Happy Friday Bayside!

It was Family Literacy week and Bayside students and staff had a wonderful time celebrating reading and writing all week long. On Thursday, for National Book Character Day, Bayside’s hallways and classrooms were even filled with characters from our favourite books! I loved the conversations I was able to have that day about children’s favourite stories, past and present, sparked by the costumes people were wearing.

Some of our classes also had the opportunity to learn about and celebrate the many similarities and differences we all have through the “Just Like You” program. The program is an empathy-based diversity awareness and acceptance program aimed at helping students to embrace the diversity in their classrooms and community. More information can be found on the Website. Thank you to Ms. Sasha for visiting us and to Ms. Dennis for organizing this wonderful opportunity!

Traffic and Pedestrian Safety: Thank you to the many parents who are helping to keep our students and families safe through safe driving practices. This week I put in a request to Calgary Police for a police presence in the mornings during student drop off time as we are observing many unsafe behaviours. Some important reminders:

• -Please be patient and focus on the safety of yourself and those around you.
• -Vehicles must stop or park at least 5m away from a crosswalk. This includes the crosswalks on Auburn Springs Drive and Auburn Crest Park.
• -Vehicles must stop for pedestrians crossing in the crosswalk.
• -When School Safety Patrols are on duty, please stop before the crosswalk and make eye-contact with our patrol leader or the adult on supervision. They will indicate if they need to stop traffic to allow pedestrians to cross.
• -No U-turns where prohibited (there is a sign on Auburn Crest Blvd.). Even if there is not a sign, vehicles may not make u-turns if they interfere with the flow of traffic or the safety of pedestrians.
• -More people walking means less traffic! If you are able to park a distance from the school and walk 1-2 blocks to drop-off or pick-up your child, this can go a long way to improving traffic congestion around the school.

* More safety tips for pedestrians and drivers can be found here

** If you see a traffic safety concern, please visit https://www.calgary.ca/cps/traffic/traffic-service-requests.html to make a request or report to the City of Calgary.

Winter Walk Day Feb. 7: Winter is here and we would like to celebrate staying active throughout the year – even on those really cold days. This year Bayside School will be showing belonging and connection to our community through our Wonderful Winter Walk Day. On February 7^th, we are encouraging all our families to walk to school or the bus stop. Leave the car at home and enjoy the crisp winter air with a morning walk! Remember to dress for the weather, if it’s icy walk like a penguin and watch out for cars, use your safety skills and enjoy getting active this winter. Thank you for your support and participation in Bayside’s Wonderful Winter Walk day!

Report Cards: Report cards will be available online through MyCBE Account on January 30, 2024. Paper copies of student IPPs will be sent home on the same day.

What to expect on your child’s report card: CBE began implementing the new Alberta Education Curriculum:   

·         Fall 2022 start:   

·         Mathematics (K-3)  

·         English Language Arts and Literature (K-3)   

·         Physical Education and Wellness (K-6)   

·         Fall 2023 start:   

·         Mathematics (4-6)  

·         English Language Arts and Literature (4-6)   

·         French Language Arts and Literature (K-3)  

·         Science (K-3)  

In the new curriculum, some things students learn may be new or may have previously been taught in higher grades. Students could be missing foundational pieces from previous grades, and their report card indicators might not be as high as before. This is expected when there is a new curriculum. It might take more than one school year to build these foundational skills. Even though each grade has its own curriculum, many ideas come up again each year, helping students to build on what they already know and do well.  

Teachers continue to make learning interesting and inspiring and are adapting to students' needs during this transition. As always, if you have questions about your child's learning, please reach out to their teacher. 

Kindergarten Report Cards: Kindergarten teachers will report progress to parents / legal guardians via January and June report cards.  

·         In January, progress in English Language Arts and Literature and Math will be communicated to parents / legal guardians via the report card. Other subject areas will be visible online but will be blank (these subjects will not appear on PDF versions).  

·         In June, progress in all discipline areas will be communicated to parents / legal guardians via the report card. 

Valentines Day: February 14 is Valentines Day. Families are welcome to send valentines to school with your child but are not required to do so. Our classes will be emphasizing kindness and friendship and the focus will be on student learning and belonging. The specific activities will be at the teacher’s discretion.

Some general guidelines to ensure our students have a positive experience on Valentines Day:

-          If you choose to send Valentines to school, please send enough cards for each child in the class. Teachers will let you know how many students to plan for.

-          Please consider addressing Valentines “To my friend”, rather than specific names. This allows for much more efficient and manageable handing out of the cards, especially for our younger students. Teachers will not send class lists home.

-          As on a regular day, please send a healthy snack for your child. We will not be having class parties with shared treats.

-          If you would like to include a small treat in your Valentines, please consider sending a non-food treat such as fun erasers, pencils, stickers, etc. Candy treats will be sent home with students at the end of the day to be eaten at home.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

Registration: Registration for the 2024-25 school year opened on January 15, 2024. If you missed my most recent update regarding registration for next year, you can find it here.

Share Your Voice – CBE Education Plan: The CBE is preparing for the 2024-2027 Education Plan and parents are invited to voice opinions in online and in-person opportunities. See all information HERE.

Alberta Education Assurance Survey: Parents of students in grade 4 will have received an invitation to complete the Alberta Education Assurance Survey. The information shared by parents will be used to help guide our planning at Bayside School. Click Here for more information.

Coming Up/ Dates to Remember:           

January 30: Report Cards available on MyCBE

February 8: AHS Grade 1 Immunizations (only applies to students whose parents have received a letter)

February 14: Lakeshore Lottery Process (See Lakeshore’s Jan. 15 message for Registration Updates)

February 14: Valentines Day

February 15 & 16: Teachers’ Convention, No school for students

February 19: Family Day, No School

February 22: Healthy Hunger (Boston Pizza)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Darby