Dear Whiteside Families,

We are excited to share in the festive season with our Wolf Pack and their families. This week we enjoyed a magical performance from our intermediate band. Next week, it is the younger Wolves that will shine in our musical, You’ve Got Mail. A BIG thank you to Ms. LB and Ms. Johnson for their dedication and hard work to these amazing performances.

Next week, along with the musical, we look forward to returning to the Winter Wonderland at Minoru for a morning of skating and our first Universal Hot Lunch. Thank you to the PAC for providing this experience (and our delicious hot lunch today) and to all the parents that have signed up to join us at Minoru to bundle the kids up and tie some laces.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~ Whiteside Elementary

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.

Wolf Pack Student Corner:

Mme Roozbeh and Mme Swordy’s Class Go to Fort Langley

From Mika, Taylen, Julianne, Logan, Kalan, Jovin, Stella, and Lizzie.

Today (December 3), our two classes took the bus to Fort Langley. We got into teams to race around the fort doing activities. We learned about fur traders. We learned how to build a barrel, that they had pianos in the 1800s, and they made dolls at the fort. Our favourite things were axe making, barrel making, and seeing the blacksmith. The blacksmith changed the colour of the smoke (from the bellows) from black to grey to blue. The fur traders also had different colours of fur skins – oragnse, blue, and grey. We had lots of fun seeing the fort.

Fort Langley is a national park. Our guides and host, Antoine, were able to provide tours and activities in French. Our classes were able to respond in French while applying their oral language skills in a non-school setting. Thank you to Mme Swordy, Mme Roozbeh, and Fort Langley.

Coming Events at Whiteside:

December 16 – Winter musical (1:30/6:30 p.m.)

December 17 – Universal Hot Lunch (spaghetti and meatballs)

December 18 – Winter Wonderland at Minoru (K-7)

December 18 – Term 1 reports published

December 19 – PJ Day

December 19 – Last day before winter break

January 5 – Whiteside re-opens

January 5 – Confi-DANCE program begins

January 13 – TCO2: Children of the Streets parent presentation (online at 6:00 p.m.)

January 20 – PAC Meeting online at 7:45 p.m.

January 21 – Universal Hot Lunch (Butter Chicken)

January 29 – Gr. 7 parent night at McRoberts

January 29 – Family Literacy Night

January 30 – Grade 7 snowshoeing field trip

February 4 – Kind Mind Dance

February 13 – Pro-D Day

February 15 – Family Day (school closed)

February 23/24 – Festival Franco

February 25 – Pink Shirt Day

February 25 – Early dismissal at 11:50 a.m.

March 3/4 - McRoberts Basketball Jamboree

March 13 – Talent Show

March 13 – Last day before spring break

March 30 – First day back after spring break

WHITESIDE INFORMATION AND EVENTS

Winter Performances

We are excited to have you join us for our musical this season. Please take note of a few items to best prepare for the events:

K-4 Musical – December 16

Musical: 1:30 pm show: (doors open at 1:15 pm)

• Parking will be available in the South Arm parking lot but will be limited -- please exercise caution and consider walking or carpooling to Whiteside.
• Please enter through the rear doors of the gym as the students will be entering through other exits and we would like to avoid congestion in those areas.
• Seating is limited. We encourage limiting seats to two (2) per family.

6:30 pm shows: (doors open at 6:15 pm)

• Students who are performing without an adult present please come in the main front doors at 6:15 to go to your classroom.
• Students attending with families attending the musical, please line up at your usual exterior doors.
• Audience members enter through the rear doors of the gym as the students will be entering through other exits and we would like to avoid congestion in those areas.
• Parking will be available in the South Arm parking lot but will be limited -- please exercise caution and consider walking or carpooling to Whiteside.
• Seating is limited. We encourage limiting seats to two (2) per family.
• Please collect your child from their classroom following the concert.

Thank you for your kindness and support, we look forward to seeing you at our performances!

Reporting Student Learning

Our report cards this year will be posted on the MyEdBC parent portal on Thursday, December 18^th. We encourage our parent community to log on and review your child’s fall report card. Core Competency reflections will be sent home or posted on your child’s SD38 portfolio. We hope you and your children enjoy a conversation about their learning together.

Universal Hot Lunch Pilot

Utilizing Feeding Futures as well as National School Food Program funding, the Richmond School District will be piloting a universal hot lunch program at selected elementary and secondary schools during the months of December and January. Lunch will be provided on Wednesday to all students that registered on Munch-a-Lunch this week. This month’s meal is Spaghetti and Meatballs. Dairy free, gluten free, halal, and vegetarian options were available. Our next Universal Hot Lunch will be January 21, 2026.

Winter Holidays

To celebrate the winter holidays, Whiteside will be closed from December 20^th – January 4^th. We will reopen for a new season of learning on Monday, 5^th.

Late French Immersion Applications (Grade 5)

The Richmond School District offers the Late French Immersion program beginning in Grade 6 at James Whiteside and John Diefenbaker Elementary Schools.

Application Information:

The applications for admission to Late Immersion program is open until January 16^th, 2025 for the 2025/2026 school year. To apply please complete the District Options Online Application: https://dpoapplication.sd38.bc.ca

The application does not constitute registration.

Keeping Kids Safe Online: Parent Presentation – January 13, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

Save the date! Keeping Kids Safe Online is a 60 minute interactive workshop designed to help parents, caregivers, and service providers understand how to help children stay safe online. This presentation covers three topics: Online Exploitation – overview, App Literacy – learning how to safely navigate today’s most popular apps, and How to Talk About It – how to have difficult conversations with your children.

A meeting link for this presentation will be provided in January.

Mini Sun Run 2026!

Last year, Whiteside had a group of students and parents enter the SunRype Youth Team Mini Sun Run 2.5 km Challenge at the Vancouver Sun Run.  It was an exhilarating time for all of us, and we are now looking to our next challenge!  We are hoping to participate in the 2026 Vancouver Sun Run on Sunday, April 19^th in Vancouver.  We invite you to join our Whiteside Wolves Team and do the 2.5 km or 10 km Youth Team Challenge.

Friends and family can also join the fun!

Team Name: Whiteside Wolves

Team Access Code: PRPGFA

Link to JOIN OUR YOUTH TEAM: team member registration.  Enter the “Youth Team Challenge – 10 km or Mini Sun Run 2.5 km”.

On that day, students will need to be accompanied by an adult.  If your child enters the Mini Sun Run, entry includes one adult escort. If your child enters the 10 km Youth Team Challenge, they will need to be running with an adult family member.  Both child and adult will need to register individually.   

Run club will start training for the Sun Run in February 2026, but students do not have to be a part of our Whiteside Run Club to participate in the run.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email slai@sd38.bc.ca.

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 our next PAC meeting in October. Our next PAC meeting is online at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20.

Wolf Wear Wednesdays

To show our school spirit, we invite our students, staff and community to wear their favourite Wolf gear every Wednesday

Kindergarten Registration

Richmond School District 38 is excited to welcome kindergarten registration applications for children born in 2021, turning 5 in 2026. These children will begin kindergarten in September 2026. Online registration opened on November 1, 2025. 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.

Food Security and School Affordability Support

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

Whiteside Fundraising – Return It

Help raise funds for our school by recycling at home! 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

South Arm Day Camps

Please see the attached flyer for information about SACC’s licensed day camps.

Allergy Alert:

All families should be aware that Whiteside School has many students with severe, life-threatening food allergies. Some classrooms may be designated nut free to protect the health of these students. Please help us limit the nut products entering our school overall, as the impact on a student can happen anywhere in the school. If possible, please do not send food to school containing nuts.

THE MORE YOU KNOW…

Richmond Holiday Celebrations

There are so many ways to experience the holidays in our community. We hope that your families and friends can experience the joy that coming together as a community can provide:

• Steveston Festival of Trees - The Gulf of Georgia Cannery is transformed into a winter wonderland with unique trees decorated by local community members. The 2025 theme is "Holiday Touchstones," celebrating objects that hold diverse holiday stories and memories.
• Richmond Chanukah Celebration - A public menorah lighting and celebration at the Richmond Public Library and Minoru Rink, featuring games, music, and activities for families.
• Winter Solstice Market - A market at the Vancouver Convention center (accessible by Canada Line) hosted by the Tatus Creative Society featuring unique, hand-made art from talented Indigenous makers, honouring diverse cultures and traditions.
• Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum (Burnaby) - A 1920s-themed village adorned with lights, featuring multicultural displays, carolers, and diverse holiday traditions.
• Winter Indigenous Artisans Market (Vancouver) - Held at the Bill Reid Gallery, this market features handcrafted goods from Indigenous artists, celebrating community and creativity.
• VanDusen Festival of Lights (Vancouver) - A classic holiday light display that includes themed areas and often features diverse cultural music and food vendors.

~Whiteside Elementary