​Anyone else have plans to spend a portion of this weekend in a food-induced coma on the couch? I not only get to attend a wedding and ingest all the yumminess that comes in the form of dinner and wedding cake on Saturday but also get to go to a family dinner on Sunday. I plan on eating so much at both affairs that you can expect to see me sporting a lovely round 'food baby' on Tuesday! Enjoy the long weekend- we all have many things to be grateful for.

• Don't forget to send library books back for exchange on Tuesday. 
• Scholastic book orders are due today, Friday, Oct. 5.
• Monday, Oct. 8 is Thanksgiving and BEST will be closed. Enjoy!
• We will have our third fire drill on Tuesday, Oct. 9. That should be it until the spring.
• Class photos and retakes will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 10.
• Our first lock down drill will happen on Thursday, Oct. 11 and possibly a WITS session with our RCMP liaison officer.
• Friday, Oct. 12 is Rivers Day and all of BEST will be attending presentations down at the river. Further info is forthcoming.

• Please feel free to send Family Projects back as they are finished. October ones came home this week and are due any time around Oct. 15.
• We will be participating in a Bus Orientation session on Tuesday, Oct. 16 and learn how to ride the bus safely- just in time for our field trips.
• The Blazers will visit BEST on Wednesday, Oct. 17.
• Team Awesome will host an Open House for our parents at the end-of-day pick up on Wednesday, Oct. 17 as well as at the 12:30 pick up on Thursday Oct. 18.
• Thursday, October 18 is an early dismissal day and the children will be ready to go home at 12:30.
• Thursday, Oct. 18 we have a presentation at Pavilion Theatre. More info to come.
• Friday, Oct. 19 is a Non-Instructional Day so Team Awesome will stay home.
• Please send a set of headphones for your child to use with our iPads. See previous post for info.
• We started our Take Home Book program last week. As your child finishes with the book, drop the whole bag in the clear bin beside the door to exchange for a new one. We will try and trade books most days but sometimes things pop up and we are not able to.
• Please have your child read any little paper books that come home (approximately 1 per week) multiple times for practice. Thank you.
• The first set of sight words were introduced. They are: I, a, like, the, you, no. Please feel free to practice them at home. We will practice them regularly in class.
• School supplies fees were due last week and can be paid at the office. 
• BEST PAC would like to host a Christmas Craft Fair on Sunday, Dec. 2 and is looking for parents who would like to rent a table. They will be giving vendors/crafters that attended the last year first spots then opening up Monday October 15, 2018 to the public. Register at [email protected] or call Amanda at 778-220-0113 for more information.
• It is quickly becoming 'zipped up coat' season and a large number of the children need help. Please practice with them at home.
• Lost sweaters/ coats can be found in the Lost & Found bin by the parking lot doors.
• BEST monthly newsletter can be found here.

Go forth and Eat turkey!

Make & Program a Light Display using Arduino Programming & Pixel Lights
Saturday October 6, 12:00pm to 4:00pm
This is a hands-on lab on how to build a colour changing light strip; you build and program your own custom RGB LED project. Participants learn how to use both software and hardware in the field of computer science. The participants will learn about wiring and programming in Arduino, allowing them to create a custom program that allows them to control an RGB LED project. The lab fosters your creative side, and combines it with technology, to create dynamic art in vibrant colored LEDs. For ages 5 and up to adult; there is something for everyone to learn! Children 12 and under require an adult with them. No previous programming experience necessary.
Pre-registration recommended. Call 250-554-2572 to save your place. Included with standard entry fee. Free for members.
 
Robotics Club
from Thursday October 18 to Thursday December 22
Participants will design, build and program their own robots using the LEGO NXT Mindstorms system. This is an informal club; no experience necessary. Participants will be provided with their own kit & computer, one per person, for the length of the club session.
For those aged 9 and up. $120 for the 10 weeks. 2:45 to 4:30pm each week. Registration forms are on our website or at BIG Little Science Centre.

We are just beginning to learn how to use our iPads as a tool in our classroom for literacy centres. Would you please send your child a set of headphones they can leave in our classroom to use with our iPads. They do not need to be expensive as there is the chance that they will get broken. Please label the headphones with your child's name and put them in a clear ziplock bag to keep neat. Thank you!

BEST, and the rest of School District 73, recognized Orange Shirt Day on Friday, Sept. 28. 
Mrs. Leonard came to our room and read the book "The Orange Shirt Story" to us. This book tells the story of Phyllis Webstad's orange shirt in a gentle way without being scary for children. This story has been, and will continue to be, a conversation starter. It helps introduce crucial conversations about our shared history and particularly the history of residential schools in Canada. 
More info about the book and Orange Shirt Day:
When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she was sent to a residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a shiny orange shirt that her Granny had bought for her. She was incredibly proud of this shirt, but the teachers at the school took her orange shirt away from her and never returned it. The Orange Shirt Story tells this story, embedding it in the larger story about Canada’s residential schools and their lasting impact on First Nation’s children and their families. It also tells the story of Orange Shirt Day—an important day of remembrance for First Nation’s Canadians of all ages.