🎉✨ Happy New Year, Whiteside! ✨🎉

 

We hope that you and your family enjoyed a winter break filled with joy, fun, and relaxation. We enjoyed seeing our Wolfpack return to Whiteside happy to see their friends and eager to learn.

 

We have an exciting month coming up. We just finished our Body Science presentations (Thank you, PAC!). We have three performances coming to Whiteside this month:

• Dancers of Damelahamid on January 17
• Hip Hop 101 on January 21
• Spaced Out on January 23

Our grade sevens are also braving the wintery wonderland of Grouse Mountain at the end of the month for a snowshoeing adventure on January 24. We are excited to share this opportunity with our awesome Wolfpack.

 

We acknowledge and thank the First Peoples of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language group on whose traditional and unceded territories we teach, learn and live, and upon where the Musqueam people continue their traditions and cultural education.

 

Coming Events:

Jan. 13              LFI Gr. 5 parent webinar

Jan. 14              MDI begins for grade 5 students

Jan. 14              Online public open house – Long Range Facilities Plan

Jan. 15              Gr. 7 teacher breakfast at McRoberts

Jan. 16              Play n’ Eat (special day!_

Jan. 17              Dancers of Damelahamid

Jan. 21              Hip Hop 101 performance

Jan. 21              Hannah Beach virtual parent session

Jan. 21              PAC meeting

Jan. 23              Spaced Out performance

Jan. 23              Gr. 7 parent night at McRoberts

Jan. 24              Gr. 7 Snowshoeing trip

Jan. 27              Pro-D day

Feb. 14             Pro-D day

Feb. 17             Family Day

Feb. 25             Hannah Beach virtual parent session

Feb. 26             Early dismissal for learning conferences

Feb. 26             Pink Shirt Day

Mar. 14            Last day before spring break

 

WHITESIDE INFORMATION AND EVENTS

Late French Immersion Webinar - January 13, 2025

The Richmond School District provides the Late French Immersion program beginning at Grade 6 at James Whiteside and John Diefenbaker Elementary schools. We invite families of current Grade 5 students to join us for a program information virtual meeting on Monday, January 13, 2025 at 6 p.m. This informative session will include the following topics: 

• Program Overview
• Student Experiences
• Registration Process
• Frequently Asked Questions

Please see attached flyer for more information.

 

Hot Lunch – January 31 and February 7

Please see the attachment for our next two hot lunches.

 

Saleema Noon’s Body Science – January, 2025

Thank you to our amazing PAC for sponsoring our Saleema Noon presentations this week.

 

PAC Updates

Our PAC is a great group of parents that care for our school and students. 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. Please reach out to our PAC at whitesidepac@hotmail.com for more information and an invitation link for future PAC meetings. Our next PAC meeting will be on January 21 in the library.

 

Parking Lot Safety: A Friendly Reminder

Drop-off and pick-up times can get hectic! Let's work together to keep our parking lot safe for everyone. Please remember these important points:

• Drive slowly and cautiously: Children can be unpredictable, so always be alert and watch for pedestrians.
• Use designated visitor parking spaces only: Do not park in the fire lane, drive-thru lane, or in staff parking areas. This can block traffic flow and create hazards.
• Hold your child's hand: Always supervise young children and hold their hands when walking through the parking lot.
• Be aware of your surroundings: Look for moving vehicles and be mindful of blind spots when backing up.

Thank you for your cooperation in making our school a safe place for all!

 

Kindergarten Registration

Richmond School District 38 is excited to welcome kindergarten registration applications for children born in 2020, turning 5 in 2025. These children will begin kindergarten in September 2024. Online registration opens on November 1, 2024. Please visit our website  for more information about our online registration process, required documents, important dates, and FAQs.

http://www.sd38.bc.ca/kindergarten 

 

Families are encouraged to register any time during the Priority 1 registration period (November – January) for the best chance at attending their catchment school. All registration applications received any time during the Priority 1 registration period will receive placement decisions by February 2025. 

 

Instead of in person information evenings this year, we have posted short videos that provide our new parents with information about the registration process, English Language Learner (ELL) assessments, and District Program Options – Early French Immersion and Montessori. These videos are available in English and Mandarin. Please view the videos at http://www.sd38.bc.ca/kindergarten.

 

Whiteside Fundraising

After a summer of collecting empty cans and bottles, you can help raise money for Whiteside. 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.

 

West Coast Recess:

During recess and lunchtime breaks, students are expected to always be outside this year.  Students are reminded 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.

 

 

DISTRICT INFORMATION AND UPDATES

Parent Education Sessions | School District No. 38 (Richmond)

The Richmond School District is excited to offer the following parent education sessions during the 2024/25 school year:

Social Media Awareness, Digital Citizenship, and Cyberbullying

• Jan. 21st: Cellphones: What’s Healthy, What’s Not, and What We Can Do to Support Our Kids (Hannah Beach) – 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Feb. 25th:  Reclaiming Play: Revitalizing Childhood to Combat Anxiety and Aggression (Hannah Beach)
• Apr. 8th: Cybersafe from Exploitation (Exploitation Education Institute)

https://sd38.bc.ca/news/2024-10-16/parent-education-sessions

 

MDI

The middle years development instrument (mdi) is coming to your school in January/mid-March!

The Richmond School District has partnered with the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at the University of British Columbia to measure and promote children’s social and emotional development, health, well-being, and assets through the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI). The Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) is a self-report questionnaire that asks children in middle childhood about their thoughts, feelings and experiences. The MDI is the first survey of its kind to gather information about the lives of children both in school, in the home and in the community, from their own perspective. The survey questions align with the BC Ministry of Education’s K-12 curriculum, which includes a focus on promoting children’s personal and social competencies.

Grade 5 and 8 students are invited to complete the MDI during class time between:

January 14th and March 14th, 2025.

For more information and to view the questionnaires: https://earlylearning.ubc.ca/monitoring-system/mdi/mdi-overview/

Parent FAQs: https://earlylearning.ubc.ca/monitoring-system/mdi/parent-caregiver-info/

If you don’t want your child to participate, please contact your child’s teacher, fill out the withdrawal form at the end of the parent/guardian informed passive consent letter, or contact the MDI project staff at mdi@help.ubc.ca.

 

Online Public Open House – Long-Range Facilities Plan – January 14, 2025

 The district is hosting an Online Public Open House on January 14, 2025 from 6 to 8 p.m. This virtual event will provide community members with the opportunity to learn about the 2025 Long-Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) and offer input to help shape the district’s long-term facilities strategy.

 

Nut Awareness

Nut products can cause severe and life-threatening allergic reactions. To help us maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all students and staff, we ask that you refrain from bringing any items containing nuts to school. While we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment, the district is committed to taking reasonable steps to minimize the risk of accidental exposure to life-threatening allergens. 

 

Student And Family Affordability Fund

This fund is designed to assist families who require financial assistance with school-related costs in the following areas:

• school and course fees.
• school supplies and course materials.
• field trips.
• school-related extracurricular opportunities. 
• clothing and footwear required for sports and school activities. 

Please reach out to our principal, Brett Cameron, (whiteside@sd38.bc.ca) if you need assistance.  As always, all requests will be treated with dignity and your privacy will be respected. We want to work with our families to ensure that our students, your children, have everything they need to be successful at school. Please do not hesitate to reach out if we can help.

 

Feeding Futures

The provincial government continues to fund the 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.

 

THE MORE YOU KNOW…

Emotional Safety: Why kids need a safe space to feel, learn, and grow – Dr. Hannah Beach

• Emotional safety fosters growth: Just like plants need the right conditions to thrive, children need to feel safe to learn, be curious, and develop their unique selves.
• Understanding feelings is key: Emotions are involuntary, while feelings are how we become aware of those emotions. Accessing our feelings allows us to develop empathy, impulse control, and resilience.
• Emotional safety allows feelings to surface: When children feel emotionally safe, they can experience their full range of emotions without fear of judgment, which is essential for healthy development.
• Relationships are foundational: Strong, caring relationships with adults create the emotional safety children need to thrive. Warmth, connection, and acceptance are key.
• Educators make a difference: By creating emotionally safe learning environments, educators play a crucial role in supporting children's growth and well-being.

(https://hannahbeach.ca/emotional-safety/_)

 

COMMUNITY INFORMATION AND EVENTS:

Richmond United Football Club (RUFC) is offering two great programs in 2025! The Coho Soccer Program partners with the Richmond Food Bank to offer free soccer programming and meals to families facing financial difficulties. The Adapted Kicks Program caters to youth with cognitive or physical diversities. Both programs are led by trained coaches and provide a supportive environment for all participants. You can find more information and register for the programs on the RUFC website.

 

Creating Healthy Boundaries Parenting Workshop!

Pathways Clubhouse is pleased to announce that they have part two of their FREE parenting workshop series coming up on Wednesday, January 15th! Led by registered clinical counsellor, Nicole Allen, they will be discussing how to create healthy boundaries with your young children. For more details, please see the poster below. If you are interested in joining us, please scan the QR code, or you can visit the Richmond Public Library website to register.

 

Library Registration Link

 

Nicole Allen's Website

 

 

~Whiteside Elementary