January 31st, 2025

Dear families and caregivers:

We are looking forward to February – a month filled with celebrations: Black Brilliance, Valentine’s Day, 100th School Day and the shortest month of the year!
In terms of school updates, our biggest news is a new parking lot attendant starting next week. I will send a separate school day message with details on how that is going to affect our morning routines, and access to our school parking lot. Please check below for updates on other fronts as well, such as Winter Walk and Enrollment Updates.
Thank you kindly for helping us out with student attendance status. Emailing your child’s attendance status to our Attendance email (BLR-attendance@wrdsb.ca) has made the morning a lot smoother in the office.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Ms Carolina Miranda

*NEW* New Parking Lot Attendant at Blair Road PS

Ms. A. Robb will be our parking lot attendant from Mondays to Fridays, from 9:10-9:40 AM and then from 3:30 to 4:00 PM. During these times, our parking lot will be accessible to staff and school buses only. We ask all parents and caregivers to take a close look at our Blair Rd Parking Map for available street parking if arriving to school at this time. You are welcome to walk up the stairs from Sunset Boulevard, to access the main office.

*NEW* Winter Walk on February 5th

Our school is excited to promote the Walking to School initiative by Student Transportation. All students can participate!

  • Bussed students can walk to their bus stop
  • Students who are driven can walk from a few blocks away
  • Registered students have a chance to win one of 5 $20 Indigo gift cards!
Families and caregivers can register their child(ren) here. More information and resources are attached to this email and on our website.

*NEW* 2025-2026 Enrollment Updates

Kindergarten registration is ongoing, if you have a neighbour with school aged children please let them know that it is preferrable that students are registered at their local school by March 31st. If you are moving, please let the office know by March 31st as well, so we can ensure that your child is enrolled in the correct school for September 2025.

Attendance Reminders From The Office

The office has noticed an increased number of lates and absences. To help with safe arrival, please inform the office if your child will be absent or late by emailing blr-attendance@wrdsb.ca or calling 519-621-5620 ext 1 before 9:25 AM. Please include the student’s first and last name, teacher’s name, and reason for the absence/late in all messages.Please remember that the parking lot is NOT OPEN for pick up and drop off in the morning as we have buses dropping off students and staff needing to park. Here is our Drive to 5 map provided by STSWR outlining available parking around the school www.stswr.ca/wp-content/uploads/Blair-Road_Parking-MapLayout-updated.pdf

All late students must be signed in at the office. When signing in on the iPad please include the first and last name of the student. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Supporting Families in Need

Our community prides itself in being a kind, welcoming and supportive community. Caring for our students is a top priority for our staff, as well as for our School Council. If your family is in need of either compassionate lunches, or winter wear, or you are aware of a family who is in need of these kinds of supports, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. There are many ways to go about this – you can contact the main office, you can get in touch with me directly via email at carolina_miranda@wrdsb.ca, you can connect with your child’s teacher, or you can reach out to School Council  – we are all here to support one another and care for the students at our school community.

WRDSB Psychology YouTube Channel

At the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), psychology staff work with students, staff and parents to support learning and development, as well as helping to address mental health concerns. Each school in our system has access to a psychological services consultant who is dedicated to providing assessment, consultation and intervention support. Psychology staff play an integral role in providing a deeper understanding of why a student may be struggling and developing strategies in collaboration with parents and teachers to support their specific learning needs. They have created a YouTube channel with videos such as Understanding Psych Assessments that are for informational purposes. If you have concerns about your or your loved ones mental health, please speak to a mental health professional or your doctor. Have ideas for future videos, comments, or questions? Email us at psychologyvideos@wrdsb.ca

Autism Direct Funding Application

Families residing in Waterloo Region who have a child under the age of 18 with an ASD diagnosis are eligible to apply for Autism Direct Funding to potentially receive up to $500 that can be used in three possible ways.

  1. To cover the cost of summer camp programs (all camp programs are eligible i.e., inclusive and specialized programs)
  2. To pay for Respite support (e.g., to give caregivers a break) or 1-1 support (e.g., Support Worker at a camp program)
  3. To pay for Recreation/Leisure/Skill Development Programs

*Note – Not every applicant is guaranteed to receive funding.  Priority applicants will be those who are not yet receiving Special Services at Home funding. Please click on the link above for further information. 

Art Supply Donations Welcome – Ongoing! 

Do you have extra art supplies at home that are gathering dust? We are excited to announce that our school is now accepting donations of gently used or new art supplies! If you have any paints, brushes, paper, markers, or other materials in excess, we’d love to put them to good use in our classrooms. Our wonderful School Council Co-Chairs have kindly offered to organize and distribute the supplies, ensuring they find their way into the hands of our students and teachers. Your contributions will help support creativity and art education throughout the school.

Donations can be dropped off at the main office, and we sincerely thank you for your generosity!

Community Flyers:

The WRDSB offers community organizations and not-for-profits the opportunity to share information on their programs and services with our schools on our Community E-Flyers website. Each week we will share the most recent flyers shared with the Board in this newsletter in hopes that you share this information with your community if you deem it appropriate.

Dates happening this week: 

  • Black History Month / Black Brilliance Month, February 1-28, 2025
  • Psychology Month, February 1-28, 2025
  • World Interfaith Harmony Week, February 1-7, 2025
  • Imbolc, February 1, 2025
  • World Hijab Day, February 1, 2025
  • Groundhog Day, February 2, 2025
  • Setsubun-Sai, February 3, 2025
  • Winter Walk Day, February 5, 2025