Westmount Elementary School 745 Walkem Road,

Kamloops, B C Phone: 250-376-8879

V2B 7X8 http://westmount.sd73.bc.ca

Principal: Ms. Susie Mabee Email: smabee@sd73.bc.ca

MARCH 2018 ____________________________________________________________________________________

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE: Well what do you know? We have made it through the

winter... well maybe not so much. Due to the number

of times I have had to shovel my driveway during the

past couple of weeks, it has become evident that winter

has every intention of over-staying its welcome.

Regardless, Spring is just around the corner, and with it

comes not just tulips, but an assessment of our school

learning plan.

We have been working really hard towards our school

learning goals: 1. Students will show growth in their ability to recognize the

appearance of and the monetary value of currency, solve real-world problems involving money, and identify their needs and wants with respect to spending and saving.

2. Students will show growth in their attitudes towards and

comfort with the use of technology to enhance their learning and represent their understanding of concepts explored.

3. Students will show growth in their role in and their sense

of belonging to their school community by improving their

acceptance of themselves and of others.

A major focus of Term Two in most classes has been

financial literacy. Primary classes have been working on

recognizing and naming coins, while intermediate classes

have been working on using their understanding of

money to solve problems. We are very much looking

forward to our Financial Literacy Fair on Friday, April

27th to showcase all that we are learning. Save the date

and plan on coming down to the school and seeing what

we’ve been up to. More information to come home

soon.

As we move into our third and final term of the year, it

is important for students to put their best foot forward

and finish the year strongly.

“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do

better” – Pat Riley

Susie Mabee

Principal

TERM II REPORT CARDS

Second Term Report Cards will come home with your

child on Wednesday, March 14th. Report Cards will

come home in a brown district envelope. Please be sure

to sign this envelope to acknowledge that you have seen

the report card and then return it to your child’s

teacher by March 17th. If you wish to discuss your

child’s report card please make an appointment with

his/her teacher.

BOOGIE THE BRIDGE

This year we are putting a team together to participate

in Boogie the Bridge, taking place on

Sunday, April 29th. Run practices for

students will begin after Spring Break

and take place during the lunch hour. It

will be great training for Track and Field

for our intermediate students. Even if

they are not wishing to take part in the Boogie the Bridge

event, all students are welcome to come to the run club

at lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays if they wish.

It is easy to register. Click here or visit the Boogie the

Bridge website and find our team “Westmount Wolfpack.”

All registrations that are received before March 31st, will

get a shirt. The registration fee depends on your age

(Mini Boogie-12 and under, Youth 13-18, Adult 19-64,

Senior 65+), the race in which you decide to participate

(Mini Boogie 12 and under, Youth 13-18, Adult 19-64,

Senior 65+) and when you register. The earlier you

register, the cheaper. Families are also entitled to a 10%

discount. Manual registrations (cash/cheque only) can be

dropped off at Runners Sole or the drop box at the

Boogie office #203-242 Victoria St.

One very important consideration to keep in mind:

***Although we are registering a school team,

it is a community event, so your children are

your responsibility. There will not be adult

supervision available with whom you can leave

your child/ren.***

GREEN SPIRIT DAY for ST. PATRICK’S DAY

On Friday, March 16th, Westmount’s Leadership students

have planned a spirit day. Please come to school in your

best green outfit! Join in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit!

LOST AND FOUND

In the hustle and bustle of getting dressed to go outside

in the snow, and undressed when coming back in, we’ve

had a few pairs of boots have either gone

missing or been mixed up with someone

else’s boots. Before all of your winter

footwear gets put away until next season,

can you please take a look at the boots

lying around your house. If there are any

that have mysteriously shown up and are not supposed

to be there, please bring them to the school and we will

do our best to find their rightful owner.

LUNCH HOUR

This Fall, in an attempt to alleviate the number of

students on the playground during the lunch hour, we

modified our bell schedule on a trial basis. After hearing

that not all students were enjoying the new format, we

surveyed staff and students a few weeks ago to see what

they thought of our new system. The results were not

clear-cut, but there were some very insightful comments

and observations made by both students and teachers

that helped to guide our decision making.

For the remainder of the school year, in hopes of

simplifying everyone’s schedule and providing enough

time for everyone to eat and to play, we have decided to

follow our Friday schedule, every day of the week. This

means that lunch hour will be as follows:

11:50 – All students eat

12:10 – All students go outside

12:45 – All students come inside.

12:50 – Classes resume.

STUDENT TRANSFER POLICY:

Parents of new students who are not in our catchment

area, but would like their child to attend Westmount,

must register at their home school. Once registered

there, a parent can fill out a STUDENT TRANSFER

FORM and have the principal of the home school sign it

so that he/she is aware that they would like to be

enrolled elsewhere. Parents will not find out if their child

had been granted a transfer until the Friday of the first

week of school.

For more information about this policy, parents can go

to the SD73 website and follow the links to our policies.

Policy 300.1 SCHOOL BOUNDARIES AND STUDENT

TRANSFER REQUESTS is clearly written and gives a

detailed explanation.

SPRING BREAK

Spring Break is March 19 – March 23, 2018. Have a

fantastic time!

Our first week back is a short one, as Friday, March 30th

and Monday, April 2nd are holidays Easter.

STUDENT LEARNING SURVEYS:

Students in Grades 4 and 7, their parents and staff are

being asked to complete the MINISTRY STUDENT

LEARNING SURVEY (formerly the Ministry

Satisfaction Survey) this MARCH/APRIL.

MORE INFORMATION will come home in the next

couple of weeks.

HERITAGE STAMP CONTEST WINNERS

Students in Grades 3 to 7 have been working on their

District Heritage Fair Stamp contest entries. Our school

had its’ very own stamp contest and awarded a Gr. 3, 4,

5, 6, and 7 Winner. The top entries per class will move

on to the DISTRICT LEVEL. A copy of these stamps will

be housed in our library for all to remember.

Congratulations to the following school winners:

Gr. 3 – Callie Jerstad and Rowan Liefke

Gr. 4 – Meena Litt and Elliot Caputo

Gr. 5 – Maya Stodola

Gr. 6 – Ava Zirnhelt and Eva Raymer

Gr. 7 – Paige Haddock and Sophia Cundari

SAFE ARRIVAL

Westmount continues to use an automated SAFE

ARRIVAL SYSTEM. Thanks for calling in before 8:30 am!

If the system calls you, you must respond to the

prompts, otherwise it will continue to phone you

throughout the morning.

REMEMBER to use the methods below:

1. Toll-free number to call: 1-844-350-2647

2. Website for parent access:

http://ktsd.schoolconnects.com/

3. App for your smartphone

MOTHER GOOSE

Kamloops Early Language and Literacy Initiative and

School District 73 present PARENT CHILD MOTHER

GOOSE PROGRAM. Enjoy an hour of songs, rhymes,

and stories with your child. There are even snacks!

Mother Goose sessions will take place Wednesdays from

9-10 am at Westmount Elementary from April 11th -

May 30th.

Registration via www.eventbrite.ca . COST IS FREE!

For more information, see the flyer at the end of this

newsletter or call 250-554-3134 extension 500.

DOMINOS PIZZA FUNDRAISER

Domino’s Pizza has partnered with us to fundraise for

our school! As part of the Westmount family, we are

asking for your participation in helping us raise

funds! The money raised will go directly

toward a variety of materials, equipment,

events and programs around the school.

Domino’s has a fabulous program where raising money is

easy! They have supplied us with Pizza cards to sell. The

cards sell for $10 each, but are worth over $110, so the

savings are enormous!

With hockey season winding down, and soccer season

waiting in the wings, these cards are an excellent dinner

option when you are rushing your children from one

activity to the next.

Cards are available from Mrs. Connelly in the office.

Our goal is to sell as many as possible before Spring

Break, so as an incentive we will be awarding the first

class to sell 50 cards with a pizza party!

PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL

A big thank you goes out to our amazing PAC! They

work hard to raise funds to help pay for many of the

extras around the school, as well as organize some fun

community-building events.

PAC’s most recent fundraiser was PURDY’S

CHOCOLATES. Order were due back to the office

by Monday Feb. 26, with chocolates being ready for pick-

up Thursday, March 15th.

Our PAC meets monthly. Babysitting is provided and all

parents are invited to attend. The next PAC meeting is

scheduled for Monday, March12th at 6:15 pm.

PAC HOT LUNCH

March 2 – Hot Dog or Hamburger

March 9 – Beef Dip or Ham & Cheese Sub

March 16 – Quesadilla

March 29 – Penne Pasta

Apr 6 - Mac & Cheese or hot dog

Apr 13 - Hot dog or Hamburger

Apr 20 - Chicken Stir Fry or Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Apr 27 - Lasagna or Penne Pasta

Orders for April are available for ordering by visiting

PAC Hot Lunch. Orders and payment are due on or

before March 20th.

CHOICE DAYS

Choice Days were a huge hit during the winter months.

It has been wonderful to see the children have voice and

choice when it comes to how they spent their free time.

My thanks to the many staff that volunteered to make

this happen.

When we come back from Spring Break, I am hoping that

the weather will cooperate to melt our snow and dry our

field enough for students to get out and enjoy themselves

safely.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING MARCH and APRIL DATES

March 2 Skating – MacDonald and Zirnhelt @ 1:00PM

Try-a-Trade @ TRU – Grade 7s

Regional Rotary Speech Contest

March 5 Skating – Schill, Hansen, Connolly @11:00AM

March 6 Weststyde Secondary Counsellors visit to Grade 7 students and Course Selection

March 7 Mrs. Regan’s class is off to City Hall @10:10 AM

March 8 Early Childhood Educators from Japan to visit Kindergarten Classes – 1:00PM

Snow Safety Presentation – Eagles @ 8:45AM and Primus @ 10:20AM

March 9 PAC Movie Night

March 12 Skating – Schill, Hansen, Berezowski @ 11:00AM

PAC Meeting @ 6:15PM

March 13 Mrs. Edstrom’s class is off to the Big Little Science Centre @ 9:00AM

Eagles to Rock Climbing Gym @ 9:00AM

SKYPE session with Planetarium – 1:00PM

March 14 Skating – MacDonald and Eagles @ 10:15AM

SKYPE session with Planetarium – 1:00PM

TERM II REPORT CARDS HOME

March 15 SKYPE session with Planetarium – 1:00PM

March 16 Spirit Day – Wear Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Cup Cake Day

March 19-23 SPRING BREAK

March 26 School back in session

March 27 Guitar Lessons begin for Primus and Eagles

March 28 Big Little Science Center Trades Sampler – Primus @ 8:40

March 29 Eagles – Brain Injury Presentation @11:30

March 30 GOOD FRIDAY – NO SCHOOL

April 2 EASTER MONDAY – NO SCHOOL

April 3 Guitar – Primus and Eagles

April 5 Guitar – Primus and Eagles

April 6 Day of Sucwentwecw- 1:00PM Assembly

Fortis BC Presentation - Edstrom and Torchia @ 10:45AM

April 10 Flag Football Season Begins

Guitar – Primus and Eagles

Art Start Performance – Vancouver Theatre Sports @ 1:30PM

April 11 Fruit and Veggie Program – Grape Tomatoes

Mother Goose Program begins at Westmount 9:00AM

April 12 Guitar – Primus and Eagles

April 13 Spirit Day - Crazy Hair Day

April 16 Playground to Fairway Golf Program

April 17 Playground to Fairway Golf Program

Guitar – Primus and Eagles

April 18 Mother Goose Program – 9:00AM

April 19 Guitar – Primus and Eagles

April 20 Swimming @ Candada Games Pool – Hansen, Caputo, Eagles

April 23 District Non Instructional Day – NO SCHOOL for students

April 24 Guitar – Primus and Eagles

Track and Field Rotations Begin – 12:55PM – 2:15PM

April 25 Cedar Dental visit to MacDonald (9:00AM) and Connolly’s (1:00PM) classes

Royal Ballet Livestream – Eagles @ 9:15AM

Track and Field Rotations – 12:55PM – 2:15PM

Mother Goose Program @ 9:00AM

April 26 Track and Field Rotations – 12:55PM – 2:15PM

Guitar – Primus and Eagles

April 27 Financial Literacy Fair – ALL DAY

Assembly @ 1:45PM

April 30 Track and Field Rotations – 12:55PM – 2:15PM

250.374.0679 250.372.1183 www.sd73.bc.ca

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 73 (KAMLOOPS-THOMPSON) 1383 9th Avenue Kamloops, BC V2C 3X7

February 19, 2018

CONSENT AGENDA

o Policy Committee Highlights

o Education Committee of the Whole Highlights

Details of the consent agenda can be found in the public agenda.

EDUCATION TOPIC

PRESENTATION TO PRINCIPAL KENT BREWER — Principal Kent Brewer was recognized by the Board

following his recent award as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals. The award came from The Learning

Partnership, a national not-for-profit organization that works for the improvement of public education in Canada.

Kent is the principal of the Twin Rivers Education Centre, which provides alternative education services for

adults and teens who need different ways to access education.

SECONDARY ATHLETIC COUNCIL — Sa-Hali Secondary School Principal Sean Lamoureux, chair of the

Secondary Athletic Council, told the Board about the value of athletics in schools, noting sports touches a huge

portion of the secondary school population across the District. Student Sydney Gould, a Grade 8 student

athlete, told the Board she chose Sa-Hali Secondary because of the success of the school’s sport programs and

the quality of the coaches. Sports helped her to make new friends, learn how to work with others and overcome

adversity. Athletics are so important and have the ability to impact the live of students in positive way, she said.

REPORTS FROM SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

SAFER SCHOOLS TASK FORCE — Supt. Alison Sidow told the trustees about an initiative being launched to

explore the difficult but important subject of sexual misconduct, violence and harassment in District schools.

Recent events have led her to look closely at District policies and protocols. The Superintendent’s Task Force

on School Safety will look at policies and protocols governing the investigation and handling of these issues with

the goal of ensuring the District’s policies serve all parties, especially those who make complaints to the District.

The task force will provide a report to the Superintendent and to the Board by June 30. “We have a duty to

protect our children and we have a duty to stand by them, as a community,” Sidow told the Board.

WESTMOUNT ELEMENTARY TRAFFIC UPDATE — The Board was told the District is working with the City of

Kamloops to explore solutions to the long-standing issue of traffic congestion at Westmount Elementary School

and its impact on student safety. A traffic engineer will conduct an independent study of the problem and

propose possible solutions.

REPORTS FROM SECRETARY-TREASURER

SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL — The District has received several public complaints this year about snow and ice

maintenance at schools. The Board was told that this year has proved to be exceptionally difficult for

maintenance staff due to the many snowfalls and the frequent freeze-and-thaw cycles. Changes to improve

District response to snowfall and ice removal would ultimately require changes to the budget, which could

impact educational funding, the Board was told.

Kamloops Early Language and Literacy Initiative and School District 73

present

Parent-Child Mother Goose Program®

When and Where:

Wednesdays 9-10 am April 11- May 30

at Westmount Elementary

Register at www.eventbrite.ca starting

Tuesday March 13 at 9am.

For more info please call 250-554-3134

ext 500

Cost: Free!! Sponsored by the BC Ministry of

Education Ready,Set,Learn Initiative

Enjoy an hour of rhymes, songs, and stories with your babies and young children

Learn ways to encourage language and social development

Meet other parents Learn about community resources