Westpark Weekly

Another great week at Westpark! Lots happening around the school, lots to celebrate, and a few things I want to share with our families.

30 for 30!

You may have heard us and your kids talking about 30 for 30 this week, and I wanted to take a minute to explain what we're celebrating. We recently received our Provincial Accountability and Assurance results, and when combined with our Division Satisfaction Survey and June PAT results, all 30 measures we could compare to previous year showed improvement. That's 30 out of 30 showing positive change and movement in the right direction! That's something we're pretty proud of, and something worth celebrating. Our Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) results are also in, but those remain under a provincial embargo, so I'll share more about those once we're permitted to do so.

Does that mean everything is perfect? Absolutely not. We still have work to do, particularly around ensuring every student feels safe, welcome, respected and connected at Westpark. While we made some significant improvements in this area, our results tell us we're not where we want to be yet. But when I look at the progress we've made over the last year, I'm incredibly proud of our staff, students and families. These results don't happen by accident, and they certainly don't happen because of any one person. They reflect a lot of hard work by a lot of people who care about this school and our kids. We're moving in the right direction, and we're not finished.

I also want to thank the parents who took the time to complete our surveys last year. We went from just 14 parent responses the previous year to 59! That's a pretty significant improvement, and it makes a real difference. I know it's one more thing being asked of you, but that feedback helps us understand what's working, where we need to improve and what matters to our families. I'll be asking for your help again later this school year when the provincial Assurance Surveys come around. Our goal this year is 70 parent responses. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going!

Mission: Zero Update!

A quick update on our Mission: Zero initiative that we launched last week. Our goal was to help students catch up on missing assignments and eliminate as many zeros as possible from their gradebooks. As of Friday at 10:00 AM, our students had completed and submitted 96% of the outstanding work we were targeting! That's an incredible effort by our kids, and a big thank you to our staff for all the time they've spent helping students get caught up. Thanks as well to parents for encouraging your kids and helping us reinforce the importance of getting their work done. Pretty impressive what we can accomplish when we're all pulling in the same direction!

Celebrating Our Wildcats!

We had another fantastic LEAD Awards Assembly on Friday, recognizing students for their efforts, achievements and contributions to our school. It's always great to celebrate kids who are doing good things, and I particularly enjoy having parents and families join us in the building for these occasions. Thanks to everyone who was able to attend and help make it a special afternoon.

Our LEAD Block also looked a little different this week. We welcomed members of our FNMI Learning Services team from Central Office, who led students through a variety of Indigenous games. The kids had a blast, and it was a great opportunity to learn, participate and try something different. It was also a nice change of pace from the Health lessons we've been working through over the last several weeks. A big thank you to the team for spending time with our Wildcats!

Looking Ahead

We're looking forward to our Remembrance Day Ceremony on Friday, November 6. This is always an important opportunity for our school community to come together, reflect and recognize the sacrifices made by those who have served and continue to serve our country.

And finally, a reminder that there is no school November 9, 10 or 11 for our fall break and Remembrance Day. Hopefully everyone gets a chance to enjoy a little extra time with family, recharge and come back ready for the next stretch of the school year.

Have a great week, Wildcats!

Stephen

Fair Notice - VTRA

Use of AI & Automated Systems Notification

Detention Room

Welcome Back Student Presentation

Why Are You So Tired?

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nBNbvt4VPhYpMgV8bbWCNGmQZWt_aMgrs3WCK2eHvzQ/present

Please save the Westpark Middle School Student Phone number to your contacts so you don't miss calls from your child:

• Student Phone (Outgoing Only): 403-346-9259
• Main School Line (To Call Back): 403-347-8911

Note: Calls from the student phone cannot be accepted. If your child calls you from this number and you need to call them back, please dial the main school line instead.

• The last chance to place a hot lunch order is five days before the actual event.
• We don't keep hot lunches unless you tell us it will be picked up or you're happy to give it to another student.

Our WMS School Council is looking for parent/guardian volunteers to help with our Hot Lunch program.

If you’re able to lend a hand, please sign up using the link below. Signing up only takes a few seconds!

Volunteer Sign-Up:

https://volunteersignup.org/WRTCP

Thank you for helping make Hot Lunch possible for our students!

Kami
WMS School Council Chair

Students are NOT permitted to use food delivery services (Skip the Dishes, DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.) to have food delivered to the school. Please ensure your child has appropriate access to food prior to the start of lunch eating time.

Important Date

• Estimated Delivery: Items will be shipped to the school around November 12th.

Is this a Holiday Surprise?

If your purchase is intended as a surprise Christmas gift, please let us know. We will hold the items securely at the school rather than sending them home with your student!

We have students and staff with sensitivities so please refrain from wearing or bringing scented personal care products, perfumes, or colognes into the building.

Thank you.

We are always collecting new or gently used books to give our students even more novels to explore. If your home bookshelves are overflowing, please drop your donations off in the main office.

We are especially looking for ERIN HUNTER books to help build the WARRIORS collection and THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB GRAPHIC NOVELS. Both of these book sets are extremely popular.

Thank you for helping us inspire a community of readers!

WMS STUDENT TECHNOLOGY EXPECTED USE AGREEMENT 26/27

WMS VARIOUS OFF CAMPUS FORM 26/27

WMS WALKING FIELD TRIP FORM 26/27

You will also find the Charter Transportation Application form in there too if your student is wanting to ride the Yellow Charter Bus this year

And if your student is in Sports Academy, you will find those forms in there too.

Log into your Parent Powerschool account

Go to School Engage (left hand menu - last item)

Click on the word Students (or Grad Cap icon)

Select your WMS Students name

Then look for the forms

As your child prepares to transition to Grade 6 at Westpark, we are excited to welcome your
family to our school community. Middle school is an important and exciting step, and we look forward to supporting your child through this next stage of their learning journey.
As part of this transition, we would like to share some important information regarding school fees. Unlike elementary school, middle schools in Red Deer Public Schools collect a $150 Comprehensive Fee for students in Grades 6–8. This fee helps cover the cost of materials, supplies, and specialty programming that enhance your child’s learning experience across a variety of courses.
In addition to this base fee, some optional courses may involve additional costs. These courses include programs that require specialized equipment, materials, or transportation, such as band, fine arts, recreation and outdoor education, as well as Career and Technology Studies.

Families will be able to view the Comprehensive Fee through PowerSchool beginning August 24, 2026.

Payment can be made in full, or you may choose to set up a convenient monthly payment plan. The payment plan option allows families to pay $15 per month from September through June, with automatic charges applied to a selected credit card. Instructions for payment and setting up a payment plan are available within PowerSchool.
We understand that this may be a change for many families. If you have concerns about paying the fee, we encourage you to contact our school administration. We are committed to working with families to ensure that all students have access to the opportunities and resources they need.
Thank you for your understanding and support.

We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead at Westpark Middle School and to getting to know your child.

If you have applied for bussing, and it's been approved and processed, the Transportation tab (left hand side menu) in Powerschool will show all the pick up and drop off information.

Students will have a few days grace to ride the bus without a pass as we hand them out.

To qualify for free bussing, Gr 6 students must live >1.6km from the school, Gr 7&8 must reside >2km from the school

If there is room on the bus, we will allow ineligible students to ride - the fee is $300

To apply for bussing, log into your Parent Powerschool account, go to School Engage (left hand side menu), click on the word Student / Grad Cap and select your WMS students name - then complete the Charter bus application

Just a quick reminder to all families that our Breakfast Program is open every single morning!

Whether your child missed breakfast at home, needs a bit of extra fuel after the bus ride, or is just feeling hungry before class, everyone is welcome. Students can simply stop by the Snack Shack window on their way to class to grab a bite.

What's on the menu?

• Quick grab-and-go days: Granola bars and fruit cups.
• Warm breakfast days: Freshly toasted bread and waffles prepared by our amazing staff.

How you can help:
Our program is 100% donation-based. We rely entirely on the generosity of our community to keep our shelves stocked. If you or a local business would like to support our students, donations are always greatly appreciated!

Thank you for helping us start every student's day ready to learn!

Requested Donations

• Cookies & Brownies
• Cupcakes & Muffins
• Rice Krispie Squares
• Small Loaves
• Cakes
• Any other homemade treats

How You Can Help

• Sign Up: Click this link to enter your name and what you are baking.

• Raffle Cake: Please let us know on the sign-up form if you can provide a cake for our raffle draw, and if it needs decoration.

• Decorating Support: If you want to donate a treat but need help decorating it, bring your item and your decorating supplies to Ms Angelstad in Room 206. The Leadership 7 team will happily decorate it for you!

• Packaging: Package your desserts into individual servings if possible. If not, bring them in and we will package them for you.

• Allergen Info: Please include a clear list of common allergens with your treats.

• Drop-off Window: Monday Nov 23 - (morning of) Thursday Nov 26

Bake sale will take place

Thursday, November 26th (WMS Parent Teacher Interviews)

1pm - 8pm in the Great Space

A huge thank you to Mr. Reid Mills and Hype Hoops for sponsoring our Red Deer Advocate subscription this year. Their generosity means our students and staff will have access to up-to-date local news, sports, and community events right here at school. This is an incredible resource for classrooms, as it helps us connect learning to the world around us and sparks meaningful discussions about current events.

We are grateful for their support and proud to partner with community members who invest in our Wildcats. Thank you, Hype Hoops, for helping us keep our students informed and engaged.

Westpark Middle School

Vice Principal: Danielle Verklan

Vice Principal: Aaron Langstraat

Main Office: (403) 347-8911

Email: westparkmidd@rdpsd.ab.ca

Website: https://westparkmiddle.rdpsd.ab.ca/
Location: 3310 55 Ave, Red Deer, AB T4N 4N1