We hope you have a wonderful long weekend. Please take some time to read this very informative newsletter from the admin team at Maple Grove. 

<a href="http://”>October 7/2022 Maple Grove Newsletter

Sincerely

Maple Grove Elementary 

https://sway.office.com/FuenIf51yAWfbYF2?ref=Link

Dear Maple Grove Community,

Over the past few weeks, we have had several opportunities to come together and celebrate the year, individuals, our school, our grads and our achievements over the course of another challenging school year; as we exit the thick of Covid. I would like to thank everyone for a wonderful 7 years at Maple Grove. I am honoured to have been your principal and will fondly remember my time with you.

Quite a few parents have asked for a copy of the Principal’s Remarks from the Grad Leaving Ceremony. So, here you go….

“Good Evening,

Welcome parents, family members, loved ones, and of course grads, to this, your Graduation Leaving Ceremony 2022. Grads, please turn and thank your parents and the staff for getting you this far!

What a good looking group… you scrub up really well! I need to say some thank you’s before we start… so,

1. Parent Grad Committee:
   Thank you for being so dedicated; conscientious; hard working and thoughtful in their approach to how this grad would look.  The pride, time and effort was amazing- AND they’re so ultra-organized. Thank you for making this event happen.
   
2. Mr. Land: it started with a phone call asking if he could fill in for me for 2 weeks… that turned into 2 years. Mr Land thank you for all your work and support for the school
   
3. Madame Val: She is so ready to have a school of her own… and really has been so flexible and accommodating these past 2 years.  Thank you, Madame Val.,
   
4. I also want to apologize: Essentially I’ve missed the last 2 years of your schooling and I want you do know that doesn’t sit lightly with me. I’ve known many of you since your Kindergarten year, so missing the last 1.5 years , I’m just sorry – it couldn’t be helped.
   
   Grads, You’re leaving us.
   • And in the “Book Of Life”, you are ending a chapter called, “elementary school”. But, like all great books, the turning of a page is symbolic of beginning a new chapter- and of course, the rest of the book.  Your books will vary.  There will be good times- and bad, happy times- and sad, undoubtedly there will be tragedy, and perhaps there will even be first love (much to the chagrin of many of the parents in the room today).
     
     Grads, if you take nothing from us, since Kindergarten, take this.  “You have a lifetime of decisions and choices ahead of you- They are yours to make- nobody else’s. Remember that. So, Make good choices:
   • Make choices that reflect positivism- not dismissal
   • Make choices that reflect compassion towards society- not contempt.
   • Make choices that reflect a decision made from thought and understanding- not anger.

• Trust your instincts and think for yourself.  We are proud of your accomplishments and contributions to the culture of this school.  Each of you, in your own way, has played a role in shaping our school culture. High School awaits you.  It’s a vast opportunity just waiting for you to grab hold of it. 
  
• Undoubtedly, you will meet people who will try to silence you or entice you to compromise your principles in any number of ways.  They’ll try to gain your trust and distract you with money, power, security and perhaps, most dangerously, a “sense of belonging”.  Don’t let them; it’s just not worth it.  One of the biggest threats to our world is the culture of silence and compromise.
  
• I’m not going to tell you about school stuff; courses or rules… Instead, I want to remind you about the advice I gave you back in September:
  • Be yourself
  • Expose yourself to new ideas.
  • Look for the core of what makes each person human, and appreciate the details that make them unique.
  • Find something that moves you or bothers you, and do something about it.
  • Be brave. Be bold. Take action.
  • Speak up, especially when something tries to keep you silent.
  • Take a stand for what’s right.  You may not always be popular, but you’ll be part of something larger and bigger and greater than yourself.
  • Raise a ruckus and make a change.  And REMEMBER, Change is inevitable- except from a vending machine.
    
• Thank You”

Keep building a great learning community. I will be around the district next year on a part time basis filling in for various administrators.

Report Cards go home today! This is the last day of school. Thursday is an Admin Day- no school for students.

“The Future Belongs To Young People With An Education And The Imagination To Create”

Former US President – Barack Obama

Featured above in the photo slides

• The staff celebrated Mr. Evans’ retirement yesterday evening and what an event!! A special thank you to the planning committee, Cliff Saito for the delicious treats, Ms. New and her class for the artwork and all the well wishes and cards from all the students at Maple Grove! Mr. Evans was so touched by all the time and care put into his special day!

Mr. Evans will be back next week to say goodbye and send us off on our summer holidays!!

• Kindies hard at work – future leaders of Maple Grove – thank you for taking care of our school

• Bravo to the Montessori students who performed their Shakespeare plays this week

• Big thank you to Ms. Tornroos & Ms. Adams for your time in preparing the Coffee Morning event! 

Have a great day and weekend ahead. 

Mural @ Maple Grove

Dear Maple Grove Families,

After countless hours of planning, taping, painting, and touching up, our first school murals are complete! We are so proud of the dedication and determination of our MG Art Club students. They worked tirelessly (3 lunch hours/week for 9 weeks!) to bring these murals to life. If you haven’t had a chance to view them, they can be found on the south side of our school, next to the gravel field.

Our theme, Reconnecting with Nature, centered around celebrating the beauty and importance of BC’s natural spaces. Each 11’ x 6’ mural was designed to be painted in a geometric style using tape as a guide. The four murals are entitled: Sunset, Lighthouse, Dogwood and Sea to Sky.

Once again, we want to thank all of those involved (from the fundraising donors to the Maple Grove artists) for contributing to the mural making process. We encourage all future grade 6 and 7 students to consider joining the Art Club next year for more creative adventures.

Warmly, 

Ms. New, Ms. Iris & Ms. Gjernes

BabyGoRound.ca – Donations for Ukrainian Families new to Vancouver

Do you have any baby or toddler items lying around your home?  Please consider donating them to Ukrainian families that will be coming to Vancouver. 

Maple Grove is partnering with Baby Go Round to collect gently used and new books, clothing (newborn- age 3), bedding, nursing pillows and other essential items that these families will need. 

Please bring any donations to the library during the month of June.  Monetary donations can be made online at www.babygoround.ca.  If you have any questions, please contact Ms Adams at sjadams@vsb.bc.ca

Thanks!

Join the community spirit!

Grade 7 Leaving Ceremony at Magee on Monday June 27th – starting at 3:30pm

All parents are welcome to come and join Ms Tornroos in the Library on Friday morning – June 17th 2022 for coffee and chat. Starts at 8:30am

THE MURAL AT MAPLE GROVE

FANTASTIC WORK TO ALL the Grade 6/7 Art Club Students, Ms New, Ms Gjernes and Ms Chen. Please take a moment to appreciate the beautiful murals on the south wall by the gravel soccer field.

We are so excited to announce the following staffing additions for next year!

Dear parents and caregivers, a reminder if you have not already done so, to please inform the office right away if your child/ren will not be returning to Maple Grove in September, and/or if you have a change in address. If you have a change in address, please contact the office to make drop off arrangements of your documents.

Thank you The Office.

SUMMER READING CLUB AT VPL

July & August, kids can discover great reads and take part in free activities. Check out the link for more information.

Sps-public-22061316580.pdf

REPORT CARDS WILL ONLY BE PROVIDED ON JUNE 29TH. IF YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR REPORT CARD MAILED, THE OFFICE WILL REQUIRE A STAMPED SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE.

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Upcoming Dates	Event
June 17	Starting 8:30am this Friday only- Morning Coffee with families and staff in the Library
June 21	Indigenous Peoples Day
June 27	Grade 7 Leaving Ceremony @3:30pm – Magee Auditorium – by invitation only
June 29	Last Day with our lovely students for this school year

JUNE 20-24TH SPIRIT WEEK IS COMING NEXT WEEK. Here is more information.

DAY/DATE	THEME
MONDAY 20	DRESS YOUR BEST
TUESDAY 21	INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY – ORANGE CLOTHES
WEDNESDAY 22	SUPERHERO DAY
THURSDAY 23	SPORTY/ATHLETIC/JERSEY DAY
FRIDAY 24	PYJAMA DAY

HAPPY WEEKEND TO ALL OF THE FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS.

On June 6th the Scholastic Book Fair began. The palpable feeding frenzy of the freshly bound books, journals and smelly erasers was a cerebral explosion for the student’s and their families.

Thank You, to Ms Tornroos & Ms Adams for facilitating the event and the parent volunteers – Mr Cliff Seito and Ms Jeannie Chau, who have been given their time diligently.

Way to go to the enthusiastic young readers and writer’s at Maple Grove!

REMINDER NOTICE – please return all borrowed library books by Monday June 13th.

For the past month, our Kindergarten classes in the Ponderosa Pine Pod have been raising butterflies. They raised them from larva, which then grew into caterpillars, which then formed into a chrysalis, and out emerged butterflies! On Monday afternoon our three kindergarten classes accompanied by their teachers Ms Hales, Ms Kao, and Mrs. Phelps along with Mr. Land, walked up the Arbutus Greenway and released their butterflies into their new home. 

A culinary delight brought to you by Ms Pearson and her students – Cultural Component of the French Curriculum

Maple Grove Choral Music Program – Survey!

Important Message from your PAC.

IMPORTANT PARENT SURVEY BELOW. PLEASE READ THROUGH THE INFORMATION THAT FOLLOWS BEFORE COMPLETING THE SURVEY.

Access to music in schools has been dropping off and the Vancouver School Board is working on a plan to revitalize K-7 music. They recently released their K-7 Music program’s Mission Statement to provide all students with:
A consistent, robust, inclusive, experiential music program based on active music-making
including Indigenous musical opportunities which respect cultural protocols and nurture the
unique and diverse culture of each school community.

However, this is a 10-year process and is subject to funding issues. As a result, the DPAC Music Working Group (MWG) will be implementing a parent-funded district-wide extra-curricular choral program that supports the VSB’s mission.

Music is the universal language of humanity. It transcends cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic divisions and allows us to communicate across those divisions without words. The practice of music teaches discipline, teamwork, focus, and empathy. Bringing music back into our schools is so important for our children.

Maple Grove is on board to bring this program to our school starting in September but before we can do that we need to gauge numbers and decide on the most appropriate time for the program to take place. If you are interested in enrolling your child in the Maple Grove Choral Music Program please take a moment to fill in our short survey. Please note this survey is NOT a registration form for the program. This is purely for us to see if there is enough support for the program and the parent community’s preference for the time the program would take place i.e before school or after school.

A reminder that this program, like all extra mural activities, will be fee-based. The approximate cost will be $12 per student per session. We anticipate the first term consisting of 11 sessions running from September 26th to December 5th culminating in a concert/performance before the winter break.

Survey submissions are due Monday, June 13th. Please complete the survey here – https://forms.gle/5q9Y5JiDwQXa7PD16

UBC Research Based Project

For the past 10 years, Dr. Ann Cameron from UBC has worked with families at Maple Grove on a variety of research-based projects.  Ann has reached out to our school community for help with her most recent, ongoing research project.  If your child is between the ages of 5-11 and you would like them participate in this research, please click on the link provided in the PDF or click on this link for more information: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Vzf3CqNb2uURh4

LOST & FOUND

Do your children miss their jackets, sweaters, water bottles? Parents come in and have a look.

All items not collected by Friday June 17th, will be donated to a local charity.

IMPORTANT JUNE DATES

Please be advised of the following events

June 17 – Friday Morning Coffee with families hosted by Ms Tornroos

June 21 – Indigenous Peoples Day

June 27 – Grade 7 Leaving Ceremony at 3:30 PM (Grade 7 families only)

June 28 – Year End Assembly

June 29 – Last day with our lovely students – reports go home!

Welcome to Maple Grove, Ms. Bourque!

We are pleased to announce that a new Principal has been appointed to Maple Grove for the upcoming school year (2022-2023).

Ms. Nancy Bourque, currently Principal at Wolfe Elementary, will be serving as our next Principal. Ms. Bourque comes to us with many years of experience as an elementary school administrator for the Vancouver School Board and we are confident that she will be a positive leader for our community.

There are so many wonderful things happening around our school. Everyone is committed to making the most of June. After 2 years of hiatus, off-site and on-site field trips are back, with divisions participating in different activities and events such as Soapstone carving, Mikes Critters, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver Museum, Playland, Maple Grove Park and so many more, this flow of energy has created a warm electric vibe around the school. We would like to acknowledge the maturity children have demonstrated during these events. Bravo!

Thank you parents for being prompt with checking for outstanding payments for those events in School Cash Online.

Thank you to our wonderful Kindergarten teachers Ms Garrod, Ms Hales, Ms Kao and Ms Phelps, for hosting our Welcome to Kindergarten event today. We are so excited to be welcoming all of the new families to Maple Grove in September.

We understand that parking in our neighborhood can be a bit tricky at times, our neighbors are asking that parent’s remember to please obey the parking signs and be mindful of the residences we share the surrounding space with.

Thank you for your attention to these small yet important matters!

PRIDE MONTH at maple grove

A message from Serghei, Kitsilano Gymnastics Inc!

Providing a safe, fun and developmentally appropriate gymnastic instruction and program to children and teen-agers. All of the participants will be introduced to all of the gymnastics apparatus and learn the basic and advanced skills. Our coaches will ensure a safe and fun learning environment and at the same time offer a variety of exercises and gymnastic elements to suit every child’s fitness level. Please contact us at kitsilanogymnastics@live.ca to schedule agree trial class for your child at any of our 3 locations: Marpole, Kitsilano or Mount Pleasant.

Scholastic Book Fair

We are so pleased to announce the return of the Scholastic Book Fair: Monday, June 6th

Please click on the link to see the notice from our lovely Teacher Librarian – Ms Linda Tornroos.

The PAC would like to invite you to their AGM!

Our PAC Annual General Meeting (AGM) is coming up! This will be our last meeting for the current school year. Join us for a year in review as well as a look ahead!

• Date: Thursday, June 9th, 2022
• Time: 7:30pm
• Where: Virtual over Zoom (Link will be sent with RSVP)
• Agenda: available on our 2021-2022 Meeting Minutes Page.
• RSVP to themaplegrovepac@gmail.com with your name, your child’s name, and your child’s division and you will be sent a zoom link.

As we enter the last month of this school year we want to say thank you to the families for the effort in supporting their children’s academic progress and social emotional well-being – while continuing to navigate through the second year of the pandemic. We encourage all families to take some time this weekend to acknowledge all of the their children’s accomplishments. Our Maple Grove students have shown tremendous resilience and determination, we have really enjoyed watching them flourish.

ULTIMATE FRISBEE TEAM -Grade 6/7

A BIG thank you Mr. McDonough as the teacher sponsor for our Ultimate Frisbee Team.

Maple Grove’s Grade 7 Ultimate Frisbee team, headed by Grade 6/7 teacher Mr. McDonough, is well into their season and finding their stride! The team plays games at Carnarvon Park on Thursdays joined by Kitchener, Jules Quesnel, Carnarvon, Norma Rose Point, and Hudson Elementary, and Maple Grove is quickly becoming one of the teams to beat! The team has received outstanding coaching and skill development from Maple Grove Alumni Nina Tsai and Sidney Che, who have experience in the sport through Elevate Ultimate and the Vancouver Ultimate League, respectively, as well as their own high school teams. Look out for more from the team later in the season. Go Wildcats!”

We are so pleased to announce the return of the Scholastic Book Fair: Monday, June 6th. Please click on the link to see the notice from our lovely Teacher Librarian – Ms Linda Tornroos.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW KINDERGARTENERS FOR SEPTEMBER.

On Friday June 3 – from 10:30 until noon, Mr. Land, Mme Natalie, and Mme Valerie, along with Maple Grove’s Kindergarten Teachers, are excited to welcome our new Kindergarten students and their families to Maple Grove. 

If your child is starting Kindergarten in September, then at the beginning of May, you received an email inviting you to our event.  If you have not yet RSVP’d, please call the school office at 604-713-5356 and we will make sure you receive all the details you need.

Message from Admin

The last few weeks we have noticed an increased amount of litter on our school grounds, and while our grounds clean up student’s do their best to help keep this under control, we would ask parents to remind their children, that we show love and care and respect for our school by doing various things, including putting our own waste in the appropriate bins.

After 8a.m. Monday to Friday, dogs/pets are NOT permitted on school property. If parents witness anyone with their pets on the school grounds, to please report it to the school office. We will make our best efforts to screen for it.

We appreciate your attention to these small yet important matters.

Last but not least, we wanted to take a moment and show our gratitude – thank YOU, our amazing PAC, for the wonderful Staff Appreciation luncheon which you hosted for the staff at Maple Grove today. It was beautifully presented, and extremely delicious.

NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY MAY 23/2022

We would like to wish all of the students and families a restful and sun filled long weekend ahead.

PAC SPONSORED – Gymnastics with Serghei – May/June.

Thank you to our very generous Maple Grove PAC for making this seasons Gymnastics program with Serghei possible. The children are really enjoying this special program in the gym.

Madame Morissette has joined our Administrative team with Mr. Land (will be working M, T+ alternating F); Ms. Morissette will work W, Th and alternating F. We are expecting Mr. Evans back for the last week of June. Madame Morissette is so thrilled to be here with our students and community to help wrap up the school year.

Message from the Office

We thank you for understanding our wish to offer every child a smooth and balanced start to the day in their class and their school. Gratitude to those families and students who arrive to school punctually everyday and who inform the teacher and the office if they foresee an upcoming appointment or if they will be arriving late.

We would like to remind families that the expectation is for all student’s to try their best to come to school on-time and to be picked up by guardians on-time.

As the weather warms up and after school becomes a social buzz on the playground we would like to reiterate that school only has limited staff supervision until 3:18pm each day, it is recommended parents try and come for the end of day bell and enjoy watching your children play while socializing with other parents.

With only 6 weeks left in the school year, we know we can make them as enjoyable as possible and put our best foot forward.

VCH Audiology Screening – Screening will be done at Maple Grove Elementary on May 25, 2022 @ 9:15am

This year, your child’s Grade 1 class will take part in the Hearing Screening Program at their school. This will be done by VCH public health staff as part of a province-wide screening program. We want to find and help children who may have possible problems which can affect their learning.

Request of Learning Situation

Parent requests must be emailed to Madame Valerie Carriere by May 27th noon. Criteria for the requests were posted in last weeks blog – please read it carefully

send requests to: vcarriere@vsb.bc.ca  

We cannot accept teacher requests! 

A written request does not guarantee that your request will be granted!

The objective of class placement is to create and organize classes so that each student is in a positive learning situation.  The school also wants to ensure that each teacher has a manageable teaching assignment that conforms to Ministry of Education standards and the teacher’s Collective Agreement.

Parents who feel that they have educational information that would help the decision-making process should convey that information in writing to the Vice Principal BEFORE MAY 27th.   
The VSB Microsoft Mail Server Clients is state-of-the-art and we do not accept late requests or “I sent it” as a reason.  We do not lose email.  Information will be used as one of the factors staff will consider when forming class lists.  Please do not request a specific teacher in your letter.  It may eliminate your letter from consideration.  Further, submitting a request is not a guarantee that your request will be granted.  Requests are not confirmed.  You will not receive an email confirming receipt of your request.

* Parents are reminded that they should speak with the current classroom teacher regarding placement of their child, as the current classroom teacher has a significant role in placing the student in next year’s class.

* We respectfully ask that you do not directly talk to, or contact by phone or email, any teachers about your child’s class placement with teachers. Teachers are bound by their Professional Code of Ethics, and these conversations cannot occur without violating this code.

* Parents are reminded that the final decision and authority for pupil placement remains with the Principal, as per the School Act.

Thank you so much for reading our weekly Blog!

Dear Maple Grove Community,

I would like to let you know that I will be retiring at the end of this school year. After 35 years with the Vancouver School Board (12 teaching; and 23 admin) I have decided to retire. I restore cars; and planning a Mercedes Sprinter Van buildout (thank you Levi) #vanlife; playing around with guitars, traveling, home renovations and spending time with my family.

I have loved being a school principal! It has truly been a rewarding and gratifying experience. I have always believed in working with our youth is one of the most noble professions one can have. From my early days teaching soccer schools, ski instructing, teaching sailing, tennis and windsurfing, to working in more formal school settings I have always enjoyed helping kids. I have always enjoyed the educational leadership aspect of teaching and learning, in particular, working with outstanding educators and building Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) within schools. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Maple Grove. The students are awesome (thank you parents); the parents are well-informed, supportive, knowledgeable, giving and caring; and the staff are conscientious, detail-oriented, and passionate about education. It has been a highlight to transition to the new school and I’m so happy with the way it’s turned out (especially given all the constraints and parameters that were incumbent upon the design and build).

Working through Covid was interesting- to say the least- but, I’m proud of our community for standing together and and supporting one another. I would like to say, “Thank you to all the parents on the PAC Executive over the years who worked tirelessly on behalf of your children. I’d like to thank Angela, Monica, Cliff, Jeannie, Lisa, Lisa R, Manu, Joel, Tammy, Tom, Steve, Galen, Monica, Andrew, Paula, Tad, Cathy and John, and Doug and all the parents who selflessly work for student engagement, teaching and learning (there’s simply too many of you to mention). To my Admin Teams, and the 12 VPs I’ve trained over the years, I have the utmost respect for all of you, and I’m so happy you’ve moved up, and on, in your careers, journeys and schools. I wish the best for each of you! I would be remiss if I didn’t give props to our lovely Madame Val. She has basically run the school for the past year. She will be an amazing school principal. I’m so proud of her and grateful that she was at the helm. I also would like to send a special thank you to the retired principals, Mr. Land, Ms. Marlow and Madame Morissette for all their support for the past year. My timeline was not my own, and they were always flexible and understanding that recover takes time. To the students… work hard, stay true to your core values and speak your voice. And to my teaching and support staff… you have been amazing! A daily reminder how dedicated and professional each of you are in how you approach your work. You give selflessly of yourselves and I always admired you for being so passionate and dedicated. Be kind, calm and thoughtful to one another!

Art Club

Are you artsy? Well we have some Gr 6/ 7students who are part of the Art Club. They meet every Tuesday at lunch. Enjoy the pics below, where they are painting murals on the concrete bunkers for the hydro, recycling, earthquake supplies and bike locker. Are you artsy, creative and crafty? Thank you to the staff sponsors, Ms. New, Ms. Gjernes and Ms. Iris.

Thank you Mr. Land for the pics.

Grad Parent Committee

Parent Volunteers Needed (specifically gr 6+7 but any gr welcome)
Parents we find ourselves in the position being able to offer more traditional school experiences as Covid restriction ease provincially and nationally. Each year end we celebrate our gr 7 grads. Past practise had been that gr 6 parents volunteer at the event, and that way gr 7 parents can partake and enjoy the event. Then, the following year, the new set of gr 6 parents volunteer, so the new set of gr 7 parents can have their turn enjoying the event. It’s a kinda, Pay It Forward operation.

This year’s Grad Parent Committee still have openings and need your help (decorating, supervising food, bouncers for the dance afterwards, etc). It’s really fun and a great way to get to know more parents and kids. We need gr 7 parents will be needed for the decoration and set up, and gr 6 (or other gr) parents needed for serving food and supervising the event.

If you’re interested (even just a little) reach out to Kristie Ruff at kristieruf@gmail.com 

School Organization

Last week we shared in the blog that the VSB provided all schools in Vancouver with their staffing entitlements based on enrolment projections for September ’22 and that Maple Grove has 94 students, who should be able to attend Maple Grove, but are occupying spaces in nearby schools. We also shared that as a result, the VSB aimed to address the issue by adding two portable classrooms to the school.

The VSB has asked Maple Grove to add a Kindergarten class and an intermediate class to our school organization. This means, Maple Grove traditional side of the school will be increasing from 14 to 16 divisions. Our tentative projections have managed to reduce our waitlist from 94 to about 35 students. We are being told to anticipate this trend to continue for the next few years- partly due to development in the neighbourhood and also the new school factor plays a part in this process.

We are presently engaged in conversations with the staff regarding School Organization and what things might look like for next year. Undoubtedly, we will have two senior classes in the portables- and we will be adding to it for the foreseeable future or until our enrolment settles.

Student-Led Conferences

This week was an exciting week at MG. Student-led conferences took place (in-person) on Tuesday and Thursday evening and we were thrilled to have parents in the school for the first time. All the the feedback we received was positive. Thank you to all the students for being great ambassadors of their learning and to the staff for dedicating so much time to the event.

Class Placements for September + Parent Input- DEADLINE, May 27th

Maple Grove likes to work with our parent community and as such, we like to confer about placements of students for September.  That staff work very hard to decide on the perfect placement for your child- they often consider a number of factors that parents may not have knowledge of.  Similarly, you often have information that we need to know.  The first thing you need to do- if you have a placement request for your child- is talk to this year’s teacher!   The classroom teacher plays a huge role in determining where your child will be placed.

Background Information:
In September, it takes some students several days/ weeks to settle in to new classroom environments. Generally speaking, after a couple of days/weeks students settle nicely into the rhythm of the new school year/grade/teacher.  The beginning of the school year can be emotionally difficult for some students due to the change in schedule (which will happen to us as we share the site with a swing site school), different classmates, different teachers, different school, different everything!  Disappointments can be magnified.  With your support, and ours, most students adapt to their new class and routines quickly.   During this time, please reflect on, rather than react to, your child’s placement.  It is extremely important to remain supportive and positive about your child’s placement and to trust last year’s teacher for making the recommendation.  Teacher recommendations are made after hours of discussion and debate among teachers.  Decisions are not made lightly.  We trust your children to be able to adjust to new learning situations and to make new friends – these are normal life challenges.  In an effort to assist teachers in making decisions where to place students, Maple Grove traditionally offers parents an opportunity to provide some input into learning circumstances that may be beneficial for their child, or for staff to consider when casting classes.

We have found in the past that with your support, children are able to adapt to and benefit from a variety of experiences and that as parents, we tend to underestimate their ability to do so. Your help with this process is crucial. Please help your child by encouraging them and normalizing change, making new friends and meeting new challenges. As well, work to develop a positive relationship with your child’s teacher. Our goals are the same as yours – we are striving for your child and all children to be successful.

How We Organize Classes:
Organizing students into classes for the upcoming school year is one of the more complex things that we do at Maple Grove.  We go to great efforts to ensure that children are placed in optimal educational settings; teams of teachers as well as our Learning Assistance staff work to create what we feel is the best placement for each and every child.  The factors we must consider are numerous- there can be many reasons to place a child in a given class and sometimes reasons not to.  Both combined and single grade classes will be developed for next year at various grade levels.  As well, there is often teacher movement from grade to grade, and to and from the school.  Our aim is to build diverse and successful groups of learners who will function and learn well together.  To do this, we use a wide range of criteria for grouping students, including:

Class Placement Requests:    May 27th

We do not accept teacher requests!  We have criteria that we publish annually.  Class placement requests must be made in writing and are sent directly to the Vice Principal and must adhere to the criteria.  A written request does not guarantee that your request will be granted!

Criteria For Class Placement:

The objective of class placement is to create and organize classes so that each student is in a positive learning situation.  The school also wants to ensure that each teacher has a manageable teaching assignment that conforms to Ministry of Education standards and the teacher’s Collective Agreement.

A. Instructional Criteria:

1. Ability Distribution
2. Work Habits
3. Teaching/Learning Styles
4. Equitable distribution of students
5. Groupings appropriate for the best learning environment for all
   
   B. Positive Social Grouping:

1. Friendships
2. Peer conflicts
3. Boy/ Girl ratios
4. Positive leaders
5. Social needs / friendships

C.  Other Criteria:

1. Previous Experience: Previous class assignment of teachers & students is considered.
2. Teacher Recommendations
3. Parental Input
4. Resource Team Input
5. Class size + Composition criteria
6. Special factors or extenuating circumstances
7. Grade level balance in combined classes
8. Effort, achievement, independence and leadership
9. Cultural diversity

D.  Attention to Each Child:

1. Each child’s academic needs + progress
2. Each child’s social needs
3. Class group dynamics
4. Gender balance
5. Physical and emotional maturity
6. Personalities
7. Each child’s need for attention in social, emotional and behavioral areas
8. Logistical requirements concerning the child’s access to the support of an education assistant whose service is provided in more than one classroom

Parent requests must be emailed to Madame Val by May 27th noon.

Additionally, we must make placements within the constraints of staffing allocations and Collective Agreements and contractual guidelines.  In the end, each classroom will have its own character, offering different benefits to each child.  We ask that you trust the team of educators working with your child to make the best placement for next year.  We know it can make a difference when students have a familiar face in their class.  We also know that sometimes, friends do not make the best classmates and that at times, friends should not be in the same class as they can disrupt one another’s learning.  When we do place students for social reasons, we primarily consider students your child will succeed with in class, not necessarily friends; the two groups may be completely different.  Finally, making new connections, meeting new challenges, and dealing with change are all important life skills.  We will be asking students about friends prior to class building.

In the past, we have had a large number of parent requests for class placement that made class building very challenging.  Many of the requests were regarding friends and sometimes were at odds with what staff saw as a ‘best placement’ or the requests of the friends. Please consider the following information.

Most times, it should not be necessary to make a special request. Your child’s previous teacher and our extended team know your child well, and will have good ideas about who they learn well with. On occasion, there can be special circumstances such as special needs or past history that we may not be aware of or that you feel we may need to be reminded of. Please give writing a letter serious consideration based on the above information.

If you feel you need to write a letter outlining your perspective regarding September class placement, please focus on the kind of learning environment you believe your child learns best; please remember, you cannot request or exclude certain teachers – this will not be considered.

Letters that focus on learning are welcome and can at times be very helpful.  It is also important to note that requests may or may not be met, depending on the input of staff and administration.  In other words, writing a letter of request does not guarantee your request will be met.   Multiple requests from parents (e.g., for friends, avoiding combine classes or teachers) cannot be met.  As well, requests for ‘non-split classes’ or upper or lower parts of splits cannot be accommodated- please don’t even make that a point.   This is not a perfect process but we work very hard at it and look at many factors many times between now and September to do the best we can for all children.

Parents who feel that they have educational information that would help the decision-making process should convey that information in writing to the Principal BEFORE MAY 27th. 

You may email Madame Val at vcarriere@vsb.bc.ca    

The VSB Microsoft Mail Server Clients is state-of-the-art and we do not accept late requests or “I sent it” as a reason.  We do not lose email.  Information will be used as one of the factors staff will consider when forming class lists.  Please do not request a specific teacher in your letter.  It may eliminate your letter from consideration.  Further, submitting a request is not a guarantee that your request will be granted.  Requests are not confirmed.  You will not receive an email confirming receipt of your request.

* Parents are reminded that they should speak with the current classroom teacher regarding placement of their child, as the current classroom teacher has a significant role in placing the student in next year’s class.

* We respectfully ask that you do not directly talk to, or contact by phone or email, any teachers about your child’s class placement with teachers. Teachers are bound by their Professional Code of Ethics, and these conversations cannot occur without violating this code.

* Parents are reminded that the final decision and authority for pupil placement remains with the Principal, as per the School Act.

Admin Team Update

Please welcome Madame Morissette. Mr. Land will be working M, T+ alternating F; Ms. Morissette will work W, Th and alternating F. We are expecting Mr. Evans back for the last week of June.