June Principal Update

And here we are, in the final weeks of school. It is hard to believe we are almost at the midpoint of June. Here at Billy Green there is a buzz of excitement for summer as the sky clears and the weather warms. There has been so much happening and soon to happen that we need to share. Here are a few updates: 

Upcoming Excursions: 

We have a number of classes who will be experiencing educational excursions in the next few weeks: Mountsburg Conservation Area, Movie Visit, Club Rex Visit, Fire Truck Visit and more! Please be sure you subscribe to our website so that you receive automatic updates about all of our excursions. 

Commencement: 

On June 20th, we will be celebrating the end of the elementary years for our grade 8 students. Details have been sent home to families. Please be sure to read these important updates that include meeting times, ceremony times and more.  

JK Registration: 

If you have a child who is school age for September and you have not yet registered or verified your registration, please be sure to stop in at the school to speak with Mrs. Hyatt or Mrs. Hyslop 

Some Farewells: 

We are sadly saying goodbye to some of our amazing team: Mrs Hyatt, Mrs Hyslop, Mrs Miller-Boyes and Ms Gottschling will be moving on to new adventures. They will be deeply missed by our school community. 

Be You Be Excellent with Compassion, Dignity, Trust and Joy: 

Compassion, Dignity, Trust and Joy are the values through which we at Billy Green strive to conduct ourselves each day. Over the course of these last few months, our focus has been on accepting one another for who we each are. We have focused on gathering student voice to understand their needs. Every student from fdk to grade 8 was asked what they need to make Billy Green great. Based on those voices we have painted new lines in the playground, purchased large mirrors for the bathrooms, purchased a class set of iPads, added spirit days and have been continuing to have our Be You Be Excellent awards that recognize students who conduct themselves with compassion, dignity, trust and joy. 

What has been truly special is how the recipient for the award has evolved. At first, this was intended to recognize only students for being themselves and being excellent. But now – students themselves have begun to nominate even adults around them. They come to me with a write up where they share their why for nominating the educator. I have read paragraphs that explain that an adult has been nominated for being understanding of their mental health, for keeping the school tidy, for never losing patience, for encouraging them along their way. I have also read paragraphs that identified a classmate for bringing joy through humor and for always be willing to help. As principal, I am proud to see how one small act of acknowledgement has been contagious. As I always say: people notice – the compassion, dignity ,trust and joy we show is always seen. 

As we move forward towards the end of the year, we will continue to emphasize our values. At home, consider speaking to your child about our Billy Green values. Some questions to consider: 

Compassion is recognizing how others are feeling and then taking action to help. How do you show compassion for others? 

Dignity is treating others in a way where they are valued and respected for what they are, what they believe in, and how they live their life. Dignity might look like being kind no matter how someone is, respecting religious or cultural symbols that people wear. What are some examples from school of treating people with dignity? 

Trust is guided by humility and being open to learning and feeling safe to admit and/or make mistakes. How can we build trust with our friends and the caring adults at the school? 

Joy is about enjoying and having fun while learning and interacting at school. It is about finding the positive even when faced with challenges. Where do they find joy at school and how do they create joy at school? 

We look forward to the excitement that these next few weeks will bring. 

Sincerely, 

Ms. Beatrice