Westminster Public School

Going On A Worm Hunt Look what our Kindergarten students discovered after all the rain stopped last week.... When it finally stopped raining last week, we decided to take advantage of the drier weather and make some discoveries outside. Students were pointing out all the worms they were finding on the pavement, so we decided to take a closer look. We discussed their habitat, and what they need to survive. 
We collected materials from outside to mimic this.
Some of us were very brave and touched them! We used books to help us learn new information. We used magnify glasses to take a closer look at them and see them up close.
Did you know that worms don't have eyes, a  nose, or ears? 
They sense light and vibrations to move around. 
They breath through their skin.
Posted by Jackie Schwartzat 08:47

Cycling is healthy, green, fast and fun!
We're having Bike to School Week May 29-June 1 at Westminster P.S. To promote our Healthy School and Eco School initiatives we hope you will encourage your children to ride their bikes to school every day this week. Our school is joining students and teachers across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area to celebrate Bike to School week 2016. 
All bikes will be housed in the kindergarten enclosures and can can be chained to the fence for safe keeping this week. Monday and Tuesday they will be in Mrs. Schwartz's area and Wednesday and Thursday in Mrs. Sevel's. On those days, our kindies will get a chance to enjoy the playstructure for recess supervised by their staff.
Good fun and exercise for everyone!  So remember to bike to school next week and wear your helmet! 

All students in Grades 4-8 will be participating in our annual Track and Field Day.  We are excited to be competing in the different events on Tuesday, May 30th. If it calls for rain on Tuesday then our rain date will be Thursday, June 1st. We will confirm which date it will be on Monday. 

Our students will be using the field and track at Vaughan S.S. to compete for their age group. We'll see who will go on to represent Westminster at the Area Meet in June. Remember to send your children dressed for the day, in gym clothes with a water bottle and sunscreen. We will be walking to and from Vaughan S.S. together. 

Good luck everyone and have fun!  Go Wildcats!

Please join us for our Volunteer Appreciation Event on Monday May 29th at 7:00 p.m.-8:00 pm. Our staff and students would like to thank all our volunteers for your commitment to our school and school community. This year, we are offering this opportunity to say thank you in the evening as part of our last School Council meeting of the year. All our precious volunteers are invited to come out to join us for yummy goodies, special surprises from our students and good conversation as we wrap up the year. 

Westminster is a small but mighty school with many amazing events and activities going on throughout the year thanks to the efforts of parents from School Council and other volunteers. This year we have had many opportunities for our families to come to our school to meet and have fun together at events such as:
Community BBQ and Fun FairFamily Games NightFamily Movie NightFamily Autumn Ball Rock 'n Roll Literacy Author Visit Night Volunteers have worked hard to support fundraising in…

Our annual Community BBQ and Fun Fair is almost here! Everyone is invited to come out on
Thursday, June 8th, 2017  4:30-7:30
Yummy BBQ dinner - Jumping Castles, Music, Dancing   Fun Fair games and Raffles 
Come have fun with your family and friends  and support our school community!


Pre-orders for dinner can be made online or sent to the school.
Parent volunteers to help with this event are always needed and welcome. If you can volunteer some time please call the school or email Ellen at ellen@eigenmachtcrackower.com
See you there!

On Thursday, May 25th at 7:00 p.m. we are welcoming our new Junior Kindergarten families to an information night.  Parents are encouraged to come out and learn about the Kindergarten Program from our teachers and designated early childhood educators. Come out and get an overview of a day in kindergarten and prepare your children for their big step to school in September.  

Westminster P.S. welcomes our new little ones and their families!

Good luck to our Grade 6 and Grade 3 students who will be writing the EQAO provincial assessment during the next two weeks. We know our students will do their best to demonstrate their learning of the curriculum expectations. 

Between May 23rd-June 1st, students in Grade 3 and Grade 6 will participate in the Education Quality Accountability of Ontario province-wide testing, known as EQAO.  These tests are administered to all students in Ontario and provide the Ministry of Education and the public with critical information about how children are performing in Language Arts and Mathematics curriculum. The data from these tests help our school move forward with our school improvement initiatives.  Each year we use the results of these curriculum based assessments to make adjustments to our programs in order to better meet the needs of our students.

You can support your children and the process by avoiding appointments and absences during these times, ensuring that your childrenare well res…

Today we had our Jump Rope For Heart Kick Off Assembly. Students learned about the importance of maintaining a healthy heart and were reminded of the benefits of eating healthy, exercising, and making positive life choices.

Today an envelope will be sent home for your child to begin collecting donations. Last year our school raised over $2000, and we know that with some hard work we can surpass last years total! Students have been reminded to only collect donations from family and friends and to not knock on strangers' doors. Donations can also be made online. 

Our Jump off date is Friday, June 9th when all students and staff will go outside to jump together.It's lots of fun and always a highlight of our year for students and staff. All donations will need to be submitted by this date.

Thank you for supporting our charitable efforts and developing the empathy in our students. 

Wishing you all a wonderful, fun-filled Victoria Day Weekend with your family and friends.

Remember that we do not have school on Monday.  Enjoy the long weekend!

Dear Parents/Guardians:
As you may know, we are inviting parents and guardians to participate in a survey to support student achievement and well-being. The timeline for the survey has been extended to May 31, 2017. If you haven’t already had the opportunity to complete the survey, we would encourage you to please take 15 minutes to complete the survey online https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/yrdsb2017ParentSurvey 


Paper copies are available in English, Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese. If you prefer to complete the survey on paper, please contact the school to request a paper copy. If you complete the survey on paper, please return it to the school in the envelope provided.
The surveys provide the Board and our school with valuable information about how you feel about the school and your child’s education. Results from the survey will be used to identify areas to be addressed, monitor progress, and plan strategies to support …

YRDSB Survey for Parents/Guardians
Parents/guardians are invited to participate in a survey before May 19. This survey provides an important opportunity for parent/guardian voice. Results will be used to guide planning to support student achievement and well-being.
The English version of the survey is available online. Paper surveys are available in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Sri Lankan Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese. Please contact the school to request a paper copy. Or go to the English online link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/yrdsb2017ParentSurvey
We value your input and encourage you to complete the survey. The information you provide will be anonymous, considered confidential and kept in strict accordance with all relevant legislation.  Please contact the school if you have any questions.

Our Outdoor Classroom is finally done and it is beautiful! It fits naturally into our school yard and adds to the school environment. Our students are already using it as a favourite place to hang out and relax with their friends at recess now that the weather is starting to brighten up. On May 18th it is Outdoor Classroom day and the official launch of our own Outdoor Classroom. Weather permitting, classes will be invited to go out and enjoy a variety of learning activities outdoors such as Math Trekking where teams are challenged to notice the math around us and to solve math problems outdoors. 

If you are outdoors with your children, why not do some math trekking yourselves. Sample questions are:   

During your walk around outside count how many structures can you find with the following shapes; triangle, cylinder, sphere, rectangle, octagon, cone, circle, squareHow many different types of angles do you see ie. acute, obtuse, right?Make a conjecture of how many primary aged children …

Our Spirit Committee has chosen May 19th as Crazy Hair Day at WPS!!

Boys and girls can show their spirit at WPS by dressing up their hair in crazy ways!  

Have fun!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kathi Wallace as the new Interim Director of YRDSB, effective May 17, 2017. Ms. Wallace brings with her much experience from her seven years as Director of Education at the Simcoe County District School Board.

With a wealth of knowledge from her work in the education sector over the past four decades, we are certain that Ms. Wallace will help guide us to ensure the most positive learning environment for our students. We look forward to having Ms. Wallace join the Board and work with us as we collaborate with families across York Region.

As we continue to implement additional directions from the ministry, we will be consulting with the community and other stakeholders on a new policy for Director Recruitment. We look forward to hearing your input.

I would also like to thank Acting Director, Leslie Johnstone, for taking on the role during this challenging time, and all our staff for their…

WESTMINSTER PS SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESENTS:

YORK REGION POLICE OFFICER ALEX HON
INTERNET SAFETY & SOCIAL MEDIA
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017
7:00 PM

Please join us for an informative presentation for parents on how to support and educate your children on the dangers of the internet for all age groups. YRP Officer Hon will be answering questions from parents and will be talking about topics such as:
cyberbullying/cyber-shamingsexting/textingvideo game violencegangs/drugs/peer influencepositive peer relationshipsCome and get your questions answered by a police officer in the field to prevent difficult situations for your children before they happen. This is also part of our regular School Council meeting when our school principal and other staff share school initiatives and up-coming events to support our children and school.  

Child-care will be available. Save the date!

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. Mother's Day is celebrated in more than 46 countries throughout the world. On this day, some people spend time with their mother, some people pray in churches in honor of mothers, while some gift them presents on this day to express their love.  Some may have lunch or dinner at home with the family.
However you celebrate this day, we wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day!  We hope that you enjoy the day with those that you love and create precious memories together. Enjoy!

WESTMINSTER PS SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESENTS:
YORK REGION POLICE OFFICER ALEX HON INTERNET SAFETY & SOCIAL MEDIA WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 7:00 PM
Please join us for an informative presentation for parents on how to support and educate your children on the dangers of the internet for all age groups. YRP Officer Hon will be answering questions from parents and will be talking about topics such as: cyberbullying/cyber-shamingsexting/textingvideo game violencegangs/drugs/peer influencepositive peer relationships
Come and get your questions answered by a police officer in the field to prevent difficult situations for your children before they happen.  
Child-care will be available. Save the date!

Our Kindergarten scientist are learning.... We are beginning to explore the human body! First we are taking a closer look at the important parts of our body, what it looks like on the outside, and exploring our 5 senses. We are learning to make connections about how our senses help us learn more about our world.

Here are a few activities we have been using to explore this topic.

Mr Potato Head 5 senses game.
After you spin the spinner, you find the part of the that uses either sight, smell, taste, touch, or hearing.
We use our  nose to smell. We have a few containers with different object for students to smell and guess what it is. Is it cinnamon? Onion? Dill? Garlic? Or Vanilla? 

We used our sense of hearing to match the sounds of different mystery eggs.
We used our sense of sight to play I Spy, our sense of touch to come up with adjectives to describe objects in a blind bag, and our sense of taste to sense the difference between popcorn and apples.
We look forward to continue this invest…

"On Monday, May 1st, two intermediate students, Maya K. and Sayna S. attended Our Voice Fusion 2017 Conference with Ms. Porat. We evaluated student trustees that will provide York Region students voice on behalf of the York Region District School Board. We heard each individual's campaign speeches on how they would approach delicate topics in schools and their response to our questions regarding our school challenges. Through this, we voted for two nominees that are best qualified to assist students needs in the district. 
In addition we participated in two activities regarding internet safety with a Vaughan police officer, and a mindfulness class activity. Overall this day was educational and fun. We learned to follow our passions, to never give up or we will never know what we can really do. We learnt that we need to celebrate diversity and differences in our school community, and that success takes many forms, we just need to find our own success. Both Maya and I appreciate…

Anyone can get head lice or pediculosis. They are a nuisance, but do not cause illness or carry disease. Kids can be pretty sensitive once they find out they have lice. Here are some important facts about head lice that you can share with them:
·Head lice show no preference for any particular group of people.  ·Head lice prefer clean hair to dirty so they do not mean that you are non-hygienic ·They spread when there is close contact, or by sharing hats, combs or brushes. ·Head lice cannot survive for more than 24-48 hours if they have fallen off a human head.  ·Head lice are crawling insects and they cannot hop, jump or fly.  ·Head lice do not thrive on pets.
We ask that you check your child(ren)'s hair regularly for lice. This will help prevent the spread of pediculosis. You should examine your child's head thoroughly, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck for nits and lice if your child exhibits symptoms (primarily itching) of a head lice infestation. If nits or li…

Dear Parents/Guardians:
Our parents and guardians are our strongest partners in education and we want to hear from you. The York Region District School Board is inviting all parents and guardians to complete a survey between May 1 and May 19, 2017. This survey provides an important opportunity for parent/guardian voice and the results will be used to guide planning to support student achievement and well-being.
The survey is aligned with the priorities of the Board Improvement Plan and includes questions about school learning environments, mathematics, student mental health and well-being, equity and inclusivity, and caring and safe schools. The survey is in compliance with the Ontario Education Act and fulfills the Ministry of Education’s mandate to conduct surveys related to school climate.
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The English version of the survey is available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/yrdsb2017ParentSurvey. Paper surveys are available i…

Westminster P.S. is proud host to Dufflebag Theatre’s  Beauty & The Beast Thursday, May 4th. 2017
We are looking forward to seeing this year's billingual dramatization of Beauty and the Beast or "La belle et la bete" as part of our Arts Package for the year.    "When a handsome but arrogant prince insults a mysterious old woman who appears at his door one rainy night, he finds himself magically transformed into a “horrible, nasty Beast”! The spell can only be broken when he learns to love another more than he loves himself. Fortunately, fate sends a bright and beautiful village girl, searching for her missing father in the forest, towards the hidden castle. Can the Beast learn his lesson and redeem himself before it’s too late? DuffleBag’s adaptation of this timeless classic is guaranteed to ring a Belle!" Dufflebag Theatre, uses student participation to add to this funny and original adaptation of this classic fairy tale which is fun for all ages and meets man…

Our Outdoor Classroom is coming along...due to weather delays, it is taking longer for our Outdoor Classroom to be finished and our students are anxiously waiting for it to be completed....but soon it will be all ready for our students to use and learn outdoors in nature and sunshine. 

We know that this space will be an interesting place to sit and talk or relax for our community outside of school hours as well. If this is the case, we ask parents and community members to remind their children to respect this equipment and remain safe around the boulders that make up our Outdoor Classroom. They should avoid running or climbing around this space and ensure it is used respectfully knowing it is under surveillance as well. Enjoy! Thank you. 

Did you know that this week is Mental Health Awareness Week? 
Caring for your mental health is just as important as caring for your physical health. The difference is that we often take our mental health for granted and don't pay close attention to our emotional well-being. Being mindful of our physical and emotional stress is important at home, work and school. Children feel emotional stress as keenly as adults but don't always understand their own triggers. Helping our children to be mindful of their own reactions to the stress they may feel will help them cope with their frustrations, anxiety and develop their self-regulation skills. Teaching them strategies to calm and relax their mind supports their sense of well-being and encourages their mental health. Talk to your children about their mental health. 
Please see the letter below from the health professionals of our Board: 
We are writing to share information related to the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why.  The series deals w…