Current Newsletter

Principal’s Message

The third week of November is marked as Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week in Ontario. The focus at Bedford was similar to that of the board this year: “What is bullying?” The word is often used to describe a wide range of conflicts that occur at school or in the community. Bullying is serious and demands specific response and intervention so it is important that we know what it is, and then, of course what we do about it.

We used the following checklist to identify bullying and these are displayed on posters around the school, and will continue to be used for reference throughout the year.

Conflict

• Is there a fight, argument or disagreement?
• Is there a similar balance of power? (both are close in age, grade, ability)
• Can a solution be worked out?

Ignore, say Stop.  Use H.O.A.P.

Bullying

• Is it unwanted behaviour?
• Is it targeted aggressive behaviour?
•  Is someone being hurt on purpose?
• Is there an imbalance of power? (one person is much older than the other, large group vs a single person

Say Stop and Report to an adult.

Teasing

• Did it start as joking or having fun?
• Did one person get angry or bothered?
• Is it not funny anymore?
• Is there similar balance of power?

Say Stop and report if it doesn’t stop.

Aggression

• Is it an overreaction, strong emotion of feeling?
• Is it a one-time event?

Say Stop and Report to an adult.

Dates to Remember

Please note that all dates and details of trips etc. are posted on the Bedford PS website on our Calendar. We work hard to keep this up to date as the month progresses.

Have you visited our school website? Under the Calendar drop down you have the Bedford Events Calendar that can keep you up to date with events, trips or deadlines. Under the Resources drop down you have Information from the Office. Any feedback appreciated by calling 519-273-1190 or email [email protected].

Skating

Upcoming Bedford School skating dates:

• Friday, January 11th
• Friday, February 22nd

RBC Rink
9:45-10:30 KB, Kane, Neeb
10:30-11:15 KA, KC, KD
1:00-1:45 Tomasulo/Sbarra, McLeod, Scott, Harrison
1:45-2:30 Bell/Capron, Jezard, Brodhagen

MOLSON Rink

9:45-10:45 Johnson, Young
12:00-1:00 Quinn, Carnegie/Melton
1:30-2:30 Landsborough, McKee/Capron

Everyone is required to wear skates, helmet and mitts.

BUSSED K – gr 3 (including Mrs. Jezard’s grade 3/4s)
WALKING grades 4-6

If you have any skates you’d like to donate, please give them to Mme Garner Flood. If you need to borrow skates, please contact your child’s teacher.

Skates should come to school with skate guards on or be in a solid bag for safety.

Family Skate

In addition, we are excited to announce that we will be having a Family Skate sponsored by School Council.

When? Saturday, January 26: 5-7 p.m.
Who? All Bedford students and their families
All students must be accompanied by at least one adult who will also skate.
Where? Allman arena
Cost? Skating is free (paid for by fundraising from School Council through the annual Family Fun Night).
More details to come in January!

I am Me student identity based data survey

The survey is now open and available for parents to complete from December 3-7. Participants will use the Active Directory login to access the survey; this includes the first four letters of the student’s given name, first four letters of their surname and first three numbers of their OEN (this number can be found on your child’s report card).
More information, as well as the link to the survey can be found on the iAM me:Student Identification survey page.

All Medication – Non Prescription or Prescription

We often have students who need to take medication at school. The following applies to both prescription and non-prescription medication (including Tylenol or Advil).

1. Parents/guardians must complete a form, which is located in the office (or on the Bedford School Website under Resources then Information from the Office).
2. Medication must be delivered by the parent/guardian to the office in original tamper-proof container from the pharmacy. Special instructions for storage must accompany the medication.
3. Epi-pens and puffers are the only medications that may be kept with the student. All other medications have to be stored and distributed in the office.

School Cash Online

Thank you! We have a high percentage of our families registered with School Cash Online. If I can help any families who have not registered, please call Katrina at 519-273-1190. If you are having trouble with anything on the website, there is also a 1-800 tech help number on the site.

January to June Milk and Pizza orders are now available with School Cash Online. (January orders are due Thursday December 20) Select “Yes” to email notifications within School Cash and never miss a deadline.

If you require a hard copy, have each child come to the office for a form. Paper copies are due Thurs. December 6. (Each paper copy is manually entered by office staff.)

Sick

This is a reminder that if your child has been fevered or vomiting they should stay home for at least 24hrs.

Lates

If you are dropping student(s) off late, please remember to use the front door and check into the office before sending them to class.
We also ask that students walk to class on their own or with the help of someone in the office. This saves family’s time with signing in and out.

Donations

Thank you to all the parents who made donations through our milk, pita and pizza orders online. This month $175 was donated!

Lost and Found

There are a number of items that have made their way into our lost and found. The wooden box is in the front lobby and it is overflowing again! If your child is missing clothing, lunch box, water bottles, etc, please be sure to take some time to look. These items will be on tables starting this week. Any items left by December 18th will be donated to the House of Blessing.

We have had a rash of missing snow pants in particular lately. This is probably due to the fact that most of them are navy or black! Please label your child’s clothing items, and check to be sure they are wearing the correct ones. We are reminding them to hang them up on their hooks rather than leaving them on the floor where they are more likely to get mixed up.

French Immersion Information Night

Parents interested in obtaining information regarding French Immersion may attend an information session. This year we will be holding a joint presentation at:

Tuesday, December 4th, 2017 – 6 p.m.
Bedford Public School
59 Bedford Dr., Stratford, Ontario

Parents interested in obtaining information regarding the Grade 1 French Immersion program for September 2019 at either Bedford or Anne Hathaway Public Schools are welcome to attend the information session.

Registration forms have been sent home with all SK students and are also available from the office. Grade 1 is the only entry point for French immersion unless you have attended a French immersion program elsewhere.

Registration forms are due to the office by January 31st, 2019.

Snack Program

With some of our current volunteers moving on to new endeavors in the new year, we will be needing some assistance with cutting and preparing fruit and vegetable trays for our Bulldogs on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, beginning in January.

If you would be interested and available to offer a couple of hours of your time, please contact Jody at [email protected] or Mrs. Dietz in the office.

Thank you to Erin and Meghan for all of your help over the past several months!

Beds from Bedford

Our November Pack day helped Bedford students to focus on others. On November 24th, 2018, Bedford students wore pajamas to school to support sleep day! Sleep day is a day organized by ‘Sleeping Children Around the World’ to highlight the need to help give children living in poverty a better night’s sleep. The day started with a Bedford bus driver coming to work in his pj’s as he dropped off his donation at the school! The staff and students assembled in the gym to learn more about Sleeping Children Around the World and how they help children around the world by giving them a bedkit. The students then discussed this problem with their packs. By the end of the day, Bedford students raised enough money to buy 25 bedkits and give a better night’s sleep to children around the world. Thank you so much for your support Bedford bulldogs! For more information, please visit the Sleeping Children Around the World website.

Primary Arts Concert

We would like to invite you to Bedford’s Primary concert (grades 1 – 3)! It will be on Thursday, December 13th. There is an afternoon performance at 12pm and an evening performance at 6 p.m. (Snowdate Tuesday, December 18th). The evening of the concert, please drop your child(ren) off at their classroom at 5:45 p.m.

After the concert, children are to be picked up at their classroom by a parent. The grade 4-6 choir will also be performing at the concert. Due to space limitations in the gym, we cannot have students join the audience during the performances. They will stay in the classrooms until parents pick them up at the end of the evening. Students will be viewing the concert at a student performance earlier in the week.
Please bring a donation for the food bank.

Junior Choir

Bedford’s Grade 4 – 6 choir has been practising very hard for the upcoming December concert. We’ve spent many recesses together working on our music and are excited to share it! We will have an additional performance for the residents of Greenwood Court Nursing Home on Wed. Dec 19th at 2:15 p.m. Families are welcome to come watch.

Chess Club

Chess Club will be running from December 11 until beginning of April. It will run twice per week and is open to Grade 4 to 6, from advanced practice to no experience.

Please listen to morning announcements to know where and when to meet.

If you have questions, please contact Mme Capron.

Caribou Math Contest

Congratulations to our Grade 3-6 Mathletes who wrote the Caribou Math Contest on November 14th. In first place for the Grade 3/4 contest was Declan from Mrs. Bell and Mme Capron’s Grade 3 class. Piers in Mme Capron and Ms. McKee’s Grade 4 class placed second. Kieran in Mme Harrison’s Grade 3 class placed 3rd. For the 5/6 contest, 1st place goes to Sean in Mademoiselle Young’s class. Ellis from Mademoiselle Young’s class placed 2nd and Ben from Mme Quinn’s class placed third. Our next contest will be January 17th.

Art Club

The Bedford Art Makerspace club is busy creating two Winter Mural projects. Group A is creating a Winter Village mural and Group B is creating a Winter Forest mural. The groups are also hiding the beloved Bedford Bulldog within the murals. Many thanks to those who graciously donated items for our club and for supporting another Arts initiative at Bedford!

Madame Bomasuit

Mindfulness

Helping kids feel calm with Mindfulness… All grade 5 & 6s are invited to join Mme Garner Flood
Day 1 and 3s at 11:05 a.m. in the gym to spend some quiet time together, (starting December 4th).

Me to We initiatives this year

Smencils!!
Back by popular demand,…Me to We will be selling smencil pencils again this year!

There will be a “parent pre-sale” after school from 3:30 to 4 p.m on Tuesday, December 4th. Parents only please. This will be in Mrs. Johnson’s room 134.

Student sales will take place on: Wednesday, December 5th and Thursday, December 6th.

The scents this year are: strawberry, grape, bubble gum, kiwi, pineapple, blueberry, orange, raspberry, root beer, black cherry, hot cocoa, gingerbread, candy cane, sugar plum, and snowberry. There are limited supplies of each scent, so it will be first come, first served.

Each smencil will be $2. All profits will go toward Me to We initiatives this year. Thanks for your support!