Friday 17 February 2017

February 17th, 2017

SOCIAL MEDIA
At Hawthorne we are frequently dealing with challenges at school that either started online or gained traction there. Although there are real benefits to kids using sites like Facebook, including increased communication, access to information and help in developing a sense of self, there can be serious downsides to all this online sharing too.  Social networking is on the rise, and the study found that 22 percent of teenagers log onto their favourite social media sites more than 10 times a day, and that 75 percent own cell phones. This level of engagement online increases the risks of cyberbullying, “Facebook depression” (a new phenomenon where “de-friending” and online bullying lead to symptoms of depression), exposure to inappropriate content, and sexting.

Just as we prepare our kids for life in the real world, we should prepare them for life in the online world. Read on for tips that every parent should keep in mind at the following tips from  Parenting.com:  social media monitoring.

PINK SHIRT DAY
On February 22nd,  thousands of students and staff members around B.C. will be recognizing anti-bullying initiatives by wearing a Pink shirt.  This movement commemorates an incident that took place a number of years ago at a high school in Nova Scotia.  Students at the school,  rallied together against bullying by supporting a student who had been targeted with homophobic remarks after wearing a pink shirt to school.  The day after he was teased, hundreds of students wore pink to support him and the bullies received the message loud and clear.  Many of our staff members and students will be wearing pink tomorrow and we hope that this day provides everyone with a reminder of what they can do to keep Hawthorne a safe, welcoming place for everyone.

TALENT SHOW
Hawthorne will be hosting its annual Talent Show on Thursday, March 9th at approximately 1:45pm.  The start time will be confirmed once we have finalized our list of performers.  We will be hosting a rehearsal on Monday, February 27th in preparation for what should be a fun event.  If your child is participating, please ensure that he/she is prepared with their proper equipment or music for the rehearsal. We hope that your schedule allows you to attend.

PAC MEETING
Your PAC will be hosting its next meeting on Thursday, Feb. 23rd at 1:45pm.   The session will be completed by 3pm to allow parents to pick up their children and we hope your schedule allows you to attend.

CANADA GAMES ACTIVITY CHALLENGES
On Tuesday of this week,  Hawthorne was very pleased to play host to yet another famous athlete.  Canadian Olympian and medalist, Jennifer Heil, was at Hawthorne to share her message about goal-setting and help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canada Games program.  Hawthorne was one of two schools in Canada (out of 4000 submissions!) that was chosen for this presentation.  Special thanks to Ms. Mack for submitting our entry.  Students and classes are now engaged in the Canada Games Activity Challenge.  You can find out more at the following link:  Activity Challenge.

PEANUT AWARE
Please note that Hawthorne is a "peanut aware" school.  We have a number of students with a life-threatening allergy to peanuts. As a result, a letter is sent home for those respective classrooms advising them of the safety concern and discouraging the use of peanut products.  We also closely monitor the contents of lunches and  clean surfaces where necessary.  For those students and families dealing with anaphylaxis it is important to know that while Hawthorne is "peanut aware" we cannot claim to be "peanut free" as we are not able to monitor every lunch or food item that arrives at the school.  Thank you for your attention to this issue.




HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY PROGRAMS



IMPORTANT DATES

Wednesday, Feb. 22
Pink Shirt Day / Walk To School

Thursday, Feb. 23
PAC Meeting
1:45pm

Friday,  Feb. 24
Professional Day
School Closed

Monday, March 6th
Monthly Assembly
9:45am

Thursday, March 9th
Talent Show
1:45pm Gym

Friday, March 10th
Hot Lunch/Walk to School


March 13th-24th
Spring Break
School Closed