Welcome to Tyee's Newsletter for December 5th, 2006
Newsletter # 8
Vancouver School Board Montessori Alternative Program
Telephone: (604) 713-4723 • Fax: (604) 713-4725
Website: http://tyee.vsb.bc.ca
Principal: Rosa Fazio, Secretary: Stephanie Ward
Associate Superintendent: Sonia Hutson


Educational Quote: "If you can dream it, you can do it." ~~ Walt Disney (1901 - 1966)

Message From The Principal
It has certainly been an eventful month with the water advisory and the major snow fall. Mr. Marc worked hard to create many paths for us to walk safely. Thank you. The students had a ball during lunch time and I am happy to report that there were no major injuries. The children enjoyed themselves beyond belief -- "Oh, I love winter!"; "I think the snow will last until Christmas Day!"; "Can we toboggan all day long?" -- were some of the many hopeful comments.

For those new to Tyee, one of our traditions is to invite all families and students to a Christmas sing-along the last week of school (December 18 - 22). We begin singing in the gym and join in the carolling.

Sincerely,
Rosa Fazio,
Principal



December 12th at 7:00 am
Please Note: Change in Date

Child Minding Provided for K - 6 students (Please do not send your Grade 7 child unless they are officially babysitting. This allows for better supervision of younger children as the official babysitters do not have friends to hang out with. Thank you.)

Code of Conduct
Every school has been asked to submit a Code of Conduct meeting Ministry Guidelines. Although we continue to use repect yourself, respect others and respect the environment, the newly revised code is more detailed. A copy of Tyee's Code of Conduct in pamphlet form on blue paper, is being sent home with every student today. It has been discussed in classroom and will continue to evolve as the year progresses. An opportunity to provide further feedback on the Code will be provided at the Visioning session near the end of the school year.


Pointsettias
To all those who ordered Poinsettias, thank you! Tyee made a $300 profit. Pointsettias were delivered today. If you have yet to pick up your pointsettias, pass by the Resource Room soon.


Snow Advisory
Information regarding school closures in the event of snow, or other emergency situations, will be provided to the following radio and television stations by 6:00 am on the morning of the closure: CKNW (980 AM), CKXW (NEWS 1130 AM) CBC Radio (690 AM, 105.7 FM), FAIRCHILD Radio (CJVB AM 1470/CHKG FM 96.1), BCTV/Global (cable channel 11), and CITY TV (cable channel 13). School closure information is also available online at the Vancouver School Board webpage.
Click here.


Grade 7 Play
by Jessica, Division 1
During the past years at Tyee Elementary, Division 1 has performed many different plays, for example, in the past years, grads have performed A Mid Summers Nights Dream, and Charlotte's Web. This year Division One will be performing A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.
The play will be performed three times, on December 19th (2:00 pm), on the 20th (7:00 pm) and on the 21st (2:00 pm) in the grade seven class, across the hall from the library. The 7:00 pm evening performance on December 20th is for family members of those in the play. Others are wecome at the 2:00 pm dress rehersal on Dec. 19th or the 2:00 pm performance on Dec. 21st.


Happy Helpers
by Aidan, Akash and Niall, Division 3
We have decided to begin this club called Happy Helpers. We are a group of Grade 5 students who help younger students feel happier on Mondays at lunch. When we are outside helping we wear red pinnies. When we are inside helping kids (helping play board games, reading or holding the doors open in the morning) we wear yellow pinnies. We will also be helping teachers all through the week. If you are sad, come and see us. If you don't come we'll come to you.

Thank You For Your Sock Donations
On behalf of the Health Contact Centre's manager, Linda Lane, our staff, the Downtown Eastside clients, and myself, the Program Coordinator at the Health Contact Centre: I would like to extend this letter of appreciation to the entire class body at Tyee Elementary School. You have all made a huge impact in the lives of the homeless people of the Downtown Eastside.
Dry warm feet are a must as the wet winter weather arrives in Vancouver.
Nowhere is this need greater than in the Downtown Eastside where many people have serious foot problems that are often prevented by wearing a clean pair of dry socks.
In this community, the homeless and those living without access to basic amenities find it difficult to care for foot infections caused by earing ill-fitting shoes, no socks and walking for miles each day as a means of transportation. These factors when combined with a disease such as diabetes, prevalent in this neighbourhood, create serious health problems.
The students at Tyee have made an impact in the lives of more than 500 homeless men and women. Thank you for all of your hard work. It is much appreciated.

Sincerely,
Kerry Oxendale,
Program Coordinator,
Health Contact Centre


Community News
SnowPass
If you are in grade 5 or 10 years old (born in 1996), you and your grade 5 frineds can ski and ride for free this tear with a SnowPass. Check out www.snowpass.ca

Haiku Contest
Vancouver's spectacular cherry blossom trees are inspiring an international haiku competition that drew more than 1,000 submissions for its debut last year. Haiku is a form of plain-speaking poetry that captures an experience of image in three lines and 17 or fewer syllables. Should you wish to enter this contest, visit www.vcbf.ca for more information. The deadline for haiku submissions is January 11.

Trout Lake Skating Times


Montessori Feature: Answers to Questions Parents Often Ask
Authors: Seldin, T. and Epstein, P. (2006) The Montessori Way
What Do Montessori Schools Mean by the Term "Normalization"?
"Normalization" is a Montessori term that describes the process that takes place in Montessori classrooms around the world, in which young children, who typically have a short attention span, learn to focus their intelligence, concentrate their energies for long periods of time, and take tremendous satisfaction from their work. In his book, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, E.M. Standing described the following characteristics of normalization in the child between the ages of three and six:
  • A love of order;
  • A love of work;
  • Profound spontaneous concentration;
  • Attachment to reality;
  • Love of silence and of working alone;
  • Sublimation of the possessive instict;
  • Obedience;
  • Independence and initiative;
  • Spontaneous self-discipline;
  • Joy;
  • The power to act from real choice and not just from idle curiosity


Copyright ©2006 Tyee Elementary School
Last Updated: December 05, 2006