April 2024
WHMS Newsletter
Highlights From March 2024
House Day
Our monthly House Spirit Days at WHMS have been a blast! For one afternoon each month, we gather in our House Teams proudly dressed in our house colours, headbands on, and faces painted, ready to participate in all sorts of fun activities. The competitions are fierce, and teams have been facing off for Minute to Win It games, Cheer-offs, Just Dance, Dodgeball, Tug of War and Team-building games. Our Winter Carnival week ended with an amazing Activity Day where students were able to head out into our community and beyond to go skiing, bowling, watch a movie at Cineplex, visit Activate, Playdium, The Putting Edge or the Canada Games Centre. Our House Captains have done an amazing job stepping into their leadership role, and we're looking forward to our next House Day on April 26th for an afternoon of team building and games.
Newly Equipped Weight Room at WHMS
WHMS Medical Centre
Johnson's and Sampson's homeroom entered the WHMS Medical Centre earlier this year. They worked on the Order of Operations in math. Each surgical team answered/diagnosed 6 sets of problems at the different operating tables under the supervision of the Chief of Surgery, Dr. Johnson. In ELA, each group performed a character autopsy with the help of Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Sampson. Students enjoyed writing with “bone pens”, dressing up in some medical gear and playing the actual operation game. They also liked calling each other by their last names e.g. Dr. Kennedy, Dr. Underwood, etc.
Mad Canada visited the WHMS for its yearly talk with our grade 7 & 8 students
Fun With Cells
Following the example on the computer, as shown below, students recreated the image using their imagination. Well done, everyone!
Important School Calendars & Dates
Principal's Message
It is hard to believe how fast the school year has passed. The brighter days of April mean that the end of the school year is fast approaching. We are already planning for next year and planning to finish this school year on a high note. Each year at this time, we shift focus for a short period to student transitions from school to school. We work with Avon View to ensure that we put our grade 8 students in the best possible position to succeed when they start their high school careers next year. Avon View has been at West Hants Middle School to talk to our grade 8’s, course registrations have been completed, and there was a parent information session for new students. We will continue working with AVHS staff to ensure they know what we know about students heading their way next year.
On the other end of the spectrum, we're eagerly preparing to welcome 192 grade 5 students from 6 feeder schools to West Hants Middle School next September. We've been diligently collecting data and coordinating with the elementary schools to ensure a warm and welcoming transition for these students. In May, we plan to meet with the grade 5 students before inviting them all to West Hants for an orientation on Monday, June 10. On the evening of June 10, we're hosting a special event for the parents of grade 5 students. We believe it's crucial for families to know what to expect when their child starts middle school, and we welcome all parents of grade 5 students to attend. We hope to see many of you there, especially if you have another student on the way.
We sent out our last interim report to finish the second semester of the school year. Many parents were on hand for parent-teacher since we returned to the in-person format. It was nice to have the building full again as we move further away from COVID era restrictions. If you were unable to attend, please reach out. Parent-teacher is a set date and time, but communication between parents and the school should not be restricted to two days of the year. We can arrange to meet at your convenience outside of school hours, and teachers spend lots of time talking to guardians over the phone. If you have a question or problem you need to solve, contact the school, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Our building is quite busy for a rural school. We have a huge facility, and we like it when community groups use our space. We hosted 4H this past weekend in our cafeteria and several classrooms. Our gyms are well-used throughout the week. Measha Lee is scheduled to perform in support of the Scouts later this month, and we are always looking to partner with groups from the community. Contact us for more information if you have an event that you think our school may be suitable to host.
Finally, I want your assistance to help us combat the impact of social media on our school community. We live in a connected world, and like many of you, I appreciate the ability to access quality information when I want it. Unfortunately, there is an equal amount of poor-quality content and mean-spirited commentary, which is easily accessible. Too often, students spend time outside of school commenting on other students at school, and when they all arrive back here, problems occur. We are constantly trying to settle disputes that are completely unnecessary in civil society. Students use powerful words designed to inflict mental and emotional damage on those they are targeting. In some cases, they are not even aware of how powerful the words they utter are to those who happen to hear them or read them. Unfortunately, the target is not the only one affected and, ultimately, not the only one involved. Social media posts are often shared over and over. Please be vigilant regarding your child’s social media use and online activities. Take a moment to talk to them about being an ally to those needing support.
Scouts Canada Variety Show Fundraiser - April 27, 2024
Bus Note
Here is an example displaying all the fields required for us to produce a bus note.
Please remember that we do not accept bus notes by email or phone call unless there is an emergency.
Arriving Late for School
When students arrive late for school, they miss important instructions at the start of class and disrupt the entire learning environment. Teachers often must stop the lesson to repeat the instructions to the late student, which takes away valuable teaching and learning time for the entire class.
In addition to their regular duties, the office staff must enter the attendance for each late arrival and adjust those codes the next day if the student's absence is unexcused. This additional workload takes valuable time from the secretaries, who already have a very busy work environment.
With this in mind, please ensure that your child arrives at school before the morning bell at 8:55 AM so they can be in their homeroom and settled. This will allow the teachers to take accurate attendance for the day.
We understand there will be times when a student will be unavoidably late. In those instances, we ask that you leave a message on the attendance line at 902-757-4100 or email whms@avrce.ca and ensure the student checks in at the office upon arrival.
Note: Students who arrive after 9:05 will be marked absent unless notified by a parent/guardian of the reason for the absence.
Bus Driver Discretion
There are days when schools are open when drivers will use their discretion. This means that while road conditions are generally acceptable, some side roads may be unplowed or slippery, so bus drivers may not travel these roads if they think they aren't safe.
Remember that when a bus does not travel a road in the morning, it will also not travel that road in the afternoon.
SchoolCash Online
How To Sign Up For Cancellation Alerts
Ross Creek Summer Camps & Bursey
Bursey forms are available at the WHMS office.