Thursday, October 29th

TRAFFIC AT HAWTHORNE

As we enter our third month of school, parents are reminded to avoid driving their child to school whenever possible. The increased congestion does create a genuine safety concern for our students and taxes the skills of our crossing guards.If you must drive, please consider the following alternatives: dropping off at the pathway on Grove Avenue or at the parking lot for Hawthorne Park. Thank you in advance for your attention to this issue.

HAWTHORNE'S HAUNTED HOUSE

Our grade 7 students are currently hard at work setting up the 2015 edition of Hawthorne's Haunted House. Classes will be touring through the "House" during the day on Friday, October 30th. There will also be an opportunity for parents or former students to tour through from 3-3:30pm on that same day.  This is a fundraiser for our grade 7 classes and a $1-$2 donation is suggested.  Please note that the Haunted House will be hosted in our gym this year. It should be scarrrrry kids:)

COSTUME SAFETY FOR HALLOWEEN

We will be hosting a "Halloween Spirit" day on Friday, October 31st and we are encouraging all of our staff and students to participate by wearing a costume.  Prizes will be drawn for some lucky participants. We are looking forward to what should be a fun day.  Coming up with a creative disguise doesn't mean that safety needs to be forgotten, so here are some safety tips to keep in mind.

• PLEASE NOTE THAT TOY/REPLICA WEAPONS ARE NOT PERMITTED AT HAWTHORNE
• October 31 can be a chilly night so make sure that costumes are loose enough to be worn over warm clothing but not so baggy or long that trick or treaters can trip over their costumes.
• Trick-or-treaters should wear sturdy walking shoes.
• Choose brightly-coloured costumes that will be clearly visible to motorists. For greater visibility, add or incorporate reflective tape into the costume.
• Make-up and face paint are better than wearing masks which can restrict breathing and/or vision. If you choose to use a mask make sure it is one that allows the child to see and breathe easily.
• Swords, knives and similar accessories should be made of soft, flexible material.
• Look for costumes, beards and wigs labelled "Flame-Resistant" -- nylon or heavyweight polyester costumes are best. Flame Resistant does not mean 'fire proof'. Avoid costumes with baggy sleeves or flowing skirts to minimize the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources. Costumes made of flimsy materials have been found to burn more quickly when exposed to fire sources.

Think twice before changing the colour of your eyes with cosmetic contact lenses. These cosmetic lenses should be used only under the supervision of an eye-care professional. In addition, wear time should be limited to the shortest duration possible. The lenses must never be worn while asleep, and cosmetic contact lenses should not be shared with others. 

FAMILY GAME NIGHT

Families are invited to attend our Family Game Night scheduled for Thursday, November 5 from 6:30-8pm. Our PAC has hired an outside group to host this night filled with a great range of activities for families to enjoy and plenty of door prizes. We will have a variety of stations set up with student helpers providing assistance where necessary.  We hope that your schedule allows you to attend.  Please be sure to return the RSVP if you are planning to join us.

COLDER WEATHER

As the weather begins to take a negative turn, we are asking parents to ensure that our students are coming to school with clothing that is appropriate for the conditions.  As well,  it would be helpful if your child had a change of clothes left at the school to account for those occasions when they might get wet or muddy from outdoor play.  Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

During the first two months of school,  our students and staff have been engaged in some emergency planning.  We began by reviewing our fire drill procedures in September. We also participated in the "Shakeout B.C." initiative on October 15th and hosted an  earthquake drill. The drill consisted of an initial "duck, cover, hold" response followed by an evacuation. Students and staff then mustered on the gravel field while our building assessment, search, rescue and command centre teams carried out their duties. We will be conducting another full-scale emergency drill in May to practice our student release systems. Student release is the term used in reference to how schools re-connect families during an emergency. For Hawthorne's student release, parents or other caregivers will be directed by our command centre to an area for student pick up.  With this in mind,  we ask that all parents have provided the school with a list of people that their child(ten) can be released to.  As well, we would like to have an "out of province" contact that we can share information with if necessary.  This information can be updated on Parent Connect.

I would like to recognize two parent volunteers, Mrs. Barnes and Ms. Barton, for their work in re-organizing our emergency preparedness bin and taking inventory of supplies. We strongly recommend that you have an emergency plan and supplies for your home because based on the hours that students attend school (15% of the year), it is very likely to be an event that families will have to cope with. If you should have any questions or concerns with regard to our emergency planning, please contact Mr. Carruthers at the office (mcarruthers@deltasd.bc.ca).

PHOTO RETAKES 

Please note that the photo re-takes day has changed and will now take place during the morning of Friday, Nov. 6.

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday, October 30th

Halloween Spirit Day

Thursday, November 5th
Family Game Night
6:30-8pm

Friday November 6th
PHOTO RE-TAKES

Friday, November 6th

Monthly Assembly

Gymnasium 2pm

Tuesday, Nov. 10th

Walk to School Day

Remembrance Day Assembly

Gymnasium 11am

Tuesday, Nov. 11th

Remembrance Day

School Closed