Welcome back!
We have lots of new faces joining us, both as staff and new students. I think you’ll find North Perth to be a wonderful, welcoming community and Westfield is the best example of that spirit.
We owe a special thank you to the custodial staff who worked, often short-handed, to get our school ready for us.
In the coming months you’ll be hearing more about our Kindness Project, our work with the North Perth Community of Character, house teams and our expansion of the HOAP social responsibility program. While school is a place of academics, I also believe it should be a place of fun and of learning how to be a good neighbour. It’s that balance of academics and character that will be our focus in the coming year. We are, after all, not building students but growing citizens, and it is a privilege to do so.
I’m so glad to have you as partners for our upcoming school year.
K
Vice-Principal’s Message
Welcome back Westfield Warriors and families! We are excited to begin a new school year full of optimism and pride as a staff team. of emotions are bubbling before the year begins (for everyone, regardless of age!)…excitement, anticipation, worry, joy. are committed to building a positive, inclusive learning environment where each and every student is safe, happy, and learning. believe everyone is important and shares responsibility for our community. We have some very simple guidelines for doing just that. Everyone is expected to:
- Be where you are supposed to be
- Do what you are supposed to do
- Keep hands and feet to yourself
- Be kind
In order for students to feel safe and be safe, we are committed to helping students develop strategies for getting along together:
- Ignore (move away; give space; decide to play somewhere else)
- Say stop (use clear, assertive words to tell what you need)
- Report (tell an adult and keep asking for help until you get what you need)
Over the summer, we take time to reflect, thinking about what has gone well, and what our next steps should be. are proud of your successes in year one, and ready for the challenges ahead. Our Westfield home is a beautiful building. For students new or returning to our school, don’t worry if you get lost or feel scared. will help each other, that’s what Warriors do.
Nut Free
Your child’s school is “nut-safe” for a very important reason. Even tiny amounts of nut residue on desks or books can cause someone with a nut allergy to have a strong reaction. “Nut-Safe” schools can only be achieved when everyone is committed. That’s why your help and cooperation are very important. The most important thing you can do is avoid sending any foods from home that may contain even traces of nuts or peanut products.
Attendance/Safe Arrival Program
We operate a ministry mandated “Safe Arrival” program to assist the school in checking daily attendance. If your son or daughter will be absent on a given day, please phone the school before 9am (519-291-6147). Our answering machine receives information outside of regular school hours. Please leave a brief factual message including your name, your child’s name, teacher and reason for absence.
When your child is…
Absent from school – notify the office as soon as possible. Leave a message on our answering machine. The automated message will direct your call.
Late for school – please bring your child into the office to sign in before the child goes to your classroom. Parents can not accompany their child to the classroom.
Leaving for an appointment – send a note to your child’s teacher or record information in your child’s planner agenda. The note should be dated and signed by the parent. When you come to pick up your child you must come directly into the office so that we can call your child to the office and the child can be signed out. To ensure everyone’s safety, we ask that you wait at the office for your child. Parents are asked not to go directly to your child’s classroom.
Technology
Technology is to be used primarily for learning purposes and only inside the classroom.
Students are requested to leave all personal devices at home (games, tablets, etc) unless permission is given by the classroom teacher to use the device for a specific learning purpose. Students are responsible for the care and safekeeping of their own devices. Students up to grade 6 will not use tech during nutrition breaks. Grade 7 or 8 students, should keep personal tech devices (e.g., cell phones) in lockers. Senior students may use the device during nutrition breaks in an appropriate manner. Classroom teachers will determine whether or not classroom technology will be used during indoor recesses. This year Gr. 7 & 8 iPads will not be going home regularly.
School Cash Online
If you have not registered your student(s) for schoolcash online please do so today. Those who are not comfortable paying online, please still register. You will not be required to submit a payment online but by registering you will be notified when an item has been posted for your student(s), ensuring you don’t miss any food orders or other school payments. This year anyone not using online food ordering will be required to request paper food orders from the office.
Register today at: https://avonmaitland.schoolcashonline.com/
Please note: you will need your students OEN number from any Ontario report card, if you need this information please call the school.
JK students can not be registered until the second week in September. A package will be sent home with each student containing registration information and the OEN number.
If you have any questions about schoolcash online, please ask Mrs. Greydanus anytime by calling the school or by email
Nutrition Program
The Warrior Snack program ensures that nutritious snacks are available each morning for students. Food bins are delivered to classrooms each morning and they contain two food groups. This program depends on volunteers, and will only run if we have sufficient assistance to prepare and deliver snacks. This program usually begins in October. If you would like to volunteer for this program, please call us!
Planners
School Planners are used by students in grade 1- grade 6 for recording homework, reminders, upcoming events, etc. and provide an important vehicle for communication between you and your child’s classroom. We request that families send $6.00 to help cover the cost of these planners. Our preference is that you pay online, however if needed cash can be sent in. Remember to check your child’s planner daily for information.
School Council
The first meeting for the 2017-18 school year is Tuesday, September 12 at 6:30 in the Westfield Multi-purpose room. Free babysitting is provided. The North Perth Westfield School Council welcomes new members at any time. Meetings are usually held on the first Tuesday of the month. Elections for new officers are held in September. Please find nomination forms in this newsletter and they are also available in the office.
Custody and Access Documents
It may happen that school authorities are asked by a parent to enforce certain clauses in custody and access documents. In order for school personnel to do this, we must have a copy of the most recent legal document received from the courts containing this specific information. We will gladly make copies of this information and store it in students’ Ontario Student Record folders for future reference.
Medical
If your child has a serious medical concern (any condition which could potentially be life-threatening such as an allergy, or asthma), please ensure we have this information at school. For each student with a serious health concern, we create a Medical Management Plan with emergency procedures and contact information which is updated each year. These forms will be coming home soon if your child has a serious medical issue. In accordance with Sabrina’s Law, all schools provide staff training in the administration of EPI-pens to treat anaphylactic reactions In cases where a student is anaphylactic, parents are expected to provide an EPI-pen for their child. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the school office.
Westfield Staff
M. Askin and J. Playford—Kindergarten A
G. Nelson and J. Scott — Kindergarten B
J. Monteith and T. Oliver— Kindergarten C
N. Petrie — Gr. 1
S. Pinkse—Gr. 1
C. McKee — Gr. 1/2
K. Brown—Gr. 2
H. Schein—Gr. 2
J. Haugh—2/3
Blagrave—Gr. 3
C. Monteith — Gr. 3
S. Arnold — Gr. 4
A. Weber — Gr. 4/5
C. Fortune—Gr. 5
A. Schoonderwoerd—Gr. 5
S. McArthur — Gr. 5/6
G. Vader — Gr. 6
N. Fletcher—Gr. 6/7
L. Shepherd — Gr. 7
M. McDonald — Gr. 7
T. Schaefer — Gr. 7/8
S. Reaman—Gr. 8
R. Petrie—Gr. 8
J. Alexander—P.E.
B. Pierce— Gr. 2/3 social studies and science
S. Bullock — SERT
J. McCutcheon—SERT
L. Umbrico — Music
A. Clarke — French
V. Gregoriadis—French
S. Scott — office manager
K. Greydanus — secretary
S. Dick — EA
D. Galbraith — EA
R. Galbraith— EA
M. Schmidt — EA
C. Walters — EA
B. Metzger — EA
B. Elliott — EA
J. Naylor — STRIVE program EA
J. Bailey-Creagan — TRA
J. Ariss—TRA, EA
S. Shearer — custodian
W. Bowers—custodian
G. Ament—custodian
J. Richards — custodian
J. Stacey — VP
K. Boyd — principal
Please see our Parent/Student Handbook for a full list of information items.
Class Sizes
Some of our classes are very close to their maximum size. It may be necessary in the first few weeks of school to rearrange some of the classes. Although we realize this can be difficult for families, please rest assured that if this happens you will be informed before it occurs and that much thought will go into the changes and many variables will be considered in the process.
Lunch Routines
All students will stay for lunch and eat in their classrooms. Primary and Intermediate students will have nutrition break/eating time for the first 20 minutes, followed by outdoor recess. Junior and kindergarten students will have recess first, followed by nutrition break.
Food/Drink Orders
If you are not signed up online for food orders please send a note to your teacher requesting food/drink order forms be sent home with your child. We will again offer pizza on Thursdays, milk daily and pitas by weekly on Wednesdays. A notice regarding all food orders will accompany this newsletter. Please be sure to mark down due dates, or for ease sign up school cash online to receive email notifications of due dates.
Fresh from the Farm Fundraiser
We will again be running our fresh from the farm fundraiser this September. Stay tuned for more information.
Communication
Most information will be posted on the school website at https://avonmaitlandschools.ca/westfield/; facebook page at North Perth Westfield Elementary School and through our Twitter account @NPWestfield. Newsletters will be sent in electronic format (by email) but we are happy to provide a paper copy if you wish. Many teachers use blogs, email, and websites to enhance home-school communication as well. Check with your child’s teacher.
Emergency Contact Form and Permission Forms
Two important forms will be sent home with each child on the first day of school.
Every child will receive an Emergency Contact Form for 2017-2018. Please check the information carefully, including emergency contact information, and “permissions” (at the bottom or the form). Make any changes directly on the form before returning it to your child’s teacher. In addition, each child will receive an Parent/Guardian Information and Consent for Ongoing Curricular and Co-Instructional Field Trips form to enable students to walk to Kin Park for physical education classes. Please make an effort to return these important forms to the school by Friday, Sept. 8. Thank you!
PA Day
Note that Friday, September 29 is a PA day. Staff will be involved in professional learning throughout the day. There is no school for students on that day.
Volunteer Form
Name:__________________________________
Phone Number or Email:
_______________________________________
Approximate time I have to offer:
___one morning per week
___one afternoon per week
___other: _____________________________
I am interested in helping with:
__Reading programs
__Warrior Snack Program
__Fundraising
__Helping with special school events or activities
__Helping students with fine motor tasks like printing, cutting, keyboarding
Parking and Drop Off
If you are driving your children to school, please use the designated drop off area on Binning Street to “kiss and go”. This is a strict no parking area. You will not be able to leave your vehicle in the drop off zone. We will greet your children at the drop off zone, and ensure that they get safely into the school yard at the fence opening. Kin Park may be used as an alternate drop off location. Please do not park or pull up to the front doors of the school in the circular driveway, since this is a bus loading zone.
Parents may park in the parking lot on the west side of the drive, but please have your children walk around to the sidewalk on the Binning Street side as students should never be walking through the parking lot. The Daycare parking lot is strictly for the use of families with preschool children attending that facility. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping to keep our students safe throughout the day.
Dismissal
Buses
When students arrive at school, they will go directly onto the playground using the paved pathway at the north end of the school. Kindergarten students will have senior students to assist them to go directly to their entry door each day. At the end of the day, students will prepare to go to their buses just before the 3:35 bell. There will be one “last call” for buses at 3:35. Students who miss their bus will need to call home for a ride from the office.
Safe and respectful conduct is expected for students who have the privilege of riding the bus in order to ensure the safety of everyone on the bus. Students are expected to:
- Remain seated at all times
- Sit facing forward without blocking the centre aisle
- Keep hands and feet to themselves
- Use quiet voices
- Refrain from eating or using technology while on the bus
Walkers
Students who walk will be dismissed onto the playground side of the school at 3:35. They may exit the yard via the Binning Street fence or take the path through Kin Park. Students meeting younger brothers and sisters should designate a meeting spot outside (e.g, at the playground). Please note that the yard must be cleared by 3:45pm.
Kindergarten Walkers
At the end of the day, please pick up your child at the kindergarten exit doors on the parking lot (west) side. Older siblings may pick up kindergarten siblings at the exit door on the playground (east side).
Before and After School Students
Students attending before and after programs will go directly from their homeroom class to their respective program (either in a Kinder room, the multipurpose room or the library).
Meeting your child off the Bus
Please ensure there is someone to meet your child off the bus. The bus driver will not let a Kindergarten or Grade 1 student disembark unless they see an adult or older sibling present.
For further transportation information, use this link: http://ourschoolbuses.ca
Yard Supervision
Before school our yard is supervised from 9 – 9:15 AM. Students should not be on the yard before the 9:00 a.m bell. After school there is supervision from 3:35 – 3:45 p.m. All students are to go directly home when they are dismissed at the end of the day and the yard should be cleared by 3:45. In rain and extremely cold weather, students remain inside and are supervised in their classrooms. All students who are well enough to attend school are expected to participate in outdoor play breaks.
9:00 to 9:15 – Outside Supervision
9:15 to 9:55 – Period 1
9:55 to 10:35 -Period 2
10:35 to 11:05 – Period 3
11:05 – NB: Primary & IntermediateR: Kindergarten & Junior
11:25 – NB Kindergarten & JuniorR: Primary & Intermediate
11:45 to 12:25 – Period 4
12:25 to 1:05 – Period 5
1:05-1:35 – Period 6
1:35 – NB: Primary & IntermediateR: Kindergarten & Junior
1:55 – NB Kindergarten & JuniorR: Primary & Intermediate
2:15 to 2:55 – Period 7
2:55 to 3:35 – Period 8
3:35 to 3:45 – Outside Supervision
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are always welcome and appreciated. Many of you have talents to share and we would appreciate your help! If you would like to volunteer to help in the school, please contact the teacher or complete the form below. Upon entering the school, please sign in at the office and wear one of the “Westfield Volunteer” badges provided.