First Day of School – Information for Families
Welcome Back!!! We hope that everyone is enjoying their final days of summer. Please see below for some important information about the first day of school (Tuesday, September 5th):
On the first day of school we invite all parents to drop off students at their meeting area as described below. We will not be posting class lists, as this is a Freedom of Information protocol we follow to protect the identity of all our students. The “first day” drop off can be a bit confusing; however, our staff are experts at gathering the children and getting them organized into their classes. Our instructional day begins at 8:30 am but there will be staff on supervision beginning at 8:15 am. Please arrive in good time on the first day!
As a reminder, to be respectful of all students and families, we ask that dogs are not brought onto school property during school hours. Staff on supervision will be asking families with dogs to remain off school property during arrival and dismissal times.
Meeting Areas:
- Kindergarten students meet in the Kindergarten Playscape area.
- Grades 1 to 2 will meet in the gym. Staff will greet you at the door and direct you to your new teacher. From there, proceed into the gym to find the teacher name card on the wall. Parents, please stop to meet your child’s teacher and inform them of your end-of-day pickup routine.
- Grades 3-6 will meet on the white parking lines at the back of the school. Teachers will stand under the sign in the grade area. Staff will direct you to your new teacher.
- Grades 7-8 will meet at the basketball courts and names will be called to go to their homeroom teachers.
- Plan of Care Forms and medication should be dropped off to the staff at the table set up on the hardtop located in front of Portable 1.
If it rains, Kindergarten will meet in the Kindergarten hall, Grades 1 – 2 will meet in the gym, Grade 3s in the North hall, by Room 109, and Grades 4 – 8 will meet in the Library. Parents of grades 3 to 8, please say “good-bye” before students enter the building as we won’t be able to accommodate so many students and adults in these areas.
Please remember, these class placements are very tentative. There will be more information shared about class organization as we confirm our student numbers.
Have a wonderful long weekend. See you Tuesday,
Westminster Woods PS Staff
BUSSING Information for Families
- To determine your student’s eligibility for bussing, please head to https://www.findmyschool.ca/TransportationEligibility
- We highly recommend that families who use the bus take a moment to sign up for delays/cancellations
- If your student is eligible for bussing but you choose NOT to use this service (in the a.m., p.m. or both), please be sure to call our office to let us know so we can update the manifest
- If your child usually takes the bus, but is going to cycle home or is getting picked up for an appointment, please let our office know so we are not holding the buses while we search for them at the end of the day!
DROP OFF / KISS and RIDE Procedures for Families
As we begin our school year, please review the expectations for arriving to school safely. As a reminder, the “Hall” parking lot is for busses and staff; the “Goodwin” lot, next to the Orin Reid Park, is our “Kiss and Ride” and “Family Parking Lot”. Please note the following options for drop off/pick up:
OPTION #1: WALK!
Whenever possible, we encourage you to use the healthiest, safest option of getting to and from school: walking!
OPTION #2: DROP/PICK and GO
For families who need to drive to and from school, our Kiss and Ride lane is available for families who do NOT need to exit the car in order to support their student getting in/out of the car and to/from their class. Once in the drop zone along the curb, please allow your child(ren) to hop out of the car on the passenger curb side, and proceed to the yard.
OPTION #3: PARK and ASSIST
For families who need to drive to and from school, our parking lot is available for families who need to exit vehicle to assist their child(ren) out of the car or to their line on the tarmac. Please do NOT park and ask students to run through traffic.
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