October 2011 Newsletter
Principal’s message
Keep in mind what we have learnt together throughout September as the year continues to unfold. Our secondary school students learnt about ‘Time and Change’ on the road through the Rockies into the Badlands of Alberta. Our intermediate students learnt how to be leaders who can collaborate as well as having individual thought when they were canoeing Slocan Lake. Our primary students learnt that they have a responsibility to our new Kindergarten students to include them in safe play. The new school year has started off with a really good atmosphere of learning – if a parent ever wants to volunteer and take part in this learning in their child’s class please let us know.
Doukhobor Documentary
Starting at the beginning of October and continuing through the month, Lucerne explores the Values of Doukhobor Community: Then and Now. This place-based education project involves our Grade 5/6/7 and secondary students interviewing Doukhobor elders, visiting the Doukhobor Village Museum in Castlegar, learning frameworks of historical thinking, and connecting online to share their thinking and ideas in a collaborative WordPress blog. The project integrates Social Studies, Language Arts, Media Arts, Information Technology and Personal Planning curriculum. Filmmakers Moira Simpson and William Fritzberg will mentor the Grade 8-12s as they create short documentary or animation projects from October 18-24. The following week, the filmmakers will assist the intermediate students with editing media content for their project blog. Student-created podcasts, digital stories, poetry, images and art on the blog will help students co-create meaning and build a greater understanding of the values that underlie the heritage of our Doukhobor community and their contribution to our community and Canada.
Plan to attend the public screening of the student films and digital media on Thursday, October 27th at the Bosun Hall.
Telling the Stories of the Nikkei Website Launch and Premiere Screening
October 18th – 7 pm at the Bosun Hall
Don’t miss this event! Telling the Stories of the Nikkei is finally complete and the launch of the project films on four national websites and a premiere screening of all the films takes place at the historic Bosun Hall on Tuesday, October 18th at 7 pm. Ten short and powerful films created in May 2010 by Lucerne Grade 10-12 students with mentor filmmakers, Moira Simpson and Catrina Longmuir, will be showcased. In addition, Mo Simpson’s never-before-screened “Behind the Scenes” documentary about the students making their films will be screened. A highlight of the evening is the showing of five films recording the stories of Japanese Canadian elders: Ami Mori, Nobby Hayashi, Gail Swanson, Kay Takahara, and Tsuneko Kokubo (Koko) each reveal their understanding of the internment and its impact on their lives. Falling from the Sky, Moira Simpson’s artful interview with Koko has been selected for this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival!
Telling the Stories of the Nikkei explores the internment of Japanese-Canadians in New Denver during WWII and is being applauded by audiences who have glimpsed the films as senstive, compelling and evocative. Join us in celebrating the courage of our elders to share their stories with young people, and with our teenagers’ talent and commitment to ensure that the story of the internment never happens again.
Admission is by donation and copies of DVDs will also be available at the event. All proceeds from donations and DVD sales will be donated to the New Denver Kyowakai Society to help support the Nikkei Centre. This promises to be a gala event. Please join us.
Harvest Fest
Our annual Harvest Fest this year takes place on Thursday October 6th from 9.30-12.30. Already members of the community have volunteered to come into school to lead harvest time activities with students. Elementary students will rotate through the activities that range from composting to soup making to garden clear up and to fruit picking. Secondary students will have a choice of two of these activities. Apple pressing to make juice will be on the agenda; students my bring a mug to have a glass of freshly pressed juice but containers will only be filled to store so that apple juice can be served up alongside PAC’s weekly hot soup program starting soon. We will also like to display produce directly from families’ gardens but will not be sharing baked items this year so keep them at home to enjoy with your family. Everyone is welcome to take part in this event which will take place come rain or shine.
PAC Meetings
The AGM of PAC will take place on Tuesday 4th October at 7pm. At this meeting the executive is elected. If you would like to run for the positions of Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary, please let Paula Shandro (the current Vice-Chair) know. If you are nominated or wish to self-nominate you should attend the meeting. A regular meeting will immediately follow the AGM.
Provincial Pro D Day
A reminder that there is no school for students on Friday October 21st as staff will be taking part in various provincial professional development workshops.
Chapters-Indigo Grant
This is the last year of the grant that the school received to supplement the school and class libraries. If as a parent you would like to recommend a book to your child’s home room teacher do let them know about it.
Communication with the school office
If a student is unable to attend school for the day it is the responsibility of the parent to inform the school office, not for the school secretary to phone home to make an enquiry. Parents should also let the school office know of appointments during the day so that we know who has permission to leave school. The school office phone takes voice mails so messages can be left before 8.15am.
Staffing News
Zave Reinhart has been appointed as our regular custodian. He knows our school well as a parent and as an Educational Assistant and will step into Richard James’ shoes with ease.
2011-2012 District Calendar
Tues. October 4 PAC Meeting 7 pm
Thurs. October 6 Annual Harvest Fest 9:30- 12:30
Mon. October 10 Thanksgiving
Wed. October 12 University Liaison Day
Fri. October 14 Writing Class – Banff Word Fest Trip
Tues. October 18 Telling the Stories of the Nikkei 7pm Bosun Hall
Wed. October 19 Photo Day
Fri. October 21 Provincial Pro-D
November 7-10th Work Experience Week (Grades 11-12)
Thurs. November 10 Remembrance Day Assembly
Fri. November 11 Remembrance Day
Tues. November 15 Photo Retakes
Fri. November 18 Report Cards Home
Thurs. November 24 Student Led Conferences
Thurs. December 15 Winter Fest
Dec. 19th-January 1st Schools Closed for Winter Vacation
Mon. January 2 Schools Re-Open
Fri. February 17 Okanagan Regional Pro-D Day
March 19-30th Spring Vacation
Mon. April 2 Schools Re-Open
Fri. April 6 Good Friday
Mon. April 9 Easter Monday
Fri. April 20 Local Pro-D
Mon. May 21 Victoria Day
Thurs. June 28 Last Day of Classes
Fri, June 29 Administrative Day/Schools Close for Summer Vacation
