Category: Uncategorized

Good Afternoon BPS Families,

I hope you are enjoying your day and finding fun and productive things to do while staying safe and healthy!

By now, you should have heard from the school staff via phone. IF we couldn’t reach you or leave a voice message, you will have been sent an email to the email you have on Edsby. If you need Edsby support, please email Dhurata.Banaj@yrdsb.ca or Caterina.Nappi@yrdsb.ca

On Monday we embark on a new journey. There will likely be many glitches as the Internet gets flooded with eager staff and students across the province. Please be patient. Teachers will be posting ‘office hours’ where they are available in real time to help. Otherwise they will respond and post as they can. We will work things out as we go.

Important Things to Note:

• IF you expressed a need for technology or your child has SEA tech at school- we are working out a distribution system and schedule. More details this week.
• IF you or someone you know in our community is experiencing food shortage or is in other need, please email me, Krysten.cameron@yrdsb.ca and all matters will be confidential. I will do my best to provide appropriate and timely support.
• Although we miss seeing you in person, getting back together online will help many of us feel connected.
• The school grounds are CLOSED. Please do NOT use the play structure or the basketball nets. It is about keeping each other safe- even in family units, the surfaces are not cleaned and have been deemed closed.
• Last week there were a number of our students ‘hanging out’ together around the school and not keeping the 6 foot distance. Please, please, please- we are closed so that we can flatten the curve and prevent the spread of Covid-19. The kids should not be out for play dates or hangouts.

Stay positive, stay informed, stay in touch- we will get through this together, while apart.

#bekindbeproudbebakersfield

Krysten

Dear Families, 

Earlier this week, we sent home a letter to families that outlined the steps the Board was taking to move learning opportunities online with our new Learning and Caring Plan. Today, I am pleased to provide you with another update and share additional information about what students and families can expect in the coming weeks.

This plan has four steps that outline how teachers will implement and deliver teacher-led learning to our students, in line with Ministry of Education requirements. We have posted an overview of the Learning and Caring Plan on the Board website at www.yrdsb.ca/covid19, along with our FAQs section that provides the most up-to-date answers that are frequently asked. 

This week, your children’s teachers are contacting families, preparing their online platforms, conducting curriculum checks and planning. Next week, teachers will begin to clarify expectations for students and implement teacher-led learning. This will be an exciting time for students, teachers, principals, and support staff. As we move into this next stage of teacher-led learning, there will be many opportunities for exploration, collaboration, and engagement. Together, we will accomplish great things. 

As outlined by the letter you received yesterday from the Minister of Education, teachers will deliver learning by grade groupings as follows:

• Kindergarten-Grade 3: five hours of work per student/week 
• Grades 4-6: five hours of work per student/week 
• Grades 7-8: 10 hours of work per student/week 
• Grades 9-12: three hours of work per course per week for semestered students; 1.5 hours of work per course per week for non-semestered students 

I want to assure you that we will continue to plan for the needs of all of our students, including students with special education needs and English language learners. Teachers have been provided supplementary resources to design learning opportunities to engage students in accessing concepts and skills based on the Ontario curriculum. 

We will be reaching out to families who have requested technology and internet service in the coming week to share how we can provide the support your family needs to access teacher-led learning.

As we implement our Learning and Caring Plan, we know that each class may look different depending on the student and class needs, area of study, and teacher’s professional judgement. We ask for your patience as we chart this new course together. I want to acknowledge the work of our educators and staff in preparing for this transition to new ways of teaching and learning.

I know our educators are looking forward to reconnecting with their students, and we will continue to navigate these uncertain times together, keeping our students at the centre of all that we do. 

Sincerely, 

Louise Sirisko

Director of Education 

Today is World Autism Day! We take time today to honour, acknowledge and celebrate what makes us unique and our different strengths. Today is a day to raise awareness about building a global acceptance and understanding of people with Autism. Kindness and inclusion count! Light it up Blue!

#bekindbeproudbebakersfield

BPS Families!

As we are able, operations from the office are going to be happening. Mrs . Banaj was able to remotely refund pizza, sub and milk orders.

If you purchased those items, you will see a return to your original form of payment. When we go back to school we will make lunch options available again.

Thank you for your patience. If you have questions or concerns with any of this, please contact us via email next week.

Krysten.cameron@yrdsb.ca

Dhurata.banaj@yrdsb.ca

Caterina.Nappi@yrdsb.ca

Thank you!!