¡Bienvenidos febrero! El mes de amistad y de amor.

February is a weird and wonderful month. Weather-wise, at least in our area of the world, we do not quite know if we are going to experience extended winter, early spring, or a mix of both. Given the drastic temperature changes that we often experience, the field and pathways around the school tend to get quite slippery. Please be careful as you navigate around our school.

February is also the shortest month of the year, usually counted as 28 days. This year is considered a “Leap Year” as we will count 29 days this month. To read about the science behind Leap Year, you might want to read this brief article from the Smithsonian institute: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/science-leap-year

A favourite theme for this month also includes LOVE. This can be approached in many ways and at our school, the focus is much less on
romantic love and more tailored to celebrating friendship, belonging and acts of kindness. This is where we have created our tradition of recognizing “Acciones de Amistad”.

We will continue to invite all students to notice and record acts of kindness that they notice around them. It is often so much easier to observe shortfalls in others and I love when we can work together to celebrate the many wonderful things that children do for each other, every single day. Additionally, on February 28 at 2pm, our grade 2 community will come together in a celebration of learning in honour of Pink Shirt Day. Grade 2 parents are invited to attend this event. Even if you are not a

grade 2 parent, you are more than welcome to join us, to recognize the importance of creating and maintaining safe, caring and welcoming spaces for all students.

As an extension of our work to promote kindness and friendship this month, we are inviting our community to participate in a Personal Hygiene Product- Giving Drive. Sra.Jackie spent time at a recent system meeting with other Assistant Principals who work in schools in areas of the city that have a higher proportion of students who experience financial need. We gently challenge each family to put together a large Ziploc bag containing items such as:

Deodorant
Shampoo
Toothbrush, floss, toothpaste
Feminine hygiene products (teen friendly)
Hair ties/clips
Comb, brush
Conditioner
Body wash/ soap

We can help to foster a sense of belonging through giving and sharing within and beyond our community. It is important to us that our students learn to become citizens that demonstrate compassion and care for others. We will collect items all month and hope to donate them to a partner school before Spring Break. If you are unable to donate at this time, we understand that financial hardship is also a reality within our community.