April 5th, 2025

Dear families and caregivers:

It’s been a long time since my last update. I think I am still working towards finding the right rhythm and life-work balance that challenges all of us these days. I am grateful for your patience and for the amazing educators in our school who I know keep you in the loop in their classrooms and at school.
We’ve had many exciting things happen in these past few weeks. From the Great Gulp to our new main foyer, which has been freshened up and it really highlights the school spirit. I hope you are all doing well and looking forward to warmer days.
Have a wonderful week,
Ms. Carolina Miranda

Main Foyer:  

This past week, our students (and anyone who visited our school) saw our beautiful new main foyer. Here are some key highlights of our redesign which was done by Mural Works:

  • Clear & Accessible Main Office Signage: It was important to us that the Main Office be clearly labeled for community access. It is now visible and clear, ensuring that visitors can navigate our space easily. Ms. Haughton (our head-secretary) is happy!
  • A Centralized Bulletin Board: A new bulletin board at the entrance serves as a designated space for all board signage, making important information more accessible to students, staff, and families such as the WRDSB Code of Conduct, Human Rights poster, etc.
  • Multilingual ‘Welcome’ Wall: The word “welcome” was used in light gray to symbolize our entire student population. The languages featured on the wall were carefully selected from our directory and represent the actual languages spoken by our Blair families.
  • Honoring Tradition While Innovating: We maintained the school’s existing color scheme and design elements to create continuity while also introducing fresh visual elements that celebrate our growing and diverse community.
  • A Student and Staff Community-Selected Quote: We invited our staff and students to vote on a quote to be featured on the wall, and the overwhelming favorite was: “Once a Blair Bandit, always a Blair Bandit.” This reflects the deep sense of pride and belonging in our school.

City of Cambridge By-Law Enforcement: 

​The City of Cambridge offers an online platform for residents to submit various by-law enforcement requests, including general parking complaints. You can access the Bylaw Inquiry form here: . For other community service requests, such as reporting property maintenance issues or concerns about animals, you can use the Community Services Request form: . These resources provide a convenient way to address by-law concerns within the community.​

Dogs on School Property: 

We kindly remind parents and guardians that dogs are not permitted on school property during school hours, especially when children are present on the yard, as this poses a safety risk. We’ve also noticed increased use of the Kindergarten play area as a space for dogs—please note this area is for our youngest learners and should not be used as a dog park. On weekends, if you’re walking your dog near school grounds, we ask that you please clean up after your pet to help us maintain a safe, clean, and welcoming space for all students. Thank you for your understanding and support!

Electronic communication devices not allowed in school: 

We kindly remind you that, in alignment with the Ontario Ministry of Education’s directives, personal electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets are not permitted for use during the school day unless for educational purposes as directed by staff. This policy supports a focused and respectful learning environment for all students. We appreciate your support in reinforcing this expectation with your child. I also want to recommend Dr Alison Yeung‘s social media page and her research on the harms of social media in young people. She presented her work to school administrators in the WRDSB and she is amazing.

Professor Jamz: 

Professor Jamz is coming to Blair Rd PS – thanks so much to the efforts of our amazing School Council – and we couldn’t be more excited! These fundraising efforts will support us in buying resources that enhance student learning and experience at our school.

Community Flyers:

The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) now has a permanent webpage for all of its weekly / monthly community information, flyers etc. A reminder that these materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Waterloo Region District School Board, the Director of Education, or any of its schools or service departments. This link will be permanently placed here in our school newsletter as well, so you can check it out at your leisure.

Dates happening this week:  

  • World Health Day, April 7, 2025
  • Vimy Ridge Day, April 9, 2025
  • International Day of Pink, April 9, 2025
  • Passover / Pesach, April 12-20, 2025