Week 16 - Dec 18 to 22

Please take the time to share this information with your child/children.

It is a good way for families to connect with the school.

School Council Meets on the third Monday of each month.

All parents are welcome to attend.

The Week in Review…

Primary Showcase

On Tuesday, December 19^th, we had our Primary Home for the Holidays Showcase. We had an amazing performance that proves that hard work and dedication pay off. Our teachers began early in the semester to get our singers and artwork ready for showcase - the students made everyone proud. A big thank-you to all the teachers involved, and to the parents who were able to attend.

Snow Days

We had our first Inclement Weather day on Friday, December 22^nd. When the Board determines that buses will be cancelled in the morning it means they are also cancelled in the afternoon. If a family chooses to drive their bus eligible child to school in the morning, they need to make plans ahead of time to ensure their child gets picked up at 3:30. If a family makes the decision to keep their child at home for the day, they must call the school to report the absence.

The Week Ahead…

On behalf of the staff of Bayview Hills Elementary School, I would like to wish you all the best for the holiday season and that 2018 is a joyous and prosperous year for your family.

Date	Event/Activity
Monday, January 8th	9:00 – Classes Resume
Tuesday, January 9th
Wednesday, January 10th
Thursday, January 11th
Friday, January 12th

On-going Events…

CIA

Eco-Club

Band

Junior Co-Ed Volleyball

Intermediate Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball

Week 15 - Dec 11 to 15

Please take the time to share this information with your child/children.

It is a good way for families to connect with the school.

School Council Meets on the third Monday of each month.

All parents are welcome to attend.

Winter Holidays begin on Saturday, December 23rd, and run until Sunday, January 7th. Classes resume on Monday, January 8th at 9:00 a.m.

The Week in Review…

Staff Appreciation Breakfast

On Thursday, December 14^th, the BHES staff was treated to a Staff Appreciation Breakfast sponsored by our School Council. We were treated to an incredible buffet adorned with edible decorations. On behalf of the entire staff, I would like to thank our parents for this wonderful gesture. A school as great as ours happens when students, parents and staff go out of their way to show appreciation for each other.

Safe Arrival

Part of our Safe Arrival procedure requires that parents phone in all absences. With that in mind, we realize that many families take advantage of the upcoming Winter Break to take extended vacations. If your child will be away either before or after the Winter Break, please be sure to contact the school office to report the absence. This will help us to ensure all students are safe and accounted for. Enjoy your travels.

Wind Chill

Now that the colder weather has finally arrived, it is important that all students come to school prepared to spend 30 minutes outside at morning recess and 40 minutes outside at lunch recess. Dressing warmly for the weather will increase the enjoyment and benefit of outdoor play. As per Board policy, we will not go outdoors if the temperature with the wind chill is -20°C or colder. On days when it is close to -20°C we may shorten the outdoor portion of recess.

The Week Ahead…

Date	Event/Activity
Monday, December 18th
Tuesday, December 19th	11:00 – Primary Holiday Showcase
Wednesday, December 20th	Spirit Day – Wear a Holiday Sweater or wear red and green.
Thursday, December 21st	9:00 – Primary Craft Walk About
Friday, December 22nd

On-going Events…

CIA

Eco-Club

Band

Junior Co-Ed Volleyball

Intermediate Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball

Week 14 - Dec 4 to 8

Please take the time to share this information with your child/children.

It is a good way for families to connect with the school.

School Council Meets on the third Monday of each month.

All parents are welcome to attend.

The Week in Review…

Arts Baythorn

Would you enjoy Collaboratively learning the Ontario curriculum through the Arts?

If so, the York Region District School Board offers an Elementary Integrated Arts Program at Baythorn Public School.

If you are currently in grades four or five you may apply for the arts@baythorn program, where you will have the opportunity to explore the disciplines of Dance, Drama, Visual Arts, and Music in a cooperative learning environment.

To learn more about the arts@baythorn program, you and your family are invited to attend an information evening at Baythorn Public School on:

Thursday, January 18, 2018 @ 6:30 p.m.

Applications will be available at bit.ly/arts_application2018 online after the January 18th, 2018 info night.

If you require further information, please call us at:

Baythorn Public School

(905) 889-7992.

The Arts Team:

Kate Kurek Principal Meytal Daniels Vice Principal

Student Leadership

When children are empowered, our communities are better for it. In the last couple of weeks both the Student Council and CIA (Children in Action) have been committed to making a difference.  Our Change for Change initiative wrapped up on Friday, and through the generosity and hard work of all involved, our children raised enough money to purchase 139 goats for families in developing countries. A little closer to home, our Student Council is into their last weekend of collecting unwrapped toys and gift cards for YRDSB families as part of their Holiday Toy Drive. Having seen firsthand the powerful impact that your donations have on families who need assistance at this time of the year is something that makes me proud to part of such a caring community.

Mental Health, Well Being and Addiction

On the Week 11 Blog post, I talked about our school’s commitment to the social and emotional development of our students and how we recognized increased levels of stress in their lives. At our last staff meeting we had a guest presenter help us to understand Self-Regulation in a more comprehensive way. We learned that children (and adults) experience stress in their lives it can impact them in different ways, and that it can be seen in the following 5 Domains – Biological, Cognitive Emotional, Social and Prosocial. As a staff we are working to better understand this so that we can help student’s mange stress and move towards a state of Self-Regulation where we are “calm, alert and learning.” Our work in this area will be based on research currently being conducted by Dr. Stuart Shanker. We look forward to learning more about this as we now know that as we work to help our students self-regulate, it will help us to self-regulate as well. This cycle of co-regulation helps both child and adult to manage stress. Stuart Shanker’s book Self-Reg is written to help both educators and parents.

CBC

The BHES Choir entered the CBC music class contest earlier in November, and we are pleased to announce that they are in the top ten for the second year in a row. We wish them all the best as we enter the final stages of the contest. To view the video submission follow this link, and go to Category 4 Click Here

School Council

Our School Council has organized 2 very well attended family engagement events over the last couple of weeks – The Family Skate Night, and The Family Movie Night. On behalf of the BHES community we would like to extend our sincere appreciation for their time and commitment to bringing families together and to involving them in the school community. When parents are connected, engaged and involved in their child’s/children’s school all benefit. I would also like to thank parents and students who stayed after our movie night to clean the gym, and put everything away so that it was ready for gym classes on Friday.

The Week Ahead…

Date	Event/Activity
Monday, December 11th	Last day for Holiday Toy Drive 1:50 – Board Focus Group for select grade 7 & 8 7:00 – School Council in the Learning Commons
Tuesday, December 12th	Intermediate Math Network Meeting in the Learning Commons
Wednesday, December 13th	Islam – Birth of Aga Khan Judaism – Chanukah Begins
Thursday, December 14th	8:15 – School Council is hosting a Staff Appreciation Breakfast (Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!)
Friday, December 15th	2:00 – Bayview Secondary School presentation to Grade 8s

On-going Events…

Holiday Toy Drive

Go Girls

CIA

First Lego League

Eco-Club

Week 13 - Nov 27 to Dec 1

Please take the time to share this information with your child/children.

It is a good way for families to connect with the school.

School Council Meets on the third Monday of each month.

All parents are welcome to attend.

The Week in Review…

CIA

The Children in Action club is hosting our very first charity event of the year!

On Friday, December 8th, join us in our “Change for change” read-a-thon to raise money to buy goats in Kenya! During the Read-a-thon you may select any book of your choice and read for as long as your teacher allows. The class that raises the most funds will win a hot chocolate party!

Our goal is to raise 75 goats, costing $50 each for families in developing communities.

But why goats? Why not cows, or sheep? Those definitely sound more useful than a goat! Goats produce more milk and meat than cows do. As well, they provide opportunity for families to start their own businesses raising goats.

Did you know that 10% of the world still lives on less than $1.90 a day, meaning when we give a goat, we give a gift that keeps on giving instead of giving money that can be used once, and stops being useful?

Remember that even small change makes a big difference!

Social Media

From time to time, we experience issues with regards to students accessing Social Media in inappropriate ways, with Cyberbullying being the biggest problem we face. There are many ways parents can help with reducing issues around Cyberbullying, and one of them is understanding that these platforms have minimum age requirements. The minimum age to use Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat is 13. YouTube's minimum age to have an account is 18, but they can open an account with parent permission at 13.

Casual Lunch Assistants Needed

BHES is currently looking for Casual Lunch Assistants to help with supervising our students at lunchtime. The commitment for a Casual Lunch Assistant is usually one or twice a week to fill in for a regular Lunch Assistant.

Details:

Hours: 12:45pm-2:00 pm

Pay: $12.11/hour plus 4% vacation pay

Required: Must provide current Police Vulnerable Sector Screening/Police check for YRDSB

Yarn

The Learning Commons will be running an activity in the month of December that requires the use of yarn. Any families that have spare yarn at home that they would like to donate, we would happily accept it! Donations can be dropped off in the front office.

Field Closures

On a yearly basis, it is necessary for us to close the grass fields due to freezing and thawing of the ground. Our grass is very vulnerable during those times of the year, and we all need to work to protect this valuable ecological resource. At this time of the year we are balancing rainfall and freeze up. The rain softens to the soil and 700+ children running across it makes it easier for the grass to be killed. Once the ground is frozen, the field will be re-opened. We appreciate your support of this need. When the fields are closed, we have “tarmac only recesses”. During these times, we ask that students refrain from throwing or kicking balls as we have too many students in such a small area. Bouncing a ball under control is fine, but shooting basketballs, kicking soccer balls and throwing tennis balls has led to a number of head and face injuries. I know this is a challenge for everyone, but we need to be diligent to keep students safe.

The Week Ahead…

Date	Event/Activity
Monday, December 4th	Holiday Toy Drive Change for Change
Tuesday, December 5th	Holiday Toy Drive Change for Change
Wednesday, December 6th	Holiday Toy Drive Change for Change
Thursday, December 7th	Holiday Toy Drive Change for Change 9:00am to 3:00pm – Grade 3’s to Crawford Lake Conservation Area
Friday, December 8th	Change for Change – Read-a-thon 11:30am to 3:30pm – Hour of Code for Grade 8’s (Learning Commons)

On-going Events…

Change for Change

Holiday Toy Drive

Family Skate Night – Saturday, December 2^nd – Sold out

Family Movie Night – Thursday, December 7^th (Boss Baby – Free tickets available on School Cash on-line)

Go Girls

CIA

First Lego League

Eco-Club

Week 12 - Nov 20 to 24

Please take the time to share this information with your child/children.

It is a good way for families to connect with the school.

School Council Meets on the third Monday of each month.

All parents are welcome to attend.

The Week in Review…

1993 Graduation Class Composite Photo

We are on the lookout for a copy of the 1993 graduating year’s class composite picture. It is missing from our collection. We are reaching out to the community to see if anyone has a copy they can lend us so we can have it photographed and added back into our collection. If you have a copy or know of someone who might have a copy please let the office know.

We are in the process of updating the look of our front foyer to make it feel more inviting. Eventually, we will have an info screen and additional seating. Traditionally, we have had the framed graduation composite pictures displayed in the front hall, unfortunately we are running out of room to display all years. The plan is to take down the framed composite pictures and have the first 20+ years re-organized into a book that will be on display in the front hall along with the most recent framed graduation composite. We are hopeful that someone in the community can help us so that we can have all graduates honoured in our collection.

Kwanzaa

There are many holidays and celebrations throughout the school year, the month of December is one that includes celebrations from many faith groups. Our front foyer currently has on display a Christmas tree and a Menorah. We are looking to the community to help us with locating a suitable symbol to display for Kwanzaa, so that we may be inclusive of the values and concepts that are reflective of African culture.

Movie Night

School Council is hosting a Family Movie Night on Thursday December 7^th. The movie is Boss Baby will be shown in the gym. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the movie starts at 6:30 p.m. Free tickets are available through School Cash online, and all students in attendance must be supervised by their parent/guardian.

Slime

We have had a few incidents over the last few weeks of students making “Slime” at home and bringing it to school. The substance has stained clothing and carpets, and as a result we are asking students to not bring “Slime” to school.

Yarn

The Learning Commons will be running an activity in the month of December that requires the use of yarn. Any families that have spare yarn at home that they would like to donate, we would happily accept it! Donations can be dropped off in the front office.

The Week Ahead…

Date	Event/Activity
Monday, November 27th	Day 2 – Due to the PA Day on Friday the cycle days have shifted in our calendar.
Tuesday, November 28th	Baha’I Faith – Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha
Wednesday, November 29th
Thursday, November 30th	Jainism – Maun-agiyaras
Friday, December 1st	Monthly Yard Clean-up
Saturday, December 2nd	Family Skate Night at Angus Glen Community Centre

On-going Events…

Family Skate Night – Saturday, December 2^nd (Register on School Cash on-line)

Family Movie Night – Thursday, December 7^th (Boss Baby – Free tickets available on School Cash on-line)

Go Girls

CIA

First Lego League

Eco-Club

Week 11 - Nov 13 to 17

Please take the time to share this information with your child/children.

It is a good way for families to connect with the school.

School Council Meets on the third Monday of each month.

All parents are welcome to attend.

The Week in Review…

Visitors from the Netherlands

On Tuesday, November 14^th, and in conjunction with the Quest conference, BHES hosted a delegation of 8 educators from the Netherlands. We had the pleasure of sharing all the great things that makes BHES a great place to learn and grow. Our guests observed that our students were very well-behaved and respectful, and they really enjoyed speaking with the children about their learning.

Quest

For the last 21 years, YRDSB has hosted the Quest. Quest brings together 1000+ members of the educational community from around the world. Participants explore current educational issues and learn together to improve student achievement and well-being. At Quest 2017 – The Quest for Well-Being: A Collective Responsibility, participants heard from inspiring speakers including Minister of Education, Honourable Mitzie Hunter, Margaret Trudeau and Dr. Jean Clinton, attended personalized learning sessions and got hands-on experience in the Quest Playground. Participants left the conference with valuable lessons to share with colleagues and strategies they can implement to transform their practice right away.

This year at the Quest, the basis for the keynote addresses, workshop presentations and each supporting element of the conference was based on five components for well-being:

Equity and Inclusive Education – Identify discriminatory biases and remove systemic barriers in order to support achievement and well-being for all.

Safe and Accepting Schools and Workplaces – Provide safe, inclusive and accepting learning and working environments that support the achievement and well-being of every student and staff member.

Healthy Schools and Workplaces – Create learning and working conditions for students and staff to adopt healthy active living practices and maintain them throughout their lives.

Positive Mental Health – Support mental health for all students and staff members by reducing stigma, promoting mental health and supporting those who are struggling to access care.

Eco Schools and Workplaces – Empower students and staff with the knowledge, skills, perspectives and desire to act as environmentally responsible citizens.

Several BHES staff attended this year’s conference. Well-being is an important component of our school improvement efforts, and we have been working hard to unpack and understand this within our school context. What we have determined is that our students have varied identities along with high academic expectations. As a result, our students need to learn to manage stress and deal with adversity in positive ways. In order for this to happen, our teachers need to understand the social, emotional and academic needs of their students so they can equitably support them. We believe that if teachers consistently support students by addressing identity, stress, stigma and adversity, then our students will build the personal resources necessary for self-regulation, resiliency and self-advocacy. By balancing the social, emotional and academic needs of

our students we will empower all students to become engaged and

caring citizens of the world.

The Week Ahead…

Date	Event/Activity
Monday, November 20th	Parent Teacher Interview Request sent home 7:00-9:00 – School Council Meeting
Tuesday, November 21st	8:00-5:30 – Intermediate Girls’ Area Volleyball Tournament Math Professional Development - Intermediate
Wednesday, November 22nd	8:00-5:30 – Intermediate Boys’ Area Volleyball Tournament Progress Report Cards Go Home
Thursday, November 23rd	3:30-8:30 – Parent Teacher Interviews Math Professional Development - Junior
Friday, November 24th	PA Day – Parent Teacher Interviews

On-going Events…

Family Skate Night – Saturday, December 2^nd (Register on School Cash on-line)

Family Movie Night – Thursday, December 7^th (Details to be released and Registration on School Cash on-line on Tuesday on Tuesday November 21^st)

Go Girls

Intermediate Girls' and Boys' Volleyball

CIA

First Lego League

Eco-Club

Week 10 - Nov 6 to 10

Please take the time to share this information with your child/children.

It is a good way for families to connect with the school.

School Council Meets on the third Monday of each month.

All parents are welcome to attend.

The Week in Review…

Family Skate Night

School Council will be distributing an information flyer in the next few days, but I thought I would let families know in advance of an upcoming Family Skate Night. School Council has reserved the ice at Angus Glen Community Centre, 3990 Major Mackenzie Drive East, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2^nd. As a reminder, approved CSA helmets are strongly encouraged, and families must remain on site directly supervising their children. Please mark your calendars and keep an eye out for the information flyer.

Movie Night

School Council will be hosting a Family Movie Night on Thursday, December 7^th. An information flyer will be sent home soon, but we wanted you to know it was upcoming so you could mark your calendars. Hope to see you there!

Toy Drive

Student Council is once again sponsoring a Holiday Toy Drive in support of students from YRDSB schools. This is the third year that they have sponsored the Toy Drive, and each year it gets better and better. This is due to the generosity and compassion of the Bayview Hill families. We thank you in advance for your support of this year’s Holiday Toy Drive. The students will be organizing the event, and have arranged for the period of December 4^th to 11^th for families to bring a donation to the school. Collection boxes will be delivered to each classroom. We are asking that each family give what they can in order to assist those local families who are struggling to provide for their children. In the spirit of giving, and the joy that it brings to us all, please donate new toys, gift cards, movie passes, sports memorabilia, sports equipment, hair accessories, board games, crafts, markers, books etc. Also, in an effort to ensure there are gifts for children of all ages we ask that families consider donating according to their child’s current grade. For example, if your child is a boy in grade 1 donate something a grade 1 boy would like, or if your child is a grade 8 girl donate something a grade 8 girl would like. Gift cards are a good choice if you are not sure what to give. Donations will be accepted until Monday December 11^th.

Casual Lunch Assistants Needed

BHES is currently looking for Casual Lunch Assistants to help with supervising our students at lunchtime. The commitment for a Casual Lunch Assistant is usually once or twice a week to fill in for a regular Lunch Assistant.

Details:

Hours: 12:45 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

Pay: $12.11/hour plus 4% vacation pay

Required: Must provide current Police Vulnerable Sector Screening/Police check for YRDSB

Please pick up package with other documents required in school office.

CBC Music Class Contest

For the second year in a row, the BHES Choir has entered the CBC music class contest. Please go to https://youtu.be/RrtZvZvykP8 to view this year's submission.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews are being held on Thursday, November 23^rd in the evening, and Friday November 24^th during the day. Information will be coming home next week.

The Week Ahead…

Date	Event/Activity
Monday, November 13th
Tuesday, November 14th	Photo Retake Day 9:00-12:00 – Visitors from The Netherlands
Wednesday, November 15th
Thursday, November 16th
Friday, November 17th

On-going Events…

Go Girls

Intermediate Girls' and Boys' Volleyball

CIA

First Lego League

Eco-Club

Week 9 - Oct 30 to Nov 3

Please take the time to share this information with your child/children.

It is a good way for families to connect with the school.

School Council Meets on the third Monday of each month.

All parents are welcome to attend.

The Week in Review…

 

On Monday, October 30^th, the Kindergarten classes visited Whittamore’s Farm. They learned about pumpkins, went on a wagon ride and walked through a corn maze, saw farm animals and enjoyed playing in the park! Thank you to Mrs. Tremblay for organizing this field trip and thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time to join the classes. It was a great experience for the kids!

We Scare Hunger

Thank you to all to families that donated to our We Scare Hunger food drive for the Richmond Hill Food Bank. Also, thanks to our Student Council for volunteering their time to gather, organize, pack and deliver the donations.

Ring of Peace

On Thursday, November 2^nd, 6 members of Bayview Hill’s Children in Action group (CIA) along with Ms. Bowman attended the YRDSB’s Ring of Peace unity rally. In the last few months, various sites across York Region including some YRDSB schools, have been vandalized with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti. National and global incidents of discrimination and hate have continued to affect our students, staff and communities. In light of this, York Region District School Board hosted a unity rally, Ring of Peace: Inspire Learning, Inspire Action!, to show support for safe, inclusionary spaces free from discrimination and hate for all learners in York Region.

Flu Season

Flu season is nearly here. Be prepared by getting the flu shot as early as possible.

The first and best step to preventing influenza (the flu), is to get the flu shot every year. Influenza spreads quickly and easily from an infected person to others. Please refer to the poster below for more information.

Neighbourhood Watch Groups

The Bayview Hill community has established Neighbourhood Watch Groups to help protect the entire Bayview Hill community from crime, particularly break-ins. Please refer to the poster below for more information:

The Week Ahead…

Date	Event/Activity
Monday, November 6th	Holocaust Education Week (Monday – Thursday) Treaty Week (Monday – Friday)
Tuesday, November 7th
Wednesday, November 8th
Thursday, November 9th	Remembrance Day Assembly practice
Friday, November 10th	Remembrance Day Assembly

On-going Events…

Go Girls

Intermediate Girls' and Boys' Volleyball

Choir - rehearses each Day1 and Day 2 until November 10^th

First Lego League

Eco-Club