This year instead of a winter concert Wishart will be holding a Spring Celebration of Music.  Each day will have a matinee concert and an evening concert. Please watch for further information on dates and times

As the season of giving approaches, we are excited to announce a Food Drive to support our local food bank! From December 9th to December 13th, we invite all students and staff to participate in this important community service effort.

We are asking students to bring non-perishable food items to their classrooms for collection. Our local food banks are currently looking for:

• Sources of protein like peanut butter, canned fish (e.g. tuna) and canned meats (e.g. chicken, beef)
• Healthy non-perishables (e.g. cereal, beans, pasta, canned vegetables and fruit)
• Female hygiene products
• Toothpaste
• Toilet paper

We appreciate your support in making this food drive a success. Together, we can spread kindness and warmth to our neighbors in need.

A gentle reminder Wishart is implementing a new process for purchasing school supplies for the 2024/2025 school year. School supplies will be purchased at the school level to save you money, time, and ensure you don’t purchase unneeded supplies. This will also ensure all students will have equal access to the same school supplies. The cost is $60.00 per student. There might be additional items that your child’s teacher might request in September, however, bulk of school supplies will be purchased through these funds. All funds will be collected through SCHOOLCASHONLINE – please use this link https://sd62.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/21484/137/False/True

Please order your supplies as soon as possible. Any family experiencing financial hardship will be supported by the school and Wishart PAC.

Just a gentle reminder to parents to check their students information on the parent portal- https://myeducation.gov.bc.ca/aspen/logon.do.  If you require any updates to be done regarding phone numbers, addresses and authorized pick up people please email the information that needs to be changed in to the school – nolsten@sd62.bc.ca

Please ensure you have your school cash online account up and running for your student/s. All school field trip permission forms and school fundraisers are done through the school cash online system.  Cash and/or Cheques are no longer accepted into the school. When students are going on school field trips please note that all permission forms must be completed 24 hours PRIOR to the field trip taking place.

PARENTS NEEDING TO CREATE A SCHOOL CASH ONLINE ACCOUNT:

If you need to set up a school cash online account please follow the instructions below:

Use this link to access school cash online: https://sd62.schoolcashonline.com/

#1         Please ensure you use the consent link to “consent” to the use of the school cash online program PRIOR to registering for an account: Consent for use can take up to 48 hours; once this step is complete you can register in the school cash system.

#2       Register for your account. Follow the steps to register for an account by entering your email address. A confirmation email will be sent to the address entered. Please click on the link in the email to complete your registration

   #3        Adding your student: Please add your student by using their PEN number.  Once your student is added you will be able to see all permission slip and items for sale by the school.

If you have followed these steps and still require assistance please contact the office via email: nolsten@sd62.bc.ca

Please ensure all consents are up to date each year.  Please use this link  https://consent.sd62.bc.ca/apps/OnlineConsent  to consent to the following:

• General consent for school Fieldtrips/Activites-
  this is for walking trips only; all bussing field trips will have online consent for each trip via school cash online
• Google Apps for Education
• Internet Access Consent
• Media Consent
• NA ‘TSA’MAHT Indigenous Education
• School Cash Online Consent
• SpacesEDU Consent
• Web-based Applications General Consent

Please complete your student consents as soon as possible

Parents volunteering for field trips or classroom work require a Criminal Record Check when working with our students. This needs to be completed and on file at the school office prior to volunteering. Criminal record checks for the Sooke School District are to be completed through the Ministry of Justice.

Driving any students in a private vehicle also requires a completed Criminal Records Check as well as a driver’s abstract from ICBC and  a copy of your valid driver’s license and insurance showing a minimum of $1,000,000 liability.  These are now required for all volunteers when driving for field trips and must be in to the office at least 72 HOURS PRIOR to driving or attending a field trip. Please see the link with information below.

CRC and parent volunteer

The school office will keep your CRC and Drivers abstract on file for three years from the date of its receipt. Vehicle insurance and drivers license must be submitted yearly.

Thank you again for volunteering your time so our children can have the best educational opportunities.

Drop-off and Pick-up:
We ask that parents continue to ‘Park and Go’ their child/ren at the parking lot. This is working well for most part and we request that you continue with this practice. This helps
us ensure that students and staff are safe. We will also continue to have cones in the front and at the back of the building to prevent crowding during drop-off and pick-up times.

SUPERVISION

• Morning supervision for all students starts at 8:15 am. Please do not bring children to school earlier than 8:15 a.m. Children who arrive at school on the bus have separate supervision. Thank you for your help with important student safety issue.
• Afternoon supervision – If you are going to be late picking up your child, please inform school staff and we will keep your child safe.
• On rainy mornings students are welcome to come inside. All portable students will head to the gym through the back-gym door, and all other students will head to their classes by their entry doors

PARKING

• Thank you for being mindful of the parking crunch we face daily
• ‘Drop and Go’ is working well in the lower parking lot
• We are grateful to Colwood City Hall for allowing parents access to their parking spaces; please remember to park in designated areas only
• Thank you for help in keeping our students safe!
• Please stay behind the coned off areas during drop-off and pick up times

It is School Board Policy that animals are not allowed to be on School District property. The purpose of this policy and procedure is to ensure the greatest possible level of safety for students and staff with regard to animals on School District property and in school buildings. This general prohibition includes domestic dogs, cats, birds, and other pets, and especially applies to potentially dangerous exotic animals.

Some exceptions may be allowed, only with the prior approval of the Principal, and could include:
– Vision, hearing and service dogs.
– Police dogs under the control of a police officer.
– Pets for show-and-tell.
– Small pets kept in classrooms under the supervision and care of a teacher.
– A demonstration at a school assembly.

Prior to allowing animals in schools or classrooms, steps are to be taken to ensure that students and employees are not allergic to the presence of these animals, that the animals will present no physical danger to students or employees, and that the animals are free from any disease or parasites. Prior to introducing any animals into classrooms and using animals as part of the educational program, teachers shall make all efforts to ensure that students receive instruction in the proper care and handling of animals. Owners of animals will be responsible for the safe and sanitary removal of their pet’s excrement from buildings and grounds.