Welcome Back to School: 2024/2025

• Posted on August 29, 2024
• by jd104
• in Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Welcome Back to School: 2024/2025

August 29, 2024

Hello to all our WWB Families,

Teachers and staff have been busy preparing to welcome your children to school on Tuesday, September 3. If you haven’t already had the chance, please check our website: https://blogs.spiritsd.ca/wwb/ or Edsby for important information about the school year. Here you will find bell times, significant dates, supply lists, the student handbook, and more.

We are incredibly excited for the start of another new year and the amazing opportunities it will bring. Here at WWB, we believe in building an engaged community of learners through clear communication and fostering positive relationships. As you may know, our WWB motto is, “Your Impact, Your Place.” We want you to know that, as a part of WWB, you have the capacity to shape our school through your actions. When you join our Viking community, we will give you the opportunity to become a leader, to share your voice, and to positively influence the lives of others.

This year we have added many new staff members who will be working with your children:

– Tayona Wheler: Grade 5                          – Bryan Matkowsi: Industrial and Visual Arts
– April Hisey: EA                                           – Shelly Bazowski: EA
– Taylor Wakelin: Grade 4 Intern              – Riley Icton: Grade 7 Intern

We have an amazing team of people ready to begin the school year! We will continually strive to create a learning atmosphere where all students feel a sense of safety and belonging so that they can focus on learning, growing, and building on their strengths.

We can’t wait to see you all here on Tuesday!

Lunchtime
– Lunch runs from 12:13-12:58 pm. Students in grades 8-12 can choose to eat in their classroom or leave school grounds for lunch.
– Caregivers of students in grades 4-7 are required to submit a form indicating whether your child is to remain at school or go home for lunch. Your child will receive this letter from their homeroom teacher on the first day. Please fill it out and return it to the school as soon as possible indicating your wishes.
– Students in grades 4-6 will have the first 20 minutes of lunch to eat and will then be dismissed for a 20-minute recess.

School Fees

– There will be a $40 supply fee for students in grades 4-6. This will cover all necessary supplies for the school year.

– There will be a school fee of $30 Payable to the office.

– These fees can be paid by cheque/cash at the office. We will also have an online payment option this year. Details will be sent home with students next week.

Bell Times
– Bell times are posted on the website home page.
– The school doors will be open for students in grades 6-12 at 8:35 am.
– Students in grades 4-5 are expected to stay outside in the playground area until the 8:47 am warning bell. We ask that they do not arrive on school grounds until 8:35 am. They will then be greeted by their teacher at the elementary wing doors.
– The school day ends at 3:05 pm.

Allergies
– We are an Allergy Aware school. We ask that caregivers not pack any foods with eggs or nuts to send to school as we have students with life-threatening allergies.
– If your child has an allergy we need to be aware of, please let us know as soon as possible so we can put a safety plan in place.

Student Drop Off, Pick Up, and Parking
– We ask that all families utilize our student drop off/pick up loop on the North East side of our school grounds. This area is to be used exclusively by parents for this purpose. There is clear signage indicating the entrance and exit.
– Students who drive to school are expected to use the student parking lot also on the North East side of our school grounds, next to the rink.
– Please do not use the bus loop in front of the school between 8:30-9:00 am and 3:45-3:30 pm.

Communication Protocols
– We want to maintain clear, open, and regular communication with families, so if you every have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to get in touch with the school.
– Please sign up for Edsby. If you need assistance, contact our admin. assistant Janet Wenzel: 283-4434. Edsby will be our primary communication portal with families.
– If students or parents have concerns or questions about an issue at school, please follow this communication process:

1. The classroom teacher is to be the first person to hear and address any concerns from a student or parent.
2. If the issue cannot be resolved with the teacher, the principal or vice-principal is to be contacted.
3. If the matter remains unresolved, the parent may request a meeting with our superintendent, Peggy Mattila-Bains (306-683-2835).
4. If further discussion is required, the parent may ask to meet with Tracey Young, PSSD’s Director of Education.

Cell Phone Usage

– As you have probably heard, the Ministry of Education has directed school divisions to put in place policies restricting the use of personal electronic devices – including cell phones – during the school day. In line with the new PSSD AP-437, we have created a set of rules regarding the usage of personal electronic devices at WWB. This will be a significant change and we look forward to working closely together with families to navigate these new expectations in a positive way.

Grades 4-7
Cell phones for grades 4-7 students are not permitted at WWB between 8:35 am and 3:05 pm.

Cell phones are to remain in lockers until the end of the school day. This is to help alleviate students of anxiety and distraction caused by constant connection to electronics and to encourage positive peer relationships.

Any grade 4-7 student found using their cell phone during the school day will have to turn it in to the teacher who will bring it to the office, where it will remain until the end of the day. If multiple infractions occur, a parent may be required to pick up their child’s phone from the office.

Grades 8-9
Cell phones for grades 8 & 9 students must be kept in a student’s locker during all periods as well as during first break. These students may use their cell phones before and after school as well as over the noon hour.

This policy is intended to help alleviate students of anxiety and distraction caused by constant connection to electronics and to encourage positive peer relationships.

Any grade 8-9 student found using their cell phone during the school day will have to turn it in to the teacher who will bring it to the office, where it will remain until the end of the day. If multiple infractions occur, a parent may be required to pick up their child’s phone from the office.

Grades 10-12
Senior students are permitted to bring their phones to class during the school day, but they must be stored away unless granted permission by a teacher to use them for academic purposes.

Senior classrooms are equipped with hanging phone pockets for students to store their phones while not in use.

At the senior level, students are expected to learn and practice responsible phone use. Any student unable to use their phone responsibly, will be required to turn their phone in to their teacher and may pick it up at the office at the end of the day.

*WWB recognizes that special occurrences may require a student to need access to their phone during the day. These requests should be communicated to, and approved by, that student’s teacher as well as administration.

**Some students may require access to a phone as part of a student-parent-school health plan (ex. monitoring insulin). These exemption forms can be submitted during the first week of school.

***Parents who need to reach a student can do so by calling the office at 306-283-4434 any time during the school day.

– Please refer to the WWB student handbook for additional important school policies. A link to the handbook can be found on our website.

Sincerely,

Joel Driedger: Principal

Brett Rowland: Vice-Principal