Category: Uncategorized

Message from Our Trustee

BPS

Message from Our Trustee

Dear families, 

I hope that you and your loved ones are keeping well and are healthy. The past few months have been full of change and uncertainty as we respond to the global pandemic and try to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As a Board of Trustees, we know that our families have experienced this pandemic and the school closures in different ways, and we want you to know that our thoughts have been with you all. 

Our school board moved quickly to introduce our Learning and Caring Plan through an intentionally phased approach. Our plan focused on both supporting student well-being and providing continuation of learning for more than 127,000 students. A plan was developed that respected each family’s unique situations and focused on maintaining a caring, safe and inclusive learning environment. To support this, over 20,000 pieces of technology were distributed to ensure that all of our students could access the learning opportunities available to them, and resources and plans were put in place to support all of our learners, including students with special education needs and English language learners. 

More information about the Learning and Caring plan as well as tips, resources and supports for students and families to support well-being and online learning can be found at www.yrdsb.ca/covid19. 

We are all part of a larger community and I am inspired to see the many different ways schools, families and students maintained their connections with one another. It was also moving to see the many inspiring ways our school board, students, staff and families acknowledged our frontline workers and made contributions to the fight against COVID-19. As a school board, for example, we donated over 145,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, including gloves, masks and more. 

Each and every one of us has made a difference – in staying home as much as possible and following public health guidelines. I know that this has meant making sacrifices. 

To our graduating class of 2020, I know this is not the graduating year you had hoped for. I appreciate that the school closures will not affect your ability to graduate, however this unique situation and the need to postpone graduations has been disappointing. I remain tremendously proud of all of our graduates and look forward to celebrating this important milestone with you as soon as we are able to reschedule the graduation ceremonies.

In addition, I know that you have missed out on field trips, awards events, athletic banquets, spirit days, assemblies, our annual Celebrating Student Success awards and the many other ways we extend learning, connect as a community and celebrate the achievements of our students. 

We have also been unable to gather together as we normally would in our schools and communities to celebrate or recognize important dates, including Sikh Heritage Month, Pesach, Good Friday, Easter (Western), Vaisakhi, Holy Friday, Orthodox Easter (Eastern), Ridvan, Jewish Heritage Month, Asian/South Asian Heritage Month, Ramadan, Pride, National Indigenous History Month, Italian Heritage Month and Portuguese Heritage Month. As a Board, these dates of significance are important for us to acknowledge and we will continue to celebrate and value the wealth of diversity in our community.

As the school year comes to a close, I want to wish you and your families a safe, healthy and happy summer. I look forward to a time when we can welcome your children back into our schools again. We know that families have questions about what the return to school will look like. We will continue to share information with you as it becomes available. In the meantime, we encourage you to continue following public health guidelines and to stay connected. 

A message from the Chair of the Board of Trustees is also available on the Board website at www.yrdsb.ca.

Dr. Elizabeth Sinclair​

Trustee, Vaughan, Wards 3 and 4

Re: Student Material Retrieval and Return Process

BPS

***MORE INFORMATION WILL COME MONDAY AND TUESDAY***

Dear Families,

Re: Student Material Retrieval and Return Process 

Students and families may now arrange to safely pick up items they left at school and IF you are leaving Bakersfield or YRDSB you can also return items that belong to the YRDSB during your time slot on  June 15th – June 17th. In order to book a time at the school, families will be given instructions to use a familiar tool for our school: EDSBY. Each student will receive a 15 minute time slot, and will only be permitted entry during this pre-arranged time. Families who are unable to sign up for a scheduled time should  email our school email address  and school office staff will help. Our dates for student retrieval are June 15, 16, 17.

Safety protocols will be in place as you enter school building, and will include: 

  • practice social distancing by staying two metres apart from anyone not from your household; 
  • wear a mask (if you choose);
  • use hand sanitizer as you enter the building; 
  • use the designated entry/exit doors only; 
  • expect that retrieval/return time slots will be 15 MINUTES ONLY

If you are currently using a board-issued laptop and you are returning to a YRDSB school in the fall, please keep your laptop for use over the summer. If you are not returning to a YRDSB school in September, you must return all YRDSB technology (e.g., laptop, chromebook, etc.). All students are expected to return the following items which belong to the school:

  • School library books
  • Teacher classroom library books
  • Classroom supplies
  • Musical instruments that belong to the school
  • Textbooks
  • Athletic uniforms and equipment 
  • Anything else that is property of the YRDSB

Guidelines for Visit

  • Visits to the school must be conducted within the Public Health Guidelines. Physical distancing, single entry point and hand sanitization are expected to be strictly adhered to by anyone entering our buildings. Further, a self-screening must be conducted prior to entering the building.
  • Elementary school students, a parent/guardian is to retrieve materials with your child (grade 7s and 8s may attend alone)
  • Ensure you know your child’s homeroom, teacher’s name and/or locker number/combination
  • Secondary school students must retrieve items individually (with the exception of Community Class students) 
  • If your child has medication at the school, it will be bagged, labeled and available for pick up as you enter the building.
  • Desks, lockers and any other individual spaces must be cleared out, as all remaining items will be discarded. Lockers should be left open, and school locks may remain
  • Family members/students will be told where to return items (one central drop off for secondary, homeroom class for elementary). There will be no walking to other rooms

Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe and supportive process to allow for the retrieval of materials and return of school property. We know this has been a most challenging year, and we thank you for your cooperation as we facilitate a safe and organized  process. 

Sincerely,

Krysten Cameron

Principal

Together Against Racism

BPS

Hate is not okay. Racism is not okay. At Bakersfield we work hard to be inclusive and we will continue to work hard at making everyone know they have value and belong. We do this with our actions, our interactions and our words. We know we have more work to do and are committed to doing it. We hope you will continue to join us.

Educating our children about valuing one another and treating one another with respect is foundational. Anti- Black Racism and all forms of racism are not going away unless we do something about it. If you are interested in sparking a meaningful conversation with your children, here are two places to start. #bekindbeproudbebakersfield

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/us/cnn-sesame-street-standing-up-to-racism/index.html