Principal’s Greeting

            Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to another year of starting afresh with great resolutions to be healthier, fitter, wiser and kinder.  At Lucerne we are covering the ‘fitter’ by taking our elementary students skiing, ‘wiser’ by holding exams for the secondary students so they have an opportunity to show what they know and ‘kinder’ by training our noon-hour supervisors to work with our younger children on being good friends. PAC helps us out with ‘healthier’ by providing the wholesome hot soup program on Fridays which continues this cold month of January.

PAC

The next meeting of PAC will take place on Wednesday, January 16^th at 4.30pm. All parents are welcome. One school trustee always attends the meeting so this is a good opportunity to discover what the Board of Education is focusing on currently. Minutes of the October and November PAC meetings are posted on the school’s website for you to read. Do remember that the website is a useful tool to remind you of what is coming up next at Lucerne.

Noon hour supervision training

            Charlene Alexander, our Strong Start coordinator, will be running a two hour workshop on Monday January 14^th from 3.30-5.30pm for Grade 11 and 12 students and parents who already (or would like to) volunteer for noon hour supervision. Refreshments will be provided thanks to the School Planning Council.

During noon hour, which runs from 12.12pm to 1.05pm, two supervisors start in the elementary classrooms while children are eating and then head outside for play time. This is always a great time for children to explore the outdoors, make up their own games and work on their friendships. From time to time they need help from the supervisor with conflicts over fair play and friendships that are not going as smoothly as they would like. Charlene will offer expert advice and strategies that supervisors can use. Do come along to this workshop if you are interested in volunteering for noon hour supervision. Currently noon hour is used as a fund raising opportunity by the Grad class and by pre-school parents. However, the SPC is investigating the possibility of one of the positions being a paid position with an enhanced hourly rate. If one or two people are interested in taking this on board on a regular basis please contact the principal.

SD10 Strategic planning

            On Saturday January 19^th SD10’s Board of Education are holding a strategic planning day at Burton Learning Centre to which representatives of the shareholder groups across the district have been invited. During this day there will be a focus on the future and what the priorities for growth in student learning in our schools. Parents should contact the chair of PAC, Paula Shandro, if they wish to have any of their ideas passed on to the meeting. Community members can share their thoughts with the trustees, Lora-Lee Brekke and Carol Bell.

ArtStarts performance

            On Monday, January 21^st at 9am Will Stroet and his Backyard Band will perform to elementary students in the library. Award-winning children’s musician Will Stroet connects with kids through high-energy, interactive and educational music in English and French. As a former music teacher, Will knows how to write rockin’ guitar-driven songs that engage both children and adults. All parents and DL students are welcome to attend.

Safety Planning

Thank you for the thoughtful responses and comments to the initial letters sent home in December on emergency routines at Lucerne and in SD10 schools. Our staff is meeting again on Tuesday, January 8^th to continue to work on a plan that works for our school, reflects our values at Lucerne, keeps our school safe and that is in line with SD10 policy. Thank you for the understanding you have shown when the school office has asked visitors to sign in as required by existing policy.

Mid-Year Exams

            It is hard to believe that the secondary school is coming to the end of Semester 1 on January 25^th. Mid-year exams run from Wednesday 23^rd January to Friday 25^th January. All students enrolled in the courses in the exam timetable are expected to attend the examination session. If no exam is scheduled for a grade students need not attend school during that session.

This is the draft timetable; if there are any modifications students will be informed by Friday January 18^th.

And finally…

Elementary ski and snow board lessons are taking place this month on Wednesdays January 16^th, 23^rd and 30^th. Students must be prepared for spending the day in cold temperatures. In the past, we have gone ahead with lessons in -11^0C. Although parents have already completed a form for the ski hill there will be a separate SD10 field trip consent form coming home later this week that must be returned by January 15^th  please.

Dates for 2012-2013

Mon, Jan 7^th Schools Re-Open

Wed, 16^th Jan Writing class coffee house –date TBC

Wed, 23^rd Jan Mid year exams start

Fri, Feb 8th Secondary report cards go home

Fri, Feb 15^th NI Day

Fri, Feb 11^th  BC Family Day

Fri, March 15^th  Elementary report cards go home

Sat, March 16^th Spring Break starts

Tue, April 2^nd School starts again

Thu, April 18^th  Student led conferences

Fri, April 19^th NI Day

Mon, April 29th Writers Fest / Spring into Learning starts

Thu, May 9^th Spring Picnic

Fri, May 17^th NI Day

Mon, May 20^th Victoria Day

Sat, June 1^st Graduation Ceremony

Mon, June 17^th School exams start

Thu, June 20^th Provincial exams start

Thu, June 27^th Last Day of Classes