Happy Friday Bayside!
Thank you to all of the families who joined us for our Winter Wonderland Open House and to our teachers for preparing activities and for giving their time for this family event. Many teachers have families of their own and it means a lot that they are willing to spend some of their precious evening time at Bayside to allow our community to come together. Thank you also to our School Council, BSFA, and volunteers for opening the Snack Shack for the evening! And finally, a special shout-out to our brave and talented student performers who provided the live entertainment for the evening. I was so impressed with the range of talents our students have and their willingness to share with our community!
REMINDERS & UPDATES:
Lakeshore Basketball Team: Our grade 5s had a special opportunity to learn from the Lakeshore Basketball Team on Friday. Thank you to Ms. Cassan for organizing!
Traffic Safety (and Convenience): A recommendation to help everyone’s morning go a little smoother… TURN RIGHT when exiting Auburn Crest Park and turning onto Auburn Springs Blvd. We have noticed that the traffic really backs up as cars wait to turn left at this intersection. We also ask that drivers be mindful that our patrols are not able to open the crosswalk for pedestrians if cars are in the crosswalk. Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone safe and to help our traffic flow.
Parking: Please be mindful of pedestrians when parking your vehicle. With the recent snowfall, some vehicles are parking partially on the sidewalk which makes it difficult for pedestrians to walk safely. Please also be mindful of our neighbours and avoid parking in front of driveways or up on the curb onto someone’s lawn. We appreciate everyone taking a little extra care at this time of year!
Personal Mobile Devices: With Christmas on the way, many of our students may receive digital devices. A reminder to parents that personal mobile devices (any device that can connect to the Internet) are not permitted in school. This includes cell phones, tablets, gaming devices, laptops, and SMART Watches. If a student must bring a device to school, it is expected to be off and kept in the student’s backpack (Away for the Day). We have received questions regarding SMART watches that are not connected to the Internet… at the teacher’s discretion, students may be asked to put away their SMART watch if it is a distraction to learning, regardless of whether it is connected to the Internet. If a student requires the use of a personal device for medical or learning needs, please speak to your child’s teacher and we will initiate the process of documentation that is required for this exception. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions. Thank you for your support!
CBE Information Regarding Personal Mobile Devices at School
Letter to Parents from the Minister of Education
Kindergarten Registration for the 2026-27 School Year: Beginning Jan. 12, 2026, registration opens for kindergarten, as well as for new Grade 1–12 students, for the 2026–2027 school year.
Please be aware: Registration is not first-come, first-served.
Children are eligible for kindergarten in September 2026 if they turn five years old on or before Dec. 31, 2026.
To register your child for school, you must create a SchoolEngage account. Once an account is created, you will receive confirmation and can register your child.
CBE Information about Registration for the 2026-27 School Year.
Kindergarten Registration Guide
*Bayside School is only able to accept registrations for students within our designated attendance boundaries. You can confirm that Bayside is your designated school through the Find a School Tool.
Blue Days: With the temperature dropping, I wanted to share a note regarding “Blue Days”. When the temperature drops below -20 degrees Celsius (with or without wind chill), we keep students inside. Recess and lunch breaks are in the classroom with indoor activities provided for the students. Patrols are also cancelled on Blue Days.
Please note: At Bayside we check the temperature throughout the day using the Environment Canada link on our website and students may stay inside in the morning while temperatures are colder, then go outside in the afternoon when things warm up. It is important to send your child prepared for outdoor play, even if the morning temperature is -20 or below.
CBE Winter Weather Information
Voices of Winter – a celebration of the winter season through stories, songs, and togetherness. At each assembly, we will be inviting different grade groups together. We will sing some songs, listen to a story, and then we will all sing Christmas songs together! Due to our available gym capacity, we are inviting parents to join us according to grade group. Parents with students in multiple grades can choose to attend one or all of the designated days. Please note that the presentations on each day will be very similar. The focus of this gathering is not performance, but coming together in song and community😊
Tuesday, December 16
· 8:30 am: Grade 2 families are invited to join us! AM kindergarten, grade, 2, and grade 4 students will take part in this assembly.
· 1:45 pm: Grade 3 families are invited to join us! PM kindergarten, grade 1, grade 3, and grade 5 students will take part in this assembly.
Wednesday, December 17
· 8:30 am: Grade 5 Families invited to join us! AM kindergarten, grade, 2, and grade 5 students will take part in this assembly.
· 1:45 pm: PM kindergarten and grade 1 families are invited to join us! PM kindergarten, grade 1, grade 3, and grade 4 students will take part in this assembly.
Thursday, December 18
· 8:30 am: AM kindergarten families are invited to join us! AM kindergarten, grade, 1, grade 2, and grade 3 students will take part in this assembly.
· 1:45 pm: Grade 4 families are invited to join us! PM kindergarten, grade 4 and grade 5 students will take part in this assembly.
SCHOOL COUNCIL & BSFA NEWS:
Next Meeting: There will be no December meeting for Bayside School Council and BSFA. Our next meeting will be in the New Year on January 13, 2026 at 6:00PM.
Sweet Treats for Staff: Calling all Bakers and Shoppers! We are putting together a sweet holiday Cookie Exchange for our amazing staff and we’d love your help! Whether you love to bake, or prefer to pick up something delicious from the store, every contribution makes this event extra special. Sign up to gift a batch of treats and help us spoil the staff who care for our kids every day. Cookies can be dropped off first thing Friday morning, December 19.
COMING UP:
December 14: Hanukkah Begins
December 16-18: Songs and Stories (During the School Day)- See above for details
December 16: Festive and Fancy Day! Songs and Stories, 8:30 AM & 1:45 PM
December 17: Songs and Stories, 8:30 AM & 1:45 PM
December 18: Healthy Hunger Snack, Kernels Popcorn, Songs and Stories, 8:30 AM & 1:45 PM
December 19: Last Day of Classes, 12:00 PM dismissal, Pajama Day!
December 20-January 4: Winter Break, No School
January 5: First Day of Classes
Wishing a Happy Hannukah to our families who celebrate and all of our families a safe and cozy weekend😊 Stay warm!
Darby