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Cougar Canyon
Elementary School
http://cc.deltasd.bc.ca/
(604) 591-8676
DATES TO REMEMBER
Tuesday, May
12
•
•
Div. 4 – Vancouver Port
Full Release Earthquake Drill (2pm)
Wednesday,
May 13
•
Primary Author Visit (1pm)
Thursday, May
14
•
•
District Track Meet – South Delta Secondary
School
Div. 13, 14, 15 – Burnaby Village Museum (9am)
Friday, May 15
Monday, May
18
•
•
Non-Instructional Day – NO SCHOOL
Victoria Day – NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, May
19
Wednesday,
May 20
•
Div. 8 – Science of Fun @ PNE
•
•
Div. 9, 10 – Playland
Intermediate Author Visit
Thursday, May
21
•
•
•
Gr. 6 Shots
Div. 12 – Burnaby Village Museum (9am)
KN – Busy Town (9am)
Friday, May
22
•
Gymnastics at CC – gr. 1, 2, 3
Tuesday, May
26
•
•
Div. 11 – Burns Bog in Class Workshop (10:50am)
New KN Orienation (2pm)
Wednesday,
May 27
•
Cougar Tracks Assembly (2pm) – all parents
welcome
Thursday, May
28
•
•
ELL Field Trip
Parent Appreciation Lunch – all parents welcome
(12pm)
Friday, May
29
•
•
Gymnastics at CC – gr. 1, 2, 3
Carnival (5pm)
Class Placements for 2015-2016
As we plan for the 2015-16 school year, I would like to make
you aware of factors that are important in organizing classes
for next year.
STAFFING AND CLASS SIZE:
The number of staff members assigned to Cougar Canyon is
decided by the Delta School District and is based on projected
student enrolment. Enrolment estimates and class size
guidelines affect the configuration of classes. Currently, the
class size limit is 22 for Kindergarten, 24 for Grades 1-3, and
30 for Grades 4-7. Combined (split) classes are an
organizational necessity based on student numbers. If your
child is in a single grade class this year, you should expect
them to be in a combined class in September. This does not
mean that if they are currently in a combined class they
will automatically be in a straight class next year. While
combined classes are an organizational necessity, research
indicates that multi-age groupings provide very positive
learning environments for children. Studies show that children
Monday, May 11, 2015
in multi-age classes learn to become more independent,
responsible learners and develop a greater degree of social
responsibility. Achievement levels of these students are as
good as, or better than, the achievement levels of students
placed in single grade classrooms.
CRITERIA FOR STUDENT PLACEMENT:
Assigning students to particular classes is a very complex task
that takes into consideration a variety of factors, including:
learning styles and strengths, what a student is able to achieve
in relation to the goals of the curriculum, degree of
independence in work habits, social and personal needs, age and
physical maturity, previous placements, gender balance of
class, number of ESL and Special Needs students, and parental
insight. Our objective is to create balanced classes based on
gender, intellectual development, and social / emotional /
behavioural development. The professional staff is in contact
with the children in the school setting for 30 hours a week.
Therefore, the placement of students must be determined
through school-based professional evaluations. Teachers have
knowledge of the academic needs of children and therefore
can best determine where individual children should be placed.
PARENT INPUT:
As our partners, we recognize that parents have important
information that can assist with the placement of students.
Parents should advise the school of personal, educational, or
social information that could affect a child’s placement. This
information should not include a request for placement with
a particular teacher. Any requests received of this nature
will not be considered.
Leaves (maternity leaves, retirements, and lay-offs) combine
to make school staffing more complex than it has been
historically. Also, staff members may change grade levels due
to the internal staffing process. This may mean that your child
could be placed with the same teacher for a second year or
that your child could be in a combined class in two consecutive
years. Whatever the scenario, we strive to place your child in a
warm, caring environment that will maximize their learning. If
you have information about your child that you feel will assist
us in making the best possible placement for them, please
submit it in writing by May 29th to the office. Remember, in
September, when classes have been determined, requests
cannot be accommodated.
A Community of Learners
Emergency Drill – Full Release
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Cougar Canyon will be conducting an Emergency
Preparedness drill on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at
2pm. Staff and students will be engaged in our
earthquake response, beginning with the “drop,
cover and hold” procedure and followed by an
evacuation of the building. Once all of our
students and staff have cleared the building, we
will send our building assessment and search
team back to the school to assess the conditions
and search for anyone who is not accounted for.
We would also like to practice the Student
Release procedures that would be implemented
in the event of an emergency. With this in mind,
we are asking for available parents to pick up
their child for an early dismissal at 2:20pm.
Parents who are able to be involved are asked to
arrive no earlier than 2:20pm and will be
directed towards their child’s classroom teacher
for direct release on the grass field. For this
exercise we are asking that only a parent or
guardian arrive to pick up their child. For any
non-parent/guardian, ID will be required
before students are released. If you are able
to participate, please return this form to your
child’s classroom teacher. Those students who
are not released early will be dismissed at 3:00
pm from their classroom.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Reading Link Challenge
We would like to recognize all of those Grade 4
and 5 students who competed in the Reading
Link Challenge. The students had a list of 6
books to read and were quizzed with questions
challenging their comprehension skills. We held
our school challenge where the teams competed
to see who would become the Cougar Canyon
champs. Congratulations to the "Cougar Canyon
Book Lovers," Team 3, that advanced to face 19
other schools in the Delta School District
finale. Well done to all the participants!
Our Reading Link teams:
Team 1: Edward, Derek, Eldon, Jimmy, Michael, Vincent,
Taylor
Team 2: Emily, Maggie, Lexie, Janey, Ethan. Christopher,
Sarah
Team 3: Rachel, Vivian, Kate, Ellen, Delphine, Claire, Tanya
Team 4: Hannah, Davina. Selena, Grace, Catherine, Rhea
A Different School Next Year?
If you are planning changes in your family that will
mean your child(ren) are leaving Cougar Canyon,
please let us know with a phone call to the office, a
note to the teacher or an email to
fwiebe@deltasd.bc.ca . Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mr. Ashif Jiwa
Mrs. Jacquie Schierer
Principal
Vice-Principal
A Community of Learners
May 11, 2015
Cougar Canyon Newsletter
The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
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