Dear Whiteside Families,

The fun of December is almost here, and excitement is filling the air at Whiteside! We can’t wait for a month filled with wonderful learning opportunities and festive fun with our amazing Wolfpack!

Get ready for magical skating trips to the Winter Wonderland at Minoru, exciting field trips, engaging presentations, delicious hot lunches, and show-stopping performances from our talented musicians in our school musical and band concerts!

We hope you 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.

WolfPack Student Corner:

Last Friday, November 14th, Divisions 3 & 4 went on a fieldtrip to try Broomball.  This is what Rylan, Aiden and Zach shared:

Broomball is a sport similar to ice hockey, but you wear curling shoes or special shoes on ice.  The sticks are brooms which don't have the blade a normal stick would have.  Our fieldtrip to go play Broomball was very fun.  We played Broomball at Minoru and it was easier for everyone to play and to have fun because you don't need to know how to skate.  It is a fun and alternative choice to skating or ice hockey.  I can't skate myself, so for me this was a very fun and accepting fieldtrip.  This was amazing and I would go again!

Coming Events at Whiteside:

November 26 – Volleyball game at Whiteside vs. Lee

November 27 – McRoberts Volleyball Jamboree at 3:30 p.m.

November 28 – Hot Lunch (Yummy Slice)

December 1 – Pro-D Day (school closed to students)

December 8 – Immunization Day (K, 1, 6, 7)

December 10 – Winter band concert (1:30/6:30 p.m.)

December 11 – Junior Canucks Floor Hockey Program (K-&)

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

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

December 18 – Term 1 reports published

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 30 – Grade 7 snowshoeing field trip

WHITESIDE INFORMATION AND EVENTS

Volleyball Season

Our Wolves are bumping, setting, and spiking in our gym. Mr. McCuaig, Mme Jien and our intermediate students have been practicing hard all season. Go Wolfpack!

November 26 – vs Lee at Whiteside

November 27 – McRoberts Volleyball Jamboree at 3:30 p.m.

Hot Lunch

Yummy Slice Day is Friday, November 28. Thank you, PAC, for your delicious lunches! Remember to bring a recess snack.

Parent Education Session: Late French Immersion Webinar

The Richmond School District offers the Late French Immersion program beginning in Grade 6 at James Whiteside and John Diefenbaker Elementary Schools. We invite families of current Grade 5 students to join us for a virtual meeting about this program. We will be hosting this Webinar on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025 at 6pm.

This information session will include the following topics:

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

Please see attached flyer for more details.

Holiday Fundraising

Purdy’s and gift cards can be picked up on December 2^nd. Thank you!

Holiday Wish

The Holiday Season is the time of year to celebrate with loved ones. We would like to ensure that all Whiteside families have the chance to partake in this special time. The Holiday Wish Committee and the Whiteside PAC are working together to fundraise for families in our community who need support during this time of year, and we couldn’t do this without your help.

Here are some ways you can help:

PURCHASE A GIFT: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044DA5A62DA2FEC61-60465841-holiday

CASH DONATION: through SchoolCashOnline

GIFT CARD: Purchase a GIFT CARD (specifically for Walmart, Save-On-Foods or Safeway through the

PAC Fundraiser).

Please see our poster for more information.

Parent Education Session: Kindergarten District Program Options (Early French Immersion and Montessori)

The Richmond School District provides two district program options for students entering Kindergarten. We invite families with children registering for the 2026-2027 school year to join district staff to learn more about Early French Immersion and Montessori programs.

Topics will include:

• Early French Immersion (EFI) Program
• Montessori Program
• Registration Information
• Important Dates to Note
• Frequently Asked Questions

Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual on Microsoft Teams

Hosts: Gordon Fitt, Catherine Jule, Kristine Canas and Karen Leung

Meeting Link: Code and QR code on Flyer

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

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.

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.

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.

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

S.E.E.D. Family Learning Series

“Planting seeds for lifelong learning!”

Please find attached flyers to distribute for our new S.E.E.D. Family Learning Series!  This opportunity is for families new to Canada with preschoolers.

SD38’s S.E.E.D. Family Learning Series provides strategies for families to support preschool aged children’s learning:

• S – Social Emotional Learning (Play & SEL)
• E – Everyday Numeracy (Play & Numeracy)
• E – Everyday Literacy (Play & Literacy)
• D – Discover & Explore Outdoors (Outdoor Play)

Parent education is supported by SD38 SWIS and Early Learning staff.  Children are taught and cared for in partnership by SD38 ECEs and Touchstone Family Association Early Years Outreach Program Staff.

Registration is now open.

See flyer for more information.

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…

Communication Between Home and School Is Important

Effective communication between home and school is an essential component of student success. If you have any information that may help your child learn more effectively, feel safer, build stronger connections, or experience greater well-being at school, please share it with your child’s teacher. The sooner we learn about your child’s needs, the more promptly and effectively we can support their learning and development.

Building Respect for Self, Others and Place

A focus for Whiteside this year is building respect for self, place, and others. We are taking this theme into guided lessons in the classroom, school-wide assemblies, and family teams activities. You can help at home!

Model the Behavior You Want to See

Children learn far more from watching you than from listening to you.

• Use Polite Language: Regularly use "please," "thank you," and "excuse me" with your children, spouse, and other adults, even for small requests.
• Active Listening: When your child talks, stop what you're doing, make eye contact, and genuinely listen without interrupting. This teaches them how to respect others' time and thoughts.
• Manage Your Emotions: When you're frustrated, model healthy ways to express anger (e.g., "I am frustrated right now, I need to take five minutes to calm down").

~Whiteside Elementary