SCHOOL NOTICES

 

Reminder: PRO D DAY TOMORROW!

No school Friday, Feb 18th.

 

Attendance Call in Number:

Please call 604-903-3630 for call-back/absences, rather than the other office number.  Thank you.

 

Meet with Barbara! Tonight!

Barbara Leigh (WH new official principal) has offered to meet with anyone to talk about anything and everything to with Windsor House and her participation in this community.  This informal chat is a chance to ask questions and answer questions. Let's communicate.  Yes, Steve Galliford will bring cookies or muffins! Thursday February 17, 7PM at Windsor House

 

NEXT MEETING: Sunday, February 20 – 2-5

Place: Helen’s

If people would carpool, that would help.  The time is from 2 to 5, Sunday.  My address is 714 Westmoreland Crescent, North Vancouver.  I live just a few blocks from the school.  If you carry on up Fell Avenue, you go up a steep dog-leg and almost at the top there is a road, Westmoreland that goes steeply to the right.  Go up there and I am in the second block on the upper side of the road in a big grey house.

If you are coming from Edgemont Village way, come down Edgemont to 23rd and turn left.  Turn right at Alden Lane (the next corner) and go down to Westmoreland.  Turn left.  If there is a huge crowd, we will go down to the school.  Bring finger foods that can be gathered up and taken down to school if need be.  See you soon, Helen

 

Confirmed! 

Donna Barker and I will be going to Calgary on the morning of the 28th and return on the 5th.  We will do our best to ask the right questions, think of the rights thing, look at what needs seeing, and do some good listening.  If you have any ideas you would like to contribute, questions, etc. please send them to me.  Donna and i will do our best to represent the interests we are charged with (within reason).

Our Goals:

To explore Bishop Carroll Catholic school (where Donna was a student);

To explore Calgary Alternative High (where Julie Flett was a student);

To learn about ways that these schools have been successful in dealing with a very conservative government; to look at school systems and structures for new ideas;

and lastly, to portray WH in a good light.

We are arranging meeting with many parties, visits to the schools, etc.

If you have any great idea or leads, let us know!

platypus@vlc.ca 710-5346

 

CLASSES & EVENTS

 

Community Valentine’s Dance

Valri, Kynan and Allegra will be hosting a Windsor House Valentine’s Dance in our Co-op Community Room on Saturday, February 19th from 7:00 – 10:00 pm.  Marie Weeks will be the deejay.   This is a family dance and students will need to come with their parents or an adult sponsor.  Childcare will be available at our house for children who don’t want to dance. 

Please bring a potluck appetizer to share. 

Our address is #51A – 8740 Forest Grove Drive in Burnaby.  To get there take Highway #1 to the Cariboo exit, head north towards SFU on Gaglardi Way, turn left at the first intersection after Lougheed Hwy (Broadway), stay to the right as the road splits and you are on Forest Grove!  Please park your car on Forest Grove Drive (not in the parking lot!).  For more info call us! 604-421-9249

 

SINGERS TAKE NOTE (oh punny)
CHOIR MONDAYS STARTING FEB 21

In the portable from 1:00-2:30

Come sing - Experience not necessary

 

Hello everyone!

We are back from our week in Quebec.  It was a really wonderful time.  Our twins really planned great activities for us and took care of us.  The kids are all working on documenting their experiences -- watch for a display in early March. 

We are now starting the second phase of the exchange process where we will be fundraising and planning the activities for their visit to us.  The group from Ecole des Grandes-Marees will be here from May 14-21. 

I would like to meet with all parents of kids who came on the exchange to debrief this trip and start to plan for May.  We will meet on Wed. Feb.23 at 7:00pm., place:T.B.A.

Call me if you've got any questions.  Selena

 

Parental Guidance a major success!!
Who ever thought we would have our biggest fundraiser (certainly in my time) and laugh ourselves silly at the same time!  A huge thank you to Alison Kelly, our newest talent discovery Gin Neilsen, Jill Daum, Barbara Pollard and the absent but not forgotten Deborah Williams who made us laugh until our faces hurt.  We raised $4,243 having fun and eating delicious baked goodies!  A big thanks to all those who worked to make this happen. Margo

Congratulations to all who made this event such a success!  Helen

 

Library Notice:

Starting next week, Monday Jan.31, people will only be allowed in the Library when Selena (or another trained adult sponsor) is there or if they have a license and a Library Council Sponsor is present.  As always the library is only to be used for reading and quiet work. 

If you would like to get a license, come to the Library Council meeting on Thurs. at 12:15. Library Council Sponsors:  Naomi, Soraya, Maeve, Orin, Alicia, Sadie, Hana

Licensed: Fyona

Appeal for Sponsors:

I would love some adult volunteers who would be willing to help supervise the library (particularly on Mondays or Friday afternoons).  If you want to help, contact me and I will make an appointment to show you around and train you on the computer.  It would also be great if someone wanted to schedule in a read-aloud time for primaries in the Library.

 

COTTAGE NEWS

SKATING

the skating field trip to Harry Jerome will take place on Monday, February 21.  The sign-up sheet will be posted on Monday, and consent forms should be available by then.  Volunteer drivers will be required for this field trip.  Please let Wendy know if you are available.

CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL
Sign-up sheets have been posted outside the Cottage for two shows being presented at this year's Children's Festival.  Scotland's Shona Reppe Puppets will perform an adaptation of Cinderella, and BC's own Underground Circus presents "Backstage Circus", a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of the circus.  Both shows take place on Monday, May 16.  Please sign-up and make payments to Heather ASAP to guarantee your spot.

Thanks so much to all the parents who helped out with the last two field trips (Eagle Watching and Swimming).  The kids love the field trips and they do so much to enrich our kids' educational experience at Windsor House.  These field trips could not happen without the help of such dedicated parent volunteers - your help is so appreciated.  Thank you.  Questions or comments? Contact Wendy Lund.

 

Tutorial Times

Staff is available for one on one tutorials 8:30-9:00am and 3:00-3:30pm each day.

 

PARENT PARTICIPATION

 

UP AND COMING WORK PARTIES

In addition to duty hours, each family is required to attend two work parties a year (3 hours minimum/party), except for single parent families who are only required to attend one.

All work parties are 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Ø       Saturday, February 26th, 2005             Linda

Ø       Saturday, March 12th, 2005                  Heather

Ø       Saturday, April 23rd, 2005 (outside)   Verity

Ø       Saturday, May 28th, 2005                     Helen

Ø       Thursday, June 23rd, 2005                   Carol

Ø       Summer 2005 TBA                              Meghan

 Families who have signed up for a specific work party will be given a reminder call prior to the day.  If you have not yet signed up for your work parties please contact Valri as soon as possible.

Some families have fluctuating circumstances that may temporarily prevent them from doing their duty hours.  They may opt to buy out of your work party commitment at the rate of $10.00/hour. Valri

 

Coordinator Needed for 2005-2006 School Year
Valri is resigning from the position of Parent Participation Coordinator at the end of this school year and it is absolutely essential to the running of WH that we find a new coordinator as soon as possible. This is a partially paid position that requires that the successful applicant liaise between all community members --staff, parents and students--to ensure all parent duty jobs are filled and all parents have jobs they feel comfortable doing.

The job requirements are as follows:

v      An almost constant, visible presence and availability at the school in September and October as well as a high level of availability as necessary for the rest of the school year

v      A familiarity and involvement with Windsor House as well as the ability to maintain a 'whole picture" perspective of the school

v      A commitment to learn what is involved in the duty jobs of the school and to understand the interdependent components of some of the bigger, essential jobs

v      To take responsibility for making sure that essential jobs (e.g. the Newsletter) are not only filled but successfully completed

v      All of the applicant's parent duty responsibilities have been fulfilled in the past and they have displayed a consistent level of involvement in the school

v      Available to attend staff meetings, executive meetings, and general meetings when necessary

v      Available to receive and make phone calls at home when required
good communication skills and a non-judgmental attitude towards people

v      Good organizational skills

v      Responsive and energetic

v      Computer skills

This position pays $15 per hour up to a total of 120 hours or $1,800. The paid part ends approximately November 30th 2002, after which time the successful applicant will continue on as parent participation coordinator as their required parent duty job.

Resumes and letters of application can be left by Friday March 18th in the Parent Participation pigeonhole in the office.

Please contact Valri (604-421-9249 or valriwright@shaw.ca) for more information. Interviews will take place after Spring Break so that there will be time for the successful candidate to be trained in the position.

 

Come and do Duty in the School!

We urgently need parents to come and help sponsor students outside on the field.  With the mild weather, younger students want to spend time outside and it is hard to do when we need staff to be in the rooms as well.

Also come and check out the Philosophy Café, the new parents lounge area. 

Remember any time you spend in the school counts as duty time.

 

RESOLUTIONS

The voting results at the end of each resolution stand for for/against/abstain

(will be in next weeks newsletter)

OTHER NOTICES

 

2004/05 Windsor House School Yearbook:

All those interested in taking part in this year’s School Year Book please sign the sheet that will be available on the bulletin board at school. For more information you can contact me at denis.seguin@telus.net.

I would like to set up this project as a weekly class (Mondays – time and room to be determined at a later date) in learning the desktop publishing process.

1)        Brainstorming design ideas as a group

2)        Divide workload – explore individual’s talents

3)        Produce mock ups of all pages

4)        Gather all materials – text, photos, art works etc.

5)        Using computers to produce layouts

6)        Printing and binding.

P.S. The involvement of another adult would be great, someone with knowledge of Microsoft Word or similar app. Denis Seguin Pager: 604-450-2457

 

WANTED

to rent for March 1/05 a 2 or 3 bedroom house, apartment or shared situation in East Vancouver.  Must be cat friendly.  Excellent references available.  If anyone knows of accommodation please call Felix & Tomas at 604-255-2446.

 

Needed: House sitting for the month of June?

Funky 2 bedroom, 2 level apartment available for the month of June - close to Nanaimo on Eton Street.  Call Natasha for further information: 604-408-2423 or email at holnat@telus.net.