Courtesy Seats
Carolyn Lethbridge, our Assistant Principal, is busy processing courtesy seat applications for this school year. Although policy gives us until the end of September to have this completed, Ms. Lethbridge is hoping to have it concluded by Friday, September 20, 2019 with a September 23, 2019 implementation. Thank you for your patience as we seek to get this done as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Curriculum Night
We extend our thanks and appreciation to all parents and family members who came out last evening for our annual “Curriculum Night”. We enjoyed seeing our new families and reconnecting with those who have been members of our learning community for some time. If you were unable to make last night’s event, please feel free to make contact with your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns you may have. A full listing of our staff and their e-mail addresses can be found on our school’s website, www.beachycove.ca, under the “Staff” tab.
Traffic Safety
With school opening, we are obviously seeing a lot of traffic around our school and on our parking lot early in the mornings and in the afternoons and in fact, throughout the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s with multiple school busses (for both schools) and families dropping off and picking up their young learners. With this comes the need for extra awareness and vigilance on the part of everyone driving. In the interest of everyone’s personal safety, we recommend extra caution while driving around town, especially in the area of our two schools.
New School Food Guidelines
In partnership with our school district and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Beachy Cove is one of eleven schools across the province involved in a pilot project focusing on new school food guidelines that reflect Canada’s new food guide. You may have already noticed changes in the cafeteria menu which will be further refined as the year goes on.
Field Trips
Most of our classes will engage in excursions away from the school this year to support curriculum related learning. Please be on the lookout for permission forms which detail the nature of the filed trip and its associated costs along with a permission form for your child’s participation. It is important that permission forms are returned promptly as we do not want to be placed in a position where we have to deny one of our learners the opportunity to participate because we don’t have the permission form returned. We are not permitted to accept verbal permission – we have to have it in writing. Thank you for your kind attention to this important matter in the life of your child.
Kids Eat Smart Breakfast Club
Our breakfast club will start on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 with a menu that includes yogurt tubes, cereal bars, and fresh fruit. All of our learners are warmly welcomed to participate in our breakfast club each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The club opens at 8:10 am with an aim to have everything concluded by 8:26am-8:28am as our classes begin at 8:30am.
For further information on the club, please “like” their page on Facebook (Beachy Cove Breakfast Club) or e-mail the coordinator Cheri Butler at cherbonn70@gmail.com.
Welcome New Staff
It is with tremendous pleasure that we extend a warm Beachy Cove welcome to several new staff members who have joined our team this year.
Jennifer Hayward is currently replacing April LeShane in grade one who is continuing her maternity leave until November;
Janna Sweetapple has joined our team of Early French Immersion teachers with her own class of learners in grade one;
Heather Dawe, no stranger to BCE, has joined our elementary team with her own class of learners in grade four;
Stephanie Dawe has also joined our elementary team with her own class of learners in grade four;
Jessica Smith has joined our team of Early French Immersion teachers with her own class of learners in grade two;
Victoria French is currently replacing Terrilynn Morris in kindergarten Early French Immersion until her return in May of 2020;
Allison Byrne is replacing Roxanne Penney as our teacher librarian for this school year;
Joanne van Geest has joined us as a full time itinerant teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing;
Lauren Jeffers has joined our Student Services team as an instructional resource teacher (55%);
Rosalyn Brett has joined our corps of student assistants;
Melissa Short has joined our secretarial team while the position is being advertised; and,
Krista van Nostrand has rejoined our team after a year of leave.
Please join us in welcoming these individuals to our learning community. A list of all staff and their e-mail addresses can be found under the “Staff” tab on our school’s website, www.beachycove.ca.
Retirement
Janice Kean, a member of our secretarial team for the past few years, retired in late August. Please join us in wishing her the very best of health and happiness as she embarks on this next chapter of life.
Allergies
We have several young learners who have severe life-threatening allergies to peanuts and products that contain them. Consequently, these products are banned from our school. This ban also applies to peanut butter and soy based products that emulate peanut butter (i.e., Wow Butter).
Similarly, sesame seeds and products that contain them are also banned school-wide.
There may also be classroom specific issues; however, individual classroom teachers will be in touch if it applies to your child’s class.
Cans for Kids
Our Environmental Agents are excited to announce that our amazing school community raised $2,264.52 during our 2019 Cans For Kids Initiative!. A special thank you is extended to Mr. Shoemaker’s class for raising over $1000 during their class bake sale. All monies will be sent to Smile Train, a non-profit organization committed to providing cleft lip and palate surgeries to children in developing countries. Our fundraising efforts will give 9 children a reason to smile! Way to go, BCE!
Please note that this particular “Cans for Kids” was initiated in memory of Ann Ash, mom to one of our staff members, Lori Hare, who passed away last spring.
Important Dates
Please note the following events and dates scheduled for this school year. These can also be found under the “Calendar” tab on our school’s website, www.beachycove.ca. We reserve the right to change the dates due to circumstances which might arise; however, we will provide ample advance notice in the event we need to do so.
October 8, 2019 – School Photography by Lifetouch
October 11, 2019 – Thanksgiving Breakfast (Breakfast Club)
October 14, 2019 – Thanksgiving Day holiday
October 21-25, 2019 – Scholastic Book Fair
October 29, 2019 – School PD (Classes cancelled)
November 7, 2019 – Remembrance Day Assembly at 1:00pm (Grade Four)
November 8, 2019 – Mid-fall break (Classes cancelled)
November 11, 2019 – Remembrance Day holiday
November 22, 2019 – School PD (Classes cancelled)
November 29, 2019 – Term I Progress Reports
December 5, 2019 – Parent/Teacher Interviews (School closes at 11am.)
December 6, 2019 – School PD (Classes cancelled)
December 11, 2019 – Christmas Concert at 1:00pm (Grade one)
December 12, 2019 – Christmas Concert at 1:00pm (Kindergarten)
December 18, 2019 – Christmas Breakfast (Breakfast Club)
December 20, 2019 – School closes at 12:30pm for Christmas vacation
January 6, 2020 – School reopens at 8:30am following Christmas vacation
January 16-17, 2020 – Grade four immunizations
January 17, 2020 – KinderStart # 1
February 11-13, 2020 – Skating Sessions with the Town of PCSP
February 14, 2020 – KinderStart # 2
February 17, 2020 – Mid-winter break
February 26, 2020 – Pounce’s Birthday Breakfast (Breakfast Club)
March 6, 2020 – School PD (Classes cancelled)
March 16, 2020 – St. Patrick’s Day holiday
March 20, 2020 – KinderStart # 3
March 20, 2020 – Term II Progress Reports
March 26, 2020 – Parent/Teacher Interviews (School closes at 11am.)
March 27, 2020 – School PD (Classes cancelled)
April 8, 2020 – Easter Breakfast (Breakfast Club)
April 9, 2020 – School closes at 2:40pm for Easter vacation
April 20, 2020 – School reopens at 8:30am following Easter vacation
April 22, 2020 – Earth Day Assembly at 1:30pm (Grade three)
April 24, 2020 – KinderStart # 4
May 8, 2020 – Spring Concert at 1:00pm (Grade two)
May 18, 2020 – Victoria Day holiday
June 11, 2020 – Beachy Tones Musical at 1:00pm
June 15, 2020 – Kindergarten Celebration at 1:00pm
June 19, 2020 – Year End Breakfast (Breakfast Club)
June 25, 2020 – School closes at 12:30pm for Summer vacation
June 26, 2020 – Administration Day (Teachers & Administration)