Dear Wildcat Families,
The entire Hellings staff are excited to welcome you back to the final term of the school year. We hope you have had a restful and rejuvenating break and are returning ready to continue our learning journey for what is always a fun and busy term.
Firstly we were thrilled to welcome back Ms Gonzalez full-time just before the break and look forward to finishing the 2025-26 school year strong. A huge thank you to Ms Lorraine Harrison who stepped in with her whole heart to lead the Hellings community. We are grateful for her time and effort to support our school community over the past few months. She will be moving on to a new position this coming week and we wish her well in her new adventures!
Term 2 was filled with hard work and fun school events. We couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments of our students; and the many ways our Wildcat community is thriving by taking care of themselves, each other and this place. Teachers have been working hard to prepare Term 2 Student Learning Updates, so you will get a glimpse of your child’s growth when they are posted on Parent Connect on Tuesday, March 31st. It is a wonderful time to celebrate your child’s accomplishments and set some goals for the final term.
As we look ahead to this term we are preparing for the many school events that frame the final term such as Track and Field, Student-led Conferences, Sports Day, PAC fundraisers, Welcome to Kindergarten events for our incoming Wildcats, and our Grade Seven farewell opportunities. This year we are particularly excited about celebrating Hellings 55th Birthday! Our hard-working and dedicated PAC has been busy already to ensure a fun-filled event for our whole school community, both past and present.
Farewell to our Crossing Guard:
It is with deep gratitude and a little sadness that we say farewell to our kind and caring crossing guard, Rimpy. She is well-known to the families of our community as she greets each one when they cross the street at 86th Ave. We thank her for being out there rain or shine to make sure our community crosses over to and from the school safely and we wish her well in her new adventures. If you are interested in working as a crossing guard for Hellings, the shift is 30 mins before and after school. Come in to the office and we can give you more information if you are interested.
Kennedy Seniors Centre Reading Program:
We have had the pleasure of creating a beautiful relationship with some of the seniors who attend the
Kennedy Seniors Centre. A group of them are coming to Hellings once a month to spend time in a classroom sharing stories – sometimes the senior reads aloud a picture book and sometimes the students will have a chance to practice their reading to an attentive elder. It’s a wonderful blending of the generations and at the same time is supporting our work towards our school goal of literacy.
School’s Out Program:
A new group of students have been selected for the School’s Out Program for the final term of this school year. There will be a primary group (Gr 1-3) on Wednesdays (3:15 – 5:00 pm) afterschool and an intermediate group (Gr 4-6) on Fridays afterschool (3:15 – 5:00 pm). The program will begin the week of April 6th with the Wed session on April 8th and the Friday session on April 10th. Students brought home notices on the last day before the break if they have been selected. Ask your child to check their backpacks.
Track and Field:
After Spring Break, our Track and Field practices will begin for Grades 4-7. All students will be participating in track practices as part of the PE curriculum. Those students that are interested will later try out for track events, in preparation for the track meet on May 7th. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Grade 4-7 students will need to remember their water bottles, proper clothing and appropriate footwear to be successful in our track practices. Our first track practice will be Tuesday, March 31st. Safety reminder: During pick up times on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we ask families, especially those with younger children, to be please be aware of runners around the perimeter of the school.
Don’t forget you can order them Hellings t-shirts online at: Beyond Mars Spirit Wear Store
Please have orders in by April 3rd! 
There will be no late orders accepted.
School Attendance:
There has been an increase of parents picking up their children before the 3:00 pm dismissal. When our students repeatedly are out of school, it impacts their learning because it interrupts their time in the classroom with their teacher. We understand that sometimes there are times that your child does need to leave early from school, and when this does happen, it is crucial that you please call the school and let Mrs Denman know ahead of time. Ideally, the more notice the school has, the more prepared we can be in ensuring your child is ready at the office, allowing the least disruptions.
If your child will be absent, late or leaving early, please call the office at 604 596-1701 and leave a message on voicemail if nobody answers; or
email hellings.elem@deltaschools.ca. Many parents are great at communicating to our teachers, however Ms. Denman does not always get these messages and will still need to call home to check.
PARKING LOT AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY:
Important reminders:Our parking lot has very limited space and so we ask that you not enter parking lot after 8:30 am and before 3:30 pm. There is parking available on 86th Ave (avoiding driveways of our closest neighbours and a safe distance from the crosswalk) and students can walk into the school. There is also ample parking available across Nordel Way on the other side of the pedestrian bridge, the Kennedy Seniors centre welcomes us to use their parking lot when dropping off students. NO students need to be dropped off in the driveway or parking lot unless you have a current Handicap sign in your vehicle. If that is true for you, please help us ensure student safety by only parking in the a parking stall, not in the driveway.
Pedestrian safety in the parking lot. We ask that you please use the sidewalks that take you around the parking lot in both directions rather than walking straight across where cars travel. Ms Gonzalez and Ms Messer will be patrolling these areas to help ensure the safety of all of our families.
THIS WEEK:
| Monday, March 30 | |
| Tuesday, March 31 | Term 2 Learning Updates posted on Parent Connect First Track and Field Practice 2:20 pm |
| Wednesday, April 1 | |
| Thursday, April 2 | |
| Friday, April 3 | Good Friday, No School |
| Monday, April 6 | Easter Monday, No School |
MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
| Friday, April 10 | M & M Meat fundraiser |
| Tuesday, April 14 | Scholastic Book Fair |
| Wednesday, April 15 | Scholastic Book Fair |
| Thursday, April 16 | Scholastic Book Fair 2:00 – 6:00 pm Student-Led Conferences 2:00 – 6:00 pm |
| Friday, April 17 | Scholastic Book Fair 2:00 – 5:00 pm Student-led Conferences 2:00 – 4:00 pm |
| Sunday, April 19 | M & M Meat fundraiser |
PAC NEWS!
We cannot say enough about the members of our PAC. Big thank you to them for hosting a very fun movie night in March. Many families came to enjoy the movie and some snacks, making it a wonderful Hellings community event. It was a successful evening by all accounts!
55th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION:
Planning is in full swing for our upcoming 55th Birthday of Hellings Elementary on May 29th – 5:00 – 7:00 pm. An event like this take many hours of planning and organizing. If you are interested in helping out in both big and small ways, please reach out to the PAC at hellingscommittee@gmail.com
PAC FUNDRAISER: M&M MEATS
DONT’ FORGET: Ongoing M & M Meats Fundraiser –
You can shop at M & M Meats on the 10th and 19th of every month until May and proceeds from your order come back to Hellings to support our school. It’s a win-win when you can shop for your groceries and the school also benefits.
In the Community:
BASKETBALL:
North Delta Basketball Association (NDBA) Programs
NDBA Development Skills Training – Gray Elementary School Gym
Coed – 8 sessions on Fridays April 10th – May 29th
Grades 1 – 2: 5 – 6pm
Grades 3 – 7: 6 – 7pm
NDBA Development Skills & Games Programs – Sungod Recreation Centre Gym
Girls Only Ages 7-15 – 10 sessions starting April 7th or April 11th
Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:30pm or Saturdays 2:45 – 3:45pm
Boys Only Ages 7-15 – 10 sessions starting April 7th or April 11th
Tuesdays 6:30 – 7:30pm or Saturdays 3:45 – 4:45pm
For more information, please email ndbainfo@gmail.com, call 672 755 2121 or visit www.deltabasketball.com
BC Children’s Hospital Sibling Peer Groups:
BC Children’s Hospital offers free, online monthly peer groups for 8-11 year-old children who have a sibling with a chronic health condition and/or disability. These sessions offer a safe and welcoming space for siblings to connect with others who understand. Participants can share experiences, fell less alone, and build coping skills through fun, guided activities.
To learn more, visit: https://www.bcchildrens.ca/your-visit/during-your-visit/siblings-supports
INTERESTED IN FLAG FOOTBALL? AGE 10 – 12?
I·SPARC and the BC Lions are pleased to announce a Youth Flag Football Program to the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Regions. The program will feature coaching by BC Lions Players, weekly practices, a fun tournament and BBQ, a Life Skills Workshop and a VIP BC Lions Game Day experience.
Register today!
https://isparcbc.wufoo.com/forms/mh00lcc0ar32tf/
Tsawwassen PRACTICE SERIES
Practice Dates:
Thursdays, April 9th (3:30 – 5:00pm)
Thursday, April 16th (3:30pm – 5:00pm)
Thursday, April 23rd (3:30pm – 5:00pm)
Field Location: 2331Tsawwassen Dr N, Tsawwassen, BC V4M 4G4.
Organized by:
Paul Biamonte
Recreation & Elders Supervisor
Tsawwassen First Nation
1926 Tsawassen Drive, Tsawwassen, BC V4M 4G4
Tel: 604.841.7702 Email: pbiamonte@tsawwassenfirstnation.com
We wish you a wonderful week! If you have any questions, ideas or concerns, please feel free to reach out.
Sincerely,
Ms H Gonzalez Mrs M Messer
Principal Vice Principal