Save the date! On Thursday, May 10th our Parent Council and school staff will be hosting a Fun Fair for all families to attend. This event will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Each person will get free popcorn and pizza. You will need to bring your own water to drink. We will have fun events planned for our parents and students, including math-based games, building propeller race cars, and a chance to visit our Book Fair (and win free books). We look forward to seeing everyone there! More information follows later in the newsletter.
On Tuesday, June 5th (rain date is June 6th) we will be hosting our school track and field day. We will need some parent volunteers to help make this day run smoothly for the students, so please feel free to contact Mrs. Schepers or Ms. Van Poucke to let them know of your interest in helping out with this fun event. We have moved the date in order to give our athletes more opportunity to practice prior to the Regional and District Events being held on June 12th and June 19th, respectively.
Just an FYI to parents of students in grades 3 and 6 that EQAO is coming up at the end of May. Grade 3 students will be writing on Wednesday, May 23 until Tuesday, May 29. Grade 6 will commence writing on Friday, May 25 until Friday, June 1. Students will be writing in the morning block, so please avoid booking appointments between 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Teachers will be sending out more specific information on special themed events they are running for students to celebrate their learning.
Have a great month of May and enjoy the sunshine!
Ms. Van Poucke
Remember….our school calendar can be found on the school website calendar page.
Thank You
A big Husky Howl to the South Huron District High School Intermediate and Senior band members and to Mrs. Haines & Mrs. Regier for a wonderful performance. Our staff and students enjoyed all the tunes. You can go back into our Twitter feed to see some of the performance.
Foundation for Enriching Education Workshops
When donations are received through the Foundation for Education Perth-Huron, the Foundation is able to provide a number of things which enhance our student learning. This year, we have taken advantage of a few Foundation workshops. Just last week we hosted a “Colour and Painting Techniques” workshop in grades 2/3 and 4/5 with Vanessa DeGroot. We will also be receiving “First Nations Legends and Stories Across the Curriculum” with Bill Farnell on Friday, May 11 in Grade 2/3 (all grade 2s and 3s attending) and “Emotionally Based Yoga” with Shannon Scott on Thursday, May 17 for students in grades 3-6. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the Yoga workshop (i.e., water bottle, running shoes, ‘stretchier’ clothing that adheres to dress code).
EQAO Assessment Dates
As stated in the Principal’s Message, the assessment dates for EQAO for this year are as follows: The grade 3 students will write May 23, 24, 25, 28 and 29th. Grade 6 students will write May 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, and June 1. Please try to avoid booking appointments on those dates, if possible (particularly in the mornings from 9:00-11:30 a.m.), as it is very important that your child be at school during this time period. We appreciate your encouraging nutritious breakfasts, a good night’s sleep, and lots of exercise to help your child to be rested and prepared for the assessment.
Track and Field
We are hosting our BCES Track and Field meet on Tuesday, June 5 (weather date is June 6). In order for this event to run smoothly for students in Gr 4-6 we will need some parent volunteers. Please contact Ms. Van Poucke or Mrs. Schepers if you are able to assist with this meet. We will also need parent volunteers to attend the Regional Track and Field meet on Tuesday, June 12 (weather date is June 13).
Bluewater Coast Fun Fair
Family Fun Fair Night is set for Thursday, May 10 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Parent Council and school staff will be sponsoring the evening, with free pizza, and popcorn being offered to our Husky families. We will have math-based activities to participate in, inflatable games, and our yearly Book Fair. Come on out for some great new games, activities and fun!
Mental Health Awareness Week (May 7-11)
Did you know that 1 in 5 students face various mental health concerns ranging from anxiety, depression, interpersonal relationships and emotional dysregulation? All of us, here, at Bluewater Coast are working towards bringing an awareness and supporting people who are affected. We would ask that on Tuesday, May 8th everyone wear green in support of Mental Health Awareness. Let’s get creative and get that green ready! We will also be having lots of great mental health activities going on throughout the week. So listen to the upcoming announcements and get out there – we will explore different ways we can regulate our bodies through yoga, breathing, colouring and more! Let’s see you participate, Huskies!
Scholastic Book Fair is Coming Soon!
Students have received a Scholastic Book Fair Flyer. Each class will have a Scholastic Book Discovery time during class May 8th – 10th. The book fair will be open at designated times during that week as listed below. Any student, who buys a book, can submit a ballot to win $25 worth of books. The winner must choose the books from the fair at the time of the draw. The ballot is found on the back of the flyer. Please cut it out and bring it to the book fair. Only one entry per student. Also the winning student’s teacher will be able to choose $25 worth of free books for their classroom.
The book fair will be open for students to purchase during the following times:
- Tuesday, May 8, 2018 after school 3:15 – 3:45
- Wednesday, May 9, 2018 first recess (Primary students) 11:15 – 11:35
- Wednesday, May 9, 2018 second recess (Junior Students) 1:35 – 1:55
- Thursday, May 10, 2018 first recess 11:15 – 11:35
- Thursday, May 10, 2018 Fun Fair 5:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Door Prize Draw Thursday, May 10, 2018 6:30 p.m.
The student must be present at the Fun Fair at the time of the draw to win.
The Door Prize Ballot is on the back of the Book Fair flyer.
To maximize our commission, our goal for book fair sales is $1630. All commission is used to purchase books for the library and classrooms.
Wish list – There will be books on display above each of the display cases. Each teacher has displayed a book that they would like for their classroom. Please consider purchasing the wish list book to donate to your son/daughter’s classroom.
Silver Birch Students Have Spoken
Our Silver Birch students read a total of 61 Fiction books, 37 Nonfiction Books, 85 Express books. The following students cast their votes for their favourite book on Monday, April 23:
Express
Ms. MacDonald’s Class Mr. Power’s Class
Naina C. Kiefer C. Sara H. Abbie S.
Adella G. Kamryn G. Verity M.
Alexis W. Hannah Q. Mia M.
Nonfiction
Mr. Power’s Class Mrs. Scheper’s Class –
Oliver C., James F., Kadance G., Chance L., Kamryn G., Joe H., Owen M,.
Fiction
Mr. Power’s Class Mrs. Scheper’s Class –
Natalie T., Liam B., Reagen R., Cheyenne F., Sophia B., Emily S., Kierra C., Kaitlyn T., Lachlan M., Isabelle W.
Congratulations to all our voting students! Great job Kamryn, who qualified to vote in two categories. Wonderful work Adella, who read all ten Silver Birch Express books. Awesome show of perseverance by all the voting students!
The results of our votes are as follows:
Blue Spruce Silver Birch Express
1st Place Shark Lady 1st Place Smiley: A Journey of Love
2nd Place Even Superheroes Have Bad Days 2nd Place A Boy Named Queen
Silver Birch Nonfiction Silver Birch Fiction
Two-way tie for 1st Place From Ant to Eagle
1st Place 2nd Place Brave
Meatless? A Fresh Look at What You Eat and
Monster Science: Could Monsters Survive (and
Thrive!) in the Real World
Thank you to all the students, who participated in the Blue Spruce and Silver Birch reading programs. Check out our June newsletter to see how our school voting compares to the books that received the awards based on the Ontario wide vote.
In celebration of our Silver Birch voters, we are planning a party on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. Please remember to send fruit to the party with your child. Thank you!
Our “Green Tag” Identification Program….and The First Ride Program – June 14, 2018
Each September, new Kindergarten students ride the school bus to school for the first time. The Green Tag Identification Program will help to alleviate potentially confusing experiences for JK/SK students on their first week of riding the bus and throughout the school year.
The use of Green Tag can be an effective way to improve safety and confidence. This method of identification ensures that the school bus drivers and school staff can readily identify Junior and Senior Kindergarten students that are riding school buses and helps them to assist students find their correct school bus at the end of the day. The program assists school bus drivers by indicating which children must sit at the front of the bus and which students must be met by a parent/caregiver at their designated drop-off location.
In order to ensure that this new procedure is successful, we have invited all of our new JK students who will be starting school in September 2018 to a ‘First Ride’ morning on Thursday, June 14 at 9:30 a.m. Information has been sent home to those parents who have registered their child for school for September 2018.
Paper Copy – Food and Milk Orders
This is a reminder that monthly food orders and milk orders must be paid for separately. These items are two separate entities. The monies collected are allocated to different fundraising efforts.
Along with orders arriving combined, there has been an increase in overpayments requiring change to be sent back. We do not keep change on hand in the school, especially since moving to School Cash Online. For manageability and simplicity, exact change is required. Any overpayment will be considered a donation to the school. Thank you to all the families that order. We enjoy providing a break from lunch making!
– Parent Council
Dress Code
As warmer weather approaches, students and parents are reminded of appropriate clothing for school. Our dress code states that students should wear clothing that is suitable for a public learning environment. We encourage children to wear t-shirts to protect them from the sun’s harmful rays. Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and running shoes for outdoor play are the best choices. Hats, sunscreen and even sunglasses are recommended. Sandals are cool to wear, but can be dangerous when running or playing games on the playground. Occasionally hot weather clothing can be too revealing for school, and is more appropriate as beachwear, so we appreciate your help in upholding the rules for the few months of warm weather that we have. Thanks!
Bicycles
With spring’s arrival, some students are riding their bicycles to school. Parents are reminded that all people under 18 are required by law to wear a bike helmet. Please ensure that if your child is riding his/her bike to school he/she is wearing a properly fitted helmet. For safety reasons, we do have an expectation that bicycles be walked across the street before and after school so that cars can see children who have bicycles. Also, it is highly recommended that valuable bikes be locked in the racks while here at school.
]]>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.
]]>Welcome to March! Report cards went out last week. Please send back the third page, which is the goal-setting page, as we read these and then place them in the students’ OSRs. If you have any questions about your child(ren)’s report card(s), please contact your child’s teacher – they would be happy to speak with you. You are also welcome to reach out to me should you have any concerns that you would like to share with me. All BCES staff are here to listen and help.
We have exciting events planned for the month of March. We have the To Be Determined Theatre Company joining us on March 7th in the middle block to perform a Jillian Jiggs play for students in grades K to 3. Julia Jacobs is joining us again on March 9th for a full day of Zumba and Pound workshops. Every class will be participating in a 30 to 45 minute exercise class with Julia; we can’t wait! Our Parent Council has a BCES Family Skate night happening on Tuesday, March 20th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hensall Arena. Chili and hot dogs will be served at this event.
Other exciting events include those which Senate will be hosting. This month we have a number of Spirit Days celebrating Diversity & Inclusion, World Down Syndrome Day and Peace. We’ll also be hosting two Me-to-We Spirit Days this month. See the Student Senate info below.
Also, just a reminder that we have March Break coming up from March 12 to 16, 2018. On behalf of the staff and I, we hope you have a wonderful break and enjoy some of the sunny weather that appears to be in our forecast.
Ms. Van Poucke
EQAO
It’s only March, but we have been in full swing at school preparing for EQAO testing in May. EQAO is a great benchmark for teachers to use to gauge where we, as educators, need to focus instruction to best support student learners during the school year. We don’t want this to be a stressful event for students, but we do value the information that we get so that it can inform our professional practice and help us set goals. It’s important that all students in grades 3 and 6 write the test and be present for each of the testing dates. We’d ask that you avoid family trips or getaways during May 22 to June 4, 2018 inclusive so that each grade 3 and 6 student can complete this assessment. We appreciate your assistance with this.
Eat and Learn Program
Thank you to the Ontario Student Nutrition Program and several community sponsors and families for their donations to our Eat and Learn program. Families are now able to ‘purchase’, via School Cash On-line, a donation to our Snack Program. Any amount from $1.00 and upwards, can be donated. Receipts are also available for any donations over $20. We have had fantastic nutritious snack items to feed our students every day, and the money and volunteer time that our parents put into making this program run are much appreciated!
Elmira Chicken Orders
Elmira Chicken orders will be available for pick-up on Tuesday, March 6th between 3:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in the gym. Thank you for supporting our Grades 5 & 6 year-end trip to JUMP at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Student Senate
Student Senate would like to thank everyone for their contributions to our Valentines Candy Gram activity. Together we raised $325!
For the month of March we will be continuing with our Me to We activities to add to our total contribution for the year. On March 7th we will be having a “Summer Dreaming” Me to We Spirit Day. For a 50 cent donation to Me to We, students can dress-up in their summer fun clothing (hats, shades, t-shirts, shorts and more). Crazy Sock Day will on the 21st to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. The 23rd is White Day for Peace. The 27th is another Me to We Spirit Day with the ever popular ‘Gum Day’. Again for a 50 cent donation to Me to We, students can bring in gum and chew gum in class (following class rules). To close out the month, on March 29th we are having a final Spirit Day (Rainbow Day) where each class will be encouraged to wear a particular colour of the rainbow to celebrate Diversity and Inclusion in our school and community.
– Your Husky Student Senate
Hensall Legion Public Speaking
Congratulations to all Bluewater Coast students in grades 1 to 6 for all their hard work in preparing and presenting their stories and speeches. The following storytellers and speakers were chosen from their classes to present to the whole school: Raymond F., Addison H., Saphira R., Ben H., Brayden R., Abby M., Eden J. and Lily S. who represented the primary division; and Sophia B., Jaden D., Isabelle W., Kaitlyn T, Natalie T, Owen M., Adelle S, and Sara H. who represented our junior grades.
We’d like to give a big Husky Howl thank you to our school level judges, Mrs. M. Thornton and Mrs. M. Haberer.
Our two judges chose six speakers to represent BCES at the Hensall Legion Public Speaking Competition. They were: Brayden, Ben, Raymond, Isabelle, Sophia, and Natalie.
Congratulations go to: Ben (1st), Raymond (2nd), and Brayden (3rd) from the primary division and Natalie (1st) and Isabelle (3rd) from the junior division for their placement at the Legion Level. The first place contestant in each Category will be eligible to move on to the Zone competition held on Saturday, March 3 in Kincardine.
Way to go!
Student Intramurals – Volleyball
Congratulations to the Boys and Girls volleyball teams who had a very successful day on February 6th at the junior volleyball tournament held at Central Huron in Clinton. Both teams placed 1st and demonstrated great behaviour on and off the courts. Thank you to our coaches, Mr. Power and Mrs. Schepers for your expertise.
Follow Us On Twitter
Did you know you can get the latest Husky updates by following us @BCESchool on Twitter? Check regularly for special events, announcements and school closure information. Thanks for retweeting and getting the news out to all our families!
Parent Council Meeting
Our next meeting will be Monday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. Come out and join us!
Parent Council has planned a family skate night on Tuesday, March 20th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hensall Arena. We will be providing chili and hot dogs! So bring the family, skates and your appetite and have a great time!
Husky Hub
Check out our Husky Hub.
Forest of Reading Programs
Bluewater Coast Elementary School has been given a grant to assist with the cost of our Silver Birch and Blue Spruce reading programs. Thank you to the Foundation for Enriching Education Perth Huron for this grant to encourage reading in our school.
Blue Spruce News
Some teachers in JK – grade 2/3 will be reading the Blue Spruce books to their class either during March or April. Once all ten books have been read to a class, the students from the class will be voting individually. 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 voting by April 13th.
Silver Birch News
Is your son or daughter a Silver Birch reader? There are charts in the library that students can use with Ms. Wondergem to check off the books they have read in this program. A reminder that students must read at least five Silver Birch books in one category in order to vote. How many Silver Birch books has your child read? If a student would like to read a specific book that is not currently available, the student may place the book on hold with Ms. Wondergem. Students are also allowed to read the 2018 Silver Birch books from the public library as well. Links to a list of Silver Birch books can be found on Ms. Wondergem’s staff page on our school’s web page. There are about seven weeks until voting, which takes place on Monday, April 23, 2018. Please encourage your child to persevere with reading to reach their voting goal. Their voice can make a difference for the Ontario Wide votes that will be submitted to the Ontario Library Association in Toronto by April 30th.
Congratulations to Lachlan M. for having read at least five books in the Silver Birch Fiction program! Awesome job! He will be eligible to vote for a Fiction book. Natalie T., Liam B., Kierra C., Reagan R., Kaitlyn T. and Isabelle W. have been persevering toward their goal to vote in the Fiction category as well. Keep reading! Collectively the thirteen Silver Birch Fiction students have read 41 books so far.
Oliver C., James F., Kamryn G. and Joe H. have achieved their goal to vote in Silver Birch Nonfiction. Fantastic! Way to go! Kadance G. and Owen M. are also working hard toward their voting goal. Don’t give up! The total number of books that the nine Silver Birch Nonfiction students have read is 32.
Congratulations to Kiefer C. and Sara H., who have qualified to vote in the Silver Birch Express category. Great work! These Silver Birch Express students are working hard to vote in the Express category: Naina C., Kamryn G., Jaden D. and Mia M. They are well on their way to achieving their goal. All together the twenty Silver Birch Express students have read 44 books thus far.
Recycling Printer Cartridges
Thank you to all, who have sent in printer cartridges to the school for recycling. This helps our environment, as well as benefiting our school. The proceeds from the recycled cartridges go towards many things for our school such as the library.
When You Donate Milk Bags…
Thank you to all, who have donated milk bags to our school. Have you ever wonder what happens to all the donated milk bags? Ms. Wondergem takes the milk bags to a local church group. These ladies cut the bags into strips and crochet the strips into sleeping mats. The mats are sent to third world countries.
Please continue to send your clean, folded milk bags to our school and Ms. Wondergem will take them to the local church group. If you have further questions, please contact Ms. Wondergem.
Remember….to take a look at our school calendar.
This year March Break is from Monday, March 12 to Friday, March 16. Enjoy the time with your families and we’ll see you back at school on Monday, March 19.
]]>February is upon us! We have a PA Day on Friday, February 2nd and Family Day is Monday, February 19th.
Our BCES Public Speaking Contest is being held at the school on February 14th (snow date is the 16th). The Legion Competition is being held at the Hensall Heritage Hall on February 20th at 7:00 p.m. sharp, but registration for student competitors is at 6:30 p.m. at the Hall. Please check for more information about times and rule changes later on in this newsletter. (If your child is chosen to continue on to the Legion Competition please be at the Hensall Heritage Hall no later than 6:30 as speeches promptly begin at 7:00 p.m).
Report Cards (Grades 1-6) and Communication of Learning Reports (Kgn) will be coming home on February 20th. Please make sure you read through these with your child, identifying strengths and next steps. If you have questions or concerns about anything in your child’s report, please do not hesitate to contact the classroom teacher and dialogue about how we can work as a team to assist your child(ren).
I’d also like to make mention that we have been very fortunate at BCES to have been the recipient of some very generous donations to our school community. Firstly, we’d like to thank ABATE of Ontario, Chapter 7 in South Huron and Cooper Standard in Stratford for their generous donation of approximately $4200 for our school. ABATE raised funds for us during a “Ride for a Cause” held in the summer of 2017 and Cooper Standard matched their donation. The money will be put toward STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) activities for students. A big Husky Howl to the ABATE Motorcycle Association and to Cooper Standard!
The second donation, which we haven’t formally dedicated yet at our school, came from the Hensall Kinette Club. The Kinette Club donated $500, which we will put toward our school fundraiser for new Playground Equipment. The BCES School Council commenced a Playground Fundraising initiative in the fall of 2017. The majority of our fundraisers over the next three or four years are going to be put towards replacing/enhancing our current playground facilities. As we are just in the beginning stages of this process, more information will be coming out as School Council holds discussions about fundraisers, committees, and next steps. Stay tuned.
Have a fabulous February!
Christina Van Poucke
Our School Calendar can be found at :
https://avonmaitlandschools.ca/bluewatercoast/bluewater-coast-events-calendar/
Parent Council News
Happy 2018 Husky families! We wanted to send a quick update from Parent Council to let everyone know that Parent Council has planned a family skate night on Tuesday, March 20th 2018 from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Hensall Arena. We will be providing chili and hot dogs!
So bring the family, skates and your appetite and have a great time. Look for more exciting things from Parent Council soon!
Next Parent Council meeting is Monday, February 12th at 6:30 p.m. in the staff room at BCES. All are welcome! Katrina Robinson
Parent Council Co-Chair
Term One Report Cards
If you have a child in grades 1-6, on Tuesday, February 20th, your child will be bringing home the first full report card (following a progress report that came home in November). The first term report card gives you an evaluation grade, as well as detailed comments.
Here’s what to look for:
1. The first page is dedicated to in-depth reporting of 6 key Learning Skills and Work Habits, with room comments about Strengths and Next Steps in at least 4 of the areas. This is critical information about your child as a learner.
2. The second and third pages report the grades and comments for all subject areas. Comments should include the key learning goals (what was studied), a specific example of your child’s strengths (how learning was demonstrated), and clear next steps (how to improve).
3. The final page contains information to help you interpret what the grades mean, and offers a place for both the student and the parents/guardians to make comments and set goals for improvement. These goals are returned to the school to assist us in helping your child to be even more successful in future.
While grades and marks are important, we strongly encourage you to read and discuss the comments with your child, because this information is critical in helping your child specifically identify what he or she is doing well, and what is needed to improve.
We appreciate your feedback. If you have comments or concerns about the report card information in general, or specific questions about your child’s learning, please contact your child’s teacher or the office. As always, we’re happy to chat by phone or meet with you to discuss your concerns and observations. Thanks for helping us to help your child to improve!
Kindergarten Communication of Learning Report
Kindergarten reports were redesigned by the Ministry of Education (MOE) last year. Your Kindergarten child(ren)’s reports will be coming home on February 20th and will contain four areas of assessment:
1) Belonging and Contributing
2) Self-Regulation and Well-Being
3) Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviours
4) Problem Solving and Innovating
Each of these four areas will focus on key learning, growth in learning, and next steps in learning. You will notice the language of “we”, which is recommended by the MOE, and it represents the home and school partnership. There is also a goal-setting / parent feedback form that should be signed and sent back to the school by parents.
If you have any questions or concerns with your child’s report, progress, or questions about their programming, please feel free to write in the feedback form or contact your child’s teacher or principal.
Inclement Weather
Although we’ve been spoiled by some more moderate weather lately, it’s still winter. We would like to remind you to check the BCES Twitter message (run by Mrs. Regier and I) or the ourschoolbuses.ca website to see status updates on bus cancellations and school closures. Those are the two spots that up-to-date information will be posted about cancellations and closures.
At BCES, we make every effort to keep our school open on days when the weather is challenging and buses are not running. We value our learning time with children, and every staff member who can arrive safely to school is ready and prepared to teach your child, if he or she is able to get here. If your child is a walker and is going to be absent, please give Mrs. Regier a call at 519-262-2833 to let her know your plans; this is part of our Safe Arrival protocol and is meant to keep track of all of our students’ safety needs. Feel free to leave a message, as our phone lines often are busy on inclement weather days.
Family Literacy Day – Friday, February 16th
The official Family Literacy Day was January 26th, 2018. As we had a lot on our school calendar during those weeks, we deferred our date. BCES is hosting our school-based Literacy Day on Friday, February 16th. Since it is a PJ Day, our students will be able to wear their PJs and enjoy an hour long literacy blitz! Students will be placed into K-6 groupings and will rotate to different teachers in the school where they will share picture books and discuss the big ideas and make inferences from the books we share. Thank you to Mrs. Miller and Ms. MacDonald for organizing this event for our school!
Note: Should we need the morning and middle blocks of the day for our Public Speaking Snow Date and your child is a finalist participating in the Library or Gym competitions, please send your child in their regular school attire for speeches/storytelling. If they bring their PJs, they can change after the competition, if they wish.
Police Checks
We appreciate parent/guardian involvement in our on-site and off-site school activities. Individuals who are volunteering in our school or on school trips will need to have a Police Vulnerable Sector Check completed at the local police station and on file in the school office. You will be required to drop off and pick up your police check in person and with identification; police will not release this to anyone other than you. If you have had a check completed for coaching sports, etc., please bring us in a copy. If not, forms are available in the school office that you will need to take to the police station. If we have a recent police check on file (done within the past three years), please make sure that you have updated your record with an Offence Declaration form. Please note: Grades 5 and 6 parents attending JUMP need to have a Vulnerable Sector Check completed before attending this overnight trip. Contact the school if you have any questions.
Grades 5 & 6 Fundraiser
The Grades 5 and 6 students are fundraising for their year-end trip to JUMP at Wilfrid Laurier University. They are selling Elmira Chicken. Deadline for ordering is Wednesday, February 14 and orders can be picked up in the gym on Tuesday, March 6 between 3:15 and 5:30 pm. If you would like to place an order, please fill out the attached form with payment. Cheques can be made payable to Bluewater Coast Elementary School. Orders can also be placed on-line through Schoolcash.net
Thanks for your support!
Storytelling and Public Speaking
During January our junior students have been preparing speeches, and our primary students have been preparing for storytelling and/or speeches. Please join us at the school on Wednesday, February 14, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. in the library to listen to our classroom competitor finalists from grades 1-3 and from 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the gymnasium to hear our junior finalists (grades 4-6). (The snow date for speeches is Friday, February 16th). As always, we thank the judges who step up and help us out with this event.
Storytelling/Speeches (for grades 1 through 3) will be in the library beginning at 9:00 a.m. Please note that this year, students in the primary division who wish to be considered to move beyond the Regional level to District must prepare speeches.
Speeches (for grades 4 through 6) will be held the same day in the gym beginning at approximately 11:45 a.m.
The Hensall Legion Public Speaking Competition will be on Tuesday, February 20th at the Hensall Heritage Hall. Registration is at 6:30 p.m., with the competition beginning at 7:00 p.m. sharp. Plan to be part of the Husky support team cheering squad at these events!
Skating
Our next skating event for grades 4-6 students at the arena will be Friday, February 23. Thanks to all the volunteers that transport and help to tie skates. This makes our skating outings such a success. Remember to dress for the weather and that all participants must wear a helmet. We strongly recommend a CSA approved hockey helmet. Please note that we are bringing in some Primary activities and are trying to line up Zumba for our younger students.
Winter Carnival
Carnaval d’hiver at BCES will be held on Friday, February 9th starting at 11:30 a.m. Please remember to wear snowsuits, hats, mitts and warm boots. An extra pair of socks and mitts would be a good idea too as students will be participating in outside activities for an extended period of time. Bring on the snow!
Student Senate
With our Terry Fox Run, our Canned Food Drive and Christmas Bureau gift drive behind us, we have accomplished our National and Local Me to We goals. Now we are set to focus on our final International Me to We goal. Similar to last year, we will be planning some Spirit Days and Special Event Days too. In February, our first Spirit Day will be on the 9th – “Go Canada Go!” day to celebrate Team Canada in the Olympics! Students are encouraged to wear red and white and Canada clothing.
On February 14th we will be holding our 5th annual Valentine Candy Gram event. Pricing for Candy Grams will range from 75 cents for 1 Candy Gram down to 50 cents per Candy Gram if buying 30 or more.
As it is BCES Literacy Day on February 16th, we encourage students to wear their PJs that day. (Should our Public Speaking Contest need to occur due to inclement weather on the 14th, we will still hold PJ Day. If your child is a finalist that day, have them bring their PJs to change into after they perform their speech/story).
Then to finish out the month of February, we will be having our 2nd annual “Summer Dreaming” Spirit Day where everyone is encouraged to dress-up like summer is out the window looking in. For “Summer Dreaming” we are asking for a $.50 donation for the ‘privilege’ of dressing for summer! We will use this spirit day as one of our ways to fund raise for our International ‘Me to We’ goal.
Thank you from:
Your Husky Student Senate
A Nut-Safe Valentine’s Day at BCES
As you know, BCES continues to be a nut-safe school, and no foods containing nuts, nut oils or traces of nuts are permitted in our school. We thank you for your vigilance as you purchase foods and pack lunches that are nutritious and safe.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, some families may be thinking about special treats for their child’s classroom. Please help your child to understand that we want to honour the caring message of the day, but we cannot accept food/edible treats in our classrooms that are not Nut Safe, including home-baked goods. We offer the following suggestions to make Valentine’s Day special for all the children:
1. Watch for a note home from your child’s teacher about this year’s plans for Valentine’s Day.
2. If your family wishes to send in something special, choose non-edible treats such as erasers, interesting pencils, stickers or stamps.
3. Donate a book to the classroom library (with a message from your child inside the cover) as your child’s treat to his or her classmates. This is a gift that will keep on giving!
4. Consider giving a donation to our Eat & Learn Program. This supports children who need some extra nutrition to boost their school day, and is available to all children each morning.
5. Make homemade valentines for classmates, and choose to donate the money you would spend on treats or valentine cards to a charity in your child’s name.
Thanks for showing compassion and caring for our school community this Valentine’s Day.
Silver Birch News
The Silver Birch Students have enthusiastically been reading the books from the three Silver Birch programs. There are 19 Express students, 9 Nonfiction students and 13 Fiction students. So far the students have read 31 Fiction books, 26 Express books, and 21 Nonfiction books. Bravo!
Congratulations to Sophia B., who is the first student to qualify to vote in 2018! She will be voting in the Fiction category. Awesome work! Silver Birch students please continue reading and make sure you see Ms. Wondergem to mark the books that you have read on the Silver Birch charts in the library. Voting takes place April 23, 2018.
Talk to your child about the book(s) that he/she has read from these programs. Does your child have a favourite book so far?
Blue Spruce News
Miss Wood/Mrs. Shapton’s class read the Blue Spruce books in January. There are ten books written by Canadian authors in this program. Once all ten books have been read to a class, the students from the class will be voting individually. 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/guardians, 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. Miss Wood/Mrs. Shapton’s class voted on January 30, 2018.
Teachers in JK – grade 3/4 will be reading the Blue Spruce books to their class between now and April. Ms. Wondergem totals all students’ votes for our school and submits them to the Ontario Library Association in Toronto in April. All classes will have completed their voting by April 13th.
]]>Happy New Year to all of our BCES families and welcome back!
Thank you to all of our parents and community volunteers for once again making December a memorable and enjoyable time for students and staff at BCES. The holiday dinner was amazing, and we appreciate all of the additional classroom assistance we have received this month with baking, cutting, gluing, etc. in our primary division. I’d like to give a huge shout out to the students and staff, who did a phenomenal job with our Holiday Concert (and we appreciated the fantastic turnout at our Concert). The staff and students work hard to put on a show that never fails to impress!
I would also like to acknowledge and thank a number of families, businesses and other anonymous donors for a variety of special contributions made in the spirit of giving. We have received cash donations to our Eat & Learn program, many Christmas Bureau gifts and gift certificates for families in need. We have appreciated everyone’s generosity.
With the winter weather now here, it is important for students to come to school dressed warmly for outdoor play. Please send extra socks and mittens as sometimes they get wet when everyone is having fun playing. We will monitor the wind chill and temperature but for the most part we will be outdoors for two 20 minute breaks each day.
As always please call or stop in at the office if you have questions or would like to share something with me.
Christina Van Poucke
Our School Calendar can be found at :
https://avonmaitlandschools.ca/bluewatercoast/bluewater-coast-events-calendar/
Snow
Snow is lots of fun for students. Snow can bring its own unique challenges and rules for playing safely at school, and so I’d like to mention a few of those rules here in order to help families communicate with their children.
1. We do not allow snowball throwing or kicking of snow at other students.
2. We do allow forts to be built, but no tunnels (due to safety concerns around collapsing).
3. Snow forts tend to become territorial for groups of students. Please talk to your child about the fact that a lot of children live and play in the community, both during and after school hours, and that snow forts are not “owned” by any one child or group of children. If the snow is on school property, then it’s available for all to play.
4. The snow hill near the baseball diamond on the school property:
a) Due to the location of this snow hill (being so close to the roads, some trees, and the parking area that parents and staff use), it is highly recommended that students not play on this hill.
b) The hill is “out of bounds” during school hours, including our morning and afternoon supervision times. There have been a few instances where students stop to play at the end of the school day. When the dismissal bell goes, students should be checking in at home.
5. If your child is at home on an “snow day”, then they are not to be playing on the yard at any time during the school day or they will be invited in to class, where their peers are doing learning.
Parking at the Front of the School
Just a gentle reminder to parents and volunteers that we need to keep the parking area in front of the school clear for buses to park and load. There is a small parking lot to the East of the school that has a few spots. Otherwise, there is angle parking available out front of the school West of the sidewalk that enters into the new Kindergarten addition. Please look for the signage outside. It’s nice to have the sidewalk area clear for crossing students as it’s difficult to navigate around parked cars.
School Messenger
Text “yes” to 978338
Over the past few weeks we have sent several school messages out via School Messenger. These messages are short texts designed to inform our school community of school activities and events. School Messenger can also be used to quickly notify our families of any school or community emergency impacting our families. Almost 60% of our families have subscribed thus far. To opt in to School Messenger, text YES to 978338 from your mobile device.
Late Again?
In the past month, there has been a large increase in the number of students arriving to school late each morning. We understand that occasionally something interferes with arriving on time, but we have concerns when lateness becomes habitual. The entry bell rings at 8:50 am each morning, and attendance is taken at that time. Immediately following attendance, there are morning announcements for the school, then each class begins its day, usually by organizing and introducing the day’s activities. This is important learning time for your child, and sets the tone for success. When your child arrives late, he/she misses out on important routines and information.
We appreciate your efforts in teaching, encouraging and setting an expectation for promptness in your child’s daily routine. In the event that your child is late (arriving after 8:55 a.m.), a phone call is required from home and he/she is expected to enter the school by the front door, report to the office for safe arrival and get an Admit Slip so the teacher knows that the student has checked in at the office. Thanks for your assistance in making learning run smoothly.
Safe Arrival Calls (Especially on Snow Days)
Just a reminder that if your child(ren) are sick or absent from school, give us a call at 519-262-2833. On snow days, if your child is bussed, you don’t need to call in as we will assume they are home with you (unless you bring them to school, in which case we will change our attendance code). If you live in town, that safe arrival call is important to make on a snow day, as we assume that they will be attending school for regular school day learning.
We appreciate your help in knowing that our students are safe.
Skating
Our next skating time at the arena will be Friday, January 26, 2018. At this time, it is confirmed that the Junior classes will be going skating on this date in the middle block of the day. We will inform you at a later date whether we will be sending primary classes skating in January. Please remember to dress for the weather and that all participants must wear a helmet. We strongly recommend a CSA approved hockey helmet.
Open House for Grade 6 students going to Grade 7 at South Huron District High School in September 2018
South Huron District High School is holding an Open House on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 for students who are currently in Grade 6 and going to Grade 7 in September 2018. Please plan to attend to meet the staff, visit the school, and much, much more. Invitations will be sent home to all Grade 6 students.
Thank You to Local Church Groups
We want to acknowledge the generosity of two local church groups to our school. The Zion Lutheran Church of Dashwood is always collecting donations for our school, including new backpacks with lunch pails and school supplies. If ever you need this, please contact the office as we have extras. We would also like to thank the Exeter Pentecostal Tabernacle Church for the many donations of clothing, money, and food to families in need and to our tutoring program.
If you know of someone in need of gently used clothing or assistance, let us know at the school and we would be glad to connect you with one of these amazing church groups.
Huron County Christmas Bureau
Thank you for all your donations to the Huron County Christmas Bureau. This December, they provided gifts for 130 families. Your generosity in helping them meet these needs is greatly appreciated.
“For every act of kindness, for every thoughtful and loving act of charity, for every gift be it large or small, we are sincerely grateful.”
Eat and Learn
Bluewater Coast Elementary School would like to thank Tim Hortons in Clinton and Seaforth for their generous donation to our school’s Eat & Learn program. We received approximately $850 to put toward our program. These funds help to provide healthy, nutritious snacks for all our growing minds and bodies here at BCES. We have also been fortunate to have worked in cooperation with Community Living, the Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre, and local food producers. These folks have been (& will be) providing snacks to our students for several days over a period of several weeks. The students have enjoyed a variety of tasty, nutritious snacks. We’d also like to thank our many families who have donated gift cards to the program as well.
Library Helpers
There are 23 enthusiastic library helpers, who help Ms. Wondergem in the library during first recess. Each student is assigned one recess every two weeks to assist with stamping, stickers, sorting, putting books away, etc. New grade 2 library helpers will be joining the group in January. Students are allowed to volunteer more often as well. Their assistance is greatly appreciated.
There are twelve computer helpers, who turn the computers in the library on and off each day. These helpers are divided into morning and afternoon groups. Four helpers were assigned to a daily commitment for each month. Ms. Wondergem looks forward to working with the library and computer helpers again in the New Year.
Silver Birch
Our Silver Birch reading programs kicked off on December 8th in the school library. There are ten books written by Canadian authors for each of the three Silver Birch program. These books were selected by the Ontario Library Association (OLA), in each of the following programs: Silver Birch Express, Silver Birch Fiction, and Silver Birch Nonfiction. The programs are intended to encourage reading for fun. The students will have approximately five months to read at least five or more of the books in one of the three categories. Each student, who accomplishes this goal, will have the opportunity to participate in an Ontario wide vote for students. They will be choosing their favourite book near the end of April 2018 in one of these categories. All votes will be sent to the OLA in Toronto for tabulation. There is a banquet in May in Toronto to award each winning author.
Students will have the opportunity to read at school in the library during one recess per week. The books are also allowed to be checked out and taken home. Please refer to Ms. Wondergem’s staff home page on our school’s website for the Internet links to each of these reading programs. In order for students to take the Silver Birch Books home, the students must consistently return their library books and Silver Birch books on time. These reading programs are voluntary. If your child signs up for one of these programs, please encourage them to read, so they may obtain their goal to Vote in April!
Blue Spruce
Students in grades JK – 2/3 will be participating in the Blue Spruce Reading Program. Each teacher will be choosing a month between January and April to conduct this program with their class. All ten books in this program will be read to the students. Each student will then have the opportunity to vote in an Ontario wide student vote. They will choose their favourite book from the program. Please refer to Ms. Wondergem’s staff home page on our school’s website for the Internet link to this reading program. All votes will be sent to the Ontario Library Association in Toronto for tabulation. There is a banquet in May in Toronto to award the winning author.
Once these programs are completed at the end of April 2018, the Silver Birch Books and Blue Spruce Books will become part of the Bluewater Coast Elementary School library collection for all students to check out.
Community Announcements Vanastra Rec Centre
Free Swims sponsored by the Anglican Church of Clinton and Seaforth are December 28 and 29 and January 2 and 4 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. There are recreation swims on December 27 and January 3 and 5 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at our regular admission prices ($3.25/child).
]]>It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us. This time of year can be exciting for students and families. It’s a time of compassion, thoughtfulness, thankfulness, and reflection on the year’s events. At BCES, we demonstrate these traits all year long, but they are particularly evident in the month of December.
We kicked off our month of celebrations with the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, November 24th. Members of our primary choir were in attendance and sang beautifully. Thank you to Mrs. DeBlock and Mrs. Melick for accompanying the students. Ms. Wondergem and Student Senate have been collecting new and unwrapped gifts to be donated to the Huron County Christmas Bureau. We are collecting items until Thursday, December 7th. The bureau is in particular need of gifts for teen-aged students. We want to thank everyone upfront for their generosity in helping those in need at this time of year.
Our Parent Council and school families are busy preparing for our Annual Christmas Dinner being held at the school on Thursday, December 14th (our Weather Date is the 15th). The staff and students are eagerly anticipating sitting down together as a whole school to celebrate with a delicious ham and turkey dinner. We thank families for their generous donations of food, cash, and volunteer time, which all help make this a special event for every child in the school.
The students and staff have been working diligently on our Christmas Concert. Skits, songs and artwork are being prepared for our annual production and, as always, it promises to be entertaining! Please plan on joining us in the BCES gymnasium for the concert at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 20th or for the dress rehearsal on Tuesday, December 19th at 11:45 a.m.
Student Senate also has some fun activities planned for us in the month of December. See the full list of activities listed later in the newsletter. Members of the public are welcome to attend our carol sings. See times/dates below. Each song session will be approximately 30 minutes. Thank you to Mr. Power, Mrs. Nuhn and Senate for organizing. Special thanks to our guest musician, Adam Cyr, who will join us for our Thursday carol sing.
At this time it is so important to thank and recognize the staff, students and parents who help with all of the “extras” that make the school day the wonderful experience that it is for every student at BCES. Thank you for helping with the milk and pizza programs, fundraising, school and community events, Student Nutrition Program, assisting with sporting events, organizing school outreach programs, reading with students, volunteering in classrooms, as well as taking time to attend Parent Council meetings. As well, thanks to parents who take the time to read the school newsletter, follow our Twitter account, check out the Parent Council’s Husky Hub, and for reading your child’s planners and classroom communications. We want to have the best educational experience available to your children, and we can’t do it without you! We truly appreciate each and every one of you.
And of course, if you haven’t signed up yet for School Messenger (52 of our 88 families have signed up), please text 978338 in the “To” field on your phone and write “Yes” in the text field. You can unsubscribe at any time, but it is a handy way to get information quickly from the office.
I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous 2018.
Ms. Christina Van Poucke
Principal
Parent Council
Spirit Wear Pick-Up
Thanks to everyone who supported our recent Spirit Wear fundraiser. We hope you will enjoy wearing our school logo with pride. We have not yet been notified as to when orders will be shipped to us, but as soon as we know, we will be sure to let you know.
Christmas Dinner – Thursday, December 14 at 11:45 in the school gym. Thanks for signing up for set up, serving or clean up. Please contact the school office if you did not sign up and are still able to help out with this fun event. Parent Council is having a “working” council meeting on December 13 at 5:00 p.m. to prep for Thursday’s meal.
The Parent Council wishes all of our Husky families a safe and happy holiday. We are looking forward to the New Year ahead.
Text “yes” to 978338
Over the past few weeks we have sent several school messages out via School Messenger. These messages are short texts designed to inform our school community of school activities and events. School Messenger can also be used to quickly notify our families of any school or community emergency impacting our families. To opt in to School Messenger, text YES to 978338 from your mobile device.
Magazine & Cookie Dough Fundraisers
Once again, thank you to all the families who participated in our recent cookie dough and magazine fundraising campaign. By now all families will have received their cookie dough, and magazine subscriptions should start to arrive in the mail over the coming weeks depending on the number of issues per year.
The Bluewater Coast E.S. Christmas Concert
The sound of music is wafting through the halls as students begin practising for our annual holiday Christmas Concert. Dress Rehearsal will be on Tuesday, December 19 starting at 11:45 a.m. The Holiday Concert Performance will be on Wednesday, December 20 beginning at 7:00 p.m. with the snow date on Thursday, December 21 at 7:00 p.m. We ask students to arrive at 6:45 p.m. and go to their classroom, while family members take their seat in the gymnasium.
Student Senate Events
Senate has planned the following activities for December:
Monday, December 18th Carol Sing at 9:20 a.m.
Festive hats/headwear (antlers, snowperson, Santa/Elf hats, etc.)
Wednesday, December 20th Carol Sing at 2:00 p.m.
Seasonal Colours day (red, green, gold, silver) and/or Ugly Sweater/Christmas Sweater Day
Thursday, December 21st Carol Sing at 9:35 a.m.
PJ and Movie Day
Huron County Christmas Bureau
Thank you to all families that donated a gift for the Huron County Christmas Bureau. Gifts can still be donated at our school through December 7, 2017. Your generosity will brighten a child’s Christmas.
Silver Birch
We anticipate the kickoff to our Silver Birch Reading Programs to take place in December. There are three programs. Silver Birch Express contains ten books that are a combination of fiction and nonfiction books. This program is available for students in grades 3 – 6. Silver Birch Nonfiction has ten nonfiction books and is available for students in grades 4 – 6. Silver Birch Fiction has ten fiction books and is available for students in grade 5 – 6. All of the books from the three programs are written by Canadian authors. These programs are independent reading programs that allow students to have a voice in an Ontario wide vote to choose the best book in their program. The vote will take place in April 2018. It is important for your child to return their Silver Birch book on time (or early if they have finished reading it). There is only one copy of each book in the three programs. Students will be given the opportunity, one recess a week, to read their Silver Birch book in the library. This opportunity is optional for each student.
Getting Ready for Winter!
How do I know when buses are cancelled and/or my school is closed?
We all know that winter is just around the corner and with it comes the occasional winter storm. Once again, Huron-Perth Student Transportation Services (HPSTS) makes it easy to get your school bus delay and cancellation information. You can follow the announcements by going to our website: ourschoolbuses.ca or by following our school’s twitter account. You don’t need to have a twitter account to get this information, as the latest Tweet appears on the main page of our school’s website.
As in the past, you can also monitor local radio stations during inclement weather for the latest announcements on cancellations or delays. For further information please contact Huron Perth Student Transportation Services at 1-888-871-7722 or visit their website.
As always, you as a parent/guardian make the final decision about your child attending school when the weather outside is frightful. Please call the school to let us know that your child(ren) are not attending if they are students that typically walk or are driven by you to school. If a bus run is cancelled you do not need to call the school for safe arrival.
Fall/Winter Dressing
As cooler weather approaches, students and parents are reminded of appropriate clothing for active outdoor activities. All students participate in two 20 minute physical activity breaks during the course of the school day. Please remember to send your children to school with appropriate clothing for the cooler weather. Coats, mitts, and hats (snow pants and boots for winter) are recommended for all students. Students need snow pants to be able to go onto the snow hills on the yard. We also recommend labelling these items with your child’s name.
School Calendar
Our School Calendar can be found at :
https://avonmaitlandschools.ca/bluewatercoast/bluewater-coast-events-calendar/
Community Events
Town & Country Bowling Lanes would like to invite all students to join our Christmas Break Special. On December 28th, 29th and January 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. we are offering an afternoon of bowling! For $10.00 per person you receive 2 games of bowling, the shoe rental and a snack & a drink! If you are interested in making a reservation or have any questions, please feel free to call us at (519) 236- 4923 or e-mail us at [email protected].
]]>Happy November! We hope everyone had a great October, enjoying some of the warm weather, Halloween festivities, and Thanksgiving. We want to thank all of our families for supporting our fundraisers. We collected close to 400 canned/dry goods for the We Scare Hunger Me to We campaign, which will allow us to help a lot of families. We also sold close to $11,000 in magazines and cookie dough. This is a phenomenal amount! The school will receive a percentage of the sales and the funds will be used to help replace outdated technology, help with field trips costs, etc. We will be communicating with the students/families of those who sold cookie dough of a pick-up date for the cookie dough, as the company will set the delivery date for us. Just a reminder that we don’t have freezer space, so it’s really important that the cookie dough is picked up the date it is delivered. More info to come.
Most families are now on an electronic platform for receiving school information. BCES has a school website and calendar, Twitter (@BCESchool), and School Messenger to communicate office information. School Messenger is really the best and quickest way for school personnel to reach out to parents/guardians. If you get a message from School Messenger asking you to join, please accept the invitation. You can receive timely information through text, SMS message, or to your email account; you choose your platform. It can also come as a phone call in the case of an emergency. Currently, most teachers are still using Class Messenger, which is NOT the same as School Messenger, but teachers will be slowly moving over to School Messenger as we phase in this new communication platform.
And, of course, we have School Cash Online for ordering food/milk orders, clothing, spaghetti dinner, etc. If you haven’t set up your account, contact Mrs. Regier and she will walk you through the process. We try to use many forms of communication in order to keep you in the loop as to what’s going on at school. If you ever have any need to contact us, please feel free to email or call us.
School Council also has a Facebook page, The Husky Hub, that lists their special events and communications – please check this out. Please remember that if you have questions of an administrative nature to contact office personnel directly for any inquiries or concerns you may have, 519-262-2833.
Have a lovely November.
Ms. Van Poucke
Our School Calendar can be found at :
https://avonmaitlandschools.ca/bluewatercoast/bluewater-coast-events-calendar/
PA Day
Friday, November 3, 2017 is a PA Day. We are conducting parent/teacher interviews Thursday, November 2nd in the evening and until noon on November 3rd. If you missed your chance to book an interview, you can always make arrangements to speak on the phone with your child’s teacher or book an in-person appointment at 519-262-2833.
Photo Retake Day
Photo retakes will be on Thursday, November 23, 2017 beginning at 12:00 p.m.
Student Safety
We would like to give a friendly reminder that parents should be accompanying their primary-aged children across the road and onto a sidewalk when coming to school in the morning. We have a number of primary aged children who are crossing the road unaccompanied and cutting through our parking lot or weaving between parked vehicles, which makes them hard to see when parents are coming in and out of the lot. At the end of the day, please use the crossing guard at the sidewalk. We do not have a crossing guard at the school in the morning, but there is one on King Street.
Further, when children are late in the morning, please come to the office to sign them in.
Volunteering For Events/Field Trips at BCES
We love volunteers at BCES. Whether you can donate a few hours once in a while to a field trip, or be a regular presence in the school, we appreciate any time that you can give us. You will need to get a criminal background check, with Vulnerable Sector Screening, done at the OPP. If you have interest in volunteering in future, please ask for forms from the office, as you will get your check done for free, but you do need to allow three to four weeks for the OPP to process the information and allow yourself time to pick up the forms in person.
Fall/Winter Dressing
As cooler weather has arrived, students and parents are reminded of appropriate clothing for active outdoor activities. All students participate in two 20 minute physical activity breaks during the course of the school day. Please remember to send your children to school with appropriate clothing for the cooler weather. Coats, mitts, and hats (snow pants and boots for snow) are recommended for all students.
Remembrance Day Plans
On Friday, November 10, we will meet in the gymnasium at 12:30 p.m. for our Remembrance Day Service, where we honour our community veterans and celebrate peace. This year, we will observe the day in poetry, music and art, with contributions from staff and students throughout the school. We host the assembly at this time to accommodate all of the Legion members who attend other services that day. Please join us for this special assembly.
Getting Ready for Winter!
How do I know when buses are cancelled and/or my school is closed?
We all know that winter is just around the corner and with it comes the occasional winter storm. Once again, Huron-Perth Student Transportation Services (HPSTS) makes it easy to get your school bus delay and cancellation information. You can follow the announcements by going to our website: ourschoolbuses.ca or by following our school’s twitter account. You don’t need to have a twitter account to get this information, as the latest Tweet appears on the main page of our school’s website: https://avonmaitlandschools.ca/bluewatercoast/
HPSTS has a smart phone App – called HPSTS. This App is available for iPhones, Android Smartphones and Windows OS Smartphones and is absolutely free. This App will bring you all the latest announcements regarding school bus or school delays and cancellations.
The HPSTS App is available in the Google Play Store for smartphones using the Android OS. For iPhones and Windows OS phones go to the following link to install the app: http://hpsts.wompmobile.com/ .
As in the past, you can also monitor local radio stations during inclement weather for the latest announcements on cancellations or delays; weather information is typically announced at the :25 and :55 minute mark of each hour.
For further information please contact Huron Perth Student Transportation Services at 1-888-871-7722 or visit their website.
Parent Council Corner
Parent Council will be hosting a Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction to raise funds for new playground equipment for the school. The spaghetti dinner will also include salad, garlic bread, drinks and dessert. Tickets are available at School Cash Online, D & D Variety in Hensall, Serenity Wellness & Spa in Zurich and at the school office. Tickets are $10 per adult and $5.00 per child (12 & under). School Cash Online tickets can be purchased until Sunday, November 5, 2017.
We are excited to announce that we are selling Husky Spirit Wear clothing, branded with our BCES school logo. Order forms were sent home on October 26 and are due back November 10 so that all clothing will arrive before Christmas holidays begin. Purchases can be made online at: https://avonmaitland.schoolcashonline.com/ or via the paper copy that was sent home.
Next Parent Council meeting: Monday, November 13, 2017
All are welcome!
Join our Facebook page The Husky Hub.
Before and After School Programs for September 2018
In support of the Kindergarten program, Avon Maitland District School Board is determining which schools have enough parental interest to offer before and after school programs for four and five year olds and potentially children aged 6 to 12. At this point, we are asking all families with children in elementary school to share their tentative childcare needs for September 2018. Avon Maitland District School Board is providing access to a Before and After School Survey though a link on our board website. An information letter was sent home at the end of October.
Calling All 3 Year Olds
Response to our call for next year’s kindergarten registration has been great! If you have a 3-year-old who has not yet been registered, please call the school and speak with Mrs. Regier in the office as soon as possible. Our registration date is November 21 and appointments are required.
Silver Birch Reading Program
Our Silver Birch reading programs will be kicking off in December in the school library. There are ten books written by Canadian authors for each of the three Silver Birch programs. These books were selected by the Ontario Library Association (OLA), in each of the following programs:
- Silver Birch Express for grades 3 – 6
- Silver Birch Fiction for grades 5 – 6
- Silver Birch Nonfiction for grades 4 – 6
These programs encourage reading for fun. The students will have approximately four months to read at least five or more of the books in one of the three categories. Each student, who accomplishes this goal, will have the opportunity to participate in an Ontario wide vote for students. They will be choosing their favourite book near the end of April 2018 in one of these categories. All votes will be sent to the OLA in Toronto for tabulation. There is a banquet in May in Toronto to award each winning author.
Students will have the opportunity to read at school in the library during one recess per week. The books are also allowed to be checked out and taken home. In order for students to participate in these reading programs, the students must consistently return their library books on time. These reading programs are voluntary. If your child signs up for one of these programs please encourage them to read, so they may obtain their goal to vote in April!
Blue Spruce Reading Program
Students in grades JK – 3 will be participating in the Blue Spruce Reading Program. Each participating teacher will be choosing a month between December and April to conduct this program with their class. All ten books in this program will be read to the students. Each student will then have the opportunity to vote in an Ontario wide student vote. They will choose their favourite book from the program. All votes will be sent to the Ontario Library Association in Toronto for tabulation. There is a banquet in May in Toronto to award the winning authors.
Huron County Christmas Bureau
We will be supporting the Huron County Christmas Bureau. New, unwrapped gifts, for children ages newborn to 18 years old, can be brought to Ms. Wondergem at the school. The gifts will be placed under our Christmas tree until they are brought to the Christmas Bureau. Ideas for gifts are toys, pajamas, jewelry, body wash, hair accessories, books, gift cards to popular merchants (i.e. Shoppers, Canadian Tire or iTunes), socks, underwear, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, or waterproof mittens. The smaller gifts are needed just as much as the larger items. Your donations will be gratefully accepted at our school from November 27 to December 7, 2017. Each child/family, who donates a gift for the Bureau, will also be given a paper ornament to decorate and place on our school’s Christmas tree.
Community Announcements
Free Public Skating
Friday, November 3, 2017 (PA Day)
Zurich Community Centre
1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Hensall Tree Lighting
Join us for a holly, jolly, Christmas tree lighting, hot dog eat’n, Santa greet’n, ugly sweater wearing, cheer sharing good time!
Friday, November 24 at :
6:00 pm Dr. Jennie Smilie Parkette
6:45 pm Hensall Community Centre
Admission donation to the Food Bank
The Huron County Health Unit will be visiting your school and offers the following dental programs:
• Students in JK/SK, grade 2, 4, and 6 classes will be included in a dental screening. Children who have been previously identified by our program will also be seen. Any parent who wishes their child to be screened at school, other than those listed above, should notify the school before the scheduled screening date.
• As a preventive service, topical fluoride applications, dental sealants and dental scaling will be offered to eligible children who have been screened at the school.
• Financial help is available through the HSO-EESS program for children in urgent need of care were the cost of treatment would be a financial hardship.
• A dental program called Healthy Smiles Ontario is available to help children 17 and under see dentists regularly. It is available for families living with low incomes that have no dental coverage.
• Do you need more information? Call the Dental Department at the Huron County Health Unit at: 1.877.837.6143 or visit www.huronhealthunit.ca and search Dental Health.
What a beautiful fall season we have been having; the perfect weather to have our first field trip, Open House and annual Terry Fox Walk!. I’d like to thank all the families who were able to come out to our Open House on Sept. 27th. It’s always great to see everyone out and about and so engaged in meeting the teachers and asking about the curriculum.
I’d also like to thank all of the folks who were able to help out as volunteers at both our Plowing Match trip and on our Terry Fox Walk! Your help was tremendously appreciated by myself, the staff, and all the students. There will be many more opportunities to volunteer on trips, as part of Parent Council, in the Snack Program, and through the Reading Assistance Program (RAP) this year, so if you’d like to assist us, please make sure you have completed an OPP Vulnerable Sector Check – we can provide forms through the school that you take to the local OPP station. There is absolutely no charge to you, but you do need at least 3-4 weeks turnaround time to get them back.
In this newsletter we are sharing the fundraisers that will be taking place at BCES over the school year. We would like to let you know the plans for the year so that you too can make plans for what your family can support this year. Most of the funds raised by Parent Council this year will go toward purchasing new playground equipment. This fundraising goal will flow over the next few years.
Hallowe’en: Always at the top of our list is the safety of children in our school. While we appreciate that parents/caregivers wish to share treats with our students around Hallowe’en, we kindly remind you that no edible treats (such as candy, home-baking, etc.) will be shared or distributed to students at school due to allergy concerns. (See our note about Hallowe’en below).
Thanks to all our families for their dedicated efforts to pack nut safe lunches. We know this can be a challenge and we appreciate your efforts. With Hallowe’en, we ask you to be vigilant when packing celebration treats for school lunches once your child has been trick-or-treating. While many manufacturers include nut-free symbols, others do not. Thanks for understanding that some Hallowe’en treats will need to be enjoyed at home!
Have a wonderful month with your family and friends and please remember that October 10 is the Thanksgiving holiday.
Parent Council Corner
Hello Husky Families! With school back in session and in full swing Parent Council has some very exciting news. We are going to focus our attention this year on some major fundraising goals to raise money for new playground equipment for our school. We are going to start our campaign with a:
Homemade Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction
Thursday, November 9, 2017
5 – 7 p.m.
Hensall Community Centre
Cost $ 10.00 per adult and $5.00 per child (12 & under)
Tickets will be available through School Cash Online, to be picked up at the school office or sent home with your child. They will also be available in Hensall at D & D Variety and at Serenity Wellness and Spa in Zurich (see Kim Fisher). Take out will be available!
Parent Council is also looking for volunteers to help run this event. Many hands make light work Husky families!! Also, we are in need of many crockpots to borrow.
If you are able to help with either of these things, please contact Cheryl Rader at: [email protected]
If your place of employment, business or family would like to donate an item or cash to go towards the dinner items or for the silent auction, please contact Katrina Robinson at: [email protected] or Amber Dougall at: [email protected]
We are looking forward to hearing from our families and hope to see everyone out for a great meal and a great cause!!
A final reminder that Parent Council is open to all parents! Look for upcoming meetings posted on the Husky Hub and the online school calendar. All are welcome to join us at any time!
If you are interested in seeing the minutes from our meetings, please go to our Bluewater Coast homepage.
Or, for an abbreviated version of the meetings, visit the Husky Hub at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1551442095152834/
*Please note that should you have school-based concerns, questions, or confidential matters you need assistance with (e.g., school registration), please forward those directly to the school by phone or email the Principal, rather than posting to the Hub. The Hub is an excellent information tool, but it is not run by or moderated by the school administration.
2017-18 Parent Council Meeting Dates
Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 9, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, November 13, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 14, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, December 11, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 11, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, February 12, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.
Fund Raising Plans for 2017-18
October QSP Magazines and Tasty Batters Cookie Dough (School fundraiser – technology)
November Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction (Council)
School Spirit Wear (Council)
February Pancake Day for BCES Students/Families (Council)
March Elmira Chicken (Grade 6 Year-End trip Fundraiser)
April Metzger Food Products (Council)
May Book Fair (to replenish books in our school library)
June Kin Ball Tournament (Council – this is a donation of our time working the food booth)
Ongoing Milk, Pizza (School/Council); Me to We events (Student Senate)
Parent Council proceeds will be put toward the purchase of new playground equipment over the next few years. School-based proceeds (magazines/Book Fair) will be used to support outfitting our library with new books and upgrading our technology needs. Grade 6 fundraisers are used for the year-end trip.
QSP Magazine Fundraiser and Tasty Batters Cookie Dough
Once again we will be holding our annual QSP Magazine Fundraiser. There are a lot of new and exciting options for your reading pleasure. Get great deals on new magazines, or continue your subscription at great prices. To order, visit QSP.ca and use our group id for online ordering #3746641. If paying by cheque, please make payable to Bluewater Coast Elementary School.
This year we will also be introducing “Tasty Batters” cookie dough as an option for families to purchase. More info will be forth coming about ordering and pick up once we do our kick off assembly on October 5th with the students.
The Q S P Magazine/Tasty Batters Fundraiser will start on Thursday, October 5, 2017 with all orders due to the school office by Friday, October 20, 2017. Please remind your children – no door-to-door sales to strangers. As always, thank you for your support.
EQAO Results
Our EQAO results became available in the past few weeks. For a closer look at the results, you can visit www.eqao.com. The number of students achieving level 3 or 4 in Grade 6 was 81% in reading; 86% in writing; and 52% in math. All reading, writing, and math scores were at or above those of the Board and the Province. 21 students wrote the test this year. In Grade three, the number of students achieving level 3 or 4 was 75% in reading; 85% in writing; and 70% in math. Our reading, writing, and math scores were above the Board and Provincial averages. 20 students wrote the test this year.
As a staff, we participate in school-based Professional Learning Communities; these PLCs focus on improving student achievement. The staff is committed to continuing to deepen their knowledge and investigate areas to work on to improve student achievement.
School Photo Day
School and class pictures will be taken on Friday, October 27, 2017. Please bring your smiles and photo forms.
Mathletics
You may have heard your child(ren) talking about Mathletics when they come home from school. Mathletics is a curriculum-based math skill-building program designed by teachers to enhance the mathematics experience for students. There are many fun and engaging activities that students can participate in from home or at school, and best of all, there is no cost to you. In fact, Mathletics can be used on your home computer or your iPad (the App is free in the App store). All your child has to do is enter their personal code. If you need a copy of their password, the classroom teacher can provide this to you. Students will have access to Mathletics all year long, including over the summer months of 2018!
Mathletics has teacher-assigned lessons, instructional videos, how-to’s for math problems, and a timed gaming component that enables children to compete with themselves or with others from around the world. Work is designed to be at the “just right level” for each student. Students are able to accumulate points when playing the timed sessions and when doing the teacher-assigned work. Points are then used to change each child’s personally created avatar and to earn certificates of achievement.
Each student from K-6 has been given a Mathletics account to help improve their math fluency and provide practice and skill-building in math. We recommend you spend some time looking at the program with your child so that you can gain the greatest understanding of how Mathletics will benefit your child(ren)’s learning. To see what Mathletics is all about, visit www.mathletics.ca.
Before & After School Care Program
As part of an on-going commitment to make the school day as seamless as possible for our families, each family will be receiving an information sheet in mid-October regarding Before and After School care. Families interested in Before and After school programs for their four and five year old’s, and possibly order children in the upcoming school year, should complete an on-line survey by December 1, 2017. The link to the survey will be found on the Board websitewww.yourschools.ca starting mid-October. We appreciate your assistance as we determine the feasibility of offering such programs. Should your require a paper copy, please contact the school after October 10th.
Student Senate
The Husky Senate is comprised of students who provide leadership by organizing activities to promote school pride and encourage positive citizenship by giving back within their school community and “paying forward” to other communities or groups in need.
The 2017-18 BCES Student Senate chose to kick off their year by taking on our school’s annual Terry Fox Walk & Run event. So far we have raised $320.82. Student Senate will continue to accept donations for the Terry Fox Foundation until Monday, October 3. Our Husky Senators would like to thank everyone for their support towards our school’s National Fundraising Goal and are already looking forward to coming up with more fun things to do to support our Local and International Goals.
Hallowe’en Plans
The Student Senate, staff and classes will be planning special activities for Tuesday, October 31. More details will come home closer to the date.
Please note that BCES is a nut-safe school due to severe allergies. Homemade and packaged treats cannot be served in classrooms because we cannot ensure that these products are nut-safe. We don’t expect families to provide treats, but we certainly do appreciate your generosity and willingness to share with your child’s class. If you do decide as a family to make a gesture, some alternative suggestions are: a book or game or ball for the class, pencils, stickers, or other non-edible items. Thanks for keeping all kids safe at school!
Library News
Students check out library books for a two week period. They may return the books before the two weeks are over. If your son/daughter brings home an overdue notice for library book(s), please return the library book(s) on the next school day. If the books are lost, please write a note to Ms. Wondergem on the overdue notice, explaining that the book is lost. Students cannot check out another library book until their overdue library book(s) has/have been returned.
Library helpers will be starting in October. Students in grades 3 – 6 can sign up to be a library helper. Grade 2 students can be library helpers after Christmas. Library helpers commit to help in the library during 2 or 3 morning recesses per month. Library helpers show great leadership skills.
Please Bring Your Milk Bags to School
Ms. Wondergem is collecting milk bags again this year for our school. Have you ever wondered what happens to all the donated milk bags? She takes the milk bags to a local church group. These ladies cut the bags into strips and crochet the strips into sleeping mats. The mats are sent to third world countries.
Please continue to send your clean, folded milk bags to our school. There is a collection box outside our school office for the milk bags. If you have further questions, please contact Ms. Wondergem. Thank you to all who have donated milk bags to our school.
Lion’s Vision and Hearing Screening for JK/SK Students
In partnership with local Lions Club organizations, we are pleased to offer hearing and vision screening for JK and SK students. We understand the impact of having healthy eyes and good hearing on your child’s overall health, well-being, and education. JK/SK Vision and Hearing Screening is coming to Bluewater Coast Elementary School on Tuesday, October 3, 2017.
Progress Reports
November Progress Reports will go home to Grades 1-6 students and Initial Observations Reports to Kindergarten students on Monday, October 30, 2017. Interviews will be held on the evening of Thursday, November 2, 2017 and the morning of Friday, November 3, 2017.
Parents/Guardians will be able to book appointments to meet with your child(ren)’s teacher(s) and sign-up slips will be sent home to you within the next week or two. You will be given the option to choose your time slots to meet and a confirmation time/day will be sent home with your chid(ren). While we do our best to accommodate parent/guardian work schedules, it is sometimes difficult to accommodate everyone. If neither of the dates given work for your schedule, please contact your child’s teacher directly to set up an alternate appointment time/date.
Kindergarten Registration…(CATYO: Calling All Three Year Olds)
This is for students starting school September 2018 and is being held at Bluewater Coast on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 during the morning hours. If your child turns three years old by December 31, 2017 they are eligible for Junior Kindergarten beginning September 2018. Call the office at 519-262-2833 to book your registration time. If you know of a family in our school community with young children, pass this information along to them.
Managing Asthma at School
As you may be aware, Ryan’s Law, 2015, was recently passed by the Ontario Legislature. This piece of legislation is an important step to support the well-being of students with asthma in Ontario schools. If your child has chronic or moderate to severe asthma, we ask that you immediately contact the office to provide information about your child’s asthma medication; you may be asked to fill out a Medical Management Plan for staff to follow and adhere to should your child suffer an asthma attack at school.
Wash Hands to Avoid Respiratory Illnesses
The Huron County Health Unit reminds everyone that frequent hand washing reduces the risk of catching a respiratory illness. Several different respiratory viruses circulate every fall; cleaning your hands is your best defense against respiratory illnesses.
Other measures to take are:
- avoid touching your face
- cough into your elbow or sleeve
- disinfect frequently touched surfaces often
Stay home if you are ill. When children are ill, keep them home from school until they are able to fully participate in their usual activities. Children with asthma may have a higher risk of developing severe illness. If a child develops a high fever or has difficulty breathing, seek medical attention.
Nut Free and Scent Safe School
Bluewater Coast is a Nut Free and Scent Safe School. Please do not wear cologne or scented products when you will be visiting the school.
Products change all the time. If it is not labeled peanut/nut free they are not safe. Statements such as: may contain traces of nuts or peanuts, or, manufactured in a facility that process nuts or peanuts, are not safe.
New! School Messenger Coming Soon
Beginning in mid-October, BCES will be using School Messenger to convey information to our families. You may have recently received a text message from the Avon Maitland District School Board with the option to join School Messenger. Please respond to this message by opting in so that you can receive communication from the school via this method. Through School Messenger, we will be able to quickly communicate with parents in the event of a school closure or other emergency situation. It will also be the preferred method of communication for newsletters and other non-urgent communication. As always, you will still be able to access the school newsletter and calendar from the Bluewater Coast Elementary School website.
The AMDSB Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is hosting a
School Council Registration
Date: October 18, 2017
Time: Refreshments at 6:15, Meeting from 6:30-8 p.m.
Location: Maitland Room, AMDSB Education Centre at 62 Chalk Street North, Seaforth
1. Welcome from Trustee
2. Message from Lisa Walsh, Director of Education
3. Websites for AMDSB parents
4. SchoolMessenger for Parental Outreach
5. School Council Finances
6. Where Do We Begin?
These are small group sessions, facilitated by members of PIC, that will last 10 minutes each. We will then rotate so that everyone has a chance to visit each group.
Group 1 – Recruitment
Group 2 – Running Effective Meetings
Group 3 – Sharing Ideas & Celebrating Successes
Group 4 – Council Communication
7. Open Discussion
]]>Welcome back! We’ve had the privilege of having a very beautiful summer this year, so I hope everyone got a chance to do something fun, whether that was relaxing, playing with your kids, going away or having a staycation. I know the staff are ready and raring to go and we’re all looking forward to working with your children this school year. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. Most teachers currently use Class Messenger or blogging to communicate. Know that my door is also always open and you can contact me at 519-262-2833 or [email protected].
We have some exciting staff changes. Mrs. Herman and Mrs. Weber are both EAs who will be joining our staff this year. They bring a wealth of experience working with students and we are so pleased to have them joining our BCES family. Of course, we also have our regular super-star staff on hand, and their placements are as follows:
Staff and School Organization
Kgn A – Mrs. W. Nuhn
Kgn B – Mrs. J. Shapton and Miss P. Wood
Gr 1/2 – Mrs. C. Miller
Gr 2/3 – Ms. S. MacDonald
Gr 4/5 – Mr. J. Power
Gr 5/6 – Mrs. K. Schepers
French and Music – Madame A. Melick
Resource Teacher – Mrs. J. DeBlock
Technical Resource Assistant – Ms. S. Wondergem
Educational Assistants – Mrs. R. Herman, Mrs. C. Weber and Mrs. J. Weigand
Custodians – Mr. D. Peck and Ms. M. Dunbar
Secretary – Mrs. B. Regier
Principal – Mrs. C. Van Poucke
Please ensure you take a look through all the information that will be coming home during the first week of school. Many forms will require your signature and permission. The newsletter is also full of useful information to help direct and guide you.
Here’s to a great start to the school year.
Christina Van Poucke
Newsletters and Communication
For September, all families will be receiving a paper copy of the school’s monthly newsletter.
Starting in October or November, we hope to be using a new system called “School Messenger”. This method of communication will most likely replace Class Messenger (and is not the same manufacturer, even though the names are similar). This method of communication is being promoted in all schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board and our Board trainers will be working diligently to give each teacher and admin team access to this new system. The following information was recently posted on our Board’s website and was posted to our Husky Hub.
SchoolMessenger Coming Soon
“The Avon Maitland District School Board has contracted with West Corporation, provider of SchoolMessenger, formerly known as Synervoice for parental outreach, emergency broadcasts, student attendance alerts and other communications.
SchoolMessenger is designed to automatically notify parents for reasons that affect the safety and academic performance of students. SchoolMessenger will extend AMDSB’s existing community outreach efforts and emergency preparedness procedures, as well as inform parents of upcoming school events such as such as EQAO provincial testing, school council meetings, parent- teacher interviews, 40 hour community involvement opportunities, and more!.
SchoolMessenger will not replace current school communication methods. Principals will still be accessible for live visits and will continue to communicate via current methods. The district’s implementation of the SchoolMessenger system is intended to extend its commitment to remain personally connected with parents by offering additional and timely communications.
The use of SchoolMessenger will begin throughout the month of September in all AMDSB schools.”
As always, our newsletter and calendar are posted on our school’s website at www.avonmaitlandschools.ca/bluewatercoast.
Fifths Disease
Please note that we have expectant mothers on staff or expectant supply staff who come in to teach. While most women are immune to Fifths Disease, not everyone is, and we’d like to take preventative measures with pregnant employees to ensure healthy babies. This usually means a simple reassignment of the staff member’s duties for a few days.
Fifths Disease, or “slapped cheeks,” is a common, mild, and untreatable virus that typically affects children. The virus is not considered an urgent health risk and your child will NOT need to miss school because of it. Approximately 4-21 days after exposure to the virus, initial symptoms may appear and will include fever, tiredness, muscle aches and headaches. This will be followed by a rash. The rash will appear on the face as very red “slapped” cheeks and the rash will extend down the arms and trunk of the body as a lacy red rash. Fifths is considered most contagious before the rash appears and is spread through coughing and sneezing and mucous/saliva transmissions. Frequent handwashing is encouraged.
If you know your child has Fifths or has been exposed to someone in the incubation stages of Fifths, we’d appreciate if you would contact the office at 519-262-2833.
Confirmation of Emergency Contact and Personal Information Forms
These forms will be sent home to every student. Please check the data carefully and note any changes using a colored pen (not black please). Sign and date all three areas at the bottom of the page. Please return the forms to the school by Wednesday, September 13, 2017. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
School Planners
Your child is bringing home a BCES school year planner. The school handbook is in the front pages. We hope that you will find this to be a valuable information resource as well as a tool for communication with your child(ren)’s teacher(s). Please review this together with your child, and make note that there are two places for parents and students to sign within those pages. Please make special note of the sections in the handbook pages, which concern our Nut-free Environment and our Inclement Weather Policy. We also express our appreciation to the BCES Parent Council who helped fund the cost of the school planners so that every child and family is organized and informed.
Balanced School Day
Just a reminder that we are on the balanced school day schedule, meaning students have two “lunch” breaks each day. Our first nutrition break is at 10:55-11:15 a.m. followed by a physical activity break at 11:15-11:35 a.m. Afternoon nutrition break is at 1:15-1:35 p.m. and afternoon physical activity break is 1:35-1:55 p.m. It may be helpful to keep tummies full by sending two small meals in two different containers with children for the first few weeks, in order to assist children (who are new to eating on a balanced school day schedule) get used to leaving enough food for themselves at the second lunch break. Our Milk Program and Special Food Days will run at first nutrition break. We will be running our snack program daily in the mornings (typically 9:30 a.m.), but this may not be up and running until the third or fourth week of September.
Busses
As happens each year, our Transportation Department and Murphy Bus Lines have adjusted our bus routes to improve the ride for children and drivers, and to make the routes efficient for this year’s riders. Please continue to check the website at www.ourschoolbuses.ca to see if your time or route has been adjusted, especially during the first couple of weeks of school as new students are added and routes are adjusted. Being at your stop 10 minutes earlier for the first few weeks is a good idea! We appreciate the excellent work our drivers do to keep our children safe every day on the road to and from school. Thanks for keeping us informed in the office of any concerns you have about busses so that we can continue to improve the ride.
Yard Supervision
Supervision for students on the playground begins at 8:40 a.m. daily, with an entrance bell at 8:50 am. Students are dismissed at the 3:15 p.m. exit bell, and the crossing guard/staff supervisor is in place in front of the school until the 3:25 p.m. bell. Please note that students arriving prior to 8:40 a.m. or remaining on the yard after 3:25 p.m. are the supervision responsibility of parents or guardians. We strongly recommend that children not be unsupervised on the yard. For your child(ren)’s safety, please encourage your child(ren)’s arrival and departure within supervised times.
BCES is a Nut-Free School
Due to severe allergies in our school, BCES is a peanut, nut and nut oil safe school, meaning safe from peanuts, all nuts and all nut oils. Your child is required to bring lunch/snacks that contain no nuts or nut products. Finding nut-free snacks may be challenging, but carefully reading the product labels will tell you which products to avoid. Read the ingredient listings every time you shop. Manufacturing and packaging practices may change without any warning; a product that was once peanut-free, for example, may now contain peanuts. It is especially important to look for a warning such as, “may contain peanuts and traces of peanuts”. We would also appreciate the avoidance of foods that look and smell like peanut butter, such as some soy-butter products. Just a gentle reminder that Nutella is made is cocoa and hazelnuts and should also be avoided.
Proper hand washing with soap is important to eliminate nut oil residue from hands as contact with the slightest residue from nut products on playground equipment, door handles, gym equipment etc. can also cause a severe anaphylactic reaction in those with severe allergies. When consuming products with peanuts, nuts, or nut-oils please stress proper hand washing to your children before they depart for school.
We understand that this may be a concern or inconvenience for your family, but it is a life threatening situation for other children. We appreciate your efforts to “pack” nut-safe lunches. We will monitor lunches to assist children in making nut-free choices, and may contact you to replace items that contain nuts, as they cannot remain or be consumed in the school, for safety reasons.
Some ideas for peanut-free lunches can be found at http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/10/07/nut-free-school-lunch-ideas/.
Sabrina’s Law and Anaphylaxis
In January 2006, Sabrina’s Law came into effect. This Law requires school boards to have emergency procedures in place to deal with incidents of anaphylaxis and to provide training for all staff. With support from the local Health Units, school principals provide annual training to all staff in the administration of EPI-Pens to treat anaphylactic reactions. In cases where a student is anaphylactic, parents/guardians are expected to provide an EPI-Pen(s) for their child to carry with them at all times during the school day. Parents/Guardians must also work with the school to develop an Individual Medical Management Plan that outlines emergency procedures for their child.
In accordance with Sabrina’s Law, all schools have been provided with two generic EPI-Pens. These EPI-Pens are being provided to support schools in responding to a medical emergency for an anaphylactic student. Also, in accordance with Sabrina’s Law, schools must administer an EPI-Pen when a student is suspected of suffering an anaphylactic reaction even if no Individual Medical Management Plan exists. If you are aware that your child is allergic to epinephrine or if you have any concerns, it is suggested that you contact the school principal.
Managing Asthma at School
As you may be aware, Ryan’s Law was passed by the Ontario Legislature in 2015. This piece of legislation is an important step to support the well-being of students with asthma in Ontario schools. If your child has asthma, we ask that you immediately contact the main office at your school to provide information about your child’s asthma medication. With your permission, your child will be allowed to carry his/her asthma medication while at school. The Ministry of Education website has resources on asthma that can be found at:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/healthyschools/anaphylaxis.html
As a best practice and to support your child, please let the school know if your child has a medical condition so that the school is aware and can keep this information on file. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
International Plowing Match and Rural Expo
The IPM is coming to Walton from September 19 – 23. On Wednesday, September 20 students from BCES in grades 1-6 will be attending this exciting event. The cost is $6.00 per student and $6.00 per volunteer. This trip is available to pay for through School Cash Online. We have three buses booked, so there will be lots of room to travel together. We will be leaving the school at 9:10 a.m. and returning by 3:05 p.m. for our 3:15 dismissal.
We are still in need of volunteers to attend this trip, but you will be required to submit a Criminal Record Check (with Vulnerable Sector Screening) to the office prior to the trip. We had a number of people request the forms before summer break, so if these have been completed, please get them in. If you have had a check done by the school in the past two years, we will use the form on file and have you sign a “declaration” at the school. For those volunteers who have background checks on file and have indicated an interest in attending, we will be contacting you in the first week of September. Please feel free to reach out to the office if you haven’t heard from us by Friday, September 8.
BCES Open House Evening
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend our fall Open House evening on Wednesday, September 27. This is an opportunity to meet your child(ren)’s teacher(s) and other school staff, and to chat informally about learning and school life at BCES. Our Parent Council is an active partner in planning this event… stay tuned for more details!
Volunteers
At BCES we welcome volunteers! If you want to volunteer in any capacity, such as day trips, a reading helper, a food day helper, etc. you will have to conduct a Vulnerable Screening Check with the OPP if you’ve not had one done recently (in the past two years). This service is free for our volunteers. If you are interested, please contact the office for forms.
Parent Council
Our first Parent Council Meeting will be held on Monday, September 11 at 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcomed to attend.
School Cash Online
School Cash Online is the preferred method to order and pay for almost all items for sale at BCES. By registering for School Cash Online you will receive emails when items are available to order. You will also receive reminder emails as deadlines draw near. School Cash Online is a convenient and safe method of paying for items; all you need is your child’s OEN (Ontario Education Number found on any of their report cards), your email, and a bit of banking info. If you signed up for School Cash Online last year, you do not need to re-register this year. New families and our JK students will be receiving information early in September to help get started with the registration process. We are very proud of the support that our BCES families have given to School Cash Online, and in fact, BCES has been recognized as the school “with the highest elementary School Cash Online adoption rate” !!
Food Day Orders
Thanks to our parent volunteers who assist in organizing and running our special lunch days. Pizza, subs and DQ lunches are examples of some of the items we offer here at BCES. Lunches are always at first nutrition break (10:55 a.m.) and usually offered on Fridays. These will start in October.
Milk Days
White and chocolate milk will be available for purchase each month starting in October.
Snack Program
The Ontario Student Nutrition Program grant allows us to provide healthy snacks on a daily basis to all students in the building. This is free for all students to use and access, in case they are still hungry in the morning. Having a full and satisfied tummy always leads to better performance in school and helps children to focus. We want to acknowledge and thank our volunteers who assist with this, as they do a fabulous job. Snacks are delivered by 9:30 a.m. daily and will start in the third or fourth week of September. If you would like to volunteer with prepping, washing dishes, or putting out the snack on platters, please contact the office.
Safe Arrival
If your child is going to be absent or late from school, please provide the reason for the absence to the school prior to the commencement of the school day. If the school has not been notified of the absence, a phone call will normally be made as soon as possible after the expected arrival time. The Safe Arrival Program is intended to ensure the whereabouts and safety of all students. For your convenience, there is an answering machine at the school. A note in your child(ren)’s planner the day ahead of the absence is also acceptable.
Before and After School
We are glad to have this program from London Bridge in our school. For more information please contact Lynn @ [email protected] or call 519-236-7071.
Piano Lessons at Bluewater Coast Elementary School
Kathryn Desjardine will be teaching piano lessons this year throughout the instructional day. Lessons will start the week of September 18th. Kathryn still has some space for new students. Please contact her at 519 238-4192 or [email protected] for more information.
Guitar Lessons at Bluewater Coast Elementary School
Adam Cyr will be continuing guitar lessons at the school for the 2017-18 school year. Lessons are held on Mondays from September 11, 2017 until June 11, 2018. If you are interested or would like more information, please call him at 519-237-3688 or email [email protected]
Kids Plus
Accident Insurance – Forms Coming Home 1st Week of School
Our school board is offering you the opportunity to voluntarily purchase student accident insurance through the Kids Plus Accident Insurance program, underwritten by Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.
Kids Plus Accident Insurance provides protection against unexpected costs arising from accidental injuries. The program is especially valuable for families who:
- do not have medical or dental plans,
- have limited plans, as it may help supplement health and dental benefits, or
- have active children who enjoy sports and outdoor activities.
Kids Plus Accident Insurance has a selection of plans to suit most budgets. Benefits include coverage for:
- The full school year (September to September), 24 hours a day, while at home and in school;
- Expenses that are often limited or not covered by private or group insurance plans, or Provincial Health Insurance Plans, such as ambulance, physiotherapy, private tutoring, counselling, and much more;
- Injury-related dental treatment (including future dental treatment up to age 26);
- Out-of-province or country emergency medical expenses.
If your address changes during the school year, your Kids Plus Accident Insurance plan is transferable from school to school, anywhere in Canada.
Insurance premiums for children are $14.50 or $33.50 per year, depending on the plan selected. A discount is available for families with 3 or more children. Adults age 20 to 64 can also be insured for $32.00 per year.
For more information or to apply online, please visit kidsplus.ca, or speak with a Kids Plus Client Service Administrator at 1-800-556-7411.
1st Zurich Scouts – Registration and First Meetings
When: Monday, September 11, 2017
Place: Zurich Mennonite Church (Beavers and Cubs)
St. Boniface Public School (Scouts and Venturers)
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm (Beavers ages 5-7)
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Cubs ages 8-10)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Scouts ages 11-14 and Venturers ages 14-17)
Boys and girls, come join the adventure!
For more information please contact Rebecca Jones at 519-236-7060
]]>Can you believe that June is upon us already? The year seems to have flown by in a blur, but it’s been a fantastic blur. I want to thank everyone for making this school year such a fantastic one for staff, students and myself. From my own personal stance, it has been wonderful getting to know all of the students and their families and I have enjoyed seeing you out at sporting events, assemblies, concerts, and Fun Fair. I’m looking forward to working with you all again next year at BCES.
We will soon say goodbye to our grade 6 students at the school. I want to take a moment to thank this wonderful group of students for being such super role models and helpers within the school. They leave big shoes to be filled for our upcoming group, but I know that our students are up to the challenge. We truly have a dedicated, hardworking, and responsible group of students in this building who demonstrate compassion and kindness towards each other.
A huge thank you to the Parent Volunteers and Community Members who have helped in any way to make this another successful year of learning and growing at BCES. A special thank you to the Parent Council who work tirelessly on the students’ behalf to ensure that students have special events and materials to enhance their learning. We look forward to having lunch with our volunteers at BCES on June 16th. A warm and well deserved thank you to the BCES staff for ensuring that our students learn in warm and welcoming atmosphere and feel safe to take a risk and strive to always try their best. Thank you to everyone.
Fun Fair
Thanks to all of the families who came out to make this year’s Fun Fair another success. A special thanks to the School Council and staff for organizing the event and running events. We hope you all had fun.
Student Senate
The Student Senate would like to thank everyone who purchased items for their classroom’s ‘Spring Baskets’ in support of our international Me to We fundraising goal. Through the Silent Auction and earlier fundraising activities like Candy Grams, we together raised over $800.
Student Senate put these funds into action using the charity group Plan Canada and their
‘Gifts of Hope” program: Together our efforts will support children and families from under privileged areas around the world. This, combined with our ‘Terry Fox’ fundraiser and our ‘Scare Hunger’ food drive, helped us meet our Local, National and International goals of helping others in need. We again gratefully appreciate all your donations and support for these causes and for helping us become part of the WE movement.
For the month of June, we have some free fun events for students to participate in. On Wed. June 7th, there is “Wear your Shades” day. On Thurs., June 22nd, we are hosting an in-school dance celebrating “Canada 150” in the gym. More info to come. There will also be a playday for the primary students on June 20th from 1:30-3:00.
Your Husky Student Senate – Student Recognition Assembly
There will be a short assembly on Friday, June 23 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. to recognize the accomplishments of the students at BCES. Some students will be receiving plaques and certificates. If you would like to come to this event, you are welcome to attend. For students receiving an engraved plaque, teachers will be discreetly contacting those parents in case you wish to attend.
Track and Field
Our grades 4-6 students will be participating in the BCES Track and Field meet on Tuesday, June 6 (Raindate is the 8th). Parent volunteers are welcome and encouraged to call Mrs. Nuhn if you are able to assist. The Regional meet will be held on Tuesday, June 13 at Goderich District Collegiate Institute. The raindate is Wednesday, June 14. Permission forms and a meet schedule will go home with students who will be attending. Tuesday, June 20 will be the date for the District meet. The location has yet to be determined. The rain date is Wednesday, June 21.
Transportation Information
Please see the attached letter as a reminder to all Parents/Guardians, if your child(ren) is (are) eligible for transportation.
Community Use of Our School Grounds
Families and children often make use of our playground equipment, basketball nets and inviting open spaces in the evenings, on the weekends, or during the summer. We welcome you to enjoy our school grounds and hope that you will use our space considerately, so that it continues to be a safe and well maintained place for our students. Here’s how you can help:
1. take all garbage with you or put it in the big dumpster;
2. please keep all pets off the premises for everyone’s health and safety – remember that tomorrow a child may be playing in the spot your animal left its mark;
3. respect the sanctity of our aboriginal peace garden.
4. report any vandalism or misuse of the property to the principal or the police; and
5. enjoy our space!
Forest of Reading
The results are in from across Ontario! Over 250,000 children have participated in the Ontario Library Association’s (OLA) annual Forest of Reading program and have helped to choose the best Canadian authors and illustrators of our time.
Blue Spruce Winner 2017 Silver Birch Express 2017
The Night Gardener The Biggest Poutine in the World
By Eric Fan By Andrée Poulin
Silver Birch Fiction 2017 Silver Birch Nonfiction 2017
OCDaniel Haunted Canada 6: More Terrifying True Stories
By Wesley King By Joel A. Sutherland
Thank you to all the students, who participated in these programs. Ms. Wondergem has enjoyed seeing your enthusiasm for reading. Also thank you to the parents, who provided snacks for our Silver Birch voters party that took place on May 17.
Library and Computer News
The library helpers are very dedicated in assisting throughout the school year at first recess with stamping, stickers, sorting books, putting books away and other tasks that may be required. Thank you to all library helpers for their hard work and dedication. The computer helpers are responsible in assisting before and after school each day to turn computers on and shut them off. Thank you to the computer helpers for your wonderful assistance throughout the year.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017 is the last day to check out library books. All library books must be back to the library by Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
Book Fair
Our book fair was an enormous success! Thank you to all the families and students that supported our book fair. We far surpassed our goal of $1615 with a total sales of $2481.65. Wow, what an awesome accomplishment by our school community! That gives us $1153.97 in books for our school library and our classrooms. Bluewater Coast students and staff graciously appreciate your generosity. Congratulations to Ella W. She was our door prize winner, who won $25 worth of free books from the book fair. A big thank you is extended to Scot Ferguson and all the students that helped with the book fair. Their assistance enabled the book fair to be a successful event for our school. As well, thank you to Miranda Noguiera, Lexi McLeod, Anna Peterson, and Cara Trembulak, who helped at the book fair during the evening of our school’s fun fair. Also thank you to all the families that donated books to the classrooms through the Wish List program. Happy June reading!
Piano Lessons at Bluewater Coast Elementary School
Kathryn Desjardine will be offering piano lessons again next year throughout the instructional day, beginning the 3rd week in September. Kathryn has a few spots available for new students. Please contact her at [email protected] or call the school to leave her a message.
Guitar Lessons at Bluewater Coast Elementary School
Adam Cyr will be continuing guitar lessons at the school for the 2016-17 school year. If you are interested or would like more information, please call him at 519-237-3688 or email [email protected].
Protect Your Head, Wear a Helmet
Head injuries are the No.1 cause of serious injury and death to kids on bicycles. A properly fitted and correctly worn helmet can make a dramatic difference, cutting the risk of serious head injury by up to 80%. Parents can help by setting an example and using a helmet when they ride. Keep yourself safe when biking:
• Ensure bikes are adjusted to rider requirements
• Get trained in bicycle safety
• Use designated areas for riding when available
• Be sure your bike has reflectors and lights
Hensall Spring Fair
The Hensall Spring Fair will be held Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10, 2017 at the Hensall Community Centre. Our theme this year is ‘Canada 150!’ Saturday will be the Parade and a Kid Zone featuring games, colouring contest, Mad Science at 1:00 pm and Little Rays Reptiles at 3:00pm! Look for the Junior Talent Homecraft listings which are out for Kids in Grades 1-8. Colouring contest sheets are available now at the Hensall Library. Get together a Warrior Rush team to take on our challenging course! Come out and have fun trying the ‘ZORB balls’!! And that’s just part of the activities we will be holding. We look forward to seeing you!
Zurich Country Fair
The 2017 Zurich Country Fair hosted by the Zurich Agriculture Society is Friday, July 28, Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30, 2017 and will be held at the Bluewater Complex, Zurich.
The theme this year is “Tap Into It. Canada’s 150!” Events include a parade, baby show, youth games, petting zoo, pony ride, bubble show, livestock shows, wrestling event, homecraft & school exhibits, mini-tractor pull, and much, much more. Plan to attend this annual fair.
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