Day: 6 May 2022

Hi friends! 

Some quick May updates for you to take note of…

We’re starting a new unit in Social Studies (Div. 3/4/5) and we need a few monopoly game boards. If you have 1 or 2 to lend for about a month, we’d really appreciate it! We promise to take good care of it!

• Tuesday, May 10 – Div. 3, 4, + 5 go to Central Park (separately) for some hands-on field work with the Douglas College Urban Ecology centre. I’m very excited for this day. Everyone should dress for the weather (most likely rain) and come prepared to get a little dirty!
• Wednesday, May 18th – Grade 7’s and Gr. 6’s in my Math group will be taking the Gausse and Mirkhazani tests (respectively).
• Monday, May 23 – Victoria Day (no school). Enjoy!!
• Monday, May 30 – Professional Day for teachers (no school).
• Friday, June 3 – Vancouver International Children’s Festival (9:30 am – 2:30 pm).

A Drama-Free (well, almost) Strategy for Managing Screen Time

A Drama Free Strategy for Managing Screen Time by Saleema Noon has been shared with Burnaby School District (THANK YOU!!) *Please download linked article.

This resource couldn’t come at a better time! As students find themselves navigating the tricky world of on-line conversations, social media and ever-increasing screen time, how should parents know just how much screen time is actually ok?! Saleema Noon (revered Sexual Health Educator) has created a well-researched, coles-notes version of how we, ourselves, can navigate such choppy waters. In her words:

“This resource may be more aptly titled “Smart Things I Wish I Had Known, Done and Said About Screen Time” as much of it reflects my own experience as a parent in the screen time trenches with my now-adult stepdaughters. I fully respect and
 acknowledge that different approaches work for different parenting styles, so please take what feels right for your family and leave the rest! – Saleema 💗 

• Too much screen time has been linked in research to mental health challenges such as depression,
  anxiety and low self-esteem. (Psychology Today, 2021)
• There is a movement, supported by top technology innovators, that strongly recommends children
  do not have smartphones until age 14 (grade 8) and are not given a data plan until age 16 (grade 11
  or 12). (www.waituntil8th.org)
• 8- to 12-year-olds in the US use screens for entertainment for an average of 4 hours, 44 minutes a
  day, and 13- to 18-year-olds are on screens for an average of 7 hours, 22 minutes each day. These
  numbers don’t count time using screens for schoolwork or homework. (Common Sense Media,
  2019)
• Two University of Ottawa studies have consistently found the best mental health and cognitive
  outcomes in teens who do one hour of physical activity each day, sleep 8 to 10 hours a day and use
  screens recreationally less than two hours a day. (Common Sense Media, 2019)
• Many teens report that they want to put their screen down but they just can’t. (Psychology Today,
  2021)
• No parent has ever said, “I wish I got my kid a phone earlier!”

*Please check the full resource (linked above) for more information. I am sure you will be glad that you did!