Lord Beaconsfield Evening of the Bands

This year Beaconsfield Elementary hosted the Evening of the Bands, a collaborative music concert featuring talent from over half a dozen schools and instructors from Capilano University. The evening featured special lessons from music tutors and band practice with students from all schools.

Jules Quesnel Peer Reading Program

Jules Quesnel’s reading program is a very effective way of teaching younger and struggling students reading skills using peer mentoring.

 

Making the Jump from Grade 7 to Grade 8

Going from elementary to secondary school can be intimidating, but also exciting. During a recent visit to Jules Quesnel, one of our French immersion elementary schools, I got a chance to talk to some very articulate Grade 7 students about their coming transition into secondary school.

 

Math and Pennies at Hudson Elementary

During a visit to Hudson Elementary I got a lesson by students on how to use pennies to solve math problems.

Grenfell Elementary’s School Song

During a visit to Grenfell Elementary I got to witness the inaugural singing of the brand new school song. It has got quite a catchy tune.

VSB’s New RSA Video on Secondary Registration

We’ve been working on a number of short videos here at the VSB to explain our registration processes. In my experience, visual/video explanations are often much easier for some families to understand than thick, text-heavy web pages. A few months ago, we developed an RSA video about Kindergarten registration. It has been a big hit with our parent community and is getting rave reviews from many of our elementary school staff. Our newest video just recently released explains, in a fun and visual way, how to prepare for your student’s transition from elementary to secondary school. Watch the video and let us know what you think!

 

Reading Recovery Makes a Big Difference

I visited a reading recovery room during my tour of Hudson Elementary and learned about how we can effectively identify learners having trouble reading early on. It’s a fantastic program.

Bruce Students Showcase Musical (and Dragon Dance) Skills

This was a great visit at Graham D. Bruce Elementary. During my time in the school, I got to watch students display their emerging talents in the arts as well as a memorable Lunar New Year Dragon Dance.

 

Message on Job Action

Here’s a brief message to all parents about the escalation of job action.

 

(Plastic) Bugs at Southlands Elementary

Last month, I had a fun visit with several classes at Southlands Elementary. One of the highlights was my stop at Southlands’ kindergarten classroom, where I learned all about (plastic) bugs from a very enthusiastic young student.