Dear Whiteside Families,

Happy December! Please take extra care during pick-up and drop-off to keep our students safe on these frosty, rainy days. Our halls are already buzzing with festive spirit, and we look forward to a wonderful month ahead. A huge thank you to our amazing PAC for your dedication, for organizing hot lunches, snack sales, gift cards, and for providing opportunities to our students like our school-wide ice skating trip to Winter Wonderland — you make Whiteside a truly magical place to learn and play!

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:

The Volleyball Jamboree, November 27th

From John, Div.2

The tournament was a great opportunity to play volleyball against other schools and have fun.  It was really fun and not too stressful.  I hope that everyone who watched or played had a great time.

From Isabella, Div. 2

Le jamboree de volleyball était très amusant parce que nous jouer avec tous l’écoles, (Bridge et Lee).  Les références sont très équitable pour tous les personnes dans le jamboree.  C’est très amusant, mais il y a des personnes que joue pas parce que il y a plus de personnes.  Le jeux est difficile et amusant a le même temp.

Coming Events at Whiteside:

December 8 – Immunization Day (6, 7)

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

December 11 – Junior Canucks Floor Hockey Program (K-7)

December 12 – Cozy Sweater Day

December 12 – Hot Lunch (White Spot)

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 – 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 29 – Gr. 7 parent night at McRoberts

January 30 – Grade 7 snowshoeing field trip

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:

Intermediate Concert – December 10

K-4 Musical – December 16

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

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.

White Spot Hot Lunch – December 12

Our amazing PAC and Hot Lunch team is offering White Spot on December 12^th. Please visit Munch-a-Lunch to place your order by December 5.

PAC Holiday Cookie Sale

Our PAC will be selling locally made, hand decorated, individually wrapped winter holiday sugar cookies on Friday December 12th after school from outside the gym kitchen. Each cookie is $2.00.  Proceeds from the cookie sale will help support our Holiday Wish fund. 

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.

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. It is anticipated that a lunch will be offered to all students at Whiteside once each month. We will be using the MunchaLunch ordering platform which families use to order other hot lunches from the school. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

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.

Richmond Lacrosse Association - Try Lacrosse - Free to All Players

Richmond Lacrosse Association is providing an opportunity for kids to learn about Canada's National summer sport and its history.

Please see the attached flyer for December 10th date at Steves Elementary, and January-March 2026 dates at Diefenbaker Elementary.

THE MORE YOU KNOW…

Is Your Family Ready? Emergency Preparedness Starts at Home

As we teach our students how to stay safe at school, it's equally important to ensure they're prepared for emergencies at home. Earthquakes, fires, and other unexpected events can happen anytime, and having a plan in place can make all the difference.

Here are some ways to involve your family in emergency preparedness:

• Create a Home Emergency Plan: Discuss escape routes, meeting places, and important contact information. Practice your plan regularly.
• Build an Emergency Kit: Include essentials like water, non-perishable food, a first aid kit, flashlights, and batteries.
• Teach Safety Skills: Show children how to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" during an earthquake and how to safely evacuate in case of a fire.
• Secure Your Space: Make sure heavy objects are secured to walls, and know how to turn off utilities like gas and water.
• Stay Informed: Learn about your community's emergency alert system and have a battery-powered radio to stay updated.

By taking these steps, you can help your family stay safe and be better prepared to face unexpected situations.

For more information and resources, visit:

• https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/preparedbc/guides-and-resources
• https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yprprdnssgd/index-en.aspx
• https://www.richmond.ca/services/public-safety/emergency-preparedness.htm

~Whiteside Elementary