Bulldog Bulletin
March 2024 Edition
Principal's Message
Hello, Bulldog Families,
Welcome to March! On February 20th, all students brought home hardcopies of their term one report cards and digital copies were posted to Edsby. Students with IEPs to support their learning had updated term two copies sent home on February 29th. Please get in touch with your child's educator team if you have questions about their progress so far or to learn more about how you can support your learners at home in the months ahead. As we enter term two, we will continue to hold high expectations for all students as we provide engaging lessons to help them develop skills in language, mathematics and much more!
We hope all students and families have a restful March Break, which will occur from March 8th to 17th. We have many exciting lessons, activities and excursions planned this spring, and we can't wait for everyone to return!
Sincerely,
Jason Huffman
Principal
Spirit Week (March 4 to 7)
Monday: PJ & Comfy Clothes Day - Wear your favourite PJs or comfy outfit.
Tuesday: Crayon Day - Dress in your favourite colour
Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday - Dress in something you normally wouldn't wear on this day. Wear your favourite silly hat or socks. Wear your clothes backwards. You decide!
Thursday: Sports Day - Wear your favourite athlete's jersey or your own team’s uniform!
Late Arrivals
We understand that some mornings, our learners may be late for a variety of reasons. If you are dropping your student off late, please check in at the office to ensure that their attendance has been adjusted. We then ask that you do not accompany your child to their classroom. Arriving late can create stress for your child who has to enter the classroom during learning, and having a parent at their classroom door often adds to this feeling. If your student is not able to walk themselves to their class we will have a support staff accompany them. The best way to ensure they start off their day in a positive way is to have them arrive at school before the bell.
Contact Information for School & STSCO
Please ensure that the contact information that the school has for you is up to date. This will ensure that not only do you get important information from HBPS, but also the school board and STSCO. Communications from all tend to go through email so it is important that what we have on file at the school is correct.
Sometimes your plans for picking up your student may change, we understand that in these instances there may be a different person meeting your child after school or retrieving them for an early dismissal. We ask that you inform the office of any of these changes. If there is someone we can expect to pick them up often, please ensure they are on the list of contacts for your child.
Pasta Lunch
On Wednesday, March 27th, we will have our School Council providing a pasta lunch for all students. This will happen throughout the year, payment is through School Cash Online.
If you wish to volunteer for this, please contact the office.
A Reminder About Indoor Shoes
We understand that some students may be bringing their indoor shoes home over the March break. Please be sure that they are returned to the school on March 18th.
The Importance of Paying through School Cash Online
We want to thank those families that use School Cash Online to pay for trips/in school activities. By paying online it’s easier for teachers to track who has paid for items, it also alleviates the workload placed on the office staff. You will need to use School Cash Online to order subs, pizza and milk through the Lunchbox program. All that is required to complete payment through SCO is your banking information.
If you are not yet using School Cash Online we encourage you to get connected at kprdsb.schoolcashonline.com.
Strategies to Reduce the Spread of Illness
We encourage families to review the list of recommendations provide by Peterborough Public Health (PPH) below to help everyone stay healthy. Thank you for your ongoing support in screening your children for illness symptoms before they arrive at school each day!
Breakfast Program Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for volunteers who can assist with food preparation for our breakfast program on an ongoing basis. These opportunities are flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate for the busy lives of each volunteer. If this is something you would have time for in your week, even just a day or two, please reach out to our wonderful secretary, Valerie, at valerie_mcmaster@kprdsb.ca.
Please note: All volunteers are required to have a current criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening prior to helping in the school. Applications for these documents are completed digitally, and school staff are happy to provide assistance upon request.
Inclement Weather Days
This is the time of year when we begin to anticipate bus cancellations due to weather. We recommend our families download the “BusPlanner Delays” app in order to check for changes to busing, whether delays or cancellations. This is updated in real-time and will always give you the most accurate information.
In the case of bus cancellations, those students riding the bus will be given a “general” absence day, which does not count against their overall attendance record. If you wish for your child to attend on one of these days please know that you are responsible for both their drop off and pick up. The day starts at 9:00 am, and students MUST be picked up by 3:30 pm.
Students who are not provided busing are expected to attend on these days, as the school is open. If you wish to keep your child home please ensure you enter their absence into School Messenger, either on the app or by calling 1-844-434-8119.
If the school is closed you will be informed, and all students will be marked with a general absence.
Volunteer Police Checks
We are always happy to welcome volunteers into our school to assist with class trips and in-school activities. In order to volunteer, we need to have your up-to-date Vulnerable Sector check on file in the office. If you wish to have this completed, please contact the office, and we can provide you with a letter to submit for the free police check, now done online!
Arrival Times
We would like to remind all parents of our morning yard supervision limitations. We are able to provide supervision for students arriving on their bus from 8:20 until the bell at 9:00. Students who arrive by walking/car/bike are not provided supervision until 8:45. Please do not arrive at the gate before 8:45 a.m. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation going forward.
Important Dates
March 7 - Skating Day
March 8 - March Break Begins (March 8 to 15)
March 18 - Students Return from Break
May 13-17 - Grade 3 EQAO
May 27-31 - Grade 6 EQAO
June 6 - HBPS Fun Fair from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.