Principal's Message
We have many activities going on this month, so please pay close attention to all of the items in this month’s newsletter. A big appreciation goes out to our staff for providing such great activities and events for students. Teacher/Staff appreciation week is next week; so if you have a word of thanks to give to a staff member, I know it would be very meaningful. A thank-you also goes out to our Home and School Parents, for organizing such wonderful events for our students.
The Ministry has provided schools with funds to help students “catch-up” with their school work. As a school, we have put the funds towards providing an extra teacher in the class for 2 periods/week (grades 1 – 6), to help students who are experiencing some difficulties. This extra support started this week.
Unfortunately, we were unable to reschedule our Lac Beauchamp field trip; as no further dates were available. It is unfortunate when the weather doesn’t cooperate for our Winter Fun Day.
Please sign up for the Western Quebec School board app to get the quickest updates regarding transportation. We try to send our Remind as soon as we can after being notified, but if you have the WQSB app, you will receive the first notification of a late or cancelled bus.
Have a fabulous month everyone!
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
If you know someone who has a child starting kindergarten in the fall (5 years old by September 30th), please ask them to start the registration process.
It can take several weeks to get your child’s eligibility to attend English school. Contact Amanda Wells at awells@wqsb.qc.ca to get the paperwork.
Then you must go to the Western Quebec School Board on February 7th or 8th to complete the registration process.
Events at School
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Greater Gatineau is gearing up to honor and celebrate Black History Month with a series of engaging initiatives. Throughout February, we will immerse ourselves in the rich history, culture, and contributions of African Canadians, featuring books, short films, and presentations by guest artist Luc Bambara showcasing Burkina Faso’s vibrant culture. The Anti-Racism Committee has curated a virtual library with diverse books, films, and lesson plans, highlighting varied perspectives and celebrating the accomplishments of Black Canadians. Our commitment to empathy, understanding, and unity extends beyond February, creating a lasting impact. Join us in honoring Black History Month at Greater Gatineau!
GRADE 4 VACCINATIONS
On February 1st 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.
CLOWN WORKSHOP FOR KINDERGARTEN CLASSES
On February 5th the kindergarten classes will be enjoying a French show presented by L’Arsenal called Le “Carnivale des Animaux”. The story will take them on a fabulous musical journey where Octave and Mandoline will guide them through a magical universe where lions, kangaroos, turtles and many more animals come to life through marionettes.
GRADE FIVE MUSEUM TRIP + NAC PERFORMANCE
On February 14th the grade five students will go the the Museum of History and to the NAC for a chance to take a seat inside a fantastic lantern/stage, illuminated by spellbinding video projections and brought to life by the music, singing and dancing of incandescent Japanese-born performer Tsubasa Hori. This trip is funded by grants.
VALENTINE’S DAY
Everyone is invited to wear red or pink on Wednesday, February 14th to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
QUINZEE BUILDING
As part of our outdoor education programming Grade 5 classes will be building snow shelters in a nearby reserve. Students will take a short hike from the school to the reserve.
This is a hands-on study where the students will learn how to build a Quinzee (snow shelter) and other winter skills to use in the outdoors. The outdoor education specialist, Alan Earwaker, will be joining us for these activities.
- Schultz – February 15th
- Everson – February 16th
- Stone – February 20th
AFRICAN DRUMMING WITH LUC BAMBARA
The Anti-Racism Committee has secured Luc Bambara to host an event with a primary focus on introducing students to traditional dance and the culture of Burkina Faso. Two performances on February 22nd: one for grades K-2 and another for grades 3-6.
GRADE 6 FUNDRAISER
The grade 6 students will be raising funds for end of year events. They will host “Hotdog Thursdays” starting on Thursday February 8th. Grade three to six can order for the first and third Thursday and the kindergarten to grade two can order for week two and four. Order forms will go home soon.
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK
Monday, February 5th to Friday, February 9th, is Staff Appreciation Week. Students are asked to remember to appreciate their teachers and staff at Greater Gatineau School.
100th DAY OF SCHOOL
On Wednesday, February 28th we will be celebrating the 100th day of school.
Kindergarten and Cycle 1 teachers will be doing activities with their students to mark this day.
SCHOOL FEES
The school fees are available on the portal under the FINANCE tab. Payments can be made online.
See School Fees page for details about cost breakdown and “how-to” sign up with your online banking.
Please contact Naomie at nceraqui@wqsb.qc.ca or (819) 663-4842 x2 with questions, or if you would like to make an appointment to pay in person with cash or interac.
MONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly will be on Thursday, February 29th, where we will celebrate the students who have shown the chosen virtue throughout the month.
Please remember to wear your new Grizzlies shirt or any other GG attire for all of our monthly assemblies. This creates a sense of community at school.
Kindergarten + Grade 1-2 at 10:05
Grade 3 + 4 at 10.55
Grade 5 + 6 at 12:35
February is CARING month. We hope to see students making an effort to be caring towards one another. 
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES AT HOME
“Now I Am” is a game to explore our feelings and recognizing those feelings in others.
- Whisper a feeling or emotion into a participant’s ear
- have them act out that feeling or emotion without using words
- other participants try to guess the feeling
- talk about the nonverbal cues we can see in others so we know how they are feeling
- talk about a time that you experienced that feeling or emotion
Some examples of feelings;
● fear ● nervousness ● frustration ● itchiness ● tired ● stubborn ● surprise ● embarrassed ● love ● anger ● happiness ● hope ● uncomfortable
Home & School
We have some exciting events and fundraisers coming up.
Staff Appreciation Week – February 5-9
The Greater Gatineau staff work really hard to give our children the best possible learning experience. Each day during Staff Appreciation Week, the Greater Gatineau H&S has planned several thank you gifts to show our appreciation. Take some time to thank your children’s teachers and staff for all their hard work.
Movie Night – Friday February 16, 6:30 pm start time, featuring “Teenage Kraken”.
Greater Gatineau Greatest Auction – Planned for early May.
We are looking for donations. 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 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.
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.
The next Home & School meeting will be on Monday, February 19th at 6:00pm. We hold our meetings through Microsoft Teams, please reach out to us via email if you would like to attend.
Daycare
We have three PD days in February. Monday, February 12th, Tuesday, February 13th, and Monday, February 19th are open to all Greater Gatineau students who register before the deadline.
- February 12 – Activities at school – $14.60
- February 13 – Tubing at Domain de l’Ange Gardien – $30.00
- February 19 – Activities at school – $14.60
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
Special Notes
BUS SAFETY CAMPAIGN
The Annual Provincial Transportation Safety Campaign, “M’as-tu vu?” runs from January 29th until February 9th. La Fédération des Transporteurs du Québec has supplied posters for the school. The WQSB transportation department will send emails to the school during the campaign with videos, stories, pictures to colour and activities that relate to Bus Safety. These materials will be used in the classrooms to promote Bus Safety.
“SAFETY ISN’T EXPENSIVE – IT’S PRICELESS”
WINTERLUDE 2024
The annual Winterlude festival is from February 2nd to 19th this year.
Celebrate Canadian winter fun at this epic festival which takes place in the Ottawa-Gatineau region during the first three weekends of February.
During Winterlude, you can marvel at beautiful ice sculptures, skate on the world-famous Rideau Canal Skateway (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and play till you drop in a gigantic snow playground called Snowflake Kingdom.
Many other Winterlude activities—indoors and outdoors—highlight Canada’s cultural and artistic diversity. Urban sites, museums and special events present special seasonal programming as well as opportunities to connect with Indigenous culture. Most festival activities are free!
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
The Kindergarten registration will be held at the Western Quebec School Board on February 7th and 8th this year.
Your child must be turning 5 years old before September 30, 2023 to register and attend Kindergarten.
Please email Amanda at awells@wqsb.qc.ca to request a registration package.
To register you will require
- Certificate of eligibility of the child, parent or sibling declared eligible
- Child’s long form birth certificate with the names of both parents
- Canadian Citizenship for parent who will render the child eligible
- Quebec drivers licence, lease/deed and utility bill
- Child’s last report card if applicable
If you have a child who will be attending kindergarten next year, or know someone who has a child who will attend, you can prepare yourself in advance.
ENRICHED FRENCH ASSESSMENTS FOR GRADE SIX STUDENTS GOING TO HADLEY NEXT YEAR FOR GRADE SEVEN
Important Dates & Information for Parents/Guardians:
- February 1 FORMS sign up for the assessment opens on our website. Signing up in no way guarantees placement in the program
- April 30 FORMS sign up for the assessment on our website closes. IEP’s must be forward to Hadley by this date
- May 17 Assessment day onsite at Hadley Junior High School. This is a PD day for Hadley but may not be for the elementary schools. There will not be a rewrite date scheduled.
- Early July Families informed of decision
!!! NEW !!!
Parents/guardians will see a confirmation message that their submission was successfully completed. They need to save and print this message for their child to bring on May 17. Students without this printout risk being be refused. Only names on the registration list by April 30 will write the assessment.
SPARE CLOTHING NEEDED
Do you have some extra pants that your children have grown out of? We would love to have them here at school as our spare supply can always use a boost.
Often when children get wet outside or from a spill, they do not have a change of clothes here at school. We would like to be able to provide them a change of clothes.
Please consider donating 1 pair of clean and gently used pants to the school. All sizes welcome!
Free Online Tutoring – Learn Quebec
Students are eligible for free online tutoring. You simply need to register and use your child’s WQSB email and password to log in. Please take advantage of this great opportunity if your child is in need of some extra assistance. For more information; please visit: learnquebec.ca/en/home
FREE ACCESS TO EBOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS FOR QUEBEC RESIDENTS
All Quebec residents are eligible for a free virtual membership to Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BANQ), the provincial library of Quebec. See link BANQ Ebooks and Audiobooks 2023 for details.
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.
Black History Month – All month long
Black History Month is a time for Canadians to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous nation it is today.
Groundhog Day – February 2nd
Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2nd and is a tradition started by the Pennsylvania Dutch that states if a groundhog emerges from hibernation to see its shadow, and retreats, six more weeks of winter are ahead.
World Cancer Day – February 4th
World Cancer Day is an international day to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
Isra and Mi’raj Begins – February 7th and Ends – February 8th
The Islamic celebration Isra and Mi’raj refers to a miraculous nighttime journey undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad, in two legs.
Lunar New year – February 10th
Lunar New Year signifies the commencement of a new lunar year and is celebrated globally, especially by many countries in Asia.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science – February 11th
This day advocates for gender equality in science, aiming for full participation by women and girls. This global observance highlights the importance of their inclusive engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), recognizing their empowerment as crucial for achieving international goals.
Shrove Tuesday –February 13th
Shrove Tuesday is the traditional Christian feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday – February 14th
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting that marks the first day of Lent, which is the six weeks of penitence before Easter.
Lent begins – February 14th
The Christian tradition of Lent is a 40 day season of prayer , fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday.
Valentine’s Day – February 14th
Valentine’s day began as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian figures named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
National Flag Day – February 15th
At the stroke of noon on February 15, 1965, Canada’s red and white maple leaf flag was raised for the very first time on Parliament Hill.
Parinirvana Day – February 15th
Parinirvana Day, also known as Nirvana Day, is celebrated annually to commemorate the death of the Buddha when he attained complete nirvana or parinirvana.
International Mother Language Day – February 21st
A day to promote linguistic and cultural diversity globally. This observance emphasizes preserving and protecting languages, fostering awareness of their value in education, cultural expression, and the economy.
Tell a Fairy Tale Day – February 26th
Tell A Fairy Tale Day is a worldwide day about fairy tales and telling them.
Pink Shirt Day – February 28th
Pink Shirt Day began when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. We’ve been celebrating Pink Shirt Day in Aotearoa since 2009 and the campaign grows stronger and larger every year.