Social Media and New School Website
Please follow us on Instagram @ westgatecbe for important dates, reminders and announcements and photos of amazing student work, school events and activities. We also have a new school website, please check it out! https://westgate.cbe.ab.ca/
School Planning Engagement
We invite parents to share their perspectives about our school planning for the 2024-25 school year. This includes the School Development Plan, school budget and school fees. Please see the links below to our NEW SCHOOL WEBSITE where you will find these documents, the presentation given by administration at School Council meeting Thursday, February 22 and the link to the survey. Thank you so much for helping us make decisions that reflect everyone’s voice in our school community.
School website (information on school engagement planning, presentation by School admin, and link to School Development Plan and Report on Fees)
Pink Shirt Day
This year, Pink Shirt Day falls on Wednesday, February 28. On this day, we encourage everyone to practice kindness and to wear pink to symbolize that you do not tolerate bullying. Teachers will be engaging in a variety of tasks and activities aimed at furthering our work in creating an even more safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all students.
The original event was organized by David Shepherd and Travis Price in Nova Scotia, who in 2007 bought and distributed 50 pink shirts after 9th grade student Chuck McNeill was bullied for wearing a pink shirt during the first day of school. It has since transformed into a worldwide movement against bullying.
Special Occasions
In adherence with CBE administrative regulations, Westgate School requests that parents do not send food items for birthdays to share with students at school. Furthermore, we ask that families do not send gifts or items to distribute to the class. This helps us avoid situations in which students have special dietary restrictions or allergies and ensure that all students feel included and are celebrated in an equitable way. Teachers find special and creative ways to recognize these moments with students in class. Thank you for your understanding. If you have questions or concerns about this, please contact an administrator.
Science Fair (Grades 5-6) – Looking for Volunteers
For the past two months, Grades 5 and 6 students have been participating in the Westgate Science Club. Students have had opportunities to view and participate in science demonstrations and to learn about the scientific method. Using this new knowledge they have undertaken a project on their own and are now almost finished and ready to present their findings.
Students will have the opportunity to present and demonstrate their projects at the Westgate Science Fair that will be held on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The Fair will be held in the gym throughout the entire day. Westgate classes will visit during the day and families are welcome to visit as well! Families are welcome to visit in the morning between 8:40am and 9:30am and between 10:00am and 11:30am. In the afternoon, families are invited to visit between 12:30pm and 2:00pm.
The Science Fair will not continue into the evening this year.
In order for the Science fair to be successful, we are looking for volunteers. We need parent volunteers to help us set up in the morning, take down at the end of the day and judge. As a judge, listening and inquiring about a participant's project inspires the student to keep their interest in science beyond the Science Fair. The volunteer judging commitment is approximately 60 minutes to assess 3 to 5 projects, anytime during school hours, morning or afternoon. You don't need to prepare in advance or require special/previous experience. We will provide everything. It is a lot of fun talking to a student about their project! If you are available and interested in volunteering for any of these positions, please sign up using the following link.
Literacy Night for Parents
Thank you to those parents who joined us for our Literacy Night on Feb.22. It was a wonderful turnout and we had great conversation about literacy, new curriculum and how parents can help their children at home. Please find a copy of the presentation at this page on our school website.
Minecraft
Westgators of all grades are invited to participate in Season 3 of the Minecraft Design Challenge. The challenge will use Minecraft Education Edition - free for all CBE students. More info can be found here, and you can download the app from this webpage. The club will be on Wednesdays, facilitated by Mme Erbacker and it is project-based and not for general free-play. Students along with their parents should seriously consider their commitment to the project, which will be completed at home. All interested students must complete this application form by Monday, February 26, 2024.
If you have any questions about the challenge, please contact Mme Erbacker (beerbacker@cbe.ab.ca)
Book Fair Volunteers
Our Library requires a number of volunteers to help at the Book Fair being held from March 19-22, 2024.Volunteers are required during the following times:
Tuesday, March 19: 8:00 - 11:00 am for set up
Tuesday, March 19: 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Wednesday, March 20: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thursday, March 21: 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
Friday, March 22: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Friday, March 22: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm for clean up
If you would like to volunteer at the Book Fair, please sign up here.
Important Dates
February 26 - March 1 - Think Fast Comedy Residency
February 26 - Canucks Rugby Workshop
February 28 - Pink Shirt Day
February 29 - Lacrosse Residency
March 5 - Special Lunch
March 5 - Kindergarten Assembly
March 6 - Science Fair
March 19-22 - Book Fair
March 21 & 22 - Student Learning Conferences
March 25 - April 1 - Spring Break