Bellwood P.S. November Newsletter
Administrator Message:
Things continue to be very busy here at Bellwood! It’s hard to believe we are just four short weeks away from our winter break. Thank you to all families who engaged in parent-teacher interviews last week. Your partnership in celebrating students’ successes and goal setting for the remainder of the term is much appreciated.
Our November pizza days have been a success; we appreciate the efforts of our volunteers: Shannon Greaves, Carol Kelly, Stacey Greely & Jason Coulthard. We couldn’t do it without you! December and early January dates are now in School Cash Online and available for purchase until Monday, November 26th. Sub days will be Tuesdays in December, again orders can be made in School Cash Online. Please see the office team if you have concerns about School Cash.
Planning for our annual Breakfast with Santa event is underway. Thank you to the SCC for taking the lead on this family engagement event! We look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday December 15th from 9:00-11:00am for pancakes, colouring, and a visit with Santa. Lifetouch will be here taking pictures for families. We are still looking for volunteers to help out. Please contact the office to get involved.
Our Book Fair & Winter Concert dates are fast approaching. Please plan to join us on Wed. Dec. 12th for the Grade 1 to 5 concert and Thurs. Dec. 13th for the ‘Big & Little’ (Kindie, Gr 6-8) concert. Both concerts will begin at 6:30pm. The book fair will be open for purchases both evenings and will included a ‘Royal Sweet Shop’ with treats for purchase.
Admission to this year’s concerts and Breakfast with Santa will be donation of an item for our ‘Toiletry Tree’. We will be collecting: toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, creams, hair products, deodorants, baby wipes and other toiletry items for donation to local shelters this holiday season.
We are running a Winter Basket Raffle at our Winter Concerts as well. Each student has been asked to donate one or two items based on their class theme which can then be used to build our raffle baskets. Information about this went home this week. Baskets will be raffled off at our Winter Concerts so don’t forget your wallet if you’d like the chance to win one of our fantastic baskets!
This week was Bullying Prevention & Intervention Week in the DDSB. Staff at Bellwood engaged in conversations with students about the difference between bullying and conflict and ways to be an upstander. Parent brochures were sent home with youngest/only students this week outlining the same information and additional strategies, suggestions, resources for families.
Bellwood staff and students have been fortunate to have been selected for the Ontario Philharmonic Random Acts of Music program. Students come together in the gym weekly to learn about two instruments and share in the talents of members of the Philharmonic. Our final two sessions are Tuesday afternoons ( Nov 27th, Dec. 4th); parents are welcome to join us from 1:15-1:55pm to experience the music alongside students!
Karen McCready Paul Khajuria
Principal Vice Principal
Numeracy Plan
At Bellwood wer are working hard to solve multi-step problems using efficient strategies, automaticity and fluency while developing thinking and application skills.
What this looks like: -implementation of balanced programming, with a focus on guided practice
-use of the assessment loop (learning goals, success criteria, descriptive feedback) to improve student outcomes
-embedded use of problem solving model
-access to rich, real world tasks
Primary Agendas
Our primary agendas have arrived and have been sent home with students who have paid. An agenda planner is an excellent tool for organizing daily work and for parents and teachers to communicate information back and forth. Agendas are available through School Cash Online for a cost of $5 and will be sent home once paid.
Remembrance Day
On Remembrance Day we honour the people of all backgrounds who served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace. Every year, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, people who live in Canada as well as many other Commonwealth countries will stop what they are doing to observe a moment of silence to pay tribute to the sacrifices that were made and are still being made on our behalf.
November 19-23 Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week
Bullying is defined as a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause fear and distress and/or harm to another person’s body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation. Bullying occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance (Ontario Ministry of Education). For more ideas on what you and your school can do during this week, there are some resources below.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/prevention.html
https://www.ddsb.ca/AboutUs/EquityInclusiveEducation/Pages/default.aspx
The official hashtag of this year’s Bullying Awareness week will be #BAW2018
Schools and classes that have read the novel: Wonder can get involved at www.choosekind.ca
November 20, Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Day of Remembrance is held in November to honour Rita Hester who was killed for being who she was. This day urges us all to raise awareness of the threat of violence faced by people who identify as transgender and the persistence of the prejudice felt by the transgender community.
To help support our Transgender students, please see:
https://ddsb.ca/AboutUs/EquityInclusiveEducation/Pages/Supporting-Our-Transgender-Students.aspx
For some perspective from students, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=kq19QdOfH1Y
“weaving in representation and diversity whenever you can.”
November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Violence against women is still a devastating human rights violation present in today’s world. For far too long, impunity silence and stigma have allowed violence against women to escalate to pandemic proportions—one in three women worldwide experience gender-based violence. This year’s theme is #HearMeToo. There will be 16 days of activism to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. As in previous years, the colour orange will be a key theme unifying all activities, with buildings and landmarks lit and decorated in orange to bring global attention to the initiative.
Treaties Recognition Week November 5-11
Ontario has designated the first week of November as Treaties Recognition Week to promote education. Treaties Recognition Week was introduced to honour the importance of Treaties and to help Ontarians learn more about Treaty rights and Treaty relationships. Treaties Recognition Week provides an opportunity for educators to begin planning curriculum-linked learning activities about Treaties and will help build awareness and a greater understanding of why we acknowledge the land/territory we are on.
November 23, Holodomor Memorial Day
The Holodomor is the name given to the genocide by famine that occurred in Ukraine from 1932-1933 under Joseph Stalin’s regime. As many as 10 million people perished. In Ukrainian, “Holod” means starvation/famine and “moryty” means to inflict death. This Memorial Day was introduced in 2009 in Ontario.
For more information and resources, please see:
Parking and Kiss and Ride
It is quite busy on the street and in the parking lot during morning drop off and afternoon pick-up. Please ensure that you are abiding by local bylaws and being courteous to other drivers. We are all in a hurry lets take it slow to ensure that everyone arrives home safe.
When parking on side streets be sure that you are not parking on private property, in people's driveways or blocking access to their homes.
Street Crossing
There is a crossing guard located on the corner of Nichol and Kirby . Students are expected to cross with the crossing guard. It is being reported that many students are crossing mid block. For your own safety please use the crossing guard.
ME to WE is an innovative social enterprise that encourages and empowers people to change the world with their everyday consumer choices. In the months of October and November, our Me to We team here at Bellwood chose to participate in the "Spooktacular" and "We Scare Hunger Campaign"- It turned out to be very successful! In partnership with Mrs. McKechney, we raised $300 in a raffle and 16 boxes of non-perishable food items from a food drive! The food is being donated to St. Vincent’s Kitchen in Oshawa. Way to go Bellwood! Thank you for supporting our campaign.
By : Alya R
Be sure to order by November 26th in School Cash Online
Every Thursday, Bellwood students are welcome to purchase popcorn to help support our sports teams. You can buy it for $2 a bag and the flavours consist of buttersalt and dillpickle. Popcorn is sold by Mr. Marshall’s office in the gym at 11:50.
By: Isha C.
POPCORN
December 1 - World Aids Day – United Nations
World AIDS Day is held on the December 1, each year. This year’s theme: “Know your status” encourages individuals to be tested for HIV so they are able to make choices regarding HIV prevention and protect themselves and their loved ones. The graphic below explains the 90-90-90 goal related to HIV prevention.
December 2 - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery – United Nations
According to the International Labour Organization, more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern day slavery. Modern Day Slavery is an umbrella term used to cover practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. In addition, more than 150 million children are subject to child labour, accounting for almost one in ten children around the world.
The focus of this day is on the eradication of these contemporary forms of slavery.
For more information and resources: http://www.un.org/en/events/slaveryabolitionday/background.shtml
December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities– United Nations
The annual observance of this day was proclaimed in 1992. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
This year’s theme focuses on empowering persons with disabilities for an inclusive, equitable and sustainable development as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda pledges to “leave no one behind”.
For more information: http://www.un.org/en/events/disabilitiesday/
December 10 – Human Rights Day – United Nations
Human Rights Day is observed every year on the 10th of December. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document. It is the most translated document in the world, available in over 500 languages. The Declaration establishes the equal worth of every person. Though its promise has yet to be realized all over the world, it has stood the test of time. The principles set out in the Declaration of Human Rights are as relevant today as they were in 1948. We can take action in our own daily lives and help to improve the lives of others around the world. #StandUp4HumanRights
For more information: http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/
Splash and Boots
All 4 of the kindergarten classes went on a trip to see Splash and Boots perform on Monday, November 12. Splash and Boots are a musical duo, who also have a T.V show on Tree House. All the kids enjoyed the trip. “People went up to dance, and people got to dance,” said Levi, from Mrs. Calder’s class. “They had big yellow boots, and they were singing songs,” Mahnoor added.
By; Maira Y.
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game, played between two teams of 11 players each, in the center of a field. The batting side scores runs by striking the ball bowled at the wicket with the bat, while the bowling and fielding side tries to prevent this and dismiss each player (so they are out). Means of dismissal include being bowled, when the ball hits the stumps, and by the fielding side catching the ball after it's hit by the batter. Bellwood’s teams held practices at lunch, and competed in the Durham Cricket Tournament- They played phenomenally, and were very close to moving on! Thank you to Mr. O’Hare for coaching the teams. A team celebration is being held on Thursday at lunch.
~Alya R.