Report From the Principal’s Office: BPDS & St Edmunds News
Submitted by Brenda Brewer, Principal, and Breanna Heels, Vice-Principal
It’s April, and we are now into what we call Apr-Ma-June because the next three months fly by. The next few months are also some of the most exciting as more sports are occurring, the weather is nicer, and of course, there are class trips, Prom, Grad and more!
Lift of Covid Restrictions
As of March 21, many of the Covid protocols have been lifted or eased. Masks are no longer required, although they are still encouraged, and there are still situations where masks are required (see the graphic below).
We continue to require staff and students to continue to screen every day before coming to school at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/. As always, anyone who is sick or has any new or worsening symptoms of illness should stay home until their symptoms are improving for 24 hours (or 48 hours for nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea). We also continue to provide rapid antigen tests for symptomatic staff and students.
Learning for a Sustainable Future Pilot Project
As you may know, both Bruce Peninsula District School (BPDS) and St. Edmund’s Public School are proudly UNESCO Associated schools, meaning we integrate the values and pillars of the UNESCO into our curriculum. To further support this designation, we have partnered with Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) to become a Sustainable Future School this year as part of a pilot program. LSF is a Canadian charity that has been working for over 30 years to integrate sustainability education into Canada’s school system. LSF has lots of teaching resources and ideas to give teachers practical ideas to bring sustainable education into their classrooms, particularly around the UN Global Goals.
From April 11-29, we are going to have a student teacher and LSF volunteer at BPDS to help support programming and professional development around integrating the UN Global Goals into our classrooms. We are very excited about this, and will share more about these projects as they are happening.
Featured Staff – Meet Our BPDS Educational Assistants!
We would like to take an opportunity in each issue to highlight the amazing staff at BPDS and St. Edmunds. In this issue, we would like to introduce you to the amazing Educational Assistants at BPDS! You may have heard that not all superheroes wear capes, and this is certainly true when it comes to our EAs!
Shawna McLay has been an EA for over 20 years. A majority of those years have been spent at BPDS! Shawna says: “The years that I spent at other schools really demonstrated to me how special BPDS was. We are a family! It doesn’t get better than that!”
Tammie Mielhausen has worked at BPDS (and a little bit at St. Edmunds) since 2000. Tammie says: “I think what I like most about working at BPDS are the relationships I get to make with students that fortunately last from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It’s a pleasure to watch these kids grow and mature then send them off to post-secondary.”
Rhonda Lawrence is a Child and Youth Worker turned Educational Assistant! This is her 27th year with Bluewater District School Board! One of Rhonda’s accomplishments is that she started the Special Olympics at BPDS! Rhonda says: “The best thing about being an EA is even the smallest achievement is a big celebration. The kids make the job very rewarding.”
Kelly Wyonch has worked at BPDS for most of her 15 years of being an Educational Assistant. Kelly says: “I am fortunate to be able to work with the most amazing staff here. It sounds cliche but it is like a family. Everyone is supportive and caring. The students at BPDS are top notch and it is very rewarding to work with so many amazing kids. Working in a small community is the best – you get to know everyone so well. My own children may not agree, but it is nice to work in the same building that your kids attend. I feel very lucky to be able to be a part of such a fantastic school and community.”
Kelly was also a BPDS grad. There is a trend of BPDS grads coming back to BPDS to work if you haven’t noticed!
If you don’t already follow our Facebook page, you can follow us at Bruce Peninsula DS to see all of the amazing things happening at the school. If you ever have questions or concerns, give us a call at (519) 793-3211 or by email: Brenda_Brewer@bwdsb.on.ca and Breanna_Heels@bwdsb.on.ca.
