westdale public schoolwestdale.dsbn.org/documents/westdalenewsletter-december... · 2012-12-03 ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Hello everyone,
Now that we are into December, we are asking students to
kindly bring warmer coats, boots, etc., as we will endeav-
our to go outside for as many breaks as possible. We have
already seen that the temperature can drop drastically on
any given day, so it is best to be prepared for whatever
comes our way.
This month, as you may have read, besides weather uncertainty, our teachers have be-
gun “job action” as directed by their provincial leadership at the Elementary Teachers
Federation of Ontario. School is open, transportation is running and the instructional
days will continue as normal. Should these circumstances change, we will communicate
with you immediately. Please refer to the DSBN website: www.dsbn.org and you will
find the “Negotiations Update” link which will be able to answer more questions for
you.
I would also like to share that our Vice Principal, Mrs. Little, will not be with us for the
month of December as she needs to undergo some radiation treatment as a follow up to
her surgery to remove thyroid cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her
family and we look forward to having her back with us in January! We welcome in her
place for the next three weeks, Ms. Mercier (our grade 1/2 teacher), who will be wonder-
ful in the role and has all of her principal qualifications. Mrs. Campbell will be working
with Ms. Mercier and co-teaching the grade 1/2 class.
Finally, this month is sure to bring lots of excitement as we all get caught up in the holi-
day season - whether we are observing Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or another cele-
bration, it will be a month filled with fun and anticipation. Our “Holiday concert” is on
Tuesday, December 18th at 2:00pm. Please come and join us if you can. Students will
finish school on Friday, December 21st and will return to school on Monday, January
7th.
On behalf of all the staff at Westdale, we wish you and your family a very safe and
happy holiday season!
Mrs. Poppy Gilliam, Principal
From the Principal’s Desk
I n s i d e t h i s
i s s u e :
Math Help 2
Inclement
Weather
2
December
Celebrations
3
Grade 8—9
Open Houses
4
Boys’
Volleyball
4
Literacy 5
Westdale Public
School
D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 N E W S L E T T E R
Superintendent:
John Dickson
905-641-1550
Ext. 54120
Principal:
Mrs. Poppy Gilliam
Vice-Principal
Mrs. Charlene Little
Secretary:
Mrs. Dawn Holderney
P a g e 2
Inclement Weather Conditions
Math Support
Does your child struggle with their math homework at
times? Would they benefit from free math tutoring pro-
vided by certified Ontario teachers?
Online math homework help is available for all Grade
7‐10 math students. Registered students can log in at
http://homeworkhelp.ilc.org from Sunday to Thursday, 5:30‐9:30 p.m. for
20 hours a week for one‐on‐one confidential tutoring, all within the comfort
of their own home. Contact your student’s Math teacher or Guidance coun-
sellor to register. DSBN has over 3,100 students registered, many of whom
are accessing the free tutoring service to support their efforts to successfully
complete their math assignments and support their learning. From Sunday
to Thursday, 5:30‐9:30 p.m. for 20 hours a week for one‐on‐one confiden-
tial tutoring, all within the comfort of their own home. Math Support
Website:
In cases of severe winter weather, the following radio stations will announce any bus cancella-
tions or school closings starting at 7:00 a.m. The bus company that serves our area is DanNel.
We ask for your support in listening to the radio announcements rather than calling the school
to see whether it is open or not.
CKTB 610 CHTZ 97.7 CHRE 105.7 CKEY 105.1 CHSC 1220 CKOC 1150
KLITE 102.9 CHML 900 CHAM 820 Y 108 107.9 FM SPIRIT 91.7
Also, the DSBN website will have notices posted if schools are to be closed.
As well, each family should have a contingency plan in place in the event of an emergency clo-
sure during the school day. Each child should know where they are supposed to go and what
they are supposed to do if the school is closed early. You have already indicated your wishes
with respect to this on the student information form sent home in September. Please keep in
mind that we do not have sufficient phone lines to contact each family immediately. Therefore,
it is very important that your children be aware of the arrangements you have made for them.
Don’t forget indoor shoes are needed at school at all times! We want your student to be safe
and dry.
W e s t d a l e P u b l i c S c h o o l
http://
homework-
help.ilc.org
December Celebrations
P a g e 3 N E W S L E T T E R
Our School Council will help us spread some
joy in our classrooms and the school on Mon-
day, December 3rd. Students will be involved
in making decorations
to celebrate the holiday
cheer. Festivities will
be concluded with a
cookie and hot choco-
late provided by School
Council.
FOOD & TOY DRIVE JOY DAY
Get ready to “boogie” this Wednesday, December 5th! Thanks to School
Council for organizing our annual student Dance-a-Thon!!! Kids will have a
an opportunity to get some great physical exercise and dance for a good
cause! School Council is doing the dance-a-thon for kids to have fun, as a
fund raiser, and as a way to collect canned goods to help families in need this
holiday season. What a great way to teach kids how they can make a differ-
ence and help others!
DANCE-A-THON
WESTDALE T-SHIRTS!
Coming this week…every student will be re-
ceiving a Westdale t-shirt compliments of our
hard working School Council! A HUGE thank
you to our School Council for making this pos-
sible! What a wonderful way to boost our
school pride and school spirit! Our hope is for
the December 21st assembly, our students
can wear their t-shirts over a longer shirt (to
stay warm) and show their school spirit!
For the month of December,
Westdale will be focusing on
the character trait of
“Caring”. To help put this
character trait into action, we
will be collecting food items
and toys for all ages that can
be distributed to families in
our community who need
them most. (You will notice
our piles of food growing at
the front doors.)
To encourage the giving of food, this year for
their annual dance-a-thon, School Council of-
fered students the opportunity to either make a
cash donation or a food donation. Thank you
School Council for your support in this initiative
as well!
Remembrance Day Assembly
Thank you to Mr. Brown and all the staff who planned a beautiful Remembrance Day assembly, and to our student emcees that day, Mary and Leah! Students took time to reflect and remember during a beautiful assembly. Special thanks to Ms. O’Neill and her grade 3 class for singing “Imagine”, Mrs. Shapiro and her Grade 4/5 class for their rendition of “In Flanders Fields”, Ms. Patten’s class for their acrostic poetry and to Mr. Nelson’s Grade 7/8 class for their beautiful tableaux. Thank you everyone!
Grade 8 Secondary School Open Houses
Sir Winston Secondary School Open House
January 14th, 2013- 6:30pm start
Your evening will include:
•‘Welcome to Sir Winston’ Presentation •Our Grade 9 Program Information Session •Extra Curricular Program Displays •Refreshments
St. Catharine’s Collegiate School Open House
January 16th, 2013
6pm— 8pm, starting in the Auditorium
•‘Welcome to St. Catharine’s Collegiate’ Presentation •Our Grade 9 Program Information Session •Extra Curricular Program Displays •Refreshments
* Please note that our Grade 8’s living in our Westdale boundary, are eligible to attend either St. Catharine’s
Collegiate or Sir Winston Churchill. We hope you attend both Open Houses to help make your decision as
both schools are excellent schools.
Westdale’s Spotlight on Literacy
P a g e 5 N E W S L E T T E R
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more
that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
- Dr. Seuss
Oral language is the foundation for reading. Listening and speaking are a child’s first
introduction to language. Talking and singing teach your child the sounds of language,
making it easier for him or her to learn how to read. These oral experiences are neces-
sary for reading skills to emerge. Some fun ways to engage your child in oral language
include:
•singing songs •saying nursery rhymes •reciting poetry •playing rhyming games •making up silly riddles •telling funny stories
By engaging in these activities, your child will build an appreciation for words and lan-
guage. This is fundamental for reading and writing to happen.
If your child’s first language is not English, he/she can still become an excellent Eng-
lish reader and writer. You can support your child at home by developing oral lan-
guage skills in his/her first language, as well as by reading with your child in your first
language. In other words, do the same kinds of activities mentioned, but do them in
your child’s first language. These experiences will prove to be invaluable!
School Shopping Day Fundraiser
Thursday, December 6th
(9:30am—8:30pm)
The Fourth Ave. location of M&M Meat Shops in St. Catharines cordially
invites you to attend our annual School Shopping Day.
Westdale Public School receives a 10%
rebate on your purchases made on this day.
Mark your calendars now. A list showing the specials will be sent home later in the month.
The event is open to your family, friends & neighbours who would like to support the school
so don’t forget to advertise the date & location to your contacts electronically.
DECEMBER’S CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Monday, December 3rd - “Joy Day” (hot chocolate and cookies provided by School Council!)
Wednesday, December 5th - “Dance-a-thon” - Thank you School Council!
Thursday, December 6th - M & M Meat day (4th Ave. location)
Tuesday, December 11th - Grade 4 - 8 trip to Peter Pan (leaving at 10am,
returning by 1:45pm)
Tuesday, December 11th - Collection of hot dog money ($1 per hotdog)
Wednesday, December 12th - Hot Dog Day
Thursday, December 13th - Pizza Day
Tuesday, December 18th - Primary/Junior Holiday Concert - 2pm (everyone welcome)
Wednesday, December 19th - L’hiver Carnaval - Our French Winter Carnival hosted by Mrs. Cabaj’s classes
Wednesday, December 19th - 2:30pm: ELP sharing with parents
Thursday, December 20th - 9:30am: School Carol Sing (everyone welcome to join us)
Friday, December 21st - 9:30am - Paws for Applause Assembly - Focus on “Caring”
L’hiver Carnaval/Winter Carnival!
The Grade 7 and 8 students are going to host a Winter Carnival for all stu-
dents, Early Learning Program children through Grade 6. Winter Carnival
will be on Wednesday, December 19th for the entire day. The Grade 7 and 8
students are excited to share some of their French knowledge with the
younger students. If students wish to purchase items such as candy cane
grams, a gift for a member of their family for the holidays (Mrs. Cabaj will
be purchasing $250 worth of gifts from the dollar store that children can
choose from), popcorn and more…we encourage children to bring $3.00 on
the 19th to participate in these activities should they choose. (We’re thinking
of one gift per child.)
Thank you for your cooperation and your support. We would like to wish
you a Joyeux Noel!!!