Happy Victoria Day Whiteside!

 

Please remember that Friday, May 16 is our non-instructional day. Monday, May 19^th is Victoria Day. Whiteside will be closed to students on both days.

 

We are excited to welcome next year’s newest Wolves with our Welcome to Kindergarten event on Wednesday, May 21^st at 1:00 p.m. This is a great time to showcase our amazing school and community and get to know our future students a little better.

 

Thank you for sending layered clothes, lots of water, hats, and sunscreen to school this week. We want to ensure all our little Wolves are safe in the sun.

 

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 16             Non-Instructional Day (school closed)

May 19             Victoria Day (school closed)

May 20             McRoberts Grade 7 Day

May 20             PAC meeting and AGM at 7 p.m. (online)

May 21             Welcome to Kindergarten

May 23             Parent Appreciation event at 8:15 a.m.

May 26             Track Meet at Minoru

June 6              Grand Marché

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

June 13             Sports Day

June 20             Gr. 7 Farewell assembly

June 26             Last day of school

June 26             Final report cards posted on MyEd

 

 

WHITESIDE INFORMATION AND EVENTS

Parent Appreciation Morning

We appreciate all the care and support you provide for your children, our school, and our community. To show our appreciation, we welcome all our families to join us in the field by the playground for coffee and treats at 8:15 a.m. on Friday, May 23rd.

 

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 online on May 20^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…

Visualizing when reading strengthens reading comprehension. When reading with your child at home try this game, Scene Sketchers, to help build visualization skills in your child:

How to Play Scene Sketchers:

1. Read Together: Finish reading a story, a chapter, or even just a descriptive passage.
2. Independent Drawing Time: Give everyone a piece of paper and some drawing supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils). Without discussing it beforehand, each person silently draws a picture of a scene, character, or moment from the reading that they visualized most clearly in their mind. It's not about artistic skill, but about capturing the mental image.
3. Share and Tell: Once everyone is done, take turns sharing your drawings. As each person shares:
   • Describe what part of the story their drawing represents.
   • Explain why they chose to draw that particular scene or character.
   • Point out any specific words or descriptions from the text that helped them create that image in their mind.
4. Discuss Differences: Talk about how different family members might have visualized the same part of the story differently. This is a great way to show that everyone's imagination works uniquely!

 

 

Have a great weekend!

 

~Whiteside Elementary