Principal's Message
Report cards were posted on February 28th on the portal. We will be having parent-teacher interviews on March 13th, from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Teachers do not need to see all parents at this time, but they will reach out to you if an interview is requested. Alternatively, if you would like an interview you can contact your child’s homeroom or their French teacher to set up a time.
We are pleased to announce that Mr. Fleming has a new baby girl! He will be on paternity leave after March Break, and will be returning on April 12th. Mrs. Renai Moleman will be stepping in as Vice-Principal during his absence, and we are happy to have her fill this role.
Please take the time to review our newsletter to see all of the wonderful events taking place this month. A big appreciation goes out to staff members and to Home and School parents for organizing events for our school. Have a wonderful month everyone!
TIME CHANGE Daylight Savings Time starts on Sunday, March 10th at 2:00 a.m. So please remember to turn your clocks ahead one hour. |
Events at School
BASKETBALL
Ms. Given and M. Lemaire are proud and excited to be coaching the basketball teams this year. They have been practicing together, learning new skills, improving their game, and learning the importance of good sportsmanship.
We are grateful to have this group of student athletes representing GGS at the tournament on Friday, March 1st at Hadley/Philemon!
MARCH BREAK
This year our March break is from Monday, March 4th to Friday, March 8th. School and Daycare are closed.
We hope everyone has a fabulous week.
DENTAL HYGIENIST
The dental hygienist will be at school to do screenings for grade 2 students on March 12th.
Report Cards are available on the parent portal. Parent/ Teacher interviews will be held on Wednesday, March 13th from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Please note that teachers will contact parents if an interview is requested. If you are not contacted by the teacher, and you would like to have an interview; please contact the teacher you would like to meet.
OUTDOOR EDUCATION WITH MR. EARWAKER
Our Grade 6 students, along with their teachers and Mr. Alan Earwaker, will take a day trip to the Outdoor Education Center on Lake McGlashan.
Through different activities during the day, students will develop their environmental awareness along with cooperation and social / teamwork skills, with a chance to increase confidence and self-esteem. Activities may include team-building challenges, ecology games, predator/ prey game, hiking, survival shelter building, and a camp fire! The weather conditions will determine the specific learning activities. Most of all, it is an experience the students will never forget!
- March 13 – Keck
- March 14 – Campbell
- March 15 – Birch
GREATER GATINEAU PRESENTS “JUDY MOODY”
Grade 3-6 students have been working very hard since October on the school play! This year the drama students will be presenting “Judy Moody and Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt” by Alison Gregory, based on the book series by Megan Mcdonald. This is a funny play starring Judy Moody who is played by Myra in grade 6. There will be two performances on Tuesday, March 19th during the day so that all the students can enjoy the production.
DESTINATION IMAGINATION
On March 22nd Mr. Birch and Mr. McClelland are taking ten grade 6 students to D’arcy McGee High School for Destination Imagination 2024. The students have been preparing since October and will be presenting a short play, as well as competing in short team challenges that test their teamwork and creativity.
GRAD PHOTOS
Grade 6 students get your best smile ready for March 25th for grad photo day.
HADLEY INFORMATION NIGHT
Hadley’s grade 7 information evening will be held on March 28th. They welcome parents of grade 6 students interested in the grade 7 Enriched French program at 5:30 and parents of grade 6 students in all other grade 7 programs at 6:30. It will be held in the auditorium at Hadley, 80 Rue Daniel-Johnson.
MONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly will be on Tuesday, March 26th, where we will celebrate the students who have shown the chosen virtue throughout the month.
Please remember to wear your GG shirt for all of our monthly assemblies. This creates a sense of community at school.
- Grade 3+4 at 8:55
- Grade 5+6 at 10:05
- Kindergarten, Grade 1+2 at 10:55
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 have some exciting events and fundraisers coming up, possibly a ‘sweet’ one, stay tuned for more details.
Planned Events
Movie Night – March 15th featuring the movie “Wish”
Family Yoga Night – Planned for April
Greater Gatineau Greatest Auction – Planned for early May
End of Year Carnival – Planned for early June
We are looking for donations for our auction. If you or someone you know owns a small business, please consider donating. We are looking for gift certificates, services, merchandise or gift baskets. Please contact us via email for more information.
We will be hosting our Annual General Meeting on Monday, May 13 at 6pm. This year’s election we will vote for the below positions:
Vice President
Secretary
Communications Chair
If you want to join next year’s team or hear what we did this year, join us for the AGM.
We are always looking for new members to join us or ideas for upcoming events, please contact us via email gghomeandschool@gmail.com or through our Facebook page.
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.
The next Home & School meeting will be on Monday, March 18th at 6:00pm. We hold our meetings through Microsoft Teams. Please reach out to us via email if you would like to attend.
H&S would like to wish all Greater Gatineau families a safe, relaxing, March break.
Daycare
Tax slips are available on the parent portal this year. They were posted on February 22nd. Please let us know if you have any trouble accessing your slip.
Please sign up for @ggdaycare2 on the Remind app to get the notifications regarding PD days as there are registration deadlines for each PD day.
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. Please label your child’s items with their name so they can be returned to the right child if they are ever misplaced.
We hope to reunite some children with their items.
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 emailing Amanda at awells@wqsb.qc.ca
It is very important to register right away in order for the school to plan for next year, as it takes a few weeks to obtain a certificate of eligibility from the Quebec government.
EARTH HOUR
Please join millions of people around the world on Saturday, March 23rd, 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: Canada’s Food Guide
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 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 on Thursday, March 28th to show your support.
Anti-Racism Committee (ARC)
Land acknowledgement
The land on which we gather is traditional unceded Omamiwininiwag (Algonquin) and Anishinabewaki territory, a place which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. Today, this place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to gather on this land.
World Compliment Day – March 1st
It is global initiative to create the most positive day in the world, World Compliment Day is celebrated every March 1st to spread joy through simple verbal affirmations of appreciation.
World Wildlife Day – March 3rd
It is a United Nations International day to celebrate all the world’s wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet.
International Women’s Day – March 8th
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
Ramadan Begins – March 10th
The holy month of Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic lunar calendar. It is a month of fasting, worship, service, communal gathering, and spiritual development. We will have a seperate area for our students who participate in the fasting to gather during the lunch period.
Pi Day – March 14th
March 14th marks Pi Day, an annual celebration of the mathematical sign pi. Founded in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw, March 14th was selected because the numerical date (3.14) represents the first three digits of pi, and it also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday. A perfect excuse to eat pie.
St-Patrick’s Day – March 17th
Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17th.
Vernal Equinox (First Day of Spring) – March 19th
In the Northern Hemisphere the vernal equinox occurs in March, as the Sun crosses the celestial equator going north.
Francophonie Day – March 20th
Francophonie Day is observed by the International Organization of La Francophonie on March 20th every year to celebrate the French language and Francophone culture.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination- March 21
It is a day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness of the ongoing struggle against racial discrimination. This day aims at fostering understanding, equality, respect, and unity among all racial groups. It also honors the victims of racial discrimination and reaffirms the commitment to building a world free from racism and prejudice.
World Water Day – March 22nd
World Water Day, held on March 22nd every year since 1993, celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to safe water.
Purim – March 23rd-24th
Purim is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman.
The International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims– March 24
It serves to honor the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and to promote the importance of truth, justice, and accountability in addressing such atrocities.
Holi – March 25th
Holi is a popular Hindu festival that It celebrates the triumph of good over evil. It is also called the festival of colours, festival of spring, or festival of love. To celebrate, people throw coloured powder or water at each other.