September 6th, 2024

On behalf of the staff of Westvale Public School, we welcome everyone to the 2024-2025 school year. It has been an exciting first week and we are anticipating a wonderful school year ahead of us.

Outdoor Equipment – Before and After School

Please remember that the outdoor play equipment is reserved for the Extended Day program students  before school from 8:20 am onward. After school, Extended Day begins inside the school. After 3:45 pm, the outdoor play equipment will be used solely by Extended Day participants.

Arrival

It is important for students to arrive on time for the 9 am bell. Learning begins at 9 am and it is important for students to be ready to learn at that time. Arriving before the bell to enter at 9 am is good practice.

If your child is late, parents / caregivers must enter with students arriving late to sign them in at the office. Students cannot sign themselves into school at the young ages we have at Westvale.

Attendance 

If your child is going to be late or absent please email wsv-attendance@wrdsb.ca and provide the reason for the lateness or absence. A second option would be to call (519)746-6724 and press 1. 

We use the Safe Arrival program to ensure that all of our students arrive safely to school. We greatly appreciate families and caregivers notifying the school about absences before the start of the school day. 

Peanut Free and Scent Free School

Please do not send food products containing nuts nor scented products to school. We have students and staff with nut and scent allergies.

Nutrition Breaks

Students eat for the first half and go outside for the second half of break. We support students in their hand hygiene routine of washing their hands before eating.

If you know you are going to pick up your students for appointments during our nutrition breaks, please try to do so during the first 20 minutes when students are indoors eating. Our break times are 11:00 am – 11:40 am and 1:40 pm – 2:20 pm.

Coming on School Property 

Parents and caregivers are welcome to come behind the school to drop off at the beginning of the day and/or meet your child at the end of school.

School property should not be accessed for other purposes during the school day. Classes go outside for outdoor learning activities throughout the day. Please do not come onto the school property to play on the creative equipment or use the fields. We want to make sure our students feel safe when learning outdoors.

At no time should dogs be on the school yard. Some students and families may be afraid of dogs and we don’t want someone stepping in what may be left behind. Thank you for your consideration.

Travel to School

Active travel to school (cycling, scootering, walking) is a safe and healthy option that will help to  boost immunity, provide fresh air, build lung capacity, contribute to good mental health, and increase focus in the classroom. If families feel they must drive, please consider the dangers of traffic congestion at the school, and plan to park a short distance away to ensure the space around the school is safe for all our students. 

The parking lot is not available for parent parking.

We have bike racks in front of and behind the school. Students may lock their bicycles and scooters on these racks. For safety reasons, these vehicles cannot be in the building.

Skateboards are another way to travel to school. Students may also lock their skateboards on the bike racks. We don’t have storage space in the building.

Safety Drills

Throughout the school year we are required to hold safety drills such as fire drills, tornado drills and emergency drills. Teachers review the safety procedures with their classes before the whole school drills.

Nutrition for Learning

Nutrition for Learning will begin the week of September 16.  Nutritious snacks are available to students if they remain hungry after eating their lunches brought from home. Nutrition for Learning snacks cover the four food groups and include items such as: fruit, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, melba toast and granola bars. The snack items vary every week and will be accessible in each student’s classroom starting the week of September 16. Please make sure your child’s lunch has adequate food and drinks for two breaks. 

Pizza Days

We will be holding Pizza Days at Westvale. They will begin in October. More information for ordering pizza for October, November and December will be sent later.

Meet the Educators and School Council Meeting – September 18

On Wednesday, September 18, we invite parents and caregivers to come to Westvale to meet your children’s educators. Westvale School Council has arranged two food trucks to begin serving food for purchase at 5:00 pm on the tarmac. Food will be available for purchase throughout the event.

The school building will open at 5:30 pm for parents/caregivers to meet their children’s educators in their classrooms.  The “Meet the Educators” event will end at 6:30 pm. 

The first Westvale School Council meeting will begin shortly after at 6:45 pm on September 18 in the Library. We encourage parents to attend the school council meetings and become more involved with our school community.

Terry Fox Run – September 20

Westvale Public School is participating in the Terry Fox School Run on Friday, September 20! We are so proud to be a part of this Canadian tradition in the fight against cancer. Please support our student’s fundraising efforts and donate today at: https://schools.terryfox.ca/WestvalePSWaterloo 

Categories: Schools