Dear Wildcat Families,

We hope you are all doing well as we head into a busy and exciting time of year. Thank you for your continued support, whether it is helping your child with routines, volunteering, or simply staying connected with the school. Your involvement truly makes a difference in our community.

A special thank you to our PAC for everything they do to support our students and our staff. Going home on Monday are the PAC Christmas Concert Raffle and Family Fun Hockey Night tickets… please watch for them!

Our Grade 7 volleyball team showed amazing team spirit and sportsmanship at the Sands Volleyball Tournament! Their coaches, Ms Trinidad, Ms Smith, and Ms Fraser gave much time and commitment to the Grade 6 and 7 teams this year, which is greatly appreciated!

The sounds of children singing can be heard in the classrooms and hallways, as the Hellings Staff are busy preparing students for the Christmas concert – we are sure that you will enjoy it! Information about tickets will be coming out soon!

Last Monday, our Staff participated in a Professional Development Day focused on
enhancing student learning in literacy. As part of our school goal, we engaged in
collaborative sessions to explore strategies and best practices to support students in developing stronger reading and writing skills. It was a very productive day!

While our Staff was meeting inside, the Delta School District’s Grounds Crew was hard at work cleaning up our school grounds. They did such a great job – we appreciate them for keeping our school grounds safe and clean!

Pawsitive Paw Winners:
The following Wildcats were caught being positive this week and were winners in our weekly draw: Rhea, Razan, Gurfateh, Saurav, and Isaac.

Neufeld Farms Fundraiser:
This is the last chance to order from Neufeld Farms… ordering is open until Monday, December 1st at midnight. Delivery will be on Tuesday, December 9th at 2:30 pm at the school. Here is the link  so you can see what is offered: https://app.neufeldfarms.ca/fundraising/2025-hellings-elementary.  Thank you for your support!

Kennedy Seniors:
We are looking forward to welcoming some of the seniors at Kennedy Seniors Recreation Center in the next couple of weeks to spend time reading with our students – what a lovely way to connect generations and provide enjoyment for all involved. A number of them will also be coming to the Christmas Concert Matinee – they are sure to enjoy it!

Needed: Noon Hour Supervisors
We are in need of Noon Hour Supervisors on a casual basis. This would involve applying to the Delta School District and an interview with the administration. If you are interested in becoming a Noon Hour Supervisor at Hellings, please email Mrs. Messer at mmesser@deltaschools.ca.  (include your resume if possible)

DRESSING FOR THE WEATHER:
As we head into the winter season and the temperature continues to dip, it is important that the students come dressed in outerwear appropriate for the cold, wet and wind. Here, on the West Coast, rain is just a fact of life. On most days, students will be going outside at recess and lunchtime. It is only in the case of extremely poor weather, that we designate the recess and/or lunch hour as an “in day”, which means that students are to stay inside and play quietly in their classrooms rather than venture outdoors. We refrain from doing this unless absolutely necessary, as the children need the opportunity to get out in the fresh air and be physically active before heading back into the classroom.

Please ensure your children come to school dressed for being outside at recess and lunchtime (e.g. boots, hat, gloves, and a coat). A reminder that ALL students should have a change of clothes at school, in a ziploc bag labelled with their name.   That way, if students get wet or slip on the muddy field they’ll have clean, dry clothes to change into. This will limit the requests to call home from our busy office and limit disruptions to your day. Thanks!

IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, Dec 1	Last day for Neufeld’s ordering Christmas Concert Raffle Tickets & Hockey ticket orders going home
Tuesday, Dec 2	Dec 2 Div 5&6 Britannia Mines field trip
Wednesday, Dec 3	School’s Out Program for Primary students
Thursday, Dec 4	Div 2 Shipyards Christmas Market
	Div 4 & 11 Ice Skating 9:00 11:00 AM @ NDRC
Friday, Dec 5	School’s Out Program for Intermediate students 3:15 -5:00pm