Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break.  My family and I spent time visiting our extended family on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan.

The term 3 Overview has been posted to this website.  If you would like a sneak-peek at what students in Division 2 will be learning this term, please click on the Term 3 Overview at the top of this page.  Looking ahead to April, there are lots of fun, exciting things coming up.  Please scroll to the bottom of this post for a list of important dates.

This month, Ms. Julie Zhu will begin her 10-week practicum in our class.  During this time, Ms. Zhu will start taking over 80+% of the teaching responsibility which includes planning, preparing, teaching, assessing, and providing feedback to students.  I will continue to be in the classroom supervising and assisting during this time.

Students are not permitted to share or trade food at school.  This includes candy or other treats before school.  An exception is made when a student brings an item to share with the entire class, after parents have spoken with me first.

Term 2 Report Cards

Term 2 report cards will be posted to MyED on Tuesday, April 2nd.  Report cards are a great way for you to keep informed about your child’s learning progress during term 2 and learning goals for the remainder of the school year.  If you are unable to access your child’s report card once it has been posted, please contact the school office.  If you would like to schedule a meeting (in-person or on the phone) to discuss your child’s learning goals for the remainder of the school year, please contact me via email.

Book Club

Every year in term 3, students in Division 2 participate in Book Clubs!  This is an opportunity for students to independently practice the reading and writing skills that we have been working on during terms 1 and 2.  Students will choose a book, from a selection provided by Ms. Pook. They will read the book, complete a written response, and share their questions, connections, and opinions about the books in a small group of classmates who’ve also read the book. More information about Book Club will be given to students this week.

Salmon in the School Update

This month, our salmon will continue to grow and develop and will become fry!  At the beginning of the fry stage, the salmon must swim up to the top of their tank and take in oxygen to inflate their swim bladders.  This will allow them to swim all around the tank (instead of swimming along the bottom).  They will start to eat food and will become more active.  We will be able to open the cover of the tank more frequently and observe them as they continue to grow.

Track and Field

Every spring, students in grades 4-7 across the Burnaby School District have the opportunity to participate in Track and Field.  This year, Glenwood’s track and field team will be coached by Ms. Young and Ms. Kan.  A permission form went home before Spring Break for students wishing to participate in this activity.  Practices will be held on Tuesday mornings before school for students in grades 4/5.  There will be two zonal track meets held after school later this month at Byrne Creek Secondary and an all-zone meet during the school day in May at SFU.

Glenwood’s Got Talent!

Every April, the staff and students at Glenwood produce a talent show!  Forms went home before Spring Break.  If your child is interested in participating in this year’s talent show, please complete and return the form to school after Spring Break.  Auditions will take place at lunch over the coming weeks.  The talent show will happen on Friday, April 26th at 1:00 p.m. in the school gym.  Parents are welcome to attend.  This year, there will also be a photo slide show at the end of the talent show.  If your child is involved in an activity or has a talent that doesn’t showcase well on stage, and would like to share it, please send a photo to Ms. Kan, who will include the photo in the slide show.

This month’s Social Emotional Learning theme is responsibility and accountability.  We will discuss these topics during our weekly class meetings.

Burnaby school district offers a variety of summer session courses for elementary school students. Elementary registration opens on April 16th at 10:00 a.m.  Courses are offered at a number of elementary schools in the south zone including: Taylor Park Elementary, Nelson Elementary, Maywood Elementary, and Brantford Elementary.  For registration information please click this link: https://burnabyschools.ca/summersession/

• Tuesday April 2nd – School Reopens / Term 2 Report Cards posted
• Friday, April 5th – Fun Friday: Hat Day
• Tuesday, April 16th – Summer Session Registration Opens
• Friday, April 26th – Class / School / Team photos in the morning, Talent Show in the afternoon
• Monday, April 29th – Professional Development Day – Students do not attend

Hello everyone,

Here is your March update for Division 2.  March is a short month, so this will be a short update!  Two weeks until Spring Break!

Salmon in the School Update

On Tuesday, February 20th, our salmon eggs began hatching!  Students in Division 2 managed to catch the show as the alevin emerged from their eggs.  So far, all of our alevin are alive and thriving!  They are learning to swim and spend most of their day hiding behind the rocks in the tank.

Here is a short video from the Seymour Hatchery showing salmon hatching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgp6OjpfrQo

Art Update

Dragon Eye Art

2D Shapes and Symmetry Art

This term in art, students have completed projects that work on understanding colour: warm colours, cool colours, complementary colours and contrasting colours.  In January, students sketched and coloured a dragon eye, as part of our learning about Lunar New Year.  In February, students completed art using their knowledge of 2D shapes and symmetry, which relates to our learning in Math.

Social Emotional Learning: Creativity and Resourcefulness

March’s SEL theme is creativity and resourcefulness.  There are many ways everyone can be creative.  We can be creative with how we use materials, our ideas, and how we express ourselves.  This month will focus on thinking outside the box and using what we have around us.

Alice in Wonderland

On Friday, March 8th, Divisions 1 and 2 will be attending a production of Alice in Wonderland at Michael J Fox Theatre.  We will leave school at 11:30 a.m. and will arrive back by 3:00 p.m.  We will walk to and from this play.  This experience is an extension of our learning in Arts Education and all students are expected to attend.

 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

Christina Pook

• Friday, March 1 – Fun Lunch
• Friday, March 8 – Div. 1 and 2 to Michael J. Fox theatre for Alice in Wonderland
• Tuesday, March 12 – Class, team, and panorama photos in the morning
• Friday, March 15 – Last day of school before Spring Break / Fun Lunch

 

Hello everyone,

Here is the Division 2 monthly update for February.  For upcoming important dates, please scroll to the bottom of this post.

Reminders

This is a quick reminder that students should bring the following items to school each day.

• water bottle
• Gym shoes
• cutlery (forks, spoons, chopsticks) if needed for student lunch

Salmon in the School Update

On Wednesday, January 10th, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans dropped off 50 chum salmon eggs.  The eggs are being kept in a cool, dark tank in the hallway, which simulates their real-world habitat.  The eggs are slowly growing and developing.  We’ve already seen some of the eggs develop eyes and roll around (a little) when responding to light.  In the coming weeks, the salmon will hatch as alevin.

This month, we’ve been learning all about Chum salmon.  We talked about their life cycle, habitat, and place in the food chain.  Did you know that salmon are a keystone species in their ecosystem?  They are also a protected species, which means removing salmon from their environment, at any stage in their life cycle, is illegal.

February Social Emotional Theme: Kindness and Assertiveness

This month’s SEL theme is kindness and assertiveness.  With Pink Shirt Day at the end of the month, and Valentine’s Day fast approaching, kindness is always on our minds in February.  This month, we are pairing kindness with assertiveness / problem solving.  How do you solve a problem?  How and when do you stand up for yourself?  For others? We will be covering these important topics during lessons, class discussions, role-plays and read-alouds.

Multiplication and Division Facts

Starting in February, students in Division 2 will be practicing their multiplication and division facts twice a week, to improve their fluency and recall.  Mastering the multiplication (and related division facts) in grade 4 and 5 is one way to prepare for Math in the later grades.

Pink Shirt Day

Wednesday, February 28th is Pink Shirt Day.  It is an annual event in Canada against bullying. Everyone is encouraged to wear pink to raise awareness about bullying.  This year’s theme is ‘sprinkle kindness’.  This year, students in Division 2 will be encouraged to ‘sprinkle kindness’ at school by completing small gestures of kindness for others.  We will celebrate Pink Shirt Day with an assembly on Wednesday, Feb. 28th at 9:00 a.m.

• Friday, February 2nd – Literacy Week Assembly at 9:30 a.m., Fun Lunch (Pizza Lunch)
• Wednesday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day, Class Party in the afternoon
• Thursday, February 15th – Fun Lunch (Subway Lunch)
• Friday, February 16th – Burnaby School District Professional Development Day – Students do not attend
• Monday, February 19th – Family Day – School is closed
• Wednesday, February 28th – Pink Shirt Day, Assembly at 9:00 a.m.

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a restful and fun Winter Break.  At the beginning of the break, my family and I spent time in the Okanagan visiting family at Christmas.  On the last weekend of the break, we celebrated my son’s 5th birthday.

There are lots of exciting things happening at Glenwood in January and the rest of term 2.  For details on what we will be learning about, please click on Term 2, in the Overviews tab, at the top of the page.  For highlights about what’s coming up, see below.  Please scroll to the bottom of this post for a list of Important Dates for January.

January’s Social Emotional Learning Theme: Growth Mindset

This month, our Social Emotional Learning is focused around Growth Mindset.  Developing a Growth Mindset (as opposed to a fixed mindset) allows one to meet and overcome life’s challenges.  We will be talking, reading, and writing about the importance of developing a Growth Mindset, and practicing strategies for overcoming challenges.

Salmon in the Classroom

This term, our school is participating in the Salmon in the classroom program!  The salmon eggs will arrive on Wednesday, January 10th and will be growing and developing in a tank in the hallway outside of the library.  We will release the salmon after Spring Break.  This whole-school learning experience will allow all students at Glenwood to observe a small part of the salmon life cycle.  Each class will learn about the salmon life cycle and the importance of salmon to the local ecosystem.  Students in grades 4-7 will also learn about the importance of salmon to the local Indigenous Peoples.

Black Excellence Day – Monday January 15th

Black Excellence Day takes place on January 15th.  It is in honour of the civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, who was born on January 15th, 1929.  It is a day to acknowledge the contributions of Black Canadians in Canada’s history and the ongoing civil rights struggle that Black Canadians can face.  Staff and students are encouraged to honour Black Excellence Day at school by wearing a black shirt.

Safety: at School, at Home, in the Community, and Online

This term in Health and Career Education, we will be learning about safety: how to stay safe at home, in the community, at school, and online.  We will be exploring the topic of consent, learning strategies to use to avoid hazardous situations, how to establish safe boundaries, and how to develop and maintain healthy, positive relationships.  As part of our learning, we will be participating in an in-class workshop presented by Saleema Noon Health Educators.  This workshop aligns with BC’s Physical and Health Education Curriculum.  More information about this workshop will be sent home soon.

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

Christina

Monday, January 8th – School Reopens

Monday, January 15th – Black Excellence Day

Monday, January 15th – Young People’s Concert in the afternoon

Tuesday, January 23rd – Fraser River Discovery Center in-school field trip – Our Bones are Made of Salmon

Wednesday, January 24th – Saleema Noon Body Science in-class Presentations

Hello everyone,

December is here, which means its time for another monthly update from Division 2.  Please scroll to the bottom of this post for some very important dates that are coming up this month.

If you would like a sneak-peek at what students in Division 2 will be learning in term 2, please click on the Overviews tab at the top of this page.

At the end of November, all intermediate students attended their first fieldtrip to Michael J. Fox theatre for the first Young People’s Concert of this school year.  The musical ensemble, Kutapira, amazed the audience with their percussion ensemble which featured instruments from around the world.  For more information about this group, please visit their website. https://www.kutapira.com/

This month’s theme for Social Emotional Learning is Generosity.  We will explore this topic through class discussions, read-alouds, and we will put generosity into action by participating in the Burnaby Christmas Bureau’s Angel Project.  Each classroom will be purchasing a present for a child who receives support from the Burnaby Christmas Bureau.  We are asking for a small donation, $1 or $2 from each student.  Please send all cash donations to school by Friday, Dec. 8th.  Each classroom teacher will then purchase a gift and place it under the tree.

If your family is interested in purchasing a gift, please visit our Angel Tree, located outside the school office.  Select a tag from the tree, purchase a present, attach the tag to the present, and place the present under the tree.  All gifts are due back to the school by Thursday, Dec. 14th for pick-up by the Christmas Bureau.

Term 1 report cards will be posted on Wednesday, Dec. 20th.  Report cards are posted to MyEd BC.  If you have any questions about accessing your child’s report card, please contact the school office.  Upon receiving your child’s report card, if you would like to schedule a meeting with me, please contact me via email.  I am happy to discuss your child’s progress and next steps.

Looking ahead to the last week of December, there are several fun activities put on by the PAC that will be happening here at school.  On Friday, Dec. 15th the Gym will be transformed into a Winter Market and Winter Craft station.  Each student will get the opportunity take home a winter craft after shopping at the market.

The PAC will be accepting donations of items for this annual winter market.  Donations can be dropped off at the school Gym.

Thank you, in advance, to the Glenwood PAC for making this time of year special for all of the students and staff at Glenwood!

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

• Friday, Dec. 8th – Pizza Day
• Thursday, Dec. 14th – Burnaby Christmas Bureau Angel Project gifts due
• Friday, Dec. 15th – Tacky Sweater Day / PAC Winter Market and Craft in the Gym
• Wednesday, Dec. 20 – Term 1 Report Cards Posted
• Thursday, Dec. 21st – Last Day of School / Pajama Day / PAC Pancake Breakfast

Hi everyone,

Here is the Division 2 November update!  Please scroll to the bottom for some important dates coming up in the month of November.

October was a busy month, filled with many great things.  First, we welcomed Julie Zhu, a teacher-candidate from UBC to Division 2.  Here is a short introduction, written by Julie.

Hello Division 2 families,

My name is Julie Zhu and I am the student teacher in Ms. Pook’s class this year.  I am completing my UBC Bachelor of Education practicum here at Glenwood and I have had the pleasure of getting to know and working with all the students of Division 2 this past month.  I am also a competitive figure skating coach in Vancouver, so whenever I’m not in a classroom, you’ll be able to find me at the rink!  My other hobbies include powerlifting, cooking, and spending time with Jojo, my American Eskimo rescue dog.

I’m excited for the school year ahead and hope that it is filled with much learning, good health, fun, and joy!  

Ms. Zhu

In October, we completed several beautiful art projects.  We learned about contemporary Metis artist, Leah Dorion and explored different types of traditional and contemporary Metis art.  In keeping with our monthly theme of gratitude, students read the book: The Giving Tree: A Retelling of a Traditional Metis Story, and created art inspired by the illustrator. For more examples of student art from this month, please click the Art tab at the top of the page.

Looking ahead to November, students in Division 2 will continue to work on a cross-curricular ‘Changemaker’ project in Social Studies and Language Arts.  During October, we learned about human rights, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and about Changemakers, ordinary people who fought for those rights that we enjoy today.  This month, students have been challenged to find something to improve at our school.  Working in a small group, they will work together to develop a plan to address this issue or cause, get support for their plan, and put their plan in place.  So far, everyone is very excited about this project!

This month in Science and Health Education, students are learning about Human Body Systems.  We will focus on the Digestive, Respiratory, and Circulatory systems, and how we can keep our bodies healthy.  For one of our activities on the Respiratory system, we will be making a model human lung.  Save those clear, plastic drink bottles (think 2L pop bottles), as we’ll be needing them for our project.

In Math, we are working on strategies for addition and subtraction of larger numbers, as well as estimating and solving for an unknown variable (pre-algebra).  Students are also working on developing their computational fluency of addition and subtraction math facts, as well as problem solving strategies.

Our Social Emotional theme for November is empathy.  A large part of empathy is practicing and developing skills for active listening.  We will also explore and practice problem solving strategies and taking another’s perspective.

Finally, on Thursday, Nov. 23rd, Glenwood is hosting Green Thumb Theatre for an afternoon matinee.  This is k-7 performance will bring the experience of live theatre to our school.

As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss something further, please contact me via email.

Christina Pook

• Wednesday, Nov. 1 – Pajama Day
• Friday, Nov. 10 @ 10:45 – Remembrance Day Assembly – parents welcome to attend
• Monday, Nov. 13 – School is closed in lieu of Remembrance Day
• Thursday, Nov. 16 – Photo Retake Day
• Thursday, Nov. 23 – Fun Lunch
• Thursday, Nov. 23 @ 1:00 – Green Thumb Theatre Performance
• Friday, Nov. 24 – Professional Development Day – Students do not attend

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Division 2’s class website!  I use this website to communicate with parents about what’s going on in Division 2.  You will find term overviews (see the Term 1 overview in the tab above).  This website also contains links to educational resources, which I use in my teaching.  Feel free to explore!

At the bottom of this post are some important dates for the month of October.

Division 2 is a dynamic, busy learning environment.  We are fortunate to have the support of four Educational Assistants at various times throughout the day: Ms. Pokorny, Ms. Veronika, Ms. Lee, and Ms. Kinney.

During September, the staff and students in Division 2 have been working on establishing classroom routines and procedures, as well as building our class community.  We do this through weekly class meetings, sharing our journals during Author’s Chair, and other activities.  One popular activity has been the Class Bingo game.  If I notice all students doing one of the routines or procedures, the class gets to turn over a bingo card.  Five in a row gives the class 30 minutes of free time outside!

Class Bingo

This year, the staff at Glenwood are embarking on year 1 of a three year school wide writing goal.  As a starting point, the students in Division 2 have created a class writing goal for term 1, as well as individual writing goals.  As their teacher, I will be supporting them in their journey toward achieving their goals.

Class Writing Goal

In addition to writing, the staff at Glenwood are focusing on Social Emotional Learning this school year.  Each month has a theme that relates to the core competencies established by the Ministry of Education, which will guide our learning.  The theme for September was Self-Regulation.  Students in Division 2 learned about the brain, and strategies to be mindful and present.  In October, our theme is Gratitude.  We will be exploring this topic during class discussions, reading and writing activities.

 

This term at school, students have been exploring their self-identity through writing, reading, and art lessons and activities.  In art, students created self-portraits, inspired by the surrealist artist, Rene Magritte.

Division 2 Self-Portraits

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me via email.  I strive to respond to all parent emails in 1 business day.  I am also available to chat after school, most days.

Christina Pook

• Monday, October 2 – School Closed in lieu of Truth and Reconciliation Day
• Monday, October 9 – School Closed, Thanksgiving
• Friday, October 13 – Fun Lunch, Subway
• Friday, October 20 – School Closed, Professional Development Day
• Thursday, October 26 – Student Individual Photo Day
• Friday, October 27 – Fun Lunch, Pizza
• Tuesday, October 31 – Halloween, school assembly (parents welcome) and class party in afternoon