A Message from the Principal
April showers bring May flowers and we’ve been getting a few showers lately! With all this rain and melting snow, we want to remind you that the yard is a bit mucky. Please send your children to school with outdoor and indoor footwear, splash pants, and perhaps an extra change of clothes, as we all know how mud puddles and kids go hand-in-hand.
Just a reminder that Good Friday and Easter Monday fall on March 30th and April 1st respectively, so there will be no school on either of those days. We hope you have a lovely few extra days to spend with your friends and family.
I’d like to thank our students for their participation last month in all of our inclusion and diversity events, including our Day of Peace. Student Senate, with the help of some of the staff, were able to honour victims of violence in a very quiet and respectful way while sharing a message of what they wish the world to be. It was a beautiful assembly.
Further, we want to thank students and families for supporting the Nobody Project (Helping Hat Day) that was hosted by one of our of grade 4/5 students. Owen was able to donate $108.35 and 80 non-perishable items to the local Food Bank. This means students will be getting an extra 20 minutes of recess in the near future!
We are looking forward to more fun activities in the near future, including our Fun Fair on May 10th, the Scholastic Book Fair in the second week of May, some awesome Foundation for Education workshops, Popcorn Day, Kraft Dinner Day, Jersey Day, and Wacky Hair Day. Some of these special days will be used to fund year-end trips and others will be part of our Me to We projects. Bring on the April Awesomeness!
Ms. Van Poucke
Request for Volunteers – Student Nutrition Program
Our student nutrition program provides an amazing variety of healthy snack options, such as smoothies, fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese and crackers, cereal with milk, etc. to our students. We are truly fortunate to have such an awesome program and are always looking for any help we can get. All of the shopping, preparation, and clean up takes time and many hands make light work.
If you have a few moments to spare once a week, we’d appreciate having volunteers come to the school and prep fresh fruit/veg, or put together food trays with already prepped fruit/veg, or even wash dishes at the end of the day. For those people who are interested in volunteering but may have questions, we encourage you to reach out to Tammy Harris at or visit us at School Council’s Facebook page called The Husky Hub.
No amount of time you can donate is too small; we welcome all volunteers in whatever capacity you can help out. If you wish to donate money toward the program, you are able to donate any amount of your choosing through School Cash Online! Tax receipts are available for amounts over $20; just let us know in the office if you wish to initiate a tax receipt.
School Cash On-Line
We hope many of you are enjoying the convenience and benefits of paying on-line for school purchases such as lunches, milk, field trips, etc. Many items will become available in the next few months as we prepare for spring field trips, sports events and a few smaller classroom fundraisers that our grades 1 / 2 and 2 / 3 will be organizing.
The Season of Mud
Traditionally this time of year is referred to as Spring but at school it could also be called the season of mud! Please ensure that your son or daughter is wearing rubber boots or outdoor running shoes to school in order to keep as much mud outside the classroom as possible. If they have splash pants, we encourage you to send them for your child(ren) to wear, as they are helpful in keeping the students clean while enjoying recess. An extra set of clothes tucked into the backpack is helpful as well. This will reduce the need to call parents if a student slips and falls in the mud while playing a game at recess.
Student Senate
Student Senate would like to thank everyone for their support for our Me to We events.
Our April Events will be:
- April 10 – Wacky hair day
- April 18 – Jersey day
For each of these events senate will be asking for .50 cent donations to take part. Thank you for your continued support.
EQAO Assessment Dates
The grade three and six assessment dates for EQAO will fall between Tuesday, May 22 and Friday, June 1, 2018. More specific information will be coming home soon. It is very important that your child be at school during this time period. Please avoid booking appointments for your child or taking family vacations during this time period. We use this assessment data to help us forward plan our teaching and learning needs.
Permission Forms
Over the next several months students will have the opportunity to take part in excursions away from school. Permission forms must be signed and handed in before the day of the trip in order to ensure for proper planning. We ask that you keep the forms in a safe place before sending them back to school as we are not able to reprint multiple copies for students and do require written parental permission (not verbal).
No Dogs on the Yard
Parents and community members are reminded it is school policy that dogs are not allowed on school property. The intent of this policy is to avoid potentially harmful situations for students, staff, family members and pets. We have been noticing pet waste on the yard and would appreciate your help in keeping our yard clean and safe. Thank you for your cooperation.
Bicycles
With spring’s arrival, students will be riding their bicycles to school. Parents are reminded that all people under 18 are required by law to wear a bike helmet. Parents of children under 16 can be fined if they let their child go out on the roads without the proper coverage. Cycling mishaps are the leading cause of hospital admissions for head injury in children. Head injuries account for 75% of all deaths from bike injuries. Wearing a bike helmet reduces the risk of head injury by 85%. Please ensure that if your child is riding his/her bike to school he/she is wearing a properly fitted helmet. Also, it is highly recommended that bikes be locked in the racks while here at school.
BCES Library News
Voting Day is fast approaching! Silver Birch voting day will be Monday, April 23, 2018. Students must read five or more books in one category in order to vote. From the three Silver Birch categories, the students have read 34 Nonfiction books, 70 Express books, and 56 Fiction books. Congratulations to Owen M. and Kadance G., who have qualified to vote in Silver Birch Nonfiction. Way to go! Also congratulations to Naina C., Adella G., Verity M., Mia M., and Kamryn G., who have qualified to vote in Silver Birch Express. High five to you! Cheyenne F., Natalie T., Liam B., Isabelle W. and Reagan R. qualified to vote in the Fiction category. Awesome! That makes 20 students, who are now eligible to cast a vote. There are several other students that have read 3 or 4 books thus far. With about three weeks left until voting, I am sure there will be more that will be voting on April 23rd. Please actively encourage your child(ren) to keep reading to obtain their goal(s) to vote. Discussing the books attentively with your son or daughter is great encouragement for them to continue reading in these programs.
On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, there will be a celebration of voting students at second break in the library. The voting students will bring home a note on April 23rd with regard to our celebration. Due to our strictly enforced nut-safe food policy, we do not allow foods prepared at home to be sent into the school. Each voting student, if they are able, will be asked to bring a specific type of fruit treat only for this party. Please read the note closely, when your voting child brings it home.
The winning authors are honoured at a ceremony in May. In next month’s newsletter, I will post the results of our school wide vote. In June’s newsletter, I will post the results of the winning books and authors that were honoured in Toronto.
Blue Spruce News
Mrs. Miller’s and Ms. MacDonald’s classes have been reading the Blue Spruce books. The students in these classes will be voting individually for their favourite book in April. Please be aware that the students in each class are encouraged not to share their votes with their siblings and friends until all classes in our school have had an opportunity to vote. They may share their votes with their parents, if their siblings are not present. When voting for their favourite book, we want each student to make their own choice without the influence of family and friends. Students’ votes will be totalled and submitted to the Ontario Library Association in Toronto in April. All classes will have completed their Blue Spruce voting by April 13th.
The Book Fair is Coming!
We will be having a Scholastic Book Fair in May. Book fair flyers will be sent home near the end of April. Be on the lookout for your flyer.
Foundation for Enriching Education Workshops
We are very fortunate that we will be receiving some Foundation Workshops for our BCES students. On May 3rd, grades 2/3 and 4/5 will be part of a Colour and Techniques of Painting workshop with Vanessa DeGroot. Students will learn colour mixing and different techniques, how to use shape, and use step-by-step instructions to create their own masterpieces.
We also have a Yoga workshop for grades 2/3, 4/5, and 5/6. Date to be announced.
On May 11th, grade 2/3 is participating in a workshop about First Nations Legends and Stories with Bill Farnell. Students will participate in a Reader’s Theatre, will sculpt a clay pinch pot, create art and plant seeds appropriate for First Nations gardens.
More info will be coming home about the Grade 4/5/6 Alzheimer’s Presentation , but students in grade 4, 5 ,and 6 will be travelling to Bluewater Rest Home on April 11th to be part of a presentation called, “I’m Still Here.” We have been invited by the Rest Home and Huron County Alzheimer’s Society for this 50 minute presentation.
Take Tech
The students will be taking part in a technology presentation being given by Jamie McMillan about skilled trades work. Jamie is a journeyperson who has a focus on promoting females getting into the skilled trades field. She will be bringing a high beam simulation on a green screen, tabletop welding simulator, and a halo photobooth.
Jamie will also be giving a workshop on Thursday, April 5 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at CHSS as a follow-up activity for parents, students and community members to attend.
Remember….our school calendar can be found on the school website calendar page.