Greetings From our Trustee, Ron Lynn:
Trustee Greetings for school newsletters June2020-Trustee Lynn
Letter from Director- May 27, 2020 (translated in Simplified Chinese)
Letter from Director – May 27 (Simplified Chinese)
June is Pride Month!
June is Pride Month around the globe. This month was chosen to commemorate the Stonewall Riots which took place in New York City at the end of June 1969.
History of Pride Flag
The Pride Flag is internationally recognized as a symbol of pride, hope and diversity. In 1978, Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist, designed the Pride Flag as a response to the need for a symbol to support the LGBT rights movement. The current flag has six stripes, each with its own meaning:
At Beckett Farm PS and within the greater York Region District School Board, we believe that:
- Equity and Inclusive Education is the foundation for excellence,
- All students must be treated with respect and dignity and have access to schools
where they are safe, welcome, accepted and included, - Developing resilient students who are engaged in their learning, who feel a sense of
belonging in their school communities, and who feel supported to reach their highest potential, - We are committed to ensuring equitable and inclusive learning and working environments that uphold and reflect the Seven Guiding Principles of Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy.
- We recognize the diversity within our 2SLGBTQ+ communities and acknowledge the presence of indigenous, racialized, disabled and other diverse identities,
- As indicated in the Indigenous Education and Equity Strategy, one of our system actions is to “interrogate and remove systemic barriers to well-being and achievement for underserved students through an anti-oppression lens.”
Unfortunately, we see examples of bullying, hate propaganda, cyberbullying, homophobia, transphobia, racism and other expressions of discrimination in our society which can sometimes spill over into our schools.
We acknowledge that everyone – government, staff, students, parents and members of the wider community – has an important role to play in creating learning and working
environments which are respectful, safer and inclusive.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the administration.
Beckett News:
Congratulations are in Order!
Congratulations to our very own Ms. Angel who has received the prestigious York Region District School Board’s Excellence Award – East Area! Ms. Angel will receive an award in the fall and an announcement will be made on Board Media channels! Way to go Ms. Angel- very deserving indeed!
Student Pride Month Planning Team
Students on this team have selected 10 books to be read virtually and live throughout the month of June to the students in our community. Families can use the link in the flyer to stream the story time live!
BFPS Scholars share ways they are staying healthy at home
Beckett Rocks!
Retrieval of Student Materials/Belongings from the School
Dear Families,
We know there have been many inquiries regarding if/when student belongings and materials can be retrieved from the school. YRDSB is working on a protocol for this. Once we receive direction from the board, we will certainly communicate the process with all families. Thank you for your patience with this matter.
Administration
Supporting Online Learning Reminder for Families and Students:
While schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year, we will continue to support your child’s learning and well-being. We know that learning at home looks different for each family. We have developed a number of resources and tips to help students and families. Please see attached letter:
NewsletterInsert-OnlineLearning
BFPS SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS WEBSITE!
In an effort keep our students connected and feel a sense of “normalcy” during these trying times, Beckett Farm PS has created a BFPS Announcements Website where students (and families:) can access announcements, activities such as Mindful Moments, Jokes of the day, Tips and Tricks, Useful links, and other relevant information to help our scholars stay connected!
If you haven’t already done so, please encourage your children to visit this site.
***NOTE: Students must be logged into their GAPPS account in order to login!
Community Information and Events:
1) Citizenship Classes
ESL for Citizenship
This program may be right for you if you are:
- CLB 3+ in Speaking
- Applying for Citizenship
- Preparing for the Citizenship test
- Interested in learning about Canadian history, geography, government, etc.
2) Distance Learning Adult Programs Available
YRDSB is still offering adult programs through distance learning. Improve your skills at home. Courses available include:
· Adult Literacy and Basic Skills
· English as a Second Language
· Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada
You can access learning by phone or online. You can register and start learning at any time. If you have a question or would like to register for a class, please:
· Email uplands@yrdsb.ca.
· Call 905-731-9557 or 905-305-4122 and leave us a message.
3) Black Youth Legacy Conference:
4) Black History Month Poster Contest Voting:
Dear Families,
During the month of February, York Region District School Board held a student poster contest to determine our official Black History Month poster for 2021.
We received over 250 submissions, and a panel of experts has narrowed it down to four finalists. In order to determine the winner, the Board will be holding a virtual vote open to all YRDSB students and staff. Voting will take place via this Google form that will also be distributed over social media.
Voting is limited to one vote per person and will take place from June 3-5.
5) Free Live Tour from Beit Hatfutsot, The Museum of the Jewish People:
Dear Parent/Guardian,
You are invited to join a unique and FREE live tour from Beit Hatfutsot, The Museum of the Jewish People, on June 16th from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Please see the attached flyer for more information. The tour explores synagogues from diverse Jewish communities around the world including from the Caribbean, Egypt, Ukraine, Germany, India, Ancient Greece, Italy, and Poland. You will have the opportunity to view Beit Hatfutsot’s world-renowned collection of synagogue models and their associated original artifacts.
This opportunity was coordinated for mid-June, following the month of May designated as Jewish Heritage Month, as a way for interested YRDSB families and parents to take part in learning about Jewish culture and heritage. We recognize that there are opportunities all year-round to learn about the diverse communities that make up our schools, in addition to the heritage months throughout the year. For instance, Ontario’s Arts Curriculum encourages students to learn about a variety of works of art and artistic traditions from diverse communities, times, and places.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please register using the online registration form by June 12th to book your spot for the live tour on June 16th. This opportunity is made available for free to YRDSB students and their families. If you would like additional information about the tour and have any questions, please email YRDSB’s Community Partnership Developer leonora.buskin@yrdsb.ca. Alternatively, leave her a voicemail with your name and number at 905-727-0022 x 4101 and your call will be returned.
After completing the registration form, you will be sent an email receipt with information on how to access the live tour with a link to the live tour. The live tour is made available through the ZOOM video platform. You do not need to download ZOOM to participate. To ensure privacy, the primary video footage presented during the live tour will be of the tour guide and the tour itself, and participants’ videos will be disabled and muted. This set up is to ensure privacy of our participants. You will be able to ask questions during the live tour through a chat box feature. For a small group, it may be possible for participants to ask questions unmuted; however, the chat box will nevertheless be used as the primary method for asking questions.
Thank you for taking the time to read about this opportunity!
Beit Hatfutsot Family Engagement Flyer