Signal Hill Circular - May 7, 2021

Signal Hill Circular

for the week ended Friday May 7, 2021

We are honored to be living, working and playing on the traditional, unceded ancestral territories of the St'át'yemc Nation.

Message from SHE Admin

Dear Signal Hill Families,

We had a busy week of initiatives and activities at Signal Hill this week. We had students singing with violin accompanist for Music Mondays, drumming for Mental Health's Keep the Beat in Trax class, visiting bee hives and preparing garden beds for May planting. Please take a look at our Learning Connections section to see this learning in action.

This week, Signal Hill grounds received an upgrade via our PAC's work securing the grant from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation. We now have more indigenous trees planted all over our grounds to provide future shade for students and to restore the grounds with some of its native plants. We are also fortunate that this grant comes with a learning opportunity through Pemberton Stewardship where students will learn about these trees and shrubs through walking field trips to the One Mile Lake Nature Center at the end of May and into June. Thanks PAC!

SHE Admin team

Learning Connections for our staff and students

Music Monday 2021 - Mrs. Cameron's class has joined Music Monday 2021, whose goal is to shine a spotlight on the importance of ensuring equitable access to quality music education for all Canadian children and youth. Signal Hill had representation in the Singing for the Music Monday Virtual Cross Canada Celebration along with accompanying local violinists: Mio Grier, Kacey Cox, Emma Drennan and Beth Solem. View the video here.

Keep the Beat Mental Health Week

Busy as a bee learning as SHE!

The drone bee has landed!

Trees being moved and planted.

Community Workshops/Events

Applications are now open for the 2021 Student Art Award – please read on for important changes to the program.

Changes to the award process in 2021:

Due to the ongoing uncertainty and public health orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 award recipients will be decided by representatives from each school. There will be no showcase or portfolio viewing facilitated by Arts Whistler in 2021.
Applications must be submitted by each student via the online portal. This allows Arts Whistler to still collect important information from each applicant.
After applications have closed I will email you a complete list of applications and suggested jury criteria so you can make your decision on who the award recipient will be from your school. The winner must be picked from this list of applicants provided.

See below for a timeline of important dates for the award jury process this year. If you school is unable to meet this timeline (below) or any of the points laid out above please let me know by Friday, April 9. This may mean that unfortunately your school cannot participate in the award this year.

May 9 | Student applications close at 5pm
May 10 | Imogen emails submitted applications to each school
May 10 - 18 | School (or school awards committee) chooses ONE winner for the award
May 19 | School emails Imogen the winners name
May 20 - 27 | AW makes arrangements for cheques, certificates and plaque engraving (if required)
June 1 - 4 | Cheques and certificates are delivered to each school

All this information, award eligibility, and the online application portal can be found: artswhistler.com/artists-look-here/grants-awards-bursaries

Daily Health Check

New App Simplifies Students‘ Daily Health Check

Thanks to a new app, it's easier than ever for your students or their parents to complete their daily health check each morning.

Developed in partnership with Public Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control, and a group of students, the K-12 daily health check website and mobile app help students and families make the best decisions on whether to attend school, stay home, or take other measures. Questions and answers are easy to understand and are based on current health guidelines. All content is written with the K-12 age group in mind.

As indicated in the Provincial COVID-19 Health Safety Guidelines for K-12 Settings, parents and caregivers should assess their children daily for illness before sending them to school. Please share the information about the new K-12 Health Check App with your students and families to make this process easier.

Parent Advisory Committee

Visit the PAC Pages here.

Dear Families,

The final hot lunch session of this year is active now.

We could really use a couple more volunteers to help with delivering the food each week!

There is not a large "ahead of time" commitment. We check in on Monday or Tuesday of each week to see who is available and go from there.

It only takes approximately an hour of time on a Wednesday or Thursday (depending on the menu and your availability it could be less or a little bit more - whatever works!) and by helping you can earn credits towards your child's hot lunch account.

Please send an email to [email protected] if you would like more information or are able to spare some time. The only requirements are that you have a criminal record check at the office and that you are ok to wear a mask for the duration.

If you haven't ordered yet but would like to:

To order online:
1. Go to https://signalhillpac.hotlunches.net to register.
2. On the home page, search for our school, create a new account, and enter the school access code which is currently SHE2020
3. Add students by name and class
4. Place your orders for the current session.
5. All orders are due by Thursday of the week before the menu item is delivered. Order all at once for best efficiency. You can make changes online up to midnight the Thursday before.
To order by paper:
1. Contact [email protected] for an emailed order form or phone the office for a printed one.

Questions, concerns, suggestions? Email [email protected]

Mental Health & Well-Being

There are four components to helping students build resiliency . This week, I’d like to highlight community as one of Signal Hill’s strengths.

We are a diverse community working together to encourage health wellness for our students.

Signal Hill wants to take the time to thank the Parent Advisory Committee, and other volunteers in helping to create a sense of community and belonging for our Signal Hill Students.

To all the staff at Signal Hill – thank you for creating caring spaces and wonderful learning experiences for students.

VCH Information Update