Winter weather has disrupted the last couple of weeks, but we’re excited to welcome you to our Arts Showcase tonight in the cafeteria! Admission is by donation. We look forward to watching BSS performing artists share their creative talents with us!
Please take extra precautions during these wintery months if you choose to drive your child to/from school. We’ve had reports of some concerns in the Bayridge Public School parking lot, so we kindly ask families to use our school’s parking lot instead and help keep everyone safe during busy pick‑up and drop‑off times. If our roundabout is busy, please avoid blocking the road and park in our parking lot to wait.
We had a hugely successful Grade 8 Information Night this past week! It was so wonderful to welcome our incoming Blazers and their families, and share all the fantastic things going on at our school. Thanks to all students and staff who played a part in this important transition step.
Looking Ahead
January 16
Arts Show Case, 7pm
January 20
School Council meeting, 6:30 pm
January 21
Bell Let's talk day
January 22-January 29
Exams
January 30
PA Day
February 2
Second semester starts
Reminders
January Exam Schedule and Inclement Weather
Please see the January Semester 1 Exam schedule here:
Revised Exam Schedule January 2026
If buses are cancelled due to inclement weather, exams on that day will be moved to the next exam day. Subsequent exams in the exam schedule will also be rescheduled to the next exam day. If an inclement weather day occurs, we will communicate via email, and post information on our website. Students are expected to be present and available to write exams during the entire exam period, from January 22 to January 28, 2026, as well as the designated inclement weather day on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
IPRC
If your child had an IPRC meeting in December or January the IPRC Statement of Decision and IEP has been sent home with your child this week. If you were unable to make the meeting and couldn't reschedule please review these documents, sign the IPRC Statement of Decision, and send it back to Claudine Elvidge or the main office at your earliest convenience. If not signed and returned within 30 school days consent will be implied.
ECO Team Tru Earth fundraiser
Please consider supporting Bayridge's ECO Team by purchasing these Canadian made earth-friendly products from Tru Earth using the link below. From January 15-22 we earn an additional 10% as a fundraiser.
Student Trustee
Upcoming Events
School Council
Calling all parents and caregivers! School Council meets this coming Tuesday, January 20th at 6:30 pm in the Library Learning Commons. If you would like to attend virtually, please reach out to Principal Sheri Jones at jonessh@limestone.on.ca. School Council continues to have an open position for an Indigenous Representative that we would very much like to include in our meetings. If any student, parent or guardian would be interested please join us Tuesday evening. Feel free to contact our School Council Chair Corrie Allingham at corrieallingham@gmail.com for more information.
Semester 2 Schedules
Blazers, just like on your first day of school in September, when you return on the first day of semester 2, there will be sheets taped on the windows of the main office. This is a list of all students, sorted alphabetically, showing you what your first period class is for semester 2 and which room it is in. During your first period class, your new homeroom teacher will hand out your semester 2 timetables to you. For students who have a first period spare, you will be able to obtain your timetable from Student Services.
Winter Photo Gallery Contest
The Arts Council presents the Winter Photo Gallery Contest! The best winter photo, voted on by students, will win a jar of candy! Submit your wintery photos to bssphotogallery@gmail.com by February 10, 2026
Skills Competition
The Limestone Skills Competition is coming up on February the 26. The deadline to register is February 8.
There are lots of different categories that students can compete in. Some of them include Baking, Culinary, Photography, Graphic Design, Carpentry, Coding as well as many others. See the posters around the school, Ms. Lees and Ms. K for details.
BSS Charity Golf Tournament
Community Connections
Coop
Bayridge students have been busy exploring careers and gaining practical work experience this semester through co-operative education. We would like to thank the following employers and organizations for hosting our students this past semester:
Bayridge Public School
Braden Nissan
Crom Welding
GO Italian
Holsgrove Public School
HomeSense
Lancaster Drive Public School
McDonalds
Metro
Omega Fit Club
Shopper’s Drug Mart
Sims Animal Hospital
St. Paul the Apostle Parish
Subway
Truedell Public School
Bayridge is always looking for new placement opportunities. Please don’t hesitate to contact the school if your business or organization is interested in hosting a student placement.
SLAP!
SLAP! Student Laptop Access Program is raising funds to offer free premium laptops to all students who need them. If you’d like to be added to the waitlist to receive a free laptop, please complete the application form at www.slap-kingston.ca right away.
SouthEast Public Health
Our Immunizations team will be hosting a PA day clinic to help students get up to date on any required immunizations. The clinic will take place on January 30 at our Kingston Public Health office.
National Non-Smoking Week
Next week is National Non-Smoking week. The nicotine industry continues to target young people through fun flavours and high-tech devices designed to increase addiction. During National Non-Smoking Week, families can help young people better understand the risks and start important conversations at home.
Parents and caregivers can watch this short video to learn more: www.notanexperiment.ca/parents
Students who would like help quitting or cutting back on vaping, smoking, alcohol, other substances, or even technology use can book a free virtual appointment at: www.youthvast.ca
This 2-minute video will tell you more about the process:
Students can also download the Quash app for quit support at quashapp.com
Queen's Black Legacy Program
The Black Legacy Mentorship Program (BLMP) is a student-led initiative launching its pilot year at Queen’s University. It connects Black youth in Kingston (Grades 9–12) with Black student mentors from Queen’s University. Together, they explore leadership, identity, and future goals through engaging, culturally affirming activities. Sessions will take place monthly at Queen’s University from January to March 2025, with free transportation and meals provided.
Commitment: 2 mentees per mentor; bi-weekly meetings (up to 1.5 hours); monthly 2-hour sessions at Queen’s (Jan 29, Feb 26, Mar 26).
Eligibility: Full-time high school student (Grades 9–12) in Kingston; self-identify as Black.
Language matching available.
Interested students can apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4WYDQ1fWcKKeMga1fdS2sNZELD_dpyfsLIrXJoHJjmIGB8A/viewform.
KEYS SWIS program
Having SWIS in the school provides several benefits, including smoother school integration for newcomer families, improved communication between home and school, increased access to community and settlement resources, and additional support for students’ academic and social success. We also work closely with school staff to promote cultural understanding and help create a more inclusive and welcoming environment. Please note that our services are available to all newcomer families regardless of their immigration status.
Maltby Resources
Mental Health Services Winter 2026
Winter Workshops At A Glance 2026
Queen's University STEM Fellowship
We are excited to announce the Research Exploration Opportunity (REO) Program held by Queen’s University STEM Fellowship.
The REO program allows high school students (grades 9-12) to spend March break in a Queen’s lab, learning from professors and research students about the intricate processes involved in various areas of STEM research. We especially aim to help students from underrepresented backgrounds learn about the field of STEM, helping spark their interest and understanding of research. As part of the REO program, you will be able to shadow professors, graduate and post-graduate students, and learn about the exciting research taking place at Queen’s University. This year, we have labs participating from a variety of disciplines, such as nanophotonics and computing, genomics, astroparticle physics, cancer, biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, among others.
Applications are due on January 31 at 11:59 PM. Please use the following link to apply: https://forms.gle/WatSGF9Qf35TYhuG9.
Kiwanis Music Festival
Registration for the 2026 Kingston Kiwanis Music Festival closes on February 4th. The festival runs from March 26 to April 11, 2026 , and offers opportunities for participants of all ages to present work in areas such as classical music, popular music, and music theatre. Please see flyer for more information!