Dear Parents/Guardians,
Thank you to everyone for a great Halloween day, especially to Mrs. Lutz for organizing such fun activities and hosting the Haunted House.
Picture Retakes
Lifetouch will be at the school on Monday, November 4 to do picture retakes (optional).
Halloween
Thank you to everyone for a great Halloween day, especially to Mrs. Lutz for organizing such fun activities and hosting the Haunted House.
Remembrance Day
As a school, we will be marking Remembrance Day next week on November 7. Our student community has grown exponentially and owing to our large numbers we unfortunately cannot host community members at our gathering this year due to space constraints. Thank you for your understanding.
However, we would like to include the community by inviting you to send pictures/information of service men and women from your families to be included in a slideshow presentation during our ceremony. Pictures and information need to be emailed by 12PM on November 5.
Leadership
As we approach the season of giving, we are delighted to share two meaningful opportunities for our students to make a positive impact in our community.
Veterans Food Bank Donation Drive
Our students have the chance to support the Veterans Food Bank by donating non-perishable food items. We invite you to encourage your child to bring these items to their homeroom VFB box by November 18. Every contribution helps ensure that our veterans receive the support they deserve.
Jacket Racket Clothing Drive
Additionally, we are collecting gently used winter clothing for children in need through the Jacket Racket initiative. Please have your child place their donations in their homeroom donation bag before November 20. This is a wonderful opportunity to help keep local children warm during the winter months.
These initiatives not only provide essential resources to those in need but also foster a spirit of compassion and community service among our students. Thank you for your continued support in encouraging your children to participate in these charitable efforts.
Attendance
Please call 403-817-3552 and dial 1 if your child will be absent. Please leave a brief message including only the student’s last name, first name and reason for their absence.
Alternatively, please email us at westridge@cbe.ab.ca to report the absence.
Athletics
Our Jr. Girls won both of their games this week, beating Arbour Lake and Captain Nichola Goddard. The Jr. Boys split their games, losing to Captain Nichola Goddard and winning against Nose Creek. The Sr. Girls team also split their games with a loss against F.E. Osborne and a win against Sir John A. Macdonald. The Sr. Boys were on a bye this week due to Halloween. All four of our basketball teams are currently sitting in 4th place in our division as we enter the final stretch of the regular season.
The next Grade 5 Developmental Basketball session will be happening on November 15. We hope to see you there.
Wrestling season starts next week! The first practice will happen on November 5 starting at 3:15pm. Practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school going forward after that. If you’re interested in being part of the Wrestling Team this season, please ensure you’re at this first introductory practice.
Basketball hoodies arrived this week. Please stop by the PE office to collect your hoodie if you ordered one. We also have a number of outstanding team and apparel fees. If you haven’t already done so, please ensure those fees have been paid. All fees are posted to your MyCBE accounts and can be paid now.
Reminder: Fall Break is coming
Students will be off from Friday, November 8, to Wednesday, November 13, returning to school on Thursday, November 14.
Volunteers
Volunteer registration forms are done in SchoolEngage this year, using your parent MyCBE Account.
Filling out this form is optional, and it is only needed if you plan to volunteer with us. A new volunteer forms is required every school year.
- Log into your MyCBE Account
- Click on the School Engage icon
- Click on Volunteer form (+)
- Fill out the form and submit
- School will review it and either approve your form if you already have Police Clearance with the CBE or
- If you are not in our police check clearance database yet, we will enter your details. Next, you will receive an email from CPS within a few days.
- Calgary Police Service (CPS) emails newly registered volunteers directly once a week, prompting you to start the process.
- We are attaching the instructions for their system to this email (Calgary Board of Education VSPN Voucher Instructions). Please follow these instructions to guarantee your police check will be free – covered by the CBE and linked to our organization CBE Volunteer-VSPN-Voucher-Instructions.pdf
- Once you have received your police clearance, please upload the letter to your CBE School Engage Volunteer form, or alternatively, show it to us at the school office.
- Final step: your status will change from “being processed” to “cleared” on our volunteer database.
Student Fees
Please log in or create your parent MYCBE account.
This includes:
- Pay course fees, field trips, apparel or goods such as recorders (gr 5/6)
- Grade 5/6 students staying at the school during the lunch hour, need a Noon Supervision Registration
- Fee waivers – if you cannot afford school fees, please apply for a fee waiver (financial need proof will be required).
Safety Patrol
As the school year continues, we want to remind everyone of the importance of safety in our school zones, especially during drop-off and pick-up times. The safety of your children is our number one priority, and that is why our Safety Patrol program is in place.
Here are a few key reminders to help ensure the safety of all students:
1. **Stop for Safety Patrols**: When the Safety Patrols raise their stop signs, please come to a complete stop and do not proceed until the signs are down. This ensures that students and patrol members can cross safely without any risks.
2. **Avoid the Bus Zone**: Please refrain from parking or dropping off your children in the designated bus zone. This area must remain clear to ensure the smooth arrival and departure of school buses.
3. **No Drop-offs on the Road**: For your child’s safety, please do not drop off your child on the road. This can be extremely dangerous, as children may need to cross through traffic to reach the sidewalk or school entrance.
Your cooperation is essential to creating a safe environment for all students. Thank you for doing your part to keep our school zone safe and following these guidelines.
School Council/Parent Society
Growing Smiles - Winter Floral Arrangements Fundraiser - LAST WEEK to order
It’s time for our annual Poinsettia fundraiser! Did you know they sell more than just poinsettias? Beautiful arrangements for both indoor and outdoor are available! These make wonderful gifts for friends and family too! You can place your order at https://westridgeschool.growingsmilesfundraising.com/home
Ordering is open until November 6. Pick up will be on November 21 at the school and a parent’s house.
Jacket Racket - Volunteer Driver(s) needed
We are in need of 1-2 parents to help deliver the items collected for Jacket Racket to one of the donation centers. Students will help load your vehicle and there’s 3 locations you can choose from to deliver to. See the details on Sign-Up Genius .
Healthy Hunger Next Week
You can still order Mucho Burrito for lunch next week. It’s on WEDNESDAY next week. Order at www.healthyhunger.ca
Nellie’s Fundraiser
Clean and support the school at the same time! Delivered directly to your home and free shipping on orders $100 or more. Get a free Swedish Dishcloth when you spend over $75 from Nov 1-15 (just add Spring 2024 dishcloth to your cart and discount will be added at checkout) https://nelliesfundraising.ca/westridgeschool
Stay in the Loop
Follow us on FB and Instagram
https://www.facebook.com/wrssc
https://www.instagram.com/westridgeschoolcouncil/
Quick links for fundraisers and sign-ups at www.westspringswestridge.ca
Skip-the-Depot https://app.skipthedepot.com/westridgeschool
Send us an email
Council: wrscouncil@gmail.com
Society: infowrss@gmail.com
Check out the school webpage https://westridge.cbe.ab.ca/school-council