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Bright’s Grove Public School
2612 Hamilton Road,
Bright’s Grove, Ontario, NON 1C0
(519) 869-4284 Fax: (519) 869-4285
Zone 2
http://brightsgrove.lkdsb.net
Mr. Andy Parnham
Principal
Twitter @BGPSBulldogs
Mrs. Nancy Faubert
Secretary
October 2014
Welcome to Fall!
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Improving Student Achievement
As we move into the second month of school, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful
support and participation shown by the Bright’s Grove School community. Signing planners, helping with
homework, nightly reading and writing, and/or conversations with your child(ren) about their day at school, all
contribute to improving overall student learning. Your continued assistance and support is appreciated by the entire
Bright’s Grove staff. Remember “Education is a partnership between teachers and parents/guardians.”
“It takes a whole village to educate a child.” Parents/guardians frequently ask what they can do to assist their
child(ren) and the school in their child(ren)’s education. Parents/guardians can help by:
Showing an active interest in their child(ren)’s school work and progress
Communicating regularly with the school and their child(ren)’s teacher(s)
Helping their child(ren) to be neat, appropriately dressed and prepared for school (e.g., that they have all of
the necessary learning materials with them each day and for class, study for tests, etc. and have all of the
required assignments completed)
Ensuring that their child(ren) attend school regularly and on time
Promptly report to the school their child(ren)’s absence(s) or late arrival
Becoming familiar with the School Code of Conduct and the school rules and expectations for behaviour
Encouraging and assisting their child(ren) in following the rules of behaviour
Assisting and cooperating with school staff in dealing with disciplinary issues involving their child(ren)
Recount Writing
During the month of September students had opportunities to practice various styles of writing and free writes. With
the beginning of October, students from Grades 1-8 will now shift their focus to the recount form of writing. A
recount retells or recounts events that have already taken place, is written in the past tense, is in sequential order, and
uses joining words that are connected to time (e.g., after, then). Students will be focusing on six writing forms
throughout the year and will be working on recount writing from the beginning of October until approximately midNovember.
2013-2014 EQAO Results
Students currently in Grades 4 and 7 will be receiving their 2013-2014 EQAO Grade 3 and 6 Assessment Individual
Student Report (ISR) results shortly.
Parents/guardians should review these results with their child(ren) when they are sent home. Bright’s Grove Public
School’s results are as follows:
The number of students at or above the provincial standard (Level 3) in:
Gr. 3 – Reading – 71%
Gr. 6 – Reading – 90%
Writing – 88%
Writing – 94%
Mathematics – 79%
Mathematics – 57%
EQAO School and Board results are available on the EQAO website at www.eqao.com
Information from the Assessments will be used by school staff for the purposes of improving instructional practices,
learning strategies, and assessment and evaluation. The results, along with ongoing classroom assessments provide
valid data for subsequent instruction in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics.
School Council News
A huge thank you goes out to all those parents/guardians who helped organize and staff the Meet the Teacher Night
BBQ and Book Fair, and to all those who volunteer their time and efforts on a regular basis to help make Bright’s
Grove Public School a better place! Thank you!
Holiday Gift Exchange
Please remember to hang onto your gently used items that you are willing to donate to the school at the end of
November for our Holiday Gift Exchange. The date for the Gift Exchange is Friday, December 5 th. We are asking
students to make a minimum donation of $2.00 (if possible) to participate and all of the money will be donated to
the Salvation Army to purchase holiday hampers. More information will follow as the event gets closer.
Suggestions for items to be donated include: books, toys, clean stuffed animals, complete sets of games, puzzles,
mugs, jewelry, DVD movies, picture frames, pictures, candles, golf balls, work gloves, tools, sports items, craft
items, stickers, etc.
Milk Program
Any parents/guardians wishing to sign their child(ren) up for the Milk Program are asked to please go to the
following website: www.ESNS.ca. to register. Our school access code is BGS. For parents/guardians who have a
child in either Grade 7 or Grade 8, please place your child’s milk order in their lunchroom teacher’s classroom, not
in their homeroom teacher’s. All other grades will be registered to their homeroom.
Yard Supervision
Staff yard supervision begins at 8:40 a.m. Students should not be arriving at school prior to 8:40 a.m. unless
they are part of the YMCA Before School Program as no supervision is available. Thank you for your cooperation
regarding the safety of our students.
Crossing Guards and Bike/Scooter Safety
To help ensure the safety of everyone, we are asking students to ensure that they cross with the crossing guard
(where applicable) and that they carefully check both ways before crossing the street. As well, students riding their
bikes and scooters to and from school should ensure they are locked while at school, that they are wearing a helmet,
and that they are following the proper bicycle laws and safety requirements.
Professional Development Day and Thanksgiving
Friday, October 24th is a P.D. Day and Monday, October 13th is Thanksgiving. As a result, there will be no school
on these days. Staff will be working on School Improvement Planning on the P.D. Day.
Nutrition
Remember to pack healthy snacks because children get hungry between meals. Here are a few suggestions: raw
fruits, raw vegetables, cheese, crackers, and unsweetened juices. Avoid candy, raisins, dried fruit, fruit or pudding,
rollups and sweetened drinks because sweet, sticky snacks promote tooth decay. (Community Health Services Dept.)
As well, when sending in a treat to celebrate a special event, we encourage non-food items so that all students can
participate in the celebration. If sending a food item in, fruits and vegetables would be preferred.
Nut Aware School
The health and safety of all of our children at Bright’s Grove P.S. is of utmost importance. A number of our
students have life threatening allergies to peanuts and nut based products. Please remember to avoid packing
snacks and lunches that include peanut butter and other nut based products. Note: It is a parent/guardian’s
responsibility to keep the school informed in writing of any special medical concerns/issues that your
child(ren) has/have.
Soy-Based Peanut Butter Substitutes
Please be advised that we are asking you NOT to send in any soy-based peanut butter substitutes. This is in
accordance with the position of the Lambton Kent District School Board. Although the product itself is safe, it
mimics another product which is like peanut butter. It’s packaged like peanut butter and it is sold on grocery store
shelves in the peanut butter aisle. Once it’s out of the jar, you can’t tell the real thing from the substitute and that’s
what makes it so dangerous for students with nut allergies. If the product is sent to school, children will be asked to
eat in a location that will ensure there will be no contact with students who are allergic. In our school community, it
is the responsibility of each of us to safeguard the well-being of all. A danger to even one child is a threat that we
must all take seriously. Thank you for choosing not to send soy-based peanut butter substitutes to school with your
child(ren).
Ticks/Excursions/Field Trips/Outdoor Activities
We are asking parents/guardians to check their child(ren) for ticks and to monitor them for signs of infection after
attending any outdoor class excursion/activity due to possible exposure. Note: That “not all ticks carry Lyme
disease. The American dog tick, which is the most common tick found in Lambton County, does not carry Lyme
disease.”
Hepatitis B, Menactra, and Human Papilloma Virus Immunization Programs
On Monday, October 6th, the County of Lambton Health Services Department will be offering Hepatitis B and
Menactra vaccinations to all of our Grade 7 students. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination will also be
offered to any interested Grade 8 girls.
Information packages and consent forms have been sent home with the students. These vaccinations will only be
administered to students who have signed consent forms from their parents/guardians. These vaccinations will be
provided free of charge and require multiple doses which will be administered later on in the school year. Should
you have any questions regarding any of these vaccinations, please contact the Community Health Services
Department at 519-383-8331 Ext. 3589.
Money Collection
Please remember to send in a cheque or exact change only for each activity when submitting payments for lunch
orders, fundraising money, etc. as the school does not have petty cash on hand with which to make proper change.
Please do not combine several items in one single payment. We appreciate your efforts in this regard. Note:
Only orders that are submitted on time with a cheque or exact change will be accepted from now on.
World Teachers’ Day
The Lambton Kent District School Board will be recognizing World Teachers’ Day this year on Friday, October 3rd.
We are appreciative of all that teachers and education workers do each and every day for our students. Thank you!
Picture Day
Picture Day takes place on Friday, October 3rd for all students from JK-8. Retakes will be held on Monday,
November 3rd. Grade 8 graduation photos will be held on Wednesday, January 21st.
Ministry of Education’s Locked Door Policy
As part of the Ministry of Education’s Safe Schools Policy, please be advised that Bright’s Grove P.S.’s entry and
exit doors are locked during the school day. Parents/guardians and members of the Bright’s Grove P.S.
community are asked to enter and exit the building through the main front doors only during the school day.
The main doors should also be the doors parents/guardians are using during pickup and drop off times.
Please check in at the office should you need to pick your child(ren) up early. We require that all
parents/guardians, visitors and guests to the building sign in in our visitor book in the office. We also require you to
sign your child(ren) in and out when picking them up early and when returning them to school. We appreciate your
efforts in trying to help ensure the safety and well-being of all our school community members. Thank you for your
continued patience and understanding.
Parent/Guardian Protocol
In an attempt to keep all members of our school community safe, to avoid unnecessary congestion and confusion in
our hallways, and allow our staff members to properly supervise, parents/guardians are asked to please follow the
following pickup and drop off protocol. We are also attempting to maximize the amount of instructional time during
the school day for each of our students.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Parents are to wait outside at arrival and dismissal times at a pre-determined location or in the
tower/rotunda area only.
Parents are to enter the building through the main front doors only.
Parents who are in the building will be required to sign in in our visitor book in the office.
Parents are not to use student washrooms. Please use the community washroom off of the parking lot
hallway.
Parents are to leave late arriving lunches or homework at the office. Students will be notified at the next
break or at a convenient time. Please do not go to the classroom and/or portable directly.
Custody Issues
If you and your spouse have separated or divorced, please let the office know and provide us with any legal
documentation that you have with respect to custody issues, court orders, etc. in order for us to help ensure your
child(ren)’s safety and well-being. We realize that these can be delicate situations, but making us aware of them
helps to ensure everyone’s safety.
Reporting Student Absences
Please call the school if your child(ren) is/are going to be absent from school for any reason. Notes written in your
child(ren)’s planners do not always get transposed to the attendance, and therefore to the office. As a result, the
office staff have to make phone calls home to check on the whereabouts of your child(ren). It is extremely
important that parents/guardians call the school each day that your child(ren) will be absent. We have an answering
machine that will receive messages 24 hours a day, should you need to leave one at an odd hour of the day. As well,
students who change their normal lunchtime arrangements need to have a note from their parents/guardians in order
to leave the school.
Wireless Access Points
Bright’s Grove P.S. is equipped with a number of wireless access points. To access Bright’s Grove P.S.’s wireless
services, please use the following:
Username = guest
Password = lkdsb
Individuals using Bright’s Grove P.S.’s wireless services are subject to the Lambton Kent District School Board’s
Acceptable Computer Usage Policy. Please see Madame Van Praet if you have any questions regarding this.
Recycling
Parents/guardians are asked to please review proper recycling and sorting techniques with their child(ren) in an
attempt to prevent unnecessary waste from going into our landfills. We are noticing that many students are not
rinsing their recyclables and/or sorting them properly into the appropriate bins. Remember, every item recycled is
one less item that is not going into our landfills.
YMCA Before and After School Program and Extended Day Program
The YMCA is happy to operate both of these programs at Bright’s Grove P.S. this year. These programs are
designed to meet the individual needs of students and provide the opportunity for children to build relationships in
an organized environment. For more information contact them at 519-336-5950 Ext. 226.
Be sure to check the List of Important Events in October for events occurring throughout the month.
Should you have any questions, or concerns, please contact the school.
Sincerely,
Mr. A. Parnham
Principal
List of Important Events in October
School Council Meeting – Thursday, October 2 at 6:30 p.m. in library
Fall Pictures – Friday, October 3
World Teachers’ Day – Friday, October 3
Babysitting Course – Saturday, October 4
QSP Magazine Fundraiser begins – Monday, October 6
Grade 4 OLSAT Testing – Tuesday, October 7
Petrolia Discovery Cross Country Meet – Wednesday, October 8
Grade 8 Trip to Lorne Henderson Conservation Area – Friday, October 10
Grade 1/2 Trip to East Street Fire Hall – Friday, October 10
Thanksgiving – Monday, October 13
Choir Pizza Lunch – Tuesday, October 14
Bus Safety and Evacuation Training – Wednesday, October 15
Day 1 – Wednesday, October 15
Cross Country Meet – Thursday, October 16
Cross Country Meet Rain Date – Friday, October 17
Wear Pink to Support Breast Cancer Awareness – Friday, October 17
District Cross Country Meet – Wednesday, October 22
District Cross Country Meet Rain Date – Thursday, October 23
Day 5 – Thursday, October 23
PD Day – Friday, October 24
Parent-Teacher Term 1 Report Card Interview Time Preference Forms sent home – Mon. Oct. 27
Halloween and Wear Orange and Black Day – Friday, October 31
Gr. 8 Pizza Day – Friday, October 31