Hello,

A quick reminder of parent-teacher interviews this evening beginning at 4 p.m. and running until 7:30 p.m. We look forward to hosting you this evening.

Attached, please find this weeks edition of Bell This Week.

attachment: bell-this-week-march-30-april-3.doc

Sincerely,

Bruce Whitehead – Principal

Hello,

Welcome back everyone! I trust that the March break offered time for students and their families to earn some well-deserved time together.

As we return to regular routines this week I would like to bring the following to your attention:

1. School Council meeting Monday March 23, 2009 in the Staff Lounge at 7 p.m.

2. Ottawa Public Health has issued an advisory (attached below) concerning Mumps. The advisory lists helpful clinic dates and times where students requiring MMR (measels, mumps, rubella) vaccine updates can access them.

3. Progress Reports for all students were mailed out over the March break. If you have not received them by mail already please watch for them early this week. In addition to your child’s report are other items of interest in the envelope as well. Please note the parent-teacher interview schedule on the back of the report itself. We hope this will be a helpful planning tool for you as you book appointments with teachers for the evening of Monday March 30, 2009 beginning at 4 p.m.

attachments:Â mumpslttrparentseng.doc; bell-this-week-march-23-27.doc

Sincerely,

Bruce Whitehead – Principal

Hello,

Another week under our belts and my thanks and congratulations go out to the entire crew responsible for putting together this years Multicultural gala held Friday March 6, 2009 in our cafetorium. Approximately 375 guests attended this wonderful evening celebrating our rich culture and talent at Bell HS. Special thanks go out to Mrs. Wendy Verreault, Mrs. Sheilagh Murray-Macdonald, and Mr. Tom Sparks for their conscientious work with the many students involved in putting on this excellent show. Gaurav Bhatti deserves a special mention as well as the very capable student leader responsible for putting this evening together.

Having completed the first five weeks of semester two, teachers are busily preparing Progress Reports for each student in each of their classes. This communication is designed to give parents of all students a “snapshot” of their child’s progress in each of their classes to date this semester. These reports will be mailed home in plenty of time for parents to prepare for Parent-Teacher Interviews on Monday March 30, 2009.

Is your child graduating this June? Grade 12 students are gearing up for convocation ceremonies to be held on June 26, 2009 at Centrepointe Theatre. Graduating students are those who have successfully earned 30 credits (18 compulsory, 12 elective), successfully passed the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, and completed 40 hours of community service. If your child is in grade 12 and has not yet completed their 40 hours of community service please watch for a letter to be mailed home with Progress Reports. If you receive one of these letters it is crucial that your child make arrangements to complete their hours ahead of convocation. Personalized convocation invitations will be going out to only those graduates who have successfully completed all aspects of their requirements for graduation.

School Year Calendar for 2009-2010 – As you begin planning your summer vacations please note that the first day of school next year is September 1, 2009. This is one week before the Labour Day weekend and it has arisen in this fashion due to the requirement of the Educaiton Act and requirements for 194 instructional days. Full details for the calendar may be found at www.ocdsb.ca.

A reminder that next week (March 16 – 20) is March break and there are no classes in session. The school office will be open in case you need to contact us for any particular reason. As we return on March 23 please remember that the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test is right around the corner and is being written on April 2, 2009. All students currently in grade 10 and those who have previously been unsuccessful in meeting this mandatory graduation requirement will be writing.

As we begin preparation for September 2009, I wanted to thank students and parents for their diligence in getting the required course contracts to us by the February 24, 2009 due date. To date we have received the vast majority of these important documents. Guidance personnel are busily following up with students yet to complete their course requests for next year. Stay tuned for more information as this process unfolds in the days and weeks to come.

attachment: bell-this-week-mar-9-13.doc

Sincerely,

Bruce Whitehead – Principal