Happy Friday Bayside Families!
We said goodbye to Mr. McMahon yesterday after school. He was a wonderful support for our school while we waited for Ms. Prestayko to start and he had many kind things to say about our wonderful staff and students. Ms. Prestayko is going to be joining teachers this afternoon to lead some professional development on Student Support Plans, then her first official day will be Monday September 23. We hope you will say hello to her when you come for Meet the Teacher conferences next week.
We had our School Council and BSFA AGM on Tuesday and I am pleased to welcome back some of our past members as well as add some new members to our team. Check out our new executive on our School Council and Parent Society Webpages. In the meeting, I shared an update regarding student enrolment and class sizes at Bayside.
At this time, we are monitoring student enrolment and class size in all grades and are experiencing larger classes of 29-31 in grades 4 and 5. Despite these larger numbers, our teachers and students are doing an amazing job. Students are learning and classrooms are functioning well.
Each year we make a plan in the spring to staff our school based on projections and known enrolment. This year, we had a large influx of students at the end of August and in early September. In addition, some families are being called back to Mahogany school this month as part of the overflow process. At the end of September, our student enrolment will be confirmed and we will receive our finalized budget in early October. This will be when we can make decisions about adding staff and possibly reorganizing to address our larger class sizes, particularly in grades 4 and 5. Parents can expect to see communication from me once we have a confirmed budget and plan to move forward.
Updates/ Reminders:
Meet the Teacher: Meet the Teacher Conferences will be taking place on Thursday September 26 and Friday September 27:
Thursday: 8:00AM-3:00PM (Kindergarten only)
4:00PM-8:00PM (Kindergarten-Grade 5)
Friday: 8:00AM-12:00PM (Kindergarten-Grade 5)
Parents will sign up for an appointment with your child’s teacher through MyCBE Account. Online booking is now open through your MyCBE account.
Meet the teacher is an excellent opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and to share important information with them about your child. Teachers will be able to share with you how your child is settling into school during the first weeks and the routines and expectations of the classroom. We encourage parents to bring your child with you to conferences so they can be part of the conversation. We look forward to building positive working relationships with our families in support of each child’s success at school.
Orange Shirt Day and National Day of Truth and Reconciliation: Staff and students will be taking time to learn about Truth and Reconciliation during the week leading up to National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (Monday September 30 is the holiday. There will be no school that day). We invite students, staff, and visitors to wear orange shirts forBayside’s
Orange Shirt Day on Tuesday October 1 where we will be reflecting together on our learning and the actions we have taken and will take to make a positive contribution.
School Council and BSFA:
A huge thank you for everyone who stepped up to be a part of our council this year, including the many people who stepped in for the role of general council support. We are so thankful to have your support for the coming school year. We are looking forward to a fun, positive and most successful year at Bayside! Check out our new executive on our School Council and Parent Society Webpages.
Volunteers Needed: Our first Healthy Hunger is fast approaching on Thursday September 26. If you are able to volunteer, please let us know:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D45A8A62BA1F58-51601424-healthy
Apple Fundraiser: Yum! BSFA is running an apple fundraiser again this year. It is the perfect opportunity to stock up on fresh fruit and help out Bayside school at the same time. Check it out! The deadline to order is October 9 and apples will be delivered on October 23.
Coming Up:
September 23 Ms. Prestayko’s first day as Assistant Principal at Bayside School
September 26 Healthy Hunger, Subway (Order by Sept. 19)
September 26 & 27 Meet the Teacher conferences
September 27 Non-Instructional Day (no school for students due to Meet the Teacher conferences)
September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, no school
October 1 Orange Shirt Day
October 11 Terry Fox Run, 10:30 AM
October 14 Thanksgiving Holiday, No School
October 17 Fall Photos
Have a wonderful weekend!
Darby