School Newsletters

Dear Families

Earlier this month all our Intermediate students represented Jamieson in the CBC 2024 Music Class Challenge. For the first time since 2003-2004 all the Jamieson strings students were playing the same song in the same room! Our Challenge entry is online now. https://youtu.be/eZEgk7dKNHo?si=BYIuajwBvDmqeBbB We will find out if we made the top 10 or not in around 2 weeks. We are very proud of our students for their hard work, application and perseverance. We are thankful to Mr. Colpitts for his work in organizing this opportunity and experience for our students.

Schools are busy places- there is always something happening. The Vancouver School District gardeners visited and planted daffodil bulbs with some of our classes this morning and as I write this email our PAC and Grade Seven students are getting the gym set up for Movie Night. Just an hour ago our Senior Girls volleyball teams were using the gym to compete against two local elementary schools in their last games before the City Championships while the after school S.T.E.A.M. program lead by our Team Dragon Destination Imagination students and the Mandarin Mingle programs were just down the hallway. Later in the newsletter, I have included some photos of learning that
happened today in school.

As we move into December, we look forward to welcoming you into the school for celebrations. Please join us at the Primary singalong Holiday concert on Thursday 12th December at 11:00am and for the Strings concerts on the 17th and 18th December.

Regards,
Cathy Thomas
Principal

Upcoming Dates

• Thursday 12 December – Winter Singalong Holiday Concert- 11:00- 12:00- Primary (grades K-3) parents welcome
• Tuesday 17th December – 7pm- 8pm- Strings Concert- Divisions 6-10
• Wednesday 18th December – 7pm- 8pm- Strings Concert- Divisions 1-5
• Friday 20th December – Last Day of school
• Monday 6th January 2025 – First Day Back to School
• Wednesday 15th January 2025 – Professional Development Day- no school for student

Lost and (Not Yet) Found

Be sure to check out the Lost and Found items by the gym in the next couple of weeks. There are winter jackets, sweaters, shoes, hats, lunch kits and water bottles. If your child has lost anything this term it will probably be there! Anything unclaimed by Winter break will be donated to local charities. When clothing is labeled with student names, it is returned to its owner within a couple of days.

Hardship Policy

The Board of Education is committed to ensuring that no school-age student will be denied an opportunity to participate in a course, class or program because of an inability to pay fees. Parents and guardians unable to pay some or all school fees and costs for school time programs, are invited to speak to their child’s teacher, school counsellor, and/or the school Principal.

WINTER IS COMING!
Follow VSB on social media to stay updated about school closures due to severe weather. During extreme weather conditions (heavy snowfall, extreme cold, freezing rain, extreme heat, etc.) VSB schools will remain open if possible. If a District-wide closure is necessary, it will be announced by 6:30 a.m.

Stay updated:
Facebook: Vancouver School Board
Instagram: @vsb39
X: @VSB39
VSB website: vsb.bc.ca

Kindergarten Registration

Priority Kindergarten Registration Nov 1 -Jan 31. Apply ONLINE at govsb.ca/kindergarten

Spare Clothes

Now that the weather has changed and it is wet outside, a lot of students are calling home for a change of clothes after slipping on the grass or playing in puddles while playing outside. All students should keep a spare pair of socks and pants to change into just in case………………..

SAFE ARRIVAL & STUDENT SIGN IN/OUT PROCEDURE

The Vancouver School Board has a safe arrival protocol district wide. If your child will be absent or late from school, please phone the school to report this absence as early as possible. Parents should leave a message on the dedicated answering service by calling 604-
713-5367 and when prompted enter school code 1, prior to 9 am on the first day of the absence. Upon calling the Safe Arrival/Absence reporting phone line, you will be asked to leave a message and will require the following information:

• First & last name of your child (please spell the last name)
• Grade
• Division
• Reason for Absence
• Date & length of absence

Late students:
If your child is late to school (arriving past 9am), they will need to be signed in on the student sign-in sheets on the table located near the cupboard of trophies.

Student Sign-Out Procedure:
When you pick up your child during the school day, please visit or call the office upon arrival at the school. The office staff will then ask you to complete the student sign out sheet. If your child returns throughout the day, please follow the same procedure to sign them back in.

LUNCHES AND UTENSILS

We kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring that your child’s lunch is packed in their backpack before school.

If you plan to drop off lunch for your child, we request that you communicate this with them beforehand. Please label the lunch with your child’s name and division and leave it on the bench across from the office. Additionally, we encourage the use of eco-friendly utensils with the lunches. Please ensure your child has the utensils that they need to eat their lunch. We have a very limited supply at school that has run out recently.

Thank you for your consideration on this matter.

ROAD SAFETY

PLEASE BE A SAFE DRIVER AND FOLLOW THE CITY BYLAWS FOR PARKING AND STOPPING IN THE STREET- KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE.

Please do not walk through the staff parking lot. It is unsafe and can be busy at certain times of the day.

Jamieson 2024/2025 September PAC Newsletter

Thank you for the parents that joined at last week’s PAC General Meeting. Some high-lights for those that missed it:

1. PAC has been bringing back (some) Jamieson Events & we can’t do it without the parent volunteers stepping up.
   • 1st Movie Night – Nov 28th, 2024 (there will be another one in the spring!)
   • Gift Card Fundraising! – Order By Dec 2nd, 2024 
   • Carnival – May 14th, 2025 
   • There are still many things that Jamieson used to do each year such as Thanksgiving Soup, Winter Socials, Annual VSO trips, and more…
2. This year – we asked teachers for a Wish List! These are completely optional-nice to have for teachers. If you would like to learn more, or donate to one of these wish list items, you can find the list at https://jamiesonpac.com/fundraising-campaigns/
3. Fundraising Successes
   • Apples Fundraiser raised $972!!
   • Domino’s Discount Code “ABJE” raised $561.28 in Sept + Oct!!
   • Gift Cards are in-progress but expecting over $2,200 so far!!

Discounts!! – Thanks to our Hot Lunch partnership with Kerrisdale White Spot. All students and staff will be getting a 15% Discount Card that can be used at the Kerrisdale White Spot location!!! If you combine this with the 18-20% back to the school by buying a White Spot Giftcard from the Fundraiser… you can save 15% AND get 18-20% back to the PAC! Discount Cards are expected on Monday Dec 2nd, 2024 – so look out in your child’s backpacks for these cards next week!!! If you ordered White Spot Hot Lunch for Monday Dec 2nd, 2024, there should also be an additional coupon for you!

Gift Card Fundraiser – If you can’t find the right present for the holidays during Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, or want to use the Gift Cards for yourself while having some $ go back to the school – Gift Cards may be what you’re looking for! Reminder to order Gift Cards by Dec 2nd, 2024 @ 11:59 PM. Payments by Dec 4th, 2024. https://jamiesonpac.com/gift-card-fundraiser/

Next PAC Meeting will be Wednesday Jan 22, 2025 @ 7:00PM. Virtual Only.

Dear Families

November is well underway already! Our Spirit Team organized a fun Halloween parade and dance last week which was enjoyed by all, and our Junior and Senior Girls volleyball have started with winning seasons. Our Remembrance Day assembly this morning was led by Kate, Audrey and Bijoy our Grade 7 student assembly leaders. Some students from Division Seven opened the assembly by drumming to the Coast Salish anthem and Jasper from Division Five played O Canada on the piano. We listened to Divisions 8, 9 and 10 sing “Song in my Heart,” Divisions 16,17 and 18 sang “Just One Candle,” and Divisions 13, 14, and 15 sang “Take one Minute.” Divisions 13 and 14 recited the poem In Flanders Fields. A sample of the poetry read by some students in Division Two is in the next section of the newsletter. There was also a dance performance by Justina with piano accompaniment by Bowen who also played a solo piece on the piano. In honour of November 8th being National Indigenous Veterans Day, Lizzy read “The Drum beat steady,” by an anonymous Indigenous author. I was incredibly proud of how respectful our students were on this solemn occasion. They listened and watched the performances in silence and stood perfectly for one minute of silent reflection. There will be no school on Monday as it is Remembrance Day.

Lest we Forget.
Regards,
Cathy Thomas
Principal

Upcoming dates
* Friday 20th December- Last Day of school
* Monday 11th November- NO SCHOOL- Remembrance Day
* Wednesday 20th November- PAC Meeting – online
* Friday 22nd November- NO SCHOOL for students Professional Development
* Thursday 28th November- PAC Movie night- 5:45pm
* Thursday 12 December- Winter Singalong Holiday Concert- 11:00- 12:00- Primary (grades K-3) parents welcome
* Tuesday 17th December- 7pm- 8pm- Strings Concert- Divisions 6-10
* Wednesday 18th December- 7pm- 8pm- Strings Concert- Divisions 1-5

After school S.T.E.A.M. workshops at Jamieson available for Grades 1 to 3!
Team Dragon from Destination Imagination will be hosting.
Location: Room 123
Dates: Nov 27, Nov 28, Dec 4 and Dec 5
Time: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: $15 / workshop
Come learn how to code, make a kite, make slime, and build melty beads structures with Team Dragon. Spots are limited so register quickly!
➡️Registration link: https://forms.gle/fFy1J3KwE1Ss9aY98

Hardship Policy
The Board of Education is committed to ensuring that no school-age student will be denied an opportunity to participate in a course, class or program because of an inability to pay fees. Parents and guardians unable to pay some or all school fees and costs for school time programs, are invited to speak to their child’s teacher, school counsellor, and/or the school Principal.

Kindergarten Registration
Priority Kindergarten Registration Nov 1 – Jan 31 – APPLY ONLINE: govsb.ca/kindergarten

Spare Clothes
Now that the weather has changed and it is wet outside, a lot of students are calling home for a change of clothes after slipping on the grass or playing in puddles while playing outside. All students should keep a spare pair of socks and pants to change into just in case………………..

Safe Arrival & Student Sign In/Out Procedure

The Vancouver School Board has a safe arrival protocol district wide. If your child will be absent or late from school, please phone the school to report this absence as early as possible. Parents should leave a message on the dedicated answering service by calling 604-713-5367 and when prompted enter school code 1, prior to 9 am on the first day of the absence. Upon calling the Safe Arrival/Absence reporting phone line, you will be asked to leave a message and will require the following information:

• First & last name of your child (please spell the last name)
• Grade
• Division
• Reason for absence
• Date & length of absence

Late students:
If your child is late to school (arriving past 9am), they will need to be signed in on the student sign-in sheets on the table located near the cupboard of trophies.

Student Sign-Out Procedure:
When you pick up your child during the school day, please visit or call the office upon arrival at the school. The office staff will then ask you to complete the student sign out sheet. If your child returns throughout the day, please follow the same procedure to sign them back in.

Lunches and Utensils

We kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring that your child’s lunch is packed in their backpack before school.
If you plan to drop off lunch for your child, we request that you communicate this with them beforehand. Please label the lunch with your child’s name and division and leave it on the bench across from the office. Additionally, we encourage the use of eco-friendly utensils with the lunches. Please ensure your child has the utensils that they need to eat their lunch. We have a very limited supply at school that has run out recently.

Thank you for your consideration on this matter

Road Safety

On Wednesday, our grade six and seven safety patrol student leaders received training from the Vancouver Police Department Road Safety program. In the next couple of weeks, they will start their safety patrol shifts and will be outside before and after school, ensuring students cross the road safely at Tisdall and 48th Street.

PLEASE BE A SAFE DRIVER AND FOLLOW THE CITY BYLAWS FOR PARKING AND STOPPING IN THE STREET- KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE.

Please do not walk through the staff parking lot. It is unsafe and can be busy at certain times of the day

Free Kick Soccer Program
Due to popular demand, there will be an additional program offered for students in Grades 4-7 from 4:15- 5:15. There are a few spaces left in the grade K-4 session from 3:15pm- 4:15pm.
USE THE CODE 10CREDIT for a $10 discount at registration.
REGISTER HERE LIMITED SPACE
$135 (Includes Timbits Uniform, Soccer Ball, Socks & Medal)
WEDNESDAYS
Jamieson Elementary School
Nov 13th – Dec 11th
3:15 – 4:15pm: students go straight to the gym at the end of school
Boys & Girls Grades K – 4
4:15pm- 5:15pm- Grades 4-7
www.FreeKickFC.com

Jamieson 2024/2025 November PAC Newsletter
A HUGE thank you for all the parents – whether you are volunteering for Field Trips or Hot Lunch/Snack Shop, or behind the scenes making sure specific classes/activities have the help they need. PAC is looking to bring back more community events such as more Family Movie Nights and a Spring Carnival (May 14th, 2025!). Jamieson hasn’t had a Spring Carnival in several years – so if you have ideas and want to help out please email us at info@jamiesonpac.com

Jamieson Family Movie night is BACK featuring “Elemental”! – Nov 28th, 2024 @ 5:45 PM at the
Jamieson School Gym!
Admission is FREE but limited to 220 tickets (max 4 tickets/family) due to occupancy limits.
Get your tickets on Nov 7th and Nov 8th after school!
Grade 7’s will also be selling pizza/chicken bites via School Cash Online for dinner!

Holiday Gift Cards are also returning to Jamieson after many many years! Not sure what to get someone for a Christmas present? Couldn’t find a perfect gift during Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals? Or maybe using gift cards for regular day to day purchase? Gift Cards purchased will give a % back to support the school! (ex. White Spot gives 15-20% back to the school!)
➡️ Order ONLINE at: https://jamiesonpac.com/gift-card-fundraiser/
Order closes at the end of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales on Dec 2nd, 2024 @ 11:59PM – incase you weren’t able to find the perfect gift during the sales!

Deals: We have added some more deals to help Jamieson families save money! Remember to check out the Dominos discount and Pedalheads discounts! (PAC also gets money back! – so parents save $ and $ goes back to the school!)

School newsletters are also posted on https://jamiesonpac.com/school-newsletters/ with translations available in most of the languages spoken at school. This is best effort to translate School Newsletter to help parents stay informed, especially for those without an easy access to a translator. Translations are not 100% correct. Please check w ith the school for any questions/clarifications.
As always, please reach out directly or at info@jamiesonpac.com if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns for the PAC!

Good morning Families

It has been wonderful to see so many of you in school this week for our goal- setting conferences. We value the positive relationships that we have with families- they are important factors in your child’s success at school.

Halloween

Next Thursday will be Halloween. Our school Spirit Team is organizing a parade and dance. We have a range of ages and diverse cultures in our school, so, to ensure that everyone has a good time please remember as you plan Halloween costumes that people’s cultural identity is not a costume. Some questions that can help deciding whether a costume is appropriate or not include:

• Is my costume based upon someone’s race, ethnicity, or culture?
• Am I reinforcing stereotypes with the image that I am portraying?
• Is my costume exploiting another culture?

We also ask that toy weapons do not come into school as part of a costume and that costumes are not too scary for our youngest students to see- we do not want them to be frightened in school.

Free Kick indoor after-school soccer program

Please see the attached flyer for an after-school soccer program.

REGISTER HERE LIMITED SPACE

$135 (Includes Timbits Uniform, Soccer Ball, Socks & Medal)

$125 Early Bird before October 30th

WEDNESDAYS

Jamieson Elementary School

Nov 13th – Dec 11th 

3:15 – 4:15pm:  students go straight to the gym at the end of school

Boys & Girls Grades K – 4

www.FreeKickFC.com

Lost and Found

There are a lot of items in the Lost and Found trolley next to the activity room. If your child has lost something- jackets, water bottles, sweaters, boots etc. please ask them to check. Lost and Found will be on a table in the hallway by the office during conferences. When items are labelled with a name, they are returned to the owner quickly.

Remember that there will be no school tomorrow, Friday 25^th October, as it is a Professional Development Day for staff.

Regards,

Cathy Thomas

Principal

Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary School

Upcoming dates

• TODAY- Thursday 24^th October– Goal Setting conferences- Early Dismissal- 2pm
• TOMORROW- Friday 25^th October– NO SCHOOL for students Professional Development
• Monday 4^th November– Photo retake Day
• Monday 11^th November- NO SCHOOL- Remembrance Day
• Wednesday 20th November– PAC Meeting – online
• Friday 22^nd November– NO SCHOOL for students Professional Development

Dear Families

I hope that you enjoyed Thanksgiving last weekend. Even though it has been a short week, it has been busy! In addition to a lot of learning, we have had successful fire and earthquake drills, the Junior Girls Soccer team played their final matches of the season, our cross- country team had their final mini- meet before the District meet next week, volleyball training has started and our grade six and seven students have been cycling safely around the neighbourhood with the HUB cycling program.

Goal- setting conferences
This is a reminder that next Wednesday 23^rd October and Thursday 24^th October, students will be dismissed at 2:00pm for our goal- setting conferences. We value the opportunity to meet with you, so, if you are unable to meet with your child’s teacher next week, please ask your child’s teacher for a meeting on another day.

There will be a snack shop at the front playground on Wednesday and Thursday at 2pm, run by the parents of students in the Team Dragon Destination Imagination team. They are raising funds towards the cost of attending the Destination Imagination Global finals in Kansas City next May. Please see the flyer attached to this email.

Lost and Found
There are a lot of items in the Lost and Found trolley next to the activity room. If your child has lost something- jackets, water bottles, sweaters, boots etc. please ask them to check. Lost and Found will be on a table in the hallway by the office during conferences. When items are labelled with a name, they are returned to the owner quickly.

Sickness
We are now entering the cold and flu season. If you are unsure about whether to send your child to school, here is a useful resource from Vancouver Coastal Health. When should I keep my sick child home from school? | Vancouver Coastal Health (vch.ca) Key information includes:
– Things to consider if your child feels unwell:
– The wellbeing of your child. Without proper rest, a child may have a hard time fighting an illness or be at risk for other illnesses.
– The ability of your child to actively take part and learn at school.
– The school staff cannot care for a sick child and give them the support that they may need.
– The protection of other children.

Please keep your child home if they:
– Have a fever.
– Are too sick to take part in all normal school activities.
– Have a suspected or known communicable disease (i.e. strep throat, chicken pox, measles).
– Are vomiting or has diarrhea. It is recommended that students be symptom free at least 24 hours before returning to school.

Keep your child home until they are able to participate fully in normal school activities or as told by a health care provider.

Absence
If your child will be absent or late from school, please phone the school to report this absence as early as possible. Parents should leave a message on the dedicated answering service by calling 604-713-5367 and when prompted enter school code 1, prior to 9 am on the first day of absence.

Upon calling the Safe Arrival/Absence reporting phone line, you will be asked to leave a message and will require the following information:
– First & last name of your child (please spell the last name)
– Grade
– Division
– Reason for absence
– Date & length of absence

Finally, there will be no school next Friday 25^th October as it is a Professional Development Day for staff.

Stay dry this weekend.
Regards,
Cathy Thomas
Principal
Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary School

Upcoming dates
Wednesday 23^rd October– Goal Setting conferences- Early Dismissal- 2pm
Thursday 24^th October– Goal Setting conferences- Early Dismissal- 2pm
Friday 25^th October– NO SCHOOL for students Professional Development
Monday 4^th November– Photo retake Day
Monday 11^th November- NO SCHOOL- Remembrance Day
Wednesday 20th November– PAC Meeting – online
Friday 22^nd November– NO SCHOOL for students Professional Development

Dear Families

What a beautiful Fall morning it is today.

This email has a few updates for families about activities happening in the school over the next couple of weeks and some requests for how to keep our community safe.

Terry Fox

Thank you very much for your generous support of our Terry Fox fundraising. We have raised over $1400 online Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary – Vancouver, BC | Terry Fox School Run and have some cash donations to add as well- more than our goal! The students enjoyed our Terry Fox assembly and warm up lead by our grade seven students before their run.

Safety Patrol

Our Safety Patrol students have now been trained and are starting their first shifts at the crossing in front of the school. As we have been working with them, we have witnessed many unsafe and dangerous driving practices during pick up and drop off times. Parents who walk their children to school are also raising their concerns about the safety of their children at the front of the school on Tisdall Street.

Please observe parking restrictions- they are in place for a reason. Stopping on the crossing to let your children out, double parking and parking on the corner of 48^th and Tisdall blocks traffic flow and creates an unsafe and dangerous situation for everyone using the road including your child.  

Thank you for playing your part in helping to make access to our school safer for the whole community.

Video and photos

Staff frequesntly have to ask family members not to take photographs or videos of children at recess and lunch and as they are starting and finishing their day. We appreciate your understanding about why it is important to not film children and staff during school hours. We have no control about how this media is shared and there will always be other children and adults in the recordings who do not give you permission to film them. We will continue to ask you to stop taking photographs and filming as this is a safety issue.

Fire Drill

This Friday at 2pm we will have our second fire drill of the year. We will let students know ahead of time so that they are prepared to follow the instructions of the adults working with them and are able to know the evacuation plan from the room that they are in at the time. This will be the first fire drill for our Kindergarten students. Their teachers will be preparing them for the drill, but we ask that families also prepare our younger students for the drill as well.

Earthquake Drill

Along with all schools in Vancouver, we will be participating in an earthquake drill at 10:20am on Thursday 17^th October. We will be remaining inside the school and practicing the Drop, Cover, Hold procedure. This is a good time to make sure that the school has up to date information for who is allowed to collect your child from school if the school must be evacuated. We will never release your child to someone who is not on the list provided by parents. You can send an email to jamieson@vsb.bc.ca to update any information about your child.

If you missed Photo Day on Monday, retakes are scheduled for Monday 4^th November.

On behalf of the staff at Jamieson, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you enjoy the weekend.

Regards,

Cathy Thomas

Principal

Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary School

Upcoming dates

• Friday 11 October– Fire Drill 2pm
• Monday 14^th October– NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving
• Thursday 17^th October– Earthquake Drill- 10:20am (Drop, Cover, Hold)
• Wednesday 23^rd October– Goal Setting conferences- Early Dismissal- 2pm
• Thursday 24^th October– Goal Setting conferences- Early Dismissal- 2pm
• Friday 25^th October– NO SCHOOL for students Professional Development
• Monday 4^th November– Photo retake Day
• Monday 11^th November– NO SCHOOL- Remembrance Day
• Wednesday 20th November– PAC Meeting – online
• Friday 22^nd November– NO SCHOOL for students Professional Development

Dear Families

I can’t believe that we are already at the start of October. September was a busy month with everyone settling into the routines of new classes and making new friends. It was wonderful to see so many of you at our Meet the Teacher night and we are looking forward to seeing you again later this month for our goal- setting conferences on Wednesday 23rd October and Thursday 24th October (early dismissal on both days at 2pm). We have Junior Girls soccer and cross-country teams representing our school and volleyball practices started this week.

On Friday, we acknowledged Orange Shirt Day with an assembly. We focused on the meaning of Reconciliation, talked about acts of Reconciliation that we can undertake and watched this video What is Reconciliation? CBC Kids We also shared a Reconciliation Blanket designed by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist educator and master weaver, Debra Sparrow. Debra Sparrow has gifted every school in the Vancouver School District with a beautifully woven blanket as part of a legacy project- Blanketing the city of Vancouver and Blanketing the school district with her weavings. The blanket is on display in the case near the library.

Thank you to the PAC at the end of last year, for purchasing 30 laptops for our Intermediate students and for approving the purchase of an iPad cart and 30 iPads for the Library and Primary classes. We are also thankful for the money given to each class to subsidise field trips and for class funds. We appreciate the support of PAC- for their fundraising, organizing community building opportunities and support of the whole school community. For more information about the role of PAC in the school, please use this link Parent Advisory Councils (PAC) (vsb.bc.ca)

Regards,

Principal

Terry Fox Run on Friday 4th October

We are excited to inform you that the Terry Fox Run will take place this Friday, October 4th at 2pm, rain or shine!
Come and run, walk and/or cheer on the students.

• Our Kindergarten students will be running in the centre of the grass field in Tisdall Park.
• Students in grades 1-3 will run around the path of Tisdall Park
• Intermediate students, grades 4-7, will be running south from the front of the school on Tisdall Street, east
  along 49th Avenue, north on Ash Street and west across the park back to Tisdall Street.
  If you would like to make a direct donation to the Terry Fox Foundation, please go to: https://schools.terryfox.ca/78751

Photo Day – Monday 7th October

Hardship Policy

The Board of Education is committed to ensuring that no school-age student will be denied an opportunity to participate in a course, class or program because of an inability to pay fees. Parents and guardians unable to pay some or all school fees and costs for school time programs, are invited to speak to their child’s teacher, school counsellor, and/or the school Principal.

Lego Donation Request

We have a number of students who love to use lego. If you have any gently used lego blocks that could be donated to our school, it would be very much appreciated.

Safe Arrival & Student Sign In/Out Procedure

The Vancouver School Board has a safe arrival protocol district wide. If your child will be absent or late from school, please phone the school to report this absence as early as possible. Parents should leave a message on the dedicated answering service by calling 604-713-5367 and when prompted enter school code 1, prior to 9 am on the first day of the absence. Upon calling the Safe Arrival/Absence reporting phone line, you will be asked to leave a message and will require the following information:

• First & last name of your child (please spell the last name)
• Grade
• Division
• Reason for absence
• Date & length of absence

Late students:
If your child is late to school (arriving past 9am), they will need to be signed in on the student sign-in sheets on the table located near the cupboard of trophies.

Student Sign-Out Procedure:
When you pick up your child during the school day, please visit or call the office upon arrival at the school. The office staff will then ask you to complete the student sign out sheet. If your child returns throughout the day, please follow the same procedure to sign them back in.

Lunches and Utensils

We kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring that your child’s lunch is packed in their backpack before school.
If you plan to drop off lunch for your child, we request that you communicate this with them beforehand. Please label the lunch with your child’s name and division and leave it on the bench across from the office. Additionally, we encourage the use of eco-friendly utensils with the lunches. Please ensure your child has the utensils that they need to eat their lunch. We have a very limited supply at school that has run out recently.

Thank you for your consideration on this matter

Road Safety

On Wednesday, our grade six and seven safety patrol student leaders received training from the Vancouver Police Department Road Safety program. In the next couple of weeks, they will start their safety patrol shifts and will be outside before and after school, ensuring students cross the road safely at Tisdall and 48th Street.

PLEASE BE A SAFE DRIVER AND FOLLOW THE CITY BYLAWS FOR PARKING AND STOPPING IN THE STREET- KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE.

Please do not walk through the staff parking lot. It is unsafe and can be busy at certain times of the day

Voluntary Student Accident Insurance Plan

The VSB is offering parents access to two voluntary student accident plans which offer coverage for students and their families against accidental injury, unexpected medical/dental expenses and critical illness. The two companies that are offering this product are the IA Family Accident Reimbursement Plan (FARP) and Study Insured.

Families can register online to purchase and participate in either of these plans by using the URL’s provided below;

https://www.solutionsinsurance.com/aonbc
www.studyinsuredstudentaccident.com

Vancouver Public Library Programs

We have over three hundred Programs for K – 7 kids from now until winter break, and many of those programs have a STEM focus. We are also thrilled to have the popular Reading Buddies and STEAM Buddies programs back for another season and registration for both big and little buddies is filling up fast.

We also have a variety of Book and Writing Clubs online for those kids who cannot get to a branch after school!
Attached please find the brochure of the children’s programs available at Oakridge branch this fall.

Equal Play Soccer Program

The Equal Play soccer program started at school this week and will run each Wednesday lunchtime until the end of the Winter Break. This free lunchtime program is open to girls in grades 3-7. It is run by Carrie Serwetnyk, a former Hall of Fame Canadian national team member and USSF A National License Coach. The goal of the program is, “to encourage positive change for girls on and off the field.”

Information about the program is available here: EqualPlayFC

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As we move forward in the school year, I want to remind you of some important tasks that need your attention:

1. Student Verification and Reunifcations forms:  These were due Thursday, September 19th.  If they have not been returned, please ensure your child brings them to their classroom teacher by Monday, September 23rd.

2. School Fees – Please visit School Cash Online at  https://vsb.schoolcashonline.com to make payments for School Fees as soon as possible.  

3.  MyForms – Please visit htps://myforms.vsb.bc.ca and login with your child’s PEN (Person Education Number) and date of birth to complete all the forms.  Completing these are forms is crucial, as they include important documents related to consent and revocation.  Not completing them may prevent your child from participating in school activities, such as walks around the park, to the library and the upcoming Terry Fox Run on September 27. 

Please take the time to complete tasks. Thank you for your prompt attention to these matters. 

If you have completed these tasks, please ignore this message.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Your child was sent home today with important documents.  Please carefully review and complete the documents, sign, and date the necessary forms, pay any necessary fees and return the documents to your child’s teacher by Thursday, September 19^th.

1. Student Information Verification – This form contains all the information we have on file for your son/daughter, including the name of your child’s new teacher and homeroom (division).  Please review the form carefully and make any necessary changes in ink, sign, and date the last page of the form.

2. Emergency Student Reunification Form – Please fill in the necessary information. If the person picking up is not listed on the form, they will not be able to take your child.

• Only one form is needed PER FAMILY and have your eldest child (attending Jamison) return it to their classroom teacher.

3. School Cash Online – Please visit School on Cash at  https://vsb.schoolcashonline.com with your child’s Pupil Number (found on top of their Verification form) to make payments for School Fees, Performance Fee, String Fees, Jump Math Workbooks, etc.  If you do not have an account, please see the above attachment on how to register.  

4. MyForms – Please visit htps://myforms.vsb.bc.ca and login with your child’s PEN (Person Education Number) and date of birth to complete all the forms by Thursday, September 19th. 

• If you would like the forms translated, you can have them translated by clicking “Select language” on the top right corner.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.  If you have any questions, please contact the school office at 604-713-5367.

Dear Families

Next Thursday 19^th September, will be Meet the Teacher night. This will be an opportunity for families to go to their child’s classroom (grades 1-7), to learn about the teaching program and teacher expectations for this school year.

There will be two sessions, so that families with children in more than one class can attend each teacher’s talk. The first session will be from 6:00pm to 6:20pm and the second session will be from 6:30pm to 6:50pm. Students are expected to be dropped off in the gym from 5:50pm onwards and not to attend the parent meetings. They are welcome to bring a quiet activity to do in the gym with friends e.g. a favorite board game, cards etc. and they will be supervised by staff.

A message from Destination Imagination Team Dragon parents for pizza fundraiser

Dear Jamieson families, 
Jamieson’s Team Dragon is aiming to compete at Destination Imagination’s (DI) Global Finals, taking place in Kansas City in May 2025. 
You can help the team’s fundraising efforts by pre-ordering pizza slices that will be served at “Meet the Teacher” night on Thursday, September 19th.

Pizza options: cheese or pepperoni
Cost: $3 per slice

How to pre-order: 
– Order and pay through SchoolCash Online (available later today)
– If you have multiple children attending the school, place your order with the oldest sibling for easier delivery.
– Parents and guardians are welcome to orders along with their child(ren).
– Deadline to place an order is Tuesday, September 17th.

How to pick up:
– Pizza will be served from 4:45-5:15 on Thursday September 19th, behind the school in the undercover area.
– Lines will be organized by division number.

* Pizza slices must be ordered in advance, as we will not be selling them onsite.

If you have questions about this pizza fundraiser, please email di.dragons25@gmail.com

Thank you for your support,
Team Dragon

PAC news

Please see the attached flyers with information from PAC about the hot lunch program which is now open for ordering and an Apple fundraiser. Please be sure to send your child to school with cutlery as the vendors do not provide it.

PAC meeting- next Wednesday 18^th September, 7:00pm  in the library. See the PAC website for further information https://jamiesonpac.com

We look forward to seeing you at school next Thursday evening.

Dear Families

We enjoyed an exciting return to school this week. It has been wonderful to see so many happy faces and to hear about summer adventures. This morning, we are moving into our new classes. Staff have worked diligently to consider the placement of each individual student in the school and to ensure that classes are balanced with regards to the educational, social and emotional needs of the whole group.

Families of students in grades 1-7, will have the opportunity to meet their child’s new teacher on Thursday 19^th September at 6pm and 6:30pm (for families with more than one child in school).There will be child care provided in the gym for these meetings. Kindergarten parents will meet their child’s teacher on Tuesday 10th September at 2:00pm.

Late return

If your child has not attended school yet and you have not let us know that they will be returning to school late with the date of their return, then their space will be offered to another student after 12:00pm TODAY. Jamieson is a full school and there are waitlists for every grade. Please contact the school at jamieson@vsb.bc.ca.

nə́c̓aʔmat ct

This week everyone in our school community has written their name and drawn something to represent themselves on a paper link. The links are now forming a long chain in the hallway by our office to represent the identity, connection and belonging of each one of us to our Jamieson school community. We have talked about this in class and in today’s assembly.

This idea is based upon the Indigenous concept of nə́c̓aʔmat ct. The pronunciation of nə́c̓aʔmat ct is nat- ce- mat and means We are One in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (the Musqueam language.) For more information about hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ visit Musqueam’s Story – Musqueam. This is a great website with a lot of interesting information about the Musqueam People on whose traditional and unceded land we are located.

Message from the office

If you are bringing your child’s lunch after the start of school at 9:00am, please label it and drop it off on the benches outside the office and tell your child to come and collect it at lunchtime.

Message from PAC

Reminder: First PAC meeting on September 18th @ 7:00 In-Person at the Jamieson Library or Virtually.

Connect with parents in your children’s classes through the WhatsApp PAC community. Stay up to date with PAC events and announcements by through https://jamiesonpac.com or subscribe to PAC emails: https://forms.gle/k5ZimFSSDzFho6Ja9 

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday 10^th September- Meet the Teacher KINDERGARTEN PARENTS ONLY 2:00pm- 2:40pm

Wednesday 11^th September- First full day of Kindergarten

Wednesday 18^th September- PAC Meeting- 7:00pm

Thursday 19^th September Meet the Teacher- 6:00pm and 6:30pm Grades 1-7 (not Kindergarten)

Friday 20^th September Pro D- No school for students

Friday 27^th September- Orange Shirt Day at school

Monday 30^th September- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation- no school

Friday 4^th October- Terry Fox run

Monday 7^th October- Photo Day (retakes November 4^th)

Monday 14^th October- Thanksgiving – no school

Also attached to this email is information about the RBL Basketball League, Junior and Senior Choir after school programming and the Free Kick soccer program.

Dear Families

I hope that you have had an enjoyable and restful summer break. This email contains information about the first week back to school.

First day back

Students in grades 1-7 will return to school on Tuesday 3^rd September 2024 from 9:00am- 10:00am. Parents are invited to join our PAC Executive for coffee outside from 9:00am -10:00am.

All returning students will go to last year’s classrooms for the first week except:

• Last year’s Div. 3 (Ms. Johal and Ms. Russell) will go to Room 208 with Mr. Bruyere.
• Last year’s Div. 7 (Ms. Scoretz) will still be in Room 225 but with Mr. Wong.

On Tuesday, students in grades 1-7 who are new to Jamieson Elementary will meet in the library.

Rest of the week

On Wednesday 4^th September, Thursday 5^th September and Friday 6^th September students in grades 1-7 will attend from 9:00am- 2:58pm. Parents of incoming Kindergarten children have received their gradual entry schedule for the first five days. The first full day of school for our Kindergarten students will be Wednesday 11^th September. New students will continue to meet in the library each morning until they are placed in a classroom.

The Kindergarten teachers from last year will be welcoming their new Kindergarten classes, so on Wednesday 4^th September, Thursday 5^th September and Friday 6^th September.

• Last year’s Div. 19 students (Ms. Patricia) will be the activity room with Ms. Rodriguez
• Last year’s Div. 20 students (Ms. Andres) will be in Room 213 with Mr. Bedford
• Last year’s Div. 21 students (Ms. Ho) will be in Room 224 with Ms. Akagami and Ms. Marsden.

For the first week only, these students will be collected and dropped off at the start and end of school in the same place that they were last year at the front of the school.

Late return

If you are planning to return to school after Tuesday 3^rd September, please inform the school at jamieson@vsb.bc.ca. If your child has not attended school by Friday 6^th September and you have not let us know that they are returning late, their place may be offered to another student. Jamieson is a full school and there are waitlists for every grade.

New schedule

Please note this year’s bell schedule- including the new dismissal time of 2:58pm:

Supervision starts	8:45am	Lunch begins	12:10pm
Warning bell	8:55am	Lunch Dismissal- outside lunch begins	12:27pm
Morning Classes begin	9:00am	Afternoon classes begin	12:55pm
Recess starts	10:30am	School day ends	2:58pm
Recess ends	10:50am	Supervision ends	3:15pm

Staff update

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Ms. Davita Marsden, our Vice- Principal, Mr. John Bruyere and Mr. Johnson Wong who are joining our teaching staff and Ms. Yan Yee Cheung who is a new member of our SSA Team. Congratulations to Ms. Amy Rowley who is now called Ms. Amy Haché. Over the break we said goodbye to Ms. Hilma De Castro Montas and wish her all the best at her new school.

Cell Phones

As you may know, in January 2024, the Province of B.C. mandated all school boards to update their Codes of Conduct to limit students’ use of personal digital devices during school hours. In Elementary schools, personal digital devices are now restricted throughout the instructional day (9:00 a.m. to 2:58 p.m.). This includes class time, recess and lunch. Devices must be turned off or set to silent mode and kept out of sight for the entire school day. If a student is using their device during the school day, they will be asked to turn it off and to take it to the Principal, for collection at the end of the day.

Message from PAC

Please see the attachment to this email for a message from PAC. Keep up to date with the Jamieson PAC Community on WhatsApp for latest announcements, events, and network with parents in your child’s Division. For more information, check out the Jamieson PAC Website | 網站 | 웹사이트 | ウェブサイト| trang web | sitio web | site | سايت وب | websayt | سائٹ ويب | веб-сайт | web sitesi | वेबसाइट | เว็บไซต ์ @ https://jamiesonpac.com

Upcoming Dates

• Tuesday 3^rd September- First day back to school grades 1-7- 9:00am- 10:00am
• Wednesday 4^th September- First full day of school grades 1-7
• Wednesday 11^th September- First full day of Kindergarten
• Wednesday 18^th September- PAC Meeting- 7:00pm
• Thursday 19^th September Meet the Teacher- 6:00pm
• Friday 20^th September Pro D- No school for students
• Monday 30^th September- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation- no school
• Friday 4^th October- Terry Fox run
• Monday 7^th October- Photo Day (retakes November 4^th)
• Monday 14^th October- Thanksgiving – no school

Also attached to this email is information about the Mandarin Mingle after school program and weekend program registration.

I look forward to seeing you in September and to working with you and our staff to ensure that your child has a successful school year. Please enjoy the last few days of the holiday.