December Community Newsletter

December 2024 Community Newsletter

Greetings

As we head into the month of December, it is hard to believe we have just over 25 instructional days remaining before Semester 1 Final Evaluations. Mid-term reports were shared the week of November 18th and highlighted the learning and growth experienced by students during the first term while identifying areas for growth. We encourage ongoing home-school communication to improve student outcomes. Outside of our classrooms, we had many events that will continue into December that highlight the talents of our students and demonstrate the care of our Westdale school community!

Sincerely,

Brian Goodram, Principal

Important Calendar  Dates

Date:	Event(s):	Audience:
Wednesday Dec. 4th	International Baccalaureate Information Night (6-8pm; HWDSB Education Centre)	Students/Families interested in the IB Programme
Thursday Dec. 5th	Mamma Mia! School Musical (6:30pm curtain; Auditorium)	All
Friday Dec. 6th	National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Mamma Mia! School Musical (6:30pm curtain; Auditorium)	All   All
Tuesday Dec. 10th	National Human Rights Day (United Nations)	All
Tuesday Dec. 17th	School Council (6:15pm; Library/Learning Commons)	Parents/Guardians
Wednesday Dec. 18th	Winter Semi-Formal (5:30-9:30pm; Liuna Station)	Grade 9-12 Students
Dec. 2st to Jan. 5th	Winter Break	All

Shout Outs / Good News

Westdale Music Concert:

In mid-November, our Jazz, Band, and Orchestra treated our community to a variety of pop music performances at their Pop Mania Concert. The students performed new and classic hits such as Spinning Wheel, All Blues, We are Young, Feel It Still, Don’t Stop Belivin’, Smoke on the Water. Thank you to Mr. Abell for his ongoing leadership and advocacy for music programming and learning here at Westdale. We look forward to upcoming performances!

Athletics Championships:

Congratulations to the Jr. Girls Basketball team on winning the City Championship! With the win, the team advanced to SOSSA, hosted by Westdale, on Nov. 19th. The team played in front of a packed gym for an enthusiastic group of Westdale students. The team lost a highly contested semi-final match against Welland Centennial. Thank you to coaches Ms. Adachi and Mr. Van Harten for their time and mentorship with the student-athletes.

As well, the Varsity Football team competed for the City Championship against the defending champion Westmount Wildcats this past month. The Warriors played a solid game but lost by a close score of 14-0. Thank to you to Mr. Olah and our various community coaches for the countless hours spent with the team this year. Despite the final outcome, it was a very successful season and the first appearance by Westdale in a football city championship in years. Way to go, Warriors!

Student Belonging:

Thank you to Ms. Panton and our Art Dept. for their ongoing work in displaying the artistic talents of our students. Student belonging and connection is improved when they see themselves reflected in our spaces. Here is some of the amazing artwork of our students from our 1st floor display!

Be You. Be Excellent Photoshoot:

There was lots of energy in the building on November 15th as a professional film crew was at Westdale to take photos of some of our students for the next edition of HWDSB’s Be You. Be Excellent. posters. These posters highlight and celebrate the various students, programs, and diversity across HWDSB and will be displayed system wide. Westdale was fortunate to be selected along with Glendale Secondary School and Glenwood School for this series of posters. We look forward to seeing the finished product in the new year and having the posters displayed in our hallways and common spaces!

Semester 2 Enrollment and Staffing:

We are thrilled to share that our semester 2 enrollment remains steady at over 1,500 students, with a slight increase in predicted enrollment (from the spring) of 9 students. This enrollment allows us to continue to offer a depth and breadth of programming to support all students, in all chosen pathways. We look forward to welcoming new staff to Westdale for semester 2!

Other News

Holiday Hamper / Gift Card Drive:

A couple of weeks ago, we shared plans of our Holiday Hamper / Gift Card Drive with our Westdale community. Our community was quick to respond, with over $1,000 raised in gift cards and donations in the first week alone! Thank you! If you would like to contribute to this impactful drive, gift cards can be dropped off directly to the Main Office by families or students between 8am and 3pm. To ensure equitable distribution of gift cards, we ask that you please indicate the dollar amount on the gift card. Alternatively, donations can be made via School Cash Online. Our aim this year is to exceed the 37 hampers provided last school year (pictured right, before being wrapped). As a school, we are so grateful for the support of our community partners (Tastebuds, the Bulldogs Foundation, Food4Kids) as they allow us to provide a daily breakfast and snack program for our students. If you are interested in supporting the Breakfast/Nutrition program or Holiday Hamper program as a volunteer, please contact the main office. Thank you to Ms. Venizelos for her ongoing leadership, support, and advocacy of these programs.

Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Event:

Thanks to the leadership of our School Council, Westdale has submitted an application for PRO Grant funding to support a learning opportunity for our parents/guardians. PRO Grants are designed to engage and involve parents/guardians in support of student achievement and well-being. At this time, School Council is exploring learning opportunities in the areas of supporting teen mental health, the impacts of screen time and social media, and navigating the stress of modern parenthood, to name a few. We will share the plan and dates with our parent community once details are confirmed and finalized.

Secure Schools Drills:

Throughout the school year, we perform a variety of drills so students and staff are prepared, in case of an emergency. Each school, as mandated, performs the following annual drills:

• 6 Fire drills (3/semester). Two of these drills are announced to students and staff beforehand.
• 2 Lockdown drills. Purpose: for a safety threat within the building or on school property
• 1 Hold and Secure drill. Purpose: for a safety threat outside of the building (e.g., in the community)
• 1 Shelter in Place drill. Purpose: for an external environmental related concern (e.g., extreme weather event)
• 1 bomb threat drill

All known drills are communicated to parents/guardians beforehand (via SchoolMessenger). Students and staff are informed beforehand as well so the rationale, process, and expectations can be reviewed prior to practicing the response. Additional information regarding HWDSB’s Secure Schools responses can be found within the Board’s website: https://hwdsb.info/secureschools

Students for Students Food Drive:

Westdale’s “Students for Students” group is collecting non-perishables to stock the Locke Street and Strathcona Community Fridges. If you plan on attending the Mamma Mia Musical this Thursday and Friday night, we welcome you to bring along a food donation to support this cause!