Westminster Public School

Our very popular Family Movie Night is returning to WPS on December 10th! Come out for "dinner and a movie" with family and your friends from our school community.   Our students were surveyed and two popular movies were chosen to entertain different age groups. Recommended movies for K- Grade 4 "Minions" and for Grade 5-8 "Tomorrow Land" will be showing in the gym and library for only $2.   Pizza dinner pre-orders as well as popcorn and other snacks will be available for purchase.  Orders for dinner have been sent home to be returned to school or ordered online by December  7th.  All proceeds go to supporting our school but mostly to supporting our community spirit!  Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Please see our School Newsletter for December.  Follow the link.... http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/westminster.ps/NewsEvents/Documents/December%20Newsletter%202015.pdf

Nurses from Health Canada will be coming to Westminster to administer immunization vaccinations to our Grade 7 students on Tuesday, December 1st. 

We love our new Westminster P.S. sign at the front of our school. We're proud of our school and happy that everyone can now see our name front and centre! Welcome to Westminster everyone!

In December we focus on the character trait of empathy...thinking of others - considering different points of view and treating each other with care and kindness.   Especially at this time of the year we are encouraged to show gratitude for what we have and think of how we can help others. This year our staff and students have decided to organize a Food Drive for their December spirit activity and demonstrate the spirit of giving.  Each class is encouraged to collect non-perishable food items which will be donated to our local food bank. Classes will collect spirit points for their efforts but most of all they will be able to feel good about doing something to help others in need.    Please help us collect as much as possible by sending food donations to school between November 30-December 11th.  Also, families attending our up coming Family Movie Night on December 10th are asked to also bring a food item to add to our Food Drive. Together we can make a difference to a family

Our spirit day for November is to acknowledge "Movember" an awareness campaign to support cancer research.  For our Movember Spirit Day, students and staff are invited to come to school with a mustache on November 30 to get class points!   Have fun Westminster!

Social Media is a reality for our children and technology is a strong learning tool that we must embrace for today's learner....but how do we keep our children safe as they navigate the internet and become responsible digital citizens?  On Thursday, December 3rd, 2015, Social Media expert,  Paul Davis will be presenting a session on I nternet safety and how to stay safe when using social media  to our students in Grades 4-8.  Through such education we hope to prevent cyber-bullying and help our children stay safe as they navigate the cyber world of the Internet.   Parents and guardians need to be aware of how their children are using this technology. We need to be educated on how to keep our children safe on social media as well. At 7:00 p.m. that evening, Paul Davis will come back to give a parenting presentation for all parents and guardians with children of all ages on this important topic.     As  seen on CTV News, Global TV and Breakfast TV,  Paul's expertise on this

Remember to send in your orders or go online for our gorgeous t-shirts and hoodies by December 1st. This will make a fantastic holiday present for everyone who loves Westminster P.S!  All orders must be in on time so we can get them all back to give to you before the winter holidays. So don't delay do it today! Go to https:yrdsb.schoolcashonline.com to register for payments online.

A reminder and invitation to attend our School Council meeting this Wednesday, November 25th.  Come and hear about school initiatives from your Principal, teachers and student representatives.   7:00 p.m. School Library Child care available Come and help our committed group of parents/guardians make Westminster the best that it could be for our school community.

Having a positive mindset or a “Growth Mindset”, allows us to believe that we can learn and improve even when things are difficult. Having a "fixed mindset" shuts us down when it is difficult and has us seek what is easy because it is what we know. Through educational research, we have discovered that we must develop a growth mindset to improve and progress in our learning especially when things are difficult for us. If we only look for what's easy we don't learn anything new.  By developing this attitude and willingness to learn in our youth, they learn to persevere in their learning and develop their self-confidence in all that they do.  We can all make a difference for our children and help them have a growth mindset. It can be as simple as watching the way we talk to them about their learning.  Do we praise their effort and perseverance?  If a learning strategy isn't working for them, what are they doing instead? Are they trying something else or do they s

Take some simple steps to keep you and your family healthy this flu season:   Wash your hands frequently:   Approximately 80 percent of common infections like the cold and flu are spread by hands. Hand washing, when done correctly, is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.. Get a free flu shot and get it as early as possible:  Through your family doctor, participating pharmacies or public clinics. Visit  http://www.ontario.ca/page/flu-facts   for more  information. Cough and sneeze into your arm:   If a tissue isn't available, cough or sneeze into your arm avoiding your hands where infections are commonly spread. Avoid touching your eyes and face:   Flu germs can live on surfaces for up to 8 hours. Don’t share personal items such as drinking cups Do the fist bump instead of shaking hands Stay home when you are sick:   if you have the flu, avoid going to school so you don’t spread the flu to others.   Dr. Jim Downey, Infection Control

A reminder that Friday November 27th is a scheduled PA day.  Parents are welcome to call and pre-arrange appointments to meet with their child's teachers for Parent/Teacher Interviews throughout the day or at other mutually agreed upon times.  There is no school for students. 

Good luck to our Intermediate Boys and Girls Volleyball Teams going to their volleyball tournaments this week!  Have fun and do your best!  Thanks to Ms Beckles and Mr. Zuker for coaching. Go Wildcats!

A reminder and invitation to attend our School Council meeting this Wednesday, November 25th.  Come and hear about school initiatives from your Principal, teachers and student representatives.  Come and help our committed group of parents/guardians make Westminster the best that it could be for our school community. 7:00 p.m. School Library Child care available

We are so excited to see how beautiful our school-wide "School of Fish" is looking on our Kindergarten fences. All our students from K-8 worked on creating their painted fish to represent the importance of preventing pollution and preserving our waterways.   For weeks students, staff and parents worked on this collaborative art project and created these colourful fish. Now they are being mounted to beautify our school. We are all excited to find our art work swimming in.... Special thanks to our parent volunteers who have worked so hard with us and are in the process of mounting our fish, Mrs. Maleki and Mrs. Kazeminejad and to our teacher coordinator Mrs. Porat. Amazing work!  

Our Board has identified this week as Bullying Prevention week. At Westminster PS bullying prevention is a focus every day, all year.  We educate our students to identify and prevent bullying behaviour through our focus on character education and our instruction on self-regulation and social skills. We encourage bullying prevention through our "mindfulness" activities, Random Acts of Kindness campaign and conflict resolution through restorative approaches. Bullying is targetted and repeated negative interaction in an imbalance of power which can be physical, verbal, emotional or cyber-bullying. Not all social conflict is bullying but can become so if unchecked. While our children are being taught how to resolve their own conflicts they also know how to get help from the trusted adults around them if needed. This year as part of our Enrichment Package, we will be having a special guest, Paul Davis talk to our grade 4-8 students about internet safety and cyber-bullying. So the

Westminster Spirit Wear is now available for purchase!  Beautiful WPS t-shirts and sweat shirts with our WPS Wildcat logo will make a cool addition to your child's wardrobe and a terrific gift for the holidays.   All orders are due December 1st.  Either send in the order forms going home this week or order online.  Sample sizes are available in the office to try on if needed.  Any proceeds will go directly to supporting our school so its a win-win for everyone!  Thank you to our School Council for making this happen for our school community this year.   Yeah Wildcats!! 

The character trait that we are focussing on for November is "Respect".  Demonstrating this trait in life is essential for our children and ourselves - young and old alike.  Showing respect for others, our environment and ourselves is what will make our world a better place. We do this by teaching our children the importance of respecting each other and treating each other with kindness and courtesy.   We can only teach our children this by modelling it ourselves.  You are welcome to join us at our Character Assembly on November 26th at 9:00 a.m. hosted by Ms. Einhorn's class.  Thank you.   

Re:  Progress Reports and Parent/Teacher Interviews The Elementary Progress Report Card is designed to show a student’s development of learning skills and work habits, as well as his/her general progress towards Term 1 curriculum expectations in all subjects. Grade 1-8 students will receive either “progressing well”, “progressing very well” or “progressing with difficulty” for each subject.  Progress Reports will be sent home on December 11, 2015. This letter is to clarify the adjustments this year in regards to parent/teacher interviews. Where teachers are concerned about student progress, parents will be offered a formal interview. Teachers will be available on Friday, November 27 th for parent/teacher interviews and any other time arranged between the parents and teachers. The evening of Thursday, November 26 th will not be scheduled for formal interviews as in previous years. Parents are welcome and encouraged to connect with their child’s teachers at any time throug

Just a reminder that tomorrow is picture retake day for students who were absent on our original picture day. Smile!

Our hearts go out to our friends and family in Paris dealing with the terrible events reported this weekend. We continue to teach our children compassion, kindness and respect in the hopes that future generations will live in a more peaceful world.

Our students made us proud at our Remembrance Day Assembly. Thank you to our special guest, Lieutenant Colonel Griswold who is also a parent and member of our school community for sharing his experiences in the army and speaking to us about Canada's peace keeping role in the world.  We were impressed with the voices of our Glee Club as well as the dramatic performances from several classes. All our students showed respect and understood the seriousness of the assembly as we commemorated our veterans.  They made connections to their own conflict resolution skills and how important it is to live with these values both at school and in the outside world. Thank you to all. 

"Mindfulness" activities ....part of our Positive Climate for Learning program has included providing our students with strategies to help them regulate their emotions to remain calm and relaxed at school.  In this way they are more ready to receive instruction and better prepared to learn.  "Mindfulness" activities help our children be mindful of their own reactions to the world around them. Strategies such as stress release, counting and conscious breathing allow our students to release their stress and become calm and ready to focus and attend to their learning. Our teachers take the time to go through transition strategies such as these to help students prepare for a new subject or when coming in from outdoor play or the gym.  Many students responded well to our "breathing ball" as a visual representation of calm breathing. Why don't you ask your children to share some of these techniques at home to support these goals both at school and at home

To all those celebrating Diwali, we would like to wish you and your families a very happy celebration.

Please remember to send to school or go online to pay the $25 for your children's  Arts and Athletics Enrichment package.  Our students are excited to get to experience many special events this year like Jungle Sport, Dance Workshops and many arts performances to enrich their curriculum and have fun. Due date by November 13th. Thank you.

The symbol of the poppy has always stood for the remembrance of those “fallen” in the Great War, but it now seems to be just as relevant a symbol for all wars and conflict in the world. It seems to carry a strong meaning across generations much more than ever expected. Does the poppy itself seem an odd choice of symbol in the first instance? Once you know the reason why it was chosen, it grows in the fields were the soldiers fell, then suddenly it all becomes clear. It’s very much the perfect choice as it symbolises the continuity of life as well as its abrupt ending. The poppy dies, but in the spring the new growth and rebirth of the poppy begins. Its symbolism feels even more appropriate and somehow complete. In November wear your poppy to honour those that have fallen for peace in our world. Let's work together to teach our children to honour one another with respect and compassion so that they can help create a peaceful future for us all. 

Check out our new Online School Community Calendar Go to our new calendar for all school events at your finger tips at:  bit.ly/WPSCommunityCalendar Check it regularly for updates each month as we develop this new service for our school.

Please see our School Newsletter for November below. http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/westminster.ps/NewsEvents/Documents/November%20Newsletter%202015.pdf

November 3, 2015 Dear elementary school students, parents and guardians, This letter provides you with an update regarding recent labour announcements. As you may have heard, the Province has reached tentative agreements with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Both CUPE provincial and ETFO provincial have directed their members to suspend strike action. We are pleased that these tentative settlements have been reached. Over the coming days schools will return to normal operating conditions. Part of the provincial agreement with ETFO includes completion of the fall progress reports. While these will be completed and distributed to parents, the timelines will be slightly altered. We will ensure that progress reports are distributed by December 11, 2015. Additional details will be sent home by your school as they become available. As always, if you have any concerns about your child’s progress please co

We are very excited to provide our students with arts and athletic enrichment opportunities this school year.  All students will enjoy several performances that will come to the school for a nominal fee.  These performances and activities are carefully chosen to support our curriculum.  They include engaging motivational speakers, musical performances and hands-on skilled-based workshops.   This is a cost effective opportunity for our students to participate in professional productions at our school at a reduced cost.  Thanks to group rate discounts and sponsorship by the school and school council, this comes to $25.00 per student for the year which is less than $3 per event.  We thank School Council for allocating funds to specifically sponsor the Internet Safety Presentation by Paul Davis who will also be doing a presentation for parents on December 3rd.    Arts/Literacy:   Canadian Author Visit (Philip Roy) – Literacy  (Gr. K-8)      Internet Safety (Paul Davis) – Me