Happy Friday Bayside!
Thank you to all of the parents and families who visited us this week for Meet the Teacher conferences. If you were unable to attend this week, please do not hesitate to reach out to your teacher to book a time for a chat. We know that our students are most successful when we work together as a team!
We had a special week of learning for National Truth and Reconciliation Week. Students in all grades engaged in learning about truth and reconciliation with an emphasis on what it means and feels like to belong and what actions we can take to ensure that every child has a sense of belonging. Classes have been exploring Indigenous ways of knowing and what we can learn to help us with important things like: regulating our bodies and minds to help us get READY TO LEARN; what RESPECT means and how we show respect to elders, parents, teachers, and peers; ways that we can show COURAGE in our learning; and how we can all help Bayside be a KIND and CARING School. On Tuesday October 1, we invite staff, students, and visitors to wear orange shirts to recognize and celebrate our commitment as a community to helping everyone BELONG. You can find out more about National Day of Truth and Reconciliation by visiting CBE’s Website. You can read Bayside’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation here.
Updates and Reminders:
Music: You will have received a survey from Ms. McCune earlier in the month, gathering information from families around their connection to music. She received 122 responses and gained some wonderful insight into our students’ families’ musical backgrounds. Below are some of the responses:
- I absolutely love that you are sourcing to see what the school community values in music. We are big advocates for the arts in our house and know that kids engage with music most when they can relate to it and it is relevant in their lives. THANK YOU!
- We are a big music-loving household and we love that the kids seem to have picked that up from us! I am a big proponent of music class in school, so I'm excited to see the kids getting involved in your class :)
- We are not a very musical family, although we love listening to all types of music. I would love to encourage [my child] to explore music more. We are thankful to have this program in his school.
- I'm so happy that Bayside has a music specialist and values complementary programs.
- Thanks for supporting their musical discoveries & adventures!
Traffic safety and parking: A reminder to our parent community to drive safely and follow all traffic laws, including those related to parking. A concerned neighbour contacted us yesterday to share that people have been parking in front of their driveway during drop-off and pick-up time. Please be mindful of our neighbours and leave driveways clear. Other areas to be aware of are the bus zone (this is a no parking zone for vehicles except for buses) and crosswalks. Our best advice to families is to give yourselves a few extra minutes in the morning and at the end of the day and to find a spot a short distance away from the school, then walk to the school to meet your student. Parking right next to the school is very limited. As always, we encourage families to report any traffic concerns either by calling 311 or by reporting to Calgary Police: https://www.calgary.ca/cps/traffic/traffic-service-requests.html
Traffic Safety for Kids: CBE is partnering with the City of Calgary to encourage families to travel to and from school safely. Our grade 3 students will be bringing home an activity book with safety messages and fun activities around[MDJ1] staying safe on streets, sidewalks and pathways and we will be sharing a pedestrian safety video with all of our students through our morning announcements. We encourage you to check out these resources and the parent conversation guide on the City of Calgary Website.
Lunchroom Registration: If you haven’t done so already, please ensure you have registered your child in lunchroom through your MyCBE Account. Fees will be added to parent accounts in October.
Halloween at Bayside School: Halloween day, Thursday October 31, will be a special learning day at Bayside School. Classes will not be having Halloween parties or an assembly but may engage in Halloween or Autumn-themed learning activities. We know that many of our families look forward to Halloween each year and welcome the opportunity to capitalize on our students’ excitement to enhance their learning.
Please have your child bring a healthy snack for him- or her-self only. Please do not send a treat for the whole class as we will not be having class parties on that day.
We invite students and staff to wear costumes for the day, if they wish. When choosing a costume to wear to school please remember:
- Keep your child’s comfort and safety in mind for indoor and outdoor play. Make sure your child can wear a coat and indoor and outdoor shoes with their costume.
- Long capes, uncomfortable shoes, or other tripping hazards are discouraged. Students should be able to participate in gym and outdoor play safely.
- Please ensure their vision is not obscured by their costume. For this reason, masks should not be worn.
- Please leave loose props at home. We cannot be responsible for anything lost or left behind at the school before Halloween night. Please do not send costume weapons to school (swords, guns, etc.)
- No scary or gory costumes. Please remember we have small children in the building as well as students and staff with varying levels of sensitivity. We want everyone to feel safe and have fun!
Class Treats: Although we love to celebrate special days at Bayside, our staff are unable to distribute edible treats to classes such as birthday cupcakes, cookies, etc. If you wish to send a non-edible treat for the class to celebrate a special occasion, please ensure you first communicate with the teacher. It is at the teacher’s discretion whether gifts of this kind can be distributed to the class. Examples of non-edible treats might include stickers, small pencils, erasers, bouncy balls, etc.
The CBE Website offers some information regarding this policy in the Nutrition Q & A:
Q. In the past, parents would sometimes send cupcakes to class celebrate their child’s birthday. Why is this no longer a practice?
There are several reasons why schools have moved away from this practice. A couple of the main ones are, there are now 10 Priority Allergens, as well as dietary restrictions (due to medical, cultural and religious beliefs), which means some students may not be able to partake. There are many ways to acknowledge and celebrate students’ birthdays, which may be more inclusive.
School Council and BSFA Updates:
Healthy Hunger: Thank you to our volunteers this week for helping with the first Healthy Hunger lunch! If you haven’t had a chance to sing up but would like to participate in future Healthy Hunger lunches, click here to create an account and to order. If you are interested in helping out on Healthy Hunger Days, visit our sign-up genius page.
Apples: Our Apple fundraiser is up and running! October 9 is the deadline to order and apples will be delivered on October 23.
Save the Date: Something SPOOKY is coming to Bayside Friday October 18 (6-9 pm). Bring your costume and dancing shoesJ More information coming soon!
Coming Up:
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
October 18 BSFA Halloween 6-9PM (information coming soon)
October 31 Halloween: students, staff, and visitors invited to wear costumes (see guidelines above)
Have an amazing weekend.
Darby and Vanessa