Teacher and Staff Appreciation

The year is really flying along. It is hard to believe that it is already the February break; hopefully the weather gets a little warmer so that the students can actually spend some time outside, instead of just being stuck in the house. It is Teacher and Staff appreciation week across the province and I just want to thank the amazing staff at Bjorkdale School for everything they do to help our children. I once asked a veteran administrator what he looks for when he hires a teacher, and his words have always stuck with me. He said he did not look for a person who is up to date on all the new practices or a person who has strong classroom management; instead, he looked for a person who cares about kids. He said if you find someone that just wants to work and help students, then they will figure out the rest and become great teachers. We are very lucky at this school to have a staff filled with people who deeply care about the well-being of the students. So if you see one of the staff members around the community this week, please take the time to thank them for what they do.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the Telemiracle Tea and Art Auction. It always amazes me how much our community is willing to give in order to support a great cause. The Art Auction alone raised $1538 for Telemiracle. I want to thank Beth Bentz for the amazing work she has been doing with our students by teaching art classes after school. Beth is a wonderful talent, and it is awesome that our students get to spend time learning from her.

The archery equipment is here and our program should be starting as soon as we get our net set up. I want to thank everyone in the community who donated money so that we could purchase this equipment. It is great to be able to provide our students with another extra-curricular opportunity, and one that does not require a large student population in order to participate.

The Ski-trip is booked for March 17^th, which is a Saturday. Forms for this trip will be handed out after the break. It would be great to see all of our students and parents participate in this event. A reminder that students in grade three and under require adult supervision, or they will not be given a lift ticket and they will have to stick to the bunny hill for the day.

For those people who know me, I am history person.  I believe we learn best through experiences, whether these experiences are negative or positive. Therefore, as I watched the terrible news from the shooting in Florida, I heard a father say something that we should all try to remember, especially with it being Family Day next week. "Remember to Love your kids, hold your kids, kiss your kids. And don't ever, ever miss the chance to tell them how much you love them."  

Have a great break.