Westboro Weekly Newsletter
November 3, 2024
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Important Upcoming Dates:
November 4 - 8: Project Five Residency Program - Grade 4, 5, 6
November 6: Early Dismissal - Students will be dismissed 1 hour early at 2:12 p.m.
November 8: Remembrance Day Ceremony at Westboro
Looking ahead:
November 11: Remembrance Day
November 11-15: November Break - No school for students or staff
November 19: School Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. in the school library
November 26: Grade 2 and 3 field trip to Salisbury Composite High Theatre
November 29: Report Cards available for viewing at 3:00 p.m.
Westboro Elementary Hot Lunch Program
We are happy to announce that you will now place your hot lunch (and future fundraising) orders online using MunchaLunch.com! You can pay for your orders online using credit card (Visa / Mastercard), debit-credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay or pre-paid credit card.
HOW TO REGISTER:
1) Go to: https://munchalunch.com/schools/westboro
2) Click the “Register Here” button (as shown below). The system will guide you through.
3) After adding your children, click the green “Order Lunch!” button to order.
4) Next time, just click the “Login Here” button to access your account.
HOW TO REGISTER IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL:
1) Go to: https://munchalunch.com/addaccount
2) Click the “Start” button. The system will guide you through.
3) After adding your children, click the green “Order Lunch!” button to order.
4) Next time, just click the “Login Here” button to access your account.
ORDERING INFORMATION:
· Online ordering will be OPEN soon, we are confirming our Fall vendors now!
· If you need assistance with ordering, or do not have access to the internet, please contact our new hot lunch coordinator, Nicole at westborohotlunch@gmail.com
Please note if your child is ill on a lunch date, you are welcome to come and pick up their lunch by 12:30 p.m.; otherwise please consider it a donation. Consistent with previous years, there are NO REFUNDS.
We are always in need of volunteers! There is a volunteer page in the online system where you can checkmark which dates you are available. The hot lunch coordinator will then contact you with a proposed schedule.
Our thanks to the Westboro Elementary parent community for supporting hot lunch and to our wonderful volunteers who help make this program a success!
Inclement Weather
Inclement Weather
With the winter season almost here, we have a few reminders for families:
- Ensure students have clothing appropriate for expected weather conditions.
- If weather conditions are bad enough to impact student transportation, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) advises families directly, as well as posting on social media and eips.ca as early as possible.
- Decisions regarding bus cancellations are guided by an EIPS administrative procedure that states, “school bus service may be suspended…when there is a forecast or current temperature of -40 C, including wind chill factor, in one or more regions.”
- Other reasons for suspending or delaying school bus services include adverse weather and poor road conditions.
- When school bus services are suspended, schools remain open to students.
For more information, contact EIPS Student Transportation at 780-417-8151.
Project Five Residency
Project Five is a curriculum-linked program that’s all about having fun while learning crucial public speaking skills. Using games, activities and a final presentation, students work on communication skills that will benefit them in both their school career and, eventually, their professional lives.
The sessions work with the Project Five 5 P’s, PREPARE, PRACTICE, PACE, POSITION, PRESENT
Counsellor's Corner
Caregiver Education Team Newsletter November/December 2024
Alberta Health Services is proud to offer FREE online programming to caregivers of school-age children and youth as well as adults in the community who want to learn more about addiction and mental health topics.
Sessions are offered online through the Zoom conferencing application. A link to access the online session will be sent by email to those who have registered for the session.
Understanding Teen Mental Health
Everyone has mental health, even teens. This workshop will provide information to help parents and caregivers understand and support positive mental health for youth in their teen years. Learn to distinguish between normal feelings and behaviour of young people, and signs and symptoms of mental health concerns and issues.
Tuesday, November 5
6 - 8 p.m.
Solution Focused Parenting
This workshop is about using solution focused therapy principles in parenting. In this workshop you will learn ways to communicate with your children that will harness their strengths, resources, and focus you and your child on positive solutions to handle everyday challenges.
Wednesday, November 13
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Can We Talk: Healthy Relationships
In this workshop, we will describe and explore healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationship patterns. We will learn about effective communication and practice discussing topics related to romantic/intimate relationships in ways that are grounded in your values.
Wednesday, November 20
1 - 3 p.m.
Mental health for highly sensitive teens; unique struggles for these emotional feelers
Highly sensitive teens are often misunderstood by parents and teachers as they often have stronger emotional reactions. In this presentation, learn why this happens, and the necessary tools required to help these teens manage their emotions so they don't become derailed.
Thursday, November 28
10 - 11:30 a.m.
Remembrance Day
Westboro School’s Remembrance Day Ceremony will be held on Friday, November 8th at 10:30 a.m. in our school gymnasium. All are welcome to join us for this special event. Students who are in Cadets, Sparks, Beavers, Brownies, Cubs, Guides, or Scouts are encouraged to wear their uniforms to school on November 8th; they will play a special role in our ceremony entering with our Canadian flag.
It is tradition at Westboro to honour our military families both with our Wall of Honour and Westboro Family Tribute.
Wall of Honour: If there is a relative in your family that has served or is currently serving in the military, please email Mrs. Richard (courtney.richard@eips.ca) for a Name Plaque form. It will be sent home with your child and we ask for it to be returned by Friday, November 1st. These plaques will be displayed on our Wall of Honour at the front of our school. If you have submitted a Name Plaque in previous years, the school has kept it and it will be displayed again. If there are any changes (ranking, deployments, etc.) please advise that a replacement form is needed and we would be happy to provide one for you.
Westboro Family Tribute: If you have a picture of a family member who has served or is currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, please send a digital copy to Mrs. Richard (courtney.richard@eips.ca). It does not have to be a picture of your family member in uniform and can be a picture of your family member with your child(ren) who attend Westboro. Along with the picture, please also include in your email: name of the person/people in the picture, rank (for family member served/serving), and relation to your child(ren) who attend Westboro (i.e. grandfather, aunt, brother, great-grandmother, etc.). Please ensure these are sent by Friday, November 1st to allow time to add these to our existing tribute. Like the Wall of Honour, if you need to make any changes to a previous submission, please notify Mrs. Richard who is be happy to make modifications as needed.
Did you know?
Research shows sustained, collaborative and job-embedded professional learning significantly enhances teacher efficacy and student achievement. Simply put, the more times teachers get to learn from one another during the year, the better it is for student success. Professional learning doesn’t mean a day off for staff—they improve upon their knowledge using time dedicated for collaboration, growth and relationship-building. This ensures students continue to receive high-quality education throughout the school year.
Vegreville and Mundare Indigenous Family and Community Evening
Join the EIPS First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education team for an evening of learning and connection. Enjoy soup and bannock from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by art with Métis Knowledge Keeper Connie Kulhavy and Giant Floor Map teachings from the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. The event is free, and all are welcome to attend.
Event Details:
Date: Nov. 20, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: A.L. Horton Elementary, Gymnasium
5037 48 Ave, Vegreville, AB
RSVP by November 18
Indigenous Studies
Are you interested in adding more Indigenous content to your home reading? There are many wonderful Indigenous authors and stories at all levels to enjoy! A few favourites of from Mrs. Richard are:
“Just A Walk” by Jordan Wheeler
“My Heart Fills With Happiness” by Monique Gray Smith
“Powwow’s Coming” by Linda Boyden
“Sweetest Kulu” by Celina Kalluk
Both the Strathcona County Library and our Westboro School library have lots of options to choose from when it comes to Indigenous literature.
Alberta Health Services - Articles for families with children
The Perks of Parent Engagement
By getting involved in your child’s school experience, you show them that you value and care about their education. Here's what you can do to support their school journey. Learn more here.
Handle With Care
When it comes to mental health, the day-to-day ways you care for your child matter. Your support nurtures their well-being and helps them cope with life’s ups-and-downs. These tips can help you care for your child's mental health. Learn more here.
Show Yourself Some Love
As a parent or caregiver, remember that your mental health matters just as much as anyone else’s. It’s important to find ways to balance caring for yourself and caring for your child. These strategies can help. Learn more here.
Strathcona County Information
Strathcona County Family Resource Network
We got you covered for fall break! Check out these fun programs that build skills and boost mental and physical well-being in your kids through games and fun activities:
- Healthy Me (For kids in grades 3 & 4
- Get Your Game On! (For kids in grades 5 & 6)
Weds, Nov. 13 ⏐ 5 - 7 p.m. ⏐ Millennium Place
Learn more and register at https://ow.ly/STFC50TSJ7r
View our program guide: https://ow.ly/n3Sz50TSJbi