Hi Whiteside Families!

 

We are excited for our Halloween Party tonight. Thank you to our PAC and amazing parent community for organizing this great event!

 

Thank you for your ongoing support of your children’s learning at Whiteside. We look forward to continuing our journey to teach and guide our students together.

 

We hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend with your families!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

HALLOWEEN

Whiteside will host a Halloween parade and dance on Tuesday, October 31^st. Mr. McCuaig’s class will also host a school-appropriate haunted house. We look forward to joining in the Halloween excitement next week.

 

“Trick or Treat” Others with Respect. Halloween should and needs to be fun; however, we need to be aware that celebrating Halloween needs to be fun for all.  Halloween offers an opportunity to have meaningful conversations about costume choices with colleagues and students and requires consideration.  It is important to keep in mind that we need to be sensitive to groups that have been marginalized through mimicry and cultural appropriation during Halloween and other ‘dress up’ events.  A few things to keep in mind:

It’s good to keep in mind that the following are NOT Costumes:

RACE (black face/brown face)

CULTURE (Indigenous regalia/dreadlocks)

RELIGIOUS FAITH (religious figures/gods/saints/gurus/hijab)

GENDER (gender switching for humour or to mock)

TRAUMA (hangman’s noose/weapons)

 

HOT LUNCH

We have two Hot Lunch Days coming (Thank you, PAC)!

Subway – Monday October 30^th

Please pack a recess snack. There will not be additional food for sale this week.

 

Please order online by going to the school website whiteside.sd38.bc.ca and clicking on the link under the MunchaLunch icon or visit https://munchalunch.com/login.

Sushi Lovers – Friday November 10^th

 

PAC HALLOWEEN PARTY TONIGHT!

The Whiteside Halloween Party is BACK! Tickets are available for $10 at the door. The activities are geared towards K-Gr. 5. All ages are welcome to attend. Children in K-Gr. 4 must have a guardian stay with them during this event. Grade 5 and up must be signed in at the front door.

 

Each admission includes face painting, carnival games, a costume parade and cupcake decorating. There will be a Halloween photo booth with a minimum donation of $2. Dress up in your Halloween costume (school rules apply!) and then join our costume parade for a chance to win one of our Halloween Prize Baskets.

 

CITY OF RICHMOND HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES

Over 20 spook-tacular Halloween-inspired events and activities are now on through Tuesday, October 31 with the fang-tastic Halloween Fireworks Festival in Minoru Park on Halloween night. All the details about this year’s 20+ events can be found at richmond.ca/halloween.

 

GRADE 7 RAFTING

We want to make sure all grade 7s join this amazing experience. Please remember to submit your forms and pay your deposit on School Cash Online. If you need assistance with the rafting fee, please email Mr. Cameron at whiteside@sd38.bc.ca.

 

FEEDING FUTURES

Recently, the provincial government announced a new Feeding Futures School Program Fund, designed to assist schools in the development and enhancement of school meal programs and other nutritional supports for students.

If you would like to request support for your child at school, please reach out to our principal, Brett Cameron (bcameron@sd38.bc.ca). We are gathering information and look to provide ongoing support wherever possible. Implementation plans are underway, and we want to ensure families are aware, and as always, able to reach out if they require support. All requests will be treated with dignity and your privacy will be respected. We want to work with families to ensure that your children have everything they need to be successful at school. Please do not hesitate to reach out if we can help.

 

FAMILY ERASE SESSIONS

Three free virtual erase learning sessions for families will be held on November 8, 28, and 30, focusing on establishing safe, caring, and respectful digital communities. These sessions are best suited for families and youth aged 10 and above. Please see the attachment for registration details. Please contact erase@gov.bc.ca with any questions or for more information.

 

CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT

If your child is arriving late to school, please check in at the office through the front entrance.

If your child needs to leave school early, please sign your child out at the office and wait at the front entrance for them.

 

PAC MEETINGS

PAC are amazing resources for our entire school community. A strong PAC bonds our school community with our families. PAC is an excellent way for our families to connect directly with the action at our school as well as develop relationships within the parent community. Our next meeting is on Tuesday, November 21 at 6:45 p.m.! Please reach out to our PAC at whitesidepac@hotmail.com for more information

 

WEST COAST RECESS

During recess and lunchtime breaks, students are expected to be outside at all times this year.  Students are strongly encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather. You may also send a change of clothes to school just in case your child gets wet. Playing outside will ensure our students get some fresh air and exercise to enliven their day.

 

SCHOOL VISITORS

In the interest of safety, everyone entering the school must check in at the office. Classrooms are busy learning places, and we try not to interrupt them during instructional time.  If you need to see your child, leave them a message, or drop off a lunch, our office staff will happily take care of that for you.  As well, it is difficult at the end or beginning of the school day for our office staff to have in-depth discussions with parents.  Making appointments either by phone or in person is preferable. Thank you for your support!

 

PARKING LOT SAFETY

With school starting up, it is important to remind both drivers and pedestrians to keep traffic safety in mind and remain alert during their commutes. Our east parking lot is closed to parent drivers. Please use the South Arm lot or our drop off lane. Students and families use the crosswalks in front of the school all day. Please be mindful of pedestrians and other cars when driving in front of our school. When using the drop off lane, please continue to pull forward to allow more space behind you, but do not block or park on the zebra crosswalks. Blocking crosswalks creates danger for pedestrians trying to cross to our school.

 

Coming Soon:

 

Oct. 30             Hot lunch

Oct. 31             HUB Cycling begins for intermediate.

Oct. 31             Halloween costume parade

Nov. 1              Pajama Day

Nov. 10             Remembrance Day Assembly

Nov. 10             Hot lunch

Nov. 11             Remembrance Day

Nov. 13             Remembrance Day observed – school closed.

Nov. 16             Photo re-take day

Nov. 20             Pro-D Day (school closed)

Nov. 24             Hot lunch

Dec. 7               Grade 6/7 immunizations

Dec. 12             Winter Concert – 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 15             Hot lunch

Dec. 19             Winter musical – 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 21             Reports published.

Dec. 22             Last day before Winter Break

 

Have a great weekend!

 ~Whiteside Elementary