ABPS Newsletter - 2026 04.pdf
Principal’s Message
Greetings Ardagh Bluffs Families,
We hope that everyone had an enjoyable Spring Break during the week of March 16-20! March was a shorter month due to the break, however, we still had many wonderful activities and learning opportunities at the school. We recognized World Down Syndrome Day by wearing unique socks that day. We also are very pleased to share that our school participated in the Regional Science Fair with three students winning Bronze medals at the event. Congratulations goes out to Heni, Elise and Sophia!
As we move into April, we would like to highlight a variety of events and fundraisers that have been planned by our staff and School Council. This month, as a school, we will recognize Sikh Heritage Month. We are looking forward to recognizing Autism Awareness Day on Thursday, April 2nd. On Wednesday, April 8th we will recognize the International Day of Pink to show our commitment to end all forms of bullying. Grade 8 families, please note that our Graduation Photo Retakes will take place in the morning of Wednesday, April 8th. Please be sure to inform your child’s teacher if your child requires a retake. The school is abuzz as our staff and students prepare for the much anticipated annual Celebration of Culture which will take place on Wednesday, April 15th. All families are welcome to attend this celebration assembly event which will begin at 6:00 p.m. that day. And, of course, we’re all looking forward to our next Grilled Cheese Snack Day which will be held on Friday, April 17th!
In terms of school fundraising, please consider supporting our school through one of the following fundraising initiatives, planned and organized by our Ardagh School Council. On Wednesday, April 1st we will participate in our Domino’s Raise the Dough Fundraiser at all Domino’s locations in Barrie, Alcona and Angus. Domino’s will donate $5 from every special order this day back to the school. We’re also looking forward to our Annual Wendy’s Fundraiser which will be held on Tuesday, April 14th. Please also watch for communication regarding our Spring Bradford Greenhouse Fundraiser. All funds raised by these initiatives will go directly back to supporting students at Ardagh. The School Council will meet again on Wednesday, April 29th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend this meeting and volunteer to support the initiatives described above.
Thank you to the entire Ardagh Bluffs’ community for working together to make our parking lots and Kiss and Ride a safer place for our families, staff and students. We’ve heard positive feedback about the rules being followed more frequently. As a reminder, the small parking lot off Wright drive is not to be used for drop off or pick up. If you are using the main Kiss and Ride, please be sure to follow all of our safety protocols which are described in a newsletter article below. In particular, please ensure that all pedestrians are only crossing the Kiss and Ride at the designated Rainbow Crosswalk. By working together, we’ll continue to keep everyone safe at Ardagh Bluffs Public School!
Wishing everyone a safe and learning filled month,
Ms. Robinson and Ms. Marjerrison
School Council Updates
April 1 – Domino’s Raise the Dough Day
On April 1, all Domino’s locations in Barrie, Alcona, and Angus will donate $5 from every special purchased back to our school.
Ardagh Bluffs Raise the Dough Special (Valid all day – Offer Code: Dough)
$24.99 – 2 medium two-topping pizzas and 1 order of cheesy bread
Please help spread the word to friends, family, and coworkers—anyone can participate!
April 14 – Wendy’s Night 4-7 PM
Join us for our Wendy’s Night fundraiser on Tuesday, April 14 at the 450 Bryne Drive location.
The event runs from 4:00–7:00 PM, and 10% of all sales during this time will be donated back to our school. Both dine-in and drive-thru orders count.
Enjoy a free mini Frosty, handed out by Wendy herself or included with any order.
All funds raised will support general school needs, classroom needs, and the Eat Well to Excel program. We look forward to seeing you there—thank you for your support!
April 15 – October 15 – Bradford Greenhouses Bloom Rewards Fundraiser
From April 15 to October 15, when you shop at Bradford Greenhouses, let them know you would like to donate your Bloom Rewards points to Ardagh Bluffs Public School.
The value of the points collected will be donated to the school to support commencement activities and student incentives.
Thank you for supporting our school community.
Ardagh Bluffs School Council and Administrative Team
Celebration of Culture
We are excited to announce that Ardagh Bluffs Public School’s 3rd Celebration of Culture is fast approaching! This event will take place on April 15th, 2026, and we can’t wait to come together and celebrate the diverse cultures that make our school community so special.
The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will showcase a variety of performances and outfits that highlight the unique traditions and backgrounds of our families. This is a wonderful opportunity for students, parents, and staff to celebrate cultural diversity and share in the joy of our collective heritage.
Thank you for your cooperation and support in making this event a success. We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating the rich diversity of our community.
Warm regards,
The Global Majority Team
This month, the SCDSB is sharing information related to the below topics. To read this information, visit the SCDSB website.
- Applications for the SCDSB Umoja Award are open
- Dreams Delayed
- Creating safe and welcoming spaces for students, staff, and visitors
- Learn about cybersecurity and digital well-being at virtual event for parents/guardians
- Prom Glitz 2026
- Spring into new math activities this April
- Say hello to SCDSB Weekly — coming soon!
- Kindergarten registration for September 2026 is open!
- Discover Kindergarten in the SCDSB at a Kindergarten orientation session
- Licensed summer school child care programs
- EarlyON Child and Family Centres
- Supporting your child’s mental health and well‑being
- Feedback, recovery and improvement days (secondary)
- Tick-Talk: Protect you and your child from ticks and Lyme disease
- April PA Day
Foodie Fridays
We are excited for our Foodie Fridays Fundraisers! Please note the following dates and place your order on School Cash Online if you are interested in having your child participate. Funds raised will be directed towards athletics, GSN, technology, school yard improvements, classroom needs, commencement and eat well to excel. Upcoming dates are as follows: Pita Pit - April 10; Harvey’s - May 1, Booster Juice - May 15, Quesada - May 22, Marble Slab - June 19.
Kiss N Ride Guidelines
Ardagh Bluffs has one Kiss n’ Ride, which is located off Summerset Drive. Our Kiss n’ Ride is a busy place. We are very fortunate that we have a long kiss n’ ride that can hold many vehicles at once to unload students, as well as a second lane to keep traffic flowing.
It takes a collective effort from everyone to ensure we have a safe and efficient Kiss n’ Ride. Please remember the following guidelines when using our Kiss n’ Ride:
Don’t leave large spaces between you and the vehicle in front of you. We can unload many students at one time if all the vehicles move forward before stopping.
If you’re waiting for your child, and a vehicle leaves in front of you, please pull up so additional vehicles can enter the Kiss n’ Ride. Don’t leave empty spaces in front of you if you’re just waiting.
MOVE FORWARD!
PULL UP AS FAR AS POSSIBLE to either:
-the end of the kiss n’ ride zone if no one is in front of you, or
-to the vehicle that’s stopped in front of you. Don’t leave large spaces between you and the vehicle in front of you. We can unload many students at one time if all the vehicles move forward before stopping.
If you’re waiting for your child, and a vehicle leaves in front of you, please pull up so additional vehicles can enter the Kiss n’ Ride. Don’t leave empty spaces in front of you if you’re just waiting.
NO PARKING - STOPPING ZONE ONLY. The kiss n’ ride is designed for a quick drop off or pick up area. Please transition children in or out of your vehicle in a timely manner to ensure our kiss n’ ride remains efficient. Ideally, parents/guardians should not exit vehicles. If you must get out to support your child(ren) exiting the vehicle, please do so in a timely manner. If it will take you more than a minute to unload your child(ren), please park elsewhere and walk your child to the school yard.
STUDENTS EXIT CURBSIDE. Students should only exit their vehicle on the curbside of the vehicle while in the kiss n’ ride. We have a second lane where traffic is flowing, which could cause a safety risk for students exiting on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
LEFT LANE IS FOR THROUGH TRAFFIC. Please leave the left lane of our kiss n’ ride open for through traffic. Never stop to load or unload students in the left lane as that can be extremely dangerous.
NEVER LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE UNATTENDED. Vehicles are not to be left unattended at any time while in our kiss n’ ride. If you are intending to watch your child in the school yard after you drop them off, please park your vehicle elsewhere. At the end of the day, we ask that you remain in, or beside, your vehicle while you wait for the dismissal bell to ring. Please instruct your child(ren) to proceed directly to your vehicle after the bell so you can depart the Kiss n’ Ride and let other vehicles enter.
SLOW SPEED. Please don’t speed into, or drive fast out of, the Kiss n’ Ride zone. We have many students/families in the vicinity that depend on drivers being diligent and aware of their surroundings at all times. As a driver, you must be able to stop your vehicle within inches. Please go at a speed that will allow you to do so.
PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE. At peak times (9:10 - 9:20 am and 3:30 - 3:50 pm) our Kiss N’ Ride is a very busy place. It may take you some time in line, but please know that everyone will eventually make their way to the drop off/pick up area. Please instruct your child(ren) to wait by the Kiss n’ Ride fence until you can make your way into the Kiss n’ Ride.
PEDESTRIANS USE RAINBOW CROSSWALK: Students and Parents/Guardians are asked to use our rainbow crosswalk any time you are walking to, or from, our main parking lot. Please don’t cross our Kiss N’ Ride where vehicles are dropping off students - this is extremely dangerous as we have vehicles moving through this area and not expecting pedestrians to be walking across our kiss n’ ride lanes.
Ardagh has a secondary parking lot that is located off Wright Drive. This parking lot is designated primarily for Staff parking and for SEEDS Daycare.
This is NOT designed to be a Kiss n’ Ride. We only have one Kiss n’ Ride and that is located off Summerset Drive.
Due to safety concerns for students and parents/guardians who are walking in this area, this parking lot will be closed to unauthorized vehicles. There will be pylons positioned at the entrance to remind drivers that this is a restricted area.
Parents/Guardians who are dropping off or picking up a child from SEEDS daycare are still permitted to use this parking lot as long as you have a valid parking pass that you will display on your vehicle dashboard.
Parents who need to drive their child to and from school are asked to follow the City of Barrie parking and stopping by-laws in and around our school and side streets. Click Here for the map that was provided by the City of Barrie to help us understand the parking restrictions on city streets around the school.
Kindergarten Students using Summerset Drive Kiss N’ Ride
- Morning Drop Off: If Kindergarten students are being dropped off using the Summerset Drive Kiss N’ Ride, we will have an older student or adult walk them to the Kindergarten Yard. Please inform a staff member upon your arrival that your child will need to be accompanied to the Kindergarten Yard.
Afternoon Pick Up: At the end of the day, if you are going to be picking up your Kindergarten student at the Summerset Drive Kiss N’ Ride, one of the staff members will walk your child over to the Kiss n’ Ride shortly after the bell. Please inform your child’s educators if you would like this to be arranged.
If Kindergarten students have older siblings in our school that would like to pick them up at the end of the day and walk them over to the Summerset Kiss n Ride for pick up, they are more than welcome to retrieve their sibling after the bell.