While I’m not at Maywood, I’m thinking of you all and wishing you a wonderful new school year! Each new school year offers the rewarding experience of meeting old friends, making new ones, and acquainting yourself with positive new learning opportunities! I wish you well. Feel free reach out and say hi!
Well that’s a wrap folks! 8 years at Maywood Community school (and a further 2 in the Burnaby district), and I’ve now set my sights on Vernon, starting as TTOC! I’m excited to be closer to family and get back to the nature places that filled my soul as a child.
Last week was a blur of taking down my classroom (how did I accumulate so much?!), saying goodbye to students, cherished friends and colleagues, and closing a wonderfully, enriching chapter in my life and career. There are many dedicated, passionate teachers that I say goodbye (or see ya later) to. You will continue to inspire me! 
Much love and respect!
To Maywood students: you are (or have been) a part of a truly unique community – diverse, talented, and compassionate! I wish you well along your journey! From the wise words of Auggie “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
~ Ms. L
Ps. I will continue to hold my email address and blog for the next year; feel free to email if you want to say Hi!
Congratulations to all the students of Division 3! You worked hard, had fun, made new friends, and completed your Grade 5/6 year! I’m so proud of all you, and will miss you truly!
Today is my last day in the school. If anyone has any questions about report cards or anything else, I will be here until 3pm.
Thank you to the families who supported our class by volunteering for field trips! Thanks to those who gave me a year-end gift – it was so thoughtful!
If you could please take a look around your place for books that look like they belong to Maywood library, please send them to school. I will receive a list of students who have yet to return a book (or books) and will send notices home this Wednesday.
This month we continue to celebrate inclusivity and diversity in the classroom and wider school community! Thank you to all the students (Div. 3 included) who wrote thoughtful messages and posted their hearts on the Maywood Pride Flag in the main foyer on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHAT), May 17th.
“The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw the attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics.
May 17 is now celebrated in more than 130 countries. Thousands of initiatives, big and small, are reported throughout the planet”.
I am grateful that Burnaby School District fully supports these efforts. We’ve Got Pride! Visit the Burnaby district page to see more!
A message from our school district:
“Burnaby Schools celebrate diversity. We are proud to be a leader in creating inclusive, welcoming environments in our schools. We strive to provide engaging learning opportunities to inspire each child to reach their potential. We want all students to flourish and we have policies that support inclusivity.
Our Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity policy (SOGI) is one such policy. It has been in place since June 2011. The Burnaby Board of Education built the policy through a collaborative process, including reaching out to the public and other stakeholders for input.
It’s our job to ensure Burnaby Schools are friendly and safe learning environments, and the SOGI policy is a part of that. The District follows the curriculum for each grade level provided by the BC Ministry of Education. Students experience lessons that promote understanding of the diverse society in which we live, and they learn to treat each other with dignity and respect, regardless of our differences. For additional background and frequently asked questions about SOGI.
The Canadian government also supports these efforts, with the following statement:
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit (LGBTQ2) people in Canada, and all over the world, continue to experience bullying, discrimination, stigma and violence to the detriment of their health and wellness. On May 17, we mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, and unite in our collective efforts to promote a safe, inclusive and stigma-free society for all.
Posted online Mar 12, 2018 by Rachel Dawkins, M.D.
This week is National Sleep Awareness Week. It’s important for everyone to get a good night’s rest but even more important for children. Rachel Dawkins, M.D., with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital talks about the importance of sleep for kids.
Sleep is an essential part of everyone’s routine and an indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can lead to high blood pressure, obesity and even depression.
It varies based on age. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:
Establishing a consistent bedtime routine is important. The routine should ideally start at the same time every night. As soon as the sun goes down, start to “wind down” the household.
The following information is from from KidsHealth.Org
A child who isn’t getting enough sleep may:
For kids of all ages, set up a bedtime routine that encourages good sleep habits. These tips can help kids ease into a good night’s sleep:
Learn more about sleep as your child grows:
Hi friends!
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!
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 💗
*Please check the full resource (linked above) for more information. I am sure you will be glad that you did!
*Please remind your child that homework and assignment details are posted to our Div. 3 Team page!
This is just a friendly reminder that homework is being posted to Teams and your child should be reviewing these pages daily/periodically to check for homework and assignment details.
This space is password protected, so please have your child show you how we have this set up in Teams. This, in fact, should have been done during Student Led conferences, however, if you and your child ran out of time, please take a moment to review our class homework pages now. Thank you!
This is our last month of assignments and assessment, so keeping up with homework and assignments is especially important right now. I really appreciate your cooperation and support in this!
Please also take some time to review your child’s planner, daily, if you can. This will help them to remember what homework is coming up. I’m asking all parents to sign their child’s planner when they get a chance to review it in the evening. You can check if they missed anything by viewing the Teams different channels.
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