NEWSLETTER #9 MAY 3, 2019

Eight Weeks to Go! We have a LOT to do during the next eight weeks. While you might think that things start to wind down, nothing could be further from reality. We are busier than ever planning events, attending workshops, participating in outdoor pursuits, and of course, still working hard on all that we are learning. Behind the scenes, we are making preparations for the 2019 - 2020 school year so we are ready to pick up where we leave off at the end of June. We are also planning transitions for our youngest and oldest students as they begin their next adventure. It is an exciting time to be part of a school.

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Heather Larson School Board

Trustee

Cathy Thornicroft Deputy

Superintendent of Schools

Mike Murray Principal

MOTHER’S DAY

Sunday, May 12

1PRO-D DAY Friday, May 17

2VICTORIA DAY Monday, May 20

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NEWSLETTER #9 MAY 3 , 2019

Tomsett Elementary Tomsett is a school that C.A.R.E.S

NEWSLETTER #9 MAY 3, 2019

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We Need Your Help - Damaged Books

Water bottles and library books do not mix. In our effort to keep our kids hydrated, it is costing us hundreds of dollars in damaged library books. Going forward, we ask (if possible) for parents to provide a large Ziploc bag to put library books in that can travel back and forth to school in backpacks. This way, if packs get wet because water bottles spill or sweat, the books will not get ruined.

Welcome to Kindergarten - May 8th

On Wednesday, May 8th, we will be having our Welcome to Kindergarten sessions for our incoming students. We will be holding two sessions this year: Group A beginning at 9:00am and Group B beginning at 11:00am. Each session will be an hour. If you have not RSVP’d yet, please contact our school office.

Kindergarten / Grade 6 Immunizations - Thursday, May 9th

Zone Track Meet - Minoru - Tuesday, May 21st (weather permitting)

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PAC Meeting / Executive Elections

Our next PAC meeting for the year will take place on Thursday, May 9th at 6:30pm. We will be electing our new PAC Executive for the 2019 - 2020 school year. Positions that need to be filled are: Chair, Treasurer, Secretary. We hope you will join us.

RTA Annual General Meeting - Early Dismissal 2:00pm Tuesday, May 14th

Parent Appreciation Tea - Wednesday, May 29th 12:30pm- 1:30pm

Follow Us On Twitter - #TomsettSchool or see our latest tweets on our school website

NEWSLETTER #9 MAY 3, 2019

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Student Class Placements 2019 - 2020

Each year at this time, we begin to make school organization plans for September based upon the number of students we know are returning and new registrations. Before school ends in June, your child’s current classroom teacher, resource staff, educational assistants and administration will work together to place students for the upcoming school year. These plans are tentative until the first week in September when final student numbers are known. In the first few days of September, all staff meet to confirm teaching assignments and review student placements.

In the organizational meetings, many factors are considered when placing students. Considerations include:

- learning styles and strengths - work habits - social / personal characteristics - male / female balance - students with special needs - friendship groups - ELL Levels - contractual obligations - age and physical maturity

As you can see, this is a complicated process, and this list is by no means exclusive, as there are many factors unique to a situation that must and will be taken into account.

If you would like the opportunity to provide the school with information about your child’s placement for next year, you are welcome to send a letter to the school office by Friday, May 31st. The information you provide should not include a request for a specific teacher, but rather some important personal or educational information that will assist us in our decision. All information will be shared with the teacher(s) and will be taken into consideration. Please be aware that the final decision regarding placement needs to be a school-based decision.

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Standardized Hours for Most Schools in Richmond

September 2019

In September 2019, most elementary schools in Richmond (except Garden City and Spul’u’kwuks) will be standardizing hours of operation. This means that schools will have the exact same hours.

What this means for Tomsett, is that we will no longer have early dismissal on Friday afternoons.

We will be sending more information about this to you mid-May and again in the June newsletter.

Leaving Early? Returning Late? We Need to Know.

As our school is at capacity, and we have students on our waitlist, it is very important that you let us know if you are planning to leave school early in June or return late in September.

Students who are returning to school later than 12:00pm on Wednesday, September 4th and on or before Wednesday, September 11th need to complete a Notice of Late Return (available in our office). Students not completing this form will be removed from the school roster and may lose their place in our school.

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Chocolate Lily Reader’s Choice Awards

Tomsett primary students participated in the Chocolate Lily Awards program this year. “Created in 2002, the Chocolate Lily Book Awards strives to increase literacy for grade school children in British Columbia while celebrating BC authors and illustrators. The name was inspired by the Chocolate Lily, a flowering plant found growing in British Columbia - but nowhere else in Canada.” Teachers read nominated picture books to their classes and students voted for their favourite. These votes are collated with results from all participating schools and the overall winner is announced in June. All of these books are available for signing out.

Here’s how our primary students voted:

NEWSLETTER #9 MAY 3, 2019

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