Bruce Peninsula District School is nestled in the picturesque town of Lion's Head, Ontario in Northern Bruce Peninsula. We are a rural community and our school houses students from grades JK-12.
BPDS is home to the powerful panthers! We have a lovely student body with a caring and committed staff and parent community.
Below is an article published in the December 15, 2020 to January 12, 2021 edition of The Bruce Peninsula Press:
So the year 2020 is coming to an end and it seemed suiting to take a brief moment to reflect as principal on the past number of months in the “Panther and Fox dens.” So many words come to mind in describing 2020 that one is left trying to determine if any of them are suitable for the local paper. But seriously, the words that come to mind in the midst of this Covid -19 era that are worthy of print include “resilience and community.”
Many people talk about being resilient and how you need this quality to overcome adversity. In sport, your studies, the arts and life, resilience is one of the most significant factors to affect outcomes. Reality is, our BPDS and SED families have shown incredible resiliency on a daily basis. They have trusted the school to care for their children in the most difficult times. Whether learning from home remotely, or stepping through the door each day, families have been full of trust and resilience.
The staff in our local schools have done an incredible job to overcome so many barriers this past number of months. Bus drivers, custodians, office staff, educational assistants, early learning specialists, a myriad of central board staff and teachers have banded together so effectively with a common purpose. At no time in my twenty six year career have I seen so many challenges thrown at a group of people in such a short amount of time. I have witnessed staff on the verge of tears on numerous occasions as they struggled with what any given day was going to throw in their direction. Without the incredible people in our schools and community there is no way we would have the successes that we have enjoyed. Add masks, sanitizer, new routines, remote learning expectations, loss of cocurriculars, family strife and a feeling of constant vigilance against a virus so tiny (yet huge), and you may start to see the picture. These professionals continue to deliver quality lessons and experiences for our young people, finding new innovative ways to keep students engaged despite a true sense of fear and exhaustion at times.
The second word I mentioned was “Community.” The Bruce Peninsula, young and old alike, are an unbelievable example of community. In an age where we hear so many negative stories, (to a point where we almost forget about goodness, kindness and humanity), things happen that remind us how lucky we are. When we started to wear masks, several community members stepped up and made masks for our students. Not just one or two, but hundreds, many emblazoned with the school name! When it appeared our Breakfast program would not be sustainable, School Council Chair Nicole Gamble and the committee of dedicated people simply put the word out and cheques started to arrive at the door from all corners of the Peninsula. When it appeared families would not have what they needed early in the pandemic, local businesses and service organizations flooded my phone and made it clear they would selflessly step up to help. We had another regular philanthropist arrive with hundreds of dollars in school supplies. Just prior to the pandemic we had a family donate the significant proceeds from the sale of their boat to our “kids helping kids” money that we use to help families in need. It is so evident that “Community” actually is not just a word, but rather a sense of belonging.
Whatever your beliefs and however you celebrate the season, please know that we live in a wonderful place. A place where local medical professionals call at all hours to keep us safe, when they themselves are at risk. Thanks for allowing us to serve you and for the trust you place in us to educate the most valuable asset we have; our children.
Hope you all have a blessed and fantastic break. Wear your mask, keep gatherings small and “bubbled” and see you all safe on January 4, 2021 for a new fresh start :)
Mr. Pickett