Hello everyone,

May is here, and we are just about half-way through the third and final term of school!  This month, Ms. Brule is taking over the majority of teaching and has some exciting units and projects planned.  There are lots of events this month, so please scroll to the bottom of this post for upcoming important dates.

Ocean Camp

This month we have two field trips coming up!  First, on Friday, May 15th we are travelling by chartered bus to New Brighton Park in Vancouver to participate in Ocean Camp!  Through hands-on fieldwork, students measure salinity, temperature, turbidity, pH, and ammonia levels — discovering how these factors influence the ocean environment and the life it supports. There will also be time to simply enjoy the beach — to skip rocks, explore tidepools, and play — which deepens our emotional connection to the ocean. I am super excited for this field trip!

Swimming at MacPherson Outdoor Pool

Second, on Tuesday, May 26th and Tuesday, June 2nd we will be walking to MacPherson outdoor pool with Divisions 2 and 3 for loonie swim.  This Glenwood tradition is a sure sign that summer is near!

Movie Making

Last month, students started to learn reading and writing scripts for movies.  This month, students are putting those skills to work and will be making movies!  Students will combine literacy, drama, and technology to showcase their creativity!  I am excited to see what our movie makers come up with!

Tackling Global Issues

Last term in Social Studies, we learned about global issues including poverty, child labour, women’s and children’s rights, racism, and conflict.  This term we will be learning about how countries and organizations are responding to global issues.

Math – Probability and Data Analysis

This month in Math we will be learning about probability and data analysis.  We will be applying many of the previously learned math concepts such as ratio, patterns, and percentages when working through this unit.

• Tuesday, May 5 – Battle of the Books Final @ 1:15 (Glenwood hosting)
• Wednesday, May 6 – All Day Track Meet at Swanguard Stadium
• Thursday, May 7 – Student-Led Conferences
• Friday, May 8 @2:00 – Early Dismissal / Chip and Freezie Sale
• Friday, May 15 – Div. 1’s Ocean Camp field trip at New Brighton Park (all day)
• Monday, May 18 – Victoria Day – School is closed
• Tuesday, May 19 – Grade 6 Immunizations
• Friday, May 22 – Saleema Noon Health Presentations
• Tuesday, May 26 – Div. 1-3 Loonie Swim at MacPherson Outdoor Pool
• Thursday, May 28 – Volunteer Tea

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing spring break!  April is nearly here, so its time for another monthly post.  It’s another busy month, so please read to the bottom of the post for important dates.  April is also the start of term 3.  For a preview of what students will be learning this term, please click the Overviews Tab at the top of this page.  For more details about April, please continue reading.

First, Ms. Brule will be completing her long practicum in our class this term.  With my supervision, over the next 10 weeks, she will gradually take on more of the daily lesson preparation, teaching, and assessment. Ms. Brule has been carefully planning for her practicum and she is very excited to begin!

Salmon at Glenwood

Over the course of term 2, we have been caring for our Chum salmon eggs.  A few weeks before spring break, the eggs hatched giving us the opportunity to watch the alevin swim around the tank.  During April, the salmon will continue to grow and develop into fry.  In a few weeks, we will release the fry into Byrne Creek!

Talent Show

Every April, Glenwood hosts our very own Talent Show!  If your child has a special talent they would like to showcase to our school community, please ensure they fill out and return the talent show form.  For students who have talents that aren’t easily demonstrated on stage (hockey, painting, horseback riding for example) you can submit a photo to be included in the slide show.

Intermediate Choral Festival

After many weeks of practicing in Music class, our Intermediate Choir is ready to perform at the Intermediate Choral Festival!  This annual festival provides elementary choirs with a wonderful performance opportunity to hone their choral skills in a collaborative and encouraging setting.  This year, choirs will perform at Burnaby North Secondary School.  A field trip form will be sent home soon.

After the success of our Purdy’s fundraiser, I am excited to get back to fundraising for our year-end camp!  This term, student volunteers will be hosting monthly after school chip and freezie sales.  Thank you to the parents (and PAC) for your generous donations of freezies and chips!  We will also be fundraising with Mitchell’s Soup Co., a Canadian handmade food company.  More information will be sent home in early April about this fundraiser.

Battle of the Books has started!  Before Spring Break, students had the opportunity to browse this year’s books before ranking their preferred books.  Students had the opportunity to take their assigned book home for Spring Break to get a head-start on their reading.  In the coming weeks, students will need to complete 3 assignments on their assigned book.  However, students are encouraged to read more than 1 book, to prepare for the practice battles and the final battle!

Track Season

Track season starts in April.  Students who wish to join the team need to hand in their permission form ASAP.  Practices will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 8:15 am on the lower field.  Participants are expected to attend practices regularly and bring appropriate clothing / footwear.  There will be two after school track meets and an all day track meet on Friday, May 1st.

• Wednesday April 1st – Easter Egg Hunt (Thank you PAC!)
• Friday, April 3rd – Good Friday (school is closed)
• Monday, April 6th – Easter Monday (school is closed)
• Thursday, April 9th – Class / Team / School Photo Day
• Friday, April 10th – Fun Friday – Jersey day
• Thursday, April 16th – Track and Field after school
• Wednesday, April 22nd – Intermediate Choral Festival (morning)
• Thursday, April 23rd – Track and Field after school
• Monday, April 27th – Professional Development Day – students do not attend
• Thursday, April 30th – Talent Show (afternoon)

Hello everyone,

Its the beginning of a new month and time for a monthly update.  Its a short month, with Spring Break, so it’s a short update.  Please scroll to the bottom of the post for important dates for the month of March.

February was Kind Mind month.  Glenwood partnered with the Kelty Foundation to promote mental wellness.  We hope everyone had fun completing their Kind Mind booklets at home.  As a final activity, Crisis Center BC will be coming in to our class to present Self Care for Mental Health.  This single-session, in-person workshop will provide a common understanding of mental health and allow students to identify what influences and supports their own mental wellbeing.  In class, we will continue to talk about mental wellness during March.

Battle of the Books (BOTB) is back for 2026!

What is it?
BOTB is a grade 6 and 7 district literacy competition sponsored by the Burnaby School District’s Teacher-Librarians. This also comprises a significant portion of our Term 3 English Language Arts curriculum, so students are expected to participate.

How does it work?
BOTB consists of teams of students that read 10 books between. The students will also create and answer questions in weekly practice battles, and complete some projects for their book. A final team of up to 10 students will be invited to attend a district battle at another school based on their individual effort during the BOTB.

Students will read and become an expert on a minimum of 1 of the books. For which questions will be written and projects completed after Spring Break. These projects and questions will help the students know their books well and make them more effective competitors as well as demonstrate their understanding of their book(s) and various Language Arts curricular and core competencies.

Books read in addition to their expert book will only require questions to be created. The projects will be optional for extra credit. Students reading more than one book have the best chance to be invited to the final battle team.

One of the requirements students will have is to submit a minimum of 8 questions that could be used for a practice battle. The first four questions should be about the first half of the book.  The second set of questions are written about the second half of the book.  Students can submit bonus questions on the Bonus Question paper or online by going to the Glenwood Library blog (link here): https://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/glenwood-library/

On Wednesday, March 11 term 2 report cards will be posted to MyEd.  This week you will receive instructions on how to sign up for the parent/caregiver accounts fo My Ed Family Portal.  If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

• Tuesday, March 3 – Firefighter Visit
• Friday, March 6 – Green Thumb Theatre Presentation
• Tuesday, March 10 – Self-Care for Mental Health Workshop (Div. 1)
• Wednesday March 11 – Term 2 Report Cards Posted
• Monday March 16 – Friday March 27 – Spring Break (school is closed)

Hello everyone,

February is a busy month (aren’t they all?).  Please scroll to the bottom of this post for important events for this month.  As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to me.

School Supplies

We are just over half-way through the school year, and some students are running low on school supplies.  Please check-in with your child to see if they need to be restocked for any essentials.  One item that many students seem to be missing is a pencil sharpener.

 

February is Kind Mind Month

February is here and this month, Glenwood Elementary has partnered with the Kelty Foundation to promote Kind Mind Month.  This month, we will be focusing on engaging in meaningful conversations about mental well-being, reducing the stigma, and amplifying the awareness about resources available to students and their families.  At the beginning of the month, each student will take home a workbook filled with activities and challenges to complete with their family.  All activites done at school and home align with the BC Physical and Health Education curriculum.  We are super excited to start Kind Mind Month!

 

Math

We have our fractions, mixed numbers, decimals, ratios and percents quiz coming up on Thursday, Feb. 5th.  This month in Math we are switching to measurement and geometry.  We will be using protractors to measure and classify angles and learning about circumference, radius, and diameter of circles.

Science

This term in Science, we will be learning about chemistry.  We will explore mixtures and solutions.  We will learn about the periodic table, elements, compounds, and atoms.

Language Arts

We are continuing to focus on fiction writing this month.  So far, students have written fables and several students presented their fables at our Literacy Week assembly on Friday, January 30th.  In February, we will continue to explore fiction writing through fractured fairytales and will learn about poetry and figurative language.

Our term two book club is underway and students have been reading about different global inequality issues and the people who affected positive change.  We have also been reading biographies in class about different changemakers such as Iqbal Masih and Nellie McClung.

Skating Field Trip

Thank you to our parent volunteers who accompanied our classes to the first skating field trip!  Everyone had lots of fun on the ice.  We are looking forward to going back in two weeks.

Finally, Feb. 25th is Pink Shirt Day.  Students are encouraged to wear pink on this day to demonstrate their awareness and support of anti-bullying.  We will have a Pink Shirt Day assembly on Wednesday, Feb. 25th (time is TBD).

 

 

• Thursday, Feb. 5th – Green Thumb Theatre Presentation (afternoon)
• Thursday, Feb. 5th – Kindness Month Parent Presentation (7:00 – 8:00 p.m.)
• Thursday, Feb. 12 – Div. 1-3 Skating at Rosemary Brown Arena (morning)
• Monday, Feb. 16th – Family Day – school is closed
• Tuesday, Feb. 25th – Origami Workshops (Thank you PAC!)
• Wednesday, Feb. 25th – Pink Shirt Day / Assembly
• Friday, Feb. 27th – Professional Development Day (students do not attend)

 

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing Winter Break!  I spent time visiting with family and friends and am ready for the next term of school.  Term 2 is the shortest term but is filled with lots of learning and activities.  To learn about some of the highlights coming up in January, please continue reading this post.  For a more detailed overview of what we will be learning about in term 2, please click on the term 2 tab at the top of the page.  Important dates and events are at the bottom of this post.

Literacy

This term in English Language Arts, we are shifting our focus from non-fiction to fiction.  Students will be working on drafting, editing, and publishing short stories!  Students will also have the chance to present a Reader’s Theatre (play) to the school to celebrate Literacy Week, which is the last week of January.

Salmon in the School

This year, Glenwood is hosting the Salmonids in the Classroom program.  On Jan. 12th, we will receive 50 salmon eggs.  Over the coming months, the salmon eggs will grow and develop from eggs to alevin and fry.  After spring break, we will release them into Byrne Creek.  This is an excellent opportunity for all students at Glenwood to learn about salmon and make connections to our local enviornment.

Term 2 Book Club: Global Inequalities

Term 2 book club will begin in mid-January.  This term, we are focussing on global inequality and the treatment of minority peoples around the world.  The novels chosen connect to our learning in Social Studies.  Some topics we will explore include: women’s rights, Indigenous People’s rights, the holocaust, Japanese internment, and child labour.

Skating at Rosemary Brown Arena

This term, students in Div. 1-3 will be participating in 2 field trips to Rosemary Brown Arena for ice skating!  Students will be travelling via a combination of public transit and parent drivers.  Field trip notices will be sent home in the coming weeks.

As always, if you have any questions please contact me via email.

Thank you,

Christina Pook

• Monday, Jan. 5th – School Reopens
• Friday, Jan. 9th – Dress Classy Day
• Monday, Jan. 12th – Salmon Eggs arrive
• Friday, Jan. 16th – YPC Bus Pick-up at 9:10 a.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 20th – Byrne Creek Information Session @ Byrne Creek Community School (12:45-2:45)
• Wednesday, Jan. 21st – Burnaby South Information Session @ Glenwood Elementary School (9:00 – 10:00)
• Thursday, Jan. 29th – Skating at Rosemary Brown Arena (afternoon)
• Friday, Jan. 30th – Wearable Literacy Day

Hello everyone,

The end of November marks the end of term 1. It is a really busy time of year as students are getting ready for the winter concert, finishing term 1 units and beginning term 2 units, and working on projects.  There are a number of events happening at Glenwood in the month of December, so please scroll to the bottom of this post for a list of important events.

Report Cards

Term 1 report cards will be posted to MyEd on Thursday, Dec. 11th at 3:00 p.m.  Report cards are an important communication tool that describe student progress and learning, as well as areas for further development.  If you have any issues accessing your child’s report card, please contact the school office.

The overview for term 2 is posted in the Overviews tab.  For a sneak-peak at what we will be learning in Term 2, please click the tab above.

Winter Concerts

On Thursday, Dec. 4th staff and students will be participating in Glenwood’s annual winter concert.  We have been busy preparing for this event for many weeks and are excited to showcase student talent.

On Wednesday, Dec. 10th students in Div. 1 will be travelling to Michael J Fox Theatre for a Winter Musical Showcase.  This free event will feature performances by Burnaby South’s band, choir, and orchestra.

On Friday, Dec. 19th Glenwood students will be treated to a pancake breakfast.  This Glenwood tradition is the perfect way to celebrate the winter season and the last day of school in 2025.   Thank you to the Glenwood PAC for hosting this annual event.

If you have visited Glenwood in the past week, you may have noticed the angel tree sitting in front of the school office.  On the tree are tags from the Burnaby Christmas Bureau.  Each tag represents a child living in Burnaby who may not receive a Christmas gift due to financial limitations.  Consider choosing a tag from the tree and purchasing a gift for a child.  Angel tree gifts are due back to Glenwood on Wednesday, Dec. 17th.

• Thursday, Dec. 4th – Winter Concert matinee @1:30 and evening peformance @ 6:30
• Wednesday, Dec. 10th – Winter Musical Showcase @ Michael J. Fox Theatre (10:15-12:30)
• Thursday, Dec. 11th – Term 1 Report Cards Posted to MyEd
• Friday, Dec. 12th – PAC Children’s Holiday Market
• Friday, Dec. 12th – Cozy Sweater Day
• Friday, Dec. 19th – Pajama Day / Pancake Breakfast / Last Day of School for 2025

Hello everyone,

Its another new month, which means its time for an update from Div. 1.  Students have been especially busy this Fall at school.  Volleyball season started, and our team has played their first couple of games against other schools in our zone.  Students on the team have been busy practicing at lunch.  In addition, preparations are underway for our winter concert!  Students have been busy practicing their lines, designing the set, and working on other technical, behind-the-scenes, parts of our winter concert.  Also, fundraising started for our June camp.  I am so proud of all of the students who are taking on these volunteer roles around our school.

We ended October with our annual Halloween costume parade, teacher presentation (in costume, of course!) and class party.  Thank you to everyone who brought snacks and games to make our class party extra fun.

Looking ahead, there are lots of things happening in November, so please scroll to the bottom of this post for a list of important dates for this month.  As always, if you have any questions, please contact me via email.

For the last two weeks of October, we had the pleasure of having Ms. Brule, teacher-candidate from UBC, complete her short practicum in our class.  Starting next week, Ms. Brule is only going to be visiting our class once a week, on Thursdays.  These weekly visits will continue after Winter Break.

 

Math

This month in Math, we are learning about multiplication and division.  We started last week by reviewing (or learning about) multiples, factors, prime numbers, and composite numbers.  We will progress to learning about how to multiply and divide decimals and integers (grade 7), and will learn about order of operations.  We will also continue to develop strategies for multiplying and dividing larger numbers.

Language Arts

This month in reading, we are starting our first Book Club.  Students will get to choose a novel to read (from a collection of novels chosen by me).  All of the novels have the theme of overcoming challenges.  Students will be responsible for reading their novel, completing the reading activities, and discussing their novel with their group in the timeline given.

This month in writing, we are taking a break from non-fiction writing (biographies and autobiographies) and will be moving on to story writing.

Social Studies

This month, we will shift our focus from Science to Social Studies.  In Social Studies, we are going to learn about the rise and fall of early societies.  We’ll use the Social Studies inquiry process and skills to ask questions, gather, interpret and analyze ideas, make inferences, and share our findings and understanding with others.  We’ll learn about features and characteristics of different early civilizations and what lead those civilizations to fall.

Health Education

Starting last month, we began a unit on hazards in British Columbia.  Using the ‘Master of Disaster’ program, we are learning about emergency preparedness and hazards in B.C., like floods, wildfires, earthquakes and tsunamis.  Over the next few weeks, we’ll shift our focus to online safety, digital literacy, and digital citizenship.

Young People’s Concert

Our first YPC field trip is coming up on Friday, Nov. 28th.  Bus pick-up will be shortly after 9:00 a.m..  This performance will be featuring Grupo America by Las Americas.

Dazzle your students with Grupo America’s visual explosion of glamour, colour, and spirited music! This Latin dance extravaganza presents folkloric and contemporary dances from Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and the US, taking audiences on a journey from the pre-Columbian to the modern era. Students learn about the three main influences in dances from the Americas: European, African, and Indigenous. Each dance is introduced with a brief description of the country and the dance’s origin and story. (https://www.kbamonline.com/#/grupo-america/)

• Monday, Nov. 3rd – Photo Retake Day
• Friday, Nov. 7th – Div. 1 Snack Sale (Camp Fundraiser) and Fun Friday (Bring a Stuffy Day)
• Monday, Nov. 10th – Remembrance Day Assembly
• Tuesday, Nov. 11th – Remembrance Day – school is closed
• Friday, Nov. 21st – Professional Development Day – students do not attend
• Friday, Nov. 28th – Young People’s Concert

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my class website! Here you will find helpful information such as term overviews and our class’s weekly schedule.  Each month, I will also post an update about what we have been learning about and doing in class, as well as some important upcoming events.  Please scroll to the bottom of this post for upcoming important events (there are a lot!).  As always, if you have any questions, please contact me via email.

For the past few weeks, students in Divison 1 have been working on creating a class Code of Conduct.  We started by discussing the Burnaby School District’s Code of Conduct, and identifying the main ideas as well as supporting details.  Students then worked in small groups to draft their own Codes of Conduct.  Finally, we collaborated as a class to create one that is unique to us.  Here it is:

Div. 1’s Code of Conduct

In Division 1, everyone has the right to feel safe, be included, and be treated with kindness. 

We all work together to learn, respect each other’s space and things, and make sure no one is left out.

 

• Each person has the RIGHT to learn in a safe and positive environment.
• It is the RESPONSIBILITY of each person to help each other learn, encourage, and support each other to do our best.

 

• Each person has the RIGHT to be included in the activities at school.
• It is the RESPONSIBILITY of each person to invite others to join in the learning and fun.

 

• Each person has the RIGHT to be treated respectfully in a place that is free from prejudice.
• It is the RESPONSBILITY of each person to treat others kindly and fairly, no matter who they are.

 

• Each person has the RIGHT to privacy and space at school.
• It is the RESPONSIBILITY of each person to respect other people by keeping our bodies to ourselves, using other people’s things with permission, and giving space to others when they need it.

Math

In Math, we started the year with a bit of review including place value of whole numbers from billions to decimal numbers in the thousandths.  From whole numbers and decimals, we will move on to fractions, as well as integers (positive and negative numbers).

English Language Arts

In ELA, we have been learning about different fiction genres including: realistic fiction, historical fiction, adventure, science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.  Students are working in groups to create a skit for one of the genres, and will be presenting their skits to the class.  We will focus more closely on the science-fiction and adventure genres in the remainder of term 1.

We have also been working on non-fiction writing.  We started the year with a peer biography assignment where students interviewed a peer from the class, and wrote a short biography.  We will move onto writing autobiographies next.

In Science this term, we will be learning about the universe, our solar system, and solar energy.  Students will work in a small group to research a planet and create a PowerPoint presentation to share their research.

Volleyball

Ms. Young and Ms. Woo are co-coaching the Glenwood volleyball teams this year.  Practices will be held at lunch on Mondays and Wednesdays.  All students in grades 6 and 7 are welcome to join the team.  If your child is interested in joining the team, make sure they return their permission form.

• Monday, Sept. 22nd – Green Thumb Theatre presents: People Like Vince
• Thursday, Sept. 25th – Terry Fox Assembly (with a special guest!) and Terry Fox Run
• Friday, Sept. 26th – Professional Development Day – students do not attend
• Tuesday, Sept. 30th – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – School Closed
• Thursday, Oct. 2nd – Welcome Conversations from 3:15 – 7:00
• Friday, Oct. 3rd – Early Dismissal at 2:00
• Thursday, Oct. 9th – Individual Photo Day
• Monday, Oct. 13th – Thanksgiving – School is Closed
• Wednesday, Oct. 22nd – Div. 1 Camp Parent Meeting @ 6:00 (to be confirmed)
• Friday, Oct. 24th – Professional Development Day – Students do not attend
• Friday, Oct. 31st – Halloween Assembly and Costume parade (in the afternoon)