The Boyne Bulletin

The Boyne Bulletin

November 17th, 2024

From the Principal’s Desk

Progress Reports

It’s hard to believe we are already into our first official reporting time this year. November is progress report and conference month. The progress reports will be sent home tomorrow and then will be followed by student-led or student involved conferences. We look forward to welcoming our families for these important conferences. Students will be working with their teachers to prepare for this sharing of their progress to date.  This is a great time for your children to reflect on their learning and share their goals and next steps with you.

It is important to make sure that we are looking at these reports as they are meant to be - a capture of student progress at this moment in time. The Progressing With Difficulty, Progressing Well and Progressing Very Well options on the progress report are still based on provincial standards for the current grade and based on assessment data that comes from the teacher conversations with students, the teacher observations of students and products that students produce for their teachers. We celebrate our students’ success and will be supporting all students to move forward as we move into Term 1. 

Debbie de Chastelain, Principal 

Tiffany MacKay and Shannon Gardi, Vice Principals

Upcoming Dates 

HDSB calendars - events, significant days, school year

Nov 18-22 - Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

Nov 18 - Progress Reports go home with students

Nov 28 - Family Conferences 

Nov 29 - PA Day - Family Conferences - No School for Students

Dec 6 - Babarinde Williams Drumming Workshop - Grades 1&2

Dec 10 & 11 - Crash Rhythm Kindergarten presentation

Dec 23 to Jan 3 - Winter Break

Important Information and Reminders:

Kindergarten Information Session 

Youth Settlement Specialists from the HDSB will be holding Virtual Kindergarten Information Sessions in February 2025 for parents/guardians of students starting Kindergarten in September 2025.  Sessions are offered in multiple languages (Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi/Urdu, Ukrainian and Russian).

Grade 7 -12 - Consent Workshop 

Students in Grade 7-12 are invited to sign up for a Consent Workshop. 

Are you moving?

While we would be sad to see you leave our Boyne community, if you are moving please let us know.  Simply call the school 905-864-9641 or send us an email to boyps@hdsb.ca.

Planning a Trip?

If planning a trip out of the country, please contact the school office (boyps@hdsb.ca) before departure, to provide date details and discuss return to school dates.  If your child will be absent from school for more than 15 school days please obtain an extended absence form to submit to the school office.

For more information, visit:

• Instagram:boyneps     

• our school website and calendar at www.boy.hdsb.ca

• www.hdsb.ca

• your child’s Google Classroom and emails from your child(ren)’s teacher

Upcoming Dates 

HDSB calendars - events, significant days, school year

Nov 3-9 - Treaties Recognition Week 

Nov 4 - School Council Meeting 6pm (in person or LINK)

Nov 4 - Boundary Review Public Information Meeting 7pm

Nov 5 - Photo Retake Day

Nov 11 - Remembrance Day 

Nov 18 - Progress Reports go home with students

Nov 29 - PA Day - No School for Students

Dec 23 to Jan 3 - Winter Break

Important Information and Reminders

Treaties Recognition Week 

Treaties Recognition Week 2024 takes place from November 3-9th. This is an opportunity to educate, raise awareness, and understand the legality of treaties and the treaty relationship. All students, staff, and community, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, benefit from learning about the treaties, truths, histories, excellence and current realities of Indigenous peoples.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission states that, “Too many Canadians still do not know the history of Indigenous peoples’ contributions to Canada, or understand that by virtue of the historical and modern Treaties negotiated by our government, we are all Treaty people. History plays an important role in reconciliation; to build for the future, Canadians must look to, and learn from, the past.” 

Our Treaty Partners are the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Take a look at their website to learn more about the land we are on and the treaties that are in place. 

Community Connections Parent Information Session                         

Throughout the year, Boyne P.S. invites families to come in and learn about different parts of the schooling experience in the Halton District School Board. We call these sessions Community Connections. The sessions are held in the school library. 

Our next session will take place on Thursday, November 7th from 9:00 am - 10:00 am. The focus of this session will be:

Milton Public Library Presentation—We will have a short presentation from the Milton Public Library. They will share information about the wonderful programs available for our community. 

Progress Reports - These are the reports that go home in November. The Progress Report is a mid-term check in for Term 1. We will provide you with information on what you will be seeing on the report.

Kindergarten Communication of Learning - We will provide you with information on what you will be seeing on the report.

Student-Led Conference - We will review what you can expect when it is time to have those conferences.

Connect with our Settlement Specialist - Mayda Al-Yas will be joining us and connecting with new to Canada families. 

To register for the session, please fill in this Google Form by November 4, 2024 : Community Connections Registration Session (click on the pink link)

If you have any questions, please call the school at 905-864-9641 and ask to speak with any of the ESL Teachers. We look forward to seeing all of you!

Your ESL Team,

Marina Petrovic, Giselle Seymour, Lisa Touchings, 

Jennifer Nikolaou, Erika Fellner-Stagg

Learn more about the South Milton & Milton SE #13 PS Boundary Review:

Boyne P.S. families are invited to a virtual Public Information Meeting on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at 7 p.m. to learn more and ask questions about the preferred options for the South Milton & Milton SE #13 PS boundary review. Attendees will be able to view a livestream of the meeting linked on the HDSB website (hdsb.ca) and directly through the HDSB YouTube channel. Questions can be submitted through the Livestream Question Form before or during the meeting. 

As part of the HDSB’s boundary review process, the HDSB welcomes your input. Following the Public Information Meeting, a feedback form, along with the recommended options, will be available on the South Milton- Milton SE #13 PS Boundary Review webpage from Tuesday, Oct. 29 until Wednesday, Nov 6. Thank you for your continued support and involvement as we navigate this boundary review to best serve our growing community.

Lost and Found

Our lost and found is overflowing. If you have your child’s name in their belongings we will try to return them. Unfortunately most items are not labeled and students don’t seem to recognize their own things when they are put out. If you are missing something please come and check. Anything remaining by Wednesday Nov. 6th will be donated. 

Hearing and Vision Screening

The Halton District School Board is happy to welcome back the School Screening Association (SSA). SSA is a not-for-profit organization that has been providing hearing and vision clinics to students in the Halton District School Board since 2004.  

A fee of $20 is associated with this service. 

The clinic will be visiting Boyne during the week of November 11, 2024. If you are interested in having your child have this assessment please take a moment to fill out this Google form. We will send a permission form to all who respond to this Google form. 

Please note the hearing and vision screening will not be conducted on children wearing hearing aid or prescribed glasses and or eye patch.

Drumming Anti-Bullying Workshop

On November 15th, we will host Barbarinde Williams for anti-bullying drumming workshops “All Different All Equal” for Grades 3-8. This is funded through our food days fundraising. Stay tuned for further dates and programs for K-2. 

“Creating a caring and safe school climate is a shared priority for all of us. The goal of  this assembly presentation is to help students celebrate what makes them, and others, unique. It is the right of every student to feel safe and included in the school environment without fear of bullying. This workshop celebrates our differences because experience has shown that bullying usually occurs because of our perceived differences.

 This is also a character development presentation designed to awaken the senses of your students towards kindness and humanity.  In traditional African society, we call this “Ubuntu” (humanity) According to the concept of “Ubuntu” (pronounced: uu-Boon-too) there exists a common bond amongst us all and it is through this bond, through our interaction with our fellow human beings, that we discover our own human qualities. As the Zulus would say, “Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu”, which means that a person is a person through other persons. We affirm our humanity when we acknowledge that of others. This presentation employs the African family system of “kinship” and “clan” not only for social and emotional empowerment, but also for psychological development and transformation. It is the principle of caring for each other.

 The goal is to create courageous students who would not turn away when they see someone in need. We hope to transform your students into individuals that would walk taller, smile brighter and think deeper, with their heads held high knowing that the good and humanity of the next person will not allow another to prey on them. This is about creating a happy, positive environment devoid of bullying and other forms of negative behavior. We can all unite against bullying because we are connected. This presentation is brought alive through songs, music, chants, drumming and storytelling. It would be presented with 80 drums and other percussion instruments. This is an empathy-based assembly that assists in character building. It would lead our students to be more socially sensitive, less aggressive, and more likely to challenge injustice.”

School Cash Online

If you have not done so already, please register for School Cash Online. This is how we collect any fees for school trips or the lunch and snack programs. It provides you step by step instructions on how to register. You will need your child’s HDSB Student Number (not OEN) to register. If you have any questions please contact the office.

Are you moving?

While we would be sad to see you leave our Boyne community, if you are moving please let us know.  Simply call the school 905-864-9641 or send us an email to boyps@hdsb.ca.

Planning a Trip?

If planning a trip out of the country, please contact the school office (boyps@hdsb.ca) before departure, to provide date details and discuss return to school dates.  If your child will be absent from school for more than 15 school days please obtain an extended absence form to submit to the school office.

For more information, visit:

• Instagram:boyneps      

• our school website and calendar at www.boy.hdsb.ca

• www.hdsb.ca

• your child’s Google Classroom and emails from your child(ren)’s teacher 

Inclement Weather Reminders for HDSB Families

With temperatures still keeping us guessing, winter weather could surprise us any time! To stay prepared, we would like to share information on how decisions are made to help keep students, staff and families safe when wintry conditions arrive. 

If your child is bused to school, please ensure you know which transportation zone you are located in. This is important information to have on days when weather conditions may affect bus routes.

In the event of inclement weather, the decision to close schools and/or cancel buses is communicated by 6:30 a.m. We use a variety of methods to communicate this important information including the HDSB website (hdsb.ca), SchoolMessenger email system, the HDSB Mobile App, social media, TV and radio news channels.

We encourage all families to review the HDSB Inclement Weather Reminders. A printable version of this information is also available. 

Please note: When schools are closed due to inclement weather, both in-person and e-learning support will not be provided. If buses are cancelled but schools remain open, in-person and e-learning courses will continue as scheduled. We recommend students dress appropriately for the weather and follow our safety tips for walking to school if attending school on these days.

Thank you for helping us keep our school communities safe and warm during the winter months and throughout the school year.

Last week was DECE appreciation day! Our wonderful DECEs work very hard at Boyne. Thank you to our awesome team! 

Our Boyne Cross Country team did an amazing job! Congratulations! We are proud of them. 

Upcoming Dates 

HDSB calendars - events, significant days, school year

Oct 29 & 30 - Grade 7 Immunizations

Nov 4 - School Council Meeting

Nov 4 - Boundary Review Public Information Meeting 7pm

Nov 5 - Photo Retake Day

Nov 18 - Progress Reports go home with students

Nov 29 - No School for Students

Dec 23 to Jan 3 - Winter Break

Learn more about the South Milton & Milton SE #13 PS boundary review:

Boyne P.S. families are invited to a virtual Public Information Meeting on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at 7 p.m. to learn more and ask questions about the preferred options for the South Milton & Milton SE #13 PS boundary review. Attendees will be able to view a livestream of the meeting linked on the HDSB website (hdsb.ca) and directly through the HDSB YouTube channel. Questions can be submitted through the Livestream Question Form before or during the meeting. 

As part of the HDSB’s boundary review process, the HDSB welcomes your input. Following the Public Information Meeting, a feedback form, along with the recommended options, will be available on the South Milton- Milton SE #13 PS Boundary Review webpage from Tuesday, Oct. 29 until Wednesday, Nov 6. Thank you for your continued support and involvement as we navigate this boundary review to best serve our growing community.

Halloween Celebration

As October 31st approaches, our students can choose to wear a costume or dress in orange and black if they wish to do so. 

Please know that costumes that mimic the traditional attire of an ethnic, religious, racial or gender group/identity are inappropriate and unacceptable for Halloween at our school.

This includes dressing in clothing of the opposite gender that is demeaning. Pretending to be a member of a group for ‘fun’ is evidence of cultural appropriation and sends the message that cultural attire is a ‘costume’ to be donned for entertainment purposes. Additionally, do not wear costumes that require you to

assume a racialized minority or other marginalized identity. Assuming such an identity for entertainment purposes trivializes and disrespects the oppression of the group.

Examples of costumes that mimic ethnic, religious, racial or gender group/identity

include:

● a caricature or representation of an Indigenous person by a person who does not have Indigenous Identity (e.g., Pocahontas)

● a person who is Transgender

● a person who is a Khalsa Sikh

● a person who is a Hasidic Jewish person

If your child(ren) choose(s) to dress up in a costume for Halloween, please ensure that they are contributing to the positive and prosocial climate that our school is cultivating around recognizing Halloween. 

Costumes that are intended to, or have the impact of, inciting fear and anxiety for others are not acceptable costumes and special sensitivity needs to be exercised around current socially trending incidents such as people dressing up as characters from popular media and approaching youth to frighten them at random. In the past, this has included scary clowns. Replica weapons and costume masks should not be brought to school.

Thank you for making this a fun day for all of our Boyne Bears. 

Early Dismissal

Please note: We will not be calling into classes to locate students for early dismissal after 2:55pm. This is proving to be very disruptive to the classrooms and the end of the day routines that are in place.

Food allergies and sharing food 

Please remind your children not to share food at school. We have a lot of students with allergies and want to keep everyone safe. Please keep any Halloween treats with nuts at home. 

High School Information Nights

Discover the exciting opportunities available for incoming high school students! Throughout November, the HDSB will host High School Information Nights to share insights into academic courses, extracurricular activities and pathways to post-secondary education. Join us to explore what each school offers and how we support student success during this key transition. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4hhqjxu 

Hearing and Vision Screening

The Halton District School Board is happy to welcome back the School Screening Association (SSA). SSA is a not-for-profit organization that has been providing hearing and vision clinics to students in the Halton District School Board since 2004.  

A fee of $20 is associated with this service. 

The clinic will be visiting Boyne during the week of November 11, 2024. If you are interested in having your child have this assessment please take a moment to fill out this Google form. We will send a permission form to all who respond to this Google form. 

Please note the hearing and vision screening will not be conducted on children wearing hearing aid or prescribed glasses and or eye patch.

Lost and Found

We have lots of items in our lost and found.  The items will be displayed in the front foyer outside the office next week.  Please have your child check the tables if they are missing any items.

Craig Kielburger Playschool

Where: Room 134 Family Studies Room Craig Kielburger S.S 1151 Ferguson Drive Milton, ON

Registration: In the school office or email hughess@hdsb.ca

When: Tuesday and Thursday mornings

Time: 9:45 am - 11:30 am Tuesday October 15th - Thursday December 19th

Cost: $50.00

Age: 2 -4 year old

While at play school your child will have the opportunity to sing songs, listen to stories, paint pictures, make creative crafts, play in the doll centre, play with play dough, and do many other things as well. The parenting students under teacher supervision plan activities and crafts each week. We look forward to your child joining us. To reserve a spot please complete a registration form found in the office and include a post dated cheque payable to Play School - Craig Kielburger SS.

Any questions can be emailed to hughess@hdsb.ca 

Accepting registrations until Tuesday October 22

Kleenex & Cutlery Donations

We go through a lot of kleenex, plastic/wooden spoons & forks.  We welcome donations of these items.  Thank you

Illness

Please be reminded that students with symptoms of vomiting and/or diarrhea are required to remain at home until they have been feeling better for 48 hours. Thank you for helping to reduce the spread of germs at Boyne! 

Start Up Forms:

In early September important Start–Up and Verification Forms were emailed to all parents. If you have not already done so, please complete the forms as soon as possible. If you are unsure if the forms are completed please contact your child’s homeroom teacher or Cassandra Swackhamer @ swackhamerc@hdsb.ca . 

School Cash Online

If you have not done so already, please register for School Cash Online. This is how we collect any fees for school trips or the lunch and snack programs. It provides you step by step instructions on how to register. You will need your child’s HDSB Student Number (not OEN) to register. If you have any questions please contact the office.

Are you moving?

While we would be sad to see you leave our Boyne community, if you are moving please let us know.  Simply call the school 905-864-9641 or send us an email to boyps@hdsb.ca

Planning a Trip?

If planning a trip out of the country, please contact the school office (boyps@hdsb.ca) before departure, to provide date details and discuss return to school dates.  If your child will be absent from school for more than 15 school days please obtain an extended absence form to submit to the school office.