PARK WEST UPDATE
Park West School Newsletter Acting Principal: T. Schaus Vice Principal: M. Chiasson Vice Principal: B. Melanson
February 3, 2012
Park west students walk to school:
A healthy way for our students to start their school day is to walk to school. Even if it is your habit to drive your child to the school, the walk up and down the hill from the street to the building each day is of benefit for our students.
Some parents may have concerns about dropping their young child off at the bottom of the hill and the walk up to the school building. Our Park West Student Leadership Group will be helping to lessen this concern. On a trial basis for each morning during the next three weeks of February, two of our junior high student leaders will be on the sidewalks from the base of the hill up to the school, watching our young students as they walk up the hill.
Parents have been requested not to drive on the driveway during peak times when students are coming to school and leaving from school. I’d like to thank those parents who are honouring this request. I’d ask all parents to please support our student leaders’ initiative to encourage students to walk to school and to keep our driveway traffic to a minimum during these peak times.
PRIMARY REGISTRATION:
Primary registration will take place from Feb. 1st to March 1st, 2012. Primary students living within the Park West School boundaries will register for both English and early French Immersion programs at Park West School. Your child must be 5 yrs old on or before December 31, 2012. Parents must present your child’s birth certificate, proof of residence, health card number and expiry date at the time of registration.
French Immersion Primary program:
Primary students living within the Park West School boundaries are eligible to attend the Primary French Immersion program at Rockingham School. These students register at Park West in February. The registration information is passed along to Rockingham School in March/April.
There will be an information session for parents of Primary French Immersion students. This will be held at Rockingham School on February 9th at 7 pm. Parents will receive information about the French Immersion Program and have questions answered. Park West School does not offer French Immersion programs.
TAKE THE ROOF OFF WINTER!
On behalf of the Park West School Active and Safe Routes to School Committee, you are invited to join the students of Park West School, along with their families and community members, as we kick off our Take the Roof off Winter Events with a Winter Walk to School on Wednesday morning, February 22, 2012.
Our Walk will begin at 8:10 am at Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of Langbrae and Parkland. After gathering there, we will walk as a group up Langbrae to Park West School in time for the 8:25 am admission bell.
As you may know, the 2011-2012 Academic year is the fifth year in a row that Park West has been actively (pun intended) promoting walking to school and getting to school through other means of active transportation. We continue to promote variations of our WOW (we often walk) card campaign. The WOW card campaign makes it a very easy sell to students of the school and has been successful in retaining a high level of interest in walking, wheeling and other active transportation means to get to school.
The Active and Safe Routes to School Committee plans to continue to promote walking, wheeling and other active transportation routes to school through other activities throughout this school year and beyond, to seek year-round maintenance and to ensure accessibility from all areas around the school. We hope we will have your support for these ongoing efforts, and that you will join us for our kick off walk.
NATIONAL PHOTO CONTEST WINNER:
Spencer Bouchard, a Grade 9 student at Park West, entered the National Eco Art Contest sponsored by the National Capital Commission in Ottawa. Spencer was one of the winners of this photo contest. A winning photograph he submitted was enlarged to over 2 meters and is presently being displayed on the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa. Congratulation, Spencer!
PENNIES FOR BOOKS CAMPAIGN:
The 2012 Pennies and Coins for Books Campaign will take place during the month of February. The money raised by each class will go toward buying books for our school library. Tattletales, the book store who is running the event, will add a percentage of what the store raises to the amount the school ends up raising. The two classes that raise the most money will win a prize.
News from the Phys-Ed Dept:
Parents and students are reminded that indoor sneakers are required to participate safely in the Physical Education program in the gym. Winter boots are not safe footwear for Phys-Ed class.
Both our boys and girls basketball teams continue to have successful and competitive seasons. For a schedule of games, please see the physical education website, linked from the Park West homepage.
Our next school sport will be Badminton, with tryouts beginning mid-February and tournaments taking place at the end of March. Students in grades 7-9 are welcome to tryout. Please see the website and listen to announcements for tryout times.
News from the Music Dept:
Rehearsals are going strong for this year's production of Broadway Jr.'s Annie. Don't forget to mark your calendars for May 8, 9, and 10 for the performances. Students in the Choir will also be performing and are very excited to be learning the music.
Dates to Remember:
6 | Grade 9 Parent Information Meeting @ Halifax West 7pm |
7 | Grade 7 Immunization Clinic |
9 | Jr. High Ski Trip (after school) |
15 | SAC 5:45 PTA 7:00 |
16 | Family Bingo Night 6:30-8:30 Doors open @ 6pm |
17 | PD Day - No classes for students |
22 | Walk to School Day |
23 | Jr. High Ski Trip (after school) |
27-28-29
March 1 | Grade 9 Junior High Language Assessments |
March12-16 | March Break |
