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Profile

Bell Times

9:15 AM - 3:35 PM

Principal

Kristi Keery Bishop - 905-659-3396 | Email

Superintendent

Nicole Lee - 905.527.5092 x 2673 | E-mail Nicole Lee

Trustee

Graeme Noble - 365.889.3795 | E-mail Graeme Noble

School Council Chair

Hannah Wright

Erin Meanchoff

Administrative Office Staff

Mrs. D. Nelligan

Our School 

Programs & Services

  • Ongoing Learning Resource Team meetings
  • Extensive use of Assistive Technology
  • Various activities provided to ensure smooth transition to high school (student visits, teacher exchanges)

Program Highlights

  • Roots of Empathy
  • Reading Buddies
  • Daily Physical Activity
  • Terry Fox Run
  • Fundraising – Food Bank
  • At-Risk Support Program
  • Literacy Coaching
  • Talent Show
  • Milk Program
  • Spirit Days
  • Literacy Blocks
  • Bi-Annual Science Fairs
  • Reading Clubs
  • Specialist Teaching Staff for Science, Instrumental Music, Physical Education, and French
  • SMARTboard and iPad technology
  • Jump Rope 4 Heart/Hoops 4 Heart

Clubs

  • Intramural Sports
  • Band
  • Teams: 3-Pitch, Volleyball, Basketball, Cross Country, Track & Field, Soccer
  • Reading Club – Forest of Reading – Blue Spruce, Silver Birch, Red Maple
  • Checkers
  • Leadership
  • Office Helpers
  • Lunch Monitors
  • P.A. Announcers
  • Christmas Program

Before/After School Program or Activities

  • Extra Homework help
  • Team Practices
  • Fun Fair
  • Academic Support
  • Talent Show
  • Sports (both Jr. and Sr. and boys and girls)
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Soccer

Parent & Community Involvement

  • Balaclava has led to many community partnerships and initiatives all of which help with student learning, student achievement, and development of the whole student
  • Students, staff and the broader school community actively and passionately participate in initiatives such as the Terry Fox Run,  Flamborough Food Bank’s food drives, clothing and toy drives for our sister inner city school as well as the Salvation Army, Flamborough Santa Claus Parade, “Free the Children” campaign, Jump Rope & Hoops for Heart, Canadian Red Cross programs, Roots of Empathy, and UNICEF
  • We have an alliance with the Carlisle Optimists Club – the Optimists have generously supported investments in our instrumental music acquisition and maintenance program, our primary playground, our food cupboard and food days, as well as trip subsidies, among other things. Optimist members volunteer as members of School Council and at community outreach events.
  • The school also has important program, recreational and information links with agencies, service clubs and organizations such as Hamilton Police Services, Hamilton Emergency Services, Public Health, Girl Guides of Canada, Scouts Canada, Carlisle Baseball Association, Flamborough Soccer Association, Flamborough Hockey Association, Carlisle United Church, Friends of Rural Communities and the Environment (FORCE), and the Rotary Club, among others
  • We have good working relationships with our neighbours Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, our secondary school Waterdown District High School and our elementary cluster of schools.
  • Balaclava is pleased to host the community at events such as Welcome Back BBQ/Meet the Teacher Night, Holiday Concerts, Talent Show, Education Week Open House, and Fun Fair

Parent

  • Balaclava has a strong tradition of working together:  parents, school and community.
  • A School Council and Home & School Association both operate at Balaclava and work in a cooperative and complimentary way to support our students and staff.
  • Balaclava School Council membership includes parents, the Principal, one teacher, and one community representative. Its meetings are generally held on the first Tuesday evening of the month. School Council provides advice to the Principal or School Board. Typical topics include capital improvement plans, curriculum action plans for improvement based on EQAO and other test results, gender specific learning strategies, Waterdown High addition requirements, class size/teacher allocations, and development proposals impacting the school/environment. School Council also offers support for parents through Guest Speakers.
  • Balaclava Home & School Association, a member of the Ontario Federation of Home & School Associations, is independent of the school and Board but actively supports the school and its programs with volunteer recruitment and management, financial support, and advocacy. Its meetings are generally held on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Two major fundraisers are sponsored each year: the Fall Shopping Basket and the Spring Fun Fair.  Funds raised are used to support student agendas, special program supplies, field trips, visiting speakers and performers, various clubs and teams, purchase of new musical instruments, computers, printers, software and reading resources, installation of playground equipment, soccer/baseball field and a new kiln.
  • We offer extensive parent volunteer opportunities – in classrooms, assisting with literacy and numeracy resource programming, on field trips, in the library, with book fairs, with co-curricular activities, on food days and with the milk program, sharing professional experience on career days, with “Art in the Classroom”, and so much more. There is also committee work on initiatives such as fundraiser organization, and to bring authors into the school.
  • Regular communications with parents occur through the monthly School Bulletin, school website, teacher newsletters, e-mail, phone calls, and parent/teacher interviews.
  • Parental information and involvement is important to us. A parent’s involvement in a child’s education has been shown to have a significant effect on performance and achievement.
Updated on Tuesday, October 05, 2021.
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