Community Update - June 22

Good afternoon, Bellwood Community, the home of the Bobcats where we Belong, Believe and Succeed!

As we head into our final week of school, here are a few important updates and reminders:

?? Treat Days – Tuesday, June 24 & Thursday, June 26

To wrap up our Treat Day inventory, we’ll be selling treats on Tuesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 26, 2025. Thank you for your continued support throughout the year!

?? Lost and Found – Please Check Before June 25

Our Lost and Found is overflowing with items looking for their homes! We kindly ask parents to stop by and check for any missing belongings.

• Please check in at the front office, and we’ll guide you to the Lost and Found area.
• Students are also encouraged to take a look themselves.
• Items are displayed on tables and in our Lost and Found vestibule.
  Unclaimed items will be donated after Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

?? Grade 8 Graduation – Tuesday, June 24

Congratulations to our amazing Grade 8 students who will be graduating on Tuesday, June 24, 2025! We are incredibly proud of all they’ve accomplished and wish them the very best as they begin their high school journey.

?? Canada’s Wonderland Trip – Monday, June 23

We’re excited to celebrate our Grade 8s with a second graduation trip to Canada’s Wonderland on Monday, June 23, 2025. It’s sure to be a memorable day!

Thank you for a wonderful school year. Let’s finish strong and celebrate all the growth and achievements of our students!

Have a wonderful weekend ahead!

Please see below for our weekly updates:

Getting Ready for High School Program for our Grade 8’s going to Grade 9

The Getting Ready for High School Program will take place in August 18-20, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at your local high school if you are continuing with the DDSB.  For most of our students that will be Anderson High School.  You will need to go to DCE.ca for program details.  Registration is through you child’s myBlueprint account and closes August 8^th, 2025 at noon.  See flyer for additional information GR4HS Post 2025.png 

Ignite Learning Foundation After the Bell

This summer, the Ignite Durham Learning Foundation is proud to be offering an 'After The Bell' program.  This is a campaign focused on providing children in need across Durham Region with nutritious food packs to help bridge the gap during the summer break.

Every donation will assist us in providing food packs for a student who may otherwise go without. With your help, we can ensure more children head into summer with one less worry.  Our IDLF van will be in priority school communities once a week to deliver food packs.

Donations can be made directly at: https://idlf.givecloud.co/fundraising/forms/PYDVV6DX

Please click on the links for more information After the Bell Flyer Revised.pdf  after the bell 1.jpeg  after the bell 2.jpeg  after the bell 3.jpeg  after the bell 4.jpeg 

June is Recreation and Parks Month

June is Recreation and Parks Month, and Durham is celebrating with lots of FREE events across Durham Region throughout the month of June and a chance to win prizes (including a new bike)! Click on link to see flyer 

• Exciting activities including Fitness Fridays, Zumba® in the park, Yoga by the lake, public swims and many more FREE events!
• Open to all residents of the Regional Municipality of Durham and is running from June 1-30, 2025.
• Explore your community, make memories, and get active.
• Attend at least 3 free events for your chance to win!

 Visit DurhamTourism.ca/RecAndParksMonth for more information and to view the full calendar of free activities and event locations.
Hope to see you there!

Latinx Hispanic Educatros Alliance of Durham  Community Event

The Latinx Hispanic Educators Alliance of Durham (LHEAD) is hosting a free community event to celebrate the end of the school year, and officially launch our affinity network! We're bringing together students, families, educators, and community members for an evening of culture, connection, and joy!

The event will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 5-7 pm at the DDSB Education Centre.

For additional information, please see the attached flyer.

You can register for the Fiesta using the link: https://www.lhead.ca/upcoming-events 

Kiss and Ride and Parking on School Property– We need your help so we will continue to ask you to adhere to the following rules! 

• Between 8:55 – 9:15am please DO NOT park in front of the kindergarten enclosure. We need to keep the flow of traffic moving.
• Please DO NOT let your children out of the car in the center lane to pass.  Please drive through the Kiss and Ride to let children out of the car.  This is a safety concern for us here at Bellwood.
• When you are using the Kiss and Ride, please make sure you drive right up, pick up your children quickly and safely and follow the directions to keep moving by the staff supporting the smooth running of our Kiss and Ride.

Two areas that continue to require attention from our community……

• Please stay in your vehicles and do not park in the Kiss and Ride as this causes traffic to back up and is not safe for our students.
• Please use the sidewalks to walk your children around and do not cut between the cars as this is a safety hazard.  This is a safety concern for us here at Bellwood.

Safety is our number one priority, and we work hard to make sure that our Kiss and Ride runs safely and smoothly.  We need your help!

Teams and Activities Around Bellwood 

• Ultimate Frisbee (Junior and Intermediate)
• Musical Theatre Club 

Students are encouraged to check the schedules posted on the white board outside the gym doors for practice days and times.

Save the Date

• June 25 – Booster Juice Wednesdays Lunchbox_School_Flyer.pdf     Lunchbox_Parent Guardian FAQs.pdf
• June 23 – Grade 8 Grade trip #2
• June 24 – Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony
• June 24 – Report Cards sent home
• June 25 – a.m.  Goodbye Assembly
• June 26 – Last day of school – Grade 8 Clap out
• Kindergarten Registration - For more information on the Kindergarten program and to register your child on or after January 7, please visit the Kindergarten Registration webpage.

Dates of Significance

June 21 National Indigenous People’s Day

For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on June 21 or around that time of year because of the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

National Aboriginal Day, now National Indigenous Peoples Day, was announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of Each Year as National Aboriginal Day. This was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups:

• in 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood, now the Assembly of First Nations, called for the creation of National Aboriginal Solidarity Day
• in 1995, the Sacred Assembly, a national conference of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people chaired by Elijah Harper, called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Peoples
• also in 1995, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommended the designation of a National First Peoples Day

On June 21, 2017, the Prime Minister issued a statement announcing the intention to rename this day National Indigenous Peoples Day.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is part of the Celebrate Canadaprogram, which also includes Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24, Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27 and Canada Day on July 1.

June 24 is St. Jean Baptiste Day

A national holiday in the Canadian province of Quebec and celebrated by French Canadians worldwide, especially in Canada and the United States, St. Jean Baptiste Day, June 24,  honors the traditional feast day of the Nativity — or birth — of St. John the Baptist. The religious nature of the holiday has been de-emphasized for civic events, and “la St-Jean” is now mainly a celebration of francophone culture and history filled with public events, parades, barbecues, picnics and fireworks. Bonne Saint-Jean-Baptiste!

June 25 - 26, 2025 is the Islamic New Year

The Islamic New Year, also called the Hijri New Year, is the day that marks the beginning of a new lunar Hijri year, and is the day on which the year count is incremented. The first day of the Islamic year is observed by most Muslims on the first day of the month of Muharram. 

June 27 is Canadian Multiculturalism Day

On June 27, Canadian Multiculturalism Day honors the many cultural communities that help build a strong and vibrant Canadian society. 

Stonewall Rebellion Day June 28

The Stonewall Rebellion, also referred to as Stonewall, was a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the 2S LGBTQ+ community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. The Rebellion is widely considered to constitute the single most important event leading to the gay rights movement and the modern fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. When asked about the history of pride, often the first thing that comes to people's minds are the Stonewall Riots. Canada, however, has it's own rich history and turning points in the struggle for and eventual celebration of 2SLGBT rights. 

Canada Day is July 1, 2025

Canada Day is a national holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the confederation of Canada, marking the unification of the provinces into a single nation. It is a day of national pride, reflecting on Canada’s history, achievements, and cultural diversity, with festivities occurring across the country.

Your Admin Team

Sharon Knights and Todd Smart