Bussing Change

Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe how fast our fall has been going and that we have already started into the month of November. As the fall has progressed, the Transportation Department of the Public Schools Branch has been reviewing bus runs and changes all across the Island that were made to protect against Covid. As they reviewed the new bussing arrangement in our family of schools, they had concerns regarding the afternoon. The three main concerns were the length of time that Bloomfield students were on busses, the impact that was happening in regards to Hernewood’s dismissal time and lost instructional time for Bloomfield as our school was having to dismiss a few minutes early. As a result of these two concerns, changes are going to be happening for the afternoon only and it means that transfers are going to begin happening again at Hernewood. This change is going to take effect on Monday November 9th.

As a result of the good place that our province has been placed in regarding Covid 19, the Public Schools Branch believes it is safe to resume transfers in the afternoon at Hernewood with the precaution that two additional busses will be leaving Bloomfield each afternoon and will minimize the number of kids on each transfer bus. They have also been clear that if the situation in the province changes, that they may resume the practice that we have been using up to this point and stop transfers again.

This will mean a few changes for you and your children:

1) In regards to bus numbers the afternoon will look as follows:

• 682 Charlene Costain will transport her students only
• 622 Loman Murphy will transport his students only
• 541 Donna Campbell will transport her students only
• 750 Adair Shaw will transport his students only
• 751 Tommy Smallman will transport his students home and the students on bus 680 Randy Adams to Hernewood for Transfer to Randy.
• 564 Jamie Hierlihy will transport his students home and the students on bus 752 Kevin Bonnis to Hernewood for Transfer to Kevin.
• 582 Adam Henderson will transport his students home and the students on buses 543 Virginia Gray, 505 Michael MacDonald, 534 Michael Cahill and 597 Rodney MacIsaac to Hernewood to transfer to Virginia, Michael M, Michael C and Rodney.
• 550 Derrek McCormick will transport his students home and the students on buses 771 Krista Bulger to Hernewood for Transfer to Krista.
• 773 Michelle Hickey will transport her students home and the students on buses 774 Adam Buchanan, 772 Justin Rogers, 760 Carol Gillis to Hernewood for Transfer to Adam, Justin and Carol.

2)Busses will now be leaving Bloomfield in the afternoon at 2:55 instead of 2:40. So that means that early pick up of students in the afternoon could happen until 2:15. After school pickup would now be able to happen beginning at 2:55 once the last bus has left the parking lot.

In closing, this has certainly been a year of change. We have so appreciated your support and cooperation with all of the protocols implemented to keep your children safe this year. As we continue to navigate this together, don’t hesitate to sing out with a question or concern. Thanks and take care.

Andrew Stewart

Principal, Bloomfield Elementary

November Newsletter

November Newsletter

Upcoming Events
Nov 11 – Remembrance Day (no classes)
Nov 12 & 13 – PEITF Convention (no classes)
Nov 18 – Report Cards go home
Nov 19 – Evening Parent Teacher Interviews
Nov 20 – Parent Teacher (no classes)
Nov 27 – PD Day (no classes)
Dec 4 – PJ Day for West Prince Caring Cupboard
Dec 11 – Free Milk Day
Dec 16 – Christmas Concert
Dec 18 – Last day of school for students in 2020

Parent Teacher Interviews and Gym Activities
A reminder to parents that parent teacher interviews are on Thursday evening, November 19th and Friday morning, November 20th. We received word today that the protocols around parent teacher interviews are being enhanced at the request of CPHO and we will have more info to follow next week for you in a memo. Stay tuned

Book Fair
The book fair will be taking place during the week of parent teacher interviews. However, as with most things this year, the book fair will look different as we put in place protections to guard against Covid 19. Students will be shopping at the book fair during that week in very small groups and will be guided by volunteers. Students will not be able to touch items and volunteers will hand purchases to them. We also know that with protocols being put in place around parent teacher interviews, that we are unable to open the bookfair to our parents as we normally would during interviews. We apologize for this and look forward to a time when we are living free of Covid restrictions.

Remembrance Day
Our students will be honoring Remembrance Day on Tuesday November 10 at 11:00. This year our assembly will be taking the form of a Google Meet that will be viewed from each classroom at the same time. Unfortunately, this service will not be able to be opened for the public this year.

Christmas Concert
The Public Schools Branch has had to make the decision that schools will not be approved to hold in person Christmas Concerts this year. However, we are going to be able to offer an online concert. Our Concert will be able to be viewed starting on December 16th at 1:00. Mark this event in your calendars and we will have more info to follow as we get closer to this important event.

Peanut Free
Just a reminder that our school continues to be Peanut Free as we
have students that do have serious allergies. When packing lunches or sending in items for a class we ask that you check to make sure that the items are safe for all students in our school.

Kindergarten Registration
For 2021-2022
Parent are asked to register for Kindergarten prior to or during the week of November 16th – 20th.

Children must be 5 years old by December 31, 2021 in order to be eligible for Kindergarten. A registration form will be completed at the time of registration.

Parents are reminded to bring a piece of Government ID verifying proof of child’s age – such as a Birth Certificate, PEI Health Card or Passport. Also, verification of home address must be provided, such as a current utility bill.

Welcome to Kindergarten sessions for incoming students and their parents will be held at schools in the Spring of 2021.

Please keep in mind that:
Parents are reminded to wear a mask at the school when registering their child. Only one parent should visit the school to complete the registration.

Parents will have to sign in upon arrival. Parents should only visit the school if feeling well and are not required to self isolate.

PEI Home & School Federation Recognition and Awards Programs 2021
Nominate deserving school staff, Home and School volunteers, and school bus drivers, for recognition by the P.E.I. Home and School Federation. 2021 submission deadlines apply. Extra Mile Award nominations are due Jan. 22nd. Please visit https://peihsf.ca/awards for more information.

October 2020 newsletter

oct-2020Download

Orange Shirt Day

Students are asked to wear orange tomorrow to show support for Orange Shirt Day.

Orange Shirt Day (September 30th) is a day when we honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada and learn more about the history of those schools.

The message on Orange Shirt Day — and every day — is that every child matters. Orange Shirt Day was started by Phyllis to educate people about residential schools and fight racism and bullying.

September Newsletter

Upcoming Events
Sept 14 – School Pictures
Sept 18 – Terry Fox Run / Corn Boil
Sept 28 – Grade 6 – HPV Needles
Oct 12 -Thanksgiving (no classes)
Oct 20 – Picture Retakes
Nov 11 – Remembrance Day (no classes)
Nov 20 – Parent Teacher (no classes)
Nov 27 – PD Day (no classes)

Welcome Back:
Welcome back to all of our returning students and to all of our new Kindergarten students as well.
It is hard to believe that another school year is here and we sure look forward to working with you and your children in the coming months. We love to see your children reach their full potential as the year ahead unfolds and encourage you to call at anytime, with any questions or comments that you may have. We have a few things to mention to you as the year begins:

•Forms to Sign: There are forms that have been sent home to be signed. Please return to school as soon as possible. Make sure to update the student info sheet with accurate contact info during this time of Covid.
•School Pictures: Are taking place Monday, September 14th. Retakes will be October 20th

School Counsellor: Lori Gard, our School counsellor, is pleased to assist students at Bloomfield Elementary with any matters that can help them experience a successful year. This year Mrs. Gard will be at the school on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s and every second Friday. Students can be referred to Mrs. Gard by teachers, administrators, parents/guardians and at times they seek help on their own. Please contact the school if you wish to talk to Mrs. Gard.

Peanuts: Bloomfield Elementary is a peanut-free school. This includes all types of nuts. Students are not allowed to bring any food containing peanuts or any traces of nuts. If your child has peanut butter for breakfast, please make sure he/she washes his/her hands and face and brush his/her teeth afterwards. Slight traces can be dangerous or fatal.

Cooking Lunches
Classes have microwaves to warm up lunches for students. However we ask that students do not bring items such as Kraft Dinner Cups, Mr. Noodles or frozen lunches that need to be cooked. We are finding that this is causing some students to spend their whole lunch time waiting to get food cooked. We are wondering if those meals could be cooked at home and then placed in a container that could just be warmed up at lunch.

Also, just a friendly reminder to please send utensils with lunches. Thanks for your help with this.

Thank You
As the first week of school comes to a close, we want to thank you and tell you how well your children have done this week. We have been thoroughly impressed with their adjustment to all of the new procedures related to Covid. They have grasped these extremely well and I can tell you that they are expert mask wearers. Congratulate them on a very successful first week.

Please Note: The first bell is at 8:45 a.m. and dismissal occurs at 2:45 p.m. Children can be dropped off starting at 7:50 a.m. until 8:20 a.m. at their Cohort Door. We ask that parents do not drop off between 8:20 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. as busses will be here at that time. We ask parents that are picking up their child before school ends to pick up before 2:00 p.m. by calling Raeanne in the office or at 2:50 p.m. at their Cohort door. We ask that students are not picked up between 2:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Please send a note or phone if someone else is picking up your child.

Canteen Service: We have developed a menu based on the Public Schools Branch Nutrition Policy. The canteen service will begin on Monday, Sept 14th. If possible, please pay for the order on Monday morning of each week. Order forms are being sent home today
Monday: Chicken Crunch (Vinny’s)$3.25
Tuesday: Turkey Soup (Maple House Bakery) $3.00
Wednesday: Macaroni & Hamburger (Maple House Bakery) $3.75
Thursday: Cheese Pizza (Vinny’s) – $2.00. Please note that on the 3rd Thursday of each month it will be Garlic Fingers (Vinny’s) $2.00
Friday: Ham sub, Cheese String & Veggies (Foodland) $3.75.

White Milk 50¢, Chocolate Milk 80¢ and Yogurt 50¢ are offered every day. Ice Cream will be offered the last Friday of every month. We will inform you of any changes as the year progresses.
If your child is going to be absent and has ordered lunch that day please contact the school by 9:30 am to cancel your order. Otherwise we have to pay for that lunch. This way we can notify the teacher and have their lunch cancelled or forwarded to the next week. (if we are not notified we have to charge for that lunch since the cost is put on the school)

We are sending home information today as well on the Healthy Food School Program.

Community Notes
O’Leary Minor Hockey Registration:
Will be held at the O’Leary Rink Friday, September 18th from 6 pm – 9 pm There will be a bottle drive during registration in support of Ryan MacKinnon.

August Newsletter

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Video message from Mr. Stewart

Sunday, August 30th

Dear Parents,   I am pleased to tell you that we are continuing to work at being ready for the start of school and while there is still a lot to do, we are getting closer to being ready for the arrival of your children. On Friday of last week, the Provincial Government announced that schools had two options to consider for the return to school. The first option was a regular day for all children on September 8th like we have been planning for. The second option is a new suggestion and it is that in our case, only the new Kindergarten Students would come on September 8th and all students would then come on September 9th. We have been deliberating the positives and negatives of both options over the weekend and ultimately made a decision this morning to go with option #2. This will mean that for Bloomfield Elementary, all Kindergarten Students will begin school on September 8th and all other students will begin school on September 9th. We wanted to get this word out as fast as possible to you as we realize that it will mean a change in childcare for many of you for September 8th. However, we felt that we needed to move forward with this choice for our Kindergarten children as they missed both the Welcome to Kindergarten Evening and the Orientation Day last Spring. For our Kindergarten Parents, you will receive a call tomorrow, Monday August 31st, letting you know which class your child is in and about next steps. For all of our parents, as this week unfolds, keep checking our Website and Social Media as we will have more information for you as we get closer to the start of school. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us. Take care.   Andrew

Wednesday, June 24th

Dear Parents/Guardians, Students, and Staff;

Click here to view a message from Director Parker Grimmer.I am standing in front of one of our schools today because these are important places, and one of the places where learning happens for students. Within our schools and PSB offices, we are now planning and preparing for students and staff to safely return to school in September.

These last days of the school year, much like the last months, have been like no other. We have all been doing things much differently than we have in the past. 2019-2020 has been a busy, demanding, challenging, at times frustrating, but ultimately a successful year for students and those who have worked with them including parents and staff. We hope everyone is able to reflect back on some positive, productive, and successful moments.

We want to take a moment to recognize the efforts of students, parents, and staff. Thank you for your patience, energy, commitment, teamwork, willingness to try new things, and do old things in new ways. These words come from sharing and observing what we have seen on the journey with our educational community these last weeks. Our shared success is reflected in the accomplishments of our students, and we should be pleased with our efforts working together to assist in their success. We have learned once again that good things can happen, even in the most challenging circumstances, when we work together.

We haven’t been perfect though. I can’t tell you how many times COVID-19 has proved my thinking to be wrong, or how some days our planning in the morning was no longer current or helpful by the afternoon. While we made inroads into how we supported students and families in need, we still have work to do to provide more equitable learning for students. We have all learned so much through this pandemic, including the importance of reflection and the need to routinely adjust our thinking and actions. I want to genuinely thank students, parents, and staff for supporting us, even through the times when we and our circumstances seemed most uncertain.

Planning is underway to bring students and staff safely back to our schools and work spaces. The provincial government’s Fall Education Readiness Committee has been working to determine the plan for returning to school in September and the PSB is working with the Chief Public Health Office and our partners at the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning to determine the best configurations for buses, schools, and workspaces.

We also need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that learning in school might need to look differently next year. We will make every effort to communicate plans in a timely way so all of our educational partners can prepare as much as possible.

While there is still some uncertainty to all this, we know with certainty that students are best served when we work together. We thank everyone for their patience and cooperation as we work through planning to return to school. We look forward to the 2020-2021 school year, with all of the challenges and opportunities it will hold.

Congratulations to those who have graduated, are moving to a new school, or who are retiring as one of our valued employees. We are also excited to welcome new students, parents and staff who will be joining the PSB next year!

I wish every members of our PSB educational community a safe, restful, and happy summer!

Until September, take care,

Parker Grimmer

Director

Respite Feedback Requested

The Department of Education and Lifelong Learning and education authorities are seeking feedback from parents, educational assistants, and youth service workers regarding the delivery of individual programming and respite services offered to students with special educational needs during our recent period of home learning due to COVID-19.
Your participation in the survey is important and very much appreciated. Results will be used only to identify the strengths and challenges of the programming provided.

• The survey takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
• Your responses are anonymous and confidential. There is no way to see your name or email address.
• Results go directly to survey coordinators at the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning and are recorded on a secure site.
• The survey will close at 4 PM on Tuesday, June 23.• The link to the survey is https://forms.gle/QpSah14o9Y8L9GsS8