Principal's Message
We are happy to report that Kayden’s surgery at the Children’s Hospital in Toronto went extremely well. He will be heading to Boston soon for further treatment. The family would like to thank all of those who supported the Domino’s Pizza fundraiser.
Other good news is that there is an easing of restrictions when we come back from the March Break. Students will be able to take off their mask while seated at their desk. Students from grade 1 – 6 will still wear masks in common areas, hallways, and during Phys Ed. Classes. ALL students (K-6) are required to wear a mask on the bus. We will be opening up the gym again for Phys. Ed. Classes, some extra-curricular activities will be offered, and we will hold monthly assemblies in the gym with 5 – 6 classes at a time. Unfortunately, parents will not be able to attend the assemblies.
I’d like to wish everyone a relaxing and peaceful March Break and hope you are able to enjoy the lovely winter weather.
TIME CHANGE Daylight Savings Time starts on Sunday, March 13th at 2:00 a.m. So please remember to turn your clocks ahead one hour. |
Events at School
MARCH BREAK
This year our March break is from Monday, February 28th to Friday, March 4th.
We hope everyone has a fabulous week.
CONNEXIONS MARCH BREAK ACTIVITIES
Portrait & Caricature Drawing Class for children age 7-17 each day from 9:30-10:45
Cartoon & Pokemon Drawing Class for children age 7-17 each day from 11:00-12:15
LAC BEAUCHAMP TRIP FOR GRADE 5 AND 6 CLASSES
Our Grade 5 and 6 students will have the chance to visit Lac Beauchamp for skiing, tubing, and skating. There will be no cost for the outing as it will be paid by a grant from the Ministry.
March 9th | March 10th | March 11th | |
8:40-11:30 | Fama | Everson | Stone |
11:20-2:10 | Schultz | Dooling | Birch |
SKI AT SCHOOL
Make up day for Grade 4 students in Ms. Cusin, Ms. Plue, and Ms. DV’s classes is March 17th. Please dress for the weather that day.
GRADE FOUR VACCINATIONS
On March 21st students in grade 4 will receive one dose of hepatitis A and B vaccine (Twinrix Junior®) and one dose of HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9®).
Nurses from the CLSC will be at the school in the morning to administer the vaccines.
GRADE 6 STUDENTS INTRO TO GRADE 7 AT HADLEY
Virtual Information Evening:
There will be a virtual meeting with grade 6 families on March 24th @ 5:00 PM
A link will be sent for the grade 6 families, closer to the date.
Virtual Tour/Presentation and Visit:
There will be a presentation with important information and a virtual tour of the building. This will be sent to all feeder schools to show in our grade 6 classes. They will also be sending an agenda and some important tools needed for grade 7 for each class to explore on their own. Students can prepare questions with their teachers. Mrs. Payne, principal at Hadley Junior High, will join the classes virtually on March 29th to answer questions and introduce some important people to the class.
CABANE A SUCRE TRIP
The whole school will go to Proulx Farm to visit the Cabane à Sucre on Thursday, March 31st. The cost for this trip is covered by grants. The children will have a lunch of pancakes, sausages, and homefries. Other activities include:
- Guided tour on maple syrup production, collection of sap with pails and pipeline, and the wood-burning fire.
- Hay ride pulled by a tractor from the farm through the old maple forest to the sugar shack and back.
- Petting farm inside the old century barn. Touch, feed, and learn.
- Hay play structures.
- Giant slide and double slide (snow pants are needed).
- Play parks and structures
- Snow packed walking nature trails
MONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly will be on Tuesday, March 29th, where we will celebrate the students who have shown the chosen virtue throughout the month.
We will be having assemblies in the gym starting this month. The groups will be kept to 5 or 6 classes and children will wear their masks.
Please remember to wear your purple GG shirt for all of our monthly assemblies. This creates a sense of community at school.
March is TRUSTWORTHINESS month. We hope to see students showing us how trustworthy they are. You can show this by doing what you say you are going to do, being responsible, and being reliable.
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES AT HOME
TRUST WALK
This activity is done in pairs and you take turn being blindfolded and being a leader. One person volunteers to be led with their eyes closed or blindfolded. The other member of the pair leads the person for five minutes, taking very good care of the blind partner. After five minutes, switch roles.
TRUST CIRCLE
Make a circle with your family and friends. Have one person stand in the middle with their eyes closed and feet planted firmly. Have the rest of the people gently push on the shoulders of the person in the middle, making sure they do not fall. The group supports the person as they rotate.
Home & School
We are very happy to announce that we have partnered with Plantables again this year for all your gardening needs. Please visit our Facebook page for details. A flyer will be sent to parents soon.
We will also be holding a Spring Art Contest in March, there will be a chance for your child to win a prize, more details to follow.
Our auction is fast approaching, we are still looking for donations, please contact us via email if you have any leads on donations.
We will continue to post on our Facebook page, if you haven’t done so already please follow us to stay up to date on upcoming events facebook.com/GreaterGatineau.
A reminder that we will be holding our Annual General Meeting on May 10th, all executive positions will be open for election. H&S currently has only 5 members and a few of the members will be moving onto other schools next year. Positions open for election:
- President
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
The next Home & School meeting will be on Tuesday, March 8th at 6:30pm. We hold our meetings through Zoom, please reach out to us via email if you would like to attend.
Daycare
Tax slips are available on the parent portal this year. They were posted on February 15th. Please let us know if you have any trouble accessing your slip.
We have one PD day in March. It is on Friday, March 25th and is open to all Greater Gatineau students. Please sign up for @ggdaycare on the Remind app to get the notifications regarding PD days.
Should you have any questions about our program or to register for the PD days please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer by phone at (819) 663-4842 ext. 3 or e-mail jplaxton@wqsb.qc.ca
Special Notes
LOST AND FOUND
We have many items in our lost and found. We also have some children who have lost items that may have gone home to different houses. Please check with your children to make sure they have not brought someone else’s items home by mistake. Also check in to make sure your children have all their items. We hope to reunite some children with their items.
Please label your child’s items with their name so they can be returned to the right child if they are ever misplaced.
PHONE NUMBERS & HEALTH INFORMATION
We ask all parents to please make sure that they keep the office advised of any changes in their phone numbers.
It is extremely important that our files are kept up-to-date should an emergency arise.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
If you have not registered for kindergarten next year, or if you know anyone who has a child turning five before September 30th please make arrangements to register by e-mailing mcomple@wqsb.qc.ca
It is very important to register right away in order for the school to plan for next year.
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER WORKSHOP
A workshop offered by Connexions on March 17th from 7:00-9:00pm with Special Guest, Marie-Pier Cham, Psychoeducator.
ASD Extraordinaire Workshop for Parents
EARTH HOUR
Please join millions of people around the world on Saturday, March 26th, at 8:30 p.m. and turn off your lights for one hour in support of action on climate change.
NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH
March is National Nutrition Month and a great time to think about the importance of healthy eating.
Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods from 4 groups to feel good and maintain your health.
Follow these steps to help you eat healthy:
- Eat the right types of food by following Canada’s Food Guide.
- Choose a variety of foods from each of the 4 food groups.
- Eat the recommended amount of food for your age, gender, and activity level.
- Read food labels to compare and choose healthier foods when shopping. The Nutrition Facts table and the Percent Daily Value can help you make better choices.
- Limit foods and drinks that are high in calories, fat, sugar, and sodium.
For more useful information on food and nutrition, consult:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/health/food-nutrition.html
WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY
World Down Syndrome Day – annually on March 21st – is officially ratified by the United Nations. It allows communities around the world to recognize and celebrate contributions from people with Down syndrome. We want to encourage our students to celebrate WDSD on the days surrounding it.
Please wear mismatched socks on Monday, March 21st in support of World Down Syndrome Day.
TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY
International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event occurring on March 31st dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.
Please wear purple to show your support.