Dear Parents/Guardians:

It has been a beautiful spring week at Jacob Beam! I hope to see many of you at our upcoming Spring Concert on Tuesday April 29th! Don’t forget to reserve your tickets on School Cash - there is no cost, but we do have limited seating. We took advantage of the warmer weather yesterday to have our first Fire Drill of 2025. It went well and the next one will be in May. 

Save the Date! Jacob Beam Family Fun Fair May 28th

Tickets for this event will be posted in the next couple of weeks. We are excited to come together as a community and have a fun evening. There will be games, bouncers, a magician, sweet treats, a food truck and more! 

We are looking for volunteers to help us run this event. We only need you for an hour - so you can also enjoy the event with your family. Sign up here if you are interested in helping. High School students can also get volunteer hours by helping at this event. If you have a teenager at home that needs hours, please give them the link to sign up as well. 

Message from The Education Foundation of Niagara: Prom Project

The Education Foundation of Niagara is hosting Prom Project Niagara at St.Catharines Collegiate on Saturday, May 10. This year, we are trying out a new sign-up process to see if it improves the attendee experience by reducing the length of outdoor entry wait times! We are also piloting a registration form in an effort to prioritize the needs of our DSBN students who need our services most.

This event is geared towards grade 6, 8 and 12 graduates and secondary students attending Prom who would benefit from free formal wear to attend these celebratory events! Like many shopping experiences, we cannot guarantee sizing or that everyone will find their outfit in the Prom Project closet, but trust that our volunteers will do their best to ensure all students get an outfit for the occasion.

Limited transportation is being provided by Switzer Carty to/from Welland, Niagara Falls and West Niagara! This is available on a "first to sign-up" basis.

This registration form will remain open until May 7th or when capacity is reached. A confirmation email will be sent to the email provided at sign up (i.e. parent/guardian, student or school staff) on May 8th with timeslot and if applicable, transportation details.

Prom Project 2025 Event Registration: https://forms.gle/Ag9BrPZRevfQyNGZA

Transportation Registration (requires event registration to be completed too): https://forms.gle/wBcqFmtu9Nzru6Pv7

If you are interested in volunteering at the event, please sign-up here: https://forms.gle/JGar4CCnTDUaAxpZ7. There are some opportunities available for secondary student volunteers too (outside of the event time).

If you have new or gently used formal wear donations to add to our closet, they can be dropped of at the Pen Centre Guest Services, Pen Financial - Niagara Falls Branch, Pen Financial - St.Catharines Branch, Pen Financial - Fonthill Branch.

If you have any questions, you can direct them to efn@dsbn.org and we will field them as soon as we are able to.

Save the Date!

Our Spring Arts Night concert and Art Show will be on Tuesday, April 29th. 

May 2nd is the Mrs. Nagy’s and Mrs. Huntingdon’s class trip to the Adventure Campus

May 5th is the Grade 3 to 8 Track and Field Day at WNSS (NEW date). 

May 9th is Grade 7 Vaccinations

May 12th is the Grade 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 PALS trip

Our School Council has confirmed an evening BBQ and Fun Fair for Wednesday May 28th. The school book fair will be open on the same evening. 

Our Intermediate year end celebration trip to Canada’s Wonderland will be on Monday, June 23rd. Permission forms and more information will be coming soon. 

June 25th is the Grade 8 Graduation at WNSS. 

School Council Parent Talks

Please join us in the library on these upcoming dates to learn more about important parenting topics. Sign up will be provided on School Cash. Childcare is available as these are parent only speakers. Thank you to Tim Hortons in Beamsville for generously donating the coffee and donuts for these events. 

Ice Cream/Frozen Yogourt/Sorbet Cups 

Spring is coming and the Kindergarten Team is raising funds to add wood chips to the lower play area. We will be offering Chapman's Thermal Cups in a variety of flavours. Chocolate Ice Cream, Vanilla Yogourt and Orange Sorbet (Lactose Free). All funds raised on Ice Cream/Frozen Yogourt/Sorbet cups will go into funding the Outdoor Kindergarten Play Area. They will be delivered to the classrooms on Wednesdays. See School Cash Online to order. 

Upcoming Food Dates

April 29      Cookie Day

April 30      Ice Cream Day

May 1         Popcorn Day

May 2         Pizza Day

Extracurricular Activities

Choir – Spring Concert Preparation
Led by Mr. Woelk, the school choir has been working hard in preparation for the upcoming Spring Concert. Rehearsals have been held in the gym, where students are practicing a dynamic and diverse lineup of performances. Among the highlights will be a keyboard interlude performed by an intermediate student, energetic drumming and dancing routines, and musical selections that blend genres such as hip-hop and a lively country hoedown. The concert promises to be an engaging showcase of student creativity and talent, full of rhythm, movement, and expression!

Art in Motion Club
The Art in Motion Club guided by Mrs. Johnson has become a great outlet for student creativity! This club focuses on constructing "automata"—mechanical creations built from boxes, gears, and cans that come to life with movement. Each student selects their own theme, decorates their piece, and tells a unique story through their design. With around 10 students currently involved, the club is not only nurturing artistic expression but also helping students develop technical building skills. A successful dry run was completed by a small group, who will now take on leadership roles in mentoring new participants, encouraging both collaboration and personal growth.

Intermediate Badminton
The intermediate badminton team, coached by Mr. Lostracco, has been training diligently for over a month in preparation for their recent tournament. Their efforts paid off as both the girls’ and boys’ teams advanced to the semi-finals, with the boys' doubles team earning a commendable second-place finish. Throughout the competition, students demonstrated strong determination, skill, and sportsmanship. Their performance is a testament to their hard work and commitment, and we are very proud of all they have accomplished!

Chess Club
Under the guidance of Mrs. Palmer, the Chess Club continues to be a rewarding and intellectually engaging activity for students. The club recently participated in a tournament at Central School, giving students the opportunity to put their strategic thinking to the test. Notably, the club is entirely student-run, with members managing setup and organization of their own matches and events. Experienced players are stepping into mentorship roles to help newcomers learn the game, building a strong sense of leadership and community. The tournament was a great success and offered valuable lessons in problem-solving, resilience, and good sportsmanship!

We are incredibly proud of the passion and dedication our students are showing through these extracurricular activities. The skills they are developing—creativity, teamwork, leadership, and perseverance—will serve them well in all areas of their lives!

Important Dates:

Days of Significance for April 

April is Sikh Heritage Month

Days of Significance for May

Asian Heritage Month, South Asian Heritage Month, Dutch Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage Month, Sexual Assault Prevention Month, Armenian Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, Speech & Hearing Awareness Month