Happy Friday Whiteside!

 

Thank you for joining us at our parent appreciation event this morning. Your partnership and unwavering support are the cornerstones of our amazing school community. We deeply appreciate everything you do to encourage our students and enrich our school. Thank you for making such a positive difference!

 

Our track meet is scheduled for Monday at Minoru. We are excited to see our Wolves run, jump, and throw. Please see below for more information.

 

Thank you for all your care and support. You make Whiteside a special community to learn, teach, and play.

 

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:

May 26             Track Meet at Minoru

June 2              Book Swap

June 9              Grand Marché

June 12             Band Concert at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

June 13             Sports Day

June 13             Hot Lunch – White Spot

June 20             Gr. 7 Farewell assembly

June 26             Last day of school

June 26             Final report cards posted on MyEd

 

 

WHITESIDE INFORMATION AND EVENTS

Yearbooks Pre-Sale

Yearbooks are available for pre-sale now! Have your order in by Monday, May 26^thto have your book delivered before the end of the school year. Please note, the school will NOT be purchasing extra yearbooks for sale. And there will be no individual purchasing if you miss this deadline. Order on SchoolCash Online: Softcovers are $22 and Hardcovers are $36.

 

Whiteside Track Meet Reminders - Monday, May 26th at Minoru Park!

Get ready for a fun day of athletics! Here are some important points to remember for the Track Meet on Monday, May 26th, 2025, at Minoru Park:

• Event Times are Approximate: Please be aware that event times listed are estimates and could run up to 15 minutes earlier or later.
• Weather Check: The meet is usually rain or shine! However, if the weather is questionable on Monday morning, please check the school website by 8:00 am for any cancellation notices. If cancelled, students should attend school as usual.
• Drop-Off at Minoru Park:
  • If driving directly, please arrive by 8:45 am for attendance.
  • Our designated area is in the courtyard in front of the Minoru Centre for Active Living.
  • Drop off is behind the centre by the tennis courts.
  • Grade 7s in the 1200m race: Please arrive by 8:30 am for warm-up.
• Parking at Minoru: Parking is limited to 3 hours. If staying longer, you'll need to move your car. Do NOT park in Senior Centre spots.
• Bus from Whiteside: If taking the bus, please be at school by 8:40 am (students go to the gym). Late students who miss the bus will remain at school.
• Conflicting Events: If your child has two events scheduled at the same time, they must go to the field event first to give their event tag, then go to their running race, and return immediately to the field event after the race.
• What to Wear & Bring:
  • Wear: Athletic attire (track pants/shorts, t-shirt, sweatshirt, running shoes). Whiteside t-shirts are encouraged! No track spikes or Crocs.
  • Bring: Backpack, water bottle, sunscreen, hat, healthy snacks, and lunch.
• Valuables:
  • It's best to leave cell phones at home (school is not responsible for lost/damaged items).
  • A watch is recommended.
  • Limit concession money to $10.
• End-of-Day Sign-Out:
  • All students MUST be signed out with Mme Howells, Mme Welford, or Ms. Liang before leaving.
  • Parents, please park and walk over to sign out your child.
  • No transportation back to school is provided. All events should conclude by approximately 2:30 pm. Please plan your child's pick-up accordingly.

 

Grand Marché

Our Grade 4-7 classes are excited to be participating in the Junior Achievement (JA) "Business of Our Own" program. For their final project, students will plan, create, and sell their own products at "Le Grand Marché," a community market event scheduled for early June. This project connects directly to curriculum areas like math (financial literacy), careers education, and ADST. Each student has a $5 budget for materials; after repaying this initial amount, all profits will be donated to a charity chosen by the classes. We look forward to seeing the Whiteside community, including students and parents, come out to support this wonderful student initiative!

 

Hot Lunch Orders – White Spot – June 13 and Ice Cream Sandwich Sales

Our next hot lunch orders are open. Our final hot lunch will be White Spot on Sports Day! Ordering is open at Munch-a-Lunch. Orders will close on June 6. PAC will also sell icy treats (ice cream sandwiches) after school again on May 30. Please line up outside by the swings.

 

PAC Update

Come Join the Fun – We Need YOU!

The Whiteside PAC is a powerhouse of parents who work together to make our school an even better place for our kids — building community, supporting students, and making school life extra memorable!

Our amazing events like Sports Day and After-School Snack Sales wouldn't happen without the helping hands of parent volunteers — and this is where YOU come in!

Whether you have a special talent to share, want to try something new, or are simply looking for a fun way to get more involved, we'd love to have you on board.

We're currently looking for volunteers to help out this spring and welcoming new faces who might want to join the PAC team for next year (nominations happen at our June AGM!).

If you're curious, excited, or even just a little bit interested, reach out to us at WhitesidePAC@hotmail.com — we’ll happily share more about the different ways you can get involved.

Thank you for making Whiteside such a wonderful community!

Our next PAC meeting will be our AGM online on June 17^th at 7:00 p.m. Thank you for your support! - Whiteside PAC

 

Class Placements and Organization for the 2025-2026 School Year

Our school staff will soon begin thoughtfully planning class placements for the upcoming school year, aiming to create the best learning environment for every child by considering academic, social-emotional, and learning needs, as well as class dynamics.

While specific teacher or friend requests cannot typically be met, parents are invited to share insights into their child’s ideal learning conditions regarding social, emotional, or academic needs. There is also the possibility of changes in our staffing or the levels that our staff teaches. If you wish to provide this valuable input, please email Mr. Cameron by Friday, May 30th, 2025.

We appreciate your trust in our professional staff to organize classes for a productive and rewarding year for all students.

 

Hatch Pre-K and Summer Programs

Our local out-of-school care program, Hatch, is expanding their registration to include pre-k children in September. This is a great opportunity for our families and the younger siblings of our Whiteside students. They also run programming throughout the summer. Please see the attached flyers for more information.

 

Personal Items at School

There has been an increase in students bringing personal items (toys, stuffies, Pokemon cards, video games, etc.) to school. Unfortunately, when these items come to school, there is a chance they can get dirty, lost, or broken. We strongly recommend keeping all personal items at home.

 

Keeping Our Community Clean

There has also been an increase in litter and refuse around our school and local community. We ask for your support in keeping our community clean. These are some ways you can help:

• Reuse reusable snack and lunch containers instead of single-use plastic bags, wrappers, and foil.
• Resuse reusable drink containers too.
• Send “boomerang” lunches – all uneaten food and packaging can be returned home.
• Talk with your children and lead by example:
  • Reinforce proper sorting of waste at home (recycling and compost)
  • Pick up in the park – help pickup litter around South Arm

Thank you for your help!

 

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.

 

DISTRICT INFORMATION AND UPDATES

 

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…

Try this fun activity that builds literacy skills while enjoying the outdoors:

Outdoor Chalk & Read: If you have a driveway, patio, or can visit a paved park area, bring along some sidewalk chalk. You can:

• Write large letters for very young children to identify and say the sound.
• Write simple sight words or CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words for them to read aloud as they hop on them.
• Write a very short story or a series of silly instructions ("Jump three times," "Spin around," "Find a stick") for them to read and act out. This makes reading active and playful in the fresh air.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

~Whiteside Elementary