Happy Vaisakhi! 

To all our families celebrating, we wish you a wonderful and joyous Vaisakhi. May this holiday bring you and your loved ones together to celebrate community, service, and the spring season. Have a great day!

Thank you for all your care and support. You make Whiteside a special community to learn, teach, and play.

~ 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.

A Message from Mr. Cameron:

Dear Whiteside Families,

As many already know today was my last day as principal of École Élémentaire Whiteside Elementary. I have been appointed to a new position to help open a newly rebuilt school in the district and will be spending the rest of the spring preparing that site for its opening.

While I look ahead to what’s next, this change comes with mixed emotions. It has been an absolute privilege to serve as your principal and to be entrusted with the care, growth, and well-being of your children. Each day, I have been inspired by their curiosity, resilience, and joy for learning.

What makes this community truly special is not only the students but the strong relationships we have built together. I am deeply grateful for the partnership I share with our families. Together—with support, trust, and commitment—we have created a school environment where students feel safe, valued, and have a true sense of belonging. That sense of community is something I will carry with me long after I leave.

It has been a pleasure getting to know your children over the last four years. We have navigated a lot together as a community, from major reconstruction to amazing concerts to athletic successes to the return school-wide and community events. I have always appreciated the practical support, open communication, and involvement from our parent community.

I am incredibly proud of all that has been accomplished, from the everyday moments in the classrooms to the larger celebrations and milestones. It has been a joy to witness our school continue to grow and thrive.

Starting next week, Sara Lai will step in as Acting Principal, and Joanne Rooney will be the Acting Vice Principal. They know the school inside and out, and I am confident the transition will be seamless for the students as they head into the final few months of the year.

Thank you for your partnership and support during my time here. I wish you all a successful end to the school year. Merci beaucoup!

Sincerely,

Brett Cameron

Wolf Pack Student Corner:

Coming Events at Whiteside:

April 15 - McRoberts band concert at Whiteside

April 16 – Heritage Fair

April 16 - SWIS Robotics Club

April 17 – Hot Lunch

April 21 – Class Photos and Panorama

April 21 – PAC Meeting

April 22 – Universal Hot Lunch

April 23 – Term 2 report cards posted online

May 1 – Hot Lunch

May 6 – Universal Hot Lunch

May 11 – Track Meet at Minoru

May 14 – Hot Lunch

May 15 – Pro-D Day (school closed)

May 18 – Victoria Day (school closed)

May 20 – Welcome to Kindergarten

May 20 – Universal Hot Lunch

May 21 – Gr. 7 Day at McRoberts

May 20-22 – Gr. 6 Camp at Cheakamus Centre

May 29 – Hot Lunch

June 3 – Universal Hot Lunch

June 12 – Sports Day / Hot Lunch

June 17 – Universal Hot Lunch

June 19 – Grade 7 Farewell

June 25 – Final day of school for students

WHITESIDE INFORMATION AND EVENTS

Hot Lunch Day – April 17 

Please place your Yummy Slice orders by April 10 for pizza and pasta day on April 17. Visit Munch-a-Lunch for your orders.

Track Attack 

Our "Track Attack" program for our Grade 4-7 students started this week! As an exciting part of our physical education curriculum, students will rotate through a variety of track and field stations to build their skills, practice good sportsmanship, and try new activities. Our stations include classic events like the High Jump, Long Jump, Shot Put, Relays, Sprints, Long Distance, and the Softball Throw. We are also very excited to introduce two brand-new events this year: Frisbee and the Football Throw! Students will be practicing at these stations on upcoming Friday afternoons (April 17th, 24th, and May 1st) as we prepare for our school Track Meet on Monday, May 11th. Let's get out there, stay active, and have some fun!

Smile - Class Photo Day

April 21 is class photo day. Our photographers will be on site to take group, class, and school photos in the morning.

Grade 6 Camp Update

Please remember that our grade 6s are camping from May 20-22. Grade 6 Camp final payment is due Wednesday, April 1st.  Please check your SchoolCash Online account.  Thank you to our generous parent fundraisers and donors! Please see the attached WaterSafe flyer for more information for obtaining your WaterSafe certificate prior to camp.

IMPORTANT: Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed

Thank you to our PAC for providing these yummy meals. We need more volunteers to join us on our PAC hot lunch days to organize and distribute the meals to our students. Without the hard work of this team, our hot lunches can’t happen. If you can help, please email our team at jameswhitehotlunch@gmail.com. 

Hatch PreK Program Registration

Registration for the 2026/27 school year for PreK at Hatch Kids Learning Whiteside is now open! Email info@hatchkidslearning.com for more information or to schedule a tour. This program is for children ages 30 months to 5 years old and operates out of the modular building by the basketball courts.

Universal Hot Lunch Update

Ordering for our winter and spring Universal Hot Lunches are open at: https://munchalunch.com/. Please select the “Feeding Futures” option and ensure allergies are noted on your child’s profile. Our Universal Hot Lunch Dates are:

April 22 (Butter Chicken/Spinach Penne Alfredo)

May 6 (Honey Garlic Meatballs and Rice/Cheesy Veggie and Bean Burrito)

May 20 (Chicken Quesadilla/Veggie Chili Mashed Potato Bowl)

June 3 (Chicken and Veggie Chow Mein/Veggie and Edamame Chow Mein)

June 17 (Shepherd’s Pie/Butter Chickpeas and Rice)

Please order the age-appropriate size for your children. All orders must be placed one week prior to the hot lunch.

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 participating in the 2026 Vancouver Sun Run on Sunday, April 19^th in Vancouver.  We invite you to join our 29 member-strong 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”.  Last day to register:  April 16^th.

On Sunday, April 19th, 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 training for the Sun Run will be on Tuesday AND Thursday mornings at 8:10 a.m. Everyone is welcome.  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. Our next PAC meeting is online at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21.

Wolf Wear Wednesdays

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

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.

Student Learning Survey 2025/2026

We invite parents of students in Grades 4 and 7 to participate in the Provincial Student Learning Survey, which gathers valuable feedback on our school environment, safety, and achievement. Your input is essential for identifying our strengths and areas where we can improve. Please complete the survey by visiting https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/student-learning-survey, clicking on the "Parents" icon, and selecting our district and school name. The e-survey site will be open until May 2, 2025.

DISTRICT INFORMATION AND UPDATES

CPF Family Movie Night

Canadian Parents for French will be hosting a French Movie Night in April for National Canadian Film Day. We hope to see you there...

Movie: Tous toqué! (All Stirred Up!)
*movie will be played in French with English subtitles*
When: Wednesday April 15, 2026 for National Canadian Film Day
Where: École Secondaire Hugh McRoberts Secondary School  (8980 Williams Road, Richmond BC )
Time: Doors open at 5:00 pm, movie starts at 5:45 pm. Event ends at 8:00pm.

(Please arrive early to eat in the foyer as food is not permitted inside the school's theatre/drama room)
Who: All ages (children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult)
Admission: free for CPF members

(CPF membership is FREE. To sign up go to: https://cpf.ca/en/join-cpf/)

Register here to guarantee admission (and food) as we anticipate this will be a popular after school event.

Sign up here if you are available to volunteer at the event.

Canadian Parents for French – Richmond Chapter

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…

Save the Date! Richmond Celebrates Soccer (2026 FIFA World Cup)

The Richmond Olympic Oval would like to invite the SD38 community to join members of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Vancouver Rise FC on Friday, June 12th as we celebrate Team Canada's first game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Grade 4-7 students are invited to cheer on Team Canada as we welcome the world to our country.

Stay tuned for more details.

~Whiteside Elementary