Westminster Public School

We're having a Book Fair in our school library this week. Beautiful new books and reading materials for all ages will be available for purchase with all proceeds going to improve our school library. Students will be able to view the books and materials available with their classes. They will be given the option of writing a list of the books they would like to buy with prices and sending it home for parents to see. 
The Book Fair will be open for purchases on Thursday, March 3rdduring the Math Mania Nightfor families to visit. It will also be open Friday, March 4th during the day for students to visit. Families are also welcome to buy a donated book to your child's classroom library.  
So come out and support literacy and our school. A new book is always a great gift!

Student Safety Important Message: We have had visits from Police Enforcement Officers who have expressed concern for the safety of our children in our parking lot especially during morning drop off. We remind all parents of the importance of safe driving in our driveways and parking area to ensure the safety of all our children. Police Officers will be monitoring and will expect compliance.
All drivers must adhere to the bylaws and our drop off policies. Please use the proper parking spots along the south lane. Do not park along the curb or on the walkway/sidewalk. There is no parking allowed along the bus loop which is our fire route. It is for busses only for one-way traffic. In the mornings, please follow directions from our supervisors and use our kiss’ n ride drop off area. Do not park along our drop off area. Bring your children to school on time and reduce the rush in the morning. Please always drive slowly, be respectful and show patience.
Remember, your children are watching y…

Our Math Mania Night is coming March 3rd at 6:00 p.m. Make sure you send back your RSVP tomorrow with your children for an early bird prize and to help us organize numbers for our events. 

Come out for a fun and informative evening learning about Math with your children. Our teachers will be providing you with a "window into your child's learning at school". Come out to learn how we teach Math and how you can help your children at home with cool ways you can continue the learning at home. 

Come on out and...show your children how you too have agrowth mindset and are willing to learn something new in Math. 

We are all Mathematicians!  See you then!

We are excited to announce that we will be launching the Lego Robotics program in the near future through the Library’s Modern Learning Club and in a variety of classrooms.

LEGO Robotics is a teaching and learning program based on LEGO Robotics kits which enable individuals without formal training in engineering and computer programming to design, build, and program small-scale robots.
Students working at this program will be asked to design and build a robot in one of three ways: 1) Through imagination and playful exploration, they may create their own robot; 2) They may follow a cookbook-like recipe of directions by someone who has designed and built a robot—and they may modify the directions to create their own versions; or 3) A teacher or a more advanced student may create a “Challenge,” a description of a problem that needs to be solved by the creation of a robot, together with a set of parameters the student must work within to create that solution.
In all three modes, the process …

All right Westminster! Earlier this week we had our second Fruit Face- Off.
Let’s start off with a fruit joke:
Why was the girl staring at the carton of orange juice? 
Because it said, “Concentrate”.
Well, that’s an appropriate fruit joke, because the first familiar fruit competing today is known for its high concentration of vitamin C… the Navel orange!

The original Navel orange was discovered as a mutation growing on a single branch on a sour orange tree in Brazil in 1820. It is called “navel” because of the appearance of a belly button on its bottom.
Seedlings were brought to California in 1873 and in 1878 a Navel orange tree produced its first fruit. In a few short years, the Navel orange grew from one tree to millions of trees. It is one of the most popular varieties in the world, second only to the Valencia orange. California and Florida are large producers of oranges in the US. There are now over 50 different navel orange varieties in the world, and 600 varieties of oranges worldwid…

Wear pink on Thursday, February 25 at Westminster and show your support against bullying of any kind!  Pink shirt day is a national awareness campaign supported by many schools all over Canada. Its message is to highlight bullying awareness and say No to bullying behaviour.  

While it is just one day, Pink Shirt Day spreads a powerful message across our system that bullying in any form is not acceptable.It supports our anti-bullying strategy and our drive to create safe, caring and supportive learning environments that foster student achievement and well-being.

At Westminster, we focus on kindness, acceptance and collaboration. In this way we are teaching our students social skills and helping to develop good character traits.  

We all know what a difference it makes to student learning when students feel safe, welcome and valued at school.Our students and staff members continue to show great leadership in promoting inclusivity and in their anti-bullying efforts and we congratulate and t…

Westminster will be welcoming Fana Soro and his Yamo! Yamo! production on February 24th for K-8. 
The event is part of the arts/athletics enrichment program this year. This special performance fits in well with the learning we experienced from our Dance Workshop as well as connecting with our work on Black History Month.  We look forward to learning about the culture of Africa and the influence of music and dance that we can connect to our own experiences in Canada.  Welcome! 

Following is a brief description:  About the Performance 
The "Yamo! Yamo! Greetings from West Africa!" performance features music, dance, and storytelling. As Cote d'Ivoire is a country that represents over 60 ethnic groups and languages, Fana Soro's performance showcases several dances and rhythms from various Ivorien ethnic groups. 
The music features the balafon, a traditional West African xylophone, and the djembe, the most popular African hand drum, and various other traditional instruments. …

Make sure you send back your RSVP to our Math Mania Night March 3rd sent home with your children today. Each returned RSVP will entitle your child to receive an extra ballot for our Estimation Jar contest. Students can put in their estimations and the closest estimation will be the winner! So do not delay and send them in today so that we can pass out the ballots. Winners will be announced on Math Mania Night and prizes can be redeemed at our upcoming Book Fair. 

Save the date March 3rdand make sure you come out for our Math Mania Night!This is an evening event being planned by our staff for parents/guardian and students of all age groups!  

Come out for a fun and informative evening learning about Math with your children. Our teachers will be providing you with a "window into your child's learning at school". Come out together with your children to learn how we teach Math and how your can help your children at home with cool ways you can continue the learning at home. Com…

We've been dancing up a storm at our Dance Workshops this week!  All our students have been spending the week learning many skills outlined in the Dance Curriculum during the dance workshop presented by our visiting dance instructors. Creative movement and music awareness along with collaboration and listening to instructions are only a few of the skills that our students have been developing during these sessions....it has been a terrific supplement to the work they are doing in class. 

What's really great is that they are also having lots of fun along the way as well and love learning along side different classes!   We look forward to seeing how this learning comes together at our Recital on Monday, February 22 at 1:20 p.m. We will be viewing a video compilation of the week from our primary grades along with some live performances from our older grades and our Dance Club dancers.  We can't wait to see it all.  Parents are welcome to join us for the show! Thank you Ms. G. …

We've had an unusual winter this year....but when the snow finally came this week we made the most of it! Check out our snow men, snow sculptures and snow families...before they melt away.
Well done Westminster!

Save the Date!

Save the date March 3rdand make sure you come out for our Math Mania Night!This is an evening event being planned by our staff for parents/guardian and students of all age groups!  

Come out for a fun and informative evening learning about Math with your children. Our teachers will be providing you with a "window into your child's learning at school". Come out together with your children to learn how we teach Math and how your can help your children at home with cool ways you can continue the learning at home. Come on out and...show your students how you too have a growth mindset and are willing to learn something new in Math. 

Stay tuned for more information and reserve your spot in class!  We look forward to seeing you there!.

Your child's report cards will be coming home on February 18th.  


As you read your child’s Term 1 Report Cardwe hope that you receive a clear indication of your child’s strengths and areas of need.We also would like you to help your child understand the next steps suggested for their continued growth and progress as we embark on Term 2.Self-regulation skills is a focus for us as we help our students regulate their reactions to situations and set goals for improvement, academically and socially.The new Ministry report cards include a tear-off section where your child is to write their goals for improvement and parents can include their comments as well.
If you have any questions, you may indicate your request to discuss your child’s report with the teacher on this form or call into the school.  As always, we thank you for your support to ensure that our students are putting forth their best effort to achieve success.

We wish good luck to our Boys Basketball team who are going to the Area Tournament on Tuesday, February 16th!  Go Wildcats!

A reminder to all WPS parent/guardians of our School Council meeting this Wednesday, February 17th at 7:00 p.m.  Please come out and hear about our school initiatives and events and get to know other parents committed to our school. We would be grateful of your input and partnership. Parent engagement is very important to enhancing the school culture and making our school the best it can be for your children!

Hope to see many of you there, whether you are a regular or a newcomer...all are welcome! Childcare will be available.  

Our Wildcats were having an awesome time at the Junior All-Star NBA clinic today!!  Wow!

A reminder that it is Family Day on Monday, February 15th and school is closed.  Enjoy the day with your family and friends!

This month, as we celebrate Black History/African Heritage Month, we all have an opportunity to learn more about and honour the many contributions made by people of African and Caribbean heritage – both historical and more recently which have helped to make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate and prosperous nation it is today. 

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically … Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

These ideas, like so much of what he wrote and said, continue to resonate today. As our director, J. Parappally has stated; "In York Region, they are evident in our commitment to provide equitable and inclusive learning and working environments.... Nearly 50 years after his death, Martin Luther King Jr. continues to inspire others with his words, actions and the strength of his commitment to social justice and inclusion."
In our classrooms at Westminster, our s…

Happy Valentine's Day!  As a fun celebration of this holiday at school we encourage everyone to wear red, pink or hearts for an early Valentine's Day at school Friday, February 12th. Class participation points will be counted.
In some classrooms at the discretion of the teacher, Valentine cards may be exchanged. Students wishing to exchange Valentines cards are asked to include one for every child in the class so all our friends can feel included. Please note, exchanges of candy or treats are not allowed as they are contrary to our healthy school policy. Other than such thematic activities, regular school programming will continue for our students.
How did St. Valentine become associated with love and romance? Get the full story behind the holiday at http://bit.ly/1eTlzvR

All right Westminster! We had a fantastic Day 1 of our very first Fruit Face-Off competition!  This School Council initiative supports our Healthy Schools policy and is an innovative way to get kids to try new healthy foods.  It is all free to our students and is sponsored by the Metro Grant that our school was awarded to promote nutrition.  A huge thanks goes to our parent volunteers for buying and preparing the fruit and especially to our co-chairs Edna Benzaquen and Ellen Crackower for applying for the grant and proposing this initiative. Thanks!   On Monday, our students were introduced to 2 fruits which competed for the honour of being our favourite fruit of the week at WPS!
On one corner....Introducing… the cantaloupe! 
Did you know that several varieties of cantaloupes grow all over the planet; however, two common varieties that are named after where they are grown have become popular in the western world:  The European cantaloupe and the North American cantaloupe.
One quarter of a…

Dear Parents/Guardians at Westminster Public School,

Our names are Clara Gutauskas and Dana Sauve and we are York University students studying Dance and Education at the Primary/Junior level. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the students here at Westminster Public school! During the month of February we will be teaching a dance program that consists of in-school dance lessons, with a focus on creative movement. This is part of the school's Art Package and supplements the learning already being done in their classrooms. We are working with your child's regular classroom teachers to support the Dance Curriculum will be us in the learning. These lessons will occur on February 9, 16-19, followed by a final performance. This performance will be about an hour in length, showcasing the work students produce in class, on February 22nd at 1:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. The performance will consist of both live dancing and video compilations of students work in class. …

A reminder that our grade 8 graduation pictures will be taken on Monday, February 8th. Smile!!

To all those who celebrate Lunar New Year, we would like to wish you and your families a very happy celebration.Gung Hai Fat Choi! Happy New Year!

Our Kindergarten students are excited about their trip to the Science Centre Friday, February 5th. The inquiry-based nature of our kindie program will get a huge boost of imagination with all the amazing exhibits available for them to explore. We look forward to hearing about all their adventures and all that they learned. Parents are reminded to make sure your child is dressed comfortably and brings a disposable lunch. Please don't be late or you'll miss it!

EFFECTIVE PARENTING- A four session group to help parents learn what they can do to raise a happy, motivated and well behaved child. For parents of children ages 2 to 10 years. Topics include: how to; nurture self esteem, encourage problem solving, increase communication and set appropriate limits and discipline. Tuesday February 3/16 from 7 to 9 p.m. at4600 Bathurst St. -Lipa Green Centre
THE CHALLENGE OF ANGER FOR WOMEN- A six session group for women to learn how to express their anger in an assertive, non- aggressive way. Wednesday February 4/16 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at 4600 Bathurst St.- Lipa Green Centre. PARENTING THE CHILD/TEEN WITH ADHD-This is a four week group for parents of children or teens diagnosed with ADHD who are wanting to learn more about ADHD and develop strategies for assisting their children at home and at school as well as effective discipline strategies. Wednesday February 17/16 from 7 to 9 p.m. at 4600 Bathurst St.- Lipa Green Centre. 
HIGH CONFLICT DIVORCE- A wor…

Our Eco Club is busy educating our school by going from class to class and giving them feedback on how to improve their recycling and energy conservation. Thanks goes to our Eco club students from different classes and teacher leaders who are committed to working on our Eco initiatives and encouraging our school community to reduce, reuse and recycle! 
Boomerang Lunches continues: At Westminster we encourage students to participate in Boomerang Lunches. A Boomerang Lunch is when students return home items from their lunch to be disposed of or recycled at home in order to reduce the contents of our garbage at school. 
GOOS Paper: We have begun a campaign to encourage paper recycling with the use of GOOS paper, “Good On One Side” paper.  Each class was provided with a special green basket to encourage the collection and reuse of scrap paper so that both sides of the paper can be used. This will reduce our paper consumption and make our students more mindful paper use.
Marker Recycling: W…

Westminster Fruit Face-Off coming soon!
Look for a new school council initiative called Westminster Fruit Face-Off starting next week. 
Thanks to a Healthy Schools Grant that WPS was awarded, beginning Monday, February 8th and continuing for 5 weeks every Monday, School council will be offering our children freshly cut, healthful fruit snacks during lunch recess. Two fruit options will be available to sample each week, free of charge, to encourage kids to eat and try new foods. Children sampling these fruit will then vote for their favourite fruit which will be tallied as part of a math activity.
We are also looking for volunteers to help us prepare these healthy snacks. If you are available on Monday mornings please email: westminster.ps@sc.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. Or simply drop by the school on Monday, February 8 at 8:30 a.m. ready to chop!

Message from our Trustee
Although winter still feels far from over some days, we are now halfway through the school year.  With report cards coming home, this is a good time to review progress and celebrate what your children have learned both inside and outside of the classroom. This is also a good time to set goals for the months ahead.
One of our goals set out in the Board of Trustees’ Multi-Year Plan is to “continuously increase student achievement and well-being through a culture of caring and learning.” Developing this supportive culture includes engaging parents/guardians and other members of the school community in public education and working together to create safe and supportive school environments that enable students to thrive.
As parents/guardians, there are many ways you can get engaged in your child’s education and support their learning, including talking with them about school, communicating with teachers, attending school events or school council meetings, and volunte…