Back to School Newsletter (Aug. 30th)

Monday, August 30th, 2021

Dear Students & Families:

I hope you all had a wonderful summer and that you are looking forward to the start of a new school year at Westview! We are looking forward to welcoming a big group of 177 new grade 8s this year which continues the positive growth of our school community. Most importantly it looks like we are returning to a mostly “normal” school year including extra-curricular activities and all the opportunities that make school a positive and enriching experience for students.

As we approach our school opening on Tuesday, September 7th, I wanted to share some information that will make the school start-up process clear. On Friday, there was additional communication shared on the portal regarding communicable disease prevention guidelines for K-12 schools from our superintendent, Mr. Harry Dhillon. This letter focuses specifically on what you can expect as we return to full-time in-person learning at Westview.

As you likely are aware, the provincial Medical Health Officer & Minister of Education made an announcement this week with respect to the COVID – 19 Back to School Plan. Please note some of the highlights below with respect to the health and safety protocols that will be in place to start the school year:

Mask mandate – the policy states that masks are required for indoor public spaces, including schools, beginning August 25th. As such, all students, staff and school visitors need to be prepared to wear a mask upon entry to the school.
Hand Sanitizer stations will be at each entrance to the school. Students and staff are encouraged to be diligent with hand hygiene.
The daily health check will continue to be in place, as it was last year.
Students and staff who are feeling ill should be staying home.

Westview Office Hours (effective August 30th) – The office will be open from 8:00am – 3:30pm effective August 30th.

Student Timetables – Our timetable is still being finalized. Therefore, student timetables will be available in MyEdBC for viewing this Friday, September 3rd. All students will be provided a paper copy of their timetable as they arrive at school on September 7th. We recommend that students take a photo of their schedule.

Semester System – All SD42 secondary schools are operating on the semester system this year with students taking 4 courses in each of the two semesters. Each day students will be in 4 classes and there will be a Flex block daily beginning September 13th.

Semester 1 – September 7th – January 26th
Semester 2 – January 31st – June 21st

School Staff Updates

Administration

We have new members to our school administration team joining us this year! I am pleased to announce that Ms. Anne Girbav joins us from Thomas Haney Secondary. We wish Mr. Karl LS (Lindgren-Streicher) good luck at SRT. He will be missed at Westview.

Darren Rowell (Principal) Grade 12s (Darren_Rowell@sd42.ca)
Steve Kater (Vice Principal) Grade 9 & 11s (Steve_Kater@sd42.ca)
Anne Girbav (Vice Principal) Grade 8 & 10s (Anne_Girbav@sd42.ca)

Counselling

Ms.O’Leary – Gr. 8, 10 & 12s (A-L) (Lauren_Oleary@sd42.ca)
Ms. Sharpe – Gr. 9, 11 & 12s (M-Z) & Int’l students (Shannon_Sharpe@sd42.ca)

Staff Updates – please join me in welcoming the following new staff members to Westview.

Ms. April Allan / English, Socials & CATS 8
Ms. Megan Egan / Aboriginal Support Worker
Ms. Kristen Fisher / Education Assistant
Mr. Rick Frier / Afternoon Custodian
Ms. Anne Girbav / Vice Principal
Mr. Daniel He / Learning Services
Ms. Kelly Job / Learning Services
Ms. Emily Kaun / Math & Jr. Leadership
Ms. Anna MacLeod / Afternoon Custodian
Ms. Charlene Moore / Youth Care Worker
Mr. Dan Procyk / Metal Work (Semester 2)
Ms. Rae-Anne Swire / Foods & Career Life Connections (CLC)
Mr. Doug Toma / Daytime Custodian

Opening Day – Tuesday, September 7th, 2021

Please note on the first day, not all students attend at the same time. Take a look at the schedule and determine by grade the time you need to arrive.

Grade 8s

11:30am – 3:30pm – Grade 8 Link Crew Orientation in Gym

Grade 9-12s

12:00 – 12:45pm
Student schedules will be provided at our Main Entrance upon student arrival
Students will proceed to their Block A class to pay student fees, sign out a locker, review Health and Safety Guidelines & plan for the opening week.

International Students

1:00pm – 2:30pm – International Student Orientation in MPR

Week 1 Schedule – Wednesday, September 8th – Friday, 10th

All students will be in school for full days from 8:30am until 2:45pm.
Each day will begin with Flex in students’ Block A class
Regular lunch service from our cafeteria will not be provided until Monday, September 13th.

Link Crew & Grade 8s

Link Crew is a peer mentorship program where senior students in grades 11-12 connect with our new grade 8s to help with the transition to high school. Ms. Eddy & Ms. MacDonald have selected and trained an amazing group of Link Crew leaders who will lead students through an orientation on the first day of school. Link Crew will also be a year long connection where every gr. 8 student is paired with a Link Crew student leader who will serve as a mentor throughout the school year. We are really looking forward to the positive impact this program will have on our new grade 8s.

Social Media

To view all the great things that are going on at Westview, please visit our website (wss.sd42.ca) and follow us on twitter (@WSSsd42) and Instagram (@wsswildcats).

Class/Schedule Changes

Students will receive a paper copy of their schedule in their homeroom, Block A on Tuesday, September 7th. For students who want to make a change to their schedule, Course Correction Forms will be available for pick up and drop off in the main office.

- All Course Correction Requests will be done online, by students scanning a QR code and entering their requests via the online form

Please note that submitting a Course Correction Request does not guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your request.

It is essential that students follow their current schedules, even while waiting for changes to be made. Counsellors and Admin will be looking for you according to your current schedule, and if you are not present in class, they will move on to the next student’s course request change form.

Should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the counsellors by email.

Student Fee Payment & Lockers (2021-22)

All students in SD42 are required to pay a $28 Student Fee. This fee may be paid on the Portal or students can pay student fees by cheque or cash at school during the first week of school during their Flex / Block A class.
There are OPTIONAL fees for locks ($8) and Yearbooks ($55) which may be paid on-line through the parent portal or at school during the first week.
There will be two portal notification emails with instructions for portal payments.
- One portal notification will be for the $28 Student Fee & $8 Lock’s.
- One portal notification will be for the OPTIONAL $55 Yearbook.
EARLY LOCKER SIGN-OUT – for students who have paid student fees, there will be an opportunity to come into school Friday, September 3rd. Student who have not paid online can bring cash or cheque to pay the $28 student fee at that time.
- Grade 11/12s – Friday, September 3rd at 10:00am
- Grade 9/10s – Friday, September 3rd at 11:00am
- Grade 8s will receive their locker during Flex between the 8-10th.
Lockers – will be assigned at Flex during Block A between September 7-10th, 2021.

School Supplies
We do not put out a list of school supplies for students. The essentials such as a binder filled with lined paper, subject dividers, pencils, pens, a ruler, highlighters, pencil crayons and a scientific calculator are the staples of school life and can be reused from previous years or purchased new – it’s up to you!

WSS App

For parents and students, you will have access to the full year calendar of activities and events at Westview. Simply download for free from your app store by searching for “MySchoolDay”.

Once downloaded, select Province > School District 42 > School. You can also follow this link – https://docs.myschoolday.app/MySchoolDay1Page-app.pdf

This app serves as an agenda for students. It is simple to use and allows students to personalize settings. Students will be able to: add classes and colour code them; record homework, view personal calendars monthly, weekly or by day layouts; add events for morning, lunch or after school activities such as sports, fine arts, study groups, etc. Students will also receive notifications specific to their grade. This is a great resource for students and parents to stay connected to their school and receive any updates or notifications with ease!

We must extend a huge thank you to the Westview custodial team for their commitment and hard work, the school facility is in beautiful condition and ready for you all!

I am very excited to begin the school year and the opportunities that await Westview students.

Go Wildcats Go!!

Mr. Darren Rowell
Principal, Westview Secondary School