It’s been a wild and wacky week, but we did it! We have our entry and exit routines down pretty good and we’re beginning to get through these protocols quicker now that we have the portable soap and water! I know there has been a lot of uncertainty, but we are slowly sifting through what needs to be done and schedules are forthcoming!

For now, we are spending time getting to know each other, building a strong classroom community that is inclusive and empowering for everyone. We’ve had some great discussions already! I look forward to getting to know you all and can’t wait to fully jump into this new school year!

This week:

• a welcome notice with the school supply list was sent home. All students should have their full supplies at the school by now. We are storing these in the green bins at the front of the class. REMINDER: we are not sharing supplies, so please remember to always have these on hand.
• School planners have been given out. These are $6 – please be sure to bring $$ if you haven’t yet paid.
• Student Verification Forms have been gone out. There is a paper portion that should have been returned today (Friday), please return by Monday, Sept. 14th so the office can process these as quick as possible. There is also an online portion. *Please be sure to complete this process.
• Virtual (ZOOM) “Welcoming Conversations” are coming up next week – a notice went home today stating your scheduled time to meet in the virtual classroom. You’ve also been sent the information by email so that the zoom link can be easily accessed. Please confirm your time by email and let me know if there is another parent’s email address you’d like to me store in my records. We will be using email for a lot more communication this year.
• The Grade 7’s met with their Band teacher, Mr. Denroche today. Band times will be Wednesday @ 2:25 – 3:10 p.m. and Thursday @ 10:45-11:30 a.m.

Next week:

• We have Welcoming Conversations Wednesday and Thursday (Sept 23/24) next week. Please confirm your times.
• Early dismissals will be Thursday and Friday (Sept 24/25). Our dismissal times are 2:10 p.m.

Have a great weekend, see you bright and early (9:10 a.m.) Monday!

I look forward to seeing your lovely faces, especially after such a looooong time! I hope that you all had an enjoyable summer, connecting with family and spending time in our beautiful outdoors!

As you know, we have a delayed and staggered start-up.

• Grade 4/5 student orientation is Thursday, Sept. 10th @ 1:00 – 2:30 pm
• Grade 6/7 student orientation is Friday, Sept. 11th @ 1:00 – 2:30 pm — See you then!

Well, Division 4, we have come to the end of this wild and wacky school year!

I must say – it is with some sadness that I bid  you adieu! For those who did not come in to class this last month (23 of you!), I regret not getting to see your lovely faces in person, giving hugs and wishing you all well, face-to-face! We did not get to do any of the fun field trips planned, Sports Day, say goodbye to our Grade 7’s, and our year-end party wasn’t attended by all. Boohoo!!

However, I am grateful that we got to read one last book together; No Fixed Address had the very satisfying ending we were hoping for! (I may have even gotten “a little misty in the eye region”!). For those who attended, we had a very fun Just Dance/Kahoots!/Pyjama Party on Tuesday! I’m also very happy to say that today’s Talent Show was great fun, a total success! Thank you to those who attended the ZOOM meeting and supported our talented crew, including our own Andrea, who sang BEAUTIFULLY!

A reminder that tomorrow, Thursday, June 25th is the day you pick up your report cards (except those who came to school this month, you’ve already received yours!). You will also pick up a bag of belongings that have been packaged by your own Div. 4 friends this week. If you have something that is not yours, or you’re missing something  (your raven or memory bag?), please let me know. I’ll see what I can do (no promises though).

Please follow the suggested times for your pick up to avoid over-crowding. Parents received a letter outlining these times, but here is the message again:

Report Card and Belonging Pick up:  Thursday, June 25th 

For the students who are not attending school in person, we ask you to pick up your report card and any books, supplies or personal belongings that the teachers have packed up for you.  We have scheduled a time for you by your child’s last name.

12:00pm    Students with last names beginning with A, B or C   

12:30pm    Students with last names beginning with D, E, F, G 

1:00pm      Students with last names beginning with H, I, J, K, L 

1:30pm     Students with last names beginning with M, N, O 

2:00pm     Students with last names beginning with P, Q, R, S 

2:30pm     Students with last names beginning with T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z 

Please come to the side door of the gym.  We ask you to arrive at your designated time and to follow physical distancing signs.

Unfortunately, we are not able to mail report cards at this time.  Thank you for understanding.

_________________________________

Teachers will be at the school Thursday and Friday if you have any needs or wish to speak to us!

Until next fall, I bid thee farewell!

Play safe, have fun, get outside!

Hello Division 4 families!

We are collecting any textbooks and novels that you have at home. You no longer need these for your learning this year. Please return any books that you have at home such as math textbooks, novel study books, library books, or Battle of the Books novels.

If you come into school on Thursday and Friday, please bring your books the next time you come in. Ms. Stevens will collect them from your classroom.

If you are continuing to do all your learning from home, you will bring your book to school on Wednesday, June 17^th from 9:30-11:30. Please come to the front entrance of the school where there will be a drop off bin. A staff member will check your name off a list to show that you have returned your books.

Please maintain social distancing. Thank you!

I’m very happy to announce that once again, Mr. Denroche will be providing Band instruction to our Grade 7’s next year.

Below is an excerpt from a notice that went out to parents last week.

——

This is a gentle reminder to please ensure that ALL Grade 6 students/families complete the survey emailed out last week no later than June 15^th, earlier if possible.  Here is the link for those that have not received it or forgotten about it:

Enrolling in Grade 7 Band.

Star Wars massed band recording by current grade 7 band students that was created this year!

Here are some other video links from my previous email for you and your child to watch:

Instrument Demo LINKS on YouTube:

Oboe

Flute

Clarinet

Bass Clarinet

Saxophone

Trumpet

Horn

Trombone

Baritone

FUN INSTRUMENTAL LINKS!

“Africa” – Performed by The Royal Air Force Air Cadets Music Services – Virtual Ensemble 2020:

Baby Shark in 10 Styles

Animal Crossing (GameCube) Theme – Flute Quartet

Super Mario Bros featuring three Clarinets and one Bass Clarinet

Smash Mouth – ALL STAR for Clarinet Quartet

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Trumpet Solo

“Bonehemian Rhapsody” 28-Trombone Collaboration

Lil Nas X – Old Town Road – Trombones

The Phantom of the Opera Medley on Baritone

Billie Eilish – Bad Guy | French horn loop cover

As always, If you have any questions or concerns please get in touch!

Steve Denroche
stephen.denroche@burnabyschools.ca

Burnaby Continuing Education will once again be offering summer school courses to Burnaby students.

Please visit their website to register your child. Registration opened June 3rd.

To view their courses, take a look at there program here.

Summer Reading Club is going to look a little different this year – we’re going online!

Help your child succeed in school and life… Join the Summer Reading Club online. Registration starts Friday June 12.

Children who read over the summer do better in school, and libraries across BC are here to help. Kids sign up online, CLICK HERE.  After reading this summer, they will be eligible to receive a highly coveted Summer Reading Club medal!

During the summer, check out our website for weekly fun and exciting contests to enter. Your entries could be featured on the Burnaby Public Library website, Facebook page or Twitter! You can also find lots of great booklists and reading suggestions.

FAQs:

How do I sign up? Due to COVID-19, our library branches are all temporarily closed. Sign up will be done online this year. Go to www.bpl.bc.ca/summer-reading-club to register and see our weekly challenges.

How will the Summer Reading Club be different from previous years? This year, there will be nothing to collect or hand in to the library—no reading records or calendars. But you are still encouraged to read all summer! You can track your reading online after you sign up, or print out your own reading record at home. Every child who reads this summer can get a medal.

How and when can I get my medal? We aren’t sure yet! We are closely monitoring COVID-19 and taking safety precautions guided by information from local, provincial and government health authorities. We will send out more information in late August, but make sure to check our website www.bpl.bc.ca/summer-reading-club for updates throughout the summer.

Greetings!

As you may have heard, as per the direction of the Government of BC, a staged re-opening of schools begins June 1st. Maywood Community would like to update you on the school’s expansion plans for in-class instruction, as well is requesting some information from you that will assist us with a smooth transition to this next phase.

As a return to the school building is optional for families, in order for us to plan appropriately, we need to have a sense of how many students might return the week of June 1st. A letter has been sent to all families.

Please read the attached and complete the survey found there by Monday, May 25th at 9 am.

Letter to families_May2020 

Hi friends,

I have some exciting news to share with you! Many of you have already received emails outlining the new Math program, Mathletics, which will be replacing Sumdogs as our primary platform for online learning in Math. While Sumdog has been fun for games and extra practice, we’ve found that Mathletics rolls all our Math needs into one – practice, tutorials and lessons, games, and more!

Ms. Macartney, Mr. Sanderson, and I have sent login information to our Math students (and parents); Ms. Fix will be soon, so please keep an eye out for the email (and don’t lose it as it will have your login info)!

Ms. Macartney and I will be having a mandatory live lesson, next Tuesday @ 1pm (each, in our respective Teams) to help students get started. Students, please check your email/invites and RSVP. Next Wednesday, new assignments will be given.