S C H O O L N E W S NEWSLETTER #8

École élémentaire James Gilmore Elementary School 8380 Elsmore Road, Richmond, B.C. V7C 2A1

Phone 604-668-6268 Fax 604-668-6134 Early Warning 604-668-6637 E-mail: Gilmore@.sd38.bc.ca Website:gilmore.sd38.bc.ca

Mr. Patrick von Hahn Mr. Mitch Ward Principal / Directeur Vice Principal

S.D. #38

(Richmond)

December 18, 2015 Gilmore Staff News Mme. Dalziel has completed her term contract at Gilmore, replacing Mme. Hunter-Mogg who has been on maternity leave. Mme. Hunter-Mogg had a baby boy named Royal Kingsley, and she will resume teaching Div. 5 after the Winter Break. Merci a Mme. Dalziel pour un travail bien fait, et nous espérons vous voir à nouveau à Gilmore. Mme. Novix, from Div. 14, had a baby girl named Abigail Georgia, and she will return to her position at Gilmore in January 2017. Change in School Bells

There will be a change in the morning bell in the New Year. It will now ring at 8:30 am (instead of 8:15 am). This is

generally consistent throughout our district schools. At 8:30 am students are welcome to enter classrooms to begin their school day.

This change will allow teachers time to prepare for instruction in the morning and ensure that children are not unsupervised in classrooms. Breakfast Club Breakfast Club opens at 8 o’clock. Students who wish to participate must enter the gym by the side exterior doors. This will prevent the rather large maze of backpacks and coats that are in the hallway, which can be a tripping hazard. The hallway is always busy with smoothie deliveries, and other materials distributed from the staff room kitchen as our instructional day begins. New Television in Use

Our television is now in use and will eventually be wall mounted in the entrance foyer. This will allow us to show interesting and educational programming, along with pictures of school events! The permanent

installation requires three district sub-trades (electrical, tech support, and carpentry), so there is a backlog of these installations.

Gilmore Sing-Alongs Children singing seasonal songs are one of the joys of the season. The Gilmore staff has held some most engaging and entertaining sing-alongs these past two weeks. Our musical team leading these assemblies includes: Mr. Tolman (guitar), Mr. Walton & Mr. Vint (electric guitars), Mr. Redding (piano), Mrs. McCarthy (sing-along director) and Mrs. Trewin (technical director). Ms. Mel Anastasiou, a former Gilmore staff member, returns to our school to play guitar and help teach the children to ‘sign’ some of the words to songs. January Events

School resumes on Monday, January 4, 2016. An information meeting for parents and students interested in the Late French Immersion Program at

Diefenbaker will be held on Wednesday, January 6th. A complete January 2016 calendar is included with this newsletter, and our new website also has a calendar which lists all school events. Please check it out at: www.gilmore.sd38.bc.ca Lost and Found The lost and found at this time of year has become quite the collection of items. Items have been on display in the days leading up to the holidays to allow students the opportunity to check if they recognize something they may have lost. Any items remaining will be sent to Goodwill. School Painting Continues

The interior of our school continues to be painted. Hallway bulletin boards and consistent door colours were recently completed. In the New Year classroom painting, and eventually the gymnasium, are further improvement projects.

Happy Holidays!

Nos meilleurs voeux pour la nouvelle année!

Energy Conservation This winter break Gilmore Elementary School will be participating in a district-wide holiday shut down

program to help reduce energy waste. We wanted to invite all our families at home to practice energy efficiency over the holidays too. So here are our top tips for reducing energy waste and staying on the nice list this holiday season: 1. Turkey Dinner – did you know opening the oven

door reduces temperatures by as much as 25 degrees and increases cooking time? Use the oven light to take a peek at that pie when you can, and consider cooking more than one item in the oven at a time (leaving space around the dishes for the heat to distribute evenly). If you’ve got lots of dishes on the go, microwave ovens use as little as 50% of the energy of a conventional oven.

2. Merry and Bright – if you haven’t already made the switch, LED lights use 80-90% less energy than incandescents and don’t heat up – protecting little hands from burns, keeping the house cooler, and reducing fire hazards. They come in a wide variety of colours and you can check BCHydro.com for incentives.

3. Time your Lights – you want to keep the festive cheer going, but maybe not all night! Consider using timers on your lights (indoor and outdoor) for the nights you forget to unplug. Timers also work great if you’re going away for the holiday and want to make it look like someone is home.

4. Warm Wishes – the holiday season can also mean a workout for your heating system. Clean or change your air filter to save energy and improve air quality. Reducing the heat before your guests arrive also means your space will be more comfortable when all the family is there. If you’re feeling ambitious, try turning down the heat by a degree or two every day to make better use of those fantastic holiday sweaters and long johns.

5. Unplug and Unwind – did you know that an estimated 5% of the energy used at home is “phantom power” – energy consumed when an appliance isn’t in use to power adapters, clocks, lights and other small loads. Use smart strips or power bars to save this wasted energy and if you’re headed away for the holidays, consider unplugging items altogether. If you’re purchasing electronics or appliances for the holidays look for the EnergyStar label to find energy efficient options.

Happy Holidays from the Green Elves at Gilmore!