Dear William Reid families 

This is a special time of year as we reach the fall equinox, a moment of balance when daylight and night are equal. September 22 is also significant in our relationship with Indigenous Peoples, as it marks the signing of Treaty 7. This is an important time to reflect on our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. Additionally, we honour those individuals that have experienced trauma as a result of Residential Schools on September 26 by wearing orange or our favorite shirt.

We also honour a Canadian hero this week, Terry Fox, whose courage and determination continue to inspire our nation. His family later embraced their Métis heritage, tracing roots back to the Red River communities of Manitoba. Terry’s legacy, and our shared commitment to both personal goals and treaty relationships, resonate strongly at this time of year.

Upcoming Dates and Events

Sept 19       Ordering Deadline for Healthy Hunger

Sept 22       Fall Picture Day

Sept 24       Terry Fox Run 11am (parents welcome – See # 6 below)

Sept 25       Healthy Hunger – Subway (Parents must order- See #4 below)

Sept 25        Fall Fling / Meet the Teacher 5-7pm (See #2 and 3 below)

Sept 26        Orange Shirt Day

Sept 29       Non-Instructional Day - No students

Sept 30       National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – School Closed

Sept 11- Oct 16 Our School Survey Grade 4

Oct 6-16     K-3 CBE Student Survey

Oct 22         Retake – Photo/Picture

Oct 25         Oktoberfest, save the date (evening event – See #8 below)

Event Details for your Information / Reminders

1 | School Picture Day

September 22 is Photo Day. Please add this important date to your calendar.

2 | Meet the Teacher: September 25 5:00 - 7:00 PM 

Meet the Teacher will run concurrently with the Fall Fling Event. This year, time will be organized during the evening to hear from your student’s teacher. 

Teachers will be in their classrooms during designated times as per the chart below. The 20-minute window will involve teachers presenting for the first 10 minutes about themselves and the up-and-coming year of learning. The second half of the time will be a time for your child to give you a tour of the classroom. 

Teachers will mingle with parents outside after their presentations at the locations listed below. Other times throughout the evening, teachers can be found circulating, taking in the Fall Fling events. 

We would like to remind everyone that it is still early in the year and with the constraints of the evening, in-depth conversations about your student's unique learning needs would be better suited at another time. 

Teacher Presentations

Please note: Rooms 10, 11, 12 and 13 are found in the portable classrooms.

Teacher Locations Outside 

3 | Fall Fling | September 25 5:00 - 7:00 PM 

Please join us for William Reid's annual Fall Fling on Thursday September 25 from 5-7pm. Bring the family, picnic gear and your dancing shoes and mix and mingle with our school community. All family members are welcome to join the fun including a DJ dance party, food trucks, hula hoops, bubbles, treats and soccer games. 

We’re pumped to announce that 1UP Soccer is joining this year’s Fall Fling for an evening of action-packed fun! From fast-paced drills to mini games and friendly competition, we’ve got something for everyone—whether you're brand new to the game or already bending it like a pro. And the highlight? Cavalry FC Midfielder Niko Myroniuk will be on the field with us—sharing tips, playing alongside participants, and inspiring the next generation of soccer stars.

See the attached poster for details. 

Events like these are made possible by parent volunteers - please sign up here to help out!

4 | Healthy Hunger 

We are pleased to continue to bring Healthy Hunger Special Lunches to William Reid for the Grade 1-4 classes and Seeds of Spice children! 

We will be having our FIRST special lunch on SEPTEMBER 25. All orders must be entered by Friday, September 19. Ordering and payment is done by going to the Healthy Hunger website. 

Here's how it works:

• Login into Healthy Hunger.
• Create a profile for your student(s) by selecting ‘Add Student’ and entering their details and school name and select their teacher.
• Place orders and pay online. You can place orders for the whole year at one time if you choose.
• All orders will close 5 days before the date of the lunch so you must place your order before then. 

*Please note that these special lunches are available only to Grades 1 - 4 students and Seeds of Spice children due to the delivery time for the lunches. All information is on our William Reid School website here. 

5 | Healthy Hunger Special Lunch Volunteers 

We are asking for three parent volunteers each month to come help distribute the special lunches to each classroom. Lunch time for all classes is from 11:35am to 11:55am. The time expected for parent volunteers is from 11:10am to approximately 12pm. 

Please click on the Sign-Up Genius link below to view the volunteer sign up for each month. 

• Healthy Hunger Volunteer Sign Up 

6 | Terry Fox Run

Our Terry Fox school run will be taking place on Wednesday, September 24. To celebrate the 45th anniversary, our fundraising goal is $4,500. Please visit the link to visit our school page and make donations in support of Cancer research in Canada. Fundraising update – currently we have raised $2400.00- ½ way to our goal! Thank you to all who have donated. If you are planning to join the run on Wednesday, please wait out on the field for 11 AM. Parents will be joined by the students at that time.

https://schools.terryfox.ca/98366

7 | School Council

• Attend School Council meetings. Held the second Tuesday of every school month (except December), the next meeting is this Tuesday, October 14 at 7PM. Everyone is welcome! Learn more about the meetings on the school website.
• Volunteer. School Council is responsible for organizing a number of special activities throughout the school year. Every year we have turnover on our organizing committees, which provides an opportunity for new, enthusiastic parent volunteers to lend us their talents. We have open positions including School Council Chair, President Parent Society, VP Parent Society, Library volunteers, Naturalization volunteers, 2026 Casino organizer.
• Be part of Oktoberfest Saturday, October 25. More details to be shared in the coming weeks - William Reid's biennial Oktoberfest raises raise needed funds to support our amazing school and staff! Oktoberfest is this year's ONLY fundraising event organized by William Reid School parents that supports the school. Please visit https://oktoberfestyyc.wixsite.com/2025 for details and if you would like to join the planning committee, please email WilliamReidOktoberfest@gmail.com with the subject line "VOLUNTEER". 

Without the support of parent volunteers, the events and initiatives we organize are not be possible. Thank you in advance for your support. 

8 | Oktoberfest Fundraiser

Save the Date – Saturday October 25 at Last Best Brewing (607 11th AVE SW)

The William Reid School Fundraising Society holds a fundraiser every two years called Oktoberfest. This is a fun event consisting of: an evening out; a silent auction that is hosted online and a live auction held during the evening. In the past, this event has raised in the neighborhood of $20 000 for the school. These funds go directly to the school, and this is the only event that the Fundraising Society hosts for the year to generate funds

9 | A Friendly Reminder About School Safety

At William Reid School, the safety and well-being of our students and staff is always our top priority. To help us maintain a safe and calm environment, we kindly ask parents and visitors not to enter the school building during soft entry or dismissal times unless they go directly to the office.

When adults who are not staff are in the hallways or classrooms, it naturally draws the attention of teachers and staff away from their important work with students. To support learning and safety, we ask that:

• If you’d like to speak with a teacher, please arrange a meeting in advance by email.
• If you need to drop something off for your child, please use the front entrance, buzz in if the doors are locked, and proceed directly to the office. Our staff will ensure your child receives the item quickly.

Thank you for your partnership in helping us create a safe, focused, and welcoming environment for all students. 

Ongoing Fundraising Links 

We have several ongoing ways that parents can contribute to our school financially throughout the year.

Financial Donations

https://www.educationmatters.ca/project-matters/william-reid-school/ 

Bottle Drive

Manchester Bottle Depot – 410 – 38aAve SE – Donate your bottles here for William Reid School 

If you return your empty bottles to the Depot mentioned above and let them know that you would like your refund to be donated to the William Reid, the funds will come directly to the school.

Kind Regards, Kenzie Rushton

Principal | École William Reid School

“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.” Flora Lewis