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.
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. Also many thanks go out to our amazing office staff who work so hard every day. Their contribution to our school community is so valuable.
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.
We will have outdoor physical education classes for 2 weeks in April, due to construction work in the gym. Dates will be announced so that children can be prepared for their gym classes.
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 14th for our Kindergarten Open House.
Events at School
AUTHOR VISIT: Isabelle Larouche Brings Stories to Life!
We are thrilled to welcome author Isabelle Larouche to our school on April 1st and 2nd for a special presentation for Kindergarten to Grade 3 students! Isabelle, a passionate storyteller, shares a mix of traditional and creative tales that captivate young audiences. With her treasure chest full of mysterious objects, true stories, and even her first manuscripts, she sparks curiosity and imagination in every child. The visit is being funded by a culture great from the Ministry of Education. Thanks to Mrs. Paré for organizing!
PD DAY FROM APRIL 4th
Reminder that the PD Day that was scheduled for April 4th has become a regular school day.
GRAD PHOTOS
Grade 6 students get your best smile ready for April 4th for grad photo day. Grad Photos with Green Apple Studio
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
Grade 3 class will welcome Graham Fong, our outdoor education consultant, to lead some activities and games focused on prey and predator relationships.
- April 7 – Schindel + Courtney
- April 8 – Fournier + McClelland
Thanks to Mr. Everson for organizing!
I LOVE TO READ WEEK
“I Love to Read Week” takes place from April 7th – 11th this year.
Greater Gatineau will have a focus on the love of reading during this week. Classes will have a chance to participate in a “Love of Reading Bingo Challenge”, host a “Mystery Guest Reader” in their class, and join in our “I Love to Read Spirit Week”. Each day there is a special theme to celebrate.
Monday, April 7th: We’re WILD About Reading! – Wear animal print or clothing with an animal picture.
Tuesday, April 8th: Read a Shirt Day! – Wear a T-shirt with words.
Wednesday, April 9th: Reading Is a Bright Idea! – Wear sunglasses and a hat.
Thursday, April 10th: Read with a Buddy! – Bring a stuffed animal to read with.
Friday, April 11th: Reading Rainbow! – Each grade will wear an assigned color:
Kindergarten – Red ♥ Grade 1 – Purple ♥ Grade 2 – Blue ♥ Grade 3 – Pink ♥ Grade 4 – Orange ♥ Grade 5 – Yellow ♥ Grade 6 – Green
BAND FROM HADLEY/PHILEMON
The Hadley/Philemon Band are on tour again! They will come to our school on April 9th to perform for us. Unfortunately, parents are unable to attend due to limited space.
VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
On April 10th Greater Gatineau will be sending two teams to compete in the WQSB volleyball tournament at Chelsea Elementary School. Students have been working hard on their bumps, sets and serves. We look forward to a fun day of volleyball!
Go Grizzlies, Go!
USED BOOK FAIR
As we celebrate, I Love to Read Week and the upcoming Earth Day, we are excited to host our very first Used Book Fair! This event encourages a love of reading while giving books a second life.
We invite students to donate a gently used book that they no longer read. To ensure every child has the chance to take home a book, we kindly ask families to consider donating additional gently used books as well. These extra donations will help support students who may not be able to bring a book of their own.
Book Donation Guidelines:
📚 Books should be in good condition and suitable for ages 5-12.
📅 Please send in donations by Wednesday, April 9th.
On Friday, April 11th, students will visit the book fair and select a gently used book to bring home and enjoy!
Thank you for your generosity in helping us make this event a success. Your support fosters a love of reading and a sense of community among our young readers!
PARKS CANADA VIRTUAL WORKSHOP
On April 24 and 29, the grade 4 classes will take part in virtual workshops given by Parks Canada and hosted by LEARN. We will have the opportunity to observe magnificent birds and learn about the important role they play in ecosystems. We will also learn how to protect them and appreciate the beauty of their environment. This goes along well with our Outdoor Education we did this year with Mr. Everson in the forest!
MAZZOLA HOT MEAL PROGRAM
We will continue to offer our hot meal program on Mondays and Fridays. Click the Mazzola link to order.
SUBWAY LUNCH PROGRAM
The current Subway Lunch Program is running every Wednesday until April 23rd.
SPECIAL STUDENT LUNCH
Thanks to our “President’s Choice” grant, we are able to once again offer lunch to all students one day this month.
Our meal of the month is : Meatball Subs + Coleslaw.
LITTERLESS LUNCHES
Starting on Earth Day – April 22nd – Greater Gatineau will be starting “Litterless Lunches”. We will be asking children to bring their lunches in reusable containers as much as possible. Any wrappers or containers that they would normally throw away will be sent home with them. This is to encourage us all to be mindful of our impact on the environment.
The garbage resulting from one school lunch might not seem like much. Multiply it daily for an entire school population and that’s a lot! Litterless lunches that produce zero waste are now the goal of many educational institutions. Teaching children to value sustainability can go a long way to creating more eco-conscious adults. Minor switches, like using an insulated lunch bag vs. paper bag, or opting for reusable straws can help set us up for sustainable success. Eliminating excess waste also reduces the strain on our custodial staff and helps to keep the playground and school environment cleaner.
MONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly where we will celebrate the students who have shown the chosen virtue throughout the month will take place in early May, once we regain access to the gym.
Please remember to wear your GG shirt for all of our monthly assemblies. This creates a sense of community at school.
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
We will be hosting our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday, May 12 at 6:00pm. This year’s election we will vote for the below positions:
- President
Vice President
Secretary
- Treasurer
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 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.
SAVE THE DATE! Our Carnival and BBQ will take place on June 5th, from 3:30-6:30pm.
Next H&S meeting Monday, April 14, 6:00pm virtually. Please contact via email if you would like to join this meeting.
Daycare
The PD day from April 4th has reverted to a regular school day. We do not have any PD days this month. 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 2025-2026 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 for 2025-2026 and return it to school.
Special Notes
HADLEY INFORMATION NIGHT
Hadley’s grade 7 information evening will be held on April 3rd. 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 6:00. It will be held in the auditorium at Hadley, 80 Rue Daniel-Johnson.
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK -April 20th to 26th
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 23rd
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!
ASSISTANCE WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR 2025-2026
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 2025-2026 school year.
For more information, go to their website; www.fondationmamandion.org or call 1-866-430-3466.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Cultural Traditions/Observances/Holidays
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.
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
April – Sikh Heritage Month
Sikh Heritage Month, celebrated throughout April, honors and celebrates the history, culture, and contributions of the Sikh community, while promoting a deeper understanding and awareness of Sikh values and traditions.
April 1 – April Fools’ Day
Observed on April 1st, April Fools’ Day is a lighthearted occasion when people play practical jokes and spread hoaxes for fun.
April 2 – International Children’s Book Day
International Children’s Book Day promotes a love of reading and children’s literature worldwide, inspiring young readers and highlighting the crucial role books play in childhood development.
April 9 – International Day of Pink
Held on the second Wednesday of April, International Day of Pink raises awareness about LGBTQ+ rights and inclusivity, focusing on the importance of combating homophobia, transphobia, and bullying. Please wear pink to show support.
April 10 – National Siblings Day
National Siblings Day honors the special bond between siblings, recognizing their importance in our lives with appreciation and gratitude.
April 12–20 – Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday commemorating the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. It is observed with a Seder meal, symbolic foods, and the retelling of the Exodus story.
April 17 – Lent Ends
Lent, a Christian season of repentance, fasting, and reflection, lasts for 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter, symbolizing Jesus’ time of fasting in the wilderness.
April 18 – Good Friday
Good Friday, observed on the Friday before Easter, commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.
April 20 – Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, symbolizing hope, renewal, and new life.
April 23–24 – Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day)
Yom HaShoah is a Jewish observance dedicated to remembering and honoring the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust, ensuring the atrocities are never forgotten while educating future generations.