Hi Whiteside Families,

 

It was a short but great week of learning at Whiteside! Our student-led learning conferences will soon springboard us into March and Spring Break. We look forward to longer days, better weather, and great learning!

 

Thank you again for being a part of the vibrant Whiteside community. You make our school a truly special place.

 

The Richmond Board of Education acknowledges and thanks the First Peoples of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language group on whose traditional and unceded territories we teach, learn and live.

 

Coming Soon:

 

Feb. 28             Pink Shirt Day

Feb. 28/29        Early dismissal for conferences

Mar. 8              Hot lunch

Mar. 14            Talent Show

Mar. 14            Last day before Spring Break

April 2              Whiteside re-opens

April 17            Class photos

April 25            Term 2 reports published

May 1-3            Grade 6 Outdoor Education trip

May 13             Speed Control concert

May 17             Pro-D day

May 20             Victoria day

May 22             Welcome to K event

May 24             Ian Maskin concert

June 4              Gr. 7 rafting trip

June 21             Grade 7 farewell celebration

June 27             Last day of school for students

 

HOT LUNCH ORDERS OPEN FOR SUBWAY DAY ON MARCH 8

Our next Hot Lunch Day will be on Friday March 8th featuring Subway sandwiches with choose your own toppings. 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.

 

PINK SHIRT DAY – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Pink Shirt Day is a global movement that originated in Canada, dedicated to raising awareness about bullying prevention. On this day, our Wolfpack wear pink shirts to symbolize their stand against bullying and to promote kindness and acceptance in schools and communities worldwide. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of fostering inclusive environments where everyone feels safe and respected. To recognize and celebrate Pink Shirt Day, Whiteside will gather at 9:00 a.m. for an assembly filled with songs, stories, and performances.

 

WHITESIDE BOOK FAIR

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. This event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. As always, all purchases benefit our school. The Book Fair will take place Tuesday, February 27^th from 2:45-4:30; Wednesday, February 28^th from 1:45-4:30; and Thursday, February 29^th from 1:45-3:00.

 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Every February, people in Canada are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. The 2024 theme for Black History Month is: Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html

 

WHITESIDE BASKETBALL

Our Whiteside basketball season is about to start. Our coaches this year are Mme Howells, Mr. Lenz, Mr. McCuaig, and Mr. Pelletier. We encourage our grade 6 and 7 students to come out and join the fun. A permission form with more information was sent home this week. Please see the schedule below for our girls’ and grade 7 boys’ teams. Our grade 6 boys’ schedule is now available.

 

WOLFPACK BASKETBALL SCHEDULE - GIRLS		Home	Away
Tuesday 02/27/2024	3:15 PM	Lee	Whiteside

 

WOLFPACK BASKETBALL SCHEDULE – GR.7 BOYS		Home	Away
Monday 02/26/2024	3:15 PM	Lee	Whiteside
WOLFPACK BASKETBALL SCHEDULE – GR.6 BOYS		Home	Away
Tuesday 03/05/2024	3:15 PM	Whiteside	Errington
Thursday 03/07/2024	3:15 PM	Whiteside	McKinney

 

JUSTB4 PRESCHOOL: REGISTRATION FOR SEPTEMBER 2024 INTAKE OPENS SOON

Children born in 2020 are eligible for the September 2024 intake of our district operated Just B4 Preschool program. Registration opens the first week of March. Please see attached flyer for more details.

 

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION Gr. 4/7 PARENT SURVEY

Each year the Ministry of Education asks parents of grade 4&7 students, and school staff to complete a learning survey. If you have a child in grade 4or 7, please take a little time to visit http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sat_survey/access.htm to share your thoughts and ideas. Your opinions will help guide the future of education in BC. 

 

HEALTHY EATING HABITS

Kids sometimes complain about having too much food or too little food in their lunch. Sometimes they don’t eat their food at all. If this happens, try asking them about when they eat each item and why they avoid others. It could be that they:

• don’t have enough time to eat.
• eat their lunch during snack time.
• have trouble opening the packaging of a lunch or snack item.
• find the food either too warm or too cold by the time they eat it.

Finding the reason, they are not eating their lunch can help you pack healthy lunches they will enjoy eating.

Don’t forget to pack water. Include a reusable bottle so they can fill it up throughout the day.

Learn more at:

https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/parents-and-children/

 

WHITESIDE READING INFORMATION OF THE WEEK

Through reading aloud, providing print materials and promoting positive attitudes about reading and writing, you can have a powerful impact on children's literacy and learning.

• Invite a child to read with you every day.
• When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read. This will help the child learn that reading goes from left to right and understand that the word he or she says is the word he or she sees.
• Read a child's favorite book over and over again.
• Read many stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite the child to join in on these parts. Point, word by word, as he or she reads along with you.
• Discuss new words. For example, "This big house is called a palace. Who do you think lives in a palace?"
• Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story.
• Read from a variety of children's books, including fairy tales, songbooks, poems and information books.

Reading well is at the heart of all learning. A child who can't read well, can't learn. Help make a difference for a child.

 

SUMMER LEARNING

Visit https://whiteside.sd38.bc.ca/news/2024/01/summer-learning-2024-general-info for more information about Richmond’s summer learning programs.

 

PARKING LOT SAFETY

During our darker winter months, 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. Please drive slowly through the drop-off area.

 

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, April 16^th at 6:30 p.m.! Please reach out to our PAC at whitesidepac@hotmail.com for more information.

 

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 currently provide breakfast and lunch options for students daily. 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.

 

GENERATION HEALTH (FOR FAMILIES WITH KIDS AGES 8-12):

Free program for families who want to be on a healthy lifestyle path, offered in-person at the Cambie Community Centre. More information attached.

 

TRY SOFTBALL (FOR FAMILIES WITH KIDS AGES 6-13):

Session aligns with the BC Physical and Health Education (PHE) curriculum by fostering physical literacy and encouraging personal and social responsibility. This one-day event (Monday, March 4) provides a direct application of PHE skills, promoting lifelong physical activity and teamwork, which are vital for a healthy lifestyle. More information attached.

 

 

FAMILYSMART IN-PERSON EVENTS (FEBRUARY AND MARCH)

In addition to free, online events accessible to parents/caregivers, FamilySmart is running in-person events at district ICY hub locations (Grauer and McNeely). The February session will focus on ‘A Conversation for Families about Digital Well Being and Mental Health’, while the March session will focus on ‘Beyond Behaviours: When is it More? What it Looks Like Ages 9-12’.

 

EARLY LEARNING FOR FAMILIES (ELFF) EVENTS

Formerly known as Ready Set Learn, this year’s Early Learning for Families (ELFF) events will be held on April 8 and 9, in four different schools. ELFF is open to all families with children ages 3-5. See attached flyer for more information.

 

OUTDOOR EDUCATION FUNDRAISING

To help lower the cost of our annual intermediate outdoor education experiences, Whiteside has partnered with Return-It Depot to fundraise.  Return your cans and bottles to our local Return It depot (Unit 110 - 11020 Horseshoe Way), go to the Express area, type in our number 604-668-6419, affix the label to your bag, drop, and go.

 

SCHOOL PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

The City of Richmond Community Bylaws have noted their officers have observed an increase in drivers stopping their vehicles on marked crosswalks during pick-up and drop-off times. Vehicles stopped on marked crosswalks create challenges for pedestrians to cross safely, cause sightline obstructions, and make it difficult for drivers of oncoming vehicles to see them, posing a significant safety risk — especially during this time of year with less daylight. Bylaw enforcement officers may be issuing tickets for vehicles stopping on marked crosswalks.

 

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.

 

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!

  

 

Have a great weekend!

 ~Whiteside Elementary