Curriculum Night - Thursday, October 3, 2019

Blue Willow PS will be holding Curriculum Night on Thursday, October 3, 2019.  The in-school portion of the evening will be 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., where families will have an opportunity to visit their child’s classroom, meet their teacher, and learn about instructional programs currently underway.  Similar to last year, there will be food trucks at this event from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. so families may enjoy some food prior to the start of the in-school portion of the evening.  We look forward to seeing you at this event!

Welcome Back Blue Willow!

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new and returning students.  

The school team at Blue Willow Public School have been busily preparing the school for the return of classes on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.  Much effort has been placed on ensuring a smooth start to the school year.  Teachers have created welcoming and inviting spaces in their classrooms.  The caretaking team has been working diligently all summer long to ensure that the building is just right for the first day of school.  The office staff have completed many important administrative tasks necessary for a positive start to the school year.

We would like to take this time to welcome school members new and returning to our school.

FDK DECE - Ms. Banji

FDK DECE - Ms. Sijinardo

Educational Assistant - Ms. Bailey

Educational Assistant - Ms. Dutra

Grade 4 Teacher - Ms. Nguyen

Grade 7/8 Teacher - Ms. Walsh

Grade 8 Teacher - Ms. Trombino

Community Class Teacher - Ms. Marshall

SERT Teacher - Ms. Pilato

French Teacher - Ms. Provenzano



We look forward to a successful school year.




A Message from Our Trustee

Hello/Welcome/Bonjour,

As your elected school board trustee for Wards 3 and 4, I would like to welcome you back from the summer holidays. I hope you had a great and fun filled summer, with many lasting memories. 

As a parent and grandparent, added to my skills from my former role as Superintendent of Education, and now as your Trustee for the York Region District School Board, over the last few months I have had the opportunity to witness, advocate, praise and encourage the achievements and success of the many students and staff across the system.

I am committed to the educational success of all students and wish to continue this very vital endeavour. Please be assured that in my role as trustee I am here to serve all members of the community of Wards 3 and 4 in Vaughan.

I am so pleased to welcome all of our new and returning families to another school year. As your school board trustee, it is my role to advocate for quality public education in York Region, and to ensure that our students remain at the centre of all of our decision making. The Board of Trustees makes policy and budget decisions, and communicates with the public, among other responsibilities. 

We are also responsible for setting direction for the school board, through our Multi-Year Strategic Plan. This plan sets out four priorities: Foster Well-Being and Mental Health, Build Collaborative Relationships, Champion Equity and Inclusivity, and Empower Ethical Leadership. 

As we start the new school year, I want to highlight the importance of relationships. We want to build and maintain relationships with our families that are built on trust, respect and responsive communication. To support that, I will continue to keep you informed of our work and priorities, and I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can also find the message from the Chair of the Board on the Board’s website.

In addition, I invite you to share your feedback on our Board policies. Policies govern everything from field trips, school volunteers, equity and inclusive education, student discipline and much more, and we greatly value input from families on these important matters. We regularly post on our website the policies that are under review and available for comment as well as information about how to share your feedback. I hope you will take a look.

I know school staff are excited to welcome back students, and I look forward to meeting more of our families throughout the upcoming school year. I encourage you to build a relationship with the staff members and community at your school. There are so many different ways to get involved and support your child’s education. I hope you have a great start to the school year and wish you a happy, safe and successful year ahead. 

Dr. Elizabeth Sinclair

Trustee, Vaughan Wards 3 and 4

News - Early Dismissal and Student Agendas

Early Dismissal  - Thursday, June 27

All schools in the York Region District School Board are committed to improving student achievement and well-being.  On Thursday, June 27, 2019, an early release day will take place to allow elementary teachers and support staff to take part in meetings during the afternoon of that day.  These meetings will allow for school staff to engage in culminating activities regarding the review and revision of the School’s Improvement Plan as well as year-end and transition activities that support student success. 

As has been our practice in the past, students will attend school during the morning of Thursday, June 27, 2019 only.  Students will be dismissed early that day at 11:25 a.m..  Arrangements will be made to ensure that students who are normally bused to and from school will receive transportation at this time.  Parents/guardians whose children attend after school child care should make appropriate arrangements to address this change in schedule.

Student Agendas On Sale

For families with children entering Grade 1 to Grade 8 in September 2019, you can pre-order your 2019-2020 student agenda on SchooCashOnline.  The agendas are being offered at a cost-recovery amount of $4.00 but only until Wednesday, June 19.   

Once SchoolCashOnline closes for agenda pre-orders, there will be limited supply of them available for purchase on a first-come first-served basis. 

Students will receive their pre-ordered agendas during the first week of September 2019. 

Please feel free to contact the school office should you have any questions.

News to Share

Eco Club News - Book Swap Event!

On behalf of Blue Willow P.S. and our Eco Club, we would like to thank you all for supporting our Book Swap campaign.  It was a very successful event, one which brought awareness to our students about recycling old books for new stories.  We collected 1,100+ books, and it was incredible to see children swap books and enjoy new books without paying a dime!   We are also very pleased to say that we donated the extra books to our classrooms and to the Children's Ward at a local Hospital.

We hope to do this again in the new school year!

Thank you so much for your generosity.

Eco Club

Free Workshops for Families at Local Schools

iNFORM

iNFORM

A new system for student attendance is being implemented at our school.  The anticipated launch date for iNFORM is Thursday, February 14, 2019.  Please see the following documents for more information.

News from Blue Willow PS


A Message From Our Trustee
Welcome back. I hope everyone is feeling refreshed following the winter break, and that you had a happy and safe holiday season. While the weather may be colder, I also hope that you had time to enjoy this beautiful season in Ontario.

It is my honour to serve as your newly elected school board trustee for Vaughan Wards 3 and 4 and to uphold the values of York Region District School Board. The new Board of Trustees was sworn in on December 3, following the October municipal elections. Together, we look forward to moving forward the four priorities outlined in the Trustees’ Multi-Year Strategic Plan:

• Foster well-being and mental health
• Build collaborative relationships
• Champion equity and inclusivity
• Empower ethical leadership

There are a lot of exciting things happening in our schools and classrooms to foster and support student well-being and mental health. Ask your child what’s happening in their school, and how they take care of themselves. As adults, we often focus on the health and well-being of the children in our lives, but it’s also essential that we take care of ourselves. Taking time to do the things we enjoy and nurture our own health is also important and helps to model a healthy and active lifestyle for our children.

An important part of my role as a trustee is to listen, and I look forward to connecting with members of our school community in the coming weeks and months. We will continue working to build collaborative relationships with our communities and to keep you informed about the things happening in the school board. I wish you all the best as we enter 2019.

Dr. Elizabeth Sinclair
Trustee - Vaughan Wards 3 and 4


Kindergarten Registration to Commence January 18, 2019
Kindergarten registration will commence on January 18, 2019 for the 2019-20 school year. Registration forms are available on YRDSB’s website: www.yrdsb.ca. Children who turn four or five years old during 2019, live within the school boundary and whose parents are public school tax supporters will be eligible to register for kindergarten. A kindergarten information session for parents is being planned for this spring. For more information please visit the YRDSB website or contact the school office. 

Eco News from the Eco Club

Eco Club is starting a Battery Blitz! If you have used up batteries, you can drop it off in the office or send it along with your child and we will be more than happy to recycle them for you. Please take note, we are only recycling Double A (AA) and Triple A (AAA) batteries.  Thank you for your continuous support and for being Eco!

Spirit Committee News - Jersey Day

Exciting news from the Spirit Committee!  This Thursday, January 17 is Jersey Day at Blue Willow PS.  Students are asked to wear their Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leaf, Toronto Blue Jays, or Toronto FC gear or the team colours to show their support for our Toronto teams!  

PA Day – January 18, 2019
Just sending a friendly reminder that Friday, January 18, 2019 is a PA Day. 

French Immersion Registration Information


Parents/guardians interested in enrolling their child for a Grade 1 French Immersion program are asked to review the information flyer below.

Registration begins Friday, January 18^th, 2019 


Please note that parents will need to bring a Student Index Card (from their child's home school) plus a current document showing proof of residence, such as a government document, utility bill, or property tax bill.  A driver’s license is not acceptable.

News from Blue Willow PS

A message from Spirit Committee...

The final week of 2018 is almost here! To celebrate, the Spirit Committee has planned a fun week! 

Monday December 17, 2018:  Wear Red, Green and White 

Tuesday December 18, 2018: Ugly Sweater Day 

Wednesday December 19, 2018: Crazy Sock Day

Thursday December 20, 2018: Dress Your Best  

Friday December 21, 2018: Pajama Day

Show your spirit, Blue Willow!

Hot Lunch Food Order

Just a friendly reminder for families to please go to SchoolCashOnline by Wednesday, December 19 to place a hot lunch food order.  The first hot lunch will be served on Monday, January 7, 2019.

Season's Greetings

On behalf of everyone here at Blue Willow PS, we would like to wish the Blue Willow community a safe, enjoyable winter holiday and all the best for New Year.  We look forward to seeing you on January 7, 2019.  

School Council Meeting

Just sending a friendly reminder that the next date and time for School Council Meeting is Monday, October 29, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. in the school library.  Please consider joining us at this meeting to learn about how parents can become involved in activities which support their child's school.   

Important News from Blue Willow PS

A Message from Lunch Lady

It is that time of year again!  One day we are still in shorts and thinking winter will never come, and then all of a sudden it’s here!

IF THE BUSES ARE CANCELLED ON A LUNCH LADY SERVICE DAY – THERE IS NO LUNCH LADY DELIVERY!  

You will need to pack a lunch from home for your child.

All Lunch Orders will be CANCELLED and credited to your Lunch Lady Account. 


Eco News!
Blue Willow PS has taken a pledge to bring Litterless and Healthy lunches to school every day!  We are taking on this challenge to help the environment by limiting the amount of garbage ending up in our landfills.  Also sending nutritious snacks and lunches help our students stay healthy and strong.

Photo Retake Day
The school photographer will be here at Blue Willow PS on the morning of Wednesday, October 24, 2018 for photo retakes.  

PA Day
Just a friendly reminder that Monday, October 22, 2018 is a PA Day.  There is no school on that day.  

School Council Newsletter

2018-19 School Council

Andre Tsopelas - Co-chair 

Anita Verma  - Co-chair 

Maggie Prataviera - Secretary

Josephine Petix -  Treasurer & Co-Chair Hot Lunch Subcommittee 

Linda Ek - Co- Chair Hot Lunch Subcommitte  

Hardip Sangha -  Community Outreach Subcommittee 

     Additional Voting Members - Jema Delacruz Cuaresma, Kulvinder   

     Gill, Kiran Nagra 

A Message from the Chair to All of the Blue Willow Families

                                                          Welcome back to our school!

We invite you all to attend our council meetings and upcoming community events.We encourage your participation and we value your feedback and input.

Come say Hello. All School Council members will be wearing name tags on Curriculum Night.

Mark Your Calendars

New members are always Welcome!

Upcoming Council Meetings:

October 29, 2018

December 3, 2018

February 4, 2019

May 6, 2019

Time: 6.30 pm Place:  School Library

Hot Lunch Corner

Fall Semester Hot Lunch Offerings:

Monday - Lunch Lady 

Tuesday - Pizza 

Wednesday - Subs

Thursday - Lasagna or Pasta 

Friday - Chicken Fingers or Rice Balls

IB Information Night for Grade 8 Parents

Photo Day at Blue Willow PS

Exciting News to Share!

Curriculum Night - September 27

Curriculum Night for Blue Willow PS has been scheduled for September 27. Similar to last year's format, we will have the community engagement portion from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.. The local fire truck, ice cream truck, and some food trucks will be there. Families are invited to attend this portion of the night. The in-school portion of Curriculum Night will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with two 20-minute sessions and a 10-minute travel break between the sessions. We look forward to seeing you at this event!

Terry Fox Run - September 28

Our school will be holding the annual Terry Fox Run on September 28 in the afternoon.  The school's Terry Fox committee has been busily working on event details to ensure a positive experience for everyone.  Students are asked to dress appropriately for the weather and event.  We are amazed by the efforts made on the part of students and families thus far as we try to reach our goal of $1,500 in donations.  Way to go Blue Willow!    

Eco News!

This year, Eco Club will be making Milk Bag Mats! We plan to make a few and donate them to someone in need this winter. You can help by sending clean milk bags with your child to school. We will be collecting them until December 3rd, as we will need a large number of bags. You may send them along with your child or drop them off in the "Got Milk Bags?" bin outside main office.  

This is a great initiative towards being global citizens and making our world greener by reusing plastic bags instead of letting them sit in landfills.

Let’s work together to take care of our world!

Blue Willow’s Eco Club

Curriculum Night - Thursday, September 27, 2018

The school will be holding Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 27.  This special event will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m..  Food trucks will be onsite starting at 5:30 p.m.. and offering items such as french fries, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream!  A fire truck will also be there!  We ask families and students to join us inside the school from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. to learn about classroom instructional programs and initiatives designed to support student well-being and achievement.  We hope to see you there!

A Message from YRDSB Director and Chair

WELCOME BACK BLUE WILLOW PS!

On behalf of the entire team at Blue Willow P.S., we would like to extend a warm welcome to our new and returning students.  We look forward to a wonderful year of learning and growing.  

Teachers have been in the school throughout August to prepare their classrooms for the school start and they all look fantastic.  The caretaking team has been working hard all summer to ensure that everything is just right for the first day of school.  A huge thank you is also extended to our office staff for all their efforts with registering new students, creating class lists, answering phone calls, and completing many general tasks to make the start of the school year a positive one.

We would like to take this time to welcome our newest school members.

FDK Teacher - Ms. Bruk

FDK DECE - Ms. Ramsarran

Grade 2 Teacher - Ms. Gehlaut

Grade 4/5 Teacher - Ms. Correia

Grade 7 Teacher - Ms. Cutter

French Teacher - Ms. Bajwa

French Teacher - Ms. Armstrong

Prep Teacher - Ms. Nardi

Prep Teacher - Ms. Hallick

Vice Principal - Mr. Tran

Safe Arrival

Student safety is a priority at Blue Willow PS.  One way of ensuring student safety is the Safe Arrival Program.  This program is in place at all YRDSB schools.  Parents/guardians are partners of this program, and as such, we ask that they contact the school at 905-851-0043 whenever their child(ren) will be absent, late, or dismissed early due to an appointment.  In the event the school is unable to verify a child’s absence, the school will contact York Regional Police for assistance.  This procedure follows YRDSB policy. 

Book of Forms

A book of important forms has been sent home with your child.  We ask that families review and sign the forms, and return them to their child’s teacher by Friday, September 14, 2018.  Thank you!

Blue Willow PS School Council

  

The Council is a non-competitive, friendly forum for the discussion

of school related issues and activities.

It is a good opportunity to provide your input and to make new 

parent and school connections.

Parents who are not voting members of council are always 

welcome to attend and contribute.

Council Sub-Committees:

Community Engagement

Fundraising

Hot Lunch

Special Events

Nomination Form is included in the Book of Forms that recently went home.

First Council Meeting: September 17, 2018

Time/Place: 6:30 pm School Library