Author: Devon Gable
Good afternoon Chelsea Families,
I hope that everyone had a happy, safe, and restful winter break over the past few weeks. We are very excited as a school team to welcome our students back to Chelsea Elementary tomorrow (Tuesday) as classes resume following the shutdown.
I know many families have been monitoring the teacher negotiations over the course of this break. Please find attached a memo from our WQSB Director General, George Singfield, regarding the ongoing negotiations between teachers, professionals, and the government. We will continue to share information as it becomes available to us.
Looking forward to getting 2024 off to a great start together! All the best,
Bill Rosseel

Good morning Chelsea Families,
I want to begin by thanking everyone for reacting to the transportation changes this week quickly and effectively. This morning’s drop-off procedures went smoothly, and we appreciate the efforts of our staff, students, transporters and families to accommodate these adjustments.
On another note, we have received official notification from the WQSB senior management team that the teachers and professionals’ unions have confirmed that there will be strike action days from November 21st through to November 23rd. As a result, the decision has been made to cancel all classes, transportation, and daycare services across the Western Quebec School Board on November 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. Please note that all school buildings, centres, and the board office will be closed on these days. The attached communiqué from our Director General, George Singfield, has been posted on the board website and to the WQSB app. Should there be any changes in the situation regarding these strike days, I will advise our community as soon as I know.
This closure also impacts our Term 1 Parent-Teacher Conferences, which were originally scheduled for November 23rd & 24th. We will be meeting as a staff to determine an alternative date for this important event and will communicate the details as soon as possible. That said, Term 1 report cards will still be available for parents to access via the Mozaik Parent Portal as of Monday, November 20th.
Thank you very much for your cooperation and understanding at this time. Wishing everyone a good rest of your week,
Good morning Chelsea Families,
It is hard to believe that we woke up to our first snowfall this morning, but there was certainly excitement in the air as the students came in today (might have something to do with Halloween as well 😊). Please see some important information items below for your reference this week.
Halloween “Monster Bash” Dance
Friday night’s “Monster Bash” dance was a massive success, and such a wonderful way to get families together in our school for a social event. A huge thank you to the P.P.O. parents for the efforts made to organize and execute this dance, and to the amazing staff who attended in support. I want to thank everyone who came out to spend the evening with us, it felt like a very special community gathering. More to come I am certain!

Halloween Day
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is Halloween, which means it will be a very fun but also busy day in our school. There will be a costume parade taking place in the afternoon so students can show off their creative costumes! I want to remind everyone that costumes for the day need to be school-appropriate, meaning:
- Full face coverings may not be worn
- No toy or fake weapons in the school
- Costumes cannot require staff support (make-up, dressing, etc.)
Since this is often a late night for students, the staff has proposed a schoolwide pajama (PJ) day on November 1st. Classes will be running as normal, but it is nice for students to feel comfortable on this date after a long night of trick-or-treating. Happy Halloween!
End of Term 1
A reminder that Friday is the last day of Term 1. This means that teachers will begin working on Term 1 reporting procedures, and Term 1 report cards will be made available to parents on the Mozaik Parent Portal on Friday, November 17th.
Ordering Class Photos from Lifetouch
I have been asked to share a resource (attached) to answer any questions on how to purchase class photos this year. Families receive a complementary group photo in every photo package. However, families not interested in purchasing a package but wanting to order a classroom photo can order online at mylifetouch.ca. You can enter the site using either the child’s Picture Day ID or their school student ID number; go to “Add On” and select “Class Picture”. Families that require additional help ordering can call the Lifetouch Customer Service team at 866-457-8212.
Remembrance Day Ceremony November 10th
We will be holding a Remembrance Day ceremony for our students on Friday, November 10th @ 11:00 AM, and the Remembrance Day committee would like to extend an invitation to any military service members who would like to be in attendance and/or speaking with our students. Please RSVP to me directly if you are interested in being present on that date.
No Classes or Daycare on November 6th
As I communicated last week, there will be a job action for teachers and professional staff in the form of a strike on Monday, November 6th, 2023. As a result, all classes, transportation, and daycare services across the Western Quebec School Board have been cancelled on this date. Please see the attached letters that have been circulated by our Director General. Chelsea Elementary is one of the schools that had a “floater” PD day scheduled, which means that the Daycare (A4) Program will need to be closed on that date, and alternative childcare arrangements will need to be made by families who were registered for daycare services on that date. Should there be any changes in the situation, I will advise you as soon as I know. Thank you very much for your cooperation and understanding.
Wishing everyone a fantastic week ahead!
It has been such a busy week at C.E.S., culminating in a Cycle 3 visit to the Meredith Center for an inspirational speech by a former Olympic athlete, and our energizing Chelsea spirit assembly! I wanted to share a few updates with our community as we head into the weekend.
Halloween Dance – the “Monster Bash”!
It’s BACK! Get ready for our upcoming Halloween Dance on Friday October 27th from 6:30-8:30 PM (doors open at 6:20 PM). Please see the details below:
- Make sure to wear your costume as there will be prizes at the event!
- Admission is $2.00 per student; students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (no “drop offs”)
- Tickets will be available for purchase for drinks, candy and non-candy treats (glow sticks, toys, etc.)
- Please remember this is a Chelsea Elementary family event and siblings of Grade 6 age and under are welcome
- If you are interested in volunteering to support this event by taking a shift (or more) during the evening, please consider visiting this link to sign up: C.E.S Halloween Parent Volunteer Sign-up 2023 – Google Sheets
- All proceeds raised go towards the purchase of classroom materials for C.E.S.
NOTE: If any families are willing to lend/donate Halloween decorations to help us spookify the MPR, it would be greatly appreciated. Please reach out to the office if you are willing to do so. Looking forward to a fun family event to celebrate the season!
Food Drive Collection Ongoing:
A reminder that Chelsea’s annual food and essentials drive is being held until Tuesday, October 31st. All donations received will go to the Wakefield Food Bank and Shepards of Good Hope. For Shepherds of Good Hope, we are collecting adult-sized socks, hats, gloves, mitts, thermal undergarments/bras, and foot warmers. For the Wakefield Food Bank, we are soliciting canned foods, preserved foods, and/or packaged or non-perishable foods. This is also a homeroom challenge, and the class that brings in the highest number of donations will be gifted a movie afternoon in the MPR with snacks provided! We encourage members of our school community to donate to this year’s annual food and essentials drive and we appreciate all of the support we have already received.
School Photo Packets Coming Home:
The Lifetouch photo proofs have arrived and were distributed to homeroom teachers today. Students will either be coming home with them this evening, or Monday afternoon. Sign up on www.mylifetouch.ca using the details shared on the envelopes to order your school photos.
Good morning Chelsea Families,
I hope that everyone enjoyed the extended weekend with your families and got out to appreciate the beautiful changing colours of the fall. While I typically share news updates at the end of the week, there were a few items I wanted to share with you as this week begins. Please see the details below:
Daycare Staffing Changes and Next Steps
As you have been made aware, there have been many staffing challenges in getting our daycare program up and running at full capacity this year. I have been very grateful for the patience and understanding of those families who remain on the waiting list while the staffing is resolved. As of this coming week, our daycare staff roster is as follows:
- Ms. Mirvet: AM & PM Daycare Educator
- Ms. Batool: AM & PM Daycare Educator
- Ms. Kailee: Office support & PM Daycare Educator
- Ms. Caroline: PM Daycare Educator support (PT)
- Educator #4 TBD: This position had to be reposted by the Human Resources department and will be closed by the end of the week. Once this position is filled, will be able to explore the opening of the 4th group (from the waiting list), which is required to respect educator-to-student ratios.
- Franchescia Cormier: Our newly appointed Daycare Technician who will be replacing Heather Beresford moving forward. Franchescia comes to Chelsea with a wealth of experience running a daycare centre and is quickly acclimating herself to our school and the WQSB protocols and systems she will be using. We are very grateful to have Ms. Franchescia leading our daycare team, welcome to C.E.S.!
I want to personally thank our whole A4 team for their efforts keeping the program running through ongoing changes and supporting families with care for their students.
Paul Davis Online Safety Presentation for Families
On behalf of the WAY Youth Centre, I am sharing that they have enlisted the services of renowned speaker Paul Davis to address both students and parents on the critical topic of online safety and security. We have been given permission to share this information within our school community so that anyone may benefit from this opportunity.
Paul Davis will be conducting a presentation intended for parents and families in Grade 6 and above. Paul has presented to over 780,000 students from Grades 4 to 12 across North America. He is considered an expert on topics such as social media, the dangers of “sexting” among teens, digital trails, smart phones and online security. You can read more about him here: https://socialnetworkingsafety.net/sample-page/ This presentation will take place at the Wakefield Community Centre on Thursday October 19th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. (Facebook event : https://fb.me/e/aD0tdpgRS)
Chelsea Food Drive Starting Today!
I am very happy to share a student-lead initiative that has been presented and organized by two of our Grade 6 students, Olivia and Cherisse, supervised by Ms. Bardell:
We are happy to inform you that Chelsea’s annual food and essentials drive will be held in the last 2 weeks of October. We begin today (October 16th) and end on October 31st. All donations received will go to the Wakefield Food Bank and Shepards of Good Hope. For Shepherds of Good Hope, we are collecting adult-sized socks, hats, gloves, mitts, thermal undergarments/bras, and foot warmers. For the Wakefield Food Bank, we are soliciting canned foods, preserved foods, and/or packaged or non-perishable foods. There is also a homeroom challenge where the class that brings in the highest number of donations will be gifted a fun movie afternoon in the MPR with snacks provided! We encourage members of our school community to donate to this year’s annual food and essentials drive and appreciate your support.
Scholastic Book Fair Results
I am thrilled to report that the Scholastic Book Fair was a great success, bringing in total sales of almost $3800! Including the amount retained from last year’s fair and the earnings from this year, the school now has over $2500 to spend on Scholastic resources to benefit our students and staff. We had so many families come to show their support for the event, and several parent volunteers who agreed to take a shift during the sale (a couple of young Rosseel boys included 😊). I want to extend a very special thank you to Amanda DeGrace for allowing us to host the book fair at the Meredith Center, and to Kirby Kirvan for organizing and managing the fundraising event all weekend long – it was no small feat! What an amazing way to connect with our community, while also building access to learning resources for our school. Thank you, Chelsea, for your ongoing support.
Have a great week ahead,
It is so hard to believe that today is already the last school day of September! We have had such a busy and wonderful start to the new school year, welcoming so many new students, families & staff members, and creating new opportunities within our school community. We are really looking forward to what October is going to bring. Personally, I truly appreciate all the cooperation and support I have received from everyone as I transition into the role of your school Principal, and I want to thank you very much. Some important information updates are included below to keep you up to date.
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Tomorrow & Orange Shirt Day
This week, our students and staff have been learning about and discussing the history and impact of residential schools on survivors, their families, and their communities. Students have continued their work on visual representations of their learning throughout the school. Today, students and staff were encouraged to wear orange in support of Orange Shirt Day and its significant message. Our school observed a moment of silence and reflection at 10:30 AM, as well as a musical interlude. There have been some very impactful discussions and profound learning taking place in our classrooms that students have been talking to me about. Informative resources have been shared by the WQSB’s new Indigenous Pedagogy Consultant to support teaching practices (one such resource is attached for families as well). We would like to continue this learning throughout the course of the year with our staff and students involving outside partners and members of the Indigenous community. As a school, we are committed to listening, learning and taking action that supports reconciliation.

Photo Day October 5th
A reminder that school photos will be taking place in the MPR on Thursday, October 5th. This is the day individual and class photos will be taken, so we do not want anyone missing out. Retakes are scheduled for November 22nd however there are no retakes of class photos. Please see the attached flyer for more details.
Emergency Preparedness Drills
Please find attached a memo regarding the practice drills we will be executing at the school in the coming weeks with our students. We inform parents in advance so they have context and the opportunity to answer any questions students may have before/after a drill. Our first school lock out (fire drill) practice will be next Tuesday, and students will be made aware next week. This drill is in preparation for our visit from the fire service who will be conducting their emergency preparedness assessment the following Tuesday, October 10th. Thank you for your cooperation.
School & Daycare Fees
This year’s School Fees have been generated and invoices are now available for payment on the portal. Please find the Mozaik Portal guide attached to this e-mail with the instructions for parents/guardians to access the portal and make payments through online banking. This is also the manner in which daycare feed are posted and paid online. Thank you for your support.
Progress Reports October 13th
A reminder that October Progress Reports will be posted to the Mozaik Parent Portal on Friday, October 13th for you to access. The guide attached will help parents navigate this process as well if you are doing so for the first time.
School Spirit Wear E-Store
We are very excited to be offering the next round of Chelsea Spirit Wear for students, staff and families! Our e-store is up and full of fantastic items for you and your family to enjoy. Follow this link https://stores.inksoft.com/chelsea_elementary_school/shop/home or scan the QR code on the attached flyer to access the store! All payments are made virtually, and your items will arrive at school prepackaged with your child’s name for distribution. The e-store is open from now until October 13th, so don’t wait too long!

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend as we head into October together!
Please click here for more information regarding the AGM and Meet the Teacher night.
Please click here to read the welcome back communication from Chelsea’s new principal, Mr. Rosseel.
Dear Chelsea Elementary Parents/Guardians,
I’m reaching out this morning to let you know that there will be a change in administration next year. I will be moving into a role in Complementary Services at the school board and Chelsea will have a new principal.
It has been a privilege to serve as principal for the past 5.5 years. Chelsea Elementary school is an exceptional educational community committed first and foremost to its students. It is a community that cares deeply about each other and supports one another both to excel and when faced with challenges. During my time as principal, I have seen tremendous growth in our students and our staff. The students continue to inspire us with their curiosity, compassion, and capacity. The staff at Chelsea are truly exceptional and consistently demonstrate their commitment to supporting each child to achieve to their potential.
It has been a wonderful experience to work with the engaged and thoughtful parent community at CES. I want to thank you for the trust that you have placed in me over the years. It is the collective that makes a school thrive and the Chelsea Elementary’s community of students, staff and parents has that magic. I am confident that Chelsea will continue to provide students with an inclusive educational experience committed to both their academic and social-emotional wellbeing. I will share the name of the incoming principal shortly.
Wishing you all the best,
Andrea Gage
Directrice/Principal