We had a GREAT week at WID!
Canada’s Wonderland Field Trip (Grades 7 and 8)
The grades 7 and 8 will be going to Canada’s Wonderland on June 3rd. We will be leaving from school at 9:00 AM and returning around 6:00 PM. We will be taking school buses to and from the park. The park is completely cashless, and if students bring cash with them, they can exchange it for a prepaid Visa card at the park. We are unable to bring in any outside food to the park, other than a refillable water bottle. The cost of the trip is $55.00 for the bus and entrance to the park. If you have a season pass for the summer, you will only need to pay $17.75 for the bus ride. If you have not already paid for the trip please do so ASAP as well as hand in any outstanding permission forms. If you have any questions about the trip, please feel free to contact Mr. Harrison (harrisonry@hdsb.ca)
Grade 8 Grad Trip
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The end of the school year is quickly approaching, and it is time to celebrate the incredible journey and achievements of our W.I. Dick Middle School graduates! We are thrilled to announce that this year’s Grade 8 graduation trip will take us to the heart of Toronto on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. This trip is designed to be a memorable day of bonding and fun before our students head off to high school next year. In an attempt to be cost conscious this year, we are offering a trip where transportation is included, but extra purchases are optional and at the discretion of families.
Final pricing is $70 on School Cash and consent forms will be sent out shortly. We are looking forward to a safe, fun, and "legendary" day in the city to celebrate the Class of 2026!
Grade 6 EQAO
Our grade 6 students will be writing EQAO between May 26th and June 9th. Please reach out to your child's English and Math teachers if you have any questions, or if your child has an appointment and you need more specific information.
Art in the Park
Our Spring Concert will be on Thursday June 11th this year! Come and join us as our musical groups perform outside of the school on the hard top. Bring a chair or blanket to enjoy the show! If the weather does not cooperate, we will move into the gym. There will be an art gallery set up in the mall showcasing the amazing work of our W.I.D. artists as well - come by early to peruse their beautiful masterpieces!
Concert time is at 6:30pm, but performers are asked to come back to the school for 6:00pm to get ready and set up. The concert should last about an hour. We look forward to seeing you there and showing you what we’ve got!
Courtesy Seat Application for 2026-27
Each year, in accordance with HSTS Procedure HS-1-004 – Courtesy Seats, families with children who are not eligible for school bus transportation to and from school, may apply for a courtesy seat. The HSTS Courtesy Seat online application will be open for submissions from April 15th, 2026 until Tuesday, June 30th, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
HSTS will complete the courtesy seat application review and allocation process over the summer, in order to allow approved courtesy riders to begin riding the bus on the first day of school in September 2026. Parents and guardians will be advised of the status of their application by the third week of August via email, to the primary contact provided to the school. Approved applicants can access their transportation schedule via the HSTS Parent Portal (Parent Portal Instructions) during the third week of August.
Please complete the HSTS Opt out form if your eligible child(ren) do not intend on using the school bus in 2026-27. This will allow HSTS the opportunity to assign as many courtesy seat riders as possible over the summer.
Volunteers in Schools
The Ministry of Education has provided us with new guidelines that all schools must adhere to with regard to Criminal Record Checks with Vulnerable Sector Screening. We have reviewed our police checks that we currently have on file with the school and none of them will meet the new guidelines, so ANYONE wishing to volunteer in the school or on field trips will need to provide a new one by the start of next school year. Please note:
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All volunteers must have a Criminal Background Check which includes vulnerable sector screening.
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The Halton Regional Police Service now has an online process for residents who require a criminal reference check. Note: There are many online background check services (e.g., mybackcheck.com) on the internet. These services do not include vulnerable sector screening, a mandatory requirement for HDSB volunteering.
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For reference: HDSB Volunteer Application Form
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For more information: Volunteers in Schools
Food Deliveries at School
While we understand that there are times when you will need to have food delivered to your children at school, we ask that you please limit the use of Uber Eats/Door Dash, etc as a means to do so. If the need arises to send food to your child while at school, please call the office to let us know to expect the delivery. We are not permitted to accept food deliveries that do not come directly from a parent/guardian or family member, or that the office is aware of. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Free webinar series for parents/caregivers: Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health from School Mental Health Ontario.
We are excited to share a valuable opportunity to support your child’s well-being. School Mental Health Ontario is offering a free webinar series as part of the By Your Side Learning Hub, designed to help parents and caregivers navigate important topics to support their children’s mental health.
This expert-led series will provide insights and practical strategies on:
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balanced device use
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vaping
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body image
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anxiety
The webinars will also include answers to questions that parents/caregivers can provide ahead of the webinar, giving you the chance to ask questions and gain practical guidance. Sessions run March to June
Spectators at Games
The Milton Family of Schools has agreed that spectators at after school games are limited to team family members of the teams playing ONLY. All other spectators MUST be accompanied by an adult. This includes games/tournaments that WID is participating in during the school day. PLEASE NOTE - If you are signing your child out for the day to attend a school sanctioned event, and they are not on the team, it is HDSB’s policy that you stay with and supervise your child. This is for the safety and well-being of your child. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe.
Signing Students Out
We understand that essential appointments often occur during the school day. To ensure the safety of our students, we are asking that you please ring the bell at the front door letting our Administrative Staff know that you are picking up a student. You will be allowed into the school, where an administrative assistant will sign your children out. You no longer need to send an email to our Administrative Staff. PLEASE NOTE that if you are giving another adult permission (someone NOT named in your emergency contacts) to sign your child out for a special event (lunch, games, etc.) an email MUST be sent to our Administrative Assistants (kapitanb@hdsb.ca / careyma@hdsb.ca /vanveenc@hdsb.ca). Thank you for your cooperation, as this is an essential part of student safety.
Stacked Pancakes
We are now offering Stacked Pancakes every Tuesday for lunch. We will be using Lunchbox once again in partnership with our local Stacked restaurant. Families can choose to buy every week or just once in a while. Orders must be completed by noon on Sundays for the upcoming week. Please go to https://www.lunchboxorders.net/login.aspx to place an order.
Subway
Subway Thursday lunches are also returning. We will be using Lunchbox once again in partnership with our local Subway restaurant. Families can choose to buy every week or just once in a while. Subs must be ordered by noon on Sundays for the upcoming week. Please go to https://www.lunchboxorders.net/login.aspx to place an order.
Phones
Students are NOT permitted to have cell phones at school. If your child brings a cell phone to school it needs to stay in their lockers or backpacks. If students need to call home (feeling sick) they are allowed to use the school phone. Students are NOT permitted to text their parents to drop off forgotten items. Students who are using their cell phones at school will be asked to put their phones in their lockers. If a student is reminded more than once, their phone will be kept in Ms. Vasilakos’ office until the end of the school day.
Cash in the school
This is just a reminder that we strongly encourage using School Cash Online as the method of payment when making any purchases throughout the school year. This will help reduce cash getting lost or stolen. If you have not signed up for School Cash Online please so by clicking on the link: https://hdsb.schoolcashonline.com
Buses
For those with children who ride a bus, we strongly encourage you to sign up for the alerts about bus delays, etc. This will become especially helpful when the colder weather arrives. You can sign up through the Parent Portal on haltonbus.ca. You can find the instructions for setting up your Parent Portal here. Halton Student Transportation Services have indicated to all families and schools that in the first month of school, buses may be delayed for pick up and drop off. Please DO NOT call the school about buses being late. We know that this is frustrating, however, please understand that there are hundreds of children taking the bus daily and there continues to be a shortage of bus drivers. If your children are NOT taking the bus, you need to contact the bus company directly. Students are NOT permitted to go home on a different bus with a friend.
Bus Lanes
Please DO NOT park in our bus lanes at the front of the school in the morning or afternoon. Our parking lot is closed in the morning and the afternoon, for the safety of our students, staff and community. It is imperative that our bus lanes are free and clear for our buses to park in. We appreciate that many of you are picking up and dropping off closer to Mountainview, Elm or Ridge. For those of you who have children who ride bikes or scooters, please remind them about road safety as we have had numerous reports of bikes and scooters being ridden down the middle of streets.
Phys-Ed
Students are reminded that during Phys-Ed classes they need to have appropriate footwear. Students must wear running shoes, Crocs, sandals, and boots are NOT permitted.
As always, we are here to answer any questions and address any concerns that you may have. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Here’s to another TERRIFIC week!
The WID Staff
Upcoming Dates:
June 1, 4 - Grade 7 Trip to UBC
June 3- Grade 7&8 Trip to Wonderland
June 5 - P.A. Day - no school for students
June 11 - Art in the Park Spring Concert at 6:30pm
June 18 - Grade 8 Graduation at Elsie McGill S.S.
June 23 - Grade 8 Grad Trip