January to April of 2008



January 17, 2008

Important Dates to Note
Jan 31-Gr. 5 Late French Immersion Info Night - 7:00 pm in MPR
Feb 15-Pro-D  (NO SCHOOL)

Late French Immersion Information Evening     
An information evening to promote our very successful Late French Immersion program will take place on Thursday evening, January 31st at 7:00 pm.  The District has offered a Late French Immersion experience for close to twenty years and enrolment continues to remain strong.  Our French Immersion staff will be available on January 31st to answer questions and accept registration for September 2008.

Wolves Athletics News
We are about half way through the Gr. 7 and 8 basketball schedules.  Gr. 7 Girls and Boys Teams play on Wednesdays.  This week the Gr. 7 Boys and Girls are home and away to the Reimer Ravens.  Thanks to Coaches Godden and Friesen for working with the Boys and Girls who continue to improve individual and game skills.  Gr. 8 Boys and Girls Teams played Abby Middle on Tuesday and Abby Christian on Thursday of this week.  Coaches  Flann and Jenkins highlight the improved team play of their players.  Positional play and help in defence have been areas of great improvement.  Good luck to all teams this week.

Mr. Jim Mitchell, Head Coach of the Mid Valley Wrestling Club and WJM Wrestling Team, is providing a wrestling opportunity for boys and girls from grade 6, 7 and 8 at the Legacy Building, beside Rotary Stadium, from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays and Thursday at the Mouat Small Gym.  He has invited students from CDG and Howe to train together as they will eventually train together as WJM Hawks.  He will teach the kids wrestling basics and match kids of similar height and weight for practice purposes.  The focus will be on introducing students to wrestling basics and fitness.  Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the Legacy Building and the Mouat Small Gym.
   
Lunch  hour intramurals will run through to Spring Break as follows:
Monday (Gr. 6) - Tuesday (Girls Only) - Wednesday (Gr. 7) - Thursday (Girls Only) - Friday (Gr. 8)
   
We encourage students to take advantage of the above opportunities to be active as much as possible.  We are trying to provide many opportunities for  children to be  physically active more often.  Active kids are happy kids !!!
                       
Unique Opportunity for some Grade 8 Mathematics students
This is the third year that we will be working with Mouat Secondary to provide some of our top Mathematics 8 students with a very unique opportunity.  In the first half of this school year over twenty Grade 8 students took up the challenge to compete for a limited number of seats in Mathematics 9 at Mouat Secondary for the second high school semester of this school year (i.e. February to June 2008).  These students gave up their own time to prepare for and write a series of challenge exams.  The top performers among those that took up the challenge were granted an "A" grade in their Mathematics program for this year and were provided a seat in Mouat's online Mathematics nine course for semester two. This will allow those students the opportunity to either obtain Math 9 or Math 9 Honors credit this year.

FSAs (Foundation Skills Assessments) February 4th through February 14th, 2008
As you may be aware, there are many changes to the Foundation Skills Assessments this school year (FSAs).  These assessments are written by both Grades 4 and 7 students every year, throughout BC, and cover curriculum in Math, Reading and Writing.  One of these changes is that the FSAs have been moved up to February (in the past, they have taken place in May).  This date change is so that the current Grade 7 teacher, and our school, can take a look at how our students are doing and adjust instruction as needed.  Another change is that a portion of these tests will be completed on the computer via an online web site (students will be reading some selections and selecting an answer in a multiple-choice format; as well, students will also be completing several numeracy questions in the same manner).  A last change that will interest you, as parents, is that any written work will be sent home to you in March along with your child's score on both the written and online portions.  This will, of course, allow you the opportunity to clearly see how your child is doing in these areas.  Our Grade 7 parents will be receiving a letter with more information during the week of January 21st. 

Picking Up Children After School
Are you a parent who picks up your child on a regular basis?  Are you often waiting for your child out front, sometimes for a lengthy amount of time?  If so, please remind your child that your time is valuable,     and that there are many parents in cars who are also     attempting to pull into our parking lot to pick up their children. As well, on the odd occasion that you know you will be waiting for more than 5 minutes for your child, we would ask that you, please, turn off your car engine and park on the street.  The fumes from idling car engines are extremely unhealthy for our students' young lungs.  Last note: please be patient with our pick up and drop off zones - there are many, many people attempting to pick up many children.  Our last request is that unless your child is involved in an organized activity after school, they should head straight home. Hanging around after school, unsupervised, has lead some children to becoming involved in  conflicts with others.  We are not in a position to provide supervision after school and require parents to assume that role once school has ended for the day.

Annual Talent Show
One of the highlights of our school year is our annual school Talent Show.  During this week over  ninety students were given the opportunity to audition to be selected to perform at this year's event.  Those that qualify to perform will demonstrate their talents at an afternoon assembly on Friday, February 8th.

Reminder:    
As of January, 2008, our Pit Stop will no longer be offering dried soup mixes, and will also not be providing our students with hot water for these mixes.  We offer many affordable food choices here at our school, and your child is sure to find something on our menu that will appeal to them.

User Pay Bussing for 2008-2009
If you are interested in having your child take the user pay school bus for the next school year, pre-registration forms are available at our office. Completion of the form does not guarantee a seat on the bus, however in order to arrange the bus routes for September they require the advance registration. Cost for this service is approximately $50 per month/per child.  Deadline for pre-registration is May 15, 2008.

ESL CLASSES AT THE AG-REC
ESL for adults 18+ years
One of the keys to achieving success in North America is having a strong command of the English language and knowing how to use it. Whether you are looking to advance in school or achieve the next level in your business, this English course will help you significantly improve your communication skills.

ESL for children and teens - 9 - 12 years or 13 - 15 years
These courses will introduce fun and exciting ways to learn how to speak in public and how to interact with peers. By building confidence at an earlier age, your child will have a greater chance of becoming a strong and confident communicator.  Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning January 15th.
FOR MORE CALL 604-850-5536 TO REGISTER

BOY SMARTS Effective Strategies for Parenting Boys
Barry MacDonald, author, teacher and counsellor/coach  will give a presentation on what it takes for parents and caregivers to guide boys to become exceptional men.
DATE:        Tuesday, February 19, 2008
PLACE:        Robert Bateman Secondary, 35045 Exbury Avenue
TIME:        7:00 - 9:00 pm
TICKETS:        $10.00 until February 15, 2008 at school offices of Clayburn Middle or  Robert Bateman Secondary
            $25.00 at door - unless sold out
Sponsored by the PAC’s of Clayburn Middle School and Robert Bateman Secondary.  For further information go to www.mentoringboys.com

French Classes specially prepared for parents with children in Francophone or French Immersion Programs

CENTENNIAL PARK ELEMENTARY : 2527 Gladwin Rd (7:00 to 9:30 pm)
Beginner 1:   Tuesday, January 22nd to March 11th
Objectives: to accumulate some basic notions such as introducing yourself, asking questions, using common verbs and fundamental vocabulary. For the parents  without previous training.

Cost $100  per person + $15  workbook.  Please register by January 17th.
For information and registration: (hours: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm) 1-800-747-4825 or 604-708-5100 or  frenchforparents@educacentre.com  or  visit our website at: http://www.educacentre.com

Baseball Registration
Baseball registration is happening on Saturday, January 19th at Yale Secondary from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Boys and girls from ages 5 - 18 are welcome to sign up for another season of baseball.  Go to www.abbotsfordbaseball.ca for complete details.


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January 31, 2008

Upcoming Dates to Note
Jan 31-Gr. 5 Late French Immersion Info Night - 7:00 pm in MPR
Feb 15-Pro-D  (NO SCHOOL)

Late French Immersion Information Evening
Tonight, Thursday, January 31st, the Late French Immersion staff will be hosting an information meeting regarding the program and accepting registrations for next September.  The event will begin at 7:00 pm and will wrap up around 8:30 pm.  Those families who have children entering Grade 6 in September are urged to attend the meeting and consider this powerful program for their child.  Please contact the school if you wish further information.

Grade 7 FSAs
A letter to the parents of all Grade 7 students came home today giving further information about our school’s FSAs.  The actual assessment will take place during the weeks of February 4-15.

Grade 8 Kiwanis Student of the Month - Mark Creaghan
Mark was nominated by his teachers for being a high performing student, very well mannered, and very helpful to his peers and his teachers. Mark is a great musician and one of our top band students. He was recently recognized for his wonderful support of some special needs students who were integrated into his Home Arts class. Mark is an excellent role model for others.

Leadership News
This Valentine’s Day, are you thinking of sending something to a special someone?  On February 11th, 12th and 13th, Valentine’s Day candy grams will be sold in the MPR for $0.25 each. 

In recent news, start bringing in your bottles as the bottle drive starts Monday, February 4th.  There are great prizes to be won.

We’d also like to say thanks to all who brought non-perishable food item donations for the Christmas dance.  We donated six full boxes of food to the food bank.  Congratulations on this great accomplishment for our school!

We’ll keep you posted on upcoming events, so stay tuned.
                Chair and Co-Chair of the PR Team - Ashley D. and Hudson L.

School Planning  Council News
This year our parent community is represented by Ms. Janet Weston, Mr. Alex Shepherd, Mr. Ken Brake and Mrs. Lee-Ann Hamel.  A meeting was held recently to study data that has been gathered in recent months around our two school goals.  Once again those are:  "To increase student awareness and participation in healthy living through increased physical activity and consumption of nutritional food" and "To increase reading comprehension achievement in the language of instruction by June 30, 2008".  District training has been made available at the end of January for members of School Planning Councils and representatives from our school will be attending.  A mid year progress report will be made to School Board representatives in the middle of February.

Mouat Parent Meeting
Mouat PAC is inviting all interested parents to attend a meeting about course planning.  There will be a school counsellor speaking about all subjects. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 19th at 7:00 pm in the school library.

Babysitting Course
Please call Donna at the school if you would like  your child take the babysitting class this year - we've already had two courses sell out very quickly and are checking to see if there is enough interest to have another one.

Chess
Chess tournament coming in March.  Surrey Regional Chess Tournament K-12.  Students who are interested in joining the tournament, would benefit by joining the school chess team.  Please contact Mr. Glum for further details.

Lost Jacket
Red umbro Abbotsford Soccer Jacket with a black stripe under the arm, a crest of Abbotsford Soccer and the initials JW on the neck.  If you have any information please call Jody at 604-855-9373.

Bottle Drive       
Division 22  bottle drive runs from February 4 - 11.  Thank you for your support.

Yearbooks
Reminder that yearbooks are being presold in the office for $22.00 each.

Race Team
Drag racing team looking for new Grade 6 members.  Informational meeting will be  Monday, February 4th after eating period in the ICT lab. 

Origami
Origami Club starts Wednesday, February 6th at lunch time in room 174.  Open to any student who wishes to learn the Japanese art of paper folding.

The Force
The FORCE is a monthly parent networking and support group for those whose children and youth struggle with mental health issues.  The next meeting will take place on Monday, February 4th from 7:00-9:00 pm at the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre located at 1089-32885 Ventura Avenue.  For more information, please call Paula at 604-870-5861.

“Connecting With Your kids”......An Evening For Parents
Confronting and “doing discipline,” establishing boundaries, enforcing rules, being consistent.............why is it so hard sometimes to do all these things?  This evening will focus on our own inner resources as parents and caretakers and discuss the role and power of our own state of mind as it impacts ourselves and the connection we have with our children. We will examine what creates a calm or stressed state of mind and whether we have control over our states of mind no matter what the circumstances.
Date: Wednesday, February 6,  2008
Time: 7:00 -  9:00 pm
Place: 2828 Cruickshank Street, 2nd Floor Boardroom, Abbotsford
FREE
RSVP to: 604-870-5981

The Rice Raiser
Did you know that almost half the people in the world live on less than $2.00 a day? 
As an initiative to promote awareness of both local and global hunger there will be an interesting opportunity coming to the grade 8 students of Chief Dan in the month of February. Keep posted for more details coming soon

You are invited to come out and join us to learn more about "Friends for Live"            
February 13, 2008 - 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, W J Mouat Secondary, 32355 Mouat Drive, Abbotsford. Come and learn about the great program being offered to Grades four and five students in BC, and gain some tools to help you help your children cope with their worries. All parents are welcome!  An opportunity to ask questions.  Refreshments and door prizes.Sponsored by The F.O.R.C.E. Society for Kids Mental Health with funding from The Ministry of Children & Family Development 

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February 14, 2008

Upcoming Dates to Note
Feb 15 - Pro-D  (NO SCHOOL)
Mar 4 - Grade 8’s visit Mouat
Mar 14 - Term 2 Report Cards Home
Mar 17-28  - Spring Break

NO-SCHOOL-February 15th District Professional Development Day
Classes will not be held on Friday, February 15th as staff will be engaged in various professional development activities throughout the community.

Wolves Athletics News
The Grade 8 basketball season has drawn to a close with first round losses by both the Boys and Girls Teams.  The Girls came out on the short end of a 33 - 32 loss away to Fraser Middle School.  Coach Jenkins was very proud of the girls and the outstanding effort during a very close game.  Ashley S. and Chantel D. lead the team with outstanding performances at both ends of the court.  The Boys lost 55 - 37 to ATMS at Clayburn on Monday night.  Coach Flann was very happy with the effort of many of his players and highlighted Mitchell Flann and Alex Benedict for their strong play.  We hope that many players continue playing next year as they move on to high school. 

The Gr. 7 basketball teams are halfway through their seasons with two remaining Boys league games away and Girls games at home.  The Boys are undefeated after five league games.  Outstanding performances to date have been turned in by Tristan J. and Corey H. who lead the team in points.  This is the second year coach Godden has been with the boys and points to their firm committment as one of the reasons for success.  The Gr.7 Girls have been working hard on team defence the past two weeks.  Coach Friesen is very happy with the improved defensive play of all the girls, especially Hanna P. and Janaya F.  Gr. 6 basketball will run after Spring Break.

Wolves Rugby starts next week with Boys and Girls practices.  Stay tuned to daily announcements for practice times and upcoming game day schedules.  Rugby games will likely be on a Tuesday or Thursday with practices after school till 5:00 pm.  Practice times will vary.  Rugby league play runs the month of April into the first week of May.

Grade 8 High School Transitions
We have already begun to work with the administration and counselors at Mouat Secondary to transition our Grade 8 students into the high school setting for September. At the next Mouat Secondary PAC meeting on Tuesday, February 19th at 7:00 pm, Mouat Counselor, Mr. John Smith will do a presentation on course offerings and course planning at Mouat for the upcoming September.  Our Grade 8 students will be visiting Mouat on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 4th for an orientation and tour of the school.  The following week, Tuesday, March 11th Mouat counselors will visit our school to speak to our students and collect completed course planning forms.

Fine Arts Experiences for our Students
All of our students will be able to enjoy special Fine Arts presentations in our gymnasium in the coming weeks. On Thursday, February 21st, "L'arsenal a musique" will visit our school.  This group comprises talented musicians who use unconventional items as percussion instruments to produce rhythms and music.  Two weeks later on Friday, March 7th, another musical group entitled Hoja will entertain and enlighten our students and staff.  Last Tuesday, February 12th all of our Grade 8 students, two Early French 7 classes and Division 22 attended Yale Secondary's musical production "Grease" at the Abbotsford Arts Center.
       
Fitness Week at Chief Dan George February 18th - 22nd
Staff and students will be using the week of February 18th - 22nd  to spotlight one of our school goals for this year through a series of Fitness Week activities.  Student leaders will be working in all divisions to lead students and staff in short physical exercises routines meant to raise heart rate and increase blood flow.  These have been designed to be done in a classroom setting.  The following week, February 25-29th time will be devoted each  day to running through this regime.
                   
Wolves Racing News
The BCSSMA (BC Secondary Motorsport Association), which we are part of, held a meeting at Mission Raceway Park on the evening of February 12th. The schedule was released and our first race day will be the 4th of April. The team is excited and looking forward to another successful season of racing. We are planning on going to Eagle Motorplex Park in Ashcroft again this year. At this month's PAC meeting, it was announced that the PAC will be giving the team money to purchase a new engine and clutch for one of the three dragsters we run at the race track. After 5 years of operating as a self sufficient club, we were at a point where our equipment had to be replaced. Although our major sponsor, RAD Torque Systems, has contributed close to $10,000.00 in equipment and support over the last two years, it became apparent that it was time to go ask the PAC for some financial help - and they came through. Thank you, PAC, for your timely contribution.

PAC News
The PAC would like to take this opportunity to update our school community on the success we have achieved this year. We strive to provide our children with an enhanced and enjoyable educational experience. Apart from our volunteer hours the PAC also provides some ever important financial support for extracurricular student endeavors. To date we have provided substantial funding in aid of: athletics (school uniforms), band (travel expenses), and (equipment) for the student’s work shop, kitchen and racing team. Chief Dan is a fantastic school, offering an outstanding educational experience. We feel it is our privilege to share in this school experience with our children and we have many opportunities to do so. Our monthly PAC meetings are productive, informative and punctuated with humor (we laugh a little). Not only do we work well together, we also enjoy a close relationship with our principal and staff. We try to support all students and must do so through a variety of initiatives. New parents are always welcome and we never ask too much of anyone. Please join us. We meet every second Tuesday at 7:00 pm in the school library.

Math Speed Games 2008
Elementary and middle schools will be sending students to represent their school at the 8th Annual Math Speed Games Competition being held at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre, March 10 - 14, 2008.

This is an annual event sponsored by the Abbotsford School District, Sevenoaks Shopping Centre, and Mouat Secondary Drag Racing.  The team that accumulates the highest score will be going to watch the BC High School Drag Racing Championships at Mission Raceway.  Grade 6 and 7 students at CDGMS will be given an opportunity to compete next week in a process to select six students at both grade levels to represent the school.

Disneyland Dinner
Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 6th, 6 - 8 pm. Our Grade 8 band group is off to Disneyland in April  and are fundraising to help parents cover some of their costs. We are inviting our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc.  to come for a 4 course dinner, free mocktail bar - $20 per person. Background music and entertainment provided by our talented CDG students. Prepare to eat well as Mr. Lilly promises an amazing dining experience.

                6:00 - 6:30        Mocktails
                6:30 - 7:30        Dinner
                7:30 - 8:00        Silent Auction/50-50 Draw

Tickets available in the office - must be purchased no later than Friday, February 29th.  Remember, seating is limited.

Salad     Mesclun Salad with Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing and Candied Almonds
Appetizer     Grilled Key Lime Salmon Filets
Entree     Brandied Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast with Peppercorns, Garlic Roasted Baby Potatoes, Honey Glazed Baby Carrots, Steamed Broccoli Crowns
Dessert     Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cups

Chess News
Our school has put together a last minute chess team that will represent our school at the South Surrey Regional Chess Tournament  this coming Sunday. As of today, we have 10 students signed up. Players who do well in this tournament will go on to participate in the Provincial finals. Best of luck to our brave chess players.

LOST & FOUND ITEMS - PLEASE CLAIM!
Each classroom in our school will be viewing the many items that have accumulated in our Lost & Found bin in our Multi-Purpose Room on Monday, February 18th.  Any clothing/items not claimed by Wednesday, February 20th will be donated to our Help the Homeless shed sponsored by Mr. Goerke and our Grade 8 Student Leaders.  Please remind your child to check the Lost and Found bin.


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February 28, 2008

Important Dates to Note
Mar 4 - Grade 8’s visit Mouat
Mar 14 - Term 2 Report Cards Home
Mar 17-28  - Spring Break

Disneyland Fundraiser Dinner
Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 6th, 6 - 8 pm. Our  Grade 8 band group is off to Disneyland in April  and are fundraising to help parents cover some of their costs. We are inviting our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. from the whole student body to come for a 4 course dinner, free mocktail bar and a silent auction for only $20 per person. Background music and entertainment provided by our talented CDG students. Prepare to eat well as Mr. Lilly promises an amazing dining experience.  Remember, seating is limited.

                6:00 - 6:30        Mocktails
                6:30 - 7:30        Dinner
                7:30 - 8:00        Silent Auction/50-50 Draw

Tickets available in the office - must be purchased no later than Friday, February 29th. 

Salad
 Mesclun Salad with Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing and Candied Almonds
Appetizer          
Grilled Key Lime Salmon Filets
Entree Brandied Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast with Peppercorns, Garlic Roasted Baby Potatoes, Honey Glazed Baby Carrots, Steamed Broccoli Crowns
Dessert Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cups


Student Rick Chappell's Sacrifice to Support the Cancer Foundation
For those of you who don't know Rick Chappell, this is his third year at CDG. He is a Grade 8 student who has been growing his hair forever!!  Well, the day's of Rick's flowing locks have come to an end! During the week of February 11 - 14th.  Leadership students sold raffle tickets to the Grade 8 students for the chance to be the one to cut his hair.  Eight tickets were drawn and, long story short, Rick ended up with a buzz cut!
The reason that Rick decided to have his hair cut publicly was to raise money for cancer research by selling the raffle tickets.  In addition, Rick' hair was donated to a Vancouver company that makes wigs for cancer research. The raffle tickets and candygrams sold that week helped us raise over $420.00 for the Cancer Foundation.  This accomplishment would not have happened without him... way to go Rick!!                                   
                           
Leadership Team:  A. Dueck/L. Stevens


Den Closure
Please note that Friday, March 14th is the last day our Den lunch program (in the Home Ec Room) will be in operation for this school year. Due to scheduling conflicts, Mr. Lilly will have a class in the room during Block 4 when the lunches are normally prepared, so we have no choice but to close until next year.

Our Canteen (in the MPR) will remain open.  If your child has a credit or credits still left on his/her Den Card  after closing day a refund cheque will be mailed to you.  Thank you for your participation in this program.

School Chess Team Success
Coach Glum put together a last minute team that represented our school at the Fraser Valley Regional Chess Tournament on Sunday, February 17th. We took along 10 players to Elgin Park Secondary School in Surrey, BC. Four of our players did well enough to qualify for the Provincial finals that will be held at BCIT on March 8th. Our team won first place in the secondary school category. For five of our players, this was their first time ever playing in a chess tournament. Way to go, guys! Thanks go out to the parents for driving the students and thank you Mr. Glum for putting the team together. Our next chess tournament will be our very own tournament that will be held on May 24th.
Fraser Valley Chess Tournament Team Roster:  Will J; Reuben N; Spencer S; Vincint W; Logan W; Colin W; Rebekah G; Joe S; Justin S and Uzaif T.

Spelling Champ!
Our school would like to congratulate Grace T., a Grade 8 student, on her success thus far in the CanWest Spelling Bee Competition.  Grace has qualified for the Regional Spelling Bee, to be held in Vancouver, BC on March 9, 2008.  Grace will be competing against 69 other Grades 4 to 8 students from across BC.   If Grace is successful in this phase of the competition, she will continue to advance in the competition, and could end up competing in the CanWest CanSpell National Spelling Bee in Ottawa and the Scripps Bee in Washington, DC.   We are very excited for Grace and proud of her, and as a school community would like to wish her G-o-o-d L-u-c-k!

Wolves Athletics News
Gr. 7 Basketball has drawn to a close this week as both girls and boys teams lost in first round playoff action.   The Gr. 7 Girl’s Team took the Abby Middle girls to overtime in a hard fought battle.  Coach Friesen was thrilled at the “never say die” attitude that almost provided a first round upset. 
The Gr. 7 Boys Team lost to ATMS in regulation time 36 – 28.  They overcame an 18 deficit in the final quarter but ran out of time.  Jasper A. and Keenan G. were selected defensive and offensive players of the game for CDG.  Coach Godden sees great potential for the boys next year in grade 8.

Rugby exhibition games are slated for next week with the Boys playing at Reimer Tuesday, March 4th and the Girls at home to Abby Middle on Wednesday, March 5th.  The first league games are scheduled for Thursday, March 13th. 

Gr. 6 Basketball practices start this week with the Boys (Mr. Dudzik) on Mondays and Wednesdays and Girls (M Jenkins) on Tuesdays and Thursdays all 2:45 – 4:00 pm.  League schedules have not been made up yet with games likely to be played on Wednesdays. 

Grade 8 Kiwanis Student of the Month - Teagan P.
Teagan was nominated by her teachers for being pleasant, positive, reliable and well-mannered.  She is a pleasure to teach.  She gives her best at everything she undertakes or is asked to accomplish and is a great help outside of class.

Gold Medal Winners!
Congratulations to Alyssa V. and Tyler W. who each won 2 gold medals for Judo at the Winter Games last weekend! They each won individual golds as well as gold for their team. Well done!

Math Speed Games
This week interested students in Grade 6 and 7 had an opportunity to practice their basic math skills using a computer software program.  The top six performers in each of these grades will soon be selected to make up a team of students to represent Chief Dan George Middle School at the annual District Math Speed Games held at Seven Oaks mall. The competition will take place this year during the week of March 10 - 14th.

Chicken orders
The Neufeld fundraiser pick- up will be Tuesday, March 11th from 2:30 - 4:00 pm.  If your child sold any products, they must be outside the school ready for pickup. 

Jazz Band
The Chief Dan George jazz band and choir will be representing our school at the Abbotsford District Nights of Music at Abbey Arts Centre.  This will be held Monday, March 10th at 7:00 pm.  Admission is only $2.00 for an entertaining evening of music.  Everyone is welcome to attend. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILDREN WITH THEIR WORRIES
February 28, 2008 – Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School - 6:30 - 8:30 pm (School Library)
March 12, 2008 – Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School - 6:30 – 8:30 pm (School Band Room)
Sponsored by the F.O.R.C.E. Society for Kids Mental Health with funding from The Ministry of Children & Family Development

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March 13, 2008

Upcoming Dates to Note
Mar 14 - Term 2 Report Cards Home
Mar 17-28  - Spring Break
Apr 16 & 17 - Early Dismissal  @ 1:22 pm
Apr 18 - PRO-D  (NO SCHOOL)

Spring Break March 17 - March  28
A reminder that the Abbotsford School District has a two week Spring Break this year.  Classes will reconvene  Monday, March 31st. Best wishes to you and your family for an enjoyable and restful Spring Break.

Reports Issued on Friday, March 14
On Friday, March 14 second term reports will be issued to students at the end of the school day.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING CDG STUDENTS!

Grace Tsai wins Regional CanWest Can Spell Competition
Last Sunday,  Grade 8 student  Grace Tsai was crowned as the CanWest Can Spell champion for the region of Hope to Whistler. Grace competed with 70 other incredible spellers at the Orpheum Theatre for the right to represent this region in the now annual CanWest Can Spell National championships held in Ottawa.  This competition will take place in mid April. Also, Canada Post is sponsoring all Canadian regional winners (there are 22 regional champions), to attend the massive Scripps Spelling Bee held annually in Washington, DC.  This event will take place in May.  In addition, Grace received a $5,000 R.E.S.P. and some nice parting gifts for her victory.

There were eight rounds to the competition on Sunday.  After seven rounds  only four competitors were left. In round eight it was down to two.  Grace spelled her word correctly but her competitor missed his.   Grace then was given one last word to spell. It was "bandolier".  She did so without batting an eyelash and was awarded the top prize.  Grace showed great poise and confidence throughout this intense event. She is being viewed by the judges as a  front runner at the national competition.  Grace was shown receiving her award on Global television during the News Hour Sunday night and was front page news in Vancouver Sun Monday morning.  Way to go Grace!!

Math Speed Games Team
Twelve students in Grade 6 and 7 made up our District Math Speed Games Team this year.  Our team performed very well on Monday morning at the Seven Oaks Mall.  Congratulations and thanks to the following students for representing our school so well:
Grade 6:  Max K., Victoria G., Logan W., Arshdeep G., Spencer S. and Samantha H.
Grade 7:  Tanvir B., Evie S., Frankie B., Carol K., Brandon K. and Kiran R.

Ringette
Danika B. and Erin L. won the silver medal in the winter games for ringette in Kimberley last weekend.  At the playdowns across the Province of BC, their   team won the gold medal and now are representing British Columbia for the westerns in three weeks in Prince George.  Their team now became TEAM BC and the coach only picked 10 kids across the lower mainland to  represent BC.  It's quite an honor. 

Jazz
Harmony G., Morgan A. and Meggie E. were selected at the jazz group to represent Canada at the Dance World Cup.

Science Fair
Chief Dan George was well represented at the 2008 Fraser Valley Science Fair March 3rd - 5th.  Almost 100 students attempted to qualify from our school with 10 finalists being selected. They were: Tasha E., Taranjit M., Navneet D., Carly P., Katie H., Hannah P., Ashley F., Danielle D., and Jory S. In addition, four of our projects were honored with special awards.  Congratulations to all of the participants for a job well done and good luck to Jory S. who will be competing at the national level in Ottawa this Spring.

Disneyland Dinner
Last week’s Disneyland  Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction was a huge success raising over $2,500.00.  Thank you to Ms. Norton and Mr. Lilly for all their hard work.  Also, special thanks to Margie Peters, Cindy Williams, Kerri-Lynn Chartier, Lorrie Lamb, Shelley Mayert, Lyndon Plett, Steve Biggerstaff, Mr. Sakai, Paul St. Jean, and Mrs. Hollanti .  We would like to also thank the following sponsors for their generosity:  King Music, Paliotti’s, A & D Music, Columbus Hair, Boston Pizza, Perfect Tan, Starbucks, Chatters Salon, Willow Video, Teachers Learning Store, Wig Wags, Costco, LAX Restaurant, Rempel & Sons Meat, Red Robin, Margaret Pfoh, Mad Dog Sports, Abbotsford Children’s Theatre, Coles Books, Avon, IHOP, Surrey Little Theatre, Cobb’s Bakery, Valley Feed Bag, Alison Isaac, Tom Lee Music, Island Tan, All About Hair Design, HMV, Go Natural Pet Food, Royal Bank, Greg Morris, Dufferin Games, Landmark Cinemas, Sun LIfe Financial and Staples.

Rice Raiser
The first ever Rice Raiser at Chief Dan George happened on Thursday, March 13th.  Our grade 8 students collected over 400 kg rice for the Abbotsford Food Bank and over $990 in money donations. Many students participated in the 24 hour famine. Thank you to all that participated in donating food, money and your time! Thank you for taking action to help change global hunger! Awesome job grade 8's!!

News from the Student Leadership Team
First we would like to thank everyone who participated in Super Hero Day.  It was great to see all of the fun and creative costumes! 
As most of you know, our school, Chief Dan George, is sponsoring a child, Jessfati, in Uganda.  After Spring Break the Leadership Team is going to put together some fun and exciting fundraisers to help raise money for Jessfati.  We hope to see you participating.  Stay tuned for more upcoming events and we hope you have a great Spring Break.  Thanks for your support!
Chair of the P.R. Team
Ashley D.

Programming For Concours:
Primary  - 9:30 - 11:30 am
Intermediate Gr. 7 & 8 EFI - 12:15 - 2:00 pm
Gr.6 EFI, Gr.  6 & 7 LFI, Gr. 9 to  12 - 6:30 - 9:00 pm   
Check out the modern languages website where you will find all the necessary information under the “events” rubric:  http://www.abbynet.sd34.bc.ca/~modernlanguages

CPF Meeting
Tuesday, March 11 (7:00 - 8:00 pm) - Sandy Hill Elementary
For more information contact the Chapter President, Donna Maud at dmaud@shaw.ca   or 604-852-9133.   We hope to see you all there!


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April 11, 2008

IMPORTANT DATES TO NOTE
Apr 11 - Class Pictures
Apr 14 - PAC Meeting 7:00 pm
Apr 16 & 17 - Early Dismissal  @ 1:22 pm
Apr 18 - PRO-D  (NO SCHOOL)

EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS
Next Wednesday, April 16th and Thursday, April 17th will be the last two of our four scheduled Early Dismissal Days this year. Students will be dismissed one hour earlier (i.e. 1:24 pm) and teachers will be available in their classrooms during the following hour to meet with parents and guardians around their child's progress.  Please ensure that you make arrangements to pick up your child one hour earlier on these days.

PRO-D - NO SCHOOL
Friday, April 18 - Non-Instructional Day
Please be reminded that Friday, April 18th classes will not be in session. Staff at this school and throughout the District will be engaged in a variety of professional development activities on that day.

CLASS PICTURE DAY APRIL 11th
Bring those smiles!!! Lifetouch Canada, a subsidiary of Josten's Photography, will be in the building to take class pictures. We will start soon after the beginning of morning classes and will likely finish  by 10:00 am.  All students will receive a complimentary copy of their class picture later in May.

USER PAY BUSSING
Reminder that Pre-Registration for User Pay Bussing for the 2008-2009 school year must be completed by May 15, 2008 and seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis so the earlier the better. Please note that even if you are on the program this year, you must re-register for next year.  Forms are available at our school office.

GOING FAST!
As we ran out last year and had many disappointed students, we'd like to remind interested students and parents that yearbooks are on sale now (for June delivery) and are selling quickly. $22 will get you a full color copy of this very popular book that features photos of every student as well as sports teams, clubs and fun activities from the year.

FRENCH CONCOURSE PUBLIC SPEAKING
Once again our district final for Concours was a very successful event with excellent presentations given by our FI students from levels gr. 4 to gr. 12. A great big thank you to all the teachers who continue to support this wonderful event which has become a showcase for our program. Also, thank you to all of the teachers who volunteered to judge this event. Your support is greatly appreciated.

I was very proud of our students. I spent the whole day listening  to speeches and it's really something to see the progression our students make in French from one level
to the next. Also, it was great to see the Late French Immersion students 6 & 7 participate this year. They were truly amazing!!  Here are the finalists:

Grade:6    Category:LFI          1st: Will J., 2nd: Emiley F., 3rd: Logan W.
Grade:6    Category:EFI          1st: Sarya R., 2nd: Emma B., 3rd: Benjamin K.
Grade:7    Category:LFI          1st: Sheng-Wa C., 2nd: Evie S., 3rd: Frankie B.
Grade:7    Category:EFI            1st: Jory S., 2nd: Mikayla P., 3rd: Tyler W.
Grade:7    Category:Francophone       1st: Michelle A., 2nd: Danica M., 3rd: Alexandre C.
Grade:8    Category:EFI                 1st: Teagan P., 2nd: Hudson L., 3rd: Naomi S.
Grade:8   Category:Francophone       1st: Mitchell F., 2nd: Danika B., 3rd: Lauren L.
The top student in each category will  represent our District at the Provincial Competition at the Surrey SFU campus on May 3rd.

GRADE8 KIWANIS STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to Grace Tsai for being named our school's Kiwanis Grade 8 student of the month for March. Grace received significant recognition in March for her incredible spelling abilities and will be representing our school and province in the Can West National Championships on April 18th-20th  However, this is only one reason for her selection. She is also an outstanding student in our French Immersion program, an excellent musician and a wonderful citizen of the school.  Well done Grace and good luck in Ottawa next week!  A live web-cast will be available at www.canspell.com at 10:00 am, Friday, April 18th with the final rounds televised on Global TV on Saturday night, April 19th.

SCHOOL PLANNING COUNCIL
The new cycle to begin to identify school goals for the upcoming 2008-2009 school year has begun.  School Planning Council members attended a training session on the evening of Wednesday, April 9th.  Staff have begun conversations around the areas that we will be highlighting at the school next year.  All schools in the province are required to submit their School Goals to the Ministry of Education by the end of June.

GYMNASTICS NEWS
Gr. 7 student, Mia A., has been involved in gymnastics for 5 years training 23 hour per week.  She is in Provincial 5, (the highest level in gymnastics) which is one level down from the Nationals.  She did a fantastic job at the Twisters Gymnastics Invitational Tournament over Spring Break and won a place on Team BC. She will be competing in the Western Finals in Prince George in  May. Congratulations on your hard work!!

MISSING SOMETHING??
If your child is missing a pair of prescription eyeglasses, please check with the office as there are many unclaimed..

GRADE 8 BAND TRIP
After a long process of practice, auditions and organization,  twenty five of our Grade 8 band students will be leaving on a field trip of a lifetime to Disneyland on Wednesday, April 16th.  They will be combining forces with another twenty  students from W.A. Fraser Middle School to perform on site at Disneyland.  This is a rare privilege that is accorded only to a small number of school bands through the course of a year.  Band teacher Miriam Norton has received excellent support from the parent community in assisting her in preparations for the significant event.  Good luck to our band members and "break a leg".

HOST FAMILIES NEEDED
Host families are needed for a group of Japanese students studying from July 23rd to August 9th at St. Ann’s Parish Centre in Abbotsford.  Host families receive a stipend of $30 per night for hosting.  Call 604-853-5563 if you are interested in  hosting.

WOLVES ATHLETIC NEWS
Rugby season is well underway with both Boys and Girls teams moving into their second league games this week.  We play Howe Middle School this week.  Boys are at Exhibition Park and Girls are home.  The rugby season runs to the first week of May.  Both teams have been entered in the ARFC Sevens Tournament at Yale on April 25th  from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. 
Track and Field season is starting this week with some weather permitting Spring Training sessions run by Mr. Richards.  Stay tuned to announcements for training runs on the oval.  Our School Track and Field Meet is set for Thursday, May 8th and the District Middle School Track and Field Meet  is scheduled for Thursday, June 5th.
Thirty five boys and twenty five girls at the grade 6 level are involved in a spring basketball experience.  Both teams have scheduled Wednesday playdays that run through to May 14th.  Mr. Barry Dudzik is coaching the boys and has had assistance from Grade 8 student Mitchell F..  Mrs. Louise Jenkins, who coached our Grade 8 girls basketball team this winter, is coaching the girls team.

LITERACY WEEK
We will be once again profiling one of our two school goals at the end of April through a series of activities to promote literacy.  April 28th to May 1st has been designated as Literacy Week #2.  Deadlines regarding some of those activities will be in the next newsletter.

P.A.C. MEETING MONDAY APRIL 14 AT 7:00 PM
April's P.A.C. meeting is set for this Monday, April 14th at 7:00 pm in our school library.  We are always looking for new members and hope that some of you that had intentions of joining the P.A.C.  this year, but were unable to do so, will consider assisting this important group within our school for the upcoming school year.

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April 24, 2008

Upcoming Dates to Note
May 8        Track and Field Meet
May 7        Gr. 5 Feeder School Visit @ 9:30 am
May 9        Gr. 8 Quebec Trip
May 19    Victoria Day (NO SCHOOL)
May 28    Gr. 5 Open House @ 6:30 pm
June 26    Last day of school
June 27    Report Cards Issued

New staff members join our school community
In the last few weeks we have had three new teachers join our school staff.   Following Spring Break Ms. Kate Pakaluk joined our Grade 8 English team replacing Ms. Amanda Schafer, who has relocated to Nanaimo.  Mrs. Juliet Usher has just joined our English 6 program replacing Mrs. Candice Gibb, who began a maternity leave. Mrs. Gibb is expecting her first child in a few weeks time.  In addition, Mrs. Katie Sweeting has joined our English 7 team replacing Ms. Leanne Sookachoof. Ms. Sookachoff is also beginning a maternity leave and is expecting her second child in early June.

Feeder School Visits
Vice Principal, Mrs. Fladager, Ms. Susan Lynch (our Youth Care Worker) and our Grade 7 Peer Mentors have been visiting our feeder schools (Terry Fox, Bondar, Clearbrook, Sandy Hill, Centennial and Stenersen) this past week.  During our visits we have talked with our incoming Grade 5 students about the wonderful opportunities that await them at our school and all of the support that they can expect to receive as the 'new kids on the block' next year.  We are very proud of both our school and of our students, and our Grade 7 Peer Mentors did a fabulous job of representing all that is great about CDG!  Our incoming Grade 5’s will be visiting us for a tour on the morning of May 7th and we will be hosting both them and their parents at an Open House evening from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on May 28th.

Disneyland Trip
Chief Dan George Grade 8 band students returned late last Sunday from a full five day road trip to Los Angeles.  An unexpected bonus for the group was meeting comedian Wayne Brady and also the grandson of our school's namesake, Chief Dan George, on the plane trip down to Anaheim. During their visit they performed in Disneyland for Disney's  visiting guests, worked with a Disney Clinician in Disney's sound stage to put a sound track behind three Disney cartoon segments, met and got their pictures taken with Wayne Brady and Dominic Monahan, of Lost, spent three full days of unlimited rides in Disneyland and another full day at Universal Studios and finally spent a morning on the world renowned Venice Beach.  Needless to say, we were all exhausted by the time we boarded the plane to come home. 

Everyone who came in contact with our amazing kids commented to us how well behaved, courteous, and polite they were.  Our clinician was amazed at their skill level and eagerness to learn. They were quality ambassadors of Chief Dan George throughout the entire trip and their behavior filled Ms. Norton and I with pride as we watched them navigate around this very different Southern California culture.
   
Ms. Norton and I would also like to thank our chaperons, Amanda Schafer,  Cindy Williams and Steve Biggerstaff for their tireless efforts in watching and guiding the kids for five very long days.  For many of the students it was a time of firsts: first flight, first time away from mom and dad, first time out of Canada and first time they were asked to budget their money for living expenses while on holidays.  We would also like to thank all the parents and local businesses that worked behind the scenes to help us raise funds for our trip.  Their efforts paid off in spades and were evident by the huge smiles on every students face for the full five days that we were away.  Again, thank you all.     Written by Mr. Lilly

School Track and Field meet at Rotary Stadium on Thursday, May 8
For the seventh consecutive year our school staff will be organizing a school track and field experience for all of our students at Rotary Stadium on May 8th. This is one of the many strong traditions a CDGMS and one of the highlights of the year.  Students will spend the entire school day at Rotary Stadium and all will be participating in at least three events.  Parents are welcome to drop by the stadium through the day to watch the action.  More information will be made available through a letter home in the following week.

Homestay Families Needed
Abbotsford School District, International Education Program requires host families to host international students.    The student’s age will range from 11 – 18 years.  The placements will vary from 3 – 10 months. Host families receive a monthly remuneration of $700.   Please visit our website at www.experienceabbotsford.com for more information.

Ringette-BC Winter Games
Danika B. and Erin L., both from Team BC, went to compete in Prince George against all the western provinces.  In the preliminary round they won all their games except one and ended up in semi finals against Manitoba.  They won 9-7 and moved on to the final where they took the silver medal.  Danika B. was one of several students selected from BC as the top forward scorer  who will represent the western provinces in a national competition.

District Math Speed Games Results
A few weeks ago a dozen of our top Grade 6 and 7 math students represented our school at the District Math Speed Games competition.  Our team finished fourth overall in the middle school division.  Grade 6 student Spencer Spenst had our school's highest score, which was also the highest score of all the Grade 6 students who participated.  Brandon K. was our school's top performer in the Grade 7 division.  Congratulations to all those students that represented our school!

Grade 6 and 7 English public speaking representatives
Last week the District's Public Speaking Competition for middle school students took place.  Thirty students at each grade level presented their speech to a team of judges.  Our school was represented by Grade 6 students Gagan S., Vishalini C. and Tiffany C. along with Grade 7 student Mia A.  All were well prepared and acquitted themselves very well.  Thanks to Gagan, Vishalini, Tiffany and Mia for a job well done!

Grace Tsai Speller Extraordinaire
Grade 8 student Grace Tsai represented our province at the National CanWest Spelling Competition in Ottawa last weekend.  The finals of the event were televised on Global TV in the evening on Saturday, April 19th. Up against the top 22 upper intermediate aged spellers in the country Grace made it to the top eleven group that participated in the nationally televised final on April 19th.  Under extreme pressure and scrutiny Grace performed exceedingly well and ended up fourth overall.  Not only were Grace and her family royally hosted by the CanWest folks they also were greeted by our Member of Parliament Mr. Ed Fast, who attended a welcoming dinner for all of the competitors.  Grace, along with the other 22 finalists will also now compete at the famous Scripts Spelling Bee Competition in Washington, DC in May.

District Art Show
Our artistic community here at CDG really stepped up and we had over 25 students enter pieces of artwork for consideration in our District Art Show.  A selection committee chose, with great difficulty, 14 pieces of artwork from the following students (representing our 3 grade levels):  Caroline S., Rea-Jayne S., Colleen H., Reilly E., Rebecca P., Nicole P., Jacey G., Sarah G., Beth N., Michelle J., Michelle P., Michelle K., John G. and Jory S. The artwork created by these students was matted and framed by Mr. Bruce Dugdale (our school counsellor) and was displayed at Seven Oaks Mall last week.  We are very proud of our young artists and wish to congratulate all who entered pieces.

Wolves Athletics News
Rugby season season reaches a fever pitch this week with three games and the ARFC Sevens Tournament on Friday.  The Girls play away to Fraser on Tuesday with the Boys home to Abby on Tuesday and away to Fraser on Thursday.  The Boys won an exhibition game against Fraser “B” on Thursday to set them up for a busy final week of the season.  Coach Jeff Dueck has done a great job teaching the boys all the technical and sportsmanship elements of the game.  We thank him very much for giving of his time to help CDG Boys Rugby.  The Girls lost a close 15 -14 game to Clayburn on Tuesday.  Coach Shawn Hagen highlighted their improved scrum play in winning several Clayburn put-ins.  We also would like to thank Shawn for coaching the Girls for the third year in a row.  This Friday, April 25th, Boys and Girls Sevens Teams from CDG will travel to Yale Secondary to participate in the Annual ARFC Sevens Tournament from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.  Twelve players from each team will be selected to play.
   
Track and Field season starts this week.  The CDG Track and Field Meet is scheduled for May 8th and the District Middle School Track and Field Meet for June 5th.  Those students that are interested in training for specific events after school should stay tuned to daily announcements for practice schedules.

Literacy Week
April 28th - May 2nd is Literacy Week at CDGMS. Teams will be provided with several literacy strategies to choose from. “Illustrated Note Squares” was popular in previous implementation weeks, and will be repeated. New strategies include “Graffiti”, “Partner Images” and “5 W’s - YOU ask the Questions.”  At the week’s end, visual representations of the various strategies will be collected and displayed, showcasing the wide variety of curriculum areas in which these strategies can be implemented. It wouldn’t be Literacy Week without a contest, and all students will have the opportunity to enter the “Name the Quote” draws on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The last Guinness Book of World Records, and two gift certificates for Coles/Chapters will go to a student in grade 6, 7, and 8.

Student Leadership News
During the lunch hour on Friday May 2nd, the Student Leadership Team will be hosting an "80's" Dance in the gym.  Everyone is invited!  Come with big hair, neon leg warmers, acid-washed jeans, or anything that SCREAMS the 80's!  We'll be rocking out to some classic music such as Cyndi Lauper, New Kids on the Block, and Duran Duran.  Good time GUARANTEED!!  Admission is only $1.  Be there, or be square!!

Chess and Cookies
Chief Dan George will be hosting an afternoon of chess and cookies:
  * Wednesday,  May 7th from 2:45 pm - 4:15 pm. 
  * Open for all students K-8.
  * Cost:  bring some cookies or juice to share
All students must be supervised by a teacher or parent
Please RSVP to Bruce Glum at 604-852-9616 or
bruce_glum@sd34.bc.ca

Lost and Found Items - PLEASE CLAIM!
Each classroom in our school will be viewing the many items that have accumulated in our Lost & Found bin in our Multi-Purpose Room on Monday, April 28th.  Any clothing/items not claimed by Wednesday, April 30th will be donated to our Help the Homeless shed sponsored by Mr. Goerke and our Grade 8 Student Leaders.  Please remind your child to check the Lost and Found bin.

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