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
June is a busy month, filled with final evaluations and some wonderful end of year activities. The students have worked hard all year, and deserve to have a number of great activities during the final month: field trips; Peace Day activities; Rainbow Day; Twin Flames Concert; Graduation for Grade 6; and numerous other wonderful activities planned by teachers. Our biggest event, the Family Carnival/BBQ is coming on June 13th from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m., hosted by the Home and School in conjunction with school staff working at the Carnival. We hope that all of our families can attend!
Throughout the year, we have been able to support some of our families in need with food from our Breakfast Club and Nutrition Grant. As summer approaches, the school will not be able to continue to do this; so we are holding a “Summer Food Drive” to be able to deliver food baskets to these families. Our Food Drive starts on Monday June 3rd, so we welcome donations starting next Monday. You can send non-perishable items with your child, or drop them off at the office or bring to Jen at Daycare. We will be reaching out to families we assisted in December to determine needs. If you are not contacted in the next week, and would like to receive a food basket; please email me as of June 10th to be placed on the list: vlink@wqsb.qc.ca.
We are looking forward to seeing parents at the various activities we have planned for the month of June!
RE-REGISTRATION FOR 2024-2025
Thank-you to all families who have re-registered online or by sending your form back to school. If you have not returned your re-registration from for next year, please do so as soon as your can. Even if you are moving on to Hadley or another school outside of WQSB we still need your form returned. If you do not re-register you might run into difficulties with starting school right away or having transportation arranged for next year. If you need a replacement form please contact Amanda at awells@wqsb.qc.ca.
NEW REGISTRATION FOR 2024-2025
If you, or anyone you know has a child turning five before September 30th, or who is moving into the area please let them know to make arrangements to register by emailing our secretary Amanda at awells@wqsb.qc.ca or calling (819)663-4842 extension 1.
REMIND APP
It is important for all families to sign up for our communication tool.
Events at School
GRIZZLY GAMES
We have started a new program for recess activities called Grizzly Games. It offers children items to borrow for use outside during recess. Each grade level has their chance to select the items for outdoor play. Our two notes for students are “We Share” and “We Bring It Back”. This way everyone has a chance to play with the items and we keep our Grizzly Games cupboard stocked with items for fun and exciting activities. If a child comes home with an item labelled “Greater Gatineau” or “Grizzly Games”, please return it to school.
OUTDOOR EDUCATION PLAY AREA AND SCHOOL YARD BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT
COSMIC ADVENTURE TRIP
On June 3rd, Grade 2 students will be going to Cosmic Adventures. They will crawl, jump, climb, and explore at the indoor playground.
LAFLÈCHE TRIP
The grade 4 classes are excited to venture to Laflèche on June 3rd! We will have the opportunity to do the aerial course as well as a rally through the forest.
Students will enjoy the day outside challenging themselves to do things out of their comfort zone!
UPPER CANADA VILLAGE TRIP
Grade 5 students are excited to go to Upper Canada Village by coach bus! We will be wrapping up our unit on the Loyalists and Pioneer Living by visiting Upper Canada Village on June 3rd.
TWIN FLAMES CONCERT
Twin Flames, a celebrated Canadian folk music duo, mesmerize audiences with their seamless fusion of genres, languages, and instrumental skills, crafting a captivating blend of contemplative Folk and vibrant Rock ‘n’ Roll. Jaaji and Chelsey June Settler, representing diverse Indigenous backgrounds, infuse their heritage into their music by integrating Indigenous and Western instruments, showcasing their authentic passion for song writing and captivating global audiences. On June 4th we have the honour of a performance here at Greater Gatineau!
- Kindergarten, Grade 1+2 – 10:30-11:30
- Grade 3-6 – 12:35-1:35
GRADE 1 TRIPS – KENAUK INSTITUTE + ADRENALINE PLUS
Grade 1 and 1/2 classes will be going on an adventure out near Montebello to the Kenauk Institute on June 6th. It is a nature reserve that has many lakes and thousands of acres of forest. We will be taking part in outdoor educational activities involving bugs, bones and some nature-inspired crafts! All of these activities will be led by the staff of the research center at Kenauk.
On June 13th they will head to Adrénaline Plus for a day of fun!
RAINBOW DAY
ARC presents Rainbow Day at Greater Gatineau. June 14th wear all the colours of the rainbow or focus on just one colour head to toe to honor Pride Month. The aim is to increase visibility for the LGBTQ+ community and demonstrate support by promoting awareness through education on acceptance and equality.
MONT CASCADES TRIP
On June 17th the Grade 6 classes will go to Mont Cascades for a day of fun at the water park. Their slides are widely recognized as the best in the world for safety, thrills, and fun!
LUNCH PROGRAMS
The last Mazzola meals will be served on Friday, June 14th and our Subway Lunch Program will be ending on Wednesday, June 19th.
Please remember to send a full lunch for your child on the days with no scheduled lunch program.
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES DAY
On Tuesday, June 18th, we will be hosting a fun-filled “Peace Day” during the morning. Students will be placed in groups and will participate in some exciting games and challenges! Students will be treated to a popsicle or freezie during the day. More information to follow.
GRADUATION
After the ceremony, students will have time to take pictures at a ‘photo booth’ and enjoy a walking nacho lunch with music and fun!
STUDENT VOLUNTEERS
A special thank you also goes out to our many student volunteers who go above and beyond every day to support our breakfast program, assemblies, and student committees.
MONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly will be on Wednesday, June 19th, where we will celebrate the students who have shown the chosen virtue throughout the month.
- 8:55 – Grade 3 + 4
- 10:05 – Grade 5 + 6
- 10:55 – Kindergarten, Grade 1 + 2
Please remember to wear your GG shirt for all of our monthly assemblies. This creates a sense of community at school.
June is CITIZENSHIP month. We hope to see students showing us what great community members they are both at school and out in the larger community.
Represent Greater Gatineau Grizzlies wherever you go!
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES AT HOME
CREATIVE STORYTELLING
Start by sitting in a circle around the dinner table or living room. The set-up is “we are going to make up a group story”. The leader starts the story with a setting and characters.
Example “Once there was a family who were going on vacation. They couldn’t decide where to go so they…”
Add to the story one or two sentences at a time. Each person takes a turn around the circle to add to the story. Encourage everyone to listen to each other and be creative when it is their turn to add to the story. You can decide to make it a funny story or a serious story in advance. Or you can let it take you where it wants as you go.
It can be an oral story that gets told once, or you can write it down and illustrate it afterwards so you can read it again.
Home & School
- Vice President – Johanna McGrath
- Secretary – Diane Mineault
Our last meeting of the year will be on June 17th at 6:00pm. Please email us if you would like to attend.
Daycare
All students have been registered with the same expected attendance for next year. If your needs have changed please let us know. The buses are assigned based on the daycare registration. A student who is registered for 5 days/week for after school daycare the bus will not be assigned in the afternoon. If you also indicated morning daycare attendance there will be no morning bus assigned either.
Should you have any questions about our program or to register for daycare next year please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer by phone at (819) 663-4842 ext. 3 or e-mail jplaxton@wqsb.qc.ca
New Parents : Remember to join @ggdaycare2 on the Remind app to get notices about daycare events.
Special Notes
Dear Greater Gatineau Community,
We are asking today that you take a moment to think of families in our area that are currently experiencing food insecurities. We have an amazing community here at Greater Gatineau and around the holidays we show that kindness and support.
We are looking to create new initiatives to best support our Greater Gatineau Community.
Our new Prepare For Summer Food Drive will start at the beginning of June and run until June 19th. During this time, we are asking for donations of non-perishable food items to help some of our school families throughout the summer months.
The last week of school, we will gladly accept donations of fresh items to be distributed at that time.
Thank you,
Greater Gatineau Grizzlies
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
Thank-you to everyone who joined the fundraising efforts for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. We have raised money to help with research and support for people with heart related problems.
We had over 170 students who spent time skipping during their lunch recesses during the month of May. We learned some tricks and practiced our skipping skills on both the long and short ropes.
TERRY FOX FUNDRAISING FOR 2023
We are excited to announce that Greater Gatineau has made the “Top 50 Fundraising Schools in Quebec” list for Terry Fox. We were number 32 in the province raising $6427.95!
We are incredibly proud of all of our students and for our school community, parents, friends and family members coming together for a great cause. Congratulations Greater Gatineau!
Thanks to our incredible fundraising efforts, the Terry Fox Foundation is offering every student a free Terry Fox vintage t-shirt!
POLICE OPEN HOUSE
On Saturday, June 8th from 10:00-3:00 at the Police Headquarters – 590 Boul. Gréber there will be an Open House event.
Fun for the whole family including;
- Display of SPVG vehicles and equipment, including some from the Intervention Group;
- Garage 529 booth (bicycle theft prevention);
- Drone flight demonstration;
- Impaired driving awareness activity;
- Guided tour of the cellblock;
- Discover police professions – SPVG specialized teams – 911 Emergency Centre
- BBQ to support La Maison d’Hébergement pour Elles des Deux Vallées
And much more! See flyer for details.
ARE YOU MOVING?
As we prepare for next year, it is very important that you notify the school if you are moving. Please call the school at 819-663-4842 and speak to Amanda at extension 1, with your change of address so we can update our files for transportation.
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day recognizing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada.
The day was first celebrated as National Aboriginal Day in 1996, after it was proclaimed that year by the Governor General of Canada to be celebrated annually on June 21st. This date was chosen for many reasons, including its cultural significance as the Summer solstice, and the fact that it is a day on which many Indigenous peoples and communities traditionally celebrate their heritage. It was renamed National Indigenous Peoples Day in 2017.
Anti-Racism Committee (ARC)
June is Pride Month AND National Indigenous History Month
National Indigenous History Month gives us an opportunity to learn about the distinct cultures, traditions, and journeys of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. It’s a time to honour the stories, achievements, and resilience of Indigenous Peoples, who have lived on this land since time immemorial.
Pride Month is dedicated to celebrating and commemorating the pride of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. The month promotes 2SLGBTQ+ visibility, raise awareness about rights issues, and advocates for equality and acceptance.
National Best Friends Day – June 8th
National Best Friends Day is a day to acknowledge the role your best friends play in your life. It is a day when we let our “besties” know that we care about them and that we appreciate their friendship. Best Friends Day is also a day to assess the true value of friendship.
Rainbow Day – June 14
Greater Gatineau will celebrate Rainbow Day to honor Pride Month, aiming to increase visibility for the LGBTQ+ community and demonstrate support by promoting awareness through education on acceptance and equality. We encourage everyone to dress up in colourful hues of the rainbow to show your support.
Father’s Day – June 16th
Father’s Day is a holiday honoring one’s father, or relevant father figure, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.
Eid al-Adha Begins – June 16th
Eid al-Adha is a time for prayer, visiting with friends and family, and giving gifts in the Muslim faith. Some families also sacrifice an animal in remembrance of Ibrahim’s sacrifice.
The International Day for Countering Hate Speech – June 18th
A day designated by United Nations to address the dangers of hate speech, emphasizes global unity in combating its harms and promoting peace. It reminds us that we all need to work together to stop hate and make a world where everyone feels included and understood.
World Refugee Day – June 20th
A day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness about the situation of refugees worldwide and to honor the courage, strength, and resilience of refugees. The day also aims to mobilize support for refugees and advocate for their rights and well-being.
First Day of Summer (Summer Solstice) – June 21st
The June solstice marks the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
National Indigenous Peoples Day – June 21st
National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
St-Jean Baptiste Day – June 24th
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and the National Day of Quebec, Francophones across the country show their pride by celebrating their language and their traditions.