Bellwood P.S. Newsletter It s hard to believe that November is already upon us. The leaves are falling and the weather is growing colder. The teachers are busy writing progress reports, assessing student achievement and working hard to close the gap for many of our learners. Be sure to schedule and interview time with your child s teacher to discuss their progress. As we transition to winter weather, please remember to dress your child for the season, they will be spending recess and lunch breaks outdoors. With the messy weather indoor shoes become more important, please ensure that your child has a pair of indoor shoes to change into at school. For the younger students an extra pair of dry gloves in the bottom of the backpack can make afternoon recess much more fun. There are many different clubs and teams for all ages at Bellwood, in the morning before school at lunch and after school. Encourage your child to get involved with something. Children who are involved at school achieve more! A. Walters P. Khajuria
Progress Reports, Communication of Learning and Interviews On Wed November 15th the children in grades 1-8 will be receiving their Progress Reports, Kindergarten students will be receiving their Communication of Learning: Initial Observations. Interviews will be held on the evening of November 16th between 4:00pm- 8:00pm and again on Friday November 17th between 9:00am-12:00pm. You should have already received a form to request an interview with your child's teacher.
WE ARE A WALKING SCHOOL Please encourage your children to walk to school. Remind your child/children to use the crosswalks and sidewalks around Bellwood P.S. and be aware of traffic safety rules and laws. Please do not jay-walk! If you must drive your child to school, we are asking that you use our Kiss n Ride program in an orderly manner. The Kiss n Ride is operational for both morning drop off and afternoon pick up. It operates between the hours of 8:50 am 9:05 am and 3:35pm 3:50 pm. At 9:05 am staff will enter the building to begin the school day. Here are a few tips for using the Kiss n Ride: Please pull up as far as you can in the Kiss n Ride lane. Please stay in your vehicle. Volunteers are there to assist your child(ren) and to keep the trafic moving smoothly. Have backpacks, lunch bags, umbrellas, snow pants etc. in the vehicle, not in the trunk. Having to get things slows the low of traf ic. For afternoon Kiss N Ride, students are asked to meet at the front of the Kiss N Ride and wait until they see their car. Please be patient in inclement weather. Traf ic volume is much heavier on rainy and snowy days.
November 11 - Remembrance Day (Canadian) World War I came to an end at 11 o'clock on November 11, 1918 and special services have been held on this day ever since the first one in 1919. This day was known as Armistice Day for many years. In 1931 the Canadian Parliament changed the name to Remembrance Day and November 11th is now a time to remember those who served Canada in past wars and also those who sacrificed their lives in military service. On Friday, November 10th, Bellwood Public School will be holding a Remembrance Day Ceremony starting at 10:40 in our gym. Parents, guardians and members of our community are welcome to attend. The Durham District School Board acknowledges that many Indigenous Nations have longstanding relationships, both historic and modern, with the territories upon which our school board and schools are located. Today, this area is home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island. We acknowledge that the Durham Region forms a part of the traditional and treaty territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, the Mississauga Peoples and the treaty territory of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation. It is on these ancestral and treaty lands that we teach, learn and live.
A Big Thank You for your support of our recent UNICEF Spook-tacular campaign. The staff at Bellwood donated 22 Mystery Treat bags and students purchased over 2250 tickets!! For a total donation of $450. This donation is enough to purchase 2 School in a box kits. Each kits provides the necessary school supplies and sports equipment for 40 students. Way to go Bellwood!!! DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE Hindu Heritage Month Ontario is home to a large and vibrant Hindu community. Since the first Hindu immigrants arrived in Canada at the beginning of the 20 th century, Hindu Canadians from across Ontario have made significant contributions across all fields: science, education, medicine, law, politics, business, culture and sports. Hindu Canadians have helped build Ontario into the multicultural success story that it is and have helped to build this province into the best place to live, work and raise families. They continue to help foster growth, prosperity and innovation throughout Ontario. By proclaiming the month of November as Hindu Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognizes the important contributions that Hindu Canadians have made to Ontario s social, economic, political and cultural fabric. Hindu Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Hindu Canadians and the important role that they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario. Treaties Week November 5-11 Last year, The Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (MIRR) announced that Ontario had 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 16 Louis Riel Day The year 1885 was very difficult for Ontario Métis. During that year the Northwest Resistance took place where Métis took a stand and fought for Métis rights and the Métis way-of-life. The Canadian government suppressed the resistance and executed Métis leader Louis Riel for treason. Ontario Métis were also labeled as traitors and for generations the Métis in Ontario had to hide their culture and heritage. Despite this
oppression, the Métis in Ontario preserved their way-of-life and passed it on to current generations. Today the strength of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is a testament to the courage of their ancestors. Louis Riel Day is held every year across the homeland on November 16, the anniversary of Riel s execution in 1885. While Louis Riel Day marks one of the great tragedies of Canadian history, its recognition demonstrates their continuing resilience and determination to regain their rights and preserve their way-of-life in Ontario and across the Homeland. To commemorate Louis Riel Day, MNO citizens and communities hold events across the province to recognize the many contributions of the Métis to Canada, to celebrate Métis culture and to highlight the struggles that Métis continue to face November 25 Holodomor Memorial Day The Holodomor is the name given to the genocide by famine that occurred in Ukraine from 1932 to 1933. As many as 10 million Ukrainians perished as victims of a man-made famine under Joseph Stalin s regime, with 25,000 dying each day at the peak of the famine. The name Holodomor is the Ukrainian word for "plague of hunger" or death inflicted by starvation derived from two words, holod starvation/famine and moryty to inflict death. Holodomor Memorial Day was introduced on February 18, 2009 as the first tri-sponsored Private Member's Bill of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. On April 9, 2009 the Province of Ontario unanimously passed Bill 147 The Holodomor Memorial Day Act, which calls for the fourth Saturday in November to be a day of remembrance. The Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration was assigned responsibility for the administration of the Act on October 28, 2009. On October 23 and 24th, Bellwood Bobcats participated in the annual Durham Flag Football tournament at Clarington Fields. Bellwood sent 5 teams to compete in this event. Three intermediate and 2 Junior teams. All the teams played well and improved both in their offensive plays and defensive stops as the day went on. The teams won and lost games and most importantly had a lot of fun Fred Penner Concert! On November 2nd the Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes had fun attending a Fred Penner performance. Fred Penner is a Canadian children's music performer. His television showed, 'Fred Penner's Place', aired on CBC in Canada from 1985-97. The students enjoyed an interactive performance of songs and dramatic stories.
The Bellwood Lost and Found is located across from the library on the first floor. All unclaimed items in the lost and found will be donated to charity at the end of November. Parents are invited to stop by before or after school to check for missing items. Please make sure your children s clothing/ shoes are labelled with their name. We have a LOT of clothing that looks very similar!