BCP Family Weekly Updates: Monday, December 16th 2024 (DAY 2)

Dear Families,

The last week before the holidays! It's been both a challenging and rewarding start of the year. Classes will resume per normal this week with a sprinkle of holiday spirit including activities organized by our Student Leadership group. Thank-you in advance for taking the time to review updates and important reminders! Congrats to our Girls Volleyball team for another amazing showing at Provincials. Any questions or concerns let me know. If I have missed anything please reply-all to this email. 

BCP Weekly Updates Submission Form: A focus at Baccalieu Collegiate in the 2024 school year is to build a strong and connected community. A pillar to building this is effective communication. Volunteer coaches, members of town council, families etc.  are invited to share information, events, and/or good news with our BCP community via BCP Weekly Updates Submission Form. Please complete the form to have your news pertinent to students and families shared on our BCP weekly updates email. 

                                            Updates and Important Information

1)  Student Leadership Announcement: Please see the Student Activities Planned for the final week before the holiday, organized by our BCP Student Leadership! Merry Christmas From Baccalieu

2) School Cleanliness: Over the past month Baccalieu Collegiate has been operating with only one caretaker. There is limited availability of casual caretakers on call-in. This is making it difficult and stressful for the upkeep keeping our school clean. Thank-you to Ms. Ann Marie Pike for working under such stressful conditions for our school community. Furthermore, in this time we have been experiencing a significant increase in garbage thrown around our public washrooms. We have also noticed an increase in Breakfast Program food left around and not responsibility put in the available garbage cans. As a result, students availing of the breakfast program must remain in the cafeteria when enjoying the services. Additionally, we will be asking students to refrain from eating lunch and recess outside of the cafeteria where our team can focus on sanitation. We thank our students in advance for cleaning up after themselves and remaining in the cafeteria while eating their food. Staff will be reminding students to follow these rules. In addition, washroom checks will continue and at an increased presence to remind students they must eat their food in the cafeteria and not the public washrooms. Again, thank-you in advance for understanding. 

4) TWEP: Tutoring Work Experience Program (210 hours) is still available until March 2025. Any past graduates who would like to gain experience and income please reach out to the school. For more information on the program please see TWEP

5) NISEP Host Family Information: Any families interested in hosting a student to come to Baccalieu Collegiate from abroad please see the following NISEP MEMO. This mutually beneficial program allows everyone a win! 

6) Christmas Food Drive: Baccalieu Students and Families! Students are having a CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE (CLICK HERE).  May the best Homeroom win!

7) Baccalieu Bucks: Baccalieu Student Leadership Group will be introducing Baccalieu Bucks to the school in order to incentivize student spirit! Students will present this idea to students. Please see Presentation (CLICK HERE) for more details.

8) Baccalieu Collegiate Cash Lottery: Great work students and families! Currently, Grade 7 has a very narrow lead on the Grade 10A group in the quest for an afternoon class party. Not far behind is the Grade 11 and 10B group. Please note that we will be extending the deadline for students who wish to take tickets to sell over the holiday. A Cash Lottery Poster. Any students wishing to sell tickets over the holiday may request tickets from their homeroom teacher to sell over the holidays. Tickets must be on Monday, January 6th 2025. The Draw will be on Friday, December 10th 2025. 

9) School Council Christmas Dinner: Monday, December 16th 2024 School Council will be serving Christmas Turkey Dinner for all students and staff during lunchtime. All students and staff are required in the gymnasium for this Christmas festivus. Thank-you School Council!

10) Grade 7 Parent Meeting: Please note there is a Grade 7 Parent meeting after school Monday, December 16th 2024 for all parents who can attend.  The meeting will take place in the Student Centre at Baccalieu Collegiate. 

11) Christmas Dance: On Monday, December 16th 2024 we will have a school dance from 7pm to 9pm. 

12) Senior Boys Basketball: Sr. Boys Basketball practice will go ahead Tuesday, December 17 from 7 - 9pm. 

13) Awards Day/Night: The 2023-24 Awards Day and Night will be forthcoming on Wednesday, December 18th 2024. Grades 7-11 awards will have their presentation in the afternoon periods 4 and 5. All classes will attend. The awards are open to the public. Students will receive an email identifying if they will be receiving an award. They can share this information to their families. The public is welcome to join the event!! The evening Cap and Gown ceremony will begin at 7pm (graduates showing up 6:15pm) the same evening. Congrats to all of our students who were awarded accolades for their hard work and focus on selfless endeavors. Congratulations to our past graduates! We look forward to seeing them again! 

14) Christmas Outing: The Christmas Outing is a go Thursday, December 19th 2024! Please see permission form in Powerschool (PARENT PORTAL). Families can also use the following link to access the permission and pay! CHRISTMAS OUTING PERMISSION FORM. Please note the deadline for the permission form completion is the day before the trip (Wednesday). Students must have the form and fee paid before Thursday. 

15) Last School Day Before Holidays: Please note that our last day (1/2 day) of school is Friday, December 20th 2024. Our School Leadership group and teachers are organizing a number of fun and connection activities for students to participate in during the morning! Bus dismissal for students will be at 12:30pm. 

16) Heritage Places contest: Morning folks, Heritage NL is having a poster contest for kids in the province. Thought I’d share as a fun activity if anyone at BCP is interested:

https://heritagenl.ca/programs/poster-contest/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3YRHPvjGCUsk__-BQu6zhreKJjItbqfWwvYsP2BpnNpzJzn4_9eI7Rbrw_aem_ST0MO73YiQDYHmpz7t5IYA

Good News Report 

• Lighthouse Project Livestream: Thank-you to Mr. Atakorah for his dedication to the training and providing our students experience in multi-media production. Great work by both new and seasoned members of the LH Project!  Looking forward to your continued progress in the New Year!
  
• School Council: Huge thank-you to our amazing School Council preparing our Christmas Dinner this Monday! Members were taking time on Sunday at the school preparing the vegetables! 
• Awards Night: Thank-you to Ms. Tara North and Ms. Rayna Warren for dedicating so much time preparing for our esteemed Awards Day/Night. Thank-you to all staff supporting this event!
• Staff Meeting: Thank-you teachers for your work in this past week's staff meeting. 
  
• Scott Legge Lighthouse Training: Thank-you Scott Legge and our new and seasoned Lighthouse Project members. Special thanks and congrats to Cameron Bursey and Hannah Burt for their work this past weekend at the North River Christmas Show capturing the amazing show that included AMITY and Alan Doyle! 
  
• Picture Retakes (Lifetouch): Thank-you Lifetouch for their work providing students retakes last week. 
  
• Christmas concert: Thank you all for your support and allowing our students time out of class to practice. Thank you to all those who came to see our students perform and to Michael and Nadine for helping with our drama production. Congratulations to Adya for working with our musicians. It was so wonderful to see the Baccalieu choir back this year. We were on the fence this year about having a concert but the kids wanted it and I am so happy we went ahead with it. It is time for some holiday cheer!
  
• Important CDLI Information: Hugh thank-you to the CDLI team for all of their work supporting our students and for making time for Family-Teacher meetings last week. 
  Please note that CDLI classes continue during school-based closures (PL days, closeouts, snow days, etc). Students are encouraged to sign in from home or watch class recordings to avoid falling behind with coursework.
  
• Playwright Workshop: Thank-you Mr. Bruce Stagg for supporting our Drama students in a workshop preparing for the upcoming Drama Festival! Thank-you Ms. Denise Reid, Ms. Nadine Howell, and Mr. Michael O'Keefe for committing their time to provide these opportunities for students. 
• Girl's Basketball: Keep on working girls basketball! 
  
• Tutoring for Tuition: Tutors are on the go! Thank you student tutors for helping our students who want support!
• Doorways: Thank-you Doorways for attending Baccalieu Collegiate
• Baccalieu Collegiate Choir: Huge thanks Ms. Sequeira for getting the choir back at Baccalieu. 
• Check Facebook/Twitter: For more updates on good news and information check out our Baccalieu Collegiate facebook/twitter page. 
• Did I miss something? If I missed anything please be sure to reply-all. There are so many amazing things going on at Baccalieu already, so chances are I might miss something. Celebrate whenever you can! 
• Got some good news?  BCP Weekly Updates Submission Form