Happy Friday Bayside Families!

We had an amazing first two days of school at Bayside this week: meeting new friends and teachers and getting used to new routines and classroom spaces. In the same way that our teachers who opened Bayside last year have been helping our new teachers, I could see our returning students doing the same for their new friends.

At this time, our school has grown from a population of 350 students in 2022-23, to a population of 570+ students. Last year we had many empty classrooms in our school that were not yet in use. This year, every space will be filled with our students’ voices. In addition to adding new classroom teachers in all grades, we also have the good fortune of having our new Physical Education specialist, Amy Cassan, join the Bayside team. Amy will be here on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and we look forward to benefiting from her expertise this year. Ms. Emily Mask joins our leadership team as a learning leader and has not been assigned a classroom. Emily will be supporting our grade 3s and 4s who have larger class sizes at this time to create smaller groups for learning throughout the day each day.

Updates and Reminders:

Playground Update: I am so excited to share with you that final adjustments to the landscaping surrounding our new playground are being made on Monday September 4 and the playground will be ready for students on Tuesday September 5! The fencing surrounding the playground will be reconfigured to protect the grass (which will need time to re-establish), but will allow for our students to play on the structure. Our staff worked together this week to think about safety guidelines for the park and we would appreciate parents’ support in reinforcing these guidelines with our students.

This week, each of our classes will have an opportunity to have their own special time on the park and it will be open for business at lunch time and during the day. We will work with our School Council to hold an official Bayside Playground Grand Opening in the near future!

We know that families will also wish to bring your younger children to visit the park. Please keep in mind that the structure is age appropriate for children ages 5-12. We ask that parents try to avoid visiting the park during school hours with toddlers, particularly during the busy lunch time from 11:00-12:25.

In the mornings, before school, we will not be able to provide supervision for the playground as our staff is in classrooms greeting students arriving during soft start from 7:50-8:00 AM. Please remind your child to come into the school when they arrive. We promise to give them opportunities during the day to play! After school, all students are expected to go directly home and check in with parents and/ or caregivers.

Allergy Awareness- No Nuts Please! We do have students with allergies to peanuts and other types of nuts in the building. Due to the prevalence of nut allergies at our school, and the potentially severe, and sometimes life-threatening reactions they can cause, we have a Nut Awareness program. Please do not send any food products that may contain nuts (e.g. peanut butter or Nutella sandwiches, cookies, etc.). Please check and read all package ingredients before sending something with your child to school.

School Parking Lot: Thank you to parents for not coming into our staff parking lot to drop off students in the mornings. We know that parking is at a premium and appreciate everyone doing their part to make things as safe as possible for everyone. We would also like your help with teaching our students not to walk through the parking lot. Please take the time to walk on the pathways directly bordering the lot. The difference in time and effort is minimal but the increase in safety is worthwhile!

When you cross the crosswalk on Auburn Crest Park, instead of turning left and walking through the parking lot, try turning right to go to the pathway. It is a small change that can make a difference for student safety. The bonus is, the pathway will bring you directly to the new playground!

Coming Up:

Monday Sept. 4 Labour Day Holiday, No School

Tuesday Sept. 5 Bayside Playground openJ

First regular day of Kindergarten for both AM and PM

Friday Sept. 8 PM Kindergarten Only

Early dismissal for all students (12:00 PM)

Upcoming: Mark your Calendar

September 19 School Council and Parent Fundraising Society AGM

September 21 & 22 Meet the Teacher conferences

September 22 Non-Instructional Day (no school for students due to Meet the Teacher conferences)

September 29 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, no school

October 19 Fall Photos

Have a terrific long weekend,

Darby

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