ḰḰ ELSET Elementary School1800 Forest Park Drive North Saanich, BC V8L 4B8

Phone: 250.655.4648 SAFE ARRIVAL: 250.655.1194 Fax: 250.655.4384Email: ḰḰ ELSET_Elem@sd63.bc.ca Website: http://ḰḰ ELSET.sd63.bc.ca/

CALENDAR

2015-16 School CalendarSchools Open.................Sept. 8, 2015Thanksgiving.................Oct. 12, 2015Remembrance Day........Nov. 11, 2015Winter Vacation.............Dec. 21-Jan. 1School Reopens after Winter Break.......Jan. 4, 2016Family Day....................Feb. 8, 2016 Spring Break..................Mar. 14-29, 2016School Reopens after Spring Break........Mar. 30, 2016Good Friday...................Mar. 25, 2016Easter Monday...............Mar. 28, 2016Victoria Day...................May 23, 2016Last Day for Students....June 29, 2016Administrative Day.......June 30, 2016

Non-Instructional Days:October 23, 2015November 12, 2015November 13, 2015February 19, 2016April 22, 2016May 9, 2016

Early Dismissal Days:September 23, 2015September 24, 2015November 25, 2015November26, 2015

JUNE 2015 NEWSLETTER

Bouquets to:• Our outgoing PAC Executive, for all of their time and energy

toward our very successful school year! Special thanks to Sara Benson and Marissa Bentham, our Co-Chairs, Tracy Arychuk, ourlong-serving Treasurer, and to Molly Glesby, for her amazing effortswith special events over the past several years, including Games Nights, Family Dances, Off to the Races, Music Bingo and our incredible Spring Fairs!

• Our incoming PAC Executive:Co-Presidents: Jen Langard and Laura VeaseyVice President: Wendy ThompsonTreasurer: Melissa FinlaySecretary: Janice PutterFundraising Chair: Zabrina FieldhouseCopacs Rep: Jeannine WakelyFun Lunch Coordinators: Jodi Castillo and Lindsay TrudeauEvents Committee Co-Chairs: Katy Hembruff and Tarryn VantreightMembers at Large: Gwen McEwen, Molly Glesby, Tracy Lawrence, Tracy Abbott, Kathy Mikkelsen, Lesley Arnold and Kirsten Norris.

• All who contributed to the success of our Spring Fair, including everyone who made donations, and volunteered their time! Special thanks to the Coordinators: Molly Glesby, Gwen McEwen, Darlene George, Jodi Castillo, Lindsay Trudeau, Laura Veasey, Wendy Thompson, Sara Benson, Tarryn Vantreight, Janice Putter, Jen Langard, Katy Hembruff, Tracy Lawrence, Marissa Bentham and Shannon Johnsen!

• The following volunteers who coordinated aspects of the Grade Five Farewell preparations: Heather Fyfe, Heather Lal, Erin Healey, Kerri Porteous, Katherine Erickson, Kathleen Mostyn, Lesley Arnold, Jen Viinikka, Jodi Steele and Angela Goddard!

Year End Assembly: Thursday, June 25th; 10:00 a.m. Parents/guardians are welcome to attend this assembly, which will include asong by our Grade Fives, a movie to review our school year, and various “appreciations and celebrations!”

School Supplies: You may place your order on-line, through Monks or usethe list available on our website to do your own shopping. We are sorry thatthe on line ordering isn't quite as “quick” as in the past, but Monks has changed their procedures. Deadline for on-line orders is July 15th.

SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM

please email

kelsetsafearrival@sd63.bc.ca

or call 250-655-1194

if your child will be absent or late.

KELSET – The First Seven Years!

As I am preparing for my transition to Deep Cove School and Ms. Collett and I have been helping Cathy Crocket-Moore and Rae Dennett begin their transition to KELSET, there has, naturally been a tendency to reflect over the past seven years. A lot has happened in the seven years that KELSET has been in existence! This got me to thinking that we should celebrate the collective efforts of staff, the PAC, all parents and, of course, our students! To this end, I am going to share some of our collective accomplishments, with thanks to each of you for your contributions!

• KELSET has seen the Saanichton and McTavish School communities blend together, creating a new, vibrant, culturally rich learning community.

• We have developed our KELSET Beliefs, and they provide the foundation of our school culture. The Beliefs have been reinforced through restorative practises and the concepts of restitution and through our emphasis on the Golden Rule and Filling Buckets. Together, we have developed a learning community that is welcoming, inclusive and positive.

• We have equipped classrooms and other areas in the school, significantly expanding our early literacy resources.

• Our Reading Recovery program has expanded from 0.4 to 0.7. Teachers have developed Key Literacy Strategies to focus on in each grade level. We have a very strong Home Reading and Library program.

• Our Numeracy program has been enhanced through in-service opportunities for our teachers, and the Reflex Math program.

• We have a strong PE Enhancement Program for our intermediate students and Weekly Walks occur for all classes. Students enjoy a variety of extra-curricular activities, including Soccer, Basketball, Floor Hockey, Skipping, Swimming, Cross Country, Track and Field, Juggling, Dance, Lego Club, Crafts and the Variety Show. All of the above iniatives contribute to daily physical activity and our focus on health & well being.

• We have enjoyed a variety of Artist-in-Residence initiatives, including music lessons with Holly Arntzen, Paul Hann, Gill Chater and Monika Rose, the Allegro Dance Instructors, drumming “residencies” with Milton Randall and Jordan Hanson, and visual arts with April Ponsford and Tonya Warren.

• We have enjoyed gardening activities, a variety of “Scientists in the School” initiatives and the Streamof Dreams project, have raised salmon, ducklings and butterflies, and have enjoyed many field trips.

• We have a strong recycling program and composting program (and Mme St. Amand coordinates the Peninsula's Soft Plastics Depot!)

• In addition to the surround sound systems in each classroom, each classroom is now equipped with a ceiling mounted LCD projector and a document camera. In addition, we have 18 ipads on a mobile cart.

• We have worked in support of the goals of the WSANEC, other First Nations, Metis and Inuit EducationEnhancement Agreement, with a particular focus on efforts to ensure smooth transitions for our Indigenous students and their families, and to provide cultural activities including dancing, weaving, carving, storytelling, drumming, Elders' Teas and cooking, including the much enjoyed fried bread, and to integrate Indigenous content throughout the curriculum, in order to increase Indigenous students' sense of belonging and to increase everyone's knowledge and appreciation of Indigenous cultures.

• We have supported others in need through very successful annual Terry Fox and Jump Rope for Heart campaigns, as well as through the Anawim (stockings for the homeless) initiative and Christmas hampers and gifts for families in need in our own school community.

• We have implemented a number of strategies to support our students with special learning needs, including the effective use of a variety of technology and exploration of various models of support and communication. We continue to explore ways to meet the diverse needs of all of our students – those who require extra support with their learning, those who are ready for challenge activities and those with social/emotional/behavioural needs.

• We have developed the naturescape, through various work parties. It is great to see how much the plants and trees have grown already and how much the students enjoy this area!

• We have added the x-wave and climbing wall structures and have expanded our “natural play areas”, by the stream and at the far end of the field, in addition to developing the gathering place and trails in the “enchanted forest!”

• We have been very fortunate to have the support of an amazing Parents' Advisory Council! The Executive Members have worked really hard to provide funds for the many “extra” initiatives included in this summaryof accomplishments and, in addition, have provided wonderful “community building” activities, such asMovie Nights, Games Nights and Family Dances!

Lots has been accomplished and looking forward, there is a strong foundation to build upon. In addition to continuing the work outlined above, there will be continued efforts to increase the effectiveness with which we meet the diverse academic, social/emotional and behavioural needs of our learners and include everyone in our learning community.

I am deeply grateful to the strong admin partnerships that I enjoyed with Sonya Emperingham, Tom Vickers andDonna Collett. It has been a pleasure to work with the very skilled and dedicated KELSET teachers and Support Staff and to enjoy the support of an incredible PAC and group of parents! And, of course, I will remember fondly all of the wonderful students that I have been privileged to work with!

It has truly been a pleasure and an honor to be part of the KELSET journey so far and I know that Cathy Crocket-Moore and Rae Dennett will do an excellent job as they lead the continued development of the KELSET learning community!

Staffing Changes:• Congratulations to Wendy Anderson, Jed Dyer, Ron Hadfield and Sylvia Jones on their retirements!

We thank them for their contributions to our school community, and wish them many years of good health and fun adventures!

• Congratulations to Jessica Werk on the arrival of her second child, Elena, and wish her much happiness with her growing family!

• Best wishes to Lynne Willock in her new position as a District English as a Second Language Teacher and to Kristen Sinats in her new position as Support Teacher at Prospect Lake School.

• We wish Linda Leippi well in her EA assignment at Sidney School and wish Shyanne Smith well as she continues her education.

• We will miss Krista Hale, Christine Jaroch, Natalie McKamey, Katrina McGee, Brigitte Leblanc and Angelle Newman and hope they will soon have word on their new positions!

• We wish Donna Collett well in her new teaching assignment at Prospect Lake School! It will be a lucky class indeed that gets to enjoy Ms. Collett as their full time teacher!

BEST WISHES FOR A SAFE, FUN-FILLED SUMMER!

Be sure to keep reading to your child and have your child read, write, practise their math and keep active over the summer!!