Bridlewood Community Elementary School

Infobox Education in Canada
name= Bridlewood Community Elementary School


imagesize=300 px
motto= "Growing Together"
motto_translation=
streetaddress= 63 Bluegrass Dr.
city=Ottawa
province=Ontario
country=Canada
postalcode= K2M 1G2
publictransit= OC Transpo Route 161 [ [http://www.octranspo.com/mapscheds/schools/High_Schools/Bridlewood_Elementary.htm Bridlewood ] ]
homepage= [http://www.bces.ca Welcome to www.bces.ca]
schoolnumber=
schoolboard= Ottawa Carleton District School Board
district= Zone 2
oversight=
affiliation=
superintendent=
trustee= Cathy Curry
principal= Pauline McKenna-Upshaw
assistant_principals=
viceprincipal=Mark Heckman
administrator=
custodian=
staff= 50
grades= Junior Kindergarten to Grade Eight
language= English
area=
communities= Bridlewood
feeders=
campus=
mascot= Bronco
teamname= Bridlewood Broncos
colours= Brown, black, white and red
founded= 19 April, 1988 [http://www.feltmateforkanata.com/pages/photos.htm Peggy Feltmate - Kanata's Councillor - City of Ottawa ] ]
enrollment= 385 [http://ocdsb.ca/PDF%20files/profiles/2007_2008/BRWD.pdf "School Profile 2007-2008"] , Ottawa Carleton District School Board]
enrollment_as_of= 2006-2007

Bridlewood Community Elementary School (also BCES or simply Bridlewood) is an elementary and middle school located on 63 Bluegrass Drive, in Kanata, Ottawa, Canada. [http://www.bces.ca "School website"] ] Operated by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, it is situated in the Zone 2 school board district with Cathy Curry as its trustee, [http://www.ocdsb.edu.on.ca/au_bot_cathy-curry.asp "Trustee Cathy Curry — Zone 2"] , Ottawa Carleton District School Board, "accessed 2 June 2008"] in the Kanata neighbourhood of Bridlewood. The current principal of Bridlewood C.E.S is Mrs. Pauline McKenna-Upshaw. Its vice-principal is Mr. Mark Heckman.

Bridlewood celebrated the 20th anniversary of its founding on April 19, 2008. [http://www.feltmateforkanata.com/pages/photos.htm Peggy Feltmate - Kanata's Councillor - City of Ottawa ] ] It operates on a Balanced School Day schedule.

Organisation

Bridlewood C.E.S classes range from junior kindergarten to grade eight. [ [http://www.ocdsb.ca/cc_mo_Our_Schools.asp Ottawa-Carleton District School Board | Community Corner | School Programs ] ] There are also six intermediate classes, including a gifted grade 7/8 class, and two core French classes. The school currently has a student attendance of 385 (2007-2008) studentshttp://ocdsb.ca/PDF%20files/profiles/2007_2008/BRWD.pdf] , and approximately fifty staff members (including non-teaching staff).

In the 2007-08 school year, Bridlewood changed its schedule to a Balanced School Day schedule. There are now six 50-minute periods and two 45-minute nutritional/activity breaks in each day. This replaces the old system, with two short recesses and a lunch hour every day. Several other schools in the board had previously adopted the Balanced School Day.

History

Plans for an elementary school on Bluegrass Drive can be traced as far back as the late 1970s. The space was formerly occupied by a community centre building, and an extensive park which stretched to the limit of the land that was the community of Bridlewood at the time. The park consisted of two play structures, one built for young children and one for older children, a baseball diamond, a basketball court, and a soccer field at the back. During the winter months, a skating rink was built next to the community centre, so that the washrooms could serve double duty as space for people to put their skates.

The community centre itself was small, consisting of a main hall that was used for events, along with a small kitchen and storage room. In later years, two trailers were parked near the building to add extra room. The centre and the park were both removed to allow for construction of the school in the late 1980s.

Programs

Bridlewood C.E.S. has a computer lab, a gym, and a library with a collection of over 15,000 books. Bridlewood also supports a Special Support Unit, a Gifted class, an ESL class, and a Dual diagnosis class.

Music

Bridlewood C.E.S. has an intermediate music program like most other schools in Ottawa. All intermediate students (gr.7-8) have the option of joining a band, either the Junior Band, for grade seven students, or the Senior Band, for grade eights. The bands consist of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, as well as bass guitars.

The school is notable for its excellent Senior Band. The band is led by grade 7/8 music teacher, Mr. Williamson. Since 1994, the Senior Band, consisting largely of grade 8 students and a few grade 7 students, has made an annual trip to Toronto. The focus of this two to three day trip has included competitive performances at Canada's Wonderland and Ontario Place. Band members also visit tourist attractions such as Niagara Falls, Marineland, Ontario, and Clifton Hill.

Sports

The school generally does well in local sports tournaments. Its basketball teams, especially, are known for consistently good performance. In 2006, the school grades seven and eight basketball team won a gold and a silver medal at the Glashan Tournament. [ [http://bridlewoodes.ocdsb.ca/NewsLetters/April2008.pdf BCES April 2008 Newsletter] ]

Other teams at the school include Soccer, Volleyball, Badminton, Football, Bordenball, and Track and Field.

tudent awards

Two students won a school plaque, awarded by the Canada Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, in 2007 for a paper entitled "Can you slow down the spreading rate of spilled oil?". [ [https://secure.ysf-fsj.ca/sfiab/ottawa/winners.php?year=2007&type=Special "2007 Special Award Winners"] , Ottawa Regional Science Fair]

References

External links

* [http://www.bces.ca/ Official school site]
* [http://bridlewoodes.ocdsb.ca/BRWD20062007.pdf Official district site]