ABPS Newsletter - 2026 02.pdf
Greetings Ardagh Bluffs Families,
Thank you to everyone who supported our Snow Much Fun School Council Fundraiser! We were able to raise approximately $3,000 which will go directly towards Athletics, and Clubs and Activities for our school!
We are very excited to welcome the month of February! This month our school will recognize Black History Month. Our Equity Team that includes both staff and student leadership has been busy planning a variety of learning opportunities which will include sharing materials and resources with staff. Our student branch of the committee has been busy planning displays, and will be decorating the halls with posters they have selected and preparing daily e-Announcements. We are eager for our virtual Black History Month Read Aloud which will feature reading by Mr. Robinson, one of Ardagh’s community members. We will also enjoy our Lunar New Year Virtual Read Aloud, that will be read by Mr. Ma this month.
February 4 is an exciting day for our Grade 8 students as this will be Graduation Photo Day. Details have been shared with Grade 8 families via email. On February 18th, we will have our regular meeting of the School Council. These meetings are open to all parents and guardians of the school and we encourage everyone to attend. We are always looking for your input and suggestions as well as volunteers for our many fundraising endeavours.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are looking forward to our Valentine’s Day Dance-a-Thon, which will be hosted by our School Council. Treats will be sold to offset the cost of the event and all funds raised will be put towards Classroom Needs. Please be sure to order treats for Kindergarten to Grade 3 students on School Cash Online.
On Thursday, February 19th, our Intermediate Student Leadership Team is excited to hold our school’s Winter Olympics event. On this day students will participate in a range of outdoor winter themed activities. Families can expect further details to be communicated by email closer to the event.
On Thursday, February 25, our school will recognize and participate in Pink Shirt Day to bring awareness to all forms of bullying and discrimination and the importance of standing up for what is right, reporting incidents and being welcoming, kind, and supportive to every person in the Ardagh community. If your child does not have a pink item to wear and would like to participate, please email [email protected] so that we can provide them with a pink ribbon to wear.
Families can expect to receive Term 1 Report Cards on Friday, February 13th. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s Report Card, please reach out to your child’s educator as they are eager to work with you to support your child’s learning. Thank you for your ongoing support of our school. We truly appreciate being a part of such a wonderful school community!
Wishing everyone a safe and learning filled month,
Ms. Robinson and Ms. Marjerrison
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Valentine’s Day Dance-A-Thon and Treat Sale
Our annual Valentine’s Day Dance-A-Thon and Treat Sale is coming up!
Date: Friday, February 13
Time: Dance Schedule
● Grades K–3: 9:45–10:50 AM
● Grades 4–6: 11:45 AM–1:10 PM
● Grades 7–8: 2:05–3:30 PM
Location: Ardagh Bluffs Public School (In the event of inclement weather, the rescheduled date will be February 20).
Candy Pre-Orders (Kindergarten to Grade 3)
Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 are encouraged to pre-order treats through School Cash Online to maximize their time at the dance.
Pre-orders will be available until February 11 at 3:00 PM.
All pre-ordered treats will be delivered to students by their teacher on the day of the dance. Treats will also be available for purchase during the dance for all students — CASH ONLY.
Available Treats:
● Glow Bracelets – $0.50
● Sour Keys – $0.50
● Gummy Worms – $0.50
● Candy Strips – $0.50
● Lollipops – $0.50
● Ring Pops – $1.00
● Popcorn – $2.00
Please contact the school if you have any questions regarding product ingredients.
Dance-A-Thon Pledges
Families are invited to make a pledge for their student through the Dance-A-Thon Pledge Form on School Cash Online. All funds raised will be used to support classroom needs.
School Cash Online: https://simcoecounty.schoolcashonline.com/
Family and friends are welcome to participate. Please feel free to share the pledge QR code with them.
Boston Pizza Fundraiser – Celebrity Server Night
Date: Wednesday, February 11
Time: 5:00–8:00 PM
Location: Boston Pizza Barrie South 481 Bryne Drive
Save the date and join us for a fun night out in support of our school.
Our Bengal Staff will be serving as celebrity servers for the evening. Ten percent (10%) of all food sales (dine-in and takeout) during this time will be donated to our school. Alcohol sales are not included.
We must meet a minimum of 75 guests. The more family and friends who attend, the more funds we raise.
Reservations: For groups of 6 or more, please call 705-719-2067.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Thank you for your continued support!
The Ardagh Bluffs School Council and Administration Team
HOLIDAY CARDS
Thank you to the amazing students and staff of Ardagh Bluffs for the care and creativity you put into making holiday cards for SickKids. Every card was full of kindness, thoughtfulness, and festive cheer, and they made such a difference. Your messages brought smiles, comfort, and joy to children and families when they needed it most. Mason was honoured to deliver the cards and see the joy they brought firsthand. The generosity and compassion you showed this season are truly inspiring.
Warmly,
The Patrick Family
PICKLEBALL EQUIPMENT DONATIONS REQUESTED
With the assistance of one of our student council representatives, Mason, we are excited to share that we have just launched a Pickleball Club at our school! Students currently have the opportunity to meet once a week to learn about the sport, develop their skills, and enjoy friendly matches.
As our club continues to grow, we are working with a limited number of paddles and balls. If you happen to have extra pickleball paddles and/or balls at home and would be willing to donate them to our school collection, we would be most grateful for your support.
Thank you for helping us provide more opportunities for our students to stay active and engaged!
Mr. Ma and Mason
INFORMATION AND UPDATES FROM THE SCDSB
This month, the SCDSB is sharing information related to the below topics. To read this information, visit the SCDSB website.
● Inclement weather and bus cancellation information reminder
● Black History Month
● SCDSB Code of Conduct
● Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Dreams Delayed: Addressing Systemic Anti-Black Racism and Discrimination in Ontario’s Public Education System – Consultation
● SCDSB families invited to explore math games and activities at Family Math Nights in February 2026
● Up, down, east, or west – these activities will put your math skills to the test!
● Feelings flashcards
● Kindergarten registration for September 2026 is open!
● Is your child turning four in 2026? Get ready for Kindergarten with us!
● How is your infant, toddler, or preschool child developing?
● Licensed March Break school age child care programs
● Character recognition nominations
● Registration open for summer eLearning! Summer eLearning opportunities for students entering Gr 9!
● Understanding the language report card mark
● Verify your family’s contact information
● Cold weather
KISS N' RIDE GUIDELINES
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: ● 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 Ardagh Bluffs Public School 6 2026 February Newsletter
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.