Principal's Message
May and June are busy months with students completing evaluations for the final report card in June. Please pay close attention to your child’s homework and assignments, as the final term of the year is very important. May and June are also month’s with various activities for the students, so please pay close attention to upcoming dates on the calendar.
We would like all students to bring a spoon to school each day. We have many items in our Breakfast Basket that require a spoon, and they will no longer be provided at school. If your child requires other cutlery for the meal they brought, or for Mazzola meals, please send this in your child’s lunch as well. We would also like for every student to bring a refillable water bottle each day.
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 our secretary Amanda at awells@wqsb.qc.ca or calling (819)663-4842 extension 1.
KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE
The Open House will take place on Friday, May 12 from 9-11 for the new kindergarten students for the 2023-2024 school year.
Events at School
STUDENT COUNCIL POPCORN DAYS
The student council sold popcorn to raise money for the graduation this year. The popcorn will delivered to those who ordered each Thursday in May.
MINISTRY EXAMS
During the month of May and June the students in Grade 6 will take part in Ministry Exams for language arts and math.
MEET THE AUTHOR
On May 10th the grade 4 students are lucky to be having author Catherine Austen in to do a writer’s workshop with them. Catherine has written picture books, novels and also created a podcast. She has won many awards including the Canadian Library Association Young adult award. Catherine will be working with each grade 4 class for an hour to do a mini lesson on writing. We are very excited to have her at our school!
PERFORMING ARTS AUDITIONS
The Greater Gatineau Performing Arts Show will take place on Friday June 16th. We will be holding auditions the first week of May in the gym.
- May 1st – Singing
- May 2nd – Musical Instruments
- May 4th – Dance/Gymnastics
- May 5th – Miscellaneous Talents
Contact Mrs. Fournier at bweir@wqsb.qc.ca for more details.
EAST INDIAN DANCER VISIT
May is Asian Month and Greater Gatineau is proud to host Ms. Sonia St-Michel, a classical Indian dancer trained in Ottawa and India! Sonia will host two assemblies (K-2 and 3-6) and will offer students demonstrations of her practice and hold a Q&A session to answer some questions. She will also do interactive workshops with the three Grade 4 classes aimed at creating or learning a short choreography. We are very excited for this opportunity!
- May 16th and 17th
DENTAL HYGIENIST
The dental hygienist will be at school from May 23rd to June 2nd to see some students for dental sealants and preventive follow-ups
MUSEUM OF HISTORY TRIPS
Students from Cycle 1 will take a trip to the Museum of History. This trip is funded by a Cultural Grant from the Ministry of Education.
- Grade 1- May 25th
- Grade 2 – May 26th
ARBRASKA LAFLECHE TRIP
On May 26th Grade 4 students will climb, swing, and zip through the forest canopy, while crossing bridges, net walkways, balance cables, ziplines, and much more!
MAZZOLA MENU FOR MAY AND JUNE
The final Mazzola Hot Lunch Program will run until Friday, June 16th. The provide hot meals on Mondays and Fridays. See the Mazzola Menu May-June 2023 and order online on their website.
Please remember to send a full lunch with your children for the last week of school as there will no hot meals on June 19th or 23rd.
EYE EXAMS FOR KINDERGARTEN
Our kindergarten students will be offered free eye tests, done by optometrists, to screen for vision problems.
In young children, 80 percent of learning happens visually; it is therefore important to uncover any vision problems, which can often go unnoticed.
MONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly will be on Wednesday, May 31st, 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.
May is SPORTSMANSHIP/ FAIRNESS month. We hope to see students showing us fairness while playing with others and good sportsmanship whether they win or lose.
- Kindergarten, Grade 1+2 at 10:05
- Grade 5+6 at 10:55
- Grade 3+4 at 12:35
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES* AT HOME
SHAPING UP WITH “BLOCKS”
You will need two sets of the same items, can be done with blocks, Lego, or even just a group of household items. The first person (the director) sets up their objects in some sort of shape or design on the table or floor out of sight of the second person. Then the object is to explain to the second person (the listener) how to place the items so they match the first design. Switch roles and try the activity again.
Questions to ask after the activity has been completed:
- What did you learn giving directions to others?
- Why is this a difficult or easy activity?
- Why is listening and following instructions important?
- How did the director and listener work together?
- How can they improve working together?
- How did you feel having to follow directions without being able to see the pattern?
*Please note that Tribes is now known as Peace Learning Circles. The principles remain the same, just the name has changed.
Home & School
- Home Alone Course – May 1-4
- Babysitting Course – May 15-18
- Plantables – There is still time to place your orders for all your gardening needs. Use promo code GGHOMEANDSCHOOL at checkout. We get 10% of all sales.
- Greater Gatineau Greatest Auction – The auction is open and closes May 6th at 11:00pm, Happy Bidding. Proceeds from this fundraiser will continue to support enhanced technology in the school and help fund this year’s end of year Carnival.
- Carnival 2023 – The Carnival is back! Scheduled for Thursday, June 1. A poster will be sent home with all the details.
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held May 15th at 6:00pm. During the AGM, the President (Heather) and Treasurer (Tammy) will present a report highlighting the events of the year and the financials. Everyone is welcome to attend, if you would like to attend, please send us an email. We will also be holding elections, all positions are open, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. A new executive will be created for the 2023-2024 school year.
We need new members to continue to operate an effective Home and School group. Please consider joining for the 2023-2024 school year.
If you would like to join us, please send us an email at gghomeandschool@gmail.com. We meet monthly for 1.5 hours. Time commitment varies depending on the events and fundraisers we run. You can decide how much time your schedule allows you to commit.
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 H&S meeting will be held virtually on Monday, May 15th at 6:00pm. Please send us an email at gghomeandschool@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
Daycare
We have two PD days this month. Both days are open to all Greater Gatineau students. The first is on Friday, May 19th and we will stay at school for some activities planned by the educators. The second is on Monday, May 29th when we will have PARK DAY and our Dairy Queen trip.
Please sign up for @ggdaycare 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.
To reserve a daycare spot for next year please complete the Daycare Registration Form and return it to school.
All current students have been re-registered with the same reservation unless you advise a change.
Special Notes
DAYCARE WEEK
May 15th to 19th is Quebec School Daycare Week. This week is to recognize the importance of the complementary role of school daycares in the school team. The theme this year is “A World of Discoveries”.
Wednesday May 17th is the “Journee de reconnaissance du personnel en garde scolaire” or “Recognition Day for School Daycare Staff”.
Feel free to send a message of encouragement to your child’s educator.
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
Greater Gatineau will once again participate in Jump Rope for Heart. During the month of May students will have access to skipping ropes during recess and lunch time. This promotes physical activity and a healthy heart.
Join the fundraising efforts here at Jump Rope for Heart, register your child or click “Join Us” and choose Greater Gatineau. There are also some great challenges to take part in that promote healthy eating, physical activity, and other healthy habits.
More information available here in the Parent Letter.
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.
Anti-Racism Committee (ARC)
Land acknowledgement
The land on which we gather is traditional unceded Omamiwininiwag (Algonquin) and Anishinabewaki territory .
Featured version of O’Canada for the month of May
Star Wars Day – May 4th
May the fourth be with you.
Cinco de Mayo – May 5th
A holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862. The day is also known as Battle of Puebla Day.
OI Day – May 6th
Every year on 6th May, people come together and celebrate Wishbone Day – an international awareness-raising day for Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as Brittle Bone Disease.
Free Comic Book Day – May 6th
Comic book stores give out a free comic book to everyone as a way of promoting reading.
Mother’s Day – May 14th
The Canadian incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by a teacher, Anna Jarvis in 1908.
International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia – May 17th
The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex people, and all of those with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics.
African Liberation Day – May 25th
African Liberation Day celebrates the 32 African nations that signed the Charter of the Organization of African Unity, which evolved into the African Union.
Shavuot – May 25th-27th
Shavuot commemorates the revelation of the Torah on Mt. Sinai to the Jewish people.
International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers – May 29th
This is the date when in 1948 the first UN peacekeeping mission named the “United Nations Truce Supervision Organization”, or UNTSO.