Happy Friday Bayside Families!

We had a terrific Friday today and Mrs. Harder and I were able to meet with half of each grade in the gym to read a story (Our School is a Family by Shannon Olsen) and play some games. Mrs. Blackman met the other half of the students (one grade at a time) in the music room to learn some new songs. We will have the opportunity to meet with the other half of our students on our next instructional Friday. Friday Team time is such an awesome opportunity for Mrs. Harder and I to get to know all of our students!

Reminders/ Updates:

Traffic at drop-off and pick-up: We are aware of the congestion and traffic delays during drop-off and pick up times around our school. Traffic safety is a shared responsibility and the actions of each individual can be powerful in making a change. We encourage families who live nearby to take a few extra minutes in the morning and walk or bike to school. If you drive your child to school, it can be helpful to park a few blocks away to avoid the traffic crunch and walk your child the short distance to drop-off at their door.

I would also ask parents dropping off and picking up their children from the bus stop and at the school to follow the rules of the road, parking expectations, and to use the crosswalks.  All drivers must observe bus loading zones and not park within 5 m of a crosswalk, stop or yield sign.

In March of last year, we applied for the AMA School Safety Patrol program for our grade 5s. AMA is currently working with schools who have established patrol programs to get set up for the year and will be contacting us later this fall (November?). They will also be doing a survey of the traffic and pedestrian needs around Bayside school during this time to help us to plan for the program. We hope to have our Safety Patrols program set up sometime after Winter Break. We are excited to offer this leadership opportunity to our grade 5 students in the near future and also to help to mitigate traffic congestion around our school.

Thank you for your cooperation and attention to ensuring a safe school community. 

Truth and Reconciliation Week: National Truth and Reconciliation will be observed during the last week of September, in conjunction with National Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30. The school will be closed on September 29 in lieu of the National holiday recognizing and honouring residential school survivors, their families and communities. During the week, our teachers will be engaging students in age-appropriate learning honouring Every Child Matters and Orange Shirt Day. We invite students, staff, and volunteers to wear orange on Thursday September 28. If you have any questions about Truth and Reconciliation week, we encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher.

Terry Fox Run: Bayside School’s Terry Fox Run will be on Thursday October 12 in the afternoon. Teachers will be requesting volunteers from each class to help out with the run on that day. We will be sharing more detailed information about the run in the coming weeks. More information about Terry Fox and the Marathon of Hope can be found at https://terryfox.org/

School Council/ Parent Fundraising Association: The Bayside School Council and Fundraising Association Annual General Meeting is coming up on Tuesday September 19 at 6:30 PM. We will meet at the school. All parents are welcome to come to School Council meetings. It is a great opportunity to meet other Bayside parents and also to be part of the decision-making about how to make our school the best that it can be. We hope to see many of you there! If you are unable to come to the school, parents are also welcome to join us online. A link to the online meeting will be emailed to parents through School Messenger next week, prior to the meeting.

Meet the Teacher Conferences: Meet the teacher conference booking is open and can be accessed through your MyCBE Account. This first meeting is an opportunity for parents to share information about your child and family with the teacher to support your child’s success in school. Teachers will share general information about the classroom learning and routines and will share how your child is settling in to the first few weeks of school. We encourage you to bring your child with you so they can be part of the conversation about their learning.

Coming Up:

September 19                   School Council and Parent Fundraising Society AGM, 6:30 PM

September 21                   Regular School Day for Gr. 1-5, No school for Kindergarten (Meet the Teacher for Kindergarten only, 8:00AM-2:30 PM)

                                         Meet the Teacher conferences for K-5, 4:00-8:00PM          

September 22                   Non-Instructional Day

                                         Meet the teacher conferences K-5, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

September 25-28              Truth and Reconciliation Week

September 29                   National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, no school

October 12                       Terry Fox Run

October 19                        Fall Photos

Have an amazing weekend!

Darby