfjvFjJx79R3KlNtO1cF_DOC

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them.

PAC News

Mark your calendars for our 5th annual Family Fun Night on May 31! If you are interested in volunteering to make this event a success or renting a vendor booth in the famous Fun Night Marketplace, please email Chalmers PAC at chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com

Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates

Friday, April 28 – Golden Samosas

Friday, May 12 – Pizza Hut

Friday, May 26 – Opa

Friday, June 9 – Subway

Thursday, June 22 – Pizza Hut

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz April 11-14

Joyeux Pâques Chalmers! I hope everyone had a chance to spend time with family and friends over the long weekend.

Last week, Chalmers hosted their first Concourse d’Art Oratoir. We acknowledge how hard all our Grade 7 LFI students have worked on writing and preparing their speeches. We are very proud of our three Stingers, Vidhi, Shae and Max for their courage and dedication in making it as the top three finalists. We would also like to congratulate Max for being the first-place winner who will now compete at SFU in June. Bravo!

Student-Led Conferences

Parents/caregivers are welcome to our Student-Led Conferences on Tuesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 20. There will be early dismissal at 2:00pm for both days. This is an opportunity for your child(ren) to show you what they have been learning and share their goals for the last term. We encourage everyone to set aside some time to celebrate the learning your child will be sharing with you. Sign up for the conferences will be made available on Thursday, April 13^th after 3pm.

District News

Feeding Futures Funding: Investment in School Food Security Programs

On April 4, the BC Government announced the Feeding Futures funding, which will help ensure that more children and youth have access to healthy meals and snacks at school. Supporting the health and well-being of students by giving them stigma-free access to nutritious food will allow them to focus on learning.

The funds will be used to build and expand local school food security programs starting in the 2023/2024 school year. The new funding will build on the progress of this year’s one-time Student and Family Affordability Fund, and is great news for families.

Learn more:  https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023ECC0020-000424

Student Learning Survey

The Provincial Student Learning Survey is unique in its scope, size and usefulness to schools. It gathers information from parents/guardians/caregivers, teachers, and students on topics related to school  environment, safety, and achievement. The survey is anonymous and the information is used for planning in individual schools and provides a district and provincial perspective.  Grades 4 and 7 students will participate in the online survey during school time over the next two weeks.

We encourage parents/guardians/caregivers to participate in this survey too, as the results are important in identifying and celebrating current strengths, as well as determining where the school needs to focus improvement. The surveys contain standard questions from the Province. To complete the survey:

1. Go to any computer that has an up-to-date internet browser access at home, work, or school.
2. Go to www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey/access.htm
3. Under the section Direct Access – no logon number required select:

• District: 37
• School: Chalmers
• Language: the language of your choice

1. Complete the survey by clicking on the appropriate circle to answer each question. Move to the next set of questions by clicking on the right arrow in the bottom right corner of the screen. Click on the left arrow to navigate backwards.
2. When you are finished the survey, you will get a message “Thank you for sharing your views”.
3. Once complete, your school will have the results immediately.

The e-survey site will be open until April 29th. If you have any questions, please contact the school.

Soccer Summer Camp

Royal Soccer Club offers summer day camps promoting a healthy and active lifestyle that also encourage personal development, team building and leadership. See the attached brochure or visit https://royalsoccerclub.com/ or call 1-800-427-0536 for more information.

Oral Health Month

April is oral health month and it’s time for the Canadian Dental Health Association’s Attack the Plaque colouring contest! It’s also a great time to remind everyone to brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste (2x2minutes). http://www.cdha.ca/colouringcontest

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them.

Grade 7 Fundraising

$2 Popcorn sales will be held on the following days.

April 17
May 1
May 15
May 29

PAC News

Mark your calendars for the 5th annual Family Fun Night on May 31! If you are interested in volunteering to make this event a success or renting a vendor booth in the famous Fun Night Marketplace, please email Chalmers PAC at chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com

Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates

Thursday, April 13 – Mary Brown Chicken

Friday, April 28 – Golden Samosas

Friday, May 12 – Pizza Hut

Friday, May 26 – Opa

Friday, June 9 – Subway

Thursday, June 22 – Pizza Hut

School Calendar

Week of April 3-6

Chères familles de Chalmers,

TFN Treaty Day

Tsawwassen First Nation will celebrate the14^th anniversary of their Treaty on April 3rd, 2023. This important day commemorates the fact that TFN can freely exercise their right to make decisions on behalf of their community. This means that the nation is no longer under the control of the Indian Act.

Watch a short CBC video to learn more about Treaties with Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Learn more about the TFN governance on the TFN website.

Sikh Heritage Month

Sikh Heritage month is an annual event to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Sikh Canadians to the BC’s cultural, economic, and social fabric. Various events and activities will happen across the province to showcase Sikh culture, history and achievements. The month-long celebration is an opportunity for Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike to learn more about the Sikh faith, while promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding. It also serves as a reminder of the values of equality, social justice, and religious tolerance that are central to Sikhi and which are shared by all Canadians.

The Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade is the largest in the world. It will return to the streets of Surrey on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023. Approximately 500,000 people are expected to attend. One of the most notable aspects of the Vaisakhi Parade is the tradition of celebrating the harvest through the giving away of food to attendees. Participants and onlookers are treated to a wide range of free food items prepared by hundreds of local citizens and distributed without charge to those along the parade route. From traditional Indian foods and sweets to more mainstream food offerings, parade-goers are treated to a wide range of tasty treats. Event day information, parade map, What is Vaisakhi?

Track and Field

Track and field season began last week for our intermediate classes. All intermediate students have the opportunity to practice the events they are able to participate in. Beginning April 3^rd, students will participate in three weeks of track and field stations during instructional time. Teaching staff will then pick students for various track and field teams. The students selected for track and field teams will then have one week of extracurricular track practices together before the Regional Track Meet.

The Regional Track Meet will be held on Wednesday, May 10^th at North Delta Secondary School. Only those students participating in an event attend the track meet.

To be chosen to represent Chalmers, students must demonstrate:

• Excellent attendance at practices
• Overall positive attitude and responsible behavior
• Good ability in the track event

Top finishers at the Regional Track Meet may be eligible for the District Track Meet (May 18^th at North Delta Secondary School). The District Track Meet will be held rain or shine.

Please encourage your intermediate aged child to get involved! The opportunity to represent Chalmers Elementary is always a lot of fun, and while we can’t always send everyone to the actual track meet, we do our best to involve as many of our students as possible.

Chalmers Talent Show

Look out Chalmers! Chalmer’s Got Talent is coming soon.

Students have an opportunity to show their skills off to the entire school! There will be dancing, singing, instruments, comedy and more. Auditions have started and will be happening next week on Tuesday April 4th and Thursday April 6th at lunch in the gym. Students are asked to come prepared with their costumes, music or any necessary equipment needed to show off their talents. The act should be well rehearsed and not exceed 1:30 seconds. Mrs. Bromley, Mrs. Savage, and Ms. Hogg will be practicing and working with all the students who make it into the show before the big day. We can’t wait to show off what Chalmers can do! See you at 1pm on Thursday June 1st for Chalmer’s Got talent!!

District Events

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them.

Upcoming Hot Lunch Dates

Thursday, April 13 – Mary Brown Chicken

Friday, April 28 – Golden Samosas

Friday, May 12 – Pizza Hut

Friday, May 26 – Opa

Friday, June 9 – Subway

Thursday, June 22 – Pizza Hut

School Calendar

Week of March 27- 31

Dear Stinger Families,

Ramadan Kareem! Sending wishes for a peaceful Ramadan for all the families that celebrate. We hope everyone had a chance to rest and recharge over spring break.

Emergency Procedures at Chalmers

IN THE EVENT OF AN INCIDENT AT Chalmers, THIS LANGUAGE IS WHAT WILL BE USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF, STUDENTS, DELTA POLICE (IF REQUIRED), AND THE PUBLIC. In all situations other than, “Hold Classes”, an email will be sent home notifying parents.

One of our goals is that by moving away from broad terminology like “code red” and “code yellow”, to more specific language, parents will have a better understanding of what is happening at your child’s school, in the event of an emergency.

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with this information, as a preventative measure against confusion and unnecessary concern in the event of an incident.

DTAC APPLICATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED

The Application Deadline for the Fall 2023 program has been extended to MAY 31!

• Over 20 years of successful operation
• Quality instruction and updated curriculum
• A manageable part-time schedule
• Among the most affordable tuition fees in B.C. 

DETAILED INFORMATION: https://deltalearns.ca/dtac/

School Calendar

Week of March 6-10

Chères familles de Chalmers,

We had a busy week last week! We very much appreciate all the parents and students who offered to help shovel the snow we received on Tuesday. Most of the students thoroughly enjoyed the snow and worked together to build big structures and snow people. Also on Tuesday, we were fortunate to have Rainbow Dance Theatre perform IllumiDance to the entire school.  Many thanks to our generous PAC for covering the cost of the presentation so our students can enjoy such diverse experiences.  On Thursday after school, we had a great turnout at the District Science Fair and had 16 projects representing Chalmers. Well done Stingers!

2023 Enrollment

One of the main tasks that we focus on at this time of year is to begin planning for the next school year, both in terms of school enrolment and staffing. To help plan properly, we would ask that families inform the school as early as possible if your child will not be returning to Chalmers in September 2023. It is important that our enrolment numbers be as accurate as possible at each grade level so that staffing can meet the needs of our school population and we can have the smoothest possible school opening in September. If you will be leaving our community, notifications of your plans in writing would be appreciated. Also, if you have neighbours moving into the area, encourage them to register as soon as possible to ensure attendance at Chalmers for September.

Spring Break Day Camps

Community Schools Partnership is hosting its annual Spring Break Day Camps from Monday, March 13th to Friday, March 17th and Monday, March 20th to Friday, March 24th. The camp will take place at Seaquam Secondary School and run from 9am to 3pm each day. It will include spring-themed games, crafts, out-trips, and other activities! If you’re interested in registering or getting more information, please find the Registration Form in the link below or copies available at the office.

https://cimsweb.deltasd.bc.ca/publicconnect/DEEvents.aspx

Free Workshop Series for Parents and Caregivers

This workshop is a free in-person event for any parent or caregiver struggling to effectively communicate with their child(ren). Parents and caregivers will walk away with information and strategies to support social emotional learning and self-regulation. A light dinner and childcare will be provided.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/how-to-effectively-communicate-with-your-child-tickets-571067216417

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them

Lost and Found

This is just a reminder that students and parents have until 3:00pm of the last school day of every month to claim lost and found clothing items. Clothing items not claimed by this time will be donated to charity.  Because March is a shortened school month due to Spring Break, clothing items will remain on the lost and found clothing line until, Friday, March 10^th.

School Calendar

Week of February 27

Chères familles de Chalmers,

Our Grade 6 & 7 students have been very active this past month.  The grade 6’s have already experienced two days of ski lessons at Mount Seymour. Many students tried skiing for the first time and showed great enthusiasm and a growth mindset.  We also had a great many students participate on basketball teams this past month. On Friday, the Grade 7 boys competed in a tournament at North Delta and played against two other teams. Two of our students, Angad S. and Devharsh K. received the recognition of, “MVP”.

As our season winds its way to a close, I would like to recognize the hard work of all the Grade 6 & 7 teams. Our athletes have worked hard to develop their skills and have shown much growth since their first practices. We were fortunate this year to have a few Burnsview students help us out as additional coaches and referees. Many thanks to our Chalmers coaches, Mr. Ng, Mrs. Biehl, Mrs. Bromley, Ms. Soparlo, Mme Domeck, Mme Almjhell, Ms. Sanghera and Mr. Leonard for their tireless efforts in building the skill level of our teams, and for the many volunteer hours these coaches put in to ensure students had an exciting basketball season.

District News

FREE Social Media Presentation for Parents/Caregivers of Grade 6 & 7 Students

Registration is required:

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=0iIpqHtfBEONGBJ_Fcdu-8ow8r7yz8VNiiAByyx8MQpUNEk2UTNOUjVCMVZOOEUyNVZKVjVOREEwMCQlQCNjPTEu

ParentSmart invites you to our March “In the Know” virtual events. All of the information to register is found through the link below. As always, the events are free to attend.

 Virtual Event: A Conversation for Families About Digital Wellbeing & Mental Health

Description: As parents it’s not easy to know how much time on technology is too much and how to set boundaries that don’t create conflict. Join us for a conversation with a digital wellbeing expert to learn some practical solutions to our everyday concerns and challenges around our kids’ use of screens and their mental health.

This event is offered at various dates and times so that you can make it to the one that works best for you.

Registration: FamilySmart – Events

Dates: Monday March 6th 6:30-8pm

           Thursday March 16th 9:30-11am

           Wednesday March 22nd 12-1:30pm

           Tuesday March 28th 6:30-8pm

          Thursday March 30th 5-6:30pm

They still have seats available for the free IN PERSON event for parents and caregivers on February 28th in Burnaby. Advance registration is required at the link below:

https://familysmart.ca/event/caregivers-as-critical-agents-of-change-strategies-to-keep-in-mind-when-your-young-person-struggles-with-emotional-dysregulation/

MARCH 2023 ItK Event Poster – PST

Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon

Concours d’art oratoire 2023

We are excited for the return of an in-person Concours d’art oratoire in 2023 on Saturday May 6th from 9:30am to 4:30pm at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus. Your response to our announcement tells us we have a lot of students grades 6 to 12 across BC and the Yukon who are as eager as we are!

Please check our website page for the most current information – on the website are the official categories,  the judging rubric,and the Concours rules.

Registration will open in March and close April 11. Stay tuned for more information on travel subsidies.

Please connect with your local chapters as well as your teachers and schools to find out how Concours operates local competitions in your communities.

WE need YOU!  2023 Concours d’art oratoire CALL for VOLUNTEERS

Being back in person means we need more volunteers to support a successful event!  This year we are looking for volunteers in the following categories.

Judges, Room Hosts, Registration and Hospitality, Set up and tear down.

Interested?  Please review the roles in detail and complete our volunteer registration form here!

We look forward to having you join our Concours d’art oratoire 2023 team!  For more information contact Lucie, 2023 Concours d’art oratoire coordinator at concours@cpf.bc.ca.

Keep French learning fun over Spring break!

Spring Break is fast approaching. You can never have enough resources to keep your kids busy. If you’re planning activities while students are off from school, CPF National’s Learning Activity Sheets are a great way to discover new French vocabulary while safely enjoying fresh air and exercise.

Bon congé de mars à tous!

https://bc-yk.cpf.ca/en/cpf-nationals-learning-activity-sheets/

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them

Upcoming PAC Hot lunch date
March 10th – Subway

School Calendar

Week of February 20

Chères familles de Chalmers,

We hope you have enjoyed your time together over the Family Day long weekend. We encourage all students and staff to wear pink on Wednesday this week to advocate for kindness and inclusivity. This annual event takes place on the last Wednesday of February where people wear a pink-coloured shirt to remind each other that everyone deserves kindness and acceptance.

Draft Budget 2023/2024

Public participation provides valuable information for the Board to consider as it weighs options throughout the budget development process. The community is invited to provide input on its priorities prior to the development of the Delta School District draft budget.

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/news-events/news/public-input-on-the-draft-budget/

Homestay Recruitment

Delta School District International Programs needs more homestay families for international students coming to Delta School District for September 2023. They will arrive from all over the world and have a strong desire to be in Delta.

Hosting a student comes with a reimbursement of $1100 per month for expenses. Multiple students from different nationalities can be hosted in one home.

They are looking for a family connection and being a part of a family during their stay in Delta. Their study periods range from 3 months to multiple years. If you are interested in hosting, please reach out to homestay@godelta.ca. If you are not able to host but know of a family who can, please send them our way. There are referral bonuses available for referring families that host students for September.

Be sure to check out our YouTube Channel with testimonials from current homestay families.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLDT30tf-KfjvFjJx79R3KlNtO1cF_DOC

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them

PAC News

Chalmers’ PAC would like to send out a reminder about the upcoming PAC meeting on Thursday, February 23rd at 7pm in the school library. There will be a cheque presentation from the owners of COBB’s Bread, as well as a special vote in regards to the Chalmers Family Fun Night in May. Your input is important and valued! Babysitting will be provided. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Upcoming Hot lunch dates
February 24th – Akari Sushi
March 10th – Subway

School Calendar

Week of February 13^th – 17^th

Chères familles de Chalmers,

Joyeuse saint Valentin! A very happy Valentine’s Day to all our families. Wishing you a day full of love, happiness, and joy.

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration takes place mid-February each year. A child may be registered to attend Kindergarten in September if his or her fifth birthday occurs on or before December 31st of the current year. This would be for children born in 2018.

Kindergarten registration for the 2023/2024 school year will take place either online from February 13-24, 2023, or in person at Chalmers on February 14 from 9:00am-12:00pm. For verification of your catchment area school, please check the School Locator.

Please have the following documents ready to upload with your child’s registration (all documents must be received for registration to be accepted):

1. Proof of citizenship and birth date for the student (Canadian birth certificate or Canadian passport), or Permanent Card (PR Card) (registration will not be accepted until proof of birth date is received).
2. Proof of citizenship for the parent (Canadian birth certificate, Canadian passport, permanent resident card).
3. BC Services Card
4. Proof of Residency (Property Tax assessment for 2023 if you own your home or if you rent – tenancy/ purchase/rental agreement or rental receipt).

If you would like to verify your catchment or read more about registration, please visit the following link.

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/schools/student-registration/kindergarten/

Homestay Recruitment

Delta School District International Programs needs more homestay families for international students coming to Delta School District for September 2023. They will arrive from all over the world and have a strong desire to be in Delta.

Hosting a student comes with a reimbursement of $1100 per month for expenses. Multiple students from different nationalities can be hosted in one home.

They are looking for a family connection and being a part of a family during their stay in Delta. Their study periods range from 3 months to multiple years. If you are interested in hosting, please reach out to homestay@godelta.ca. If you are not able to host but know of a family who can, please send them our way. There are referral bonuses available for referring families that host students for September.

Be sure to check out our YouTube Channel with testimonials from current homestay families.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLDT30tf-KfjvFjJx79R3KlNtO1cF_DOC-

February 17 Play Day

Community Schools Partnership is hosting a Play Day on Friday, February 17th at North Delta Secondary School. The camp will run from 9am to 3pm and include Valentine’s Day/Spring-themed games, crafts, and other activities! If you’re interested in registering or getting more information, please visit the office for a paper copy of the Registration Form or register online at

(https://cimsweb.deltasd.bc.ca/publicconnect/DECourse.aspx).

Sungod Skating Club stages Arabian Nights:  The Story of Aladdin on Ice: Saturday March 4, 2023: 1 and 7pm

On Saturday March 4, you are invited on a journey to a magical land with a Prince, Princess, Genie and Magical Carpet!

Sungod’s 2023 ice show is a journey not to be missed, and we are excited to welcome you into the arena once again, after the pandemic halted the Club’s bi-annual ice show, which has been in existence since 1973.

Show times on Saturday March 4th are at 1 and 7 p.m. at Sungod Recreation Centre. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children/seniors/students (plus tax and service charge)

Skaters from preschool to our senior elite skaters will surely wow both young and young at heart. There will be a 50/50 draw, raffle prizes and a great time is anticipated by all. We hope to see many of our local community come out to show some support for our terrific athletes.

For more show details and purchasing tickets via Eventbrite, visit https://sungodsc.uplifterinc.com/pages/Ice-show-information/ or https://www.facebook.com/sungodskatingclub/

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them

PAC News

Chalmers PAD is looking for your input! Please join the next PAC Meeting on Thursday, February 23rd at 7pm in the school library. There is an exciting meeting planned with a special vote in regard to the Family Fun Night in May, as well as a special presentation from the owners of COBB’s Bread. Again, your participation is valued! Babysitting will be provided.

Upcoming Hot lunch dates
February 24th – Akari Sushi
March 10th – Subway

School Calendar

Week of February 6^th – 10^th

Chères familles de Chalmers,

French Immersion Celebration Week 2023!  February 5-11 

The rewards of French immersion are many, and between February 5 and 11, we recognize and celebrate French Immersion Week. 

More than 53,000 students in BC and close to 900 in the Yukon were in French immersion during the 2021-2022 school year. Learning French and becoming bilingual can provide your child with lifelong educational, professional, cultural, and social opportunities.

Late French Immersion Dates and Deadlines

Late French Immersion Online Application will be available starting:

Jan 4, 2023, 8:00am

Late French Immersion application questions or concerns:

Starting Wednesday, Jan 4th, 2023 please direct questions or concerns about your application to Gwenaëlle Oger-Black, French Programs Coordinator, gogerblack@deltasd.bc.ca

Late French Immersion Application Deadline: Feb 12, 2023 at 4:00pm

Late French Immersion results:

Mar 30, 2023

You should have been contacted with your application results by this date. Please direct questions or concerns about your application to gogerblack@deltasd.bc.ca

Are you learning French as a second (or even third) language?
Do you like reading and writing poetry?
If so, O’Poésie is the contest for you!

O’Poésie is a French as a second language poetry contest for 6 to 18 year old youth. This is an opportunity for FSL students to explore the beauty and expressivity of the French language through a creative learning project.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: FEBRUARY 9, 2023
  WINNERS ANNOUNCED: MARCH 2023

Click here for entry and prize details.

https://cpf.ca/en/participate/youth/contests/

Safer Internet Day – February 7, 2023

From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns. There is huge potential for misuse of the internet, for example, sending or receiving inappropriate information and images (e.g. racist, slanderous, pornographic, threatening, sexist, confidential, etc.) or using chat rooms for this purpose.

We know helping kids stay safe while online is something many parents/guardians are concerned about. We encourage you to review the following resources for more information on the online interests of young people, the potential risks they face and proactive strategies to help keep them safe:

• Raising Digitally Responsible Youth: A Parent’s Guide:https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/erase/documents/raising-digitally-responsible-youth.pdf
• Need Help Now website:https://needhelpnow.ca/app/en/
• ERASE website:https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase/online-safety
• Protect Kids Online website:https://protectkidsonline.ca/app/en/
• Additional Parent Information Resources:https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/resources/parent-information-brochures/

Substance Use Decriminalization Information for Parents, Guardians and Caregivers

The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Child Care, has developed an information sheet on substance use decriminalization for parents, guardians, and caregivers. Talking to Children and Youth about Decriminalization and Substance Use: Resources for Parents/Guardians and Caregivers is now available on the erase website.

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration takes place mid-February each year. A child may be registered to attend Kindergarten in September if his or her fifth birthday occurs on or before December 31st of the current year. This would be for children born in 2018.

Kindergarten registration for the 2023/2024 school year will take place either online from February 13-24, 2023, or in person at Chalmers on February 14 from 9:00am-12:00pm. For verification of your catchment area school, please check the School Locator.

Please have the following documents ready to upload with your child’s registration (all documents must be received for registration to be accepted):

1. Proof of citizenship and birth date for the student (Canadian birth certificate or Canadian passport), or Permanent Card (PR Card) (registration will not be accepted until proof of birth date is received).
2. Proof of citizenship for the parent (Canadian birth certificate, Canadian passport, permanent resident card).
3. BC Services Card
4. Proof of Residency (Property Tax assessment for 2023 if you own your home or if you rent – tenancy/ purchase/rental agreement or rental receipt).

If you would like to verify your catchment or read more about registration, please visit the following link.

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/schools/student-registration/kindergarten/

Child Care Survey

Due to the recent addition of child care to the Ministry of Education, school districts are becoming more connected to child care as well as before and after school programs. With that in mind, we are gathering information on the child care needs in our school district.

This survey is to help determine which of the Delta Elementary schools are in need of before and after school care programs in their schools.

Thank you for assisting us with this valuable information. If you have more than one child, please complete the survey for each child.

You can log on to this link and complete the survey online or you can request a paper copy from the office and return it to your child’s school: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PQ57YJF

Homework Club.

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them.

PAC News

Our school PAC is thrilled to announce the Chalmers PAC will be hosting their 5th Annual Family Fun Night on Wednesday, May 31st!!! This is a fantastic school and community event, so mark your calendars! This event is not a success without the help of our amazing parent and family volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, please email the PAC at chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com.

Upcoming Hot lunch dates
February 10th – Samosas
February 24th – Akari Sushi
March 10th – Subway

School Calendar

Week of January 30^th – February 3^rd

Chères familles de Chalmers,

We hope all our Chalmers families had a restful long weekend.  The weather this week is forecasted to be wet and cold with temperatures below 0°C. Please make sure your children are dressed for the weather each day.

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration takes place mid-February each year. A child may be registered to attend Kindergarten in September if his or her fifth birthday occurs on or before December 31st of the current year. This would be for children born in 2018.

Kindergarten registration for the 2023/2024 school year will take place either online from February 13-24, 2023, or in person at Chalmers on February 14 from 9:00am-12:00pm. For verification of your catchment area school, please check the School Locator.

Please have the following documents ready to upload with your child’s registration (all documents must be received for registration to be accepted):

1. Proof of citizenship and birth date for the student (Canadian birth certificate or Canadian passport), or Permanent Card (PR Card) (registration will not be accepted until proof of birth date is received).
2. Proof of citizenship for the parent (Canadian birth certificate, Canadian passport, permanent resident card).
3. BC Services Card
4. Proof of Residency (Property Tax assessment for 2023 if you own your home or if you rent – tenancy/ purchase/rental agreement or rental receipt).

If you would like to verify your catchment or read more about registration, please visit the following link.

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/schools/student-registration/kindergarten/

Late French Immersion Dates and Deadlines

Late French Immersion Online Application will be available starting:

Jan 4, 2023, 8:00am

Late French Immersion application questions or concerns:

Starting Wednesday, Jan 4th, 2023 please direct questions or concerns about your application to Gwenaëlle Oger-Black, French Programs Coordinator, gogerblack@deltasd.bc.ca

Late French Immersion Application Deadline: Feb 12, 2023 at 4:00pm

Late French Immersion results:

Mar 30, 2023

You should have been contacted with your application results by this date. Please direct questions or concerns about your application to gogerblack@deltasd.bc.ca

Parent Erase Sessions

Establishing Respectful Relationships and Consent in Our Communities Parent Session – 90-minute session

In this session, we will explore the topic of consent, and the dynamics of gender-based violence. We will discuss the current state of gender relations faced by our children in both the physical and digital landscape, as well as the potential for exploitation within these relationships. Our trainers will provide Parents/Caregivers tips and tools on howdiscuss these topics with their children to create positive family connections.

TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:

• What defines consent? A discussion
• The dynamics of gender-based violence
• An overview of worrisome content, and how to manage their child’s exposure on popular social media and gaming platforms
• The different types of bullying and cyberbullying relationships
• The pathway to sextortion and human trafficking–important signs to look for
• The importance of checking in on our children’s mental health and strategies for success
• Family suggestions, as well as tips to facilitate positive conversations and outcomes

Feb 2^th 6:30-8pm

https://event-wizard.com/EstablishingRespectfulRelationshipsandConsentinOurCommunitiesStudentParentFeb22023/0/register/

Feb 7^th 6:30-8pm

https://event-wizard.com/EstablishingRespectfulRelationshipsandConsentinOurCommunitiesStudentParentFeb72023/0/register/

Feb 27^th 6:30-8pm

https://event-wizard.com/EstablishingRespectfulRelationshipsandConsentinOurCommunitiesStudentParentFeb272023/0/register/

March 8^th 6:30pm-8pm

https://event-wizard.com/EstablishingRespectfulRelationshipsandConsentinOurCommunitiesStudentParentMar82023/0/register/

The DELTA TEACHING ASSISTANT CERTIFICATION (DTAC) program

• Quality instruction and up-to-date curriculum
• Over 20 years of successful operation
• A proven track record with employers
• A manageable part-time schedule
• Among the most affordable tuition fees in B.C.

The Application Deadline for the Fall 2023 program is Monday, MARCH 6, 2023.

DETAILED INFORMATION: https://deltalearns.ca/dtac/

Expansion of Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative

Beginning Sept. 1, 2023, the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative will be expanded to include children enrolled in half-day preschool programs and children in Grade 1 and older enrolled in school-aged care programs. More information on the expansion of this initiative will be shared on the ChildCareBC Website.

Child Care Survey

Due to the recent addition of child care to the Ministry of Education, school districts are becoming more connected to child care as well as before and after school programs. With that in mind, we are gathering information on the child care needs in our school district.

This survey is to help determine which of the Delta Elementary schools are in need of before and after school care programs in their schools.

Thank you for assisting us with this valuable information. If you havemore than one child, please complete the survey for each child.

You can log on to this link and complete the survey online or you can request a paper copy from the office and return it to your child’s school: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PQ57YJF

Homestay Recruitment

Delta School District International Programs needs more homestay families for international students coming to Delta School District for September 2023. They will arrive from all over the world and have a strong desire to be in Delta.

Hosting a student comes with a reimbursement of $1100 per month for expenses. Multiple students from different nationalities can be hosted in one home.

They are looking for a family connection and being a part of a family during their stay in Delta. Their study periods range from 3 months to multiple years. If you are interested in hosting, please reach out to homestay@godelta.ca. If you are not able to host but know of a family who can, please send them our way. There are referral bonuses available for referring families that host students for September.

Be sure to check out our YouTube Channelwith testimonials from current homestay families.

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them

Lost and Found

Our lost and found area is once again starting to pile up with water bottles, jackets, hoodies and other items of clothing. Please label all your children’s clothing and have your child take a look at the display in the hallway outside the gym. All unclaimed articles will be bagged and donated to charity at the end of February.

Upcoming PAC Dates

• Friday, Feb. 10 – Hot Lunch (Golden Samosa)
• Friday, Feb. 24 – Hot Lunch (Akari Sushi)

School Calendar

Week of January 23^rd to 27^th

Chères familles de Chalmers,

Although the weather outside has been inconsistent and not all together pleasant, our primary hallways are cheerful and full of creative artwork. Our intermediate students have been getting their Science Fair projects started. We look forward to seeing all the exciting learning in time for our school Science Fair on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

Valentine’s Day Event

We’re excited that this year our DeltaKids table is able to return to the in-person Valentines Day events that we’ve participated in the past.

On Valentine’s day all morning North Delta StrongStart programs will take place at the North Delta Rec. Centre.

New, free wheelchair sports program at Sungod Rec Centre

The City of Delta is offering a new, free wheelchair sports program for kids ages 6-14 at Sungod Rec Centre on Sundays 11am to 1pm starting January 22, 2023.  With a focus on physical literacy skills these sessions will be for participants of all abilities with a focus on those with physical disabilities. For more information email Nadine@bcwbs.ca  or visit:

https://cityofdelta.perfectmind.com/24140/Clients/BookMe4LandingPages/CoursesLandingPage?widgetId=83ce4775-1cd3-4f8f-8189-768fa00e599a&courseId=b3ce30a1-2218-499a-b0eb-5d2ab7ee1eab&searchText=%2210824%22

Late French Immersion

The major goal of Delta’s Late French Immersion program is to provide the opportunity for non-Francophone students to become functionally bilingual in English and French. This is a Grade 6 to 12 program.

You can find more information about Delta’s French Immersion Programs at:

www.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/french-immersion/

Late French Immersion Dates and Deadlines

Late French Immersion Online Application will be available starting:

Jan 4, 2023, 8:00am

Late French Immersion application questions or concerns:

Starting Wednesday, Jan 4th, 2023 please direct questions or concerns about your application to Gwenaëlle Oger-Black, French Programs Coordinator, gogerblack@deltasd.bc.ca

Late French Immersion Parent Information Night:

A pre-recorded Late French Immersion Information presentation is available on the Delta School District web site/Programs/French Immersion.

Jan 25th, and 26th, 2023 at 6:30pm

An On-line Question and Answer Period will be held via Zoom on Jan 25th, and 26th, 2023 at 6:30pm. To join the Zoom On-line Question and Answer please register for the Parent Question and Answer on our website here: https://forms.gle/GkfMQ1PPU3UXQcYK6

Late French Immersion Application Deadline: Feb 12, 2023 at 4:00pm

Late French Immersion results:

Mar 30, 2023

You should have been contacted with yourapplication results by this date. Please direct questions or concerns about your application to gogerblack@deltasd.bc.ca

French Masterclasses

Registrations open for Masterclass à distance

Register now for a free and interactive four-session online course in French on your topic of choice, each led by an expert instructor during a virtual Masterclass en français. Classes start the week of February 13, 2023 and end the week of March 10, 2023. Please register with the link provided:

https://bc-yk.cpf.ca/en/masterclass-a-distance/

Students ages 12-17 learning French in B.C., Alberta, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon are eligible to participate.

Choose between five engaging topics:

• Sharpen your kitchen skills with a sweet baking series.
  Join Chef à l’école for a hands-on baking experience at 4pm PT on Saturdays starting February 18, with a new dessert recipe made to eat in the comfort of your own home each week.
• Explore the universe as an amateur astronomer.
  Gaze at the stars and talk about space, led by a passionate backyard astronomy enthusiast from Vancouver Island. Learn how to get started as a sky-watching hobbyist on Tuesdays at 5pm PT starting February 14.
• Learn about leadership from elite athletes.
  Meet some of the country’s top athletes, and hear about how they setgoals, overcome challenges and work with others to achieve success. You’ll be inspired by their stories, with new presenters each week. Classes on Tuesdays at 5pm PT starting February 14.
• Travel back in time with the arts.
  Connect with history through the legacy of great artists. This series will cover topics across the past centuries such as nature, war, women artists, and technology. Led by a professional artist from Alberta, this series ranges from prehistoric to modern times, on Wednesdays at 4:30pm PT starting February 15.
• Get back to nature with our wildlife sessions.
  Explore environmental issues through the lens of wildlife and nature. Guided by a Wild Outside facilitator, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of environmental and conservation education, Tuesdays at 5 pm (PT), starting February 14.

Space is limited. 

Homework Club

Just a reminder that any students from grades 4-7 wishing to have some schoolwork/homework help are welcome to come to Homework Club in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them

Upcoming PAC Dates

• Thursday, Jan. 26- Hot Lunch (Pizza Hut)
• Friday, Feb. 10 – Hot Lunch (Golden Samosa)
• Friday, Feb. 24 – Hot Lunch (Akari Sushi)

School Calendar

Week of January 16^th -20^th

Wishing all our Chalmers families a happy Lunar New Year full of longevity, peace, and prosperity. 2023 is the year of the rabbit which is predicted to be a year of hope.

Upcoming Burnsview Grade 7 Parent Information Meetings

Burnsview has decided to hold their Grade 7 parent information evenings in person rather than through Zoom.  Both meetings will be held at 7:00 pm in the Burnsview Library.

Grade 7 French Immersion Information Night, Thursday, January 19^th

This evening will provide information specific to the Immersion program at Burnsview including testimonials from students, descriptions of Immersion courses and activities, and a question and answer period.  All Grade 7 French Immersion students and their parents are welcome to attend.

Grade 7 Information Night, Wednesday, January 25^th

This session will include an overview of the Grade 8 program including a description of courses, the course selection procedure, and extra-curricular opportunities offered at Burnsview. This evening is open to all Grade 7 parents and students interested in attending Burnsview. Parents participating in the French Immersion information session will also benefit from participating in this information session as other material will be covered.

Homework Club

A reminder to all our families that Homework Club is available four days a week.  Intermediate students from grades 4-7 interested in getting some extra homework help will be able to attend sessions in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them.

 Snow Pass

Grade 4 & 5 Snow Pass for $29.99+tax offers 2 visits at all participating ski areas.

2022_SnowPass_RateCard_ENG

Xplore Sports ALL GIRLS Program

 Pacific Sport Fraser Valley will have an ALL GIRLS program running in North Delta at North Delta’s Recreation Centre for ages, 6-8, 9-11, and 12-14.

The sports that will be introduced throughout the weeks include:

• Soccer
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Baton
• Pickleball
• Jump rope!

The program will be running Sundays with different time slots for age groups. Please click on the links for the free registration forms.

• Sundays 9:45-10:45, Ages 6-8
• Sundays 11:00-12:00, Ages 9-11
• Sundays 12:15-1:15, Ages 12-14

District News

Homestay Recruitment

Homestay Recruitment Text – Jan 2023

Upcoming PAC Dates

• Friday, Jan. 20- Treat Day (Kernels popcorn)
• Thursday, Jan. 26- Hot Lunch (Pizza Hut)
• Friday, Feb. 10 – Hot Lunch (Golden Samosa)
• Friday, Feb. 24 – Hot Lunch (Akari Sushi)

School Calendar

Week of January 9^th – 13^th

Dear Chalmers Families,

Bonne année! We hope that you all had a wonderful and restful holiday break. Term 2 and a brand new year promises to be an exciting one and our staff at school are recharged and ready to lead our students through learning opportunities and growth. A new term is always a great time to re-visit things that are important.  For us here at Chalmers, one thing that is very important to us is helping our students learn all the ways they can demonstrate Care for Themselves, Care for Others and Care for This Place.  We encourage you to spend some time talking with your child about the countless ways they can show respect in these three areas. Term 2 is always a fast one, being that it is only 10 weeks long. Before we know it, Spring Break will be around the corner!

Black Excellence Day

This Friday, January 13th we will be joining many school districts across the province in recognizing Black Excellence Day! Black Excellence Day is an opportunity to collectively honour the rich history, contributions, achievements, and joy of Black peoples here and around the world. If you would like to contribute to the activities and learning of the day, please reach out to the office.

Homework Club

Beginning this week, we will be hosting a Homework Club four days a week.  Intermediate students from grades 4-7 interested in getting some extra homework help will be able to attend sessions in the library as per the schedule below:

Tuesday/Thursday After School – 3:00pm – 3:45pm

Wednesday/Friday morning – 8:00am – 8:40

Ms. Glancy, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Hanna (Education Assistants) will be available to offer any extra help! Please note: Students who come must bring work with them.

Burnsview’s Grade 7 Parent Information Evenings

The French Immersion information night will be in the format of a Zoom meeting and will be held on Thursday, January 19^th at 7:00 pm. The Zoom link will be provided at a later date.  This evening will provide information specific tothe Immersion program at Burnsview including testimonials from students, descriptions of Immersion courses and activities, and a question and answer period.  All Grade 7 French Immersion students and their parents are invited to participate.

The second information night will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, January 25^th at 7:00 pm. This session will include an overview of the Grade 8 program including a description of courses, the course selection procedure, and extra-curricular opportunities offered at Burnsview. This evening is open to all Grade 7 parents and students interested in attending Burnsview. Parents participating in the French Immersion information session will also benefit from participating in this information session as other material will be covered. The Zoom link will be provided at later date.

Late French Immersion

The major goal of Delta’s Late French Immersion program is to provide the opportunity for non-Francophone students to become functionally bilingual in English and French. This is a Grade 6 to 12 program.

You can find more information about Delta’s French Immersion Programs at:

www.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/french-immersion/

Late French Immersion Dates and Deadlines

Late French Immersion Online Application will be available starting:

Jan 4, 2023, 8:00am

Late French Immersion application questions or concerns:

Starting Wednesday, Jan 4th, 2023 please direct questions or concerns about your application to Gwenaëlle Oger-Black, French Programs Coordinator, gogerblack@deltasd.bc.ca

Late French Immersion Parent Information Night:

A pre-recorded Late French Immersion Information presentation is available on the Delta School District web site/Programs/French Immersion.

Jan 25th, and 26th, 2023 at 6:30pm

An On-line Question and Answer Period will be held via Zoom on Jan 25th, and 26th, 2023 at 6:30pm. To join the Zoom On-line Question and Answer please register for the Parent Question and Answer on our website here: https://forms.gle/GkfMQ1PPU3UXQcYK6

Late French Immersion Application Deadline: Feb 12, 2023 at 4:00pm

Late French Immersion results:

Mar 30, 2023

You should have been contacted with your application results by this date. Please direct questions or concerns about your application to gogerblack@deltasd.bc.ca

UPCOMING PAC DATES

Friday, January 20^th – Treat Day (Kernels Popcorn)

Thursday, January 26^th– Hot Lunch (Pizza Hut)

Friday, February 10^th – Hot Lunch (Golden Samosa)

Friday, February 24^th – Hot Lunch (Akari Sushi)

School Calendar

Week of December 12^th – 16^th

Chères familles de Chalmers,

With the holidays almost here, we want to wish all our Chalmers Families a peaceful and joyous holiday season with family and friends. We would also like to extend a very big, THANK YOU, to our community for the support and help you have given to make Chalmers such a great school.

Les vacances approchent et nous vous souhaitons à tous une pause Joyeuse et chaleureuse en famille et entre amis.

We are very grateful that Chalmers has such an amazing PAC and are thankful for their dedication and support.

A final ‘thank you’ to our amazing Stinger Staff for their commitment and heart in supporting our students to always be their best.

Duffle bag Theatre “A Christmas Carol”

Thanks to our generous PAC, we were able to bring a live performance to the entire school for the first time in years. Our students and staff thoroughly enjoyed Dufflebag Theatre’s production, “A Christmas Carol”.

Christmas Concert 2022

The halls are filled with the rich sounds of students singing as our school excitedly prepares for the upcoming Christmas concert on Thursday, December 15^th at 1:30 pm (afternoon performance) and 6:30 pm (evening performance)!

As always, our students are VERY excited to be participating in a concert for their families and friends. Given the limited number of seats our school gym can accommodate, we encourage families to attend only one of the performances (1:30 pm or 6:30 pm). A notice went home last week requesting families inform our school about whether they plan to attend the afternoon or evening Christmas concert performance. Families opting to attend the evening performance should be aware that seating will be extremely limited (maximum of two seats per family), and tickets will be required for this performance.

Whether you choose to attend the afternoon or evening Christmas concert performance, all students are expected to participate in both performances. In years past, we have noticed an increasing number of students not participating in our evening Christmas concert performance. It is very disappointing and disrespectful to teachers and classmates when students do not participate in the evening performance as they often have key parts in the presentations and are not there to perform them. In order to continue to have evening performances, we must have full student participation!

Huge thanks to Mrs. Wright and the staff serving on the Christmas Concert Committee for organizing this amazing experience for our school community!

Staff Changes

When we return to school in the new year, there will be a slight change to our staff. Mrs. Wright will be going on a maternity leave. We wish all the best to Mrs. Wright and her family during this very exciting time!

Parent Connect

Please remember to update your family’s emergency information online throughout the year. This includes changes to cell phone numbers, emergency release contacts, etc. The only change that cannot be completed by a parent is a change of address. The school needs to see proof of address to change the address in the computer system. The Parent Connect link is: https://cimsweb.deltasd.bc.ca/schoolconnect/parentsignone.aspx. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

As well, just a reminder to ensure you’ve completed the Forms section on Parent Connect. The Delta School District requires that you provide permission for your children for events like walking field trips and Google Apps access. Without these permissions on file, your children could miss out on classroom activities.

Traffic Safety

This is a reminder to parents driving their children to or from school, there is no parent parking or drop off in the school parking lot from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

There are two exceptions to this policy. First, licensed daycare providers can contact the school office for a parking lot pass that will provide them with access tothe school parking lot during “restricted hours”. Second, families who require the use of our accessible parking may continue to do so provided they have clearly displayed the appropriate parking pass.

Lost and Found

This is just a reminder that students and parents have until 3:00pm of the last school day of every month to claim lost and found clothing items. Clothing items not claimed by this time will be donated to charity.  Because December is a shortened school month due to Christmas Break, clothing items will remain on the lost and found clothing line until, Friday, December 16^th. We will have all items outside on display by the gym doors on Thursday, December 15^th duringthe Christmas Concert.

Burnsview’s Grade 7 Parent Information Evenings

The French Immersion information night will be in the format of a Zoom meeting and will be held on Thursday, January 19^th at 7:00 pm. The Zoom link will be provided at a later date.  This evening will provide information specific to the Immersion program at Burnsview including testimonials from students, descriptions of Immersion courses and activities, and a question and answer period.  All Grade 7 French Immersion students and their parents are invited to participate.

The second information night will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, January 25^th at 7:00 pm. This session will include an overview of the Grade 8 program including a description of courses, the course selectionprocedure, and extra-curricular opportunities offered at Burnsview. This evening is open to all Grade 7 parents and students interested in attending Burnsview. Parents participating in the French Immersion information session will also benefit from participating in this information session as other material will be covered. The Zoom link will be provided at later date.

PAC News

The PAC would like to extend their thanks and appreciation to all of our Chalmers families who have so generously helped support the PAC this fall. Through their Toonie Treat Days, Hot Lunches, Movie Nights, and their fall fundraisers, they have been able to provide funding towards the school Christmas concert as well as the Family Fun Night in June 2023. They could not make these possible without your support! THANK YOU!!!

The Chalmers PAC is holding Raffle Draws!!!

The pre-raffle prizes are for 2 front row seats to each Christmas Concert performance. There will be multiple prizes of 2 seats each. These prizes will be awarded on December 14th.

The following raffle prizes will be awarded at the end of the evening performance for one “Family Night Out” prize.

1^st Prize – 4 Vancouver Canucks tickets. Vancouver vs Colorado and a $100 gift card to Browns Social House VALUE $350

2^nd Prize – Movie tickets for 4 to Cineplex and a $100 gift card to Boston Pizza VALUE $200

3^rd Prize – 2 Vancouver Giants tickets Donated by Integra Tire on Scott Road, $50 gift card to Boston Pizza and a Box of Purdy’s Chocolates. VALUE $150

Raffle tickets will be sold in front of the school office before and after school starting Monday, December 12th to December 14th . Tickets will also be sold before both Christmas concerts at the gym doors. If you are not present to collect your prize, the PAC will contact you. Tickets are 3 for $5 CASH ONLY PLEASE! Cookies and Hot Chocolate are available for sale before both concerts.

On behalf of the Chalmers PAC, we would like to wish you all the most joyful and restful holiday season!!!

School Calendar

Week of December 5^th – 9^th

Chères familles Chalmers,

Christmas Concert

Chalmers Elementary is pleased to announce this year’s Christmas Concert will take place on Thursday, December 15^th. There will be two performances taking place, one in the afternoon at 1:30 and one in the evening at 6:30pm. Doors will open 30 minutes before the performances begin. Due to our large school population and demand for tickets, there is a limit of 2 tickets per family for either performance. A form was sent home last week for families to indicate which performance they would like to attend. Tickets will be sent home with students on Tuesday, December 6^th on a first come, first serve basis.

All our students and staff have worked very hard to make these performances special for our Chalmers families.  We ask that our guests attending either session to please stay and enjoy the entire performance as leaving part way through the event would be disruptive to other guests and disappointing to students.

The Scholastic Book Fair is in the Stinger Library

The Stinger Library is hosting the Scholastic Book Fair this week!

There will be opportunities for students to browse the selection at the book fair through the week. Shopping for books can occur during the day and after school from Thursday, Dec. 8 to Monday, Dec. 12^th. Book sales will be available for students during class times, at lunch and after school.  Students will be asked to pay in CASH ONLY.

After school, parents are welcome to come in and do some holiday shopping on Thursday and Friday after school. Access to the library after school will be through the undercover area outside B-pod which is closest to 112th St on the west side of the school.

Upcoming French Immersion Parent Information Meetings and Application Deadlines

Late French Immersion Parent Information Nights:

(For Grade 6 entry into French Immersion)

Wednesday, January 25th, 2023 and Thursday, January 26^th, 2023 at 6:30pm

(Zoom links to all registrants will be sent the day of the sessions).

Application Deadline: February 12, 2023 at 4:00pm

Early French Immersion Application Deadline: January 22, 2023 at 4:00pm

UPCOMING PAC DATES 

Wednesday, December 7th – Purdy’s pickup at 2pm

Thursday, December 8th – Hot Lunch (Subway)

Tuesday, December 13th – Potluck Luncheon for Chalmers Staff

PAC meeting is Thursday, February 23rd at 7pm- PAC Meeting. Babysitting will be provided!

School Calendar

Week of November 28^th – December 2^nd

Chères familles Chalmers:

We had the privilege of a visit by Nathan “Kaanaax Kuwoox” Wilson, the School District’s Indigenous Educator and Cultural Enhancement Facilitator. He brought the “Wave Warrior” Journey canoe for all our staff and students to learn about and view.  He taught us the Challenge song and how to paddle together in the Journey of Truth and Reconciliation. As always, Nathan’s visit was a highlight of the week for many.

Parent Connect – Permission is Required for Every Student

We would love to share many of the photos we take of the students throughout the week. Please make sure to sign all the permission forms on Parent Connect. If we don’t have permission to share your child’s photo then we cannot have their picture in our slideshows, newsletters, etc. We have had some wonderful fruit and vegetables come to the school for our students to try. If your child does not have permission, then they are not able to participate. As well, often your child’s class goes outside to enjoy nature.  In order for your child to participate, the walking field trip permission needs to be given. Please let your child’s teacher or the office know if you have any questions. Below are instructions on how to grant permission for all the great things happening at Chalmers.

Even if you think you have already completed these steps, please log on and double-check …

Please log onto Parent Connect:

https:// web.deltasd.bc.ca//content/resources/for parents/parentconnect

Use your email account (this is the easiest way to get in) and password (if you have forgotten your password click on “forgot my password” and your password will be emailed to you). You must allow for ‘Pop Ups’ on your computer.You can then access all your children at the school. You will need to do this for each of your children attending Chalmers.

Under the “Basic” tab you should update Demographic Information (phone numbers, email addresses and emergency contacts). Click on the “Select” button to the left of the line you need to update and make updates on the right side of the screen.

To add Emergency Release information click on the light blue button “Emergency/Out of Prov/Other Contacts.”

Click on the “Select” button on the left side of the screen and add contact on the right side of the screen. Add no more than 3 names using type ER-Emergency Release and add 1 name using type OP-Out Of Province Contact.

Once you have completed your changes/additions to your child’s Demographic and Emergency Release information click on the “Bulletin” tab on the screen and give your consent/permission to ALL of the following:

• Demographic Information up-to-date
• Emergency Release Information up-to-date
• Mac Computer Permission form
• Photographs/Video/Website Consent (in addition to returning the signed consent form)
• GAFE Permission – (Google Apps for Education)
• Walking Field Trip
• Fruit and Veggie Permission
• Outside Media Consent form

These show on two screens, once you have SAVED the first three the other one will show. Repeat for all children attending Chalmers.

When you log on to Parent Connect, please read the rules about outside media in schools. If you do NOT want your child involved with outside media activities, please print off the form to fill out.

On Friday Dec. 9, the first, formal, written report card for the current school year will be available for viewing on Parent Connect.  The report cards this year will be in a new format with lots of important information about your child(ren). This is an exciting time for children and parents, a time to offer encouragement and support as well as a time to set realistic goals.  As you sit down to discuss your child’s report card with him/her, keep in mind the following questions.

• At what type of work does my child excel? All children have strengths, and it is important to look at areas of excellence as well as areas requiring attention.  Celebrate your child’s successes.
• What type of work is most challenging for my child? Areas of challenge provide children with opportunities to demonstrate perseverance, diligence, and determination, virtues that we want to foster in our children.
• What is my child’s attitude towards learning? Attitude is a key ingredient to success.  While we need to help children be realistic about what they can achieve, everyone doesbetter with a winning attitude.
• How can I support my child in his/her learning? While a variety of homework activities may be assigned on any given night, use the report card to determine which subject area might require extra attention.  This will provide a focus for those evenings when your child says, “But I don’t have any homework.”  Regular practice with reading, spelling, or basic math facts will make a difference over time.
• What goal(s) can we set together for the next term? Together, with your child, choose somethingto work on and then plan for how to achieve the goal.

Thank you for your positive partnership with us in helping your child to succeed at school.  If you have questions about how you can support your child in their learning, contact their classroom teacher.  Together we can make a difference.

 The Scholastic Book Fair is Back!

The Stinger Library will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair just in time for the Holiday season!

There will be multiple times available to shop for books during the day and after school from Thursday, Dec. 8 to Monday, Dec. 12^th. Book sales will be available for students during class times, at lunch and after school.  Students will be asked to pay in CASH ONLY.

After school, parents are welcome to come in and do some holiday shopping on Thursday and Friday after school. Access to the library after school will be through the undercover area outside B-pod which is closest to 112th St on the west side of the school.

The excitement is building already! Thank you all for supporting the Scholastic Book Fair at the Stinger Library!

District News

Vision 2030

In the fall of 2021, we unveiled our Vision, Mission and Values for the next decade following several months of dialogue with staff, students, families, education partners and local First Nations Peoples. Learn more here: https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/district/our-vision/

To keep students andstaff engaged in learning more about the Vision and how it will be used to support students present and future moving forward, all schools and district sites will be participating in a number of fun activities during Fall into Vision Week (November 28 – December 2). We encourage families to look out for Vision-themed posts on our social media channels.

Upcoming French Immersion Parent Information Meetings and Application Deadlines

Early French Immersion Parent Information Nights:

(For Kindergarten entry into French Immersion)

via Zoom on Wednesday, November 30 and Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 6:30p.m.

(Zoom links to all registrants will be sent the day of the sessions).

Application Deadline: January 22, 2023 at 4:00pm

Late French Immersion Parent Information Nights:

(For Grade 6 entry into French Immersion)

Wednesday, January 25th, 2023 and Thursday, January 26^th, 2023 at 6:30pm

(Zoom links to all registrants will be sent the day of the sessions).

Application Deadline: February 12, 2023 at 4:00pm

Online registration for both programs begins on January, 4, 2023 at 8am.

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/french-immersion/

Please find the District poster through the link below:

delta-school-district-french-immersion-poster_updated 2022[2]

PAC News

We have had a great start to the school year with the return of hot lunches and treat days, in person PAC meetings, as well as a family movie night which took place in October.

The PAC would like extend their biggest thank you and heartfelt appreciation to our Chalmers families for your support with our four fundraisers this fall. They were able to give funds towards the Christmas concert and make it extra special this year! They have one more exciting fundraiser coming up during the last week of school, so stay tuned! You won’t want to miss this one!!

Return-it Express

PAC has created an ongoing school fundraising account. To participate, simply bring your containers to the depot in sealed, clear bags, and enter the registered phone number, 604-594-5437, into the Express kiosk. You will be prompted to select the number of bags you’re dropping off, the kiosk will automatically print the same number of sticker tags displaying our PACs unique Express account code. Tag each of your bags with a sticker tag and drop the bags off in the designated Express drop-off area to be counted. For a list of Return-it Express location visit https://www.return-it.ca/locations/express/

STAFF APPRECIATION LUNCHEON 

This year the PAC would like to show their appreciation for teachers and staff by hosting a Potluck Lunch on Tuesday, December 13th. They would greatly appreciate the help of our family community in order to make this lunch possible! If you are able to make/buy a dish or food items, donate funds, or volunteer for set up/clean up, please click the link here to sign up or email Chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com.

UPCOMING DATES 

Friday, December 2nd – Toonie Treat Day

Friday, December 2nd – “Elf” Family Movie Night at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm)

Wednesday, December 7th – Purdy’s pickup at 2pm

Thursday, December 8th – Hot Lunch (Subway)

Tuesday, December 13th – Potluck Luncheon for Chalmers Staff

Our next PAC meeting is Thursday, February 23rd at 7pm. Babysitting will be provided!

School Calendar

Week of Nov. 21^st – 25^th 

Dear Chalmers Families,

Traffic Around the School

We have had near accidents as children and families are walking, riding their bikes, or scootering through the parking lot. Parents, please make sure your children are using the designated walking paths while near the parking lot and not walking through the lot where there are cars. We have also noticed that traffic in front of the school is quite busy at pick up and drop off time each day and even heavier when it is raining.

To keep everyone in our community safe, it is imperative that everyone obey the municipal traffic laws; particularly those around making U-turns, parking illegally and keeping driveways clear when dropping off and picking up students.

We know that most of our community practices safe driving, but it is imperative that everyone does so.  If you must drive your child to and/or from school, we ask that you adhere to the posted traffic signage and do not block driveways.  We recognize that traffic can be busy in front of the school, so we recommend arranging a meeting spot with your child(ren) a block or two away from the school and having them meet you there.  If that is not possible, legally park your vehicle in an appropriate spot and walk to the school to meet your child.  We recognize that life can be busy and that doing things safely and legally might add a few extra minutes to pick up time but keeping all of our students safe is the logical choice so please do your part.

Cold / Flu Season

We are officially in the heart of cold/flu season. To keep our school as healthy as possible for students and staff, the best defence we have is for people to stay home when not well.  Please remember to call the school and record an absence for each day your child will not be attending. Please also remember to leave your child’s first and last name, the division and/or teacher and the reason for the absence.

The Downtown Surrey BIA wanted to announce their 6th Annual Gingerbread Village contest. They are sending an invitation to the community to join the Gingerbread Village Contest. Anyone can participate and enter the contest on behalf of your school; individual classes, clubs, and culinary programs are welcome! There is no limit to the number of entries from each school. It would be more convenient to have individual students work on this project at home with their family members; we accommodate that too! The gingerbread creations will be displayed at Central City Shopping Centre and we will have a panel of Judges to award cash prizes in each division.

The judges will be awarding $10,000 in cash prizes to the best gingerbread creations. Similar to the previous year, they will have the People’s Choice Award where two entries with the highest number of votes will win $1000 cash and $500 cash, respectively. All the money raised will be donated to the Surrey Christmas Bureau. Surrey Christmas Bureau is a charity that helps low-income families with children and youth living in the City of Surrey access food, clothing, toys and household items during the Christmas Holiday Season. Online voters will have a chance to win a $250 Central City Shopping Centre gift card. The deadline for registration is November 24, 2022. The registration form and more information will be sent via school email soon.

Here is some basic information about the Gingerbread Village:

Date: December 3, 2022, to December 11, 2022

Location: Central City Shopping Centre

The theme of the contest: The Season of Giving

Prizes: Over $10,000 Cash Prize

Size of Gingerbread Creation: Up to 30 x 30 Inches

The deadline for registration is November 24, 2022

Return your completed application to Stephanie at stephanie@downtownsurreybia.com by November 24, 2022, at 5:00 pm.

Deltassist Christmas Program: Information and Registration 2022

The Deltassist Christmas Program supports low-income Delta families, individuals and seniors who need additional support during the holiday season with grocery gift cards and a toy depot. For eligibility criteria and information on how to register with Deltassist Christmas Program. Click on the following link.

https://deltassist.com/community/deltassist-christmas-programs-information-and-registration

Surrey Christmas Bureau Program: Information and Registration 2022

The Surrey Christmas Bureau supports low-income families in Surrey who need support during the holidays by providing food hampers and toys for children. For eligibility criteria and information on how to register with the Surrey Christmas  Bureau.  Click on the following link.

https://christmasbureau.com/

District News

Safer Schools Together

Parenting is hard, and the rapid rise of technology and social media use in the lives of their kids makes it harder.

To help, we’re extending complimentary access to download “Raising Digitally Responsible Youth – A Parent’s Guide from Safer Schools Together. The guide was designed to help introduce Parents and Caregivers to leading social media platforms, video games, and relevant trends that are either being used already or have the potential to be used by their children.

This guide is full of tips, how-to’s and definitions for the most widely used apps – including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and more. Best of all – it’s complimentary, and you can share it with every parent in your community.

GET YOUR COPY NOW

School Calendar

Week of November 14^th – 18^th

Dear Chalmers Families,

We held our first in-person Remembrance Day assembly after three years in the gym. All of our students did a great job with respecting the solemn occasion and remembering those that sacrificed and continue to for our freedoms in Canada.

Young Actors Project

This is the last week for the Young Actor’s Project workshops at Chalmers. Every student has participated in at least two of the drama sessions and the engagement from each class has been tremendous to see.  It is our hope that your children have come home discussing all the skills they have learned and the amount of fun they had.  We thank all the families that have sent in the $6.00 already.

Dressing for the Weather

Although we enjoyed some wonderful fall weather and many warm sunny days, winter is now truly upon us. As the temperature continues to dip, it is important that the students come dressed in outerwear appropriate for the cold, wet and wind. Here, on the West Coast, rain is just a fact of life. On most days, students will be going outside at recess and lunchtime. It is only in the case of extremely poor weather, that we designate the recess and/or lunch hour as an “in day”, which means that students are to stay inside and play quietly in their classrooms rather than venture outdoors. We refrain from doing this unless absolutely necessary, as the children need the opportunity to get out in the fresh air and be physically active before heading back into the classroom.

Not only do students need to be dressed warmly enough to enjoy themselves outside at recess and lunch, but having warm clothing is also essential in the event of an emergency or unexpected situation requiring a building evacuation. Many students are still coming to school without jackets, wearing shorts and hoodies … even on the coldest, rainiest of days. Please ensure your children come to school dressed accordingly for being outside at recess and lunchtime (e.g. boots and a coat). Because our field also gets quite mucky and wet at this time of year, packing an extra pair of socks and pants into your child’s backpack is also suggested.

Snow Days

The arrival of the first glimpse of snow last week provides a perfect time to review how we would communicate a snow day to our families. If it snows, will there be school? The short answer is… YES! During extreme winter conditions, including heavy snowfalls, all schools in the Delta School District will remain OPEN, if possible. It is very rare that schools would be closed due to weather conditions or other circumstances. Schools may have a delayed opening to allow for district or municipal staff to clear safe routes to schools for students and families. Any closure or delayed opening will be decided by 7:00 am at the latest and will be announced through the media as well as through district and school websites. Please note that no announcement will be made stating that schools are open. Only closures or delayed openings will be announced.

Information about any closures will be sent to Metro Vancouver radio and television stations. Please check the following stations for school closure information.

Announcements will also be made on the district website at https://www.deltasd.bc.ca. To keep phone linesclear we ask that you please refrain from phoning the school to check that we are open.

During extreme weather conditions, it is also common for police and other authorities to advise citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. Parents should take this advice as well. Parents/Guardians are responsible for their children’s safe travel to and from school. If, for any reason, a parent/guardian feels that a child cannot travel safely to school, then they should make other arrangements. Schools will be kept open under extreme circumstances to provide the option of attendance for all, but the decision is the responsibility of each family. Should you choose to keep your child at home, please call the office and leave a message reporting your child’s absence.

Fall Flu Season

The flu season is upon us, and at school, we are doing everything possible to keep Chalmers Elementary a healthy place to work and learn. All our students are receiving lots of reminders to wash their hands frequently, to cough into their elbows and to try and keep their work areas clean.

If your child is sick or exhibiting any of the symptoms of the flu, it is extremely important that you keep him or her home until all symptoms have disappeared. Please make sure to call the absentee phone line (available 24 hours a day) at 604-594-5437. Leave your name, your child’s name and division number or teacher name and let us know if your child is sick.

School-Wide Medical Alert

This is a reminder to families in our community that several of our students have life-threatening allergies to eggs, peanuts, nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, pecans, macadamias), and seafood. Exposure to even tiny amounts of egg, nut or seafood 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 seafood at home. Several companies are now making nut-free snacks and we encourage you to look for these products when shopping. Label reading is the key to sending safe egg-free, nut-free, and seafood-free foods to school. Please do your part to ensure our school environment is a safe one for all our students. THANK YOU!!

Lost and Found

Our lost and found area is once again over-flowing with water bottles, jackets, hoodies and other items of clothing. Please label all your children’s clothing and have your child take a look at the display in the hallway outside the gym. All unclaimed articles will be bagged and donated to charity at the end of November.

School Calendar

Week of November 7^th – 11^th

Dear Chalmers Families,

Remembrance Day

On Remembrance Day we honour those who sacrificed their lives so that we can live as we do today in Canada. By remembering, we pay tribute to all the men and women that served to defend our values and freedoms. We also honour those who continue to serve our country today.  On Thursday, November 10^th Chalmers will be holding a Remembrance Day Assembly in the gym. Some classes have signed up to present poems, songs, and a candlelight ceremony to help us all better understand and appreciate Remembrance Day and its significance. We will also have a wreath laying ceremony complete with two minutes of silence. Throughout the week, we will be accepting donations for the Poppy Campaign. Students who would like to donate can give the contribution to their teacher. Donations can also be made online to The Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund. https://www.legion.ca/donations

Deltassist Christmas Program: Information and Registration 2022

The Deltassist Christmas Program supports low-income Delta families, individuals and seniors who need additional support during the holiday season with grocery gift cards and a toy depot. For eligibility criteria and information on how to register with Deltassist Christmas Program. Click on the following link.

https://deltassist.com/community/deltassist-christmas-programs-information-and-registration

Surrey Christmas Bureau Program: Information and Registration 2022

The Surrey Christmas Bureau supports low-incomefamilies in Surrey who need support during the holidays by providing food hampers and toys for children. For eligibility criteria and information on how to register with the Surrey Christmas  Bureau.  Click on the following link.

https://christmasbureau.com/

District News

Online Safety and Privacy Resource & Support

Delta School District is dedicating the week of November 14-18 as Digital Citizenship week. Please see below an opportunity for parents and students!

Erase: Social Media Awareness, Digital Footprints and Cyberbullying (60min Zoom Session)

This session for students and parents covers all things digital, from how to be a good digital citizen to the criminal consequences of cyberbullying. Some of the most prominent concerns currently surrounding students’ use of social media platforms and smartphones will be discussed.
Sign up here: https://event-wizard.com/SocialMediaAwarenessStudentParentsNov152022/0/register/

 School Calendar

Week of October 31^st – November 4^th

 Dear Stinger Families,

So many great events happened last week.  Our grade 6/7 volleyball games began after school and Chalmers Stingers showed great determination while playing against our neighbouring schools.

The Cross-Country Challenge occurred at Sunshine Hills on Wednesday afternoon. We are very proud of all the Stingers that demonstrated their athleticism, endurance as well as their school spirit.

On Friday, it was such a pleasure to see so many families participate in our first in a long time PAC Movie Night.  Seeing as the turnout was so great, our PAC is hoping to host the next one around Christmas time.

Halloween at Chalmers

Remember to bring in your carved pumpkins for the Chalmers Pumpkin Carving Contest tomorrow! There are three different categories for students to enter their pumpkin in, including: spookiest, most creative, and silliest. We will announce the winners after lunch tomorrow. Drop your carved pumpkins off at the gym doors tomorrow morning between 8:10-8:40am. We ask for allpumpkins to be picked up after school from the same location and taken home.

Also, tomorrow, Chalmers will be having a studentHalloween Parade at 2:00pm. Students will walk through the gym to showcase their costumes.

Students are encouraged to wear their costumes being mindful NOT to include replica weapons or anything too scary or gory.

Parents are invited to attend and view the parade from the Gym. Please make sure to leave the gym stage clear as there will be a display of jack-o-lanterns. Please arrive between 1:45 and 2:00pm.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Stinger Spirit Wear

The last date to order Chalmers Stinger Spirit Wear is tomorrow, October 31^st, If you would like to order a t-shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt, check out our online store.  All orders are placed, and payment made at this website.

Spirit Wear

Delivery to the school will take place about three to four weeks after.  Please contact the office if you have any questions and we are looking forward to seeing our students showing off their school pride!

 School Calendar

Week of October 24

Dear Stinger Families,

We hope that all families have a wonderful Diwali and that it brings new smiles, different perspectives, and unbound happiness!

It was great to be able to welcome our families back in the school for our Parent-Teacher Conferences this year. We hope everyone enjoyed connecting with their child’s teacher and were able to discuss ways to make this the best year possible. The feedback we have received from staff is that things went very well.  Thanks to all who participated!

Halloween at Chalmers

Halloween is just around the corner! In order to help you get in the Halloween spirit, we have a few fun activities planned. On Friday we will be holding our next second theme day and all students are invited to wear orange and black, Halloween themed clothing, headbands etc.

On Monday, October 31, all students that want to, are welcome to come to school dressed in their Halloween costume.

Here are a few guidelines for Halloween costumes at school:

• should not be too scary
• should be age appropriate
• should not promote illegal activities, drugs/alcohol, or could be offensive or perpetuate a stereotype of someone’s culture, gender, heritage, or religion are not ok for school
• must be safe & comfortable.  Students must be able to sit, walk, breathe, see and hear.  Anything that limits vision or restricts movement can lead to falling & other injuries. That’s no fun on Halloween! (students may wear masks during the parade, though)
• must be in line with our dress guidelines (students are sufficiently covered and dressed for the weather)

• toy weapons should be kept at home
• not all students like to dress up (and that’s ok, too!)
• since costumes worn to school may not survive the day intact, consider a spare/alternate costume and save the “real” one for trick or treating that night

Also, on Monday, there is the Chalmers Pumpkin Carving Contest for any students wishing to participate.  There will be three different categories for students to enter their pumpkins in, including: spookiest, most creative, and silliest. We will announce the winners after lunch on the same day.

All students who want to participate are asked to drop off their already carved pumpkin to the gym door by the intermediate uncover area anywhere from 8:10-8:40am.

We ask for all pumpkins to be picked up after school from the same location and taken home. We look forward to seeing what Chalmers students can create!!!

Your child’s teacher will let you know if they are planning any other Halloween related activities.

Stinger Spirit Wear

We are once again collecting orders for Chalmers Stingers Spirit Wear!  If you would like to order a t-shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt, check out our online store.  All orders are placed, and payment made at this website.

Spirit Wear

Orders can be placed until October 31^st, 2022 with delivery to the school taking place about three to four weeks after this date.  Please contact the office if you have any questions and we are looking forward to seeing our students showing off their school pride!

PAC News

To help Chalmers celebrate Diwali, our PAC will be holding a special Toonie Treat Day. Gulab Jamins will be on sale tomorrow.

School Calendar

Week of October 17^th

Dear Stinger Families,

We are wishing all families a Happy Diwali! We hope this year’s Diwali illuminates your heart and homes with friendship and togetherness.

Our parent -Teacher Conferences will take place this week on Tuesday and Thursday. Our teachers are looking forward to the opportunity to discuss your child and ways we can work together to make this a great school year!  Students will be dismissed at 2:00pm on both Tuesday and Thursday as well as our regular Wednesday 2:00pm dismissal.  For both early dismissals, the contents of our Lost and Found will be on display in front of the school.  Feel free to stop by, have a look, and claim any items that belong to your child.  If you haven’t already booked an appointment time with your child’s teacher don’t worry as Parent Connect is still open to find a time slot that works for you.

Great BC Shake Out

This Thursday schools across the province will be taking part in the Great BC Shake Out earthquake drill.  Students will learn about what could happen during an earthquake and how to keep themselves safe should one ever occur.  In addition, our students will practice the “Duck, Cover, Hold” procedure too.  This procedure involves ducking under a desk, covering our heads and backs, and holding on to the legs of the desk.  Students will then count to 60 and await further instructions from their teacher.  This will be the first of three Earthquake drills that we will complete as part of our Emergency Preparedness plan.

Upcoming Spirit Days

Our Spirit Day Committee recently met and have set up a few spirit days for the next few weeks.  Here are the details:

Thursday, Oct 20 – Jersey Day

Friday, Oct. 28 – Halloween Theme Day – Wear orange, black or Halloween themed shirts, head wear, etc.

Monday, Oct 31 – Halloween Costume Parade (more details to come)

Tuesday, Nov. 1 – PJ Day

Pumpkin Carving Contest

Once again, Chalmers will be holding a pumpkin carving contest for the students on Monday, Oct.31st. Everyone is encouraged to participate. There will be three different categories for students to enter their pumpkins in, including: spooki

est, silliest, and most creative. We will announce the winners with prizes after lunch on the same day.

All students who want to participate are asked to drop off their already carved pumpkin to the gym door by the intermediate uncover area anywhere from 8:10-8:40am.

We ask for all pumpkins to be picked up after school from the same location and taken home. We look forward to seeing what Chalmers students can create!!!

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bromley.

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz October 10th – 14^th

Dear Stinger Families,

Parent – Teacher Conferences

We will be holding in-person Parent/Teacher Conference appointments on Tuesday, October 18^th and Thursday, October 20^th. The purpose of these first conferences is to provide parents an opportunity to share information about their child with the teacher. This allows us to develop a better understanding of the students’ learning needs. All conferences are booked using our Parent Connect Interview System. Instructions were sent home last week via email. Conferences will be available to book online starting Wednesday, October 12^th after 12:00 pm. All parents are encouraged to book an appointment.

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz October 3^rd – 7^th

Dear Stinger families,

Thanksgiving

Canadian Thanksgiving will be held on Monday, October 10^th. Thanksgiving is a time for celebrating all the blessings of the past year and giving thanks to those who have helped us along the way.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”—William Arthur Ward

On behalf of the staff at Chalmers Elementary, we wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! We hope this weekend finds you with moments of gratitude and togetherness with family and friends. We all have so much to be thankful for.

Young Actors Project

A big, “Thank you”, to Chalmers PAC for covering a large portion of the cost for the drama workshops. To help with the remaining balance, a notice went home last week requesting $6.00 per child.  Each class gets three 90-minute drama workshops held right in their classroom. Through drama games, mini scenes, and improvisation the workshops develop skills of expression, communication and cooperation. Students exercise their imaginations in new and exciting ways, as well as develop the confidence to creatively express themselves in front of each other – all skills they can put to use throughout the year. Make sure to ask your child how their acting workshop went!

Visit their website for more information <http://www.youngactorsproject.ca>

World Teachers’ Day October 5

World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5^th to celebrate all teachers around the globe. The theme for 2022 is, “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”. Please join us in saying a huge, “Thank You!” to all the teachers at Chalmers who work so hard to inspire, guide and educate our students and make our school a great place to be.

Student Photo Day

Will take place on Friday, October 7^th.  Here is some information from our photographer to help make sure the experience is successful for everyone.

https://www.mountainwest.ca/school-elementary-photos

PAC News

Happy October Chalmers Families!

We are asking parents to please take a look at your munchalunch account and make sure that your child is connected to the appropriate teacher/division. You can do this by going to the munchalunch website and finding the “My Family” tab and clicking on “My Children”. From there you can edit and confirm the appropriate teacher.

We are in need of volunteers to help with hot lunches! If you would like to volunteer an hour of your day once or twice a month on a Thursday please email Chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com.

Fundraising
We currently have our DFS Holiday online fundraiser going on until November 10th. You can purchase your holiday wrapping paper, chocolates, as well as other fun holiday gift ideas.
Did you know the PAC has a Chalmers Elementary recycling account? Simply bring your containers to any Return-It Express Depot, in sealed, clear bags and enter the school phone number (604-594-5437) into the Express kiosk where a sticker tag can be printed and placed on to bags. No sorting necessary! This is a fantastic and easy way to collect funds we can put directly back into our children’s school.

Upcoming Important Days
Thursday, October 6th – Toonie Treat Day (Krispy Kreme)
Thursday, October 13th – Hot Lunch (Akari Sushi)
Thursday, October 13th – PAC meeting 7pm in the library

Thursday, October 20th – Hot Lunch (Subway)Monday

October 24th – Toonie Treat Day

District News

Free Parenting Seminar for Parents and Caregivers

October 13th, 2022 Connect Before Correct: Understanding Your Teen with Nik Stimpson 

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/connecting-with-your-teen- tickets-425858693817

Sands Secondary – 6:30pm – 8pm Library – space is limited
10840 82nd, Delta BC

To Register:

Definition of insanity: trying the same thing again and again and expecting different results. Parenting a teenager can be hard, and it’s easy to get caught in the same old patterns! Find breakthrough with an evidence-based, trauma-informed approach to caring for your teen with Nik Stimpson (MSci, MA). Join us for a relaxed evening to explore teen behaviour, development, and practical ways to support healthy, capable youth. We will learn to tell the difference between “normal” expected behaviour and when to be concerned, and how to analyze extreme behaviour and understand it as a means of communication. We will also explore ways to deeply connect with youth and build trust, and handle our own distress during times of great change.

School Calendar

Weekly Buzz September 26th-30th

Dear Stinger Families,

We are so pleased with the turn out last Thursday at our Open House.  Thank you to all families that came, it was wonderful seeing parents with their children in the building again. We are looking forward to upcoming similar activities in the school.

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal statutory holiday which gives the public a chance to recognize and commemorate the intergenerational harm that residential schools have caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those who have been affected by this injustice.

September 30th is also Orange Shirt Day.

“The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30th opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected. Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.”

(Orange Shirt Day website)

Orange Shirt Day invites Canadians to wear orange shirts on September 30th each year to honour survivors of Residential Schools, their families, and their communities.

As the school will be closed on this day, we will be acknowledging both days on Thursday, September 29th.  Staff and students are encouraged to wear orange in remembrance and respect to the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada.

We are encouraging everyone to wear something orange on Thursday and we will be holding an assembly.

Student Absences

It is very important to call the school when your child is absent. Our safe arrival program relies on knowing which students will be not attending EACH day they are absent.

When you need to record an absence, please call the main office number at 604-594-5437 and listen to the prompt that will lead you to the absence voicemail. This is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can leave an absence message any time.

Please remember to leave your child’s first AND last name, the division and/or teacher and the reason for the absence. Please indicate whether this absence is an illness-related absence.

We know that many parents choose to directly email the Teachers, but the office still needs to be called in the event that the Teacher is absent and does not let the office know.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe!

District News

Safer Schools Together

Safer Schools Together are offering complimentary parent sessions through erase.

November 15 Register Student with Parent Session 1 – November 15, 2022 (event-wizard.com)

November 30 Register Student with Parent Session 2 – November 30, 2022 (event-wizard.com)

School Calendar

Week of September 20th – 23^rd

Dear Stingers Families,

Road Safety

Pick up times can be busy and we have limited parking around the school. Due to this, we encourage families to walk to and from school if possible. To help us continue to keep our students and staff safe during pick up and drop off time, parents can do the following:

• Keep our staff parking lot and front of the school clear of parent vehicles.
• Make sure your children are walking on designated walking paths while near the staff parking lot and not cutting through
• Do not block private driveways of houses near our school
• Follow all road signs to ensure you are parked safely and legally

Walk Your Wheels On The Playground – For the safety of everyone, please remind your children they must walk their bikes, scooters, skateboards etc when on the school grounds.

Welcome Back Open House

Chalmers will be hosting a Welcome Back open house for the school community this Thursday from 3:15 – 4:00pm. Students and parents can see their new classroom meet their teachers.

Parent Connect – Permission is Required for Every Student

Even if you think you have already completed these steps, please log on and double-check …

Please log onto Parent Connect:

https:// web.deltasd.bc.ca//content/resources/for parents/parentconnect

Use your email account (this is the easiest way to get in) and password (if you have forgotten your password click on “forgot my password” and your password will be emailed to you). You must allow for ‘Pop Ups’ on your computer. You can then access all your children at the school. You will need to do this for each of your children attending Chalmers.

Please make sure all family demographics are up to date so that in the case of an emergency, the school can be in contact.  Any changes can be made by calling or bringing new information to the school office.

To add Emergency Release information, click on the light blue button “Emergency/Out of Prov/Other Contacts.”

Click on the “Select” button on the left side of the screen and add contact on the right side of the screen. Add no more than 3 names using type ER-Emergency Release and add 1 name using type OP-Out Of Province Contact.

Once you have completed your changes/additions to your child’s Emergency Release information click on the “Bulletin” tab on the screen and give your consent/permission to ALL of the following:

• Demographic Information up-to-date
• Emergency Release Information up-to-date
• Mac Computer Permission form
• Photographs/Video/Website Consent (in addition to returning the signed consent form)
• GAFE Permission – (Google Apps for Education)
• Walking Field Trip
• Fruit and Veggie Permission
• Outside Media Consent form

These show on two screens, once you have SAVED the first three the other one will show. Repeat for all children attending Chalmers.

When you log on to Parent Connect, please read the rules about outside media in schools. If you do NOT want your child involved with outside media activities, please print off the form to fill out.

Please take a few minutes to complete all these important forms as soon as possible.

Dress for the Weather

We are approaching the time of year when it is cooler and can be very rainy. Just a reminder to make sure your children come to school dressed appropriately for playing outside at recess and lunchtime (e.g. boots, jacket, hat, gloves, etc.), and perhaps also pack an extra pair of socks and pants into their backpacks for really rainy days! In the case of extremely poor weather, a decision will be made by staff to designate the recess and/or lunch hour as an “in day”, which means that students are to stay inside and play quietly in their classrooms rather than venture outdoors. We refrain from doing this unless absolutely necessary, as the children need the opportunity to get out in the fresh air and be physically active before heading back into the classroom (and besides, rain is just a fact of life of our West Coast climate).

School Calendar

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 first week of school was 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, I’m expecting the routines and procedures of the school year to be up and fully running in the days ahead.

We are truly looking forward to a great school year!

Communicable Disease Prevention

 The District Communicable Disease Plan is now posted on the District webpage here:

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/DSD-Communicable-Disease-Prevention-Plan-September-6-2022.pdf

Health Check and Awareness:  The formal COVID-19 Daily Health Check criteria and process that we have been following through the pandemic will no longer be used.  However, all staff and students should check themselves for signs and symptoms of illness each day prior to arriving at school.    Common symptoms of communicable disease include:

• fever or chills.
• stuffy or runny nose.
• cough.
• headaches.
• sore throat.
• muscle or body aches.
• fatigue.

This information is available on our District webpage here:  https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/Sept-2022-Daily-Health-Check.pdf

Hand hygiene:  As we’ve learned over the past couple of years, frequent hand washing is an important part of our prevention strategy.   Encourage all staff and students to wash their hands frequently.   Hand sanitizer solution will continue to be provided to all schools and classrooms.

Cleaning and Disinfecting:    Frequently touched surfaces in schools will continue to be cleaned every day.   Supplies of disinfectant solution will also be distributed to each school for cleaning and disinfecting other items and surfaces as needed.

Use of Masks:  While not required or recommended, many staff/students may make the personal choice to continue to wear face masks while at school.  While the District supports this choice, it is their responsibility to provide their own masks. The District will provide a limited number of disposable face masks to each school to be used in cases where a staff/student becomes ill while at school or other situations where there may be a risk of transmission to others.

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 2022-2023 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.caby 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 ourstaff 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 staff members:

• N. Domeck (Grade 7 LFI Teacher)
• J. Dang (Kindergarten Teacher will job-share with Ms. Corazza and will job-share with Ms. Sidhu in Grade 3)
• H. Carrier (Education Assistant)
• J. Gajjar Education Assistant)
• T.M Lopez (Education Assistant)

School Organization

We start the year with 470 students spread into 21 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.

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.

Please remember to update your family’s emergency release information online throughout the year. Changes to other demographic information cannot be completed online by a parent at this time. This change can be done by bringing this information to the school office.

For the convenience of our families, a quick link to the ParentConnect 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 the actual work. Other helpful routines involve assigning responsibilities for household chores, being firm about times to get up and go to bed (most children require about 10 hours of sleepper 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 youset 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.

PAC News.

The Chalmers PAC is an opportunity for parents and guardians to partner with their child’s school and contribute to the school community. The PAC is created for parents to have a voice in matters affecting the school including programs, policies, activities, and the overall community. PACs alsoenhance the school experience through events and fundraising for resources such as field trips, guest speakers, music, technology and library and gym equipment beyond district and provincial funding.

We would love to see you at our first meeting on Thursday, September 15 at 7pm in the school library.

Stay up to date with all the PAC information by joining our Facebook page here Chalmers PAC or scan our QR code.

To contact a PAC member please email chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com

Looking forward to a great year!

Upcoming Important PAC Days

September 15th – PAC meeting 7pm

September 16th – Toonie treat day (Krispy Kreme Donuts)

September 29th – Hot lunch

District News

Safer Schools. 

“The Modern-Day Predator” was designed to provide education to Parents/Caregivers, School Administrators and Community Partners as a means for the prevention of sexual exploitation. This session provides tools to address issues like consent, creating healthy boundaries and grooming both online and in person

This training will include:

• An overview of sexual exploitation and human trafficking
• The different types of predators and their grooming methods
• Who is most vulnerable and why?
• Online exploitation: recent trends, what makes social media apps risky, grooming tactics, avoiding sextortion
• Signs of sexually exploited individuals
• Best practices for supporting individuals and gaining disclosures
• Relevant legislation, important resources and help tactics

https://saferschoolstogether.com/tc-events/the-modern-day-predator-sep-28-2022/

The event takes place on September 28, 2022, from 7-9pm and is $29 a person.

Fall Parent Workshops.

Family Smart would like to share their September and October virtual workshop dates for families – please see attached. “Help for the Hard Times” workshops are designed to support parents/caregiverswhose child has had an inpatient stay or has had ER visits due to a mental health or substance use concern.

As parents ourselves, we know how difficult it can be to support a child after a mental health crisis and we want to help.

The workshops are FREE and registration is required: www.familysmart.ca/workshops. Please find attached a poster with dates and info for theSeptember and October sessions for the Fraser region.

If you have any questions or would like to connectone on one, please don’t hesitate to contact us at SurreyDeltaWhiteRock@familysmart.ca

‘intheknow’ Connect

MONTHLY ONLINE EVENTS FOR PARENTS & CAREGIVERS

Every month, we host events for parents & caregivers who are parenting a child or youth with a mental health and/ or substance use challenge called “in the know.”

SEPTEMBER

Parenting When Anxiety Shows Up As Anger
Speaker: Karen Peters, RCC

OCTOBER

Building Connection With Our Kids When It Feels Impossible
Speakers: Diane Evans & Tammy Music, Parent Peer Support Workers

NOVEMBER

It’s Never Too Late: Healing Parent-Child Relational Stress Using Emotion-Focused Family Therapy Speaker: Dr. Adele Lafrance

DECEMBER

ADHD – The Real Deal

Speaker: Dr. Don Duncan

Join us to watch a video and talk with other families about what helps. Online events are facilitated by FamilySmart Parent Peer Support Workers.

familysmart.ca/events

Week of August 29- Welcome to the new 2022-2023 School Year

We hope you all are having a wonderful summer holiday! While there is still a little summer left to enjoy, here is some important information to help you plan for the opening week of school.

The office is now open for the school year daily from 8:45am-3:30pm. If you would like to register your child, please do so between Tuesday, August 30^th and Friday, September 2, 2022.  Please contact Mrs. Dougans at 604-594-5437 or adougans@deltaschools.ca.

The beginning of a new school year can be a time of uncertainty with regards to enrolment and class assignments.  Although tentative classes were 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.

Despite not being able to set our classes ahead of time, we want to ensure a smooth entry for our students. The staff at Chalmers has prepared for our September opening and how we might alleviate some of the uncertainty around “back to school”.

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 6, 2022, from 8:45 – 12:10 pm
• All returning students will report to the classroom that they were in during the 2021-22 school year
• Grade 6 Late French Immersion students who attended Chalmers for Grade 5 will report to their last year’s class on the first day of school. After attendance, they will be escorted to their Grade 6 LFI classroom.
• Grade 6 LFI students who attended a different school for Grade 5 will report to the gym. After attendance and a brief orientation, they will be escorted to their Grade 6 LFI classroom.
• All new students will report to the gym for placement in temporary classrooms
• School hours during the first week back will be as follows:

Tuesday
                     –                       8:45 – 12:10 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 2021-22 school year. However, students entering Grade 1 will work with other teacher(s), as their last year teacher will be needed to welcome our new kindergarten students.

For the first day however, Ms. Hogg’s and Ms. Waugh’s former students are to line up at their old Kindergarten classrooms, and they will return to their old classroom for 15-30 minutes to re-connect.  Assigned staff will then walk them to the classrooms that they will be working in (Library or Music Portable) and temporary teachers will work with them until they have been assigned to their new teacher/classroom.

Those students whose teacher is no longer at Chalmers will work with an assigned teaching staff member.

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:

https://ch.deltasd.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/03/School-Supply-Lists-2022-2023.pdf

                 We look forward to a smooth start to a great 2022-23 school year!

A Message from the Delta School District

Communicable Disease Prevention

The School District is in the process of reviewing the updated Provincial Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 School Settings that were released on August 25. Over the coming days, we will ensure that our school communicable disease prevention plan aligns with the latest public health advice. The health and safety measures in place for school start up on September 6 will likely mirror what was in place in our school prior to the summer break. If there are any changes, we will let you know before school begins. We anticipate that we will need to continue to be flexible and responsive to changes in transmission trends over the coming months.

 

 

 

 

Week of June 27

Dear Stinger Families:

As this school year enters its final days, I would like to express how incredibly proud we are of the hard work displayed by both our students and staff as we worked through the continued challenges Covid presented over the past 10 months. We also feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for the support we have received from our parent community through all of this.  We truly appreciate the effort put in by the entire Chalmers community over the past 2.5 years.  While I know the continually changing health and safety protocols presented challenges and frustrations, the support and cooperation we received from this wonderful community was impressive and very much appreciated.

With restrictions easing after Spring Break, this past term has seen a return of some of the activities that we have all been missing for too long.  Some of the highlights for this term include:

• Many classes participating in field trips
• Grade 4-7 students having the opportunity to participate in Zone/District Track Meets
• A return of in-person PAC Meetings
• A return of PAC Twoonie Treat Days and Hot Lunches
• Small group assemblies/presentations in the gym
• Grade 7 students attended an overnight camp adventure
• A return of Chalmers Challenge Day
• A return of the Grade 7 Celebration Events in their more traditional format

It has been great to end the year in such a positive way!

We would like to extend a special congratulations to our Grade 7 students as they finish elementary school.  To all our Grade 7s, we would like to say thank you for the leadership you have provided to our school over the past year, and we wish you all the best in high school!

For those families leaving us at the end of this month, we wish you well in your new school communities and know that you will continue to achieve great things in the years ahead.

As wonderful as summer is, it can set some kids back in their learning. We encourage all our students to keep reading. It can be newspapers, comics, novels, or even menus in restaurants. The key is to keep practising. The same thing can be said for math. Have younger kids identify numbers around them like the price of gas, or amount of tax on a local restaurant bill. Math doesn’t have to be from a book to be meaningful.

On behalf of the staff at Chalmers Elementary we would like to wish everyone a safe, healthy, and fun summer vacation.  We are all looking forward to seeing everyone again in the fall!

 

Staff Changes

As you may already be aware, we will be saying goodbye to several staff members at the end of the school year. We would like to recognize the following staff who are leaving Chalmers Elementary at the end of the school year:

• Mr. Leung (Grade 6/7 Teacher)
• Ms. Lachance (Grade 1 Teacher)
• Ms. King (Supported Learning and Integration Team Teacher)
• Ms. Malhotra (Education Assistant)
• Ms. Jandu (Education Assistant)
• Ms. Caballero (Education Assistant)
• Ms. Raulia (Education Assistant)
• Ms. Rattan (Education Assistant)
• Ms. Sandhu (Education Assistant)
• Mr. Tsai (Education Assistant)

I would like to thank all these staff members for the huge contribution they have made to our learning community and wish them the best in their new assignments!

I would also like to extend a huge congratulations to Mrs. Sabatini and M. Ardanaz who will both be retiring at the end of this school year.  They have made such a positive impact on their students over their careers and our community will miss them both very much.  Please join me in wishing both a very happy and well-deserved retirement!

Term 3 Report Cards

Will be available on Parent Connect on Wednesday, June 29.  An email will be sent to families once the reports become available for viewing.

2022 – 2023 School Calendar

2022-2023

Moving?

Please inform the school if your children will not be attending Chalmers Elementary next year. If you know of a family moving into our area, please encourage them to register their children ASAP to secure a placement at Chalmers for the upcoming school year.

Lost and Found

Please encourage your child(ren) to stop by the Lost and Found one final time before we close for summer.  Any unclaimed items will be donated to charity.

 

 

CPF Summer Camps are back for 2022 across BC !

BC Family French Camp is still open for registration, and there are French-language camps running in Vancouver, Victoria and the Okanagan, among others.

Check out CPF’s Camps & Exchanges page for more. If you know of a camp that’s not yet featured on our page, please email digital@cpf.bc.ca so we can spread the word and add it to the list. Merci!

Fête du soleil camp is open to all French students across Canada. 

Students create a French video using new vocabulary. Students from Kindergarten to
Grade 12 can submit a video.

Students can submit one video each week of the program for a total of 8 over the summer (the program will run from July 4 to August 26).

All students that participate will receive a certificate and participation gifts. There is also a draw for a grand prize of a Nintendo Switch. For each video that a student submits, they will receive one entry into the draw. And we have some other prizes for students who do many videos, creativity with their videos, variety of French words used in their videos.

https://sk.cpf.ca/en/fete-du-soleil-summer-camp/

 

Community Food Resources & Supports for Families

NORTH DELTA FOOD BANK THROUGH DELTA ASSIST

Address: 9097 120 Street, Delta. BC

Contact: (604) 594-3455

Website: http://deltassist.com/

How to register with North Delta Food bank:

1. Call our Delta Assist office at 604-594-3455 and leave your name, and phone number with reception
2. Be available for an intake call to register with the Food bank from 10 – 3 Monday and Tuesday
3. Be prepared to provide proof as requested.
4. Be available to come at your assigned pick up time for assistance

Items of proof needed to apply for North Delta Food Bank assistance are:

• I.D. for all members in household
• Proof of residency in North Delta

ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH

• Free Meal once a month on Tuesdays. No registration required. 4755 Arthur Drive, Delta. Call for exact date: 604-946-8413.

CLOVERDALE COMMUNITY KITCHEN (SURREY ADDRESSES ONLY)

• Distribution times are: Mondays 5 – 6 PM, Tuesday 1-2 PM and Thursdays 10-11:30 AM.
• New registrations will be taken on site during those hours: Please bring photo ID, proof of address and proof of income if you wish to register.

5337 180 Street. Surrey (back of building)

SURREY FOOD BANK

Address: 10732 City Parkway. Surrey, BC

Phone: 604-581-5443

Providing food support to residents of Surrey

How to access the Surrey Food Bank:

1. Call 604.581.5443 Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM and register for an appointment.
2. Once you have your appointment, please bring:

• Picture Identification
• Proof of Address
• Care Cards for all Dependents Living in your Home.

NEW HOPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Address: 11838 – 88th Avenue Delta, BC

Phone: 604 596-8178

Access to free bread every Wednesday night at 6:45 pm in the Church parking lot.

FLASHFOOD MOBILE APP:

• An APP that lets you browse food that it is close to its expiry date and is deeply discounted at Real Canadian Superstores. You can buy through the app and then pick up in store. Great deals but items are a day or two from expiry usually. · https://www.flashfood.com/

MUSLIM FOOD BANK

Providing food support to both Muslims and Non-Muslims who have DIETARY RESTRICTIONS

Address: 104-12941 115 avenue, Surrey, BC

Phone: 604-446-6750

Call 604-446-6750 to Register to receive food support

Eligible Delta residents must pick up at the Surrey location.

TINY BUNDLES PROGRAM WITH THE SURREY FOOD BANK

Food support program for pregnant mothers and families with babies aged newborn to one year.

Address: 10732 City Parkway. Surrey, BC

Phone: 604-581-5443 Ext. 111

Call to Register for Program

1. Tiny Bundles families receive food every week instead of every two weeks.
2. Available to Delta residents but must pick up at Surrey location.

Nick’s Nook Community Pantries

• Open 24/7 for those wanting to donate or for those in need · #1 Northside Community Church 11300 84 Avenue
• #2 New Hope Church 11838 88 Ave.

School Calendar

Wednesday, June 29	Last Day of School – Students Dismissed at 10:30am   Term Three Report Card Available on Parent Connect
Wednesday, June 30	Administrative Day
Tuesday, August 30	School Office Re-Opens for Registration
Tuesday, September 6	First Day of School

Week of June 20

Dear Stinger Families:

It is hard to believe the end of the school year is nearly upon us! As we look forward to the summer holidays, we would like to extend a heartfelt Thank You to all of you for the support you have shown as we’ve navigated our way through a challenging year.  There have been some ups and downs over the past 10 months but all of us recognize what a wonderful community we work in and are grateful to be Stingers!

On behalf of the entire staff, I would also like to say a huge thank you to the PAC and our community for the Steamworks Food Truck visit on Friday.  The food was delicious, and everyone is grateful for the recognition.  Thank you!

Chalmers Challenge Day

Thank you to all our families who joined us for sports day. It was great to see everyone at our school having a good time.

A very special thank you to Mr. Ng, Mme Klose, Mrs. Biehl, Ms. Cameron, Mr. Leung, and our grade 7 students for their leadership in leading the stations.

A very big thank you to our PAC who came to volunteer all day at our school selling concession items to raise funds for our school.

Moving??

Please inform the school if your children will not be attending Chalmers Elementary next year. If you know of a family moving into our area, please encourage them to register their children ASAP to secure a placement at Chalmers for the upcoming school year.

Grade 6 Late French Immersion Open House

Chalmers Elementary will be hosting a Grade 6 Late French Immersion Open House on Wednesday, June 22 from 1:30 – 2:30 pm for students who will be starting in the Grade 6 LFI program in September 2022. Some of our Late French Immersion staff are hard at work planning an exciting orientation program for our new Grade 6 LFI students. We look forward to meeting the new Grade 6 LFI students who will be coming from many different North Delta schools!

Term Three Report Card

The final report cards of the school year will be available on Parent Connect on the last day of school(June 29^th).

A Message From the BC Lions

A sincere thanks to all of you for allowing us to come to your schools in 2022 either in-person or virtually with our Team Up to End Racism program. We really enjoyed getting the opportunity to spend time with your students and staff. As a special thanks, we would like to offer all your students a free youth ticket to one of our regular season games in 2022. Please send this link to all your parents so they can redeem the free youth ticket and purchase discounted adult tickets if they so choose. Thanks again, enjoy your summer break and go Lions!

Community Schools Partnership

Community Schools Partnership is back with its Sunsational Summer Day Camps happening throughout the months of July and August 2022. The camps will run at both North Delta Secondary School and Chalmers Elementary from 9am to 3pm and include weekly themed games, crafts, out-trips and other activities! If you’re interested in registering or getting more information please see the PDF Flyer or follow this link for online registration. When registering, be sure to double-check that you’ve registered for the correct WEEK and LOCATION.

Please phone to get the discount per week if you register for 3 or more weeks (savings of $25/week). (604) 940-5550

Sunsational Summer Day Camps (2)

Sunsational Summer Day Camps (1)

School Calendar

Tuesday, June 21	National Indigenous Peoples Day
Wednesday, June 22	Grade 6 Late French Immersion Orientation
Friday, June 24	Grade 7 Celebration Assembly, Luncheon, and Dance/Activities
Wednesday, June 29	Last Day of School for Students – 10:30am Dismissal
Thursday, June 30	Administration Day

 

Week of May 30

Dear Stinger Families:

It’s hard to believe that June is already upon us!  While we wind down this year, plans are already being made for the 2022-23 school year.  Please inform the school if your children will not be attending Chalmers Elementary next year. If you know of a family moving into our area, please encourage them to register their children ASAP to secure a placement at Chalmers for the upcoming school year.

Parent Input for Class Placement

Please remember that if you are planning on filling out a Parent Request for September 2022-23 form, they are due at the office by the end of the day on June 1.

 

Traffic Safety

We have had some near misses in our parking lot in the last few weeks. Parents, please make sure your children are walking on designated walking paths while near the parking lot and not walking through the lot where there are cars.

PAC News

Chalmers PAC AGM Meeting is on Thursday June 16 and all executive positions are up for nomination!  Nominate yourself or someone else to have the opportunity for the rewarding experience of making valuable memories for our kids and ourselves!  PAC is a great way to make new friends while doing something for your child’s school.  If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else for a position, please email your interest to Past President Ranita Kajla at:  ranita_kajla@hotmail.com.  All nominees must be present at the Thursday June 16 AGM Meeting in order to accept the nomination and/or position. Here are the ‘job descriptions’ for each executive position.

PAC Chair Responsibilities

• Chair meetings (or arrange for VP to chair)
• Give executive report at meetings (or arrange for other exec member to do this)
• Meet with school principal as necessary
• Meet with executive prior to PAC meetings to discuss agenda items if necessary
• Create agenda for meetings
• Follow up to ensure action items from meetings completed
• Ensure projects and spending decisions fit with mandate of the PAC
• Speak on behalf of PAC when necessary at school events such as Welcome To Kindergarten
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

Vice Chair Responsibilities

• Attend monthly PAC meetings as much as possible
• Support PAC Chair to help him/her achieve necessary tasks
• Chair meetings in chair’s absence
• Meet with fellow executive prior toPACmeetings to help Chair prepare for upcoming monthly meeting when necessary
• Submit updates for school newsletter to school secretary on behalf of the PAC when chair is unavailable
• Liaise with school principal when necessary on behalf of the PAC executive
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events
• Promote parent involvement at PAC events and solicit volunteers (email contact list, posters, word-of-mouth) • Post monthly reminder posters and agenda and previous minutes prior to monthly PAC meetings

Secretary Responsibilities

• Record minutes at general and executive meetings
• Distribute meeting minutes in a timely manner

• Start executive nominations for coming year

• Bring agendas and minutes for distribution at PAC meetings
• Meet with executive prior to PAC meetings when necessary
• Keep a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws and submit new copy to the school principal if updated • Issue and receive correspondence on behalf of the PAC
• Check PAC email account and forward pertinent info, delete junk mail or obsolete correspondence • Keep necessary records of the PAC
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

Treasurer Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly/year-end financial statements and records
• Reconcile monthly bank statements
• Report on monthly financial statements at PAC meetings
• Prepare books and records for external audit
• Prepare and deposit funds received
• Advise on finances when necessary
• Authorized cheque signer
• Prepare and sign necessary cheques (e.g. babysitter at PAC meetings)
• Ensure that another signing officer has access to books in the event of his/her absence
• Prepare cash float for events when necessary
• Meet with executive prior to PAC meetings when necessary
• Attend monthly PAC meetings
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

• Apply for BC Gaming Grant

• Keep an ongoing record of Gaming Grant Expenditures and copies of all receipts and ensure that the GAS Report is filed on time PAC

Fundraising Chair Responsibilities

• Collate Volunteer information on master list and make specific lists according to event
• Collect information for relevant fundraisers and supply information at PAC executive and/or general meetings

• Organize appropriate groups for each fundraiser and oversee planning of events
• Volunteer time for PAC/school events

District PAC Representative

• Attend District PAC meetings
• Provide report of District PAC meetings at General PAC meetings

Volunteer time for PAC/school events

School Calendar

Wednesday, June 1	Kindergarten Welcome Event
Thursday, June 2	Samosa Hot Lunch
Friday, June 3	Chalmers Spirit Wear / Black and Yellow Day
Monday, June 6	School Panoramic Photo
Wednesday, June 8	Kindergarten Welcome Event
Thursday, June 9	Grade 6 Vaccinations
Thursday, June 9	Grade 7 Tour of Burnsview

 

Week of May 16

Dear Stinger Families:

Congratulations to all our intermediate students who took part in last week’s track meet!  Our Stinger athletes had a lot of fun and represented our school very well.  Approximately 66 of our students qualified for the District Track Meet and will represent Chalmers at South Delta Secondary School this Thursday.  Way to go Stinger!

International Program – Homestay Recruitment

Delta School District International Programs needs more homestay families for international students starting at (our 7 Secondary Schools – or insert your catchment Secondary School) in September. They come from all over the world and have a strong desire to be in Delta. If you are interested in hosting, please reach out to homestay@godelta.ca. If you are not able to host but know of a family who can, please send them our way. There are referral bonuses available for referring families that host students for September. We have recently posted testimonials online from current homestay families. ”

Seaquam Multi Sport Summer Camp

Dates: Monday July 18th – Thursday July 21st, 2022

Location: Seaquam Secondary School – 11584 Lyon Rd, Delta, BC V4E 2K4

This is a Basketball and Volleyball camp offered over the course of four days. Camps will be run by Zack Lund (Sr Girls Volleyball Coach and has coaching experience with Volleyball BC), Cam MacGillivary Sr Boys Basketball Coach and has coaching experience with Capilano University and Basketball BC) as well as volleyball and basketball athletes from Seaquam Secondary.

Session One: Athletes going into grades 5, 6, & 7 next school year (8:30am-11:00am)

Session Two: Athletes going into grades 8 & 9 next school year (12:00pm- 2:30pm)

Cost is $150 for the four-day camp.

If you are wanting to sign up for the camp, please fill in the below google form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetOt9uGYybBuYcrHL97cBF0bqeGArHzoZSuuJhLVgcbYQbzg/viewform

If you have any questions please feel free to email:

multisport.camp4@gmail.com

School Calendar

Thursday, May 19	District Track and Field Meet at SDSS
Friday, May 20	Professional Development Day
Monday, May 23	Victoria Day – School Closed
Tuesday, May 24	Grade 7’s to Camp Jubilee
Wednesday, May 25	Grade 7’s Return from Camp Jubliee
Thursday, May 26	Divisions 1 and 5 to Deas Island

 

 

Week of May 9

Dear Stinger Families:

This is the time of year when staffing allocations are made to schools and planning for the next school year begins.  Due to this, it is extremely important that our enrolment numbers be as accurate as possible and, therefore, I would ask families who will be leaving Chalmers to contact the school as soon as possible with this information.  Similarly, if you know of a family moving into our area, please encourage them to register their children as soon as possible to secure their placement at Chalmers Elementary.

As we plan for the 2022-23 school year, I would like to make you aware of factors that are important in organizing classes for next year.

Staffing and Class Size

The number of staff members assigned to Chalmers is decided by the Delta School District and is based on projected student enrolment.  Enrolment estimates and class size guidelines affect the configuration of classes.  Currently, the class size limit is 20 for Kindergarten, 22 for Grades 1-3, and 29 for Grades 4-7.  Combined (split) classes are an organizational necessity based on student numbers.  While combined classes are an organizational necessity, research indicates that multi-age groupings provide very positive learning environments for children.  Studies show that children in multi-age classes learn to become more independent, responsible learners and develop a greater degree of social responsibility.  Achievement levels of these students are as good as, or better than, the achievement levels of students placed in single grade classrooms.

Criteria for Student Placement

Assigning students to particular classes is a very complex task that takes into consideration a variety of factors, including learning styles and strengths, what a student is able to achieve in relation to the goals of the curriculum, degree of independence in work habits, social and personal needs, age and physical maturity, previous placements, number of ELL and students with diverse learning needs, and parental insight.   Our objective is to create balanced classes based on intellectual and social / emotional / behavioural development, as well as peer support and other needs. The professional staff, including teachers, support staff and administrators are in contact with the children in the school setting for 30 hours a week.  Therefore, the classroom placement of students must be determined through school-based professional evaluations.  Teachers have school-based knowledge of the above and therefore can best determine where individual children should be placed.

Parent Input

As our partners, we recognize that parents have important information that can assist with the placement of students.  Parents are welcome to advise the school of personal, educational, or social information that could affect a child’s placement.  Our staff will keep in mind this information, along with the above considerations, when building classes.

This information should not include a request for placement with a particular teacher. Any requests received that request a specific teacher will not be considered.

Maternity leaves, retirements, and lay-offs combine to make school staffing a changing and ongoing process.  Also, staff members may change grade levels due to school needs or further professional growth.  Whatever the scenario, we strive to place your child in a warm, caring environment that will maximize their learning.  If you have information about your child that you feel will assist us in making the best possible placement for them, please see the email from the school last week as it contains the Parent Input form that needs to be completed and returned to the school by June 1 at the latest.  Input received after this date will not be considered.

Track Meet

The Regional Track Meet will be held on Wednesday, May 11^th at North Delta Secondary School. In the event the track meet is cancelled due to heavy rain, the alternate date for the Regional Track Meet is Monday, May 16^th. This year, all our Grades 4 – 7 students had the opportunity to try out track and field events during the school day.

Top finishers at the Regional Track Meet may be eligible for the District Track Meet (Thursday, May 19^th at the South Delta Secondary School). The District Track Meet will be held rain or shine. I want to thank our school staff for organizing our school’s track and field program, including helping coach events, run various stations at the Regional Track

Meet, and providing an instructional program for students who were not attending the track meet. We have a wonderful staff here at Chalmers.

Class Photos

Our school photographer returns to Chalmers on Thursday, May 12 for class photos.  Typically, the photographers are finished by 12:00pm.

School Calendar

Wednesday, May 11	Regional Track Meet at NDSS
Thursday, May 12	Class Photographs
Monday, May 16	Grade 6 Immunizations
Thursday, May 19	District Track Meet at SDSS
Friday, May 20	Professional Day

 

 

Week of April 18

Dear Stinger Families:

Earth Week Activities

This year, Earth Day takes place on Friday, April 22^nd. It is anticipated that nearly six million Canadians will join close to one billion people from over 170 countries in staged events and projects to address local environmental issues. It is expected that nearly every school-aged child in Canada will participate in an Earth Day activity.

At Chalmers, we are doing our part to raise awareness of environmental issues and to invest in the Earth. In celebration of Earth Day, the staff at Chalmers have decided to have an “Earth Week”. Each day during “Earth Week” we will have an activity take place with an environmental focus. These activities include:

• Tuesday, April 18^th Lights Out Lunch (all week)

Earth Week Story Strolls (Tuesday to Thursday)

• Wednesday, April 19^th Walk to School Wednesday
• Thursday, April 20^th Litterless Lunch “Pack In Pack Out”
• Friday, April 21^st Earth Day Stations

Litterless Lunch Ideas

Did you know that the average school-aged child who consumes a conventional disposable lunch generates a total of 67 lbs of waste per year!

While it easy to say, “let’s have a litterless lunch”, how can this be accomplished in a “low impact” way? Here are some suggestions:

• Use a reusable bag or container (not a single use plastic bag or disposable container)
• Pack food inreusable containers (no plastic wrap, foil, plastic bags, or pre-packaged foods)
• Pack beverages in reusable containers like a refillable water bottle or thermos (recyclable containers are acceptable but discouraged)
• Take home organic waste (apple cores, banana peels, etc.) for composting
• Pack cloth napkins and non-disposable cutlery

Walk to School Wednesday

In celebration of Earth Day, Wednesday April 20^th is Chalmers Elementary’s “Walk to School” day.  We are encouraging all our students to walk or bike to school.  If you must drive to school, please park a couple of blocks away and walk with your child the rest of the way.  A team will be at the front of the school between 8:25 and 8:40 to stamp the hands of those students who walk to school.  The primary and intermediate classes that have the most students who walked to school will win a prize.

Kindergarten Registration

Do you know someone whose child is turning 5 in 2022? Please remind them to register their child for Kindergarten for intake this September. For more information, please visit: https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/news-events/news/kindergarten-registration-for-september-2022-intake/

ELL Summer School Opportunity

file:///Users/9405950/Downloads/ELL-1-7-Registration-Information-2022.pdf

School Calendar

Monday, April 18	Easter Monday – School Closed
Thursday, April 21	Fire Drill
Thursday, April 28	BC Lions – End Racism Presentation

Week of April 11

Dear Stinger Families,

Student-Led Conferences

Our student-led conferences are scheduled for this Wednesday.  We will follow the same format that we used last year.  In the coming days, your child’s teacher will send home some examples of your child’s work for you to view.  This work could be on paper, electronic format or online.  Each teacher will choose a method that works best for them and will include a form for feedback for you to fill out and return to the school.  Your feedback could include encouraging comments, questions, or goals that you have set with your child for the final term.  The early dismissal scheduled for April 13 will go ahead as planned with student being dismissed at 12:10pm on this day.  This will provide staff with the time needed to engage in any follow-up that may be required.  We encourage everyone to set aside some time to celebrate the learning your child will be sharing with you.

Student Learning Survey

The Provincial Student Learning Survey is unique in its scope, size and usefulness to schools. It gathers information from parents/guardians/caregivers, teachers, and students on topics related to school  environment, safety, and achievement. The survey is anonymous and the information is used for planning in individual schools and provides a district and provincial perspective.  Grades 4 and 7 students will participate in the online survey during school time over the next two weeks.

We encourage parents/guardians/caregivers to participate in this survey too, as the results are important in identifying and celebrating current strengths, as well as determining where the school needs to focus improvement. The surveys contain standard questions from the Province. To complete the survey:

1. Go to any computer that has an up-to-date internet browser access at home, work, or school.
2. Go to www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey/access.htm
3. Under the section Direct Access – no logon number required select:

• District: 37
• School: Chalmers
• Language: the language of your choice

4. Complete the survey by clicking on the appropriate circle to answer each question. Move to the next set of questions by clicking on the right arrow in the bottom right corner of the screen. Click on the left arrow to navigate backwards.
5. When you are finished the survey, you will get a message “Thank you for sharing your views”.
6. Once complete, your school will have the results immediately.

The e-survey site will be open until April 29th. If you have any questions, please contact the school.

School Calendar

Wednesday, April 13	Student-Led Conferences – 12:10pm Dismissal
Thursday, April 14	PAC Treat Day – Krispy Cream Donuts
Friday, April 15	Good Friday – School Closed
Monday, April 18	Easter Monday – School Closed
Thursday, April 21	Fire Drill

 

Week of April 4

Dear Stinger Families:

One of the main tasks that we focus on at this time of year is to begin planning for the next school year, both in terms of school enrolment and staffing. To help plan properly, we would ask that families inform the school as early as possible if your child will not be returning to Chalmers in September 2022. It is important that our enrolment numbers be as accurate as possible at each grade level so that staffing can meet the needs of our school population and we can have the smoothest possible school opening in September. If you will be leaving our community, notifications of your plans in writing would be appreciated. Also, if you have neighbours moving into the area, encourage them to register as soon as possible to ensure attendance at Chalmers for September.

Delta School District Vision 2030 Week – April 4-8

Schools across the Delta School District will be spending time highlighting the features of our newly established vision.  Please check out our Chalmers Twitter Page (@ChalmersElem) for more about vision week and other events at our school.

Tsawwassen First Nation Treaty Day – April 3

On Sunday, April 3, Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) celebrated Treaty Day. This was the 13th anniversary of the TFN Treaty, the first urban treaty in British Columbia. This treaty restored land ownership and self-government jurisdiction to the Tsawwassen people after many years of negotiation. You can read about the treaty process on the TFN website under the Timeline of History both Pre & Post-Treaty.

We also encourage you to read the newly released Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan 2022-2027.  Within the 89 actions listed in this plan, there are a number specific to the district’s continued work.

Student-Led Conferences

Our student-led conferences are scheduled for Wednesday, April 13.  We will follow the same format that we used last year.  In the coming days, your child’s teacher will send home some examples of your child’s work for you to view.  This work could be on paper, electronic format or online.  Each teacher will choose a method that works best for them and will include a form for feedback for you to fill out and return to the school.  Your feedback could include encouraging comments, questions, or goals that you have set with your child for the final term.  The early dismissal scheduled for April 13 will go ahead as planned with student being dismissed at 12:10pm on this day.  This will provide staff with the time needed to engage in any follow-up that may be required.  We encourage everyone to set aside some time to celebrate the learning your child will be sharing with you.

Track and Field Season

Track and field season will soon be underway. All intermediate students will have the opportunity to practice all the events they are able to participate in. Beginning April 4^th, students will participate in three weeks of track and field stations during instructional time. Teaching staff will then pick students for various track and field teams. The students selected for track and field teams will then have one week of extracurricular track practices together before the Regional Track Meet.

The Regional Track Meet will be held on Wednesday, May 11^th at North Delta Secondary School. Only those students participating in an event attend the track meet.

To be chosen to represent Chalmers, students must demonstrate:

• Excellent attendance at practices
• Overall positive attitude and responsible behavior
• Good ability in the track event

Top finishers at the Regional Track Meet may be eligible for the District Track Meet (May 19^th at South Delta Secondary School). The District Track Meet will be held rain or shine.

Please encourage your intermediate aged child to get involved! The opportunity to represent Chalmers Elementary is always a lot of fun, and while we can’t always send everyone to the actual track meet, we do our best to involve as many of our students as possible.

Week of February 21

Dear Stinger Families,

We are encouraging all students and staff to wear something pink on Wednesday this week to showtheir support for Pink Shirt Day!  This annual event takes place to remind everyone that kindness and acceptance for everyone is what we should all strive to achieve.

Draft Budget 2022/2023

The Delta School District is committed to transparent budget planning and resource allocation that is directly aligned with the strategic vision, goals and objectives established by the Board. We would like to invite parents/caregivers to attend the following Zoom sessions to learn more about the budget and to provide feedback on their funding priorities for the upcoming school year. It is our sincere hope that as many voices as possible will engage in this important process:

• Wednesday, February 23, 7pm – 8pm: A budget webinar, which will contain presentations and short videos aimed at explaining the budget process and providing an overview of district departments and their priorities.
• Tuesday, March 8, 7:30pm – 9pm: A budget public input session, where the focus will be on encouraging open discussion and gathering important feedback on the community’s priorities for the draft budget.

Both sessions will provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions regarding the draft budget for 2022/2023.

Please register using this link: https://forms.gle/dBsaxBdwdNu6E66A7

Rapid Antigen Test Kits

The BC government has announced that each student at K-12 schools will receive a box of 5 rapid tests. These tests will be shipped directly to schools and the schools will organize the distribution. We will send out more information to families once the test kits arrive at our school.

Changes to International Travel Restrictions

Recently, the Government of Canada announced a phased easing of travel restrictions. You can read the full announcement here: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2022/02/government-of-canada-lightens-border-measures-as-part-of-transition-of-the-pandemic-response.html

If you are planning to travel overseas, please check Canada’s entry requirements (https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid)  regularly, both in advance of and during your trip, as they will be re-evaluated based on the evolving situation in Canada and abroad, and may change rapidly. 

A Message From Fraser Health

Dear Superintendent, Principal or School Partner, 

In previous years, school nurses provided education to school personnel on topics such as anaphylaxis, seizure, and diabetes management. However, we are unable to provide this support at this time as we are currently involved in school immunizations delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. \

We recognize the importance of having the knowledge and skills to ensure students are safe while attending school. We have created a webpage, Medical Conditions at School,  to cover important health topics on the Fraser Health website. Within each topic area, we have embedded videos or hyperlinks to credible sources to be viewed at your convenience. These resources are consistent with the information that would have been disseminated by the school nurse and we encourage you to share this with your school personnel. 

If you, or any of your staff, have questions, please contact your local public health unit manager. 

Sincerely, 

Ariella Zbar MD, CCFP, MPH, MBA, FRCPC 

Medical Health Officer, Fraser Health Authority 

Parent Education

Please read about the upcoming FREE parent education workshops!

Trauma-Informed Parenting: How To Understand and Support Children and Youth Experiencing Trauma
Andrew Neufeld

Via Zoom – 6:30pm – 8:00pm on February 24, 2022

Feb 24th Workshop – Andrew Neufeld

Emotional Intelligence: The Key To Long Term Success
March 8, 2022
6:30pm – 8:00pm
via Zoom (space is limited)

Please see attachment for more information

March 8th Parent Caregiver Workshop

 

Week of February 14

Dear Stinger Families,

Happy Valentine’s Day!  We hope everyone’s day is filled with gratitude, love and joy!  Have a great week!

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten Registration for Chalmers catchment area students entering Kindergarten in September 2022 can be done online by visiting the Delta School District website. Students born in 2017 are eligible to attend Kindergarten in September 2022. Pre-registration takes place from February 14 – 20, 2022. Please contact the office at 604-594-5437 if you are registering after February 20th.

Visit the District Website for full instructions on how to Register for Kindergarten

For verification that Chalmers is your catchment school, please check the Catchment Map or School Locator.

Registration Documents Required (all documents must be received for registration to be accepted):

• Appropriate Proof of Citizenship or status in Canada for both students and parents, and appropriate proof of age for students:
  –  Canadian Birth Certificate
  –  Canadian Passport
  –  Permanent Resident Documents
• Appropriate Proof of Residency:
  –  Purchase Agreement or Current Year Property Tax Assessment
  –  Rental/Lease/Tenancy Agreement
  –  Verfication of Address by Landlord Form, or Current Month Rental Receipt showing address, or Letter from Landlord, along with a copy of one of the following showing rental address:
  –  Valid Driver’s License
  –  Utility Bill
  –  Income Tax Assessment
  –  Bank Statement
  –  Credit Card Statement
  –  Government Issued Cheque
  –  Vehicle Ownership Papers
  –  Insurance Certificate

Non-Catchment and Non-District Applications

Kindergarten Non-Catchment & Non-District Application Forms will be accepted online only as of 8:30am on Monday, February 7,  2022. Please visit the District Website for more information on the Non- Catchment and Non-District Registration process.

Delta School District Draft Budget 2022/2023

The Delta School District is committed to transparent budget planning and resource allocation that is directly aligned with the strategic vision, goals and objectives established by the Board. We would like to invite parents/caregivers to attend the following Zoom sessions to learn more about the budget and to provide feedback on their funding priorities for the upcoming school year. It is our sincere hope that as many voices as possible will engage in this important process:

• Wednesday, February 23, 7pm – 8pm: A budget webinar, which will contain presentations and short videos aimed at explaining the budget process and providing an overview of district departments and their priorities.
• Tuesday, March 8, 7:30pm – 9pm: A budget public input session, where the focus will be on encouraging open discussion and gathering important feedback on the community’s priorities for the draft budget.

Both sessions will provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions regarding the draft budget for 2022/2023.

Please register using this link: https://forms.gle/dBsaxBdwdNu6E66A7

School Calendar

Monday, February 14	Online Kindergarten Registration Opens
Friday, February 18	Professional Development Day
Monday, February 21	Family Day – School Closed
Wednesday, February 23	Pink Shirt Day

 

Week of January 31, 2022

Dear Stinger Families,

After 31 years of teaching in the Chalmers community, today marks the final day of Mrs. Kondo’s outstanding teaching career.  While I know we all wish her the very best in retirement, I also know that she will be greatly missed by everyone.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Kondo for making a positive difference in the lives of all the students and staff she has worked with over the years.  Her hard work, dedication, care and commitment for her students, and the fun learning atmosphere she always creates have been deeply appreciated.

Happy Retirement Mrs. Kondo!

Daily Health Check Update

An update to the daily health check has been made. Please see the link below and ensure that you are completing the daily health check for your child before sending him/her to school.

daily-health-check—jan-2022

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration takes place mid-February each year. A child may be registered to attend Kindergarten in September if his or her fifth birthday occurs on or before December 31st of the current year.

Kindergarten registration for the 2022/2023 school year will be held from February 14-20, 2022. Please register ONLINE for your catchment area school. For verification of your catchment area school, please check the School Locator. Instructions on how to register will be posted here in early February.

Please have the following documents ready to upload with your child’s registration (all documents must be received for registration to be accepted):

1. Proof of birth date for the student (birth certificate or passport) (registration will not be accepted until proof of birth date is received).
2. Proof of citizenship for both the parent and the student (Canadian birth certificate, citizenship card, passport, landed immigrant document, permanent resident card).
3. BC Services Card
4. Proof of Residency (Property Taxes – current receipt, purchase/rental agreement or rental receipt).

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/schools/student-registration/kindergarten/

School Calendar

Thursday, February 10

Grade 6/7 Ski Lessons Begin

Dear Stinger Families,

We hope that 2022 is off to a wonderful start for everyone in the Chalmers community!  Term Two promises to be an exciting one and the staff here are recharged and ready to lead our students through more learning opportunities.  While Term Two is only 8 weeks long, it always provides exciting times!

A new term is always a great time to re-visit things that are important.  For us here at Chalmers, one thing that is very important to us is helping our students learn all the ways they can demonstrate Care for Themselves, Care for Others and Care for This Place.  We encourage you to spend some time talking with your child about the countless ways they can show respect in these three areas.

Student Absences

It is very important to call the school when your child is absent. Our safe arrival program relies on knowing which students will be not attending EACH day they are absent.

When you need to record an absence, please call the main office number at 604-594-5437 and listen to the prompt that will lead you to the absence voicemail. This is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can leave an absence message any time.

Please remember to leave your child’s first AND last name, the division and/or teacher and the reason for the absence. Please indicate whether this absence is an illness-related absence.

We know that many parents choose to email the Teachers directly but the office still needs to be called in the event that the Teacher is absent and does not let the office know.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe!

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration takes place mid-February each year. A child may be registered to attend Kindergarten in September if his or her fifth birthday occurs on or before December 31st of the current year.

Kindergarten registration for the 2022/2023 school year will be held from February 14-20, 2022. Please register ONLINE for your catchment area school. For verification of your catchment area school, please check the School Locator. Instructions on how to register will be posted here in early February.

Please have the following documents ready to upload with your child’s registration (all documents must be received for registration to be accepted):

1. Proof of birth date for the student (birth certificate or passport) (registration will not be accepted until proof of birth date is received).
2. Proof of citizenship for both the parent and the student (Canadian birth certificate, citizenship card, passport, landed immigrant document, permanent resident card).
3. BC Services Card
4. Proof of Residency (Property Taxes – current receipt, purchase/rental agreement or rental receipt).

https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/schools/student-registration/kindergarten/

Grade 7 Burnsview Information Nights

French Immersion Information Night

The French Immersion information night will be in the format of a Zoom meeting and will be held on Tuesday, January 25th at 7:00 pm. The Zoom link will be provided at a later date. This evening will provide information

specific to the Immersion program at Burnsview including testimonials from students, descriptions of Immersion courses and activities, and a question and answer period. All Grade 7 French Immersion students and their parents are invited to participate.

Grade 8 Program Information Night

The second information night will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, February 1st at 7:00 pm. This session will include an overview of the Grade 8 program including a description of courses, the course selection procedure, and extra-curricular opportunities offered at Burnsview. This evening is open to all Grade 7 parents and students interested in attending Burnsview. Parents participating in the French Immersion information session will also benefit from attending this evening as other material will be covered.  A link will be provided once the date has been confirmed.

Parent Workshop

Social Media Awareness, Digital Citizenship, and Cyberbullying with Safer Schools Together – January 20th 6:30-8pm.

PARENT SESSION: 90-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A As a parent, you lead the charge as a digital role model. Help your child develop a strong digital citizenship foundation while reminding them that their digital tattoo reflects their real and online selves. Parents have an important role to play in providing support and guidance during critical periods. A snapshot of current trends and concerning apps will be provided to equip you in your digital parenting strategy.

TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK: https://forms.office.com/r/2UiU2Bibdt

School Calendar

Week of January 3 – 7

Dear Stinger Families,

Happy New Year!  We hope everyone is healthy and has had a very good holiday season!  As we head into the new year, we continue to deal with challenges presented by COVID-19.  Therefore, we wanted to make sure that all our families were aware of the following important information:

• per the most recent Public Health Order, the start of school has been delayed until January 10th

• you received the attached letter from Superintendent, Doug Sheppard, dated December 30^th

District Letter to families Dec 30

Beginning January 4^th, we will be open to provide support for a limited number of students – children of essential service workers and vulnerable families.

If you need your child to attend school beginning January 4^th, and you have not already contacted me about this, please do so as soon as possible.

If you have already contacted me and have received a reply, no need to respond again.

We look forward to welcoming back all out students when school re-opens on January 10^th.

Mr. McCallum

jmccallum@deltaschools.ca

Week of December 13

Dear Stinger Families:

With the holidays almost upon us, we would like to take the opportunity that the season brings to say THANK YOU to our very supportive community for all your help so far this year.

We would also like to thank our PAC for their dedication and support in making Chalmers the great school it is!

A final ‘thank you’ to our outstanding Stinger Staff.  Their commitment to bringing out the best in all our students is unmatched!

Staffing Changes at Chalmers

When we return to school in the new year, there will be the following changes to our staff:

Mrs. Wright will return from her maternity leave and take on the full-time teaching responsibilities of our Music program.  Welcome back, Mrs. Wright!  As Ms. Webb was covering Mrs. Wright’s leave, her time at Chalmers will be ending at the end of this week.  I would like to extend a huge thank you to Ms. Webb for her hard work over the past year.  We wish her all the best in her future adventures!

Ms. Hobbs will also be returning from her maternity leave and will become the teacher of Division 9.  Welcome back, Ms. Hobbs.  While this does mean that Ms. Chang’s time as the classroom teacher of Division 9 is coming to an end, it does not mark the end of her time at Chalmers.  Ms. Sidhu, one of our Learning Support Teachers, will begin her maternity leave at the start of January.  Ms. Chang was the successful applicant for this vacancy and will take on this position until the end of the school year.  Congratulations to Ms. Chang and we wish all the best to Ms. Sidhu and her family during this very exciting time!

Finally, after many years of supporting Chalmer’s students, Mr. Carruthers has made the decision to retire at the end of December.  I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for everything Mr. Carruthers has done for our community.  We wish him a very happy retirement!

Christmas Concert Video

On Thursday, December 16 we will be sending home a link and password that will allow families toview the Christmas concert video that has been recorded.

Lost and Found

This is just a reminder that students and parents have until 3:00pm of the last school day of every month to claim lost and found clothing items. Clothing items not claimed by this time will be donated to charity.  Because December is a shortened school month due to Christmas Break, clothing items will remain on the lost and found clothing line until, Friday, December 17^th.

Upcoming French Immersion Parent Information Meetings and Application Deadlines

Early French Immersion Parent Information Nights:

(For Kindergarten entry into French Immersion)

Wednesday, December 1, 2022 at 6:30pm

Thursday, December 2, 2022 at 6:30pm

(The registration link will be on Delta’s French Immersion website at the end of November).

Early French Immersion Application Dates:

Online application will be available on Delta’s website on Monday, January 4, 2022, at 8:00 am

Application deadline: January 22, 2022, at 4:00 pm

Late French Immersion Parent Information Nights:

(For Grade 6 entry into French Immersion)

Wednesday, January 26th, 2022, at 6:30pm

Thursday, January 27th, 2022, at 6:30pm

Late French Immersion Application Date:

Online application will be available on Delta’s website on Monday, January 4, 2022, at 8:00 am

Application deadline:  Saturday, February 12, 2022, at 4:00 pm

Parent Workshops

Suki’s Reindeer Wish Poster PDF

School Calendar

Week of December 6

Dear Stinger Families:

The arrival of the first snow of winter provides a perfect time to review how we would communicate a snow day to our families.

If it snows, will there be school? The short answer is… YES! During extreme winter conditions, including heavy snowfalls, all schools in the Delta School District will remain OPEN, if possible. It is very rare that schools would be closed due to weather conditions or other circumstances. Schools may have a delayed opening to allow for district or municipal staff to clear safe routes to schools for students and families. Any closure or delayed opening will be decided by 7:00 am at the latest and will be announced through the media as well as through district and school websites. Please note that no announcement will be made stating that schools are open. Only closures or delayed openings will be announced.

Information about any closures will be sent to Metro Vancouver radio and television stations. Please check the following stations for school closure information.

Announcements will also be made on the district website at https://www.deltasd.bc.ca. To keep phone lines clear we ask that you please refrain from phoning the school to check that we are open.

During extreme weather conditions, it is also common for police and other authorities to advise citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. Parents should take this advice as well. Parents/Guardians are responsible for their children’s safe travel to and from school. If, for any reason, a parent/guardian feels that a child cannot travel safely to school, then they should make other arrangements. Schools will be kept open under extreme circumstances to provide the option of attendance for all, but the decision is the responsibility of each family. Should you choose to keep your child at home, please call the office and leave a message reporting your child’s absence.

Term 1 Report Cards

Report cards will be available for parents to view on Friday, December 10 after school.  An email willbe sent to families when the report cards are available on Parent Connect.

Picture / Outside Media Consent and Our Christmas Concert

Unfortunately, we are still unable to have parents join us for an in-person Christmas/Holiday Concert this year.  We are however, planning to put together a concert video that will be pre-recorded and made available for families to view.  We would like to include as many of our students as possible in the video but to do that, there is an important step that needs to be completed for some of our families.

Last week, a permission form was sent home to all families who have checked off “No” for the picture consent and/or outside media permission in Parent Connect.

This permission form was also sent home to families who have yet to update this information in Parent Connect.  For your child(ren) to be included in the recording, we will need to receive the completed permission form back at school by Tuesday, December 7 at the latest as we will be recording each class singing their song on Thursday, December 9.  This permission will only be for this occasion.

For families who have already indicated “Yes” for the picture consent and/or outside media permission, no further action is required, and your child will be included in the recording.

We are excited to make this concert video happen for the Chalmers community!  Please contact the office if you have any questions.

The Scholastic Book Fair is Back!

The Stinger Library will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair just in time for the Holiday season!

Things will look a little different this year as we try to limit the number of people in the library. Students will be able to shop for books during their regular library classes from Tuesday December 7 to Friday December 10. Every class will have a set private shopping time. Students will be asked to pay in CASH ONLY.

On Wednesday at 2:05- 3pm, we will host a parent shopping time for our parents of students in kindergarten to Grade 3. Parents who would like to buy holiday gifts can come at that time.  Please line up outside the undercover area outside B-pod which is closest to 112th St on the west side of the school.  There will be a limit of 15 non-student patrons inside the library at a time.

The excitement is building already! Thank you all for supporting the Scholastic Book Fair at the Stinger Library!

Learn To Skate

Looking for a great, safe activity to keep your kids active and engaged this Winter?

Sungod Skating Club is offering a Learn to Skate program at Sungod Recreation Centre (7815 112 St, Delta, BC) starting January 2022.

Registration for our Learn to Skate program (CanSkate) with Sungod Skating Club is now open and ongoi

ng! The 45-minute classes are available on both Sunday mornings and Tuesday afternoons and begin January 04 – March 08, 2022. The cost begins at $153.00 plus the yearly Skate Canada Membership fee. The classes will all be taking place at Sungod Recreation Centre. Skate and helmet rentals are included in the cost of registration for those who require them. Returning and new skaters of all levels ages 3+ are all welcome! For more info, please see www.sungodskatingclub.com

School Calendar

Week of November 29

Dear Stinger Families:

On Friday Dec. 10, the first, formal, written report card for the current school year will be available for viewing on Parent Connect.  This is an exciting time for children and parents, a time to offer encouragement and support as well as a time to set realistic goals.  As you sit down to discuss your child’s report card with him/her, keep in mind the following questions.

• At what type of work does my child excel? All children have strengths, and it is important to look at areas of excellence as well as areas requiring attention.  Celebrate your child’s successes.
• What type of work is most challenging for my child? Areas of challenge provide children with opportunities to demonstrate perseverance, diligence, and determination, virtues that we want to foster in our children.
• What is my child’s attitude towards learning? Attitude is a key ingredient to success.  While we need to help children be realistic about what they can achieve, everyone does better with a winning attitude.
• How can I support my child in his/her learning? While a variety of homework activities may be assigned on any given night, use the report card to determine which subject area might require extra attention.  This will provide a focus for those evenings when your child says, “But I don’t have any homework.”  Regular practice with reading, spelling, or basic math facts will make a difference over time.
• What goal(s) can we set together for the next term? Together, with your child, choose something to work on and then plan for how to achieve the goal.

Thank you for your positive partnership with us in helping your child to succeed at school.  If you have questions about how you can support your child in their learning, contact their classroom teacher.  Together we can make a difference.

Lost and Found

This is just a reminder that students and parents have until 2:45pm of the last school day of every month to claim lost and found clothing items. Clothing items not claimed after 2:45 pm on the last school day of every month will be donated to charity.

Since December is a shortened school month due to Christmas Break, clothing items will remain on the lost and found clothing line until, Thursday, December 16^th at 2:45 pm. Clothing not claimed after 2:45 pm on December 16^th will be donated to charity.

Provincial Fuel Rationing

The Provincial Government has extended the rationing of fuel until December 14, 2021.  Consideringthis, we are encouraging all our families to consider walking to school whenever possible.  Please see the letter that was sent out by the Delta School District on November 23.

Health and Safety Travel Guidelines

As we quickly approach the Winter Break, I want to remind all parents of important information to consider if you are planning to travel internationally.

• Any student not Fully Vaccinated (two vaccinations) must stay home from school for two weeks after the date of their return home from an international trip (even if it is a daytrip to the USA).
• Please check the attached Daily Health Form that has a link with more information.

Please do not hesitate to contact the office if you have any questions.

Upcoming French Immersion Parent Information Meetings and Application Deadlines

Early French Immersion Parent Information Nights:

(For Kindergarten entry into French Immersion)

Wednesday, December 1, 2022 at 6:30pm

Thursday, December 2, 2022 at 6:30pm

(The registration link will be on Delta’s French Immersion website at the end of November).

Early French Immersion Application Dates:

Online application will be available on Delta’s website on Monday, January 4, 2022, at 8:00 am

Application deadline: January 22, 2022, at 4:00 pm

Late French Immersion Parent Information Nights:

(For Grade 6 entry into French Immersion)

Wednesday, January 26th, 2022, at 6:30pm

Thursday, January 27th, 2022, at 6:30pm

Late French Immersion Application Date:

Online application will be available on Delta’s website on Monday, January 4, 2022, at 8:00 am

Application deadline:  Saturday, February 12, 2022, at 4:00 pm

School Calendar

Week of November 8

Dear Stinger Families:

On Wednesday, November 10^th we will be honouring all Canadian Soldiers, past and present, who have sacrificed so much so that we can enjoy the freedom we have here in Canada.  The Zoom assembly will be led by some of our senior students and some classes have signed up to present poems, songs, and a candlelight ceremony to help us all gain a better understanding and appreciation of Remembrance Day and everything it means.  We will also have a wreath laying ceremony complete with two minutes of silence.  Each student will receive a poppy sticker to wear during the assembly.  All through the week, we will be accepting donations for the Poppy Foundation.  Students who would like to donate can give the contribution to their teacher.

“In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.”
—John McCrae

School Calendar

Week of November 1

Dear Stinger Families:

It was great to see so many of our students in their costumes on Friday.  It was also great to be able to hold our costume parade outside this year!  This allowed students the opportunity to show off their costumes to the rest of the school.  Our pumpkin carving contest also was a huge hit.  We had approximately 60 students participate, and the creativity and skill demonstrated was very impressive.  Thanks to all of our Stingers for taking part!

Delta School District – Vision 2030

We’re thrilled to unveil our Vision for the next decade. In total, the voices of almost 3,000 individuals were considered in developing Vision 2030 following dialogue with staff, students, families, education partners and local First Nations Peoples. We’re excited to follow this new direction as we support students present and future for the next decade. Please visit our website to see our new Vision, Mission and Values.

Updated Health Check Form

Please find on our website and the link provided the updated Health Check form. With travel resuming for some families, please note the following information:

“Students, staff and other adults who are not fully vaccinated and have travelled outside of Canada CANNOT attend school for 14 days after arrival, as part of federal requirements.”

daily-health-check-english Sept 22

Health and Safety Reminders

When you are dropping off or picking up students, please ensure that you are leaving enough space between yourself and others.

This is particularly important in the undercover area where space is more limited.  For this reason, please do not stand with your child in their line-up.  As well, parents and guardians are encouraged to wear a mask when on the school grounds as most of our students have not yet had the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID.   We thank you for doing your part to help keep everyone safe.

A Message From the PAC

Upcoming hot lunches can now be ordered on the Munch a Lunch website.  Please contact Chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com if you have any questions.

School Calendar

Week Of October 25

Dear Stinger Families:

We hope everyone enjoyed connecting with their child’s teacher at our Parent-Teacher Conferences last week.  While it is always nicer to meet and chat in person, we hope the altered format still allowed for the opportunity to connect and discuss ways to make this the best year possible.  The feedback we have received from staff is that things went very well.  Thanks to all who participated!

Halloween at Chalmers

To help everyone get into the Halloween spirit, we have a few fun activities planned for this week.  On Tuesday we will be holding our second theme day of the year and all students are invited to wear orange and black, Halloween themed clothing, headbands etc.

On Friday, October 29th, students (who want to) are welcome to come to school dressed in their Halloween Costume. Students will have a chance to share what they are wearing via a Halloween costume parade.  In keeping with COVID safety guidelines, this will likely be done virtually.  If the weather cooperates however, we may try to do this outside.

A few things to keep in mind with regards to costumes:

• should not be too scary
• should be age appropriate
• should not promote illegal activities, drugs/alcohol, or be offensive or perpetuate a stereotype of someone’s culture, gender, heritage, or religion are not ok for school
• must be safe & comfortable.  Students must be able to sit, walk, breathe, see and hear.  Anything that limits vision or restricts movement can lead to falling & other injuries. That’s no fun on Halloween!
• Toy weapons should be kept at home.

Also, on Friday, any students wishing to participate in the Chalmers Pumpkin Carving Contest.  There will be three different categories for students to enter their pumpkins in, including: spookiest, most creative, and silliest. We will announce the winners after lunch on the same day.

All students who want to participate are asked to drop off their already carved pumpkin to the gym door by the intermediate uncover area anywhere from 8:10-8:40am. Mrs. Bromley will be letting two students in at a time to drop the creations off at the gym stage.

We ask for all pumpkins to be picked up after school from the same location and taken home. We look forward to seeing what Chalmers students can create!!!

Your child’s teacher will let you know if they are planning any other Halloween related activities.

Stinger Spirit Wear

The online store closed on October 15.  The supplier has told me we should receive the orders by November 15.  I’m looking forward to seeing a wave of students wearing their new Stinger wear soon!

PAC Fundraisers

Our PAC is still selling keychains with removable coins that can be used in grocery carts.  The coins have our school logo on them and look great!  The cost of the keychain is $5.  The coins are available to purchase at Spektra Reflections of Home at 112^th and 84^th.

In addition to this, Neufeld Farm order forms were recently sent home.  Please note that orders can be placed on Munch a Lunch and are due by October 28.  Any questions can be directed to the new PAC email address:

Chalmers.pac.delta@gmail.com

Vision 2030: The Big Reveal

The Delta School District is getting ready to unveil its Vision for the next ten years. Through the visioning process, the voices of almost 3,000 individuals were heard – it’s almost time to see what they said. Stay tuned for more information later this week.

Parent Workshop – Creating Conversations:  Youth Gang Prevention for Parents/Caregivers

When: October 27th 6:30-8:30pm

Where: Via Zoom

This session will help create awareness and education on the ways in which gangs are using social media to target and recruit youth. Parents/caregivers will leave this COMPLIMENTARY presentation with a greater understanding of how to prevent youth from getting involved in gangs and other worrisome activities.

https://forms.office.com/r/FArccFTv6c

Deltassist Christmas Program: Information and Registration 2021

The Deltassist Christmas Program supports low-income Delta families, individuals and seniors who need additional support during the holiday season with grocery gift cards and a toy depot. For eligibility criteria and information on how to register with Deltassist Christmas Program. Click on the following link.

https://deltassist.com/community/deltassist-christmas-programs-information-and-registration

Surrey Christmas Bureau Program: Information and Registration 2021

The Surrey Christmas Bureau supports low-income families in Surrey who need support during the holidays by providing food hampers and toys for children. For eligibility criteria and information on how to register with the Surrey Christmas Bureau. Click on the following link.

https://christmasbureau.com/

School Calendar

Week of October 18

Dear Stinger Families:

Our Parent – Teacher Conferences are set to go for Wednesday and Thursday this week.  Our teachers are looking forward to the opportunity to discuss your child and ways we can work together to make this a great school year!  Students will be dismissed at 12:10pm on Wednesday and 2:00pm on Thursday.  For both early dismissals, the contents of our Lost and Found will be on display in front of the school.  Feel free to stop by, have a look, and claim any items that belong to your child.  If you haven’t already booked an appointment time with your child’s teacher don’t worry as Parent Connect is still open to find a time slot that works for you.  Teachers have, or will be today, letting you know which format (MS Teams, Google Meets, Phone Call) they will use to conduct the interviews.

Traffic at Chalmers

Last week there was an increased Delta Police presence at the front of our school during drop off andpick up times.  I have been told that this increase will continue in the days and week ahead.  Both Delta Police and the Mayor’s Office have received numerous complaints from neighbors around out school about drivers ignoring the city signage, blocking driveways, performing illegal U-turns etc., around the school.  Once again, I am encouraging everyone to walk their child to school each day.  If this is not possible for you then, for the safety of everyone, please follow the rules of the road.  While there are not a lot of legal parking options right in front of the school building, there are options close by.  Please park your car legally and walk the block or two it might take to get your child to school.

Also, please do not use the parking lot at Burnsview for pick-up and drop off.  Last week administration there informed me that several of our families are doing this and despite several reminders, continue to do so.  Parking lots at all Delta schools are for staff use only and additional traffic increases the potential for an accident.  Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

Upcoming Spirit Days

Our Spirit Day Committee recently met and have set up a few spirit days for the next few weeks.  Here are the details:

Wed. Oct 20 – Chalmers Spirit Wear/Chalmers Colours Day

Tues. Oct. 26 – Halloween Theme Day – wear orange, black or Halloween themed shirts head wear etc.

Fri. Oct 29 – Halloween Costume Parade (more details to come)

Mon. Nov. 1 – PJ Day

Pumpkin Carving Contest

This year, Chalmers will be holding a pumpkin carving contest for the students on Friday Oct.29th. Everyone is encouraged to participate. There will be three different categories for students to enter their pumpkins in, including: spookiest, most creative, and silliest. We will announce the winners after lunch on the same day.

All students who want to participate are asked to drop off their already carved pumpkin to the gym door by the intermediate uncover area anywhere from 8:10-8:40am. Mrs. Bromley will be letting two students in at a time to drop the creations off at the gym stage.

We ask for all pumpkins to be picked up after school from the same location and taken home. We look forward to seeing what Chalmers students can create!!!

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bromley.

Next week we will be sharing information about this year’s Halloween Costume Parade.

Great BC Shake Out

This Thursday schools across the province will be taking part in the Great BC Shake Out earthquake drill.  Students will learn about what could happen during an earthquake and how to keep themselves safe should one ever occur.  In addition, our students will practice the “Duck, Cover, Hold” procedure too.  This procedure involves ducking under a desk, covering our heads and backs, and holding on to the legs of the desk.  Students will then count to 60 and await further instructions from their teacher.  This will be the first of three Earthquake drills that we will complete as part of our Emergency Preparedness plan.

Speaking of emergency preparedness, recently an annual notice asking families to donate $5 per child for emergency supplies was sent home.  This money is used to replenish the supplies that we keep in our emergency bin.  Items like food rations and water packs have expiry dates and need to be replaced.  Thank you for helping us stay as prepared as possible.

School Calendar

Week of October 4, 2021

Dear Stinger Families:

Our Canadian Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all the things we have received in our lives over the past year, and to give thanks to those who have helped us along the way.

We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.

– Frederick Koenig

On behalf of the staff at Chalmers Elementary, I would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all of you can take some time to get together with family and friends and to be grateful for all the positive things in your lives. We all have so much to be thankful for.

Health and Safety

Beginning Monday, October 4, 2021, all students in kindergarten to Grade 7 will be required to wear a mask when inside the school or on a school bus including when they are at their desk.

Please see the letter to families from Superintendent Sheppard, sent electronically on Friday, Oct 1st.

Letter to Families – October 1, 2021

Chalmers Stingers Spirit Wear

Great news everyone!  We are once again collecting orders for Chalmers Stingers Spirit Wear!  If you would like to order a t-shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt, check out our online store.  All orders are placed, and payment made at this website.

https://www.prostockathleticsupply.com/collections/chalmers-stingers-online-store-1

Orders can be placed until October 17 with delivery taking place about three weeks after this date.  Please contact the office if you have any questions and we are looking forward to seeing our students showing off their school pride!

Parent Connect – Permission is Required for Every Student

Even if you think you have already completed these steps, please log on and double-check …

Please log onto Parent Connect:

https:// web.deltasd.bc.ca//content/resources/for parents/parentconnect

Use your email account (this is the easiest way to get in) and password (if you have forgotten your password click on “forgot my password” and your password will be emailed to you). You must allow for ‘Pop Ups’ on your computer. You can then access all your children at the school. You will need to do this for each of your children attending Chalmers.

Under the “Basic” tab you should update Demographic Information (phone numbers, email addresses and emergency contacts). Click on the “Select” button to the left of the line you need to update and make updates on the right side of the screen.

To add Emergency Release information click on the light blue button “Emergency/Out of Prov/Other Contacts.”

Click on the “Select” button on the left side of the screen and add contact on the right side of the screen. Add no more than 3 names using type ER-Emergency Release and add 1 name using type OP-Out Of Province Contact.

Once you have completed your changes/additions to your child’s Demographic and Emergency Release information click on the “Bulletin” tab on the screen and give your consent/permission to ALL of the following:

• Demographic Information up-to-date
• Emergency Release Information up-to-date
• Mac Computer Permission form
• Photographs/Video/Website Consent (in addition to returning the signed consent form)
• GAFE Permission – (Google Apps for Education)
• Walking Field Trip
• Fruit and Veggie Permission
• Outside Media Consent form

These show on two screens, once you have SAVED the first three the other one will show. Repeat for all children attending Chalmers.

When you log on to Parent Connect, please read the rules about outside media in schools. If you do NOT want your child involved with outside media activities, please print off the form to fill out.

Please take a few minutes to complete all these important forms as soon as possible.

Dress for the Weather

We are approaching the time of year when it is cooler and can be very rainy. Please ensure your children come to school dressed accordingly for playing outside at recess and lunchtime (e.g. boots and a coat), and perhaps also pack an extra pair of socks and pants into their backpacks for really rainy days! In the case of extremely poor weather, a decision will be made by staff to designate the recess and/or lunch hour as an “in day”, which means that students are to stay inside and play quietly in their classrooms rather than venture outdoors. We refrain from doing this unless absolutely necessary, as the children need the opportunity to get out in the fresh air and be physically active before heading back into the classroom (and besides, rain is just a fact of life of our West Coast climate).

Student Photographs

Will take place on Thursday this week.  Here is some information from our photographer to help make sure the experience is successful for everyone.

https://www.mountainwest.ca/school-elementary-photos

World Teacher Day

Tuesday, October 5 is World Teacher Day!  Please join us in saying a huge thank you to all the teachers at Chalmers who work so hard to make our school the great place it is for our students.

Parent – Teacher Conferences

This year’s conferences will take place on Wednesday, October 20 and Thursday, October 21.  As in previous years, there will be early dismissals on both days (12:10pm on Wednesday and 2:00pm on Thursday).  Teachers will hold these conferences via MS Teams.  Parents can begin booking an appointment time on Wednesday, October 13.  More information will be coming home later this week on how you can book an appointment with your child’s teacher.

School Calendar

Week of September 27

Dear Stinger Families:

Last Thursday our students participated in the annual Terry Fox Run.  Everyone worked hard to do their best and a fun time was had by all.  Thank you to our entire community for helping Chalmers raise $813 for cancer research!  Your continued support is greatly appreciated!

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation / Orange Shirt Day

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.  This important day is an opportunity to take some time to reflect on the truth of Canada’s past and the harmful legacy of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools and ways we can move towards reconciliation.  If you are looking for support and resources to help deepen your own understanding, start by reading the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day.  Between the 1860s and the 1990s, approximately 150,000 Métis, Inuit and First Nations children were sent to church-run residential schools.  Residential schools harmed Indigenous children by removing them from their families, forcing them to speak English or French instead of their ancestral languages, disconnecting them from their culture and traditions and forcing them to adopt Christianity to assimilate into Canadian society.

As the school will be closed on this day, we will be acknowledging both days on Wednesday, September 29th.  Staff and students are encouraged to wear orange in remembrance and respect to the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada.

We are encouraging everyone to wear something orange on Wednesday and we will be holding a student-led, virtual assembly.

For more information about both important days, and to see what the Delta School District is doing as we work towards reconciliation, please see the following brochure.

Brochure for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Final)

Health and Safety Reminders

Please remember that currently we are still limiting access to the school building to our parent community.  We ask that you send your child to school each day with all the things they will need.  This will help avoid the need to drop off items such as band instruments and lunches.  If you are needing to speak with someone at the school, please contact the office to make arrangements prior to entering the building.

Please also remember that students in Grades 4-7 are required to wear masks while indoors at school.  Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 are strongly encouraged to do the same.  While we do have a supply of masks available to anyone who may have forgot one, we don’t have enough to regularly be supplying them to students daily.

Finally, in keeping our school as safe as possible for students and staff, the best defence we have is for people to stay home when not well.  Please remember to complete the Daily Health Check with your child before they leave for school each day.

Road Safety Outside Our School

We know the start and end of the school day can be hectic for parents and, in particular, that finding parking can be a challenge. However, as we’re sure you would agree, public safety – especially thesafety of our children – is and should be everyone’s top priority.

With that in mind, we encourage you to drive within the school zone speed limit and respect the pavement markings in and around our neighbourhood. We encourage you to consider dropping your child(ren) a little further away from the school and letting them walk the remainder of the way. Please do not stop in the middle of the road to drop your child off.

The Delta Police Department traffic section will be conducting ongoing enforcement in the area.

Please find below a reminder of some helpful road safety tips for you to share with your child(ren), along with the rules of the road for drivers.

Tips for Crossing Roads Safely

• Cross where it’s safe. If there is a designated crossing, use it, even if it means taking adetour.
• Stop before stepping into a road, driveway or lane.
• Look in all directions. Look left-right-left and over the shoulder for vehicles that may be turning.
• Listen for approaching vehicles that aren’t visible but could be coming from a driveway or around a corner.
• Make eye contact with drivers so you know they see you and they know you see them. Remember that unless a driver is looking directly at you, they may not see you.
• Check that all vehicles are completely stopped before stepping into the road. Be certain there are no vehicles passing stopped vehicles – especially trucks or vans.
• Obey all traffic signs.
• Walk, don’t run across the street, roadway or lane. Keep looking for approaching vehicles as you cross. Look left-right-left and over your shoulder.
• Don’t wear headphones when crossing streets. Remember, you have to Stop, Look and Listen.
• Don’t jaywalk. Cross only at corners or marked crosswalks.

Rules of the Road for Drivers

• Travel 30 km/hr or less near schools from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days.
• Obey all “no parking” and “no stopping” signs in school and park zones. Parked vehicles reduce visibility and are a traffic hazard for children. Also, please do not double park.
• Stop for pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections. Wait until pedestrians have crossed the street before proceeding and never pass a vehicle that has stopped for pedestrians. Please do not park across crosswalks.
• Do not pass a school bus with its red lights flashing.
• Be alert at all times. Make eye contact with pedestrians so they know you see them. When children are present, please be extra careful.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in this important matter.

Sapphire Montessori Pre-School and Daycare

Sapphire Flier

Parent Workshops

Suzanne Perreault Oct 7

School Calendar

Have a great week!

Week of September 20, 2021

Dear Stinger Families:

On Thursday this week, students and staff will take part in our annual Terry Fox Run.  Classes will be assigned a time to go outside and complete the run.  All this week, the students from Division 3 will be collecting donations from classes with the hopes that this year, we will make our largest donation to the Terry Fox Foundation ever!

Federal Election

The Federal Election will take place on Monday, September 20, 2021, and Chalmers will be a polling station.  As a result of this, we anticipate an increase in traffic around the school throughout the day.

Traffic Around the School

Speaking of traffic around the school, we have noticed that traffic in front of the school is quite busy at pick up time each day and even heavier when it is raining.

To keep everyone in our community safe, it is imperative that everyone obey the municipal traffic laws; particularly those around making U-turns, parking illegally and keeping driveways clear when dropping off and picking up students.

We know that most of our community practices safe driving, but it is imperative that everyone does so.  If you must drive your child to and/or from school, we ask that you adhere to the posted traffic signage and do not block driveways.  We recognize that traffic can be busy in front of the school, so we recommend arranging a meeting spot with your child(ren) a block or two away from the school and having them meet you there.  If that is not possible, legally park your vehicle in an appropriate spot and walk to the school to meet your child.  We recognize that life can be busy and that doing things safely and legally might add a few extra minutes to pick up time but keeping all of our students safe is the logical choice so please do your part.

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal statutory holiday which gives the public a chance to recognize and commemorate the intergenerational harm that residential schools have caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those who have been affected by this injustice.

September 30th is also Orange Shirt Day.

“The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30th opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected. Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.”

(Orange Shirt Day website)

Orange Shirt Day invites Canadians to wear orange shirts on September 30th each year to honour survivors of Residential Schools, their families, and their communities. The Orange Shirt Day website has a page of resources for anyone looking to organize Orange Shirt Day at their school or work.

As schools will be closed on September 30^th, we will be recognizing both days on Wednesday, September 29^th.  Students and staff are encouraged to wear orange on this day and will participate in learning activities and a student-led virtual assembly to acknowledge the days and increase awareness and understanding.

District Workshops

Thriving in K-3 September 23

Dr. MacNamara – Adolescence Sept 22

School Calendar

Dear Stinger Families:

Once again, I would like to welcome everyone to a new school year at Chalmers Elementary. We hope everyone had an enjoyable summer and that the first week of school was 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, I’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 willwork with, and teachers are anxious to meet their students and begin teaching.  With that behind us now, I’m expecting the routines and procedures of the school year to be up and fully running in the days ahead.

We are truly looking forward to a great school year!

Health and Safety Guidelines

The B.C. government is requiring students in Grades 4 to 12 to wear a non-medical mask indoors, at school.

All K-to-12 staff and visitors also need to wear masks indoors, and kids in kindergarten to Grade 3 are strongly encouraged to wear masks.

Please ensure your child comes to schools with clean masks for the day.  While we do have masks for children who forget theirs, we don’t have enough to be regularly supplying masks to students daily.

Also, please remember to complete the Daily Health Check with your child before leaving for school each day.  Parents need to indicate in Parent Connect that they have reviewed the form, understand their responsibilities and how to use the daily health check, and agree to conduct a daily health check with their child.  Please see instructions below on how to access and update your account on Parent Connect.

The Daily Health Check information is also available on the District Website at https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/news-events/news/information-for-parents-guardians-novel-coronavirus/

COVID-19 Exposures

In the event that a family experiences testing protocols, or a self-isolation notice related to the COVID-19 virus, we are encouraging families to contact the school to inform us. We would like to centralize the collection of this information so that we can effectively follow up as necessary in an effort to keep our community safe. Please call 604-594-5437 or email chalmers.elem@deltaschools.ca. 

Please note: If an individual tests positive and contact tracers determine they may have been infectious while at school:

• Parents, caregivers and staff will be notified by Fraser Health if their child is determined to be a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person.
• Students and staff determined by Fraser Health asclose contacts may be asked to self-isolate or self-monitor.
• Individuals who are not close contacts are not at increased risk, so don’t need to take any additional actions beyond continuing to follow general public health recommendations.
• If there are multiple cases that are confirmed clusters or outbreaks, the whole school community will be notified, and the case will be posted to the Fraser Health School Exposure website.

School notifications to the broader school community, such as letters or exposure notices on regional health authority websites, will be used when public health deems them necessary to support contact tracing or outbreak management.

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 2021-2022 school year can be found at the links below.   Now that classes are settled, teachers would appreciate school supplies being sent to school.

School Supply Lists 2021-2022

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

This year, September 30th has been designated as a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As such, schools will be closed on this day.

In June, the federal government passed new legislation  making September 30 a national statutory holiday commemorating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The designation of this day is in response to one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and is meant to honour survivors, their families, and communities. It also ensures the ongoing commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools will remain a vital part of the reconciliation process.

Here is a Link to the adjusted school calendar as well as our bell schedule.

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 staff members:

• S. Parrott (Grade 6/7 Teacher)
• R. Chang (Grade 4 Teacher until Ms. Hobbs returns from Maternity Leave)
• S. McClary (Grade 1 Teacher will job-share with Ms. Notting)
• K. Lachance (Grade 1 Teacher until Ms. Corazza returns from Maternity Leave)
• S. Johal (School Counselor)
• N. Chalus (School Psychologist)
• T. King (Supported Learning and Integrated Team Teacher)
• S. Montgomery (Education Assistant)
• C. Clarke (Education Assistant)

School Organization

We start the year with 479 students spread into 21 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.

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.

Please remember to update your family’s emergency information online throughout the year. This includes changes to cell phone numbers, emergency contacts, etc. The only change that cannot be completed online by a parent is a change of address (which can be done by bringing this information to the school office).

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 the actual work. Other helpful routines involve assigning responsibilities for household chores, being firm about times to get up and go to bed (most children require about 10 hours of sleep per 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.

District News

Dr. Jennifer Mervyn Sept 16th Parent Night Flyer