Westboro Weekly Newsletter

January 24: Hot Lunch

January 27: Family Literacy and Numeracy Night 5:30 p.m.

January 28: Grade 5 and 6 Fused Glass Field Trip

January 29: Professional Learning Day: No school for students

February 1: Kindergarten registration 2025-26 opens at 9 a.m.

February 1: New Student registration 2025-26 opens at 9 a.m.

February 5: Rapunzel by Alberta Musical Theatre - Thank you to our Parent's Society for supporting this school wide event!

February 5: Early Dismissal

February 6: North Central Teachers' Convention: No school for students

February 7: North Central Teachers' Convention: No school for students

February 10: Returning student registration 2025-26 opens

February 11: Parent Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.

February 10-18: Westboro Food Bank Drive

February 12: Grade 5 Alberta Aviation Museum 9:30 a.m.

February 14-20: Random Acts of Kindness Week

February 17: Family Day - Stat. Holiday

February 20: Wisest Conference

February 21: 3K presents our school wide assembly: Feeling Anxious vs. Having Anxiety

February 24: Returning student registration 2025-26 closes

February 26: Pink Shirt Day

Hello Westboro Families!

We are excited to share with you an exciting school event happening on Monday, January 27, which happens to be Family Literacy Day, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. All our families are invited to our Family Literacy and Numeracy Night! Entry will be through the main doors which will open promptly at 5:30 p.m.

A huge thank you goes out to class 5D, for planning and organizing our Reading Assembly at 1 p.m. in the afternoon on January 27!

The literacy part of the evening will include family ‘flashlight reading’ in our gym! You are invited to bring your own flashlights and/or books (and stuffies or blankets that might add to your reading enjoyment) or use the flashlights and/or books we will be lending out to enjoy some reading time together.

As well, the numeracy part of the evening will be enjoying numeracy games as a family, using dice or playing cards available for families to play at tables set up in our hallways. Games will be available for division one (kindergarten, grade 1, 2, or 3) students and division two (grade 4, 5, and 6) students. Modifications can be made to meet students where they are at. The games, dice and playing cards will be provided by Westboro and families can take these with them at the end of the night so the math game fun can continue at home!

As well, our Mental Health Capacity Builder, Julia Knudson, will be available for anyone who would like to learn more about her new role as a part of the Westboro Team!

We look forward to seeing you at this wonderful event celebrating the literacy and numeracy skills our students learned!

A BIG Westboro wave out to our patrol team who got us safely to and from school during all the busy and sometimes chilly days of December! At our EAST crosswalk, we recognize Patrollers of the Month Sloane and Morgan. And at our WEST crosswalk team Temi, Alex and Lincoln. Thank you ALLLLLL for your leadership and service on behalf of our school community!

Recently, we have noticed an increase in students coming to the office looking for extra food during snack and lunch times. While we are always happy to help, we want to ensure all students have enough nourishment throughout the school day to keep their energy and focus high.

Here are a few tips to help:

1. Add an Extra Snack: Growing kids often need more food than we realize. A simple extra snack like a piece of fruit, yogurt, or a granola bar can make a big difference.

2. Check Portions: Chat with your child about how much they’re eating and adjust portions accordingly.

3. Involve Your Child: Let your child help plan or pack their lunch. This can help ensure they’re excited about what’s in their lunchbox and more likely to eat it.

We understand mornings can be busy, but ensuring your child is properly fueled is essential for their learning and well-being. If you’re experiencing challenges in providing enough food for your child, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you in any way we can.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work together to create a positive and nourishing environment for all our students!

Julia is a Mental Health Capacity Builder (MHCB). What is that, you might ask? Well, an MHCB is someone who promotes positive mental health and strengthens social emotional skills in children, youth and families through awareness, knowledge and skill building. It is a prevention and promotion initiative that is a collaboration between Elk Island Public Schools, Strathcona County and Recovery Alberta

Julia will be at Westboro to help and support in classrooms every other week from Monday-Thursday, beginning January 20-23. Julia has committed to working in collaboration with the Westboro team over the next three and a half years.

We are all very excited to have Julia join our Westboro team and look forward to working together to serve our school community!

We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Westboro track team at this year’s Harrier's Race! Our athletes showcased incredible determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship, earning awards!

Our Mixed A Team ran an exceptional race, outpacing tough competition to secure first place. Their hard work and seamless coordination truly paid off, and they brought home a well-deserved gold medal for Westboro.

Not to be outdone, our Mixed B Team also delivered an impressive performance, claiming second place and proudly taking the silver medal. Their resilience and dedication were evident with every stride, and we couldn’t be prouder of their efforts.

A special thank-you goes out to our coaches for their guidance and encouragement and to the families and fans who cheered our teams to victory. This success is a testament to the strength of our Westboro community.

Congratulations to all our track stars—you’ve made us incredibly proud! Keep running strong!

New student registration for the 2025-26 school year will open at 9 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2025.

For tips on filling out the form, refer to How to Register a New Student.

Is your child turning five on or before Dec. 31, 2025? If so, it’s almost time to register for kindergarten.

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year opens on Feb. 1, 2025.

To help families prepare, Elk Island Public Schools has put together an online EIPS Kindergarten Tool kit to make the transition as smooth as possible. The kit includes information on registration, important dates, programming options, what to expect, eligibility, how to find your designated school, transportation and more.

Additional information regarding Westboro Elementary's kindergarten program is available at www.westboroelementary.ca/about/kindergarten

The Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) returning student registration process for 2025-26 takes place Feb. 10-24, 2025. Through the online form, all families will confirm the school and program their child will attend next year or advise the Division if they aren’t returning. For students who want to attend a non-designated school next year, these requests must be submitted through the returning student registration process—acceptance is based on available space.

On February 10, the parent/guardian on file in PowerSchool identified as the Permission Click contact for each pre-kindergarten to Grade 11 student will receive an email through Permission Click with a link to the form. If your family hasn’t received any Permission Click forms this school year, contact the school office so we can investigate any technical issues before registration season.

Learn how to help your teen with the social and technological pressures they face in the world today. Together we will go through research-based ways we can support teens when they are feeling the pressure of their digital lives. Issues addressed include interacting with strangers online, understanding their digital identity, and healthy relationships.

The content of this workshop is geared for parents and caregivers with children between 9-14 years of age.

The presentation is from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with an opportunity for Q & A from 7:30 to 8 p.m.

Audience: Adults, Parents and caregivers

Cost: Free

The Winter Play Day has been rescheduled for January 22! Join us at Emerald Hills Regional Park for a free evening of fun activities, including:

• Skating - don't forget to bring your skates!
• Snow play
• Wagon rides
• Free hot chocolate
• And more!
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This is an outdoor event. Please be sure to dress for the weather.

See details at strathcona.ca/PlayDays

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Call at 780-464-4044 or visit Family and Community Services on the second floor of the community centre at 401 Festival Lane to get support with all life's challenges.

Support is FREE and available for people of all ages and situations - whether you are a senior, youth, family or individual.

With Navigation support you can:

• Share your story and receive helpful information along the decision making journey.
• Access financial supports and housing information advocacy.
• Receive help to untangle complicated situations and figure out next steps together.
• Apply for subsidies including reduced transit rates, recreation access, tax rebates and more.
• Obtain support with filling out forms and applications.
• Have a caring individual who will sit beside you to listen, understand and help you to further your goals.

Learn more here.

Our FREE winter program schedule from the Family Resource Network (FRN) is here! Connect with other parents and caregivers, learn new skills and support your child’s healthy development.

• Drop-in parented programs for infants aged 0 to 18 months
• Drop-in parented programs for kids 0 to 6 years old
• Registered programs for kids in grades 1 to 3 and grades 4 to 6
• Registered parenting skill-building sessions for a variety of age groups
• Special events for families and children of all ages

Check out the winter FRN schedule here: https://ow.ly/oYNY50UnVw1

Register for programs and learn more about Strathcona County's Family Resource Network at https://bit.ly/3RVAltj

Take a look at the Strathcona County Family Resource Network's digital winter program guide !

Winter Guide