News & Notes, Volume 14, No. 12

Long Weekend
Enjoy the long weekend!  We are all looking forward to our long weekend with our mid-winter break scheduled for this coming Monday, February 18, 2019.

Pink Shirt Day
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 is the day we will hold our annual Pink Shirt Day.  Again, we express our gratitude to the Canadian Red Cross and Nalcor Energy for providing pink shirts to our whole school free of charge.

Our assembly will be a gigantic birthday party for our school mascot, Pounce.  Pounce is instrumental in encouraging good behaviour that exemplifies respect for self, others, learning, and the environment and we’re really looking forward to celebrating his first full year with us.

Family Day
Our school has decided to celebrate “Family Day”  this year instead of the traditional “Mother’s Day” and “Father’s Day”.  This is in response to our desire to be as inclusive as possible as a learning community in recognizing the diversity of family structures that exist today.  

Mary Poppins
All of our learners in grades two, three, and four will travel to the Arts and Culture Centre next Friday (February 22, 2019). Please ensure that you have your fee and permission slips sent along by next Thursday.  Due to legal reasons, we are not in a position to accept permission over the telephone so please ensure that your signed form is completed and returned as we would hate to be in a position where we cannot permit one of our learners to enjoy this special event because the permission form isn’t on file.  We’re looking forward to watching some Beachy Cove alumni in their starring roles in this musical as it staged by the students at Prince of Wales Collegiate.

Special Recognition
We’re more than happy to share any great news about your children’s achievements outside of school in our morning announcements; all you need to do is send me an e-mail.  These achievements would include athletic, artistic, and cultural achievements.  

Parking Lot Procedures
We’ve been asked to reiterate our expectations for driving onto and exiting our parking lot and for parking for the benefit of those families who are new to the Beachy Cove learning community.

If you are dropping off your children in the morning without coming in to the school, we ask that you enter our lot (with caution) and proceed through the drop off lane where you will be warmly greeted by our amazing kiss n’ ride volunteers.  They will assist your child in getting out of your vehicle and point them on the safest route up the sidewalk and into the school.  You can then proceed out of our parking lot through our exit lane.

If you are coming in to the school, we ask that you park in the row of parking stalls that are closest to Beachy Cove Road as the centre parking stalls are for staff.  Once you are safely parked, we ask that you come up through the parking lot on the rainbow crosswalk and proceed on in to the school and then to your child’s classroom.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

PD Days – School Closures
We have two days remaining as teacher PD days this year.  These dates have not yet be set; however, we will provide ample opportunity for you to arrange your schedules for childcare and all of the other things that need attention when routines are interrupted.

Grade Four Bake Sale
We congratulate our student leaders in Mme Paula’s class for organizing and executing a bake sale yesterday.  They selected the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre in St. John’s as their charity to which they will donate their proceeds.  And, the proceeds were fantastic, coming in at $580.20!  We thank all those parents who contributed baked goods and we also thank our families who encouraged their children to participate by sending along money for them to purchase treats.

Prefects
We proudly acknowledge our student leaders in grade four who volunteer as prefects in our kindergarten classrooms at recess and lunch and help open snacks and drinks. They also interact with these young learners in various activities and games.  The prefects enjoy this leadership role in our school and we really benefit form their great work.

Parent-Teacher Interviews
Our second term is flying by at a rapid pace (now that we have January out of the way!) and will come to a close at the middle of March.  Progress reports will be distributed on Friday, March 22, 2019 and Parent-Teacher Interviews have been set for Thursday, March 28, 2019.  Appointments for Parent-Teacher Interviews can be made by clicking here.  We encourage all of our families to participate in these important conversations with our teachers.

Allergens
As we are now just past mid-year, we thought it timely to remind our families about allergens at our school.

Peanuts/Tree Nuts – BANNED completely.  This also includes “Wow Butter” and other brands of products that emulate peanut butter.

Please be aware that we have learners who are allergic to other products.  These products have not been banned; however, we encourage caution in sending in these products:

Egg – We have a learner in Ms. Dicker’s class with a severe allergy to eggs.  They (and the products that contain them) are not banned but we encourage families to avoid sending in lunches and snacks with whole eggs (i.e., boiled eggs or egg salad sandwiches).  

Sesame Seeds – We have a learner in Mme Barela’s class with a severe allergy to sesame seeds.  Again, they (and the products that contain them) are not banned but we encourage families to avoid sending in lunches and snacks with whole sesame seeds (i.e., certain types of granola bars, etc.).

Oats – We have a learner in Mme Kennedy’s class with a severe allergy to oats and eggs.  Similarly, we encourage caution in sending in snacks and lunches  that contain whole oats and eggs (i.e., certain granola bars, oatmeal cookies and whole boiled eggs/egg salad).

Kiwi – We have a learner in Mme Paula’s class with a severe allergy to Kiwi fruit.  We therefore advise caution in providing lunches and snacks that contain whole/sliced Kiwi fruit.

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
On behalf of our entire team of teachers, student assistants, and support staff, I extend our deepest thanks and appreciation for all of the kind gestures of thanks and appreciation that we experienced this week during Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week.  We firmly believe that our school community is second to none in terms of support for our school including our learners, our programs, and our team. And, a big thank you to the parent representatives on our school council for their keen organizational skills in making sure this week was special one.

School Development Surveys
It’s time for our annual school development surveys.  Each year, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, administers surveys to learners, teachers, support staff, and families.  The results of these surveys factor into our annual school development process (strategic planning).  Surveys for our staff and learners take place at the school; however, our families are encouraged to click here to provide input.  If you have more than one child at the school, you are encouraged to complete the survey with your oldest learner (at BCE) in mind.  And, as always, please let us know if you have any questions.

Important Dates
Mid-Winter Holiday – Monday, February 18, 2019
Pink Shirt Day – Wednesday, February 27, 2019
St. Patrick’s Day Holiday – Monday, March 18, 2019
KinderStart # 3 – Friday, March 22, 2019
Term II Progress Reports – Friday, March 22, 2019
Parent/Teacher Interviews – Thursday, March 28, 2019 (School closes at 11:00am)
Earth Day Assembly – Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 1:30pm (Grade Three)
KinderStart # 4 – Thursday, April 18, 2019
Easter Vacation – Friday, April 19-26, 2019 (inclusive)
School Re-Opens after Easter – Monday, April 29, 2019
Spring Concert – Friday, May 10, 2019 at 1:00pm (Grade Two)
Victoria Day Holiday – Monday, May 20, 2019
School Leaving – Friday, June 7, 2019 at 1:00pm (Grade Four)
Beachy Tones Musical – Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 1:00pm
Kindergarten Celebration – Monday, June 17, 2019 at 1:30pm
K-2 Sports Day – Tuesday, June 18, 2019 (Weather Dependent)
3-4 Sports Day – Thursday, June 20, 2019 (Weather Dependent)
Alternate K-2 Sports Day – Friday, June 21, 2019
Alternate 3-4 Sports Day – Monday, June 24, 2019
Term III Progress and Closed for the Summer – Thursday, June 27, 2019 at 12:30pm

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