December 2016

Principal’s Message

December is now upon us and it is one of my favourite times of the year. Like many,

it evokes many fond childhood memories. I love the memories of walking around the

neighbourhood with my parents and sister to go look at the lights scintillating in the

wistfully falling snow or the ever so often misty fog accentuating the street lights.

As a family, we made time in the evening to light the logs in the fireplace and roast

marshmallows or build forts and read good books. No matter what, it was the family

time together that mattered.

One of my favourite childhood memories involves the year our family travelled to

Regina to visit my grandparents. This was always a treat as they lived so far away.

As a child, it felt like forever to get there and I’m sure the words, “Are we there

yet,” rang out too frequently. Despite the long trip, I looked forward to every visit,

even if only for a few days.

My grandparents lived in a beautiful house overlooking a lake just outside of Regina.

While there we had fun playing outside, climbing up and down the hills, and generally

getting into mischief whenever possible. But it was Christmas, so I was trying to be

on my best behaviour since you know who was watching. Well, Christmas arrived

that snowy morning and I awoke extra early filled with excitement. Gifts were laid

out around the Christmas tree and I was chomping at the bit to open mine. That

year, I clearly remember opening up a Lego set and spending the better part of the

day building a small town until we settled down for a traditional Christmas supper.

What really stuck with me as being my best memory of that morning wasn’t just the

fun gift. No, it was being able to sneak into grandma and grandpa’s bedroom and get

a morning hug and visit. Now, about 35 years later, it warms my heart when I get

those morning hugs from my girls at home or when I see my niece and nephew go for

a visit to my parents’ house and how they instantly go in for nana’s and papa’s hug:

“They are the best!”

Whether your Christmas break is at home or travelling, whether you have Lego or

some other meaningful gift under the tree, my wish to you is the gift of family. I

wish that everyone has a safe wonderful Christmas and gets to enjoy the company

of their families.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Mr. Raymond Cable

West Haven Public School 325 West Haven Drive

Leduc, Alberta T9E 0R9

Phone (780) 986—5991

Fax (780) 986—5661

Principal: Mr. Raymond Cable A.P.: Mr. Greg Luchak

whps.blackgold.ca

Page 2

Reminders:

Grade 1 - 8 School Hours: 8:35 - 3:15

Entry Bell: 8:30am

Classes Start: 8:40am

Recess (Gr. 1 to 6): 10:15 am - 10:30 am

Jr. High: 10:15 am - 10:25

Lunch Dismissal: 12:00 pm

Classes Resume: 12:45 pm

Recess (Gr. 1 to 6): 2:00 pm - 2:15

Jr. High: 2:00 pm - 2:10

Dismissal: 3:15 pm

*Supervisors are outside at 8:15 am

ECS School Hours:

AM Class - 8:35am - 11:23am

PM Class - 12:27 pm - 3:15 pm

Student Absences

For the safety of our students, it is extremely im-

portant to notify the school if your child will be late

or absent. If the school is not notified, we are obli-

gated to phone your home or office, or, if needed,

your emergency contacts to confirm the absence.

For your convenience, you may leave a message con-

cerning absences outside of school hours on the

voicemail system from 4:00 pm to 8:00 am, or you

can send an e-mail to

sandy.musteca@gshare.blackgold.ca and/or

diane.neustaeter@gshare.blackgold.ca

Visitors to our School

All parents and visitors must check in at the office

when visiting our school. A visitor pass is required

if you are going any further than the office.

Early Dismissal (1st Wednesday of each month)

December 7, 2016 @ 2:30 pm

January 11, 2017 @ 2:30 pm

*No kindergarten on Early Dismissal days*

Hot Lunch

December 9th—Dominos Pizza

December 18th—Extreme Pita

January 13—McDonald’s

Milk Program

Milk cards are $17.00 for 20 milk and

can be purchased online or at the office.

School Fees

Fees for the 2016-2017 school year were due

September 30th. Payments can be made

online through your PowerSchool Parent Por-

tal, or by cash or cheque at the office. Please

make cheques payable to West Haven Public

School. The fee schedule is as follows:

ECS $110.00

Grades 1-6 $60.00

Grades 7-8 $125.00 (includes both options

and instructional resources)

If you have any questions or concerns, please

contact Mr. Cable or Mr. Luchak in confi-

dence.

This year our grade 7W class will be hosting a

“5 Days of Giving” Celebration to support local

charities. Students are encouraged to bring in

new items that will be donated to either San-

ta’s Helpers or the Food Bank in Leduc. Please

see the attached flyer in this newsletter for

the daily theme and ideas. Students should

take their donations to the tables in the front

foyer.

5 Days of Giving

Giving

Spirit Days

Our December Spirit Days are:

Wednesday, December 7 - Sport/Jersey Day

Friday, December 23 - Christmas Festive

Wear/Christmas Sweater

FOCUS ON SAFETY

We would like to thank those parents who contin-

ue to put safety first at West Haven Public

School. We appreciate your ongoing efforts to

ensure that students are dropped off safely.

We would like to remind parents not to park too

close to the stop signs or stop in the crosswalks

to let students out of their vehicles. We wish to

avoid any preventable accidents.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Christmas Concert and Musical

Students in grades K-6 have been rehearsing for the upcoming musical performance of

“December In Our Town”. Each class will be singing throughout the entire show, and will have

one feature song to perform on the stage. The WHPS Concert Band will perform selections

from their first few months of beginning band. We are accepting non-perishable food items at

the door for our the Leduc Food Bank.

Grades K, 1, 3, 5, and Grade 7/8 Band

Tuesday, December 20th - 1:00 pm Open Dress Rehearsal

7:00 pm Evening Show Grade 7 & 8 Band will perform at the start of the show. Following their performance, the elementary students

(grade K, 1, 3, 5) will present “December In Our Town: A Multicultural Celebration of the Season”.

Grades 2, 4 and 6

Wednesday, December 21st - 1:00 pm Open Dress Rehearsal

7:00 pm Evening Show

Elementary students in grades 2, 4 and 6 will present “December In Our Town: A Multicultural Celebration of the

Season”.

Doors will open at 6:30. Students should go directly to their homeroom classroom

at this time. All students should be in their homerooms by 6:45 at the latest.

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Kindergarten Registration

2017 - 2018

We will begin accepting registration for the

2017 - 2018 school year on January 16, 2017.

A Note of Thanks

A big thank you to Mrs. Ausman, Mrs.

Susa & Mr. Latter for planning our Re-

memberance Day Ceremony and making

this year’s observation a special time

of tribute. We would also like to thank

all of the students who dressed in

their uniforms and participated in the

ceremony.

A big thank you to Mrs. Ankerstein for

organizing and running the book fair. A

special thank you to parents for sup-

porting the book fair.

To all of our moms, dads and extended

family who come in to help on a regular

basis, in classrooms, doing microwave

and hot lunches, your help is truly ap-

preciated.

To our outstanding staff who have

worked tirelessly on this year’s Christ-

mas concert, the hours and hours of

painting, organizing and music arrang-

ing will be enjoyed by all!

We would like to thank our volunteers

who came out for lice check. We very

much appreciate your efforts!

Kendra McLean Chantelle Ritchie

Melissa Amon Deanna Burtch

Lyla Purcha Jillian MacLeod-Moorhouse

We would like to thank the Lightning-

Earle, Purcha and Russell families for

their donation of books to the school.

Inclement Weather

The administration will decide “In” days at re-

cess and lunchtime should such a decision be

required. When the temperature reaches –20,

including wind chill, students are expected to

remain indoors for their own safety. Students

should always be dressed appropriately for the

weather.

Ensure your child has a touque, mitts, gloves,

snow boots, snow pants, a warm winter jacket

etc, and that they are labelled with your child’s

name.

Please keep sick

children at home

Lets work together to stay

healthy.

Wash with soap and water regu-

larly and stay home if you are ill.

Page 4

Page 5

West Haven Fundraising Society and School Council Updates

At the meetings held on November 3rd, the following items were discussed:

Current fundraising efforts have raised over $3000 so far to help with the cost of the play-

grounds;

We voted on the fundraiser we’ll hold in the spring – La Montagne online fundraiser;

Our application for the CFEP grant should be decided in January;

Principal Cable shared information on the 3 year Ed plan; and

We approved the Operating Procedures for School Council.

Just a quick reminder that this Wednesday, November 30 is the last day to get your order in for our

Purdy’s fundraiser. These are great ideas for Christmas presents and stocking stuffers. Orders will

be ready for pick up at the school on Friday, December 16th.

Also, our Fundscrip gift card fundraising is still ongoing. We will be running this fundraiser through-

out the year, and there is a large number of stores and online vendors to choose from. If you need

gift cards for any reason, it is a great way to support our fundraiser while getting what you need at

the same time.

The WHPS Fundraising Society would like to thank all the families that have contributed to our fund-

raising efforts. We realize that there have been numerous fundraiser since the beginning of the

school year. We truly appreciate everyone’s efforts a great deal, and want you to know that these

fundraisers are for a very important cause. Over the summer, our society partnered with the school,

the City of Leduc, and Black Gold School Division to build the two amazing playgrounds that our chil-

dren and community have use of. As a result, the society has a significant financial obligation to repay.

We are working very hard to raise money for this reason, and again, we thank you for your support

and fundraising efforts.

The next meetings will be on Thursday, December 1st at 6:30 pm in the Foods Lab. We’ll be having a

potluck appetizers – please bring something to share. Everyone is welcome. We’ll be voting on event

fundraiser ideas and reviewing proposed amendments to our society bylaws. If you’ve got questions,

suggestions or comments, please contact us at whpsfs@gmail.com.

Sara Russell

Secretary, WHPSFS & WHPSSC

Wolverines Junior High Volleyball

The boys’ volleyball team had a great year, finishing second overall in the league in their first year.

Mr. Klaassen and Mr. Porter thank the boys for all their effort and determination this year. Way to

go, boys!

The girls' volleyball team had a fantastic season which culminated with them winning our school's

first championship banner. Mrs. Lavoie and Mrs. Jakubowski would like to thank the girls for their

dedication and hard work. Way to go, girls!

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Hot Lunch

Our hot lunch ordering program can be found online at

westhaven.hotlunches.net. If you haven’t yet created an

account and would like to, the access code is WHPS. The

program is open for orders from the 1st of the month to

the 15th, at which time the system shuts down and re-

moves any partial or unpaid orders. Please ensure that your

order is complete by midnight of the 15th of every month.

Elementary Girls Basketball

Congratulations to the following girls for mak-

ing the Elementary Girls Basketball Team.

Emma Sherwin Vanessa Darapiza

Brooklyn Wallace Vyn Sveinsson

Kiera Lesage Caitlin Peterson

Kadance Chapman Karmella Quinteros

Madison Schnell Kayden Roan

Cutlery

Please remember to

send any utensils re-

quired by your child to

eat their lunch or

snack to school with

them.

The next bake sales are Dec

7th (hosted by 2J) and Dec

21st (hosted by 6L)

Just a reminder that items

are $0.50 each.

EXTRA CLOTHING:

It is once again that time of year when the

kids come to the office with soaking wet

socks, pants, boots, etc. If you could

please send extra clothing with your child ,

we would appreciate it. As well, we are al-

ways in need of extra clothing (all sizes)

such as girl’s & boy’s pants, socks, shirts

etc. Thank you for your help with this!

Emergency Lunches:

We are accepting donations for our emergency

lunch program. Some very helpful items are;

bread, jam, peanut butter, granola bars, tuna

snacks, fruit cups, individually wrapped cheese

portions, crackers, plastic spoons & forks. We

are looking for nutritious food items that do

not require much preparation or cooking. Any

donations would be greatly appreciated.

Student Wellness Action Team (S.W.A.T.)

The West Haven Student Wellness Action Team (S.W.A.T.) has a fun-filled month of activi-

ties planned for December. The team will be focusing on two of the three pillars of student

wellness this month: physical well-being and mental wellness. With this in mind, the SWAT

team welcomes everyone to take part in…

1) Christmas Door Decorating competition - Our friends in the academic assistance program have

come up with a great idea, and the SWAT team is helping them promote this fun and creative activ-

ity beginning on December 1st! Everyone is welcome to tour the school and see what creative de-

signs all the classes have come up with.

2) The 12 Days of Fitness - Beginning on December 8th, students will be taking part in 12 consecu-

tive days of fun-filled "exercises" inspired by the well known Christmas Carole. Get ready to get

your Christmas heart rates up!

3) Tacky Christmas Sweater Day - On Friday, December 23rd, students are invited to wear their

most unique (aka tacky) Christmas themed outfits to school. Come dressed as a Christmas tree or

your favourite stocking - let your imaginations be your guide!

Page 7

Counsellor's Corner

It's the most wonderful time of the year. It is hard to believe that we are already in December and

Christmas is just around the corner. Fortunately, for most of us, this time of year is full of great

times, great people and, more often than not, great food; however, this is not the case for everyone.

December and the holidays can be a source of stress for many families, but with a little help from eve-

ryone it doesn't have to be. There are many great programs in our community that provide valuable re-

sources for those in need. The Leduc and District Food Bank works extremely hard to build food secu-

rity for all families within the community and rely on generous donations from individuals and groups.

Most Needed Items Drop Off Bins in Leduc Canned Stew and Chili

Chunky Soup Co-op

Mayonnaise Sobey’s/Safeway

Cooking Oil No Frills

Pancake Mix Giant Tiger

Peanut Butter Leduc Library

Hamburger Helper

Canned Salmon, Ham, Turkey or Chicken

Jam

Powdered Laundry Detergent

Have a great December and enjoy the holidays!

Mr. Rob Froland

Learning Support

Speech and Language Support Please check out this amazing resource for speech and language support from Alberta Health Ser-

vices! "The Talk Box website was put together by speech-language pathologists to share ideas about

creating language-rich environments for preschool and school-age children. Children learn language

everyday and parents play an important role in their child’s speech and language development. The Talk

Box shares ideas and activities for creating language-rich environments. It has everyday tips, infor-

mation about what to expect in speech and language development, when to get help, and where to get

help." - Alberta Health Services http://www.humanservices.alberta.ca/family-community/talk-box.html

Occupational Therapy Support: Black Gold School Division works collaboratively with Alberta Health Services to provide occupational

therapy for students who require this support. Recently there have been some changes in the availa-

bility of this support for our region. Our school division is working hard to hire an Occupational Thera-

pist to help provide support and they hope to have someone in place as soon as possible! We will keep

families and learning teams updated as we learn new information.

How to provide OT support in the interim? For students who have had previous occupational therapy

consultations, our learning teams are reviewing those previous recommendations thoroughly as these

recommendations have lasting value.

What’s new in the world of assistive technology? Read&Write for Google Chrome!

All students in our school division can access Read&Write for Google Chrome using the free fea-

tures. This application offers a range of powerful support tools to help students gain confidence with

reading, writing, studying and research! It has the ability to provide speech to text and allows stu-

dents to have support while also being independent in their inclusive classrooms.

Parents, feeling overwhelmed with the idea of learning new technology? You are not alone! If you need

support in learning this application please contact me and we can arrange a time to teach you how to

use it!

Please remember that your classroom teacher is always your best and first stop if you have questions

about speech and language support, occupational therapy support and/or learning support.

Happy Holidays!

Miss, D. Ringheim

Learning Support Teacher

Page 8

Page 9

West Haven Public School “Five Days of Giving” December 5 - 9th This year our grade 7W class is coordinating a “Five Days of Giving” campaign. This activity

is designed to provide leadership skills for our students while supporting our local community.

Each day from December 5th to December 9th has been designated as a different theme. All

of our students are encouraged to bring NEW items based on the daily theme that will be

donated to a local charity. These items are displayed throughout the week in foyer before

being sent to either Santa’s Helpers or the Leduc Food Bank to benefit our community.

Listed below are the daily donation themes:

Monday, December 5th: “Mini Me Monday”

(Includes: diapers, sleepers, baby food, formula, other baby related

items)

Tuesday, December 6th: “Feelin’ Fresh Tuesday”

(Includes toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, cream rinse, shaving deodorant,

hairbrushes, combs, makeup, hair bows, laundry detergent, bath soaps etc.)

Wednesday, December 7th: “Winter Warmth Wednesday”

(Includes: pajamas, hats, scarves, mitts, slippers, blankets, sweaters etc.)

Thursday, December 8th: “Play Day Thursday”

(Includes: toys, games, puzzles, stuffed animals, play dough, crafts, books, etc.)

Friday, December 9th: “Food Friday”

(Includes: Christmas treats, all other food, soups, snacks etc.)

We encourage families and students to be creative and participate in as many of the days as

they wish. We thank you for your support in this endeavor.

Page 9

West Haven’s “Five Days West Haven’s “Five Days West Haven’s “Five Days

Of GivingOf GivingOf Giving”””

THE DIVORCE AND SEPARATION TRUCE

A FREE 1 day workshop meant for individuals who are co-parenting with

an ex-partner and would like to learn new skills.

You will learn:

To choose a better way to communicate with your ex

Skills for dealing with anger, resentment, and conflict with your ex

How to put your kids first

The impact of separation on your child

DATE: December 10, 2016

TIME: 9-4:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Leduc Public Library

Registration is required by calling 780-980-8429 or call for more information *** It is not recommended that exes attend the program together

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 D5

Parent

Teacher

Interviews

3:45 to 6:00 WHPSSC and FS

Meeting @ 6:30 in Foods

Lab

2

PD Day

No Classes

3

4

“5 Days of Giving” Week

5 D1

“Mini Me Monday”

Microwave

Day

6 D2

“Feelin’ Fresh Tuesday”

7 D3

Early

Dismissal

2:30 Bake Sale (2J)

“Winter Warmth Wednesday” Spirit Day

Sport/Jersey

Day

8 D4

“Play Day Thursday”

12 Days of

Fitness

begins

9 D5

“Food Friday”

Hot Lunch

Dominos

10

11 12 D1

Microwave

Day

13 D2 14 D3

Assembly &

Playground

Opening

1:00

15 D4 16 D5 Purdy’s

Fundraising Or-

ders ready for

pick-up

Hot Lunch

Extreme Pita

17

18 19 D1

Microwave

Day

20 D2

Christmas

Concert

1:00 & 7:00

7/8 Band,

Gr. K, 1,3,5

21 D3

Christmas

Concert

1:00 & 7:00

Gr. 2, 4, 6

Bake Sale (6L)

22 D4 23 D5

Tacky Sweater Day

24

Christmas

Vacation

Begins.

Classes

resume on

January 9th.

25

Merry

Christmas

26

CHR

27

IST

28

MAS

29

VACA

30

TION

31