The second and final PAC fundraiser of the 2018/19 school year is the Math-A-Thon on Friday, April 5. Money raised will go towards various school initiatives including books for the library, external speakers and classroom resources focused on arts and science, and technology for our new school. Last year we raised $13,487.59, a tremendous result! Let’s see if we can do it again this year!

For the Math-A-Thon, students take an age-appropriate math test in class on Friday, April 5 and raise funds through pledges from friends and family for each correct answer. As an incentive for students, small prizes are awarded both randomly and to the top fundraisers in each class. There is also a pizza party for the division that collectively raises the most. Math-A-Thon organizers will be sending out pledge forms just before Spring Break, giving students plenty of time to gather pledges.

We are reaching out to our parent community for prize donations. Past prizes have included books (maybe from Scholastic?), cinema tickets from Costco, gift cards from local businesses, small toys, Lego, crafts, puzzles and games. Perhaps you have some things left over from the holidays that would make a great prize? Alternatively, if you prefer to approach a business in your neighbourhood, you can use this letter, however, please check-in with Orla first. Many of our local businesses give generously and we want to be respectful and not approach them more than once for the Math-A-Thon.

All donations are gratefully accepted. Please leave them in the Math-A-Thon box in the photocopy room, across from the office. If you have any questions, please email Orla orlasturgess@gmail.com. We’ll start promoting the prizes just before Spring Break, so it would be great to have your contribution before then.

Thank you for your support!

Stronger Together Vancouver is a campaign, co-founded by Tennyson mom Shana Alexander, to unite the fitness community on International Women's Day (March 8th) to raise funds for three great causes, Dress for Success Vancouver, Cause We Care and Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland. Studios around the city are taking part and donating proceeds from select classes to these charities.

Want to work out AND support a great cause???

Join the sweat on March 8th at participating locations in Kitsilano including: Barre Belle, Pure Barre, Method Cycling, Cadence Cycling Studio, The Dailey Method, Jenna Maye Fitness, and Fitness with Shana.

Shana will be offering a 7 AM class at City Life Church (2715 W. 12th Ave) and a 9:30 AM class at the Hellenic Community Centre (4500 Arbutus Street) - contact her at alexandershana@hotmail.com with questions or to register for her classes.

For other studios' classes, call them or check MINDBODY. Follow and share the campaign on Instagram @strongertogethervancouver for more details, other studios participating, and a full schedule.

The inclusive future: public dialogue and social event

Come and learn the benefits of an inclusion mindset for all students from inclusivity expert Shelley Moore and find out what we can do to create a supportive, inclusive environment at Tennyson.

The event: The inclusive future: public dialogue and social event, is  a public dialogue and social event centered on preparing our children to thrive in an inclusive future.
When: Wednesday April 24, 7-9 pm
Where: Tennyson
Tickets $11.62 through Eventbrite

The speaker: Shelly Moore  is a highly sought after inclusive education researcher, collaborator, consultant and storyteller who completed an undergraduate degree in Special Education at the University of Alberta, her masters at Simon Fraser University, and is currently a Social Science and Human Resources Council (SSHRC) funded PhD scholar at the University of British Columbia. Shelley brings a wealth of experience from the classroom that she shares through engaging stories during her talks. Check out her fantastic  TedEx talk.

The  session will deconstruct what inclusive education means in today’s classrooms and communities. We will also discuss common misunderstandings and myths and leave with ideas and possibilities of inclusive learning communities and all who benefit.

On the agenda of the upcoming PAC meeting (this Monday, 25th February) one of the agenda items will be a vote on the following statement.  The purpose of this statement is to voice our collective support of the already in progress VSB efforts to look into ways student safety needs can be best addressed in the new school and all schools.

"The Lord Tennyson PAC strongly supports the effort that the VSB School Board Trustees are undertaking to increase the safety and security of all students, staff and facilities in the district. We encourage your reviews of: the number of supervision aides, fencing and gates, identifying areas of vulnerability and considering the effectiveness of cameras.

We look forward to the findings of your preliminary report and encourage any efforts to make all schools safer for all.”

Being a pretty uncontentious statement the conversation and vote around it will likely be straightforward; however, do make sure you come out to the PAC meeting if you have strong feeling on this or any other issues, to have your say. The PAC meetings are a forum for all Tennyson parents to discuss school issues, policies  and procedures, fundraising and special events.

The following post was written by Vice Principal:   Mme Vosahlo and  originally posted  on the VSB's Lord Tennyson Elementary School web page. Check it regularly for school news.

On Wednesday, February 20th, 2019, students and staff celebrated the Pink Shirt Day at Tennyson.  This year the student leadership team focused on further promoting kindness, empathy and gratitude in our school community.  During the assembly, they read a book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? The book challenged all of us to show kindness and positive actions to others. When we do this, we fill up someone else's bucket and brighten up their day and our day as well.  Rose Fulker, our videographer put together a video where Tennyson students expressed their ideas on what kindness at Tennyson looks like.  This day was a fantastic continuation of demonstrating acceptance and inclusion in our school community every day of the year. 
 

PAN, the Parent Advocacy Network, is asking you to use their quick and easy email tool  to tell BC’s government leaders that it’s time to update the school design policy.

This quick and easy email tool is populated with a letter outlining PAN's grave concerns with the out of date Area Standards school design policy that right now is the foundational document when building new schools. The short of it? With this outdated document, schools are built too small and with inadequate movement, psychological and learning spaces to provide 21 century learning, support the new curriculum, allow for  substantive  arts education, or deliver inclusive  education. 

The email tool has a pre-written letter that you can send as is, or even better, add your own thoughts and experiences  at  the bottom. When constituents add  their own heartfelt  concerns as  part of this type of collective organized action,  government listens. For each person who submits this type of letter, politicians know that it represents many other voters. 

The email tool will  collect the addresses for  your MLA, the Minister of Education Rob Fleming, Premier John Horgan, BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson, and BC Green leader Andrew Weaver making it easy to write them about your support of prioritizing the Ministry’s review of its Area Standards policy and ensuring that review is consultative and addresses the concerns raised before budget 2020. It is important not only to build physically and psychologically safe schools; we must build the right schools for a long term vision of student success.

Click this link to begin. It only takes a few minutes.

You are invited to an adult-child workshop about physical, mental and emotional health. Please email Jen Cumming, j.cunnings@standrewswesley.com, if you would like to attend.

Do you want to check out some awesome hockey this Family Day weekend for free?

The UBC Women’s hockey team are currently in the playoffs and are hosting Regina this weekend for the Western Quarter Finals. They would like to extend an invitation to all Tennyson families to come out and watch them play this weekend for free.

The Game Schedule is as follows:

Friday February 15 4:00PM
Saturday February 16 4:00PM
Sunday Feb. 17 2:00PM (if necessary)

If you would like to attend please email Mandy Hillier with your contact information. the date you want to attend and the number of tickets you would like.

GO THUNDERBIRDS GO!