bellwood september 2013 newsletter.pdf

7/27/2019 Bellwood September 2013 newsletter.pdf

1/11

Leave Your Mark!!!

Principals Message: Ms. Walters

September

2013

Happy New School Year! Welcome back to our Bellwood families and a warm

welcome to our new families. Bellwood is a wonderful school with terrific

students, staff and parents.

We are very excited to be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Bellwood Public

School. Bellwood students were temporarily housed at three satellite schools in

Whitby starting in September 1987. This site was officially opened in March 1988.

Since then Bellwood has continued to be a dynamic institution where students are well prepared toembrace challenges and inspired to create opportunities for their future. We invite you to celebrate

Bellwoods accomplishments during the last 25 years.

On September 25th Bellwood will be celebrating its 25 years with an official ceremony at 2:00 for the

students. From 5:00 to 8:00p.m. there will be an open house. Please join us for this celebration.

We are also excited about the start of our Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) program and our partnership with

Umbrella Daycare who will be offering the Before School and After School Day Care.

The staff and office administration look forward to working with the students and parents to

provide the best possible learning environment for our students. Should questions arise, or if you

have social issues you wish to discuss, we encourage you to contact your childs teacher first.

We are committed to working with families and want to encourage open communication between homeand school. By openly discussing issues we can work towards what will be in the best interest of our

children and their development academically, physically and socially. Please note that all parents and

visitors to the school must report to the office before going elsewhere in the school. Know that, by

working together, we shall all make this year a very rewarding one for our child(ren). We look forward to

a great school year!!

A big thank you goes to our custodial team, Mrs. Faber, Mr. Skagos and Mr. Mullin who have worked

especially hard during construction to have our school ready for our return.

We look forward to an exciting year.

Sincerely,

A. Walters

Principal

Bellwood Public School

Newsletter


2/11

Staff Changes

Due to a medical reason our new Vice Principal will not be join-

ing the Bellwood staff until Thanksgiving. Mr. Rodman will be

filling in for her during that time.

Welcomes are extended to our newest staff members.

Mr. Scott Deveau intermediate French teacherMr. Michael Johnson grade 8 teacher

Mr. Steven Kroeker grade 5

Ms. Ayesha Nayyar - ECE

Ms. Peninnah Kamera - ECE

Ms. Jamila Douglas - ECE

Ms. Shannon Mangotic - temporary SERT

Extended Day Child Care

ProgramUmbrella Day Care

Umbrella Day Care Centre in partner-

ship with Bellwood PS is providing

before and after child care for students

from JK to grade 6. The program is

open at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 6:00p.m. Their programs are designed to

facilitate growth in all areas of a child's

development. Their curriculum delivers

a hands on approach that allows

children to learn and explore through

play-based activities. We are pleased to

have Angel Evans and Jennifer

Zelinsky as our before school and after

school caregivers.

For more information about the pro-

gram, please 905-240-4904.

Safe ArrivalIf your child is going to be absent or late forany reason, please call the school at905-436-0098. You may call at night or earlyin the morning and leave a message on thevoice mail. If you are not sure of the dura-

tion of your childs absence, we request you call each morningyour child is away. As we call the parents of every child who

is away, your prior notification is appreciated.

Student Sign In / Sign OutWhenever a student arrives late for school he/she must cometo the office and sign in! All students who are leaving earlyfor any reason are requested to come to the office to have aparent sign them out. We cannot allow students to walkhome during the instructional day. This will ensure thatstudents are leaving with the appropriate people at theappropriate time.

Wednesdays With Walters

As the principal of thisamazing school, I

remain committed to

getting to know the

Bellwood community.As a result, I will

continue to be available every

Wednesday starting in October foran informal chat and coffee time.

Make Your First Stop the Office

To ensure our students safety and security while atschool, we request that all visitors enter by the frontdoor and make the office their first stop uponarrival. After checking in, please see Mrs. Comptonand complete the Visitor Sign-in Book and wear avisitor or volunteer tag. If you need to pick up your child ordeliver something, come to the office and we will be happy toassist you.

Page 2

Indoor

Shoes

All studentsare reminded

of the need to

reserve one pair of shoes with non-marking soles for indoor use only.

These are necessary for participation

in indoor gym classes and assemblies,

as well as for maintaining a level ofcleanliness and safety within the hall-

ways and classrooms.


3/11

Everyone is invited to join us

on Thursday September

12th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm

for Meet The Teacher Night.

Students are encouraged to

bring their parents to meet

their teacher and visit the

classroom. This is an evening to get acquainted with your

childs teacher, and is not intended for parental interviews.

Should you require an interview, please arrange a mutually

convenient time with your childs teacher.

STUDENT USE OF TELEPHONES

Bellwood P.S. is a very active school with great demands placedupon its telephones. It must be emphasized that students are notpermitted to use the phones, unless for emergency purposes.

Forgotten gym equipment, permission to go to a friends house,

information of co-curriculars, etc. are not considered

emergencies.

Please remind your child to make all arrangements prior toleaving for school each morning and to use the agenda to

communicate information to you.

Thank you for your support in this area!

Take a Moment

Registration forms

Included with the

newsletter are copies of

the computerized student

registration forms. Each year we require parents

to check these forms for accurate information

and to complete the waiver on the BACK of every

registration form. This vital information is

necessary in order to ensure your childs safety

should an emergency arise. Please be assured

that all information is kept strictly confidential.

Please return the completed forms to your childs

teacher by Monday September 13th.

Please plan to drop off

and meet your children

outside. Visitors are

requested to stop in at

the office first. We

appreciate your support

in keeping our halls

clear.

Parents of older

children who walk home on their own after school

are asked to remind children to go straight home

after school. We do not supervise the playground

and field after school hours. Thank you in advance

for your support. Lets all put safety first before

convenience.

Custody and Access Orders

If there are any special

arrangements for your child of

which the school needs to be

aware, please ensure that

school administration and

office personnel have an

updated copy of court orders

for access or custody, signed

by an Ontario Court Judge. We

must have a copy on file if you

wish us to carry out the direction of the stated in the

order. The school will continue to provide information

on a childs progress when requested by a non

custodial parent who has legal access. Your prompt

attention regarding this matter would be greatly

appreciated.

Bellwood Public School Newsletter


4/11

Lunch Facility and Procedures

Students staying for lunch eat in their assigned classroom every day. It is a privilege to

stay at school for lunch. Children staying for lunch must follow the lunch time expectation

listed below.

Expectations of lunch time routines:

1. Lunch students must not leave the school grounds at any time or for any reason

without the schools knowledge or written permission from parents or guardians.

2. Students must clean up their eating area and leave the area tidy.

3. Students are to sit while eating and observe the rules ofcourtesy and good manners.

4. Teachers, noon hour supervisors and other students are to be treated with respect at all times.

5. Repeated inappropriate behavior, opposition to authority, or no written permission from paents/guardians may

result in cancellation of lunch privileges at school.

Students leaving school property occasionally must have parental written permission on those days. Notes of

permission are to be submitted to the homeroom teacher at the beginning of the school day otherwise they will be

expected to stay.

No Dogs, Please

A dog is a personsbest friend; however,we would like toremind you thatdogs are not allowedon school property.A number ofchildren are uncom-fortable with dogsand not all dogs are as wellbehaved as yours.

Page 4

School Community Council (SCC)

The School Community Councils function is to forge

community alliances and to analyze and provide input to the

school on major issues. The councils input will allow the

school to respond to its community, while assuming a major

role in establishing partnerships with parents and others for

the improvement of student learning. The function of the

School Community Councils must be meaningful and relevant

to the local school community and must be developed throughlocal consultation. Members of the council must be prepared

to be regular contributors to meeting and consultative

activities in the community. If you are interested in being part

of this years School Community Council, please see contact

the office for more information.

Would you like to make a difference inthe life of a child? Bellwood gratefully

welcomes volunteers to work with our

students. If you are interested to work

with our staff and students, please

contact Mr. Rodman at (905) 436-

0098

Yellow Jackets - BuzzzzzzzzzThe ferocity of yellow jacket hornets in September is wellknown. Teachers have been instructed to allow students toeat their snacks inside. No food or drinkswill be allowed outside.


5/11

Administering Medication

If your child is taking any type of oral

medication (long term or short

term) while at school, and needs

supervision in doing so, it is

necessary to complete a Request

for Administration of Oral

Medication form. This form isavailable through the office.

According to board policy the form must be signed by the

doctor who has prescribed the medication before any

supervision can take place at the school. If your child

carries an Epi-Pen for use in case of anaphylaxis

emergencies please complete a Request for

Administration of Medication by Injection in Emergency

Situations form. This form is available at he school office.

We also strongly suggest that these children wear a Medic

Alert bracelet or some form of identification that is visible.

Our School is a Nut Alert School

In our school we have a number of students whoare extremely sen-sitive to peanuts,nuts or their by-products. The re-sultant anaphy-

lactic reaction canbe so severe it can cause death. As a school, wewill make every effort to NOT have peanuts, nuts,or foodstuffs with nut by-products in our schoolat all. If there are other serious allergies in yourchilds class, your teacher will bring it to your at-tention. We thank you for your cooperation inmaking sure that your child does not bring snacksor a lunch that could put another childs life atrisk.

We hope to continue our Kiss and Ride program again this year. The Kiss & Ride area is directly in front of the

School. Please use this when picking up or dropping off your children. There is no parking in the Kiss & Ride

area in front of the school at any time. If you must park your vehicle to drop off younger students, please use

the designated spaces in front of or at the side of the school. If needed, additional parking is available on the

side streets. Bellwood Drive in front of the school is a no parking zone - any cars stopped there make it verydifficult to see for the buses and vehicles exiting the parking lot. With your cooperation and assistance we will work to

keep our students safe when arriving at and leaving from school. BUT, we are in need of volunteers to

assist during the morning ( from 8:45am - 9:00am) and during the afternoon ( f rom 3:30pm - 3:45pm) . Without suffi-

cient volunteers we will not be able to run this program. If you are interested, and can spare one or two days a week to

assist us, please call the office for further information.

Lunchroom Supervisors

We are currently looking forlunchroom supervisors. If

you are interested or wouldlike more information

please contact Mr. Rodman.

Page 5

Class Changes:

We are very excited that Bellwoods enrollment continues to increase.

Please note that when there are major changes in registrations, there is

always a chance that classes need to be added and a reshuffling occurs

in order to meet ministry guidelines for class sizes. The Durham dis-

trict School Board will continue to monitor our classes sizes. If there is

a need for an additional class, careful thought will be put into formulat-

ing the new class and parents will be notified immediately. If there is a

need for reorganization we will know by Friday September 20th.


6/11

STUDENT ACCIDENT

Parents and Guardians, please be aware that the Durham District School Board does NOT provide accident insurance

coverage for student injuries. Families should recognize that there is always a potential risk of injury with field trips, sports and

other student activities both on and off school grounds. Although precautions are taken to ensure the protection of students,

accidents can and do happen. Some injuries result in medical, dental or other expenses that are not covered by provincial hea

care or employer group plans and can be very costly. As a parent or guardian, you become responsible for these expenses.

In accordance with the Education Act we do make available a Student Accident Insurance Program for students.

Participation in this program is voluntary and the costs are to be paid by the parent or guardian.

For your convenience, we have arranged access to a Student Accident Insurance Policy through Reliable Life Insuranc

Company. This program offers a variety of plans and benefits at affordable prices (starting at only $3.50 per year) . Some of th

benefits included are: dental expenses (resulting from an accident), fracture or dislocation rehabilitation emergency

transportation or total and permanent disability. If your child participates in co-curricular activities or activities outside the

school day, there is also a plan tailored to your needs. All rates are one-time annual premiums. For complete details please ref

to the Insure my Kids Protection Plan 2011 Application Brochure that was sent home with your child or visit the website at

www.insuremykids.com.

The insurance agreement is between you and Reliable Life Insurance Company. If you wish to subscribe you can also

apply directly on-line at: www.insuremykids.com. Any questions should be directed to Reliable Life Insurance Company toll fr

at 1-800-463-KIDS (5437).

Student Accident Insurance is especially valuable for todays active children.

Page 6 Bellwood Public School Newsletter

SHOULD I NOMINATE MY CHILD FOR THE GIFTED PROGRAMEE?

PARENTS OF STUDENTS INGRADES 3 OR HIGHER ARE INVITED TO APARENT INFORMATION NIGHT

The Facilitator for Gifted Programmes will be on hand to:

explain the screening and testing procedures for admission to the gifted programme;

describe the characteristics of gifted children;

clarify the programme options available for gifted children in the Durham District School Boar

Please choose to attend the Parent Information Night that is most convenient for you.

For further information please contact:

Kristy Phillips, Special Education Facilitator for Gifted Programmes,

Durham District School Board, 400 Taunton Road East, Whitby, Ontario,

DATE TIME LOCATION ADDRESS

Thursday,

September 19, 2013

7:00

p.m.

R.H. Cornish P.S.

Small Gym

494 Queen Street,

Port Perry

Tuesday

September 24, 2013

7:00

p.m.

Durham District School

Board Office

ThursdaySeptember 26, 2013

7:00p.m.

William Dunbar PSGym

1030 Glenanna RdPickering, L1V 5E5


7/11

Parent and Community involvement is very important in supporting the success of all of our students, from our youngest learners

in Kindergarten to our soon-to-be high school graduates.

Parents/guardians can become involved in our students' school l ives by:

Checking agendas and school website for updates

Helping with homework and discussing new learning

Reading and writing together at home

Communicating with teachers

Volunteering

Participating in school events and initiatives

Talking about their high expectations for success at school with their children

A Ministry of Education link provides a series of 10 Tips to help parents support their children at home.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/abc123

To help your child at school, their improved learning in a safe environment will continue to be a school priority this year. The

staff and I will continue to work to the best of our abilities to help our kids to perform at even higher academic levels. Daily

physical activity and phys ed will maintain healthy bodies and you can help with healthy food choices. Character education

includes respect, responsibility and right choices as outlined in the student agenda. In this way we are able to reinforce the values

that you have taught your children at home.

Another way parents can be involved in their childs education, is to be involved with school life through attending our Scho ol

Community Council meetings, volunteering and/or communicating with your childs teacher. With the enthusiasm of our stu-

dents, the community spirit of our parents, and the dedication of our teachers, I am confident that 2013-2014 will be an excitingand rewarding school year.

COMMUNICATION

We encourage parents to communicate with the school personnel regarding school related concerns. Please do not hesitate to

telephone or make an appointment to visit the school. The following is a list of school personnel who will assist you.

School Secretary: Will answer general school questions or direct you to the appropriate person.

Classroom Teacher: Anything related to a subject or classroom question can be resolved by contacting the particular teacher.

Principal / Vice-Principal: Can assist you with any questions which relate to the school. Please speak to the classroom teacher

first if your question is subject or classroom related.

Administrative Officer: Anne Taylor can be contacted to clarify / answer any regional questions or questions that were

not answered at the school 905-666-5500.

Superintendent of Schools for Whitby: John Bowyer can be contacted to clarify / answer any regional questions

905-666-5500.

Trustees: Your elected trustees are Kimberly Zeppieri 905.668.7782 [email protected]

Christine Winters 905.430.6050 [email protected]


8/11

Bellwood YMCA

PlayON ProgramA free after-school program for children 6-12 years

Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday

3:35 pm-6:00 pm

September 10th

2013 to June 19th

2014

The after-school program focuses on physical activity, healthy eating, health &

wellness and opportunities to participate in a variety of recreational activities in

fun, safe and secure environment.

Children will be provided with a nutritious snack and will also have the

opportunity to have choice in selecting their recreational acitivities such as sportlow organized games, team building, creative arts, board games, completing

homework and constructing with materials.

Children will be given the opportunity to make friends, develop new skills and

knowledge to advance their learnings around health and wellness. The YMCA Pl

ON program builds confidence in a fun, safe, interesting and engaging

environment. The program is aimed at improving the health and wellness of

children and youth.

All participants must be picked up from the program by a parent or guardian 1

years of age or older.

To register your child for this YMCA Program

Please return the attached registration form to the school of

and the YMCA Play On Team Leader will contact you with yo

childsprogram start date and program details.

For more information about this program, please conta

Tina Diamond at 289-928-0600 or email

[email protected]


9/11

The Durham District School Board encourages our

schools to reduce food and food-related

waste by implementing a waste-free or boomerang lunch

program.

A waste-free lunch contains no throwaway packaging

and produces no food waste. Food and drinks are packedin reusable containers within a reusable (often insulated)

lunchbag. All containers are resealable, so that leftover

food and drink can be saved for later.

A boomerang lunch means that any uneaten food and any waste material produced is returnedhome and is not added to the schools waste collection. It is important that this food and waste

packaging be taken home in a resealable container or bag so that lunch bags/backpacks/lockers

remain clean!

Both a waste-free and a boomerang lunch enable parents to see what their children are actually

eating during the day. Waste audits carried out at schools consistently demonstrate that a

significant amount of this waste is made up of unopened packaged foods, uneaten fruit, full juiceboxes, etc. Uneaten fruit that is added to the school waste can become an wasp hazard,

especially in the fall. This organic waste can be returned home and added to the Green Bin, the

Durham Region wide organics waste program.

Some Waste-Free Lunch Tips

Instead of expensive plastic sandwich bags, one reusable container can be used for

packing snacks, sandwiches, etc. No more squished food!

Cut fruit and vegetables into pieces so that some can be eaten at lunch and the rest saved

for a later snack.

Prepare extra food at dinnertime and use the leftovers for lunches.

Label all containers to ensure that they return home if lost.

Minimize the morning rush (when youll reach for the convenience, over-packaged items)

and pack lunches the night before and refrigerate overnight.

Avoid drinks in packaging that cannot be resealed. After a few sips, drinks are often

discarded.
http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=waste+free+lunch&um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&biw=1440&bih=703&tbm=isch&tbnid=T4g1gNMZapDCgM:&imgrefurl=http://room30blog.blogspot.com/2011/06/rubbish-free-lunch-boxes.html&docid=567ZaSY6iC-R0M&w=250&h=219&ei=OCJnTubSF


10/11


Celebrating 25 years!

September 25th 2013

30 Bellwood Drive, Whitby, Ontario

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Join Us!

Come see the photos and memorabilia!

Connect with your former classmates and teachers!

Special presentations at 7:00 pm.

Hamburger/hot dogs, chips and drink combos

provided by Starr Burger ($5.00).

For more information...Phone: (905) 436-0098

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Bellwood Public School 25th Anniversary


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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sa

1 2 3Welcome back 4Cross countrypractice at

lunch time.

Gr-3-8

5 6 7

8 9 10YMCA starts

11 12Meet the

Teacher Night

13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20Terry Fox Run

21

22 23 24 2525th

Anniversary

-school assem-

bly at 2:00

Open House

at 5-8:00

26 27Grade 7 Trip to

Lakerdige

28

29 30Character

Assembly

(Teamwork)

September 2013

30 Bellwood Drive.

Whitby, ON L1N 8M4

Ph: (905) 436-0098

Fax: (905) 433-7018


Together we learn, grow and build for the future in a diverse environment.

ates of Significance

September

eptember 3 10:aryushana Parva

ain)

eptember 25: Franco-

ntarian Day

eptember 4

6: Roshashanah (Judaism)

eptember 14

om Kippur (Judaism)

eptember 19-24

ukkot (Judaism)

eptember 21

ternational Day of

eace (UN)

bellwood september 2013 newsletter.pdf

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