This newsletter marks our last edition for 2025-2026 and what a year it has been! It was fitting to end the year celebrating our graduates from the Bayridge Learning Centre and Bayridge Secondary School. We are filled with immense pride on everything our students at both locations have accomplished, and wish them the very best in their next chapter.
Bayridge SS Graduation
Staff Appreciation Breakfast
Staff were spoiled today with the staff appreciation breakfast. Thank you to all parents who contributed, and to our wonderfully supportive School Council who organized this event.
Athletic Awards Banquet
Winners of the Bayridge Football Award of Excellence:
Award recipients have met the criteria of never missing a practice in 3 seasons, never late for a practice in 3 seasons, attained 80% or higher grade average in their graduating year, and acquired 150 hours of community service:
A.J. Carscallen
James Kennelly
Owen Meaney
Hudson Peters
Harry Sturgeon
Outdoor Learning Space
The Eco-Team in conjunction with the School to Community Program is proud to announce that the pathway for the Outdoor Learning Space is finally complete allowing our Sensory Garden to be fully accessible for all to enjoy. A HUGE shoutout to Liam and Dawson for their perseverance and strength in helping to lay the stones! Tune in next year to see how our Outdoor Learning Space grows!
Music news
The Music department's Milkshake Monday fundraiser was a big success! Thanks to all who supported this initiative. Special thanks to parent Adam Cleary with Aspira Life who sponsored our 2 milkshake Mondays in June.
In other melodic news, some of our music students performed at the Lancaster graduation this year. Thanks to Ms. Brennan and those musicians who volunteered their time for this important community outreach:
BLC Year-End Picnic
Our amazing BLC staff Jazz and Amy hosted a year-end 'picnic' to celebrate the end of the year. Thanks to everyone who attended to celebrate in person:
Grad 2026 Lawn Signs
A huge thank you to Student Council for organizing Grad 2026 lawn sign distribution. Just a reminder, all grad signs need to be returned to the school. Please drop off to the school asap. Thank you!
Student Council Teambuilding Day
Bayridge's 2026-2027 Student Council held a Teambuilding Day on Wednesday, June 24th. They learned about the 4 C's of Student Council - Communication, Cooperation, Commitment and Compassion. The ROCK philosophy was shown through the many teambuilding exercises. This was a wonderful day of planning for next year and getting ready for our new Blazers in the fall. Thank you to this dedicated group of students helping to build a positive Bayridge Community together!
Grade 12 Message from LDSB
This message has previously been sent out to all LDSB Grade 12 Active students:
Graduating Students: Taking Your School Files with You
As you prepare to graduate, it is important to save any emails, documents, and information from your LDSB school account that you may need in the future.
Please complete this process as soon as possible, as your Limestone account will be disabled in mid-September.
We recommend reviewing the attached checklist for guidance on what to save and how to transfer your files.
Cooperative Education
Bayridge students have been gaining valuable “hands on” work experience and exploring careers this year through co-operative education. We would like to thank the following employers and organizations for hosting BSS students this past year:
Bayridge Public School
Braden Nissan
City of Kingston
Crom Welding
GO Italian
Great Canadian Oil Change
Holsgrove Public School
HomeSense
John Parrott Cente
Lancaster Drive Public School
Leduc Electrical
McDonalds
Metro
Omega Fit Club
Rose and Crown Restaurant
Shopper’s Drug Mart
Sims Animal Hospital
St. Paul the Apostle Parish
Subway
Truedell Public School
Universal Plumbing
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 BSS student placement next year.
Upcoming events:
June 27 Canadian Multiculturalism Day
July 1 Canada Day
July 6-9 Student Services open for report card pick up, 7:30am-3:00 pm
Student Services Information:
Report cards and any grad envelopes not picked up can be picked up in Student Services between July 6-9, 7:30am to 3pm.
If your child will not be attending Bayridge next year, please email the school to let them know ahead of time so that we can clear their schedule and offer their courses to another student as we have waitlists.
We will send an update out later in the summer on what our timetable procedures in August will look like.
Staff farewells:
Today, in addition to saying goodbye, or 'bye for now' to some of our more junior staff, we bid a fond farewell to retiring teacher Brenda Scarlett and Vice-Principal Jamie McCullough (who will be moving to GREC). We will miss them both tremendously, and thank them for their years of service with us.
Upcoming Events
Canadian Multiculturalism Day
On June 27, Canadian Multiculturalism Day honours the many cultural communities that help build a strong and vibrant Canadian society. Take this opportunity to celebrate the cultural diversity that enriches us collectively and reaffirm your commitment to equity, inclusion, and mutual respect.
Community Connections
The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) School Food Program
The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) School Food Program assists Métis parents and guardians, with providing for their children enrolled in K-12 Education in Ontario. Independent youth over 16 meeting eligibility requirements will also be considered. Successful candidates will receive support estimated at $400 per child. Note that this amount is subject to change based on program subscription.
Information is also available through:
Swim the Lake Opportunity
Support inclusive community engagement by volunteering for the Accessibility Walk - Swim the Lake event. Discover how you can help make a difference and find all the details you need to get involved:
Creative Futures: Empowering Young Artists
Workshops take place on the last Saturday of each month, September 2026 to May 2027, 10am–12pm.
Application Details
This opportunity is open to youth ages 13–19 as of September 2026, who are not enrolled in post-secondary education. Participants must live in Kingston or the surrounding area, as the program is offered in person only.
How to Apply
Applications are received through a Google Form and are due by July 5th, 2026. You’ll be asked to submit:
- basic personal information;
- a brief statement of interest; and
- supporting materials, such as images of completed artwork or works in progress.
Kingston Frontenac Public Library
At Kingston Frontenac Public Library, we are happy to offer high school students enriching volunteer opportunities and exciting ways to keep reading this summer.
Our Summer Reading Challenge is fun, simple way for students to combat the summer slide, offering chances to win some truly great prizes such as a Nintendo Switch 2, bikes, AirPods, and much more for teens this summer.
"Reading Buddies" and "Play it Forward" are two ways that students can earn volunteer hours and gain meaningful experience working with kids and older adults, and we'd love for you to promote these with your students as deadlines to apply for our summer programs are fast approaching.
Youth Literary and Art Derby
The Bill Galvin Racing Alliance invites young creatives to celebrate their love of horses through art and writing! The Youth Literary Derby and Youth Art Derby encourage students to draw inspiration from Standardbred and harness horses while exploring their passion for the arts.
Open to Grades 3–12, both contests have a submission deadline of August 31, 2026.
- Youth Literary Derby (Grades 3–8): Submit a poem or short story about Standardbred horses. Junior (Grades 3–5) and Intermediate (Grades 6–8) divisions.
- Youth Art Derby (Grades 3–12): Submit an original drawing, sketch, or painting with a harness horse theme. Junior, Intermediate, and Senior divisions.
Mental Health Supports
In response to tragic events, locally or globally, students may experience a wide range of emotions, including sadness, confusion, worry, or questions about what they may be hearing from others. Students may react in different ways depending on their age, experiences, and how connected they feel to the situation. With time, reassurance, and support from caring adults, these reactions often ease.
We encourage families to keep lines of communication open at home, to invite questions, and to offer reassurance as needed. If you have concerns about your student or would like support, please refer to the following resources:
- Supporting Your Child’s Well-being
- Caring for yourself while caring for others: A parent’s guide to self-care
- By Your Side (parent/caregiver resources to support mental health learning)
- Maltby Centre
- One Stop Talk
- Kids Help Phone (Call 1-800-668-6868 or Text “Connect” to 686868)
- 2-1-1 Ontario
If you are worried about your student’s immediate safety, or the safety of others, please seek urgent assistance by calling 9-1-1, your local mobile crisis service (613-354-7388), or by going to the nearest emergency department.
SouthEast Public Health
Camp Outlook
Queen's Math Camps
Queen's University Mathematics and Statistics are offering two summer enrichment programs for high school students taking place August 10–14, 2026:
• RabbitMath: a mathematics enrichment camp for curious high school students
• Math Quest: a STEM camp designed for high school girls
Both programs offer day and residential options and provide students with an opportunity to experience university life while engaging in collaborative, hands-on mathematical exploration. This opportunity is geared for students who enjoy mathematics, problem-solving, STEM, and academic enrichment opportunities.
Additional information and registration details can be found at:
https://www.queensu.ca/mathstat/department/camps/summer-camps
Cycle Kingston
Cycle Kingston is a non-profit charity with a mission to raise awareness of the safe practices of cycling, all the while encouraging sustainable travel! These volunteering opportunities include things such as bicycle parking at events (such as the Skeleton Park Arts Festival this weekend), community rides hosted by me, safety cycle circuits, and safety cycling courses (teaching experience). It's a whole basket of opportunities, but with the various types of opportunities, I figured it would be great to send it out to potentially source some interested folks for volunteering with us! The volunteering opportunities are also quite fulfilling- knowing that you made a difference, potentially helping mitigate accidents on the road, helping encourage cycling, which reduces our carbon footprint, and simply seeing the looks on cyclists' faces when they understand certain safety practices- it's going to be a great summer for those who participate! https://forms.gle/HGhaDmxZoh5VVjvW8
There is a direct Google Form to fill out if you find those who are interested quickly, and otherwise, if you want, you could direct them straight to this email ambassadors@cyclekingston.ca., or our Instagram @cyclekingston. I would love to set them up with some good volunteer hours!
City of Kingston 2026 Municipal Election
2026 03 Clerks Kingston Votes Can Poster Web
We are connecting with local organizations to help ensure that more residents are aware of the opportunity to get involved in local government. Nominations open May 1 and the election will take place on October 26, 2026.
We’re hosting two information sessions for potential candidates. These sessions are designed for community members who are interested in running for municipal office and want to learn more about the role of City Council and School Trustees and what to expect during the election process.
Learn more and register for an info session by visiting the Candidate Info webpage!
LGBT YouthLine
YouthLine's Resource Library is an amazing tool for both students and educators. It's a great place to learn about 2SLGBTQ+ identities, coming out, self-care, Trans resources, wellness, and more. You can find links to a wide variety of articles, podcasts, and other amazing resources. Our resource library also has a referral database to help connect 2SLGBTQ+ youth with local services. This referral database is for in-person and location-based services, organizations, and collectives across Ontario.
Peer Support HelpLine
Our HelpLine is available for 2SLGBTQ+ youth under 30. It's staffed by peer support volunteers. These volunteers are all 2SLGBTQ+ youth aged 16-29, living across Ontario. They're trained in active listening, anti-racism, harm reduction, and topics related to gender and sexuality. Some common things people call, text, or chat to talk about include:
- Questioning gender identity and/or sexual orientation
- Coming out
- Mental health
- Relationships with friends, partners, and family
- Feeling socially isolated
- Seeking referrals to resources and supports online and in your community
- ...or just to chat!
You can access it by text at (647) 694 4275, or chat online at youthline.ca. The HelpLine is open from Sunday to Friday, 4:00PM to 9:30PM EST.
Community Autism Services Navigation Initiative
We are thrilled to share exciting news regarding the success in securing funding from the William James Henderson Foundation for The Community Autism Services Navigation Initiative. This grant will enable us to strengthen parental knowledge of autism services across Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, while also addressing gaps and barriers that families face when trying to access support.
Our goals include:
- Increasing parental understanding of available autism services
- Mapping existing services and identifying gaps
- Gathering feedback from families to inform future planning
- Codeveloping new services and supports where needed
As a first step, we are sending a presurvey to families and caregivers to understand their current awareness of autism services in KFL&A and to identify barriers and gaps in service access.
The survey can be accessed here:
https://us.mar.medallia.com/?e=110003628&d=l&h=E68734CFB577D03
A Survey Information Package (posters and QR code cards) is attached to this email for your reference and use.
Your partnership will help us gather meaningful feedback, deepen our understanding of local needs, and guide future planning and service development across KFL&A.
Thank you in advance for your collaboration and your commitment to supporting families in our community. If you have any questions or would like suggested wording for email, social media, or website posts, we would be happy to provide it. Contact reception@maltbycentre.ca
Promotional Posters Eng and Fr
Habitat Kingston
At Habitat Kingston, students have the chance to gain meaningful, hands-on work experience while contributing to a cause that directly impacts local families. Our work focuses on building safe, decent, and affordable housing in our community—helping families build strength, stability, and independence through homeownership.
We currently have two student-friendly summer roles within our Kingston ReStore and three at our Napanee ReStore, where students can:
- Develop customer service and retail skills
- Gain experience in teamwork and workplace responsibility
- Learn about sustainability and social enterprise
- Contribute to a mission-driven, community-focused organization
Working with Habitat provides more than just a job—it’s an opportunity to build skills, give back, and be part of something meaningful. Many students find the experience valuable for future employment, post-secondary applications, and community involvement.
Students can explore current opportunities and apply directly through our careers page:
https://www.habitatkingston.com/about-us/careers
We also offer volunteer and co-op opportunities throughout the year. Co-op teachers can reach out to me directly to arrange co-ops.
Students aged 15 and older are also welcome to complete their community volunteer hours with us. To sign up for volunteer shifts, they can visit https://www.habitatkingston.com/volunteer
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.