Happy Friday Bayside Parents!
When Elder Casey Eagle Speaker worked with our staff and students in our first year of opening, he spoke about the importance of being ACTIVE in our lives. He had a way of reframing things where, instead of saying “I am busy”, we could say “I am active” to remind ourselves that we have power and agency. Bayside school is a very active place and community! Our staff and students are always immersed in learning and there is always a lot going on. Our parent community is engaged, involved, and supportive. With the recent announcement of Labour Action by CUPE, I find it helpful to think about how we can be active in our work and continue to maintain a safe and welcoming space for our students, even in the absence of our wonderful Facility Operator, Mr. Chang and with many uncertainties.
Next week there will be some changes to school operations as a result of the strike. As has been communicated by CBE, we are committed to providing a safe and welcoming school experience to our students as in person learning continues. You will find some links to information and updates below. Thank you, as always, for being active partners in our school community and for your flexibility when changes are necessary.
Updates and Reminders:
Labour Action: As CBE communicated in a message to families on Feb. 19, “All CBE schools and buildings will remain open and classes will continue. However, a strike will have an impact on schools and operations.” For Bayside, it is necessary to make some changes to a few upcoming events:
- Pink Shirt Day Assembly: Feb. 26: We are excited to invite grade 1 parents to join us for the Pink Shirt Day assembly. Parents can attend either the 8:30 AM assembly or the 1:45 PM assembly. We ask that all visitors to the school remove outdoor footwear and leave it on the carpet by the front door to help keep our floors clean and dry. Parents are welcome to bring indoor shoes to wear inside the school if you wish.
- Spring Concerts: As our spring concerts are only 2 weeks away and we are uncertain how long Job Action will continue, we have decided to move our concerts to DAYTIME Performances. We will be sending out a new schedule of times next week for performances during the school day for the week of March 10-14. We hope that by communicating this change, parents will be able to make arrangements to join us. As with our Pink Shirt Day assembly, we ask that all visitors remove their outdoor footwear and leave it by the front door when you enter the school. We had planned to borrow extra chairs from other schools for the performances. As distribution services may not be available, please be prepared to sit on the floor or stand if our audience exceeds the number of chairs we have. More detailed information will be sent out early next week.
- Parent-Teacher Interviews and Book Fair: We are uncertain if/ how job action will impact our planned Parent Teacher Interviews and Scholastic Book Fair on March 20 and 21. If job action continues, we will communicate with families any changes to our plan closer to the date.
- School Council BSFA: We had actually already planned to hold our March School Council and BSFA meetings online this month. We will be offering a special Volunteer Information Session at 5:30-6:00 PM, followed by the regular monthly meetings. Our grade 2 team will be sharing about the exciting learning happening in grade 2. Parents will receive a Microsoft Teams Link via email prior to the meetings.
Thank you for your flexibility and support. Updates and information can be found on the CBE Website Labour Action Page.
Dogs and School Property: We are so happy and relieved to welcome warmer weather and it is great to see people walking to school again! A reminder to our families that dogs are not permitted on school property according to City of Calgary Bylaw. We love our furry friends but there are people with varying levels of sensitivity in our community and we need to ensure everyone feels safe and comfortable. Thank you!
Learn and Share- School Planning: Your feedback is important. We know we make better decisions to support student learning when we build understanding and work together. That’s why we are asking you to share your perspectives about our school development plan, school budget and school fees. Please take the time to learn about Bayside School Planning and fill out the online survey. Click Here.
Updates from School Council and BSFA:
*Spring Book Fair! Bayside School and the Bayside School Council are proud to announce that we are hosting another BOOK FAIR! During parent teacher interviews, the book fair will open for browsing and purchasing many new and exciting titles from the Scholastic collection. Please note that all proceeds from the book fair will be put back toward the school to be used toward various expenses such as; in school programming, equipment, playground enhancements, technology, yoga and more!
If you love people and books, please consider donating your time toward supporting the success of the book fair. We can’t do it without you!
Click here to sign up to volunteer https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4BACAA29A3FFC61-55276678-spring
* We will communicate with our volunteers and families closer to the date if our Book Fair plans are impacted by the CUPE strike.
Volunteers Needed! Make a Lasting Impact on Our School! Volunteer for Our Casino Event!
Imagine the difference $65,000-$80,000 could make for our elementary school. With just two days of effort, we can transform our students learning experience funding essential programs, upgrading classroom supplies, enhancing technology, and even building better playgrounds. This incredible opportunity is only possible with the help of dedicated volunteers like you!
Volunteering is easy, rewarding, and a great way to support our kids and community. Whether you can spare a few hours or multiple days during the event, your time makes a huge impact.
Join us in making this happen. Sign up to volunteer today!
Coming Up:
February is Kindness Month and Black History Month!
February 25: Secord and Singh Heritage Park Field Trip
February 26: Pink Shirt Day
February 28: Professional Learning Day, No School for students
March 3: AHS Immunizations (AHS will have contacted parents whose children will be receiving immunizations on this day)
March 11-13: Spring Concerts, Changes pending, watch for info next week
March 12: Sorensen and Corriveau at Heritage Park
March 13: Healthy Hunger, Opa!
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
March 18: Online Volunteer Info Session 5:30 PM, School Council and BSFA 6:00 PM
March 20: Spring Equinox
March 20 & 21: Parent Teacher Interviews, Details TBD
March 21: World Down Syndrome Day
March 22-30: Spring Break, No School
Enjoy a Sunny Weekend!
Darby and Vanessa