After three years at the helm of the Lions Bay School PAC (Parent Advisory Council)  it is time for me to move on and say goodbye to a job I not only enjoyed, but which opened me up to a new set of experiences that in the end were deeply meaningful.  There are a few things I want to highlight and that I want to leave with the Lions Bay community before I move on. I hope it will inspire all residents, parents or not, to continue to support our great school in the years ahead.

Anything and Everything.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about our school is the never-ending process of learning, which of course includes the usual reading, math and science menu, but more importantly anything and everything beyond that. The range of activities and people visiting the school to help a new generation on its way is breathtaking, and here is a small selection of what I saw over the past three years:

Musicals, pioneer projects, tennis, badminton, salmon hatching, owls, field trips, cultural events, Olympians, musicians, talent shows, visiting MPs, Terry Fox runs, Jump Rope for Heart, sport days, beach days, walk-to-school challenges, drawing and painting everything from Pablo Picasso to Vincent van Gogh to Jesse Reno, fairy tale projects, indoor hockey, mountain bikers, visits to Gleneagles, the planetarium, hikes, Paralympic events, school site clean-ups: you name it, it was all offered by the school and its enthusiastic and committed staff. And if some extra money was required to make it happen, the PAC somehow found it.

All of this contributes to a level of excitement and energy that you can sense walking up on Bayview Road every morning well before the school bell rings. It is creating a group of children that is so well-prepared and so well-grounded that when they line up for that bus to take them to Grade 4 at Gleneagles, you know they will do well in the bigger world.

At the Annual General Meeting of the Lions Bay Community Scholarship Foundation on June 2, 2010, the current Board of Louis Peterson, Michael Broughton, Mary McLaughlin, Carole Conlin, Brenda Broughton, Glenn Gates, Debbie Goldberg,  Sandra Kirkpatrick, and Kim Mailey agreed to continue in harness for another year. The main item of the evening, however, was a Reception for the Lions Bay Grads of 2010 at which students, parents and friends were welcome.

The Board extends Best Wishes to all of the Grads as they move on to new careers - James Bell, Lauren Cuthbertson, Peter Dyer, Josh Mehlenbacher, Rebecca Montgomery, Carlee Trembley, Spencer Robins, and Iona Wray. A photo op picture show many happy faces in front of the Village Plaque.

The Curly Stewart Trust Award

The Lions Bay Community Scholarship

The Norman Kirby Scholarship

If you are a Lions Bay Grade 12 student intending to pursue post secondary education, you are invited to apply for consideration for a Scholarship available in the Village under the aegis of the Curly Stewart Memorial Trust Fund, the Lions Bay Community Scholarship Foundation, and the Norman Kirby Scholarship Fund. Please obtain and read carefully the Rules and Regulations pertaining to these Scholarships. Several Scholarships or other Awards may be available, but note that you may normally hold only one of these Village Scholarships.

The Rules and Regulations and the Application Form may be obtained from your School Counselor or from the Village Office in Lions Bay. You may download the pdf from this article  Scholarhsip 2010 Form  or on the municipal website www.lionsbay.ca .  Submit only one set of documents with your application on or before the deadline of May 10, 2010, to:

Olympic fever has hit the city!  Over the past six weeks the children have been consumed by the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and you could feel the excitement building in the last few weeks leading up to the opening ceremonies.  The children's largest interest came in the form of 4 furry critters, and we spent a lot of time discussing the beloved mascots:  Quatchi, Sumi, Miga and Muk Muk.  The children studied the Olympic Rings - with many different meanings - from friendship to the various continents coming together in harmony for the games.  We talked about the various sports and discovered the favourites in the class (hocky and skiing!) and enjoyed a fun morning ice skating and also having our own mini Olympics.  The Olympic Torch Relay coming through the village made a huge impact on the learning, and helped the children see what the Olympic Games really mean to the community.

Other than the excitement surrounding the Olympics, we have been busy with the academics.  We have been working on early reading, and some of the 4 year olds are beginning to sound out words to try to read them.  All of the 4's and a few of the 3 year olds are writing their own names, along with a few other words.  We have been learning numbers through various games, keeping it a fun experience; the children are taking initiative to pull out the games and play with one another during open play.

The Playschool Open House will take place on Thursday, March 25th from 11:45am until 1pm.  Families interested in enrolling for the 2010-2011 school year are invited to come and visit the classroom, and meet the teacher and executive committee.  This is a wonderful opportunity for new families to become familiar with our beautiful space and meet other families.  We hope to see you there!