Category: Holidays & Observances

Day of the Covenant

source: bahai.org

On November 26, people of the Baha’i faith celebrate the Day of the Covenant. This is a Holy Day on the Baha’i calendar, a celebration of Baha’u’llah’s appointment of his eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, as the Center of His Covenant.

As we enter season of “Holidays and Holy Days” we will look at the celebrations and festivals of Canadians, and people from around the world, who represent a wide variety of religions, beliefs and cultures.

For more on the Baha’i faith, including its festivals and holy days, check out some of the following links:

Baha’i Faith (International)

Baha’i Canada

Baha’i USA

Religious Tolerance

IGD@YL was AWESOME!

IMG_0091[1]Thanks to all the students and staff who joined us in the school library to celebrate International Games Day @ Your Library. Over 300 people came in at some point during the day to play games.  Together we celebrated the tremendous educational power of gaming, and especially the unique advantages of board games, table games, party games and other social games. We hope that you continue to play games throughout the year. Come down to the library to play games, or even to borrow our games to play at home with your family.

Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak was born in April of 1469 in north-west India, (what is now Pakistan.)  He would go on to become the founder of Sikhism as the first of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism. Although his birthday was in April, it is celebrated in November on the day of the full moon. (As such, the date will vary from year to year on the solar calendar, like other lunar based holidays.)

source: Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons

Most Canadians of Indian heritage who live in Canada are Sikhs, including many students at Lord Tweedsmuir, and communities throughout Surrey and Greater Vancouver.

For more on Guru Nanak and Sikhism, check out the SikhWiki, the online “Encyclomedia of the Sikhs.”

International Games Day @ Your Library!

IMG_0456Today we celebrate International Games Day @ Your Library!  We are looking forward to the many different classes, representing all grades and from across the curriculum, that will be joining us for all sorts of board games, table games, card games and more.

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International Games Day @ Your Library JUST 2 DAYS AWAY!

Just another couple days until International Games Day @ Your Library!

Take a look at the map to see the locations of libraries all over the world that will be taking part!

source: IGD@YL
source: IGD@YL

For more information, check out the official home page

Remembrance Day

source: wikimedia commons / Creative Commons

Remember, Remembrance Day is not one of the those holidays that is just an excuse for a long weekend. Please take some time over these next few days to reflect on what Remembrance Day is all about. And on Monday, plan to take some time to honour those that have died and those that have served. Whether you attend a ceremony in person, or check out the television coverage of the ceremony in Ottawa, take some time for Remembrance.

We Have Games to Borrow

IGD12-logo-medium-300x86Did you know that your school library has games that you can borrow?  Whether you want to come in for a quick game at lunch, or take a game home for the weekend, we have a variety of games to choose from.  Our game titles include:

  • International-Games-Day-2013-PosterMonopoly
  • Chess
  • Scrabble
  • Backgammon
  • Risk
  • Stratego
  • Othello
  • Clue
  • Cribbage
  • Dungeons and Dragons
  • Anomia
  • Scattergories
  • Blokus
  • Carcassonne
  • Diplomacy

Want to see a new game in here? Let us know.  We continue to add more games to our collection!

Veterans’ Week November 5-11

From Veterans Affairs Canada:

Each year, from November 5 to 11, hundreds of commemorative ceremonies and events will take place across the country to commemorate Veterans’ week. These are opportunities for all Canadians to recognize the contribution our Veterans have made and to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Canada.

There are so many ways to remember and honour our Veterans:

  • Wear a poppy.
  • Attend your local Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11th.
  • Thank a Veteran by sending a postcard for peace.
  • Teachers – order some of our free learning materials and use our Teacher’s Guide to lead your classroom on a remembrance journey.
  • Students – read one of our remembrance newspapers written just for Grade 7 and above.
  • Talk to a friend or relative who served with the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan or in other areas of conflict.
  • View our Heroes Remember videos and listen to Veterans talk about their experiences.
  • Plant your own Garden of Remembrance.
  • Visit the remembrance challenge page where you will find videos and images you can use to create a mashup, build a virtual scrapbook, a fan site or just decorate your own Web space. Share what you build with others and link back to our site.

However you choose to remember Canada’s Veterans, be sure to share it with everyone you know. Together, it is our duty to pass on our gratitude and keep their legacy and memories alive. This Veterans’ Week, show you remember.

VetWeek2013

Diwali

Source: SikhWiki

Diwali is celebrated by millions of people in India, Canada and around the world. Hundreds of millions of Hindus celebrate “the Festival of Lights.” People of other faiths, including Sikhism, also celebrate. For Sikhs the festival has added significance as it generally coincides with a Sikh celebration known as Bandi Chhor Divas. For more on Diwali check out:

source: province.com

Games Day Just a Few Weeks Away

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International Games Day @ Your Library is just a few weeks away– your school library is hosting a day of gaming on Friday, November 15.  Ask your teacher if your class is coming!

Here are just SOME of the games that we have in our collection.

  • Monopoly
  • Clue
  • Scrabble
  • Carcassone
  • Risk
  • Stratego
  • Quiddler
  • Scattergories
  • Backgammon
  • Blokus
  • Diplomacy
  • Chess
  • Anomia
  • Cribbage
  • Othello

Keep in mind that these games can be borrowed at any time, not just on Games Day!

IGD@YL: International Games Day @ Your Library!

IGD12-logo-medium-300x86Your School Library Learning Commons is hosting its 2nd Annual “International Games Day @ Your Library” on Friday, November 15th. All day long you can come down to celebrate the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games. Join with thousands of people all over the world who will gathering to game in school libraries on Friday, November 16th, and in public libraries on Saturday, November 16th. Ask your teacher if your class is coming! Stay posted for more details.

International-Games-Day-2013-Poster
November 15 @ Your SCHOOL Library
November 16 @ Your PUBLIC Library

National School Library Day

Today is National School Library Day in Canada. Today we recognize the vital role of School Libraries in education.  The Province of British Columbia has joined in, declaring that today is School Library Day with the following proclamation:

proclamation