February, 2008

Bus Cancellations

With the arrival of winter weather, you may wish to add your name to the notify list for our advisory page. We use the advisory to send an electronic message in the event of bus cancellations, etc. To add your name to the notify list simply click here, choose 'notify' and continue.

C.A.R.E. - Canada to Afghanistan Reading and Education

The Van Walleghem Student Voice is happy to announce our global initiative for this year.  We will be working to provide school supplies for children and teachers in Afghanistan.

more . . .

Craft Club

We are looking for donations of Yarn for our Craft Club.  Any amounts will do.  Please give the yarn to the craft club coordinators.  Thanks!

Library Links

"I Love to Read Month"

In conjunction with C.A.R.E (Canada to Afghanistan, Reading and Education), the weeks of February 25th to March 7th have been declared "I Love to Read" at VW!

Many activities are being planned to support the love of reading!

more . . .

Community News

For more information on Kindergarten and Nursery School Registrations, Community Centre sign-ups and other programs . . .

more . . .

Scotia Bank, Thank You!

We were pleased to receive the best-selling children's book series, Charity's Ant Tales, by Manitoba authour LeRoy Peters from Scotiabank earlier this year. The books are geard to children 2- 10 years old. They address issues such as respecting and accepting differences in others, recognizing that we are all equals and everyone deserrves to be accepted for who they are. Thank you LeRoy Peter's and Scotiabank!

Administration Message

Although we enjoyed a few warm days, it looks like February will be blowing in with some snow and serious wind chill.  Fear not, a little cold won't slow us down!  Our Grade 8 students have been visiting the high schools in anticipation of moving on while we welcome new and existing VW families to next year's Kindergarten classes.  If you know of anyone who would like to attend our Kindergarten Information evening, please invite them to join us on February 5th at 7:00.

More and more great bands are coming to town but none as fun to see as our very own Grades 6-8 bands that will be performing with Linden Meadows on February 7 at 7:00 pm.  Band concerts are held at Immanuel Pentecostal Church therefore a small admission is charged to recover the cost of renting this impressive venue.

We look forward to seeing parents and children connecting during Five Star conferences later this month.  It is both exciting and rewarding to see children at in action as they take ownership for their learning.  Please click here to book your Five Star Conferences.

Here is a parent's quote taken from last year's survey:

"The 5 Star Conferences hit a whole bunch of positives for us, here are a few:  The preparation aspect: my children really reflected on the work they had done well or not so well, and that of their peers. Sometimes wondering why someone else gets better marks or their work looks better than yours can be a mystery but becomes more clear when you see a whole ensemble of their work. This wasn't intentional by the teachers but just naturally occurs when all students are working together to prepare for the conference. My child takes ownership to show us his/her work.  Developing presentation skills: this is a great activity towards building confidence and goal setting. My child reflected ahead of time on areas s/he needs to work on and then the 3 parties talk about their roles in achieving this. I think this is far better than if parent & teacher meet and then the parent has to go home, re-discuss the issues, and perhaps receive new information that now has to be re-clarified with the teacher. Leaving with a positive approach: I saw this with all 3 of my children but one of my children is struggling to take ownership and apply himself; yet this was his meeting, he took control of his presentation, was proud of where he goes to school and his work and we all set a goal he could attain with our collective support. I got to see the bigger & growing picture because he was there. Thank you." 

Finally, the last week of February and the first week of March will be busy with Operation CARE.  Operation CARE is a collaborative project between the school and the Canadian Military; our goal is to provide school supplies for children and teachers in Afghanistan.   Our student body was extremely generous during the holiday season when we collected for fellow Winnipeggers in need; we look forward to the same enthusiasm during Operation CARE.  

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Sincerely,

Brad Burns & Cintra Ragoonanan

Your Admin Team

Wolverine Words

We are planning a downhill ski trip once again this year for our Grade 6 and 7 students. We will be going to Holiday Mountain in LaRivierre Mb. on Thursday March 6th. About mid-February the students will be receiving an orientation lesson at school and a package will then be going home with them. We will be using Beaver Bus lines to transport us to and from the hill. Students will have the option of either skiing and snowboarding. Snowboarding will be limited to experienced snowboarders only(due to the higher risk of injury. All students will be required to wear helmets. Helmets may be rented at the hill. They may also be rented or purchased at most Ski Shops in town.

more . . .

Fall Classic

On January 15, 2008, the Linden Woods Fall Classic Organizing Committee proudly presented VW Parent Council and Administration with a “giant cheque” for $12,300, representing the proceeds from the 2007 event.  These funds came from the combined generousity of the businesses and individuals who sponsored and participated in the events this past October.  All  proceeds from the Fall Classic are dedicated to playgound enhancement, including the purchase of the EVOS playground apparatus (pictured here).

Thanks to the sponsors, participants and volunteers of the Fall Classic, this event alone has raised over $30,000 for the children of our community!

more . . .