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59 Bridge Street West, Kitchener, Ontario, N2K 1K6
Tel: 519-743-4318 Fax: 519-743-4774
http://brp.wrdsb.ca/
March 2015
At Bridgeport, we are building excellence, a positive attitude and responsible students.
Bridgeport Family Skate Evening
Everyone had a wonderful evening at the Family Skate Night at Waterloo Rec. Centre on February 7th.
The rink was full of skaters and everyone had fun. We would like to give a big thank you to the School
Council, who made the evening possible through organizing and funding the event.
The School Council also obtained many prizes from local businesses which were raffled throughout
the evening.
Thank you to the following for donating raffle prizes:
7-11 Store
Bingemans
Tim Hortons
City of Kitchener
Subway
Rexall
Supperworks
The Reinhardt Family
Watersmart Systems and Plumbing A family who gave away Rangers’ tickets
Bridgeport Potato Blitz
During the month of February the grade 3/4 students in Room 7 partnered with the Kitchener based
charity, “The House of Friendship”, to promote their annual Potato Blitz here at Bridgeport Public
School. As a class, students applied the advertising techniques they had discovered from breaking
down television commercials and other forms of advertising, to create a campaign that would be used
to encourage students at Bridgeport to bring in potatoes. We decided on a multi-platform approach that
included creating a buzz by plastering potatoes all over school with the message, “the Potatoes are
Coming!”, radio advertisements that were read over the announcements, television commercials,
writing lyrics to a song, and even creating potato mascots! The Potato Blitz ran during the final week
of February and was kicked off with an awesome assembly where Room 7 shared their commercials,
song and mascots. When all was said and done, Bridgeport P.S. raised 1468 pounds of potatoes for the
people in need in our community. I continue to be blown away by the generosity and kindness of our
school’s community. I am also extremely proud of the students in Room 7 whose positive attitudes and
creativity got a whole school excited about potatoes!
Mr. Davis
Ski Article
The ski trips are always something that excites every grade
6 student! I asked a few of the grade 6 students what it was
like to go on the ski trip and if they would go again; they all
had very similar responses like, “I loved it!” and “It was
really fun!” All of them said that they would go back 100%.
The grade 6 students went to Chicopee Ski/Snowboard hill
on January 27th and on February 10th. Once you got your
skis and were ready to go on the hills, you had to go through
6 different stations to be rewarded with a silver stripe. The
silver stripe allowed us to be able to go on more advanced
hills like Mic Mac, Chicane, North, and Easy Rider. All of
the teachers reminded us that we only had to go on the hills
we were comfortable with which I think prevented a lot of
major injuries, although almost everyone fell! Some of the
stations included demonstrating being in control and
turning. I think that the ski trips were really fun and gave a
lot of the students a chance to try something they have
never tried before. It was not too hard, not too easy and
definitely something that I would do again!
-Hannah W.
Ski News
On January 27th, the two grade 6 classes went to Chicopee Ski Park for
a nice day in the sun to have a fun day learning and trying skiing. For
some it was first time, for others it was just another day in showing off
their skills.
At the beginning the kids had to get all their equipment, and then they
could hit the hills. But first, before they go down giant hills, they had
to go through 6 stations. The first was just putting on your skis; the
second station was shuffling up the hill, and then you had to go and
stop at the instructor. If you made that you would move on, but if you
didn't pass you would have to go back to the end of the line and try
again. That was the same for all stations. At station 2 you went up the
crazy carpet to ski on the outside of the cones that were laid out on the
hill. Every other station was similar but they got a little steeper and
harder. Once you got to station 6 and you passed, you received a silver
stripe that meant you were allowed on any blue squared hill.
On February 10th the grade 6 classes went again to have another
wonderful day at Chicopee Ski Park. This time if you received your
stripe in January, then you just had to show the instructors that you
still knew what to do. If you passed that you would go to one mountain
and show the teachers that you can stop on a dime. If you did that well,
you got the thumbs up to go and explore and have a good time. I was
one of the students who went and I loved it. I hope when your kids go
they have as much fun as I did.
Cassidy H.
Student safety is our number one concern, as without a safe school environment learning cannot happen.
This is why we always promote what you can do to help in the Newsletter. We are asking for your
continued cooperation and support. It is when we work together to build a safe and caring community that
our students benefit.
Safe Welcome Program
Bridgeport’s doors have been locked
since September. Entrance to the
school will only be through the front
door where visitors ring the bell and
an adult in the office will buzz you
in. A camera is mounted outside to
allow the adult to see who is at the
door. Extended Day will be the same
although monitors will be located in
the Extended Day rooms.
You may have to wait at times as the
lone secretary is not always at her
desk; so your patience is appreciated.
We thank you for the success of this
program so far.
Student Pick up and Drop
off
Please note that Mrs. Stoermer is
now greeting students in the
morning and helping students get
into cars at the end of the day at
Kiss and Drop. When she is not
present you need to bring your
child(ren) into the school.
Please check in at the office when
you arrive. If you are dropping off
or picking up your child please sign
the book.
If arriving late, your child will be
expected to go to class
independently.
Your child will be called to come to
the office if he / she is leaving.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Kiss and Drop
The Kiss and Drop process was originally set up for Kindergarten
students and their siblings only. Older students were expected to walk to
one of the local side streets where parents could wait for them. These
expectations remain.
• If you pick up students that are in the grades rather
than Kindergarten we ask you to arrange to meet them
on a side street; crossing guards are always at both
intersections on Bridge Street to keep children safe
while crossing the busy street.
• If you pick up a Kindergarten student and a grade
student, please arrive after 3:35
• If you pick up Kindergarten only please arrive before
3:35 as the Kindergarten students are always first in
line and ready to go at 3:35.
• If you are waiting to come into the parking lot from
Bridge Street and there is no room, please drive to the
round-a-bout and try again.
In the morning, there is no supervision until 9:00 so please do not arrive
before that time. However, at times students need to be dropped off early
due to in-school activities so please direct them to the front door of the
school.
Please do not park in the Handicap Parking spaces at any time
of the day unless you have a valid permit.
We thank those parents who wait to pick up their child up in the
appropriate area rather than having students walk through the parking
lot as it does keep our children safe. We also thank you for your patience.
We are a community focusing on providing the best for our children and
keeping them all safe; which means that we need to work together
focusing on what is good for the group as a whole rather than individual
need. Therefore, if you do not have a Kindergarten child please
do not use the Kiss and Drop unless you have an urgent appointment
and pick up is prearranged.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Dates to Note
Mar. 10 – 31
Mar. 10
Mar. 16 – 20
Mar. 25
Mar. 26
Apr. 3
Apr. 6
Chocolate Fundraiser
School Council 7:00 pm
March Beak
Pink Shirt Day
Parent Presentation 7:30
Communication in the Digital Age
Good Friday
Easter Monday
April 10
Talent Show
Movie Night 6:30 in Gym
April 14
School Council 7:00
Apr. 17
PD Day
Apr. 18
PIC presentation at Bluevale
Apr. 22
Music Night rehearsal
Earth Day
Bag2School collection begins
Apr. 23
Music Night
Bag2School collection ends
Apr. 27 – May 1
5 Days For Freedom
Apr. 29
Pink Shirt Day
May 6
Kodaly Choir performing
May 7
Kdg. Info Night
May 12
School Council 7:00
May 18
Victoria Day
May 22
Volunteer Breakfast
May 25 - 27
EQAO, Grade 6s
May 27
Pink Shirt Day
May 29
PD Day
June 1 - 3
EQAO, Grade 3s
June 9
Gr. 6 orientation at Margaret Ave. a.m.
School Council 7:00
June 11
Junior Track and Field @ JHSS
June 17
Pink Shirt Day
June 19
Family Picnic
June 24
Grade 6 Graduation
June 26
Last day of school for students
Save the Date…
Bridgeport Music Night…
Thursday, April 23rd
Top Ten Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in
Math
Dr. Donna Kotsopoulos
1. Believe in your child! Encourage them in all
activities.
2. Believe in yourself and your math abilities
(role model a Growth Mindset).
3. No negative talk. Your attitude towards math
can influence and be taken on by child.
4. Talk numbers.
5. There is more than one way - students are
learning different strategies/approaches to
solving problems that are different from the
traditional methods, try to avoid the “this
isn’t how I’d do it”. Instead, invite your child
to teach you what they are learning.
6. Get involved with homework - ask questions,
have your child demonstrate their thinking,
try a question yourself.
7. Create a partnership with your child’s
teacher, work as a team.
8. Play games with your child - Snakes and
Ladders, card games, Lego, Jenga, puzzles,
building blocks; feel free to change the rules.
9. Find math in everyday routines. Count the
stairs, measuring food, numbers you see
around you and what they mean.
10. Homework Help - get help for both students
and parents from textbooks and online
activities.
Other Strategies Parents Can Use
Don’t be too helpful - allow your child to persevere,
ask questions to guide their thinking. It is through the
struggle that the real learning happens.
Set high expectations, children will strive to meet
them.
Connect math to real life - show them how you use
math in your daily activities.
Kids in the Kitchen
Teaching children food skills helps develop healthy eating habits, improve math, language and motor skills
and provides a fun way for families to spend time together. Even children as young as two can start learning
in the kitchen! Packing school lunches is something in which all school-aged kids can take part. Check out
EatRight Ontario’s Cooking with Kids of Different Ages for ideas about which tasks might be best for your
kids to start with: http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Child-Toddler-Nutrition/Cooking-withKids.aspx.
Family Movie Night
Fundraising
Chocolate Sales
Friday, April 10th, 2015
Kick off Assembly
Doors open 6:30 p.m.
Movie begins at 6:45
Chocolates sent home March 10th
Ends on March 31st
Bridgeport Gym
Bring your own water
Early Bird Draw…March 24th
Popcorn available
Everyone welcome
Thank you for your support
School Council’s next meetings are March 10th and April 14th, 2014
at 7:00 pm.
BRIDGEPORT SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESENTS
Communication in the Digital Age
Our children are posting, who is watching?
Social Media 101
Presented by Binary Tattoo
TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
and
COMMUNICATING WITH THE SCHOOL
Presented by Bridgeport P.S. Teachers
Presenter Cat Coode is a professional tech-savvy parent and
experienced speaker, who has taught thousands of people
how to use, improve and protect their online identity.
•
•
•
DATE
March 26, 2015
How to safely and effectively define your children’s digital
identity or ‘tattoo’
How to be a good digital citizen and protect your children
online
How to encourage safe social networking
TIME
7:30 -9:00
LOCATION
Bridgeport Public School
Coffee / Tea and Dessert provided
Lice and what to look for…
The head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hairs and feeds on tiny amounts of blood drawn from
the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are a very common problem, especially for kids. They're contagious, annoying, and sometimes
tough to get rid of.
But while they're frustrating to deal with, lice aren't dangerous. They don't spread disease, although their bites can make a child's
scalp itchy and irritated, and scratching can lead to infection.
It's best to treat head lice quickly once they're found because they can spread easily from person to person.
Signs of Head Lice
Although they're very small, lice can be seen by the naked eye. Here are things to look for:
Lice eggs (called nits). These look like tiny yellow, tan, or brown dots before they hatch. Lice lay nits on hair shafts close to the scalp,
where the temperature is perfect for keeping warm until they hatch. Nits look sort of like dandruff, only they can't be removed by brushing or
shaking them off. Unless the infestation is heavy, it's more common to see nits in a child's hair than it is to see live lice crawling on the scalp.
Lice eggs hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they're laid. After hatching, the remaining shell looks white or clear and stays firmly attached to the
hair shaft. This is when it's easiest to spot them, as the hair is growing longer and the egg shell is moving away from the scalp.
Adult lice and nymphs (baby lice). The adult louse is no bigger than a sesame seed and is grayish-white or tan. Nymphs are smaller
and become adult lice about 1 to 2 weeks after they hatch. Most lice feed on blood several times a day, but they can survive up to 2 days off the
scalp.
Scratching: With lice bites come itching and scratching.
This is actually due to a reaction to the saliva of lice. However,
the itching may not always start right away - that depends on
how sensitive a child's skin is to the lice. It can sometimes take
weeks for kids with lice to start scratching. They may complain,
though, of things moving around on or tickling their heads.
Small red bumps or sores from scratching: For some kids,
the irritation is mild; for others, a more bothersome rash may
develop. Excessive scratching can lead to a bacterial infection (this can cause swollen lymph glands and red, tender skin that
might have crusting and oozing). If your doctor thinks this is the case, he or she may treat the infection with an oral antibiotic.
You may be able to see the lice or nits by parting your child's hair into small sections and checking for lice and nits with a finetooth comb on the scalp, behind the ears, and around the nape of the neck (it's rare for them to be found on eyelashes or
eyebrows).
A magnifying glass and bright light may help. But it can be tough to find a nymph or adult louse - often, there aren't many of them
and they move fast.
Call your doctor if your child is constantly scratching his or her head or complains of an itchy scalp that won't go away. The
doctor should be able to tell you if your child is infested with lice and needs to be treated. Not all kids have the classic symptoms
of head lice.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/head_lice.html
There are companies that will help with lice for a fee. Lice Squad is such a company… www.licesquad.com.
Please remember that once you use the shampoo and have combed the nits out of the hair, to check every 4
days and after hair washing until no lice can be found.
For more information please check out the above websites.
EQAO Assessment
Attendance Number
The Primary and Junior EQAO assessment
happens every year for our grade 3 and 6
students. It consists of 6 one hour booklets; four
in Language and two in Math.
Students work independently to complete these
and then the booklets are sent to the Ministry for
evaluation. Parents will receive a report in the
fall as to their child(ren)’s achievement. These
results play no part in students’ report card
achievements.
This assessment will occur for grade 6 students
from May 25th to 27th and for grade 3
students, June 1st to 3rd.
We ask that you make no appointments for these
time periods so that your child(ren) can be
present for the full 3 days.
Thank you
Please remember that we have an attendance only
number.
Please call this 24 hour attendance line if your child
will be absent.
Teachers do not always listen to their messages until
the end of the day therefore we won’t know your
child is absent unless you call the Attendance
number. Thank you.
Bag2School
Spring cleaning time! (soon!)
What to do with all those clothes that used to fit???
What to do with the linen and towels that now have
holes in them???
We have the solution for you…
Collect all your gently used clothing in one bag (or
more) and then anything made of fabric that you were
going to throw out into another bag(s) and bring them
to school on April 22nd or 23rd.
A blue bag with information on this program will be
coming home soon.
www.bag2school.ca
A message from Mrs. Preddie
Hopefully we can move forward from the coldest month ever recorded in this area. We have spent many a
Nutrition Break inside finding creative ways to release energy that has built up over the hours, days and
weeks. Even still, Bridgeport has continued to be a busy place. There has been skiing for the grade 6 students,
skating for others, ice hockey for some, sledding on the school grounds and floor hockey at Nutrition Breaks.
There is games club, choir practices for primary and junior, singing at the Ranger’s Hockey game and Kodaly
practices at other schools working towards the big evening at the Centre in the Square in May. Room 7
spearheaded the Potato Blitz, to collect potatoes for the House of Friendship, which kept everyone engaged
and entertained.
The School Council planned the Annual Skating Party at the beginning of February, and is busy organizing
the chocolate fundraiser and the Movie night in April. In addition they are promoting and presenting
‘Communication in the Digital Age’ by Cat from ‘Binary Tattoo’. This is an essential presentation on the
world our children live in and how they will have to navigate it safely now and in the future. As parents we
need to know our role in keeping them safe but digitally savvy.
Bridgeport staff continues to thank you for your support and cooperation in your children’s education. As we
learn more about ‘growth mindset’, we understand the importance of home and school working together to
help all children believe in their abilities and know that making mistakes is a necessary part of learning. A
positive attitude to learning is number one in student success; the power of ‘YET’. (I don’t understand what
we are doing…yet!)
Thank you to this wonderful community for supporting the Potato Blitz, the fundraising and the many other
initiatives that begin with your amazing children.