Week 19 - Jan 8 to 12

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…

Happy New Year
I would like to take the time to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year. I hope that your break was enjoyable, and that you had time to relax with your family and friends.





Equity and Inclusivity
YRDSB's Equity and Inclusivity Advisory Committee's Anti-Black Racism sub-committee is inviting parents and community members to attend a community consultation. Please refer to the memo below for more details, and if you are interested in attending, please click on this link to register.

YRDSB's Equity and Inclusivity Advisory Committee's Classism Sub-Committee will be hosting community conversation with parents and community members who are advocates for those marginalized by low income and class-based discrimination. Please refer to the memo below for more details.


Grade 1 French Immersion Information Sessions and Registrations

Information Sessions
Information sessions for Grade 1 entry into the French Immersion (FI) program will take place at French Immersion schools that have a Grade 1 program on January 18, 2018 at 7 p.m.
Please visit YRDSB’s website in January 2018 http://www.yrdsb.ca/Programs/fi/Pages/Program-Locations.aspx) to find the FI program location for your elementary school location.

Registration
FI registration will begin on January 19, 2018. Parents or guardians of Senior Kindergarten students entering Grade 1 in 2018, and wishing to enroll in the FI Program, can visit or call their home school office and request an Office Index Card - short version. This Office Index Card must be signed by the principal of the home school. Parents or guardians then take this form, along with one piece of identification showing their address to the designated FI program location to register, between January 19 and February 9, 2018.  Registration during this period is not first come, first served.

Late Registrations
Late registrations are those submitted after February 9, 2018.  Late registrations will be treated on a first- come, first-served basis and will be considered subsequent to registrations received during the registration period should overflow be necessary.

Accommodation Plan
YRDSB’s FI Accommodation Plan provides long-term consistency and equity of access to all students in York Region and will enable YRDSB to continue to offer the FI program to all who wish to enrol. The FI program will be offered in Dual Track or Single Track settings, in a variety of configurations. In order to meet community needs and optimize available space in our schools, a community's Grade 1-8 FI program may be provided over more than one school during the course of a student's FI education. Space requirements at some schools may mean that siblings are in different schools for primary dual track French Immersion programs due to differing grade structures. Like any of our schools across the Board, changes to school boundaries, and/or the accommodation model for the French Immersion program may need to be considered when new schools open, a school experiences enrolment growth, and program changes occur. This will allow flexibility in addressing community needs and the opportunity to use existing space in schools.

More information is available on the Board’s website: www.yrdsb.ca. Please note: Some of the FI accommodation plans will require facility modifications or the development of new schools and will require short-term transition plans that might include overflow while we work toward the long-term vision. Overflow refers to situations in which the Board directs students to attend a school other than their community school or optional program for a specific period of time, as defined in Policy #108.

CIA Bracelets
Children in Action (CIA) is hosting a Valentine’s fundraiser selling Rafikis. The Rafikis we are selling are in support of education, food and water. A portion of the money from each handmade Rafiki goes towards empowering women in Kenya to help them to earn money to send their children to school.
The word Rafiki means “friend” in Swahili, so buy one for your friend, and know that you’re making an impact AND getting a pretty bracelet!
Starting on Monday, January 15th, orders for Rafiki bracelets can be handed in to CIA members in the front foyer at morning recess until Thursday, January 18th. Payment can be made through School Cash Online or in cash.

Tamil Heritage Month
January is Tamil Heritage month, and prominent in this month is a harvest festival called Thai Pongal. The festival is similar in nature to Thanksgiving celebrations recognized in North America. Historically, Tamil culture was an agriculture-based civilization where farmers depended on their cattle, timely rain and the Sun for a bountiful harvest. Once a year during the Thai Pongal festival they celebrated the prosperity brought to them with a plentiful harvest.


Team Updates
Jr. Volleyball team played an exhibition game against Doncrest PS. The team played well, worked hard and made BHES proud. Go Bengals!

The Week Ahead…

Date
Event/Activity
Monday, January 15th
7:00 – School Council Meeting
Tuesday, January 16th
Talent Show Auditions begin
1:10 – Grade 4 and 5 Dancers meeting in Room 130
Wednesday, January 17th

Thursday, January 18th
Dental Screening
Friday, January 19th
P.A. Day – No classes for students

On-going Events…
CIA
Jr. Volleyball
Intermediate Boys and Girls Basketball
Band
Choir
BHES Talent Show
On-line Chess club on Day 4
Grade 6-8 Dance Fitness Club
Student Council
Grade 4-5 Dance Club


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 19th, 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 22nd. 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 14th, 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 2nd – Sold out
Family Movie Night – Thursday, December 7th (Boss Baby – Free tickets available on School Cash on-line)
Go Girls
CIA
First Lego League
Eco-Club