Happy Weekend Whiteside,

We had another great week of learning at Whiteside. Whether it is Run Club, Outdoor Ed, volleyball, or gardening, our Wolfpack loves to come together to have fun, support each other, and make learning awesome.

We look forward to joining you in our Learning Conferences next week. This is a great opportunity for families, students, and teachers to come together to celebrate learning and find new ways to work alongside each other to support our children. Thank you for joining in these conversations.

We are also excited for the fun leading to the end of October. We will have dance classes for everyone and the PAC Halloween party. Yay!

Please remember: Our first early dismissal this year is on Wednesday, October 22 at 11:50 a.m. to accommodate our learning conferences.

We hope you have an awesome 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.

Coming Events:

October 21 – PAC meeting at 7:45 p.m. online

October 22 – Early Dismissal (students dismissed at 11:50) for Learning Conferences

October 22 – Outdoor Ed Parent Meeting (online) at 5:00 p.m.

October 23 – PAC Halloween Party at 5:30 p.m.

October 24 – Provincial Pro-D (school closed)

October 27-31 – School wide dance classes/finale

October 29 – Cross Country Fun Run at Garry Point

November 3 – Photo retake day

November 7 – McRoberts band performance

November 10 – Remembrance Day assembly

November 11 – Remembrance Day

November 20/21 – PAC family photo nights

December 1 – Pro-D Day

December 10 – Winter band concert

December 16 – Winter musical

December 18 – Term 1 reports published

December 19 – Last day before winter break

WHITESIDE INFORMATION AND EVENTS

Hot Lunch – Subway – October 31

Our next hot lunch will be spooooky subs on Subway Day on October 31. Please see the attached flyer for more information and place your orders until October 24 at Munch-A-Lunch.

PAC Halloween Party – October 23

Join us for a frightfully fun night at our Halloween Dance Party on Thursday, October 23rd from 5:30-8:00pm. Don’t forget no school on Friday October 24th!

Put on your best costume and dance the night away with:
✨ Costume contests with awesome prizes
🎨 Face painting & temporary tattoos
🍫 A FREE full-size candy bar for every ticket holder!

🎟️ Save $2 with pre-sale tickets on MunchaLunch 
Don’t miss out on the fun-grab your tickets early and get ready for a ghoulishly good time!

Parents of younger children (under 11 years old) must be accompanied by an adult. No ticket required for parents!

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, October 21.

Learning Conferences

We have an early dismissal at 11:50 a.m. on October 23 to host our fall learning conferences. These conferences are a great opportunity to connect with the school and discuss your child's learning. Please check in with your classroom teacher for more information and scheduling an appointment.

Hold and Secure Drill – Monday at 1:00 p.m.

Whiteside is committed to ensuring a safe environment for all students and staff, which includes preparing for various potential incidents or emergencies. To practice our responses, we will conduct its first "Hold and Secure" drill on Monday, October 20th, at 1:00 p.m. This procedure is a perimeter lockdown used when an event is present outside the building (like a neighborhood incident). Please reassure your child that this is a routine safety practice, just like a fire or earthquake drill. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mr. Cameron and Mme. Lai at the school office.

Wolf Wear Wednesdays

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

Run Club!

Mme David-Harel, Mme Swordy, and Mme Lai brought back run club. All students are welcome. Please meet in the gym at 8:10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. Our Cross-Country Fun Run at Garry Point is scheduled for October 29^th. Information for the 2026 Mini Sun Run will be coming soon.

Volleyball Season

Our Wolves have started to bump, set, and spike in our gym. Mr. McCuaig, Mme Jien and our intermediate students started our new volleyball season this week. We look forward to seeing you at our home games soon! Go Wolfpack!

October 29 – vs. Bridge at Whiteside

November 5 - @ Bridge

November 18 - @ Lee

November 26 – vs Lee at Whiteside

Halloween

For those who celebrate it, Halloween should and needs to be fun! And it can be fun for ALL and not at the expense of equity-deserving groups. It’s good to keep in mind that the following are NOT Costumes:   

• RACE (black face/brown face)
• ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (Indigenous regalia/dreadlocks)
• RELIGIOUS FAITH (religious figures/gods/saints/gurus/hijab/turban/kippah)
• GENDER (gender switching for humour or to mock)
• TRAUMA (hangman’s noose/weapons)

Learning Buddies Network at Whiteside

Whiteside is happy to welcome back the Learning Buddies Network, an engaging after-school program for our students. It pairs local high school and college volunteers with a small group of younger children to build foundational literacy and numeracy skills in a fun, one-on-one setting. This partnership is a fantastic way to boost academic confidence and foster positive mentorship right here in our community.

Important Safety Reminder: Visitors on School Grounds

We have noticed an increase in adult visitors on our school grounds, particularly near classrooms and playgrounds. While we love seeing our community enjoy South Arm park, the presence of unknown adults makes it difficult for our students to quickly identify a safe and trusted adult and creates confusion.

To keep all children safe and prevent allergy risks (due to accidental exposure to treats or pets), we must enforce a strict safety rule:

All visitors, including parents and grandparents, must report directly to the Main Office upon arrival.

If you need to drop off an item, treats, or share a message with your child, please do so through the office.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our entire school community safe and secure every day.

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 parking spaces only: Do not park in the fire lane or drive-thru lane, as this blocks traffic flow and creates 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!

FSAs for Grade 4 and 7:

In October, students in grades 4 and 7 will complete the Foundation Skills Assessment. The Foundational Skills Assessments (FSAs) help us understand your child's progress in key areas like reading, writing, and math, providing insight into their learning. These assessments allow both teachers and parents to identify strengths and areas where additional support may be needed, ensuring each student reaches their full potential. This assessment is one of many that provides information about student learning at Whiteside and throughout the province.

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

We appreciate parents dropping off and picking up students only at their exterior doors. The front of the school and our hallways are busy places before and after school as teachers and staff work diligently to prepare their teaching. Please be respectful of these spaces and times. We are happy to assist you should you need to meet with a teacher. To meet a teacher, please visit the main office and we will connect with the teacher for you (or greet at your exit door).

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

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.

Halloween in Richmond

The City of Richmond is offering over 20 spooktacular Halloween-inspired events and programs to choose from throughout the city (October 18-31).

• Halloween Hoot at the Richmond Nature Park (Oct. 18-29)
• Halloween Fireworks Festival at Minoru Park (Oct. 31)
• Halloween Family Skates (Oct. 31-Nov. 2)
• Click here to see more “fa-boo-lous” fun for everyone!

THE MORE YOU KNOW…

Learning conferences are an important part of our reporting process and can provide invaluable insight into your child’s learning and social-emotional well-being. Here are some benefits from joining a learning conference with your child’s teacher:

• Gain Direct Clarity: You receive firsthand, clear information about your child's specific learning goals, strengths, and challenges directly from the teacher.
• Align Support at Home: You learn the strategies, resources, or next steps the teacher is using, allowing you to align help and emotional support at home to boost their learning.
• Strengthen Home-School Partnership: Learning conferences provide dedicated time to establish a collaborative relationship with the teacher, ensuring you both are working as a team to support your child's learning.
• Boost Your Child's Ownership: By simply attending, you validate the importance of your child's self-reflection, reinforcing their responsibility and accountability for their own educational journey.

~Whiteside Elementary