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Hello Everyone, I apologize for the length of time between now and the last post. I was felled by a nasty virus which I still am fighting, and the last couple of weeks I've been working on report cards - it's a busy time. We've been working hard, so it was nice yesterday and today to sit back and relax and watch our amazing students perform in the winter concert. I hope parents and guardians had an opportunity to attend this morning or tonight - it was wonderful. Even though the holiday approaches, we are in second term now and there is much to do. However, next Friday we will celebrate the hard work and learning that has taken place, with a potluck breakfast in Advisory, skating in the morning, and Spirit Day in the afternoon. Students, if you haven't already signed up to bring enough finger food to share with 8 - 10 other students, please do so! I will supply the drinks. Tomorrow (Friday December 12) report cards go home. Please remember that a C, C+, and B are all great marks, that mean each student is meeting expectations. Due to the late start this year, and that we spend a great deal of the first few weeks acclimatizing to middle school routines, most of my assessment has been on day to day work, effort, and evidence of THINKING! I hope you all got out excellent "Just Right" books today - remember that if you haven't finished Ma Famille yet, it's due Friday!

Hello Everyone. This is such a reflective day, and a poignant one for me. My Mother and Father courted by airmail for four years during the Second World War - that period in time shaped them, and the knowledge that they lived through the war always has had an impact on me. They, along with all the others who worked, fought, or lost their lives during WWII, are deeply in my thoughts today. I know that as we study the United Nations and the Declaration of Human Rights in class,that we have these rights because of the willingness of that generation to lay their lives and the lives of their loved ones, on the line. So - as you remember, also please take the time to respectfully meet the eyes of an elderly person and smile at them. Chances are they lived through that terrible time. On another note, Thursday was The. Best. Day. Ever! The weather was wonderful, the bannock and honey were yummy, and the hike in the woods not only taught us lots (I learn something new from Mr. Albany every time!) but re-connected us to nature. Got to get out more! Special thanks to all of our drivers and chaperones: Angel's mom and dad, Parker's dad, Ashley's dad, Talon's mom, Lavonne, Mr. Anatolyi, and a very special thank you of course to Mr. Albany! Mr. Hebdon took some amazing photographs (thank you Mr. Hebdon!!) and I will endeavour to get some up on the blog tomorrow, and send the rest via a Smile Drop - Ms. Sheffer will teach me how. Wishing you a peaceful, reflective day.

Hi Everyone, Tomorrow is the day! We're off to Goldstream - a special thank you to Ashley's dad, Parker's dad, Angel's mom and dad, Lavonne, and Mark. A special thank you to Talon and his mom for being so creative for transportation!Some reminders: dress for the weather - layers please, a raincoat if you have one, a tuque or hat if you can, gloves might be a good idea. Sturdy footwear that can get a bit muddy or damp. Please bring a healthy lunch and remember that you will be hungry with all the fresh air and hiking. We will be leaving the school by 10:15 - parents, please be at the classroom at 10. I will have the list of names of students that will be going with you. Also - Friday afternoon we go swimming, and many of you need to bring your pink form back along with your $10 (if it's not a convenient time to pay, please bring the signed form back anyway, and you can pay later). Looking forward to tomorrow - see you then!

Hi Everyone! Where does the time go? I was surprised to see it's been almost two weeks since my last post! Lots has been happening. Thank you to the many of you who were able to attend Parent/Teacher interviews - it was really great to learn about your students, I received great insight. To those of you who were unable to attend, please feel free to contact me through the school office or by email - I'm happy to set up a meeting before or after school to chat about your child's learning needs. We also had our earthquake drill in the "Great Shake-Out", and we will continue to have fire, earthquake, and lockdown drills. And - we've been working hard! You should now have received a bright pink permission form, regarding a fieldtrip to Goldstream on November 6. If you haven't seen one, please ask your child if it's buried in their backpack! Many have returned the form to me, which I really appreciate. Unfortunately, at this point I have only one driver. I realize it can be very difficult to drive on fieldtrips, but I am hoping that with a couple of weeks notice, some of you may be able to make arrangements so that you can drive some of our students - I still need rides for 12 children. You are welcome to stay with us for the day, but it is also possible to drop us off and pick us up. I would be most grateful if you would be able to look at your schedule and see if you can make arrangements. Finally, tomorrow is a Pro-D - no school for your children, just teachers! I hope you have a lovely "long weekend". Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hardly saw you today students, but I hope those of you in band had a great day, and Mini X students, I know you did - and great work weeding the Naturescape! Now it is time to sit back and relax for the three day weekend, and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. I am grateful for my family, my animal companions, my work,and YOU! I am also grateful that when I am thirsty I can turn on a tap, or open the fridge for food and drink. I am grateful that I live in a peaceful country where our rights are protected and our voice is heard. It is easy to take things for granted, and we all have a bad day now and then - but how lucky are we, to live where we do and have what we have. Thank you for a wonderful beginning to the school year students. See you Tuesday!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! You worked hard today, good work on your maps! Remember your homework tonight is to observe your surroundings on your way home. Also - tomorrow is our Terry Fox Run - please bring your twoonies and loonies for cancer research. And - dress in comfortable clothes and wear your sneakers because you'll be running in the afternoon! It's also Bike to School week - remember to ride your bikes if you can, or walk. If you take the bus, can you get off a block early and walk? (Check with your parent or guardian first). Parents - parent/teacher interviews are next Tuesday and Wednesday, so please make sure you phone the school (250-598-3336) and book a time. It's very important to me to be able to meet with each and every one of you. Especially with the late start this year, it's important we share information about your child, with each other. And, I have a blog! Please google Advisory 62 is Awesome and you will find the classroom blog that has important dates, updates on what we're doing, reading lists and so on. It's an effective way for me to communicate with you.

Welcome back students! It's hard to believe that it's already close to the middle of October, and we're still just getting to know each other. But, even though we got a late start this year, we're also off to a good start - I think we will have a great time, and learn lots together. You all have interesting stories to tell me, and I've really enjoyed listening to you introduce each other, reading your "The Most Important Thing About Me" poems, helping you get settled into your new classroom, lockers, and the school. A couple of reminders for this week: remember that the Terry Fox Run is on Thursday afternoon (wear sneakers!), and you can start bringing in your twoonies and loonies if you would like to contribute to cancer research. On Friday, band students are in band for blocks 3, 4 and 5 - you will have a wonderful introduction to your instrument, and Mini X students, you will be busy with Ms. Walzak and me....please wear comfortable clothes that can get a bit dirty, we will be doing some digging in the Naturescape! Please make sure you look at the different headings on my blog - there are dates to note, recommendations for good book titles, some interesting links and even some information on me. Share the blog with your parents and guardians - they will want to know what we do in Advisory 62 too!

Hello Students - and congratulations on the wonderful concerts last week, and report cards you should be proud of! Hard to believe we've finished Term 1, and are into Term 2, although the transition is seamless, as knowledge just continues to build, brick by brick. Remember that your "Museum Boxes" are due on Thursday - I will assess them over the holiday. I'm looking forward to your sharing them with each other as soon as we get back. I also want to mention how proud I was of all of you during our VOCYL presentation last week. Everyone was inclusive, and clearly, by the personal sharing of stories we heard, everyone felt safe. As the year goes by, we become more and more of a community - well done. We will be cleaning out lockers on Thursday - think about bringing a bag to take home PE strips for washing, and anything else that can go home (empty sandwich containers etc...) Let's make this last week count - we'll keep working hard...and the time will go by even faster!!

Oh my. It's been a month today since I last posted on the blog! It really doesn't seem like it's been that long - and yet so much has happened. It's been a bit of a challenge for me this past several weeks - I know you are in such good hands with Mr. North and learning all the things I want you to learn - and I have to say, Mr. North is way better than me using the computer!! - but, I've missed teaching you. Still, it's been great to be able to work one-on-one with some of you, and I'm really enjoying our reading conferences. Having taken so long to post, I have to go way back to our field trip to Goldstream, and properly thank our drivers - to Jacob's Mom, Nik's Dad, Uncle Bob, and Mr. North - thank you! It was a wonderful morning with a fire, bannock, and an invigorating hike where we learned all sorts of traditional uses of plants from Mark Albany, our First Nations counselor and keeper of traditional knowledge. I've heard many connections to this field trip since, during your science lessons. Watermark was an interesting experience as well, and thank you again to Mr. North for organizing. It was a sad documentary in many ways, and I hope that it will help all of us appreciate and look after our water sources - we are so lucky in this part of the world. We've been swimming - that was fun! - and we go again on December 6. Lots more will be happening in the next month - and I can't believe it's only a month until Winter Break. Keep your eye on the Upcoming Dates, and I'll try really hard to keep it updated. One of the highlights for me will be the concerts for the many of you in band, strings or choir. PLEASE REMEMBER THE FUNDRAISERS FOR THE RED CROSS TO HELP THOSE IN THE PHILIPPINES AFFECTED BY THE TYPHOON! There is another bake sale this week, and a special surprise Thursday afternoon - listen carefully to the announcements! And finally, CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. NORTH ON THE BIRTH OF HIS BABY BOY - do you think he has a name yet??

Goldstream tomorrow!

Hello students, parents and guardians. Just a reminder that tomorrow is our morning for Goldstream - I'm looking forward to it! I'm sorry I wasn't there today to remind you about all sorts of things, but I know you were in very good hands with Mr. North. Keep your eye on the weather in the morning. It will probably be foggy, and that means cool, especially amongst the trees, where we will be. So dress warmly - you can always peel off a layer if it gets warm. Please bring a healthy lunch as well - we may eat it at the park, or back at school, depending on the time. Thank you to the drivers: Nik's Dad, Omar's Uncle, and Jacob's Mom, along with Mr. NOrth and I. Nik's Grandpa has also offered to drive. We just couldn't do these trips without family support, so I am very grateful. I am looking forward to hearing about your day today, and Goldstream tomorrow. And next week....Watermark! Missed you today, Mrs. Kilpatrick

Happy Sunday, and a plea for drivers!

Hi everyone (students, parents, guardians, Grandma's and Grandpa's...)! First off, I want to thank all of you who made it to the parent/teacher interviews. It was a pleasure to meet so many of you and gain valuable insight to your children. As many of you heard from me, this is still very early in the year - we have spent most of our time together getting to know each other, learning "the ropes" at Lansdowne Middle School, setting classroom expectations, and now we're well and truly into learning the curriculum. My practicum student, Mr. North, is teaching Language Arts - students, this is a good time to share your learning and teach your family what you know about text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self. Mr. North is also teaching about the United Nations in Socials - I think you will find many text-to-text and text-to-world connections as you continue in Social Studies. A reminder: this Thursday morning, October 24th, we will be going on our field trip to Goldstream Park. Thank you so much to Nik's Mom and Grandpa for volunteering to drive! With Mr. North and myself driving, we are very close to having enough seats for everyone - but I do need one more driver/vehicle. If you are able to do this, could you please contact me as soon as possible at my email: kkilpatrick@sd61.bc.ca. I will send home a note this week about what you need to do students, to be prepared. One of the most important things, is being punctual. We will be leaving the school between 8:45 and 8:50 and cannot wait if you're not there. You will need to pay attention to the weather and dress appropriately - and that for sure means dressing for warmth. Proper footwear will be important - we will be doing some hiking. Layesrs - sweaters, jackets, and perhaps rainjacket, will also be important. A tuque or hat is always a good idea at this time of year. And, you will need a nice big lunch (because you will work up an appetite!). Depending on the weather we may stay at Goldstream before eating our healthy bag lunches, or we may head back to school just in time for lunch - but either way, please bring your lunch as usual. I think that's enough for now! I will continue to give you reminders at school and on the blog. Hope everyone is enjoying the cool fall weather - Bogey and I just got back from a little walk, and it's beautiful outside!

Happy Thanksgiving - I'm grateful for YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I think this is one of my favourite holidays - it's a time to pause and really reflect on what I have to be grateful for - so much! I'm grateful for my family - my children and husband, my mother who is about to turn 97, my siblings, Bogey, Nappy and Jewel, my friends, my health and everyone else's, the community I live in, and all of the good things in the world we all share. I also reflect on what is not right in the world, and resolve to try and make a difference wherever I can. Students! I noticed that the movie I told you about, WATERMARK, is in town! I am going to inquire to see if it will be in town next week, and if so, let's try and go! I am hoping to preview it tonight, and will let you know. It's a blustery October day today - I plan on getting outside and doing some walking and hiking, maybe some gardening, and then I will come back in and read my book. I hope you will get outside and do some reading too! Did I mention how grateful I am for all of you, Advisory 62? Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

Welcome to Mr. North and remember your water cycles for tomorrow!

Hello everyone, here I am! For starters, I would like to welcome Mr. North to Advisory 62! Parents, if you haven't heard, Mr. North is my student teacher for the next nine weeks. I strongly believe in mentoring, and I am looking forward to working with Mr. North as a pre-service teacher. It is hard for me to let go of keeping this awesome class all to myself, but I know that Mr. North has a lot of exciting plans, we will do some team teaching, and, with two of us, we will be able to engage in more small group work and local field trips - I'm excited! Speaking of field trips, we will be going to Goldstream Park on Thursday October 24th. This field trip will tie in with our science curriculum, as well as simply getting us outdoors, connecting us to the natural world, and teaching us about indigenous plants. Mr. Mark Albany will be leading us on a hike in the woods, after we bake some bannock on a fire. We will need some parent drivers so I'm hoping with this advance warning some of you may be able to make arrangements to accompany us. I will send home a permission slip later this week. We also have some swimming dates coming up (see upcoming dates)- please mark your calendars for those as well. We are delving into all of our subjects now - students you have done a great job of settling in to middle school. We are working on punctuality and being prepared, and it's coming along well. Parents and guardians I'm looking forward to an opportunity next week to meet with as many of you as possible, to share insights into your children's learning at this early time of year, and to hear from you what "makes your child tick". Please make sure you call the school office (250-598-3336) to book a time. Water cycle scientific illustrations due tomorrow (Wednesday) students!! And finally, thank you all again for your thoughtful inquiries into Bogey's health! He is doing quite well - still fighting an immune disorder that is making his little body work very hard, but despite some ups and downs he is definitely feeling better. He's getting lots of attention and spoiling (as usual!), and he stays close to my side. I was thrilled that he managed a little walk on the beach today!

Remember your form for tomorrow!

Hi Students, Please remember to bring back your form for our little field trip tomorrow, if you haven't already. Also, please bring your bus pass if you have one, or $1.50 bus fare for each way (please try to bring the exact change for each way - if you bring, for instance, a twoonie and a loonie, it's hard to divide up!) Have you noticed that my blog entries don't have paragraph breaks?? I'm going to have to fix that! I put them in when I'm typing, but for some reason they don't show up. And we know how important paragraph breaks are! I'm beginning to feel a bit better and am looking forward to tomorrow. By the way, Bogey is still gradually getting better!

Bogey Update

Hello Class, Well, you've all cared so much about Bogey, I thought I would give you an update. After school on Friday I went and visited Bogey at the Vet Hospital - which is a wonderful, caring place. Bogey was a little better, but still on an IV (intravenous - fluids given to him through tubes). He was feeling a little better and the Doctor said he was improving, but they were still worried about him and wanted to keep him another night. I was disappointed, but knew he was in good hands. On Saturday, he improved in some areas, but went a bit downhill in others. Still, by Saturday night,they let him come home with me. He was off the IV, keeping his food down, and missing home. So, I brought him home and he curled up by me and stayed that way except when I had to give him his medication - 14 pills! The good news is that he has steadily improved. He's eating some now, he wags his tail and is walking around the house, and has even gone into the back yard with me. He's looking more and more like himself. He saw the vet again today and she said his blood count numbers are still improving and they're pretty happy with him! He still has a ways to go and isn't completely out of the woods yet, but I'm so happy to report that at this point he is recovering. It must have been all of your crossed fingers! Thank you, students and parents, for all your caring thoughts. On another note, the beginning of the year cold syndrome has caught up with me, and I am sneezing and snorfelling tonight. I don't want to spread my germs and I have to say I'm feeling pretty crummy, so, Bogey and I are going to curl up tomorrow and get better together. You will have a TOC - band students remember that you're in band all morning after advisory, and Mini X students, you will have a fun morning too. You have your first math lesson in fourth block with Ms. Hendra. Remember to bring your form for the Symphony field trip back on Wednesday if you haven't already. I will for sure be back for that, wouldn't miss it! Have a really great Tuesday everyone.

Date Correction!

Please note that the yellow form that came home today for the Symphony field trip should read (in the permission section) Wednesday September 25 (NOT Thursday November 1!). Please ask your child for the form if you don't receive it tonight - we need the permission slip back on Tuesday! Thanks very much.

It's official. This is an AWESOME class!!! I feel so very fortunate to have each and every one of you to share time and space with together this year. Already I have seen kindness, humour, cooperation, respect, and empathy. That empathy has been particularly evident this week. Many of you know that my little dog Bogey (think Toto!) has been very ill this week. This has been very hard for me, and the caring of all of the students has been so comforting. Just to update you, Bogey has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease - he is one sick little puppy. He is currently at the Animal Hospital, he had a blood transfusion last night, and we are keeping our fingers and toes crossed that he will make it through this - it will take a few days to know if the treatment is successful. I very much hope to have him once again be the "mascot" of Advisory 62 and have him keeping tabs on all of us from under my desk! It was wonderful to meet so many of you the other night at our Community Picnic. I am looking forward to meeting you all again in mid-October for our parent teacher conversations - but, if you have anything you wish to discuss with me before then, please feel free to email me (kkilpatrick@sd61.bc.ca) or phone the school and leave a message. I'll get back to you, and am happy to arrange a time to meet. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to what promises to be a wonderful year!

Welcome to Advisory 62! I am so happy to have all of you in my class, and am really looking forward to a wonderful year. On this blog, I will be posting general information, upcoming dates, reminders, news, homework (!), interesting facts...and you can give me input as to what you would like to see on the blog! I will try and update frequently, so get in the habit of checking in, even if I don't post something every day. The blog is a great way for your families to keep in touch with what you're doing too. See you at the picnic tonight!