Principal’s Message:

Welcome back and I hope you enjoyed a spring break “staycation” or get away. We have

three very busy months ahead of us right up until the last day of school in June. With the

longer, brighter evenings it is all too easy to allow children to stay up later; however, it is im-

portant that you help your children maintain a regular bedtime and routine. Eliminate ex-

cessive screen time (television and computer), cuddle up together with a book, listen to

soothing music, notice the frogs croaking or the songbirds trilling. Sweet dreams!

The children in grades 2-5 are very excited as they get ready for our Festival de talent (Talent

Show). Please remember that this is voluntary and not all children choose to be involved.

Kids do need to practice at home and come prepared with what they need to perform at

rehearsals next week (shoes, music, judo outfit, hula hoop, skipping rope, instrument etc).

The piano will be made available. Here is next week’s rehearsal schedule: Monday April 7

grade 2, April 8 grade 3, April 10 grades 4 & 5 from 10:05-10:30. In some cases children from

various grades are performing together and they can come to the rehearsal on the day of

their oldest or youngest members. Please join us Thursday April 24 at 1p.m for this wonderful

event.

Thanks to the Grade 8 Leadership class at École Phoenix our students will take part in an

Easter Scavenger Hunt April 17. In family groups our students will search for colour –coded

clues that will lead them to something special for each child. Thank you Mrs. Kerri Perras

and the Leadership class for planning this for our students.

We are grateful to our Parent Advisory Committee for sponsoring swim lessons for children in

our grades 2, 3 and 4. The children will be given a swim test to determine their appropriate

group and have six lessons free of charge.

If you have any questions or comments please come and see me. My door is always open.

EDM April 2014

Sydney April 5 Ayla April 14

Markus April 5 Crystal April 16

Taylor D April 7 Emily April 19

Paytin April 8 Brooklyn April 23

Joshua April 11 Owen April 23

Alexander April 13 Jessica April 24

William April 13 Riley April 24

Kolbie April 13

The F.O.R.C.E Society for Kids Mental Health

theforce@forcesociety.com

The F.O.R.C.E. Society for Kid’s Mental Health is a provincial organization that provides families with

an opportunity to speak with other families who understand and may be able to offer support or ad-

vice on what has worked for them. The F.O.R.C.E also provides families and professionals with infor-

mation, tools and tips on how to support and assist children with mental health difficulties.

“As Families, we’ve been there”

Would you like to receive the FORCE E-newsletter with updates, events, resources and information

to assist and inform you and your family?

(We respect your right to privacy and your contact information is kept confidential and used only for

the purpose of keeping you informed)

RELATIONSHIP TO CHILD:_____ Parent_______ Grandparent_______ Sibling

______Foster Parent________ Other Relative_____ Professional

FIRST NAME:_____________________________________________________

LAST NAME:______________________________________________________

COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN:__________________________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS:_________________________________________________

We had an impressive turn out for our stu-

dent led conferences, 117/120 students and

parents attended on February 25th. Way to

go EDM!!

Student led conferences: Citizenship Recognition

60 Minute Kids Club

The Ready, Set Learn program to

help your preschooler get ready for

school , will be held on May 9th at

1:30-2:15. All 3 & 4 year olds are

welcome.

Please RSVP @ 250-286-0511

Invitations for these events will be

mailed out at the end of April.

If your child is registered at

EDM for Kindergarten next

year, don’t forget the

“Welcome to Kindergarten” on

May 13th at 1:00 here at

EDM. Fun activities are

planned and your child will re-

ceive a welcome bag.

Welcome to Kindergarten & Ready,Set, Learn

Congratulations to all schools that took part in this year's 60MKC Winter Challenge! Together we encouraged and motivated school communities

across Canada to be active and healthy!

We believe that instilling & reinforcing healthy habits is not the teach-er's job, not the parent's job, not the government's job, not the school's

job, not the media's job and not the coach's job….ITS ALL OUR JOBS!

Students from EDM that completed the challenge were: Ashley Henri,

Honor McDiarmid, Alister McDiarmid, Kendra Steffen, Noah Stenvig, & Michael Stevens.

EDM came out in the top third in the province. WAY TO GO EDM.

Every month we recognize students who have

been noticed doing something kind or helping

out without being asked. Last month those

students are:

Axel Bakken, Michael Stevens & Holly

Cavanaugh.

Proper pencil grip is key to correct letter formation. All letters

start at the top and from left to right. You may wish to buy a

pencil grip (less than a dollar) for your child. The information be-

low is taken from the website: drawyourworld.com

Is a child bearing down on the pencil? They want to see the

lines they are making. Give them a soft-lead pencil, the pencil

mark goes onto the paper easily, so they won’t feel the need to

bear down.

Check the position of the Pencil and the Wrist: the eraser end

of the pencil should point toward the shoulder. Some children

prefer to position the pencil vertical, so that the eraser end is

pointing up. It is not the classic grip but is fine as long as the

hand is relaxed. The underside of the forearm to the thumb

should be a straight line. The hand should not hook back toward

the body

Regular practice: Practice daily if possible, keeping the lessons

short. Five minutes of writing is enough for a child who is age five, and ten to fifteen

minutes is plenty for a nine year old. Add drawing instruction to your practice for a fun way

to gain even more time using the correct grip.

Why the correct grip is important: Some children respond well to knowing the reason for

using the tripod grip. Using the correct grip allows a person to write quickly and fluidly,

while a tight or awkward grip can slow writing. The correct grip also prevents physical prob-

lems with the hand and arm later in life. The constant habit of clenching a pencil can cause

ligament problems later in life, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. It will only take a short

time before a young child will change to the new grip, a new habit is easier to change than

an old habit.

Extra Clothing Donations

If anyone has a few items of clothing they could donate to the school for days when children get

wet or need a change of clothes it would be helpful.

Sweat pants, leggings, socks, underwear, t-shirts.

Particularly K-3 sizes.

Clothing Donations

How to hold a pencil

5

YES I HAVE READ THE NEWSLETTER

Student’s Name:__________________ Comments/Ideas:_________________

Grade & Teacher:_________________ ______________________________

Parent’s Name:___________________

Please let us know if you prefer the email copy or paper copy, we are still trying to decide

what is the majority preferred method. Email______ Paper______

Some of life’s best memories are made at French summer camp! Whether you are looking

for a traditional summer camp experience, a sports day-camp in French or a week-long tent-

ing experience for the whole family. Not only does the camp experience offer fun and ad-

venture, but it also provides the structure for keeping up your French during the summer

months, a time when many students fall out of practice. Start planning early, as registration

normally begins in February. Look for a camp that suits your child’s interests. When your

child is engaged, the learning will come naturally.

Camps Available

Maillardville-Coquitlam French Summer Camp

www.maillardville.com/index.php/en/french-summer- camp

Canoe Island French Camp

www.canoeisland.org

Thompson Rivers University

Www.tru.ca/athletics/sportcamps/french.html

Frances Sewing School

www.francessewingschool.com/about/#school

Petit Tournesol French Summer Camps

Www.facebook.com/petit.tournesol.summer.camp

CPF BC & Yukon Summer Camps

Www.bc-yk.cpf.ca/about-us/branches/sociocultural-event

BC Family French Camp

www.bcffc.com

Bring your camp spirit!

The Aboriginal Education Advisory Council for School District 72 requests

your attendance at a Community Forum to be held on:

April 9th, 2014

at the Campbell River Maritime Centre,

621 Island Highway, Campbell River

An afternoon and evening session will be held; agendas will be the same.

Afternoon session will be held 11:30 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

Lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m. Evening session will be held 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Dinner will be served at 5:45 p.m. This forum will be an opportunity for parents and community members to re-

view and discuss Goals for our fourth Aboriginal Education Enhancement

Agreement to improve the academic success of all aboriginal students in

School District 72.

Dues to size of the room, please RSVP by April 1, 2014 to Karen Giesbrecht by

telephone at 250.923.4902 or email at karen.giesbrecht@sd72.bc.ca

For more information, please call Greg Johnson, District Principal

of Aboriginal Education and Alternate Programs, 250.923.4902.

Aboriginal Parents and

Community Members

Aboriginal Parents and

Community Members

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Aprils

Fools

Day

2

PAC

Meeting

6:15

3 Hot Dogs

“Inclusion”

Musical

Group

10:45

4 2/3/4

Swim

Lessons

5 Ripple Rock

Anniversary

1958

6 7 8 9 2/3/4

Swim

Lesson

10 Best Wok

11 2/3/4

Swim

Lessons

12

13 14 15 16 2/3/4

Swim

Lessons

17 Easter

Scavenger

Hunt

18 Good

Friday

19

20

Easter

Sunday

21 Easter

Monday

22

PRO-D

No School

23

2/3/4

Swim

Lessons

24

Festival

De Talent

25

2/3/4

Swim

Lessons

26

27 28 29 30 Green

Thumb The-

atre @ EWP

1:00 PM

April 2014

Earth Week

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Aboriginal

Education

Recogni-

tion Dinner

2 3

4 Louise

Walker

Sexual

Health Edu-

cator

5 6 7 PAC

Meeting

6:15

8 9 Ready,

Set, Learn

1:30-2:15

10

11 12 13

1:00-2:15

14 15 16 17

18 19

Victoria

Day

No school

20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27

Class

Photos

28 29 30 31

May 2014

Vancouver Island Children's BookFest Saturday, May 3rd 10:15am-3:00pm

Downtown Nanaimo (various locations)

A wonderful opportunity for children to meet

authors & illustrators from across Canada!

Book Fest is a fun-filled day for children and adults alike in downtown Nanaimo. Authors and illustrators from across Canada are invited to present their work and tell stories about their creations and lives.

Sessions take place throughout downtown Nanaimo, including VIRL Harbour front Library, Vancouver Island Conference Centre, Nanaimo Museum and the Nanaimo Art Gallery. The day is divided into three sessions of 45 minutes each, where presenters use a variety of techniques to inspire creativity and enthusiasm for books in their audience: some use technology, some use story-blankets, and others may leap and bounce about. Audience par-ticipation is common, as the presenters ask children to help with future book ideas, or invite them to pick a story or assist with a new illustration.

Noon-hour activities in Diana Krall Plaza will feature Graham Walker, a children's song-writer who sings about cats in pyjamas, rocket ship trips, leprechauns, moon baboons, frogs, kangaroos and other amazing things--great hop-along, dance along tunes for the whole family to enjoy.

Free sessions for preschool children too young to attend Book Fest include rhyme-time, musical story time and a puppet show at the Harbour front Library.

BookFest Presenters: Dan Bar-el, Marty Chan ,Aubrey Davis ,Sarah Ellis, Rachna Gilmore, Cynthia Nugent,

Karen Patkau ,Kevin Sylvester, Caroline Woodward To fInd out more about the presenters and venues or

View a printable program, Visit their website, or follow BookFest on Facebook and Twitter

.$10 per child | $25 Family Pass

****

Get ready for the Shoreline Orthodontics Tri-K Triathlon like a pro!

★★★★★★

Comox Valley Your Triathlon

PARTICIPATE IN AN 8 WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM WHERE YOU WILL GET LOTS OF GREAT COACHING FROM LOCAL TRIATHLETES!

TUESDAYS 4-6pm April 1 - May 20

@ CV Sports Centre, Vanier Dr. Cost $65

CAMPBELL RIVER ART GALLERY

SUPER SATURDAY PROGRAMS

Art making event for artists of all ages,

Admission is FREE (but donations are gratefully accepted)

All materials provided, children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult

All classes run from 1-3PM

Ripple Rock day;Sand and Pebble

pictures: April 5

Did you know that April 5th is the

anniversary of the demolition of

Ripple Rock? We’re making tex-

tural art with rocks, pebbles and

Stand up Animal Cards April 19

Paper collage with coloured pa-

per,scissors, glue and marker to

make lively spring animals that

stand on their own. Write a mes-

sage inside and give it as a card.

Special Time: 11:30-1:30 pm

Artist Trading Cards May 3

Artist trading cards are like

baseball cards except they are

miniature works of art which art-

ists trade with one another at

ATC events at the Gallery 4-5

times a year. The next ATC is May

Creative Print Making May 17

Using water-based inks, brayers

and found objects, explore the

endless possibilities of simple

printmaking.

String Sculpture May 31

Wrap small balloons in coloured

string and yarn that has been

soaked in white glue. Let it dry,

pop the balloon and remove and

you are left with a coloured mesh

orb.

If your family is moving or your child

will not be attending EDM next year,

please advise us as soon as possible.

This information is important for plan-

ning our class configurations for the

2014-2015 school year.