NLESD recognizes the impact the Residential School system has had on Indigenous people throughout Canada. We wish to respect and honor the 215 children, families and communities that are deeply affected by this most recent tragedy in BC.

We encourage all students and staff at LBA to wear orange on Thursday, June 3 as a symbol of respect and to honor the 215 Indigenous children found at the former residential school in Kamloops and all residential school survivors. While we wear orange on a particular day, we all need to carry orange inside us each and every day.

Orange symbolizes recognition of the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well-being, and as an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around us matters. But wearing orange is just the first step of many in our own individual journeys. It is just as important to make a commitment to become more aware of Indigenous culture, traditions, knowledge and languages so that we may build respect and appreciation for Indigenous peoples in our province and throughout Canada. It is about how we move forward, increasing our own awareness and the act of reconciliation that happens each and every day moving forward that truly honors Indigenous peoples.

On Thursday, we will also have a moment of silence at 2:15 pm, to remember and honor the 215 children and to make a commitment to further our learning about Residential Schools.

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Schools in central will re-open for regular in-class instruction on Thursday. If students or staff are experiencing any symptoms of COVID, they must stay home and follow public health recommendations. Please see the links below for a memo from the school district, a memo from Central Health and the self-screening questionnaire.

Memo from NLESD

Memo from Central Health

Self-screening questionnaire

CDLI classes will not be affected by the suspension of in-class instruction on Tuesday, May 25 and Wednesday, May 26. Students enrolled in CDLI courses should attend their CDLI classes as usual on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The following message was emailed to all LBA families on May 24, 2021. Please continue to check the school website for up-to-date information.

The following message is from our Assistant Director of Programs, Dan O'Brien:

In consultation with the Department of Education it has been decided that in-class instruction will be suspended at LBA and surrounding schools for two days (Tuesday May 25 and Wednesday, May 26) in response to an identified cluster of Covid-19 in the area.

While Public Health has not expressly advised that in-class instruction be suspended at this time, this action is being taken from a District perspective to address any operational issues which may occur in terms of teaching and support staff being directly advised by Public Health to self isolate.

If required, students will be able to collect any essential learning materials from their schools on Tuesday, May 25, and online instruction will be available on Wednesday, May 26. It is expected that in-class instruction will resume on Thursday, May 27.

Teachers will be working from school and can assist in any way if students need access to essential items on Tuesday. Schools are safe and accessible. From a public health perspective we could be open.

TWEP Recruitment Announcement

GREAT NEWS! The 2021 Tutoring for Work Experience Program (TWEP) will be going ahead this year.

We are looking for post-secondary students who are excited to help our students reach their full potential this school year.

Tutors will earn tuition vouchers at a rate that reflects the minimum wage, to a maximum of 210 hours over 6 weeks, as well as a stipend for a 35-hour week of tutoring completed that reflects the minimum wage and for a 6 week period.

Each tutor can provide a maximum of 35 hours of tutoring service per week over six weeks, for a maximum total of 210 hours of tutoring service. Reimbursement will be:

• $5.00/hour in a tuition voucher, total maximum voucher $1,050.00

• $7.50/hour in stipend, total maximum stipend $1,575.00 to be paid as a lump sum in July.

For a maximum total of $$2,625.00 per tutor

PLEASE NOTE: This spring all tutoring by TWEP Tutors will occur virtually, they will not be engaged in face to face tutoring

All TWEP tutors are required to have a current Criminal Record Check including a Vulnerable Sector Check.

This TWEP program will begin on Monday, May 24th.

If you are interested, please email your resume to Ms. Tucker at tracytucker@nlesd.ca.

Thursday, May 20 and Friday, May 21 are Professional Learning days for teachers at both schools in Bishop's Falls. There will be no classes for LBA and HTE students on these days. CDLI teachers will also be participating in professional learning on these days so CDLI classes will be cancelled as well. These days will be skipped in the schedule.

Monday, May 24 is a holiday for all NLESD schools. We do not skip a day in the schedule for this holiday.

The following memo was emailed to parents on May 10, 2021.

NLESD Memo for Families regarding year end instruction

Also, a big thank you to the families who completed our School Development Survey. This year we had our best response ever with 40% of all families responding! We appreciate your time and honesty and look forward to reading your feedback so we can keep making LBA a stronger and better place of learning for our kids.

The following information was sent out via School Messenger on April 25, 2021:

• School Development Surveys are due by Friday, April 30. Here are the links:

Students -> Student Survey

Parents/Guardians -> Family Survey

• Yearbooks can be purchased by bringing $20 to Mary at the office anytime this week.

• Student Chromebooks will be distributed this week. If you have a borrowed school chromebook at home, please return it to the school on Monday or Tuesday.

• Senior high students will return to a modified Scenario 1 on Tuesday, April 27. All students will be attending classes at the school everyday instead of on alternating days. Monday, April 26 will be a regular scenario 2 day with Group A attending classes at school and group B attending virtually online.

• A big thank you to our Breakfast Program volunteers and to NL Hydro. NL Hydro had a food drive with their employees and collected food for our LBA students. Pictured below, accepting the donation, are two of our Breakfast program student volunteers: Ainsley Luff and Amy King.

The following memo was emailed to our senior high families on April 10, 2021: Update on Senior High Classes

School Development Survey

Each spring, all NLESD schools look to gather data to help improve our learning environments through surveys developed by the Department of Education. These surveys provide students, families, teachers and support staff an opportunity to voice their opinions about our school. The survey results will be provided to the school and used with other data in the school development process to identify the school’s strengths and challenges. We will then create and implement a plan to build on our school’s successes and address areas of challenge.

We would greatly appreciate all students and all parents complete the survey by following the appropriate link below. Your feedback is important to us.

Students -> Student Survey

Parents/Guardians -> Family Survey

Friday, March 19 - Due to the continued Winter Storm and Heavy Snowfall warning issued for our area today, we will be CLOSED ALL DAY for junior high classes. SENIOR HIGH classes are online and will still take place as scheduled.

Chromebook Loan Agreements are due Friday, March 19. All students were given forms and the signed copy can be scanned and emailed to tracytucker@nlesd.ca. The agreement can also be accessed by clicking here .

Synervoice phone message March 17:

• technology loan agreements (on the yellow paper) are due this Friday, March 19

• junior high students are still going outside for Phys Ed classes so please bring warm clothes and mitts to wear outside

• Senior high classes will start online on Thursday, March 18.

Below is the education update provided by Minister Osbourne on Friday, March 11.

Key points impacting LBA include:

• grades 7-9 will continue in-person classes and masks are still mandatory while in the building.

• grades 10-12 will continue in scenario 2 on Tuesday, March 16 (group B) and Wednesday, March 17 (Group A). Students should bring home all school textbooks and materials on these days. Virtual classes will begin for grades 10-12 on Thursday, March 18, following the regular Powerschool schedule.

Upcoming Dates:

Friday, March 12 - PL Day - no classes for students

Monday, March 15 - NLESD holiday - no classes

Thursday, March 25 - Term 2 Reports released

Friday, March 26 - parent can call the school to schedule a virtual appointment (258-6337)

Wednesday, March 31 - virtual parent teacher conferences. Students dismissed at 12:05

Thursday, April 1 - last day before Easter break

In consultation with Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, Chief Medical Officer of Health, and Public Health officials province-wide, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) is preparing to resume in-class instruction for schools in the Central, Western and Labrador regions.

Online classes will continue on Monday, March 1 and Tuesday, March 2 while we transition back to in-person learning. Once in-class instruction has resumed, teachers will be engaged in face-to-face instruction, and online classes will not be available.

Our junior high classes (7-9) will remain in their cohorts and will resume in class learning on Wednesday, March 3 under Scenario 1 guidelines. This means students will be back in school full time but with additional health and safety protocols as explained below.

Our senior high grades do not allow for cohorting as Grade 10-12 students are mixed in classes throughout the day due to individual programs. These grades will follow Scenario 2 guidelines. This means grade 10-12 students will be split into two groups and will attend school on alternate days to allow more physical distancing in the classrooms. Families will be notified on Monday about their child’s grouping and schedule.

Upon the reopening of in school learning, the following measures will be put into place and strictly followed, as recommended by Public Health and NLESD:

• All school staff will be required to wear a Level 1 medical mask and face shield at all times within instructional spaces and at any other time a two-metre physical distance cannot be maintained between students/other staff. A Level 1 medical mask is a disposable, non-surgical 3-ply mask.

• All students must properly wear a mask covering their mouth and nose at all times on the school bus and during the school day, including when seated in classrooms.

• Students must adhere to the directional arrows when travelling in the hallways and to their lockers.

• Eating and drinking is permitted only in designated areas and not permitted in the hallways or classrooms.

• Extra-curricular activities continue to be suspended until further notice.

We thank you for your cooperation during this new transition and look forward to seeing everyone back and working together to ensure everyone's safety.

Students and staff should refer to the Self-Screening Questionnaire every day to determine if they are well enough to attend school. The questionnaire can be found by going to https://www.gov.nl.ca/education/files/Screening-Questionnaire-2.pdf .

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District is extending the suspension of in-class instruction to all K-12 students in all schools under its jurisdiction. This suspension is effective up to and including Friday, February 26.

Further information on virtual learning will be provided as it becomes available.

We understand this is difficult news for students and families. Understandably, there will be questions and concerns. Stay well. We will get through this together if we remain positive and focused on supporting each other and our entire school community.

We will communicate with you regarding any particulars as soon as we can.

We appreciate that this is a very stressful time for us all. There are many uncertainties, but as we did before, rest assured we will get through this together.

Suspension of Extra-curricular and Co-curricular Activities

Given the Special Measures Order issued by the Chief Medical Officer of Health on February 9, 2021, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District is suspending, immediately and until further notice, all extra-curricular and co-curricular activities in schools effective immediately.

This is an unfortunate measure, but a prudent step being taken in the best interest of student health and public safety. The District continues to rely on medical advice from Public Health with respect to the operation of schools.

All after school sports and activities are cancelled until further notice. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Monday, February 8 - School will remain CLOSED for the remainder of the day due to impending weather.

Wednesday, February 3 - School will be REOPENING for the afternoon session. Busses will run 4 hours later than usual. Doors will open at 12:30 and the first bell will ring at 12:45 for classes.

Friday, January 22 - Today is Jersey Day! Wear your favorite jersey to school.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We are excited to welcome everyone back to classes on Monday, January 4. We hope the holidays gave everyone a chance to relax and spend time with loved ones.

Monday will be day 4 in the schedule and students are reminded that masks are still mandatory and the water fountains still cannot be directly used, so all students should bring a water bottle with them as well.

Just another reminder, there are no mid-terms this year and we will not be having a mid-term week as in previous years. Classes will continue as usual throughout January.

LBA's 12 Days of Christmas

Day 1: December 3 - Red/Green Day

Day 2: December 4 - Christmas Jammies

Day 3: December 7 - Winter Wonderland (Blue/White/Silver)

Day 4: December 8 - Santa Hat Day

Day 5: December 9 - The Work of the Elves?????

Day 6: December 10 - Christmas Socks ('cause Christmas rocks!)

Day 7: December 11 - Selfies with Leo, the Elf

Day 8: December 14 - Everything Candy Cane! (Red and White)

Day 9: December 15 - Ugly Christmas Sweater Day

Day 10: December 16 - Christmas Music Kahoot

Day 11: December 17 - Santa's Workshop (dress as Santa, reindeer, elf, etc)

Day 12: December 18 - Christmas Activities and dismissal at 12:45

December 3 - There will be no classes this afternoon for students to accommodate parent-teacher conferences. Students will be dismissed at 12:05.

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Term 1 Report Cards will be given to students on Monday, November 30 and parent-teacher conferences will take place VIRTUALLY on Thursday, December 3. If you would like to schedule a Google Meet appointment with a teacher, please call the school office on Tuesday, December 1 and we will set you up with a time.

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District has been advised that Public Health has revised its School Self-Screening Questionnaire for students and staff. The new self-screening questionnaire is available here: School Self-Screening Questionnaire (Revised) .

Please remember, students should stay home if they are sick. All classwork is available on Google Classrooms and students can access their teachers via email.

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) is excited to share that our FIRST Provincial Virtual GSA Meeting will take place on Thursday, November 12, 2020 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Newfoundland Standard Time Please sign up and drop in and out as your schedule permits!

These sessions will be student-led with support from NLESD’s Program Itinerants for Safe and Inclusive Schools and the team at the Center for Distance Learning and Innovation (CDLI). Students will be welcomed into the virtual space and then will be directed to breakout rooms depending on age/grade.

These sessions are being offered through the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation (CDLI) platform; therefore, if you have not already done so, participants will need to create a CDLI account using their NLESD email address. If you need help, please ask Ms. Hogan, Ms. Ellis or Ms. Tucker.

First Virtual GSA Provincial Meeting is scheduled for November 12, 2020!

Our Guidance Counsellor now has a Google Classroom set up with lots of great resources for students and parents.

To join, please go to Google Classroom and use the Class code : 2x6gqc5

ANNOUNCEMENTS (October 23)

Our after school tutoring program is beginning on Monday, October 26. Tutors are available Monday-Thursday. Please contact Ms. Tucker or the school office if you would like to arrange tutoring.

Consent Forms for the Flu Shot Vaccination will be going home on Monday, October 26 and need to be returned to the school office by Friday, October 30. Flu Shots will be administered on November 6.

School pictures are scheduled for November 9. All students will have their pictures taken, even if they are not purchasing them.

Our OH&S class will be completing their first aid training on Tuesday, October 27. All students in this class must be present for the entire day to be certified.

The Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL province wide Radiothon is on Wednesday, November 4.

You can support our school's Breakfast Club by designating your gift to Leo Burke Academy and helping us provide students with a nutritious start to their day.

Donate online today at www.kidseatsmart.ca or phone 1. 877.722.1996.

CHANGES TO GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Please note the following changes to the graduation requirements, from the Department of Education:

• For the 2020-21 school year, the 30 hours of community contribution requirement is eliminated. This change in the requirement applies to students graduating in 2020-21. It also applies to grade 10 and 11 students who are completing Career Development 2201 in the current school year and those who have already completed the course.

• Effective this school year, the number of Grade 12 credits required is reduced from nine to eight. The reduction in the number of Grade 12 credits is a permanent revision to the graduation requirements.

Monday, October 12 is the Thanksgiving holiday. All schools will be closed on this day, so we don't skip a day in the schedule. When we return to regular classes on Tuesday, October 13, it will be Day 10.

Welcome back to the 2020-2021 school year!!

Classes will start for all students on Wednesday, September 9, with the door opening at 8:30 and the first bell ringing at 8:45. All students and staff must have a mask on before entering the building and keep the mask on until they are seated in class. Masks are required in the hallways, on busses and in other common areas of the building. Parents and non-essential visitors are not permitted in the school building at this time.

To avoid congestion in the halls, traffic will be one way. The hallways downstairs all go to the right and the hallways upstairs all go to the left, so when students enter the school they must all go to the right and use the stairs on the east end of the school to go upstairs.

There will be no school wide assembly on the first day so students should go straight to their homerooms as follows:

Grade 7 - Ms. Boland (Room 224) Grade 8 - Mr. Pomroy (Room 220) Grade 9 - Ms. Kearns (Room 201)

Grade 10 (old 9-1) - Ms. Kendell (Art Room) Grade 10 (old 9-2) - Ms. Smith (Room 214)

Grade 11 - Mr. Hughes (Room 210) Grade 12 - Ms. Dettanakkeaze (Room 212)

Please remember, there are no microwaves for student use at this time, no canteen service and no dropping off lunches and forgotten items, so please pack an appropriate lunch and recess.

The breakfast program will start up when we find volunteers, so if you, or anyone you know, are interested, please contact the school.

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The following letter from the office of the CMOH was emailed to LBA parents on September 6, 2020.

The following letter was emailed to LBA parents on August 30, 2020.

Back to School Update

As the 2020-2021 school year is quickly approaching, please know that we are working hard with the NLESD to make sure we are ready to open safely to welcome back all our staff and students. Of course there will be changes, but we are confident and happy that we can still provide a safe and optimal learning experience for our students. As more information becomes available, we will update our website so please keep checking back as the summer winds down.

For those of you wondering about school supplies, the sharing of resources and materials is not required so students should have their own supplies with them every day. This includes paper, notebooks, binder, pencils, pens, calculator and a geometry set. Other materials may be required based on the student's courses. MASKS WILL BE MANDATORY IN COMMON AREAS AT SCHOOL AND ON THE BUS.

Thank you for your support as school reopens and we can't wait to see all our students again! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Final Report Cards will be released to students on Tuesday, June 23 for pick up.

Junior High reports will be ready from 10:00am-12:00pm for pick up and Senior High reports will be ready for pick up between 1:00pm-3:00pm. To do this safely, and while physically distancing, teachers will be outside to distribute the reports. Scholarships will also be awarded at this time and students can drop off remaining textbooks and materials. If students or parents are unable to pick up the reports during these designated times, they will be mailed home later in the week.

Congrats to LBA's class of 2020!

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank the individuals, organizations and businesses that supported our Grads with contributions to their special day.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:

Nape Glen’s Ultramar D&R Convenience Leah Budgell Mary Browns

Sprinkles On Top - Breanna King Myrna House Hairstyling Anglican Women’s Group Hoskins Funeral Home

Krista’s Cloverfarm Shoppers Drug Mart Wishes Flowers and Gifts Calvary Pentecostal Church

Reid’s Construction Blanchard’s Cabinetry Botwood Home Hardware

The wonderful community members of Bishop's Falls

Students are reminded that teachers are updating their Google Classrooms and/or emailing students every Monday. Students can work throughout the week on the material and email their teachers if they have any questions. Students should also be checking their school email on a regular basis for important memos or messages.

ARE YOU UP FOR A CHALLENGE????

We are asking all our LBA students and families to display their LBA pride! We have partnered up with HTE to see which school can show the most pride in our community. Students and families are asked to create a snow sculpture, snowman, snow painting, window signs, etc that display school colors, the school name or #LBApride/#HTEpride.

You can email pictures to tracytucker@nlesd.ca, post in your Google Classroom or put on Social media. We will also be driving around Bishop's and taking pictures to post on our school website.

Come on LBA! Let's do this together!

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District is launching a resource to assist and guide families with continued learning opportunities while in-school instruction remains suspended.

The resource, Learning at Home: Good at Learning-Good at Life (http://learningathome.nlesd.ca) is a Google site, a platform familiar to our students and staff. The site will provide opportunities to foster a passion for learning through engaging online and offline adventures and activities.

Be sure to check it out and take advantage of the great resources and ideas to stay mentally and physically active in these challenging times.

Bridge the gApp offers online mental health support for adults and youth. They have even added a section for COVID-19 questions.

They offer a number of online programs including;

• I CAN Program -Young Adult Anxiety Program

• TAO - Therapy Assistance Online

• MINDWELL-U -Mindfulness challenge

• Always There -Connect with a counsellor

• Breathing Room- Online program for people looking to find ways to manage stress, anxiety and depression

• Strongest Families Program

www.bridgethegapp.ca

Also the Doorways walk-in clinic located at 36 Queesnsway Community Health Building in Grand Falls-Windsor offers appointments Monday-Friday from 1:00-4:30. However, I'm not sure if this will change as we have more cases in the province.

Attention: Grade 9 Parents and Students:

Grade 9 Math has been added to CDLI’s Course Review resources. This course covers all 9 units in Grade 9 Math. It has lesson videos, lesson notes, textbook questions (and answers), interactives, self-assessment questions and practice quizzes.

This course is open to anyone (Parents, Teachers, Students etc.) who has a CDLI account. Go to www.cdli.ca homepage and select "sign up" to create an account.

You can access this course by completing the following steps:

1. Log in into your CDLI account (go to www.cdli.ca and click on ‘login’ near the top of the screen) . Enter your username and password. A new screen will appear.

2. Click on “go to Brightspace” (top right of screen)

3. Click the Self Registration link on the navigation bar at the top.

4. Choose Grade 9 Math from those courses listed. Follow the prompts to enroll in the course.

Once you have registered for the course, a link to the course will appear in your My Home area of Brightspace.

When school busses are loading or offloading students at the school, they have their stop signs out and lights flashing. Please remember that vehicles cannot pass school busses while this is happening, even if they are in the car lane. If the busses have their stop signs out and lights flashing, vehicles must wait for them to move before proceeding, or use the other entrance to get to the parking lot. Thank you for your understanding.