Principal's Message
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents/grandparents who take time out of their busy lives to volunteer at the school. It is truly appreciated by students and staff alike and we are very grateful.
Field trips will be taking place in these last few months of school. If you are interested in volunteering, you will need a Security Background Check (SBC), which can take time to process. The SBC is paid by the School Board. If you would like an application, please email Amanda at awells@wqsb.qc.ca .
Reminder if you haven’t paid your school fees, you must do so right away. The statements can be viewed on the parent portal, and payment can be made with your online banking. If you need assistance, please contact our finance secretary, Naomie at nceraqui@wqsb.qc.ca. 
We are eagerly awaiting the warm temperatures of Spring as we move forward in our final term of the school year.
Wishing everyone a wonderful spring season!
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 or calling (819)663-4842 extension 1.
KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE
We will welcome our new Kindergarten students to our school on May 3rd for our Kindergarten Open House.
Events at School
MUSEUM OF HISTORY TRIP
Grade 2 students will be going to the Museum of History on April 4th. The cost of the trip will be covered by a culture grant from the Ministry.
MAMMAL STUDY -Make up dates
Our outdoor education consultant, Alan Earwaker, will be leading Mammal Study and Ecology Games with the students from the grade 3 classes who did not get a chance to participate earlier.
- April 4 – DV & O’Brien
- April 5 – Courtney
ROCKS & RINGS
April 9th, 11th, and 12th Greater Gatineau welcomes Rock & Rings. In partnership with Curling Canada, the Egg Farmers Rocks & Rings program is designed to introduce the Olympic sport of curling to elementary school children by bringing curling equipment for interactive physical education games right in the school gym. Rocks & Rings brings the curling rink to the school using unique indoor floor curling equipment to provide a true curling experience without requiring ice! Each class will have a turn to try out their curling skills.
Gym will be taking place outside on these days, so make sure you send your child dressed for the weather if they have gym.
DART PRESENTATION
The WQSB Drug and Alcohol Technician, Erica Tomkinson will be meeting with our Grade 6 students on April 15th to give a presentation on drug and alcohol awareness and prevention. Erica works at Hadley and will be a resource for the students next year.
BAND FROM HADLEY/PHILEMON
The Hadley/Philemon Band are on tour again! They will come to our school on April 16th at 10:15 to perform for us. Unfortunately, parents are unable to attend due to limited space.
“A IS FOR ALLYSHIP” PRESENTATION
Grade 5 and 6 classes will participate in the presentation on April 24th. “A is for Allyship” is a presentation delving into the essence of genuine allyship. By understanding what it means to be an ally, exploring the importance of being an ally and examining how to support and stand up for other communities.
MONTREAL TRIP
The grade six students will be visiting Montreal for an overnight trip from April 25th to 26th. They will spend time at the Montreal Science Centre, have a scavenger hunt in Old Montreal, then spend the night in St. Jerome. There is a pool with a waterslide at the hotel. There will be a subway lunch on the first day, dinner at Saveurs Des Continents, and breakfast at the hotel. The trip is mainly covered by Ministry Grants, donations of $5-$10 from the grade 6 students will be accepted to help cover the costs.
This trip is a great educational experience as well as an opportunity to be away from home with friends, see new things, and celebrate nearing the end of Grade 6 together!
POPCORN FRIDAYS
The Grade 6 students will be selling popcorn on Fridays (and one Thursday) from April 12 to May 3rd! The cost is $10/4weeks. All funds raised will go towards the Grade 6 graduation. Popcorn will be delivered before lunch. Please return the form and money to the school no later than April 5th , 2024. Thank you for your support!
We will continue to offer our hot meal program on Mondays and Fridays. New 
SUBWAY LUNCH PROGRAMMONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly will be on Monday, April 29th, 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.
10:05 – Kindergarten and Grade 1-2
10:55 – Grade 3-4
12:35 – Grade 5-6
April is RESPECT month. We hope to see students demonstrating respect throughout the month. You can show this by using the Peace Agreements each day. They are; mutual respect, attentive listening, appreciations, and participation.
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES AT HOME
CHAIN REACTION
This activity can be done with as few as two people and as many as you want.
Sit in a circle, the first person asks the second person a question. The second person answers that question and then asks the next person a different question. You continue until everyone has had a chance to ask and answer a question, or until you run out of questions.
This can be used to study for a test by asking specific questions about the subject. It can also be used as a “get to know you” activity with new friends and family. It also works as a good dinner time conversation starter and so that everyone at the table gets a turn to talk.
You can be as creative as you like with the questions. Have fun!
Home & School
Events this month
Maple Fundraiser: March 22nd to April 12 11:59pm – Product Pick-up April 30th 4:30pm to 7:30 pm
Maple catalog of 100% maple products
All orders must be submitted through our online store
- PASSWORD: Gatineau2024
Family Yoga Night with Samantha – April 5th , 6pm-7pm
For detail, please visit our Facebook page or the flyer sent home with your child
Upcoming Events
Greater Gatineau Greatest Auction – Planned for early May
We are still accepting 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.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
We will be hosting our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday, May 13 at 6:00pm. 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.
End of Year Carnival – Planned for early June
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.
Next H&S meeting Monday April 15, 6:00pm virtually via Teams. Please contact via email if you would like to join this meeting.
Daycare
We have two PD days this month. Monday, April 8th is the Solar Eclipse, we will not be offering a program on this day. Friday, April 19th the daycare is open for the PD Day. Registration is open to all Greater Gatineau students. The Deadline to register is April 12th. Please sign up for @ggdaycare2 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 x3 or e-mail jplaxton@wqsb.qc.ca
DAYCARE FOR 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR
All current daycare students, both regular and sporadic, will have the same reservation made for next year. If you are registered for 5 days this year, then you will be registered for 5 days next year. If you would like to make changes to your daycare service or remove your child from daycare please advise Jennifer by email.
If you would like to add your child to the daycare next year please fill out a Daycare Registration Form and return it to school.
Special Notes
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK -April 14th to 20th
We would like to say thank-you to all the people who take the time to volunteer at and for our school. Whether in the classroom, supporting students, helping with our food programs, attending trips and other school activities, serving on the Governing Board or working with Home & School, it wouldn’t be the same without you. Your commitment is much appreciated!
We have more opportunities to volunteer in the future with upcoming trips and other activities. Please ensure you contact Amanda at awells@wqsb.qc.ca to complete a Security Background Check in order to be eligible to volunteer.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY – April 24th
We extend a huge thank-you to Amanda for all her hard work in the office. She keeps things moving smoothly in the school, makes sure all the students are accounted for each day, supports the principal, vice principal, teachers and other staff, takes care of sick and injured children, communicates with parents, and makes sure all the students get where they need to be at the end of the day; just to name a few of her daily tasks. Thanks also to Naomie, our financial secretary at the school. She helps parents with school fees and supports staff by placing orders and paying the bills. She is also responsible for the report cards and information associated with the Mosaïk Portal. Special mention also goes to Melissa who works a few hours a week in the office and covers the office duties when others are away.
Thank-you for your dedication to our school community!
EARTH DAY
Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd. It is one of the largest events in the world. We would encourage parents to do something with their children to show them how to respect and protect our environment. It could be something as simple as going outside and picking up garbage on your sidewalks or in your yard.
Western Quebec School Board Earth Month Resources
AUTISM ACCEPTANCE AND APPRECIATION DAY
World Autism Acceptance and Appreciation Day is April 2nd. Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique acceptance and appreciation events. How will you celebrate? Students are invited to wear RED clothing to show their support.
See ASD Vocabulary Shift for more information.
ASSISTANCE WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR 2024-2025
Maman Dion Foundation provides gift cards to low income families for the purchases of school materials and clothing. You can submit request for assistance for the 2024-2025 school year.
See their Memo for details and for more information, go to their website; www.fondationmamandion.org or call 1-866-430-3466.
SOLAR ECLIPSE
On April 8th, 2024, we will witness a once-in-a-lifetime event: a total solar eclipse. The 2024 eclipse will be visible from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. It will be visible in our area between 2:10 PM and 4:35 PM
School and Daycare will be closed on this day to ensure the safety of all staff and students. Letter to Parents – Solar Eclipse
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.
Easter Sunday – March 31st
Easter is a Christian festival and cultural holiday.
April Fools Day – April 1st
April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day is an annual custom on April 1st consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting “April Fools!” at the recipient.
International Children’s Book Day – April 2nd
International Children’s Book Day is celebrated to inspire a love of reading.
Ramadan Ends – April 9th
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.
Eid al-Fitr – April 9th
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, and is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwāl, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.
National Siblings Day – April 10th
This is a day to celebrate brothers and sisters and family relations.
Passover – April 20th to 30th
The Jewish holiday of Passover (in Hebrew, Pesach) commemorates the exodus from slavery in Egypt.