Peace Wapiti Public School Division Welcomes 2018-2019 School Year

Welcome back to the 2018-2019 School Year – School Starts On Tuesday, September 4, 2018

With the first day of the 2018-2019 school year just days away on Tuesday, September 4, Peace Wapiti Public School Division (PWPSD) offers resources to help families transition from summer break immediately following the Labour Day holiday.

School office reopening dates
School offices are now open and ready to accept fees payment and answer questions. For a list of office hours by school, visit http://bit.ly/Back-to-School-2018-19.

School supply lists and fees  
Families should click the ‘Registration’ tab on their school website to access school supply lists and fees. Find a list of PWPSD school websites at www.pwsd76.ab.ca/SchoolInfo. School websites also offer a place to sign up for electronic newsletters.

Online registration for new and transferring students; demographic review forms for returning students
To register a new student at a PWPSD school, click the ‘Registration’ tab found on the PWPSD website and all school websites. A second ‘New Student Registration’ link will take users to the InfoSnap online registration form where they will first create an account and then register their child for school. Those who do not have access to a computer or the Internet, or experience issues with the online process, should contact the school office. A birth certificate and proof of residency are required for online and in-person registration. Students who are transferring from one PWPSD school to another, other than from a feeder school to the accepting school, must complete the full online registration process.

Families of students who are returning to the same PWPSD school they attended in June, or transferring from a PWPSD feeder school should click the ‘Returning Student Update Form’ link to review and confirm existing demographic information currently on file, such as home address and emergency contacts. A Snap Code is required to complete the form – the code will be emailed to families early in September.

2018-2019 school year calendar
PWPSD’s printable school year calendar is available online at http://www.pwsd76.ab.ca/Resources/ParentResources/calendars. The calendar includes statutory holidays and professional development days. To facilitate blended high school and elementary busing at some schools, Compressed School Weeks (CSWs) are incorporated within the calendar to adjust for the difference in required instructional time. To compensate for the difference, some elementary schools receive a selection of Fridays off throughout the school year. The PWPSD district calendar includes suggested CSW Days, but some elementary schools may adjust those dates to align with high school events occurring on a Friday, such as graduation. Families should visit the school website to access school-specific calendars. 

Grand opening of the new Whispering Ridge Community School
The grand opening of the new WRCS will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 14, after students and teachers have taken time to settle into the new facility. Those who received an e-invitation should RSVP to terrytofer@pwsd76.ab.ca by September 5.

Kindergarten start-up
While Tuesday, September 4, 2018 marks the official first day of school, many PWPSD schools vary Kindergarten start-up dates and/or schedule personalized orientation meetings with families to determine programming needs and ease the transition to school. For questions or concerns, please contact the school office. The chart below outlines the first official day of Kindergarten classes, by school.

Busing information
As of Tuesday, September 4, school zones will be in effect on school days. Drivers are reminded to exercise caution and adhere to posted speed limits. Drivers should also note that it is illegal to pass a school bus in rural areas when red lights are flashing.

Families should provide current daytime telephone numbers to their child’s school office and PWPSD’s Transportation Office. Prior to the first day of school, PWPSD bus drivers will be in touch with families to provide busing information. Students should plan to arrive at their bus stop five minutes early. In September, trained PWPSD busing representatives will conduct free bus safety presentations at participating elementary schools.

Families can sign up for email notifications on the status of individual or multiple bus routes at http://transportation.pwsd76.ab.ca. In the event of partial or Division-wide cancellations and emergencies, notifications will be posted on all available communication channels, including the Division and school websites, the Power Announcement telephone system, the bus route email notification system, and PWPSD’s social media outlets – Facebook and Twitter.

Follow us on social media
In the event of a power, telephone or server outage during an emergency, staff and families may access important notifications and updates by following PWPSD’s Facebook and Twitter feeds: https://www.facebook.com/PWPSD and https://twitter.com/pwsd76. Social media feeds also keep families updated on the latest news, photos and events. Most PWPSD schools host Facebook pages – to begin following today, click the Facebook icon on individual school websites.

PWPSD wishes all students, families and staff a happy and successful school year. Welcome back!