Westpark Middle School

Whether you are with us virtually, or in person, we're excited to see your Holiday Spirit next week! House points are being counted!

A reminder to our Red Deer Public families....

Recognizing Remembrance Day in our schools and remembering those who fought and continue to fight for our freedom is extremely important to students and staff in Red Deer Public Schools - in fact, it’s one of the biggest ceremonies on our school calendar each year. With COVID-19, schools are not able to host their traditional Remembrance Day ceremonies given the limits on assemblies in schools. Yesterday, our students and staff held Remembrance Day ceremonies virtually by wat...ching a Division-wide video. Our Division is proud to honour those who fought, and who continue to fight. View our video below!

A reminder to our Red Deer Public families...

There are lots of reasons to smile this week, especially when you can enjoy a delicious chocolate chunk cookie while giving kids a life chance! Smile Cookies are on sale at Red Deer Tim Hortons locations starting tomorrow! All proceeds will support our Reading College program, which helps Grade 2 students improve their reading and writing skills ensuring they reach their fullest potential. Grab your Smile Cookies all week long!

We are less than one month away from the first day of school and we cannot wait to welcome our students and staff back to the classroom! This morning, Red Deer Public's re-entry plans were sent to our families which includes a comprehensive handbook, video of what school will look like, and more. Parents are also asked to complete a survey for confirmation of their intentions for their family so that we can be prepared to best meet the needs of our students this fall.... See our re-entry information here: https://buff.ly/3gAmGD9

There is much work taking place behind the scenes as Red Deer Public is currently planning for what the 2020/2021 school might look like for our students, families and staff. This morning, Red Deer Public sent a survey to all of our families via email, in which we are looking for feedback and intentions in terms of what the fall could look like for you. If you did not receive this email, we encourage you to contact us. Your input is valuable in helping us plan for the upcoming school year. We are looking forward to an amazing year ahead!

The annual Red Deer PCN Women's Fun Run has been 're-imagined' and is a great reason to get active on May 9th all while raising money for a fantastic cause that makes a difference in the lives of our students!

Spring Break is just around the corner, but it doesn't mean that our families have to stop learning! In addition to core learning at home that is already happening, a number of our teachers across the District have developed activities for students in other areas - please note, these are entirely optional. Students and families can pick and choose from these activities and we will be updating this periodically as they become available. To access these optional activities, please visit https://buff.ly/2yP9vgF.

Today marked the first day of online learning for our students. We're so happy to continue teaching and learning through this adverse time. We hope our families are taking care and staying well - we sure do miss you all!

As we navigate this challenging time together, we have had a lot of questions which we are doing our best to answer. We have created a web page with all of our frequently asked questions. This page is being updated on a regular basis and we encourage you to check back. For more, visit https://buff.ly/3a0z4sV

Our staff are working hard in schools to ensure teaching and learning can continue. These plans will take some time to develop, which we expect will be in place early next week. We appreciate the patience of our families as we navigate through this challenging time together.

A good reminder to us all as we navigate these challenging times.

The Government of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, and Alberta Education announced today that all K-12 schools in Alberta will be cancelling classes effective immediately and for an indefinite period of time. This change takes place immediately recognizing the priority to protect the health and safety of students and staff. This measure is seen as an important means to contain and minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes a...vailable. For more details, and to see the information we sent out to our families, visit https://buff.ly/3cVzDWH

We recognize that parents have many questions regarding who should and should not be coming to school, as per the directive of the Alberta Medical Officer of Health. Prairie Rose School Division No.8 put together a quick reference guide that we wanted to share for both parents and staff to use when determining whether a child (or staff member) should be at school, or stay home under the 14-day recommended self-isolation period. The guide can also be found on our website: https://buff.ly/2IPG7sg

Please see our letter sent to families earlier today following the announcement of new directions to our schools from the Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health. These new directions will be effective Monday, March 16. The health and safety of our students and staff are of top priority. We appreciate your support and understanding during these challenging times.