Telephone: 902-755-8240 or [email protected] ​ ​ March 2020 Important Dates Principal’s Message ​ March 2 Gr. 4-6 Ski Club @ Wentworth Dear Parents/Caregivers :

Grade 2 Students Skating @ Wellness Center 10:-11 Here at A.G.Baillie, our students have been engaged in activities around African Heritage month. They have made March 6th Science their own Kente cloth, listened to drumming presentations and have explored African American and Canadian famous March 9 Gr. 4-6 Ski Club @ Wentworth contributors to our history. Our grade 3-6 students went to Grade 2 Students Skating @ NewGlasgow Academy to see Leslie McCurdy and her Wellness Center 10:-11 performances The Spirit of Harriet Tubman and Tings My Fore-Sisters Saw. March 9 Favourite Sports Day

7th. Our Science Fair will be held on Friday, March ​ A huge Flower Orders go Home (Orders due ​ Tues, April 7th) shout out to Mr. Brushett for his leadership.

March 10 Beach Day A.G.B. staff are working hard to make sure students are March 11 Twin Day achieving their expected goals as we approach report card time. Reports go home on Monday, April 6th. this year. March 12 PJ Day/ Grammar School Hockey You can support your child by helping them with their 12-1( provided) homework and bedtime routine and having good attendance. March 16-20 March Break Good Attendance is critical to their success. If a student is frequently late in the morning he/she misses valuable March 21 International Day to Eliminate Racial instruction time. Similarly, if a student is frequently taken Discrimination from school early he/she also misses valuable instruction. March 24-25 Spring Photos Thank you to our school community, parents, grandparents March 26 Purple Day for Epilepsy and students for the work that you do every day. Have a great March Break with your family and friends March 26 Virtues Assembly & Lunch Allison Wilson. March 27 Assessment & Evaluation Day/ No School

Virtue Winners of the Month for February

These students demonstrated the virtue of “Love” for the month of February ​ ​ Primary Iutzi Grace Fleming 3 Coulter Wyatt MacDonald

P Corbin Kadence Milbury 3 /4 Little Riley Fraser

P/1 Logan Emma Jazrawi 4 Bharadwa Makayla MacGrath

P/1 Dooley Astrid Westerman 4/5 Dignan Draven O'Connor

1 Fox Niam Sharma 5 Martin Chelsea Boyle

1/2 Anderson Keira Delorey 5 Gloade Azyln Geddes

1/2 Robb Alexa Cormier 5 /6 Sampson Teagan McInnis

2 Newcombe Ella Weatherby 6 Weatherby Saoirse Iutzi

2 /3 Fielding Sophie DeBlois 6 Brushett Rylan Hislop

African Heritage Month

Students and staff at A.G. Baillie celebrated and learned about the rich culture, history, achievements and contributions of people of African descent during African Heritage Month. The 2020 African Heritage Month theme, The Ties that Bind: Faith, Family and Community, recognized the essential traits that sustain the strength, resilience and togetherness of the African Nova Scotian community.

Each and every morning during the month of February the school played the Black National Anthem in place of the Canadian Anthem to honor our students.

On Thursday, February 27th, our African Heritage Month Assembly was held in conjunction with our monthly virtues celebration. We began with the grade 6's leading us in the Black National Anthem and then were led by Ms. Miller in a whole school ensemble of “funga alafia” which was accompanied ​ ​ by a group of students playing the xylophones and African Drums.

On Friday, February 28th, our grade 3-6 students joined New Glasgow Academy for an African Heritage Month Assembly featuring the NGA Concert Band and Concert Choir and a presentation of “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman” by Leslie McCurdy..

Congratulations to all groups on a job well done!

EXTRA-CURRICULAR NEWS AT A.G. BAILLIE

Ski Program Important information for students who have signed up for for the Elementary Ski Program for Grades 4-6:

Travel: Students will travel by school bus leaving the school ​ just after 9:00 and returning to the school between 4:15-4:30. Parents are responsible for arranging transportation home from AGB as the buses will have gone.

Dates: The program will run on Mondays for 3 weeks: ​ ​ February 3, March 2 and March 9. If school is cancelled due ​ to stormy weather, the program is cancelled for that day as well. Please contact the school if your child is unable to attend.

Cost: The cost for the program is $30 per week ($90 total) and can be ​ ​ ​ ​ paid in weekly installments. Cheques can be made out to A.G. Baillie Memorial School.

What Should I Wear? You’ll need clothes to keep you warm and dry. Layers work best under a ​ ​ winter (water resistant) coat and snow pants. DO NOT wear jeans as an outer layer. Cotton/wool mittens collect snow and will get wet (leaving your hands cold). Bring nylon or other synthetic gloves/mittens. Don’t forget your face! A neck warmer or scarf will keep you warm. It’s a good idea to pack extra clothes (socks, mittens, scarves etc.) to be sure you stay warm and dry all day.

What Should I Bring? You’ll want to bring water, snacks and lunch. You should also bring a change of clothes for the bus ride home (in case yours get wet).

We will be teaming up and traveling with New Glasgow Academy. This program is a privilege ​ and good behavior is required at AGB, on the bus and at Wentworth.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Matt MacGillivray ([email protected]),Erika Douglas-Iutzi ([email protected]) or Allison Wilson at (902) 755-8240.

AGB Hockey

Congratulations to February 20th AGB Stars

Kalem balodis Carter Anderson Liam Park

CONGRATULATIONS AGB

GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOCKEY CUP CHAMPIONS!

The entire AG Baillie Bears Hockey Team is invited to a Championship Celebration on Thursday March th 12 ​ from 12:00- 1:00pm in the ​ school gymnasium. This gathering is to recognize every player's hard work and sportsmanship which contributed to winning the Pictou County Elementary School Hockey title this . The players will play a floorball game and have a pizza party during this time.

ROBOTICS

Students from A. G. Baillies Robotics Team traveled to Acadia University on February 15th to participate in the provincial championships. Way to go Baillie Bears!

SPELLING BEE

We are looking for families to get into shape for the 1st Annual A. G. Baillie Memorial School Spelling Bee. Can you spell better than your fifth grader? Beginning in March we will be starting classroom spelling bees to get our brains in shape for the school Spelling Bee on April 23rd. Challenge yourself, ask your child to share their words with you, make it fun for all!! No pressure - just the joy of learning!!

IMPORTANT NOTICE A reminder to Parents/ Guardians that there is NO SUPERVISION BEFORE 8:00 AM.

…. To everyone who provided treats during Staff Appreciation Week!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Wheels on the Bus

This March Break hop on and hop off our play bus for a day of adventure and fun! Climb aboard and imagine your destination. Where will you go today? Maybe you will work laying bricks or fitting pipe. Perhaps a visit to the post office is next on your list. Don’t forget to stop at the grocery store before you shoot some hoops in the park or play a round of golf. There’s much to do around town and the Wheels On the Bus will take you there! ​ March 14 to 22, 2020 Regular Museum admission fees apply Open Mon to Sat 9-5 pmSun 10-5 pm

Visit: [email protected]

PRE-PRIMARY REGISTRATION

Pre-Primary registration is open for existing sites. Please share this information on your school’s social media and newsletters. Families can register online at http://www.ccrce.ca/pre-primary-registration-form

A.G. Baillie Memorial School SCHOOL SUPPLIES Grade Primary – Grade 6 2019 - 2020

The Grade Primary to Grade 6 teachers will be purchasing your child’s school supplies in bulk. This will allow us to obtain good quality supplies at a much better price than parents would be able to obtain on an individual basis. It ensures that students have similar quality and quantity throughout the year. It also saves you shopping around for the best deals, and hopefully in the end, will be less costly to parents.

We ask parents for $40.00 per child, $30.00 for Supplies and $10.00 for Agenda. Please make ​ ​ th ​ your payment (cash or cheque) to your child’s teacher by June 19 ,​ 2020. (Cheques are to be ​ made payable to A.G. Baillie Memorial School).

Funds will only be accepted in September by new students to A.G. Baillie Memorial School. In the event of a student transferring to another school, supplies will be sent to your new school for you.

Work for Absent Students

Students who miss school because of illness, family situations or vacations

often request missed work from teachers. In the case of illness, we are asked to send homework covered that day with a sibling or friend which is easily done.

After the release of the new provincial attendance policy it is important that parents are aware that teachers will not need to provide work during vacations. Students can keep a journal of their holidays or take books to read. While they are enjoying their , we will keep a folder of the work they missed for their return.

Students are strongly encouraged to communicate with their teacher, their coaches and advisors in advance of planned absence to discuss steps that they can take to minimize the risk of falling behind in their work.

Requests for Classroom Placements

Our teachers spend a great deal of time compiling the classroom placements for the new school year. Each student is individually placed based upon the number of boys and girls, the level of accomplishment, and various personal traits etc. Therefore, we will not be accepting requests for a particular ​ teacher whatever the circumstances. ​

We will give parents of siblings (twins) the option of having them separated or together in the same grade.

Reminder to Parents/ Guardians to please send your child with a water bottle.

Water cups are not provided.

Note From our Climate Change and Prevention Group: The average human needs to drink four plastic bottles worth of water per day, by using a reusable bottle you would be saving 1,460 plastic bottles per year. Please reuse your water bottles!

STAFF PARKING

Parking in the staff [parking lot is becoming a problem before, during and after student lunch hour.

PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE STAFF PARKING LOT

Every day we have a long line up of students arriving late for classes. The table below shows the effect missing even 10 minutes of instructional time a day has on a student.

Pictou County Athletics Registration Information Spring 2020

The Run, Jump, Throw and Wheel (RJTW) program begins th March 25 /20​ in two locations: ​

Pictou – Beginning Wednesday March 25 from 5:45 to 6:30 at the McCulloch School. This is a th 8 week program that goes each Wednesday until May 13 .​ Registration will be starting at 5:15 th ​ to 6pm on Wednesday, March 25 ​ at the McCulloch school. This program is geared for ​ children ages 5 to 8 years of age. Children at this age will benefit greatly because it will help develop coordination, endurance, agility, balance and strength.

New Glasgow – Exact same information as above but at NNEC

Spring/Summer Programs/2020 – Track and Field for all ages both recreational and competitive. PCA encourages Fun,Fitness and personal best (PB) results.

nd rd Registration for Trailblazers ( ages 9 to 12) will be held on April 2 ​ and April 3 /20​ from ​ ​ 4:45pm to 7 pm each night at the Pioneer Coal Athletics Field at 483 Auburn Ave, Stellarton. rd First team practice is Friday April 3 ​ from 5pm to 6:30 at Pioneer Coal Field. The other ​ practice day each week will be Sunday from 5 to 6:30. This program is geared for training to compete in upcoming competitions during the spring and summer.

13+ - registration times and place is the same as the Trailblazers, Practice times begin at 5:30 rd to 7:30 on Fridays and Sundays each week starting April 3 .​ ​

U35 Team – registration times and place same as the Trailblazers – practice time starts at rd 5:30 to 7:00 pm Fridays and Sundays each week starting April 3 .​ ​

Masters Team (35+) registration times and place are the same as the Trailblazers. No experience necessary!!!

Registration fees and other information check out our website – pictoucountyathletics.com

Questions about registration email Olivia Stroud at [email protected] Questions about Teams – Trevor Boudreau at [email protected] or Pat Carty at [email protected]. ​

Winter Weather Is Here!

The days are getting colder and we now have winter weather: icy roads, snow and freezing rain. For CCRCE schools, winter weather means the potential closure of schools when conditions are considered unsuitable for our students and staff.

When winter weather is predicted, CCRCE staff consult with multiple weather forecasts and forecasters, and check on road conditions throughout the Chignecto-Central region via the RCMP and the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation, as well as our own staff members on the ground in each area, to help make the call to cancel school or for early dismissal.

1. Decisions regarding school cancellations are made by 6:30 am or at times mid-day. We try our best not to have a mid-day ​ cancellation, but sometimes an unexpected change in the weather makes the decision for us. You can now sign up for text alerts from CCRCE by entering your cell phone number on the ccrce.ca home page.

2. If a mid-day cancellation occurs, it's important your school has your most up-to-date contact information.

3. Mid-day cancellations can be complicated by busing. Many CCRCE buses transport ​ students to and from multiple schools, in a set order. This same order of pick-ups and drop-offs will still apply in the case of a mid-day cancellation. So, though schools may close at 10:00 am, for example, students may not be dropped off until an hour or more later, depending on where their school is on the regular pick-up and drop-off order.

4. It's also a good time to pre-plan alternative childcare arrangements.

Whether first thing in the morning or mid-day cancellations due to weather conditions will be communicated in several ways: ● The “All Schools Open” button on the CCRCE home page (www.ccrce.ca) changes to red. By clicking on the button, you can get closure information specific to your school. ● A message regarding the cancellation is posted to the CCRCE home page under “News”; to the CCRCE Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CCRCE), and to our Twitter feed (@CCRCE_NS). ● Information is sent to all local radio and television stations within CCRCE, including CBC radio in Nova Scotia.

Also, remember that CCRCE holds our student and staff safety as a top priority. All decisions regarding winter school cancellations are made with great care to ensure everyone stays safe during the winter season. CCRCE thanks you for your patience and understanding!

Hat & Mitten Tree

As the cold weather is here, on any given day, students may not be dressed appropriately for outdoor recess. Our goal is to bridge the gap so all students have access to warm winter gear. This year, AGB will have a hat and mitten tree set up in the front foyer with donated hats and mittens for any student who may need one.

ABG is seeking donations of new, unused children’s hats and mittens of all sizes to decorate our tree. Donations can be brought to the office. The hats and mittens are for anyone who may need a hat or pair of mittens for any reason (even if they forgot their hat at home). Also, please remind your children to be respectful of the tree and only take what they need. If younger students need help accessing the tree, perhaps their reading buddies or student leaders can help. We hope to keep the tree stocked with donations throughout the winter to keep our students warm.

Intramurals Intramurals will take place at lunch for students in Grades 4-6. The schedule is as follows:

Monday Grade 6

Tuesday Grade 4

Wednesday Grade 5

Thursday Grade 6

Friday Open Gym Gr’s 4& 5

IMPORTANT NOTICE A reminder to Students that when leaving the School Property for home, please stay to the designated sidewalks. DO NOT WALK THROUGH OTHERS’ PROPERTY!

LATE ARRIVAL/ABSENCES If you know that your child will not be attending school, please advise your child’s teacher in advance and contact the school at 902-755-8240 or [email protected]. ​ ​ Please send a note with your child on their first day back to school even if the absence was called in to the school.

REMINDER TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS AND VISITORS Please check in at the office when you enter the school. We will call your child down to the office.

LOST AND FOUND LABEL your child’s clothing and supplies. It will make it much easier to return lost items if the child’s name is on it. We can only keep clothing so long as it takes up a lot of space. It will be donated to the local thrift store.

WORK FOR ABSENT STUDENTS Students miss school because of illness, family situations or vacations. Teachers often receive requests regarding missed work. In the case of illness, we are often asked to send work covered that day with a sibling or friend which is easily done.

At times, we receive a request for work to be sent on a vacation. After much discussion, we made the decision to suggest the following: Students are encouraged to keep a journal of their holiday, take books to read, and if appropriate, work on addition/multiplication tables. While they are enjoying their holiday, we will keep a folder of the work they missed for their return.

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteer Package Please note that the Chignecto-Central Regional Center for Education requires ALL ​ volunteers to complete a Volunteer Package which includes a criminal record check and child abuse registry.

Newsletter Delivery Parents/Guardians now have access to the newsletter online. Only parents requesting a hard copy of the newsletter will receive one. If you are requesting a copy of the newsletters, please indicate this in your child’s agenda. You can access our school website in the following ways:

CCRCE.ca ->Parents ->Our Schools ->A.G. Baillie (clicking on our name sends you to the website) or type http://agb.ccrce.ca/ into your browser. Parent Concern Questions or concerns pertaining to a student or issue within a school should try to be resolved with the appropriate teacher and/or Principal. If the issue is not resolved at the school, there is a Parental Concern Referral Form (Formal Request for a Referral). These forms are available on the CCRCE website at www.agb.ccrce.ca.

Medical Consent School employees cannot administer any type of medication (prescription or non-prescription) to a student without a consent form signed by a parent or guardian. Medications must be in the original container and the printout from the drugstore must accompany the medication. Consent forms are available at the office.

Bus Passes If you wish for your child to get on another bus or get off at a different stop, then a Bus Pass is required from the school office via written note in the agenda from his/her parent/guardian. Please state the date, original bus number/bus driver’s name, bus number/bus driver’s name of requested change, civic # and name for drop off, parent signature and a contact number. Phone calls will not be permitted for anyone to request to go home with a friend. These arrangements must be made in advance.

Reminder to parents and students that there is to be no eating or drinking on the buses. Any ​ ​ questions concerning buses, please call Paul Smith at (902) 485-7995.

Any questions please contact: Sheri Sutherland – [email protected] ​ Melissa Patriquin - [email protected] ​

AG Baillie Band Student of the Month- February Tuesday band - Jillian Mummery Thursday band - Josh Wood

Student of the Month- January Tuesday band- Alana Palmer Thursday band- Ana MacLeod

Cafeteria Menu March 2020 ALL ORDERS BY 9:00 AM All meals are $5.25

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

March 2-6 ½ Garlic 2 Chicken Fingers Lasagna & Pizza Fish, Carrots, Potatoes Fingers & Small & Rice Garlic Bread $4.50 Caesar Salad

March 9-13 Pizza Slice & Cheese Burger & Grilled Cheese Pancake Day Meat Loaf, Potatoes, Small Salad Fries & Tomato Soup $1.10 Carrots

March 16-20 March Break March Break March Break March Break March Break

March 23-27 ½ Garlic 2 Chicken Fingers Lasagna & Pancake Day Assessment & Fingers & Small & Rice Garlic Bread $1.10 Evaluation Day- Caesar Salad No school for Students

March 30- April Pizza Slice & Cheese Burger & Grilled Cheese Pizza Meat Loaf, Potatoes, 3 Small Salad Fries & Tomato Soup $4.50 Carrots Items Available Every Day Sandwiches Snacks Baked Goods Egg - 3.75 Yogurt - 1.20 Lrg. muffins - 1.25 Turkey - 4.85 Crackers pkg (2) - 0.25 Cookies - sm - 0.80 Tuna - 3.75 Nutrigrain Bars - 1.10 Lean Ham - 3.75 Oranges - 1.10 Beverages: Lean Ham & Cheese - 4.50 Cheese & Crackers - 1.10 Milk - 0.40 Grilled Cheese Whole Wheat -3.70 Cheese Strings - 1.10 Sm Choc Milk - 1.60 Apple sm. - 1.00 Large Choc Milk - 2.50 Miscellaneous Veggies sm. - 2.00 Orange/Apple Juice Lr - 1.50 Soup (Homemade) Water - 1.50 Small - 1.70 Miscellaneous Breakfast Tetra juice - 1.15 Large - 3.00 Hamburger - 3.90 Cold Veggie Sub 9” - 5.00 Cheeseburger - 4.45 Chicken Caesar Salad - 5.60 Small Turkey wrap - 3.35 Chicken Fingers - 1.10 each Large Nachos - 3.90 Sm. Toss/Caesar Salads - 4.75 Small Nachos - 3.70 Rice – 3.00 Chicken - 5.25 Pizza Slice - 4.50 Deli Roasters - sm. 3.6 Ham & Cheese Sub (sm) - 3.90