School Newsletter

OUR WEBPAGE HAS CHANGED AS OF APRIL 22 PLEASE GO TO: 





Fernwood School's ELF (StrongStart) Program
SD 64 provides Early Learning programs on all Gulf Islands. Early Learning for Families (ELF) Strong Start BC programs are free, drop in programs for children, 0-5 yr. old with a parent or caregiver, under the direction of our wonderful Early Childhood Educator, Mundy! For more information contact Mundy at rhenbrey@sd64.org



Looking Ahead Dates:


 Monday, April 19 -Quentin Harris at Fernwood 
 Thursday, April 22 -JeanUP! to Support BC Children's Hospital - please see letter below
 -Earth Day Activities at Fernwood
 Thursday, April 29 -Quentin Harris at Fernwood 
 Wednesday, May 4  -Class Picture Day 
 Monday, May 24 -Victoria Day (no school)                                                                
 Friday, May 28- Friday School Day    
 -Annual Fernwood School "Great Water Walk
 Tuesday, June 29 -Last Day of School 


Before Coming to School - UPDATED (email March 1st) Daily Health Check Requirement

Thank you to families for doing their Daily Health Checks. We ask that you continue to perform them; that you continue to follow Public Health Guidelines; and that you contact the school office regarding student absences.     

Please let us know in advance if you need to visit the school. As with any BC indoor public space, masks are required to be worn. Please sanitize your hands on arrival and sign the Visitor Contract Tracing Form on the front entrance table by the office. You can call ahead if you have any questions 250-537-9332.

Please also help us reduce congestion by not lingering at pick up time. In our ongoing and required effort to reduce contact we remind parents to try to minimize time spent on the school grounds at pick up and drop off times. 

We thank you for your on-going support and assure you that we are doing everything possible to keep Fernwood School a welcoming and safe place for your child to learn.


New School Website! (Please change your bookmarks)

posted Apr 15, 2021, 4:02 PM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 21, 2021, 3:15 PM ]

Dear Fernwood Families, 

We are excited to provide our new website! Both the old and the new sites are included below just in case anyone had the old one bookmarked. 

On the news this week are the looking ahead dates, a photo carousel, posts from the ELF Program, our Grade 4 learning survey (please provide info!), a Covid School Sector update from the BCCDC. We have amazing veggie starts from the Garden Program at the farmstand! Thank you to Cyrus, Magnus and Johann's family for donating paint for an art installation at Mahon Hall four classes will be working on. 

Next Thursday, April 22nd is Earth Day and also a very special fundraiser for the BC Children's Hospital Foundation we would like for you to read about on our newspage. It's called JeanUP! 

Here are the website addresses:

NEW SITE: https://sites.google.com/sd64.bc.ca/fernwood-elementary/newsletter

Soon to be OLD!   http://fernwood.sd64.bc.ca/school-news


April School Sector Document from BC Centre for Disease Control

posted Apr 15, 2021, 1:47 PM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 15, 2021, 3:44 PM ]


For Students in Ms Pyper, Ms Curtis, Ms Jones And Ms Michaux's classes: from Art Teacher

posted Apr 15, 2021, 1:46 PM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 15, 2021, 3:42 PM ]


Your child needs an old t-shirt or shirt to pull over their clothing and to use as a paint shirt for the rest of this school year. Please send it to school with them on Monday. 

We are painting with exterior latex paint on driftwood posts that will be on display for the month of June outside of Mahon Hall. You will be able to bring their artwork (the painted driftwood post) after the show. I will let you know the dates for the show and take home at the end of May. 

Thank so much to Windsor Plywood for the rebar donation (so each post stands upright), and Benjamin Moore Paints (Shane and Sonia Hubenig, Johann, Cyrus and Magus's family!) for the high quality paint! Thank you to the weather for sunshine while we paint outside! 

Janice Parker 

jparker@sd64.org (if you have questions) 

Parents of Grade 4 Students - still time to answer survey!

posted Apr 15, 2021, 1:19 PM by Leah Ashford

If you have a grade 4 child registered at Fernwood, we ask for your help in filling out a quick survey.  

Every year, the Ministry of Education asks grade 4 students and parents of grade 4 students questions related to their satisfaction with their child's education.  The surveys are anonymous, don't take long, and provide feedback that can be used in the school system to make improvements.

If you click on the link below and go to the PARENT DIRECT ACCESS section on the bottom right hand side of the screen, you will not need a code to log in.  You do need to select the district from the drop down menu - Gulf Islands 64 and school Fernwood.


Student Learning Survey 2020/2021

The Provincial Student Learning Survey is unique in its scope, size and usefulness to schools. It gathers information from parents/guardians/caregivers, teachers and students on topics related to school environment, safety, and achievement. The information is used for planning in individual schools and provides a district and provincial perspective.

Early in 2021 the Student Learning Survey will be administered to students in grades 4 and 7, their parents/guardians/caregivers, and all school staff. We encourage parents/guardians/caregivers to participate in this survey, as the results are important in identifying and celebrating current strengths, as well as determining where the school needs to focus improvement. The surveys contain standard questions for the Province – in addition, questions from the school and/or district that focus on local conditions or issues may be included. 

The survey can be completed electronically and can be accessed on the Internet at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey. Any computer with an Internet connection can be used, and access to the e-survey is simple and secure. The survey can be accessed through the link with or without an anonymous logon code by selecting the school district and school name where your child attends school. Provincial, District and School Reports for previous years can be viewed at the same site under the Results section.

The e-survey site will be open until April 30th.

Earth Day at Fernwood School April 22

posted Apr 15, 2021, 10:20 AM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 15, 2021, 1:52 PM ]

Class activities in the works for Fernwood School include a beach clean up, grounds clean up, an old growth forest talk and poetry. 


Special Day to Support BC Children's Hospital - 'JeanUp! Day' for Joy - April 22

posted Apr 15, 2021, 9:55 AM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 21, 2021, 3:15 PM ]



Dear Fernwood families,


Some of you may know our lovely student, Joy, in grade 5.  You may also know the hard journey she was on as a child, going through multiple surgeries and also multiple years of chemotherapy to beat cancer. But no matter how many hurdles she was given, Joy remained strong and was able to recover, attend school, make friends, and more.  Throughout all of her hardships, Joy has remained a kind, sweet and strong girl, whose smile can light up a room.


On April 22nd, Joy will be undergoing open heart surgery to correct an issue she was born with... they had to wait until she was strong enough to undergo such a major surgery, and now is the time.  This little girl who fought so hard to beat cancer, be strong, and to be at school with her friends, now has to dig deep and be strong all over again.


On Thursday, April 22nd, everyone at Fernwood will be wearing Jeans for the BC Children's Hospital Fundraiser, Jean Up and will be raising funds for the hospital where Joy will be having her surgery.  For more information about the Jean Up! fundraiser, please see this link: https://www.bcchf.ca/event/jean-up/why-jeans/ 


We are asking for as many children as possible to please wear JEANS on April 22nd, and to bring a loonie or twonie to school to help support the BC Children's Hospital.  We know that the more we send positive thoughts to Joy and her family on April 22nd, the better outcome she will have.


Donations will be collected by the classroom teachers. After Joy's surgery and once all the money has been added, we will share information about our fundraiser, post some pictures from Jean Up Day, and update you on how Joy is doing in her recovery.


Thank you for your support of Joy... it means a lot to us all.


Kelda Logan

Principal

Fernwood Elementary School


Girl Guides Leaders Needed for Next Year

posted Apr 15, 2021, 8:47 AM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 15, 2021, 1:54 PM ]



Celebrating the 100th Day of School at Fernwood

posted Apr 9, 2021, 3:38 PM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 15, 2021, 10:01 AM ]



The 100th day of school is literally the 100th day of the school year. More importantly, it is a great way for Teachers and students to celebrate various achievements and in particular mathematical concepts that can be taught using the number 100. Here are some photographs of activities today. 

Introducing "Wellness Wednesday" - Mental Wellness Initiative

posted Apr 9, 2021, 2:33 PM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 28, 2021, 1:12 PM ]

The Salt Spring Health Advancement Network’s Mental Wellness Initiative is comprised of community partners (including SD64) to help develop an understanding, engagement, commitment and support in areas of mental wellness.   Please see the message below for more info.  

The Wellness Wednesday Project is to provide education and support through various inspirational resources with the hope of connecting with the larger community.  In an effort to support families and staff, information and/or links to the Wellness Wednesday Project will be included in our school newsletter.   


The Salt Spring Health Advancement Network’s (SSHAN) Mental Wellness Initiative is funded through grants from Island Health’s Community Wellness Grants, the Salt Spring Foundation including COVID Emergency Preparedness & Relief Funds, and a CRD Grant-in-Aid. A key coalition of providers, community members, and those with lived experience include the local Chapter the Remote and Rural Division of Family Practice, School District #64, Island Health Adult Mental Health & Substance Use, Salt Spring Community Services Society, Salt Spring Community Health Society, Salt Spring Health Advancement Network, Chu’an Society, BIPOC Community Collective Society lead the initiative.


The MWI aims include effective “coordination, cooperation, collaboration, responsiveness and adaptation” in our community “enabling cohesive and personalized mental wellness services towards healthy and well community.” Some of its goals are:

  • To provide a broad community understanding of existing mental wellness services available and how to access them/refer people to them

  • Engaging with the larger community - providers, users and community members - to create a common understanding of mental wellness including understanding of what’s working, and what the needs/gaps are including causes of these

  • Having a summit or series of summits to mobilize addressing some of the needs/gaps/causes

  • A commitment to social justice - ensuring all voices are heard

 

The Wellness Wednesday Project is designed to provide support and education around mental wellness to the Salt Spring Island community through inspirational and educational resources. Each Wednesday we will share a short written introduction and a video or meme (an image, video, piece of text, etc. that is copied, often with slight variations, and spread rapidly by internet users) related to wellness. The Wellness Wednesday Project is part of the MWI's efforts to connect to the larger community.

Fernwood School Annual "GREAT Water Walk" 2021

posted Apr 9, 2021, 2:21 PM by Leah Ashford   [ updated Apr 9, 2021, 2:26 PM ]

Since 2005 Fernwood Elementary School has provided wells to many villages in India through the organization called SOPAR (http://sopar.ca/en/index.php) by undertaking the ANNUAL "GREAT WATER WALK".  Last year alone we helped 825 people in 4 villages access clean drinking water.  

All students from Kindergarten to Grade 5 will be participating in a walk (on a schedule throughout the day) to St. Mary Lake and back. As in past years, we are walking to raise money to provide village wells in Andhra Pradesh, India.  


As always, the positive energy and commitment of our students has been wonderful to see, and we’re all looking forward to another GREAT “Water Walk”!


We would like to take this opportunity to thank retired Fernwood Teacher, Ms Robin Andison (who taught at Fernwood school for over 25 years!) for running this fundraiser for MANY years and announce that Ms Janice Parker, Fernwood School Teacher and Artist, has generously offered to run it this year. 

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION TO COME!  THE WATER WALK IS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, MAY 28TH. 

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