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
Parent – Teacher interviews are taking place this month, and we would like every parent to attend the interview in person for each of your children. The first report card of the year is a very important one; so parents/guardians and teachers can meet to see how we can work together to help your child succeed! A sign-up will be provided by your child’s homeroom teacher in the next couple of weeks. The interviews will take place in the evening on November 21st and the morning on November 22nd.
Our year is off to a fabulous start! Our teachers have been offering numerous extra-curricular activities for our students. When a new club or team is offered, we announce it in the mornings for students to join. Please encourage your child to listen to the announcements, and to become involved in an activity. Thanks so much to our teachers for offering these activities during their spare time!
The weather is very different from day to day; so please be sure to check the weather daily to ensure your child has appropriate clothing.
Wishing everyone a fabulous month!
CHANGE OF CLOTHES
All children can benefit from having a change of clothes at school. Accidents such as; food spills, wet slides, falls into puddles, etc. can happen to anyone.
We have limited items with limited sizes here at school, and it is no fun to sit in wet or soiled clothes all day.
Please send a change of clothes with your child to be kept at school or in their backpack incase of such a situation.
K4 EXPANSION
The Ministry has approved an expansion to our building to have K4 classes at our school starting next school year. We are very excited about this project!
Construction will be starting in the next few weeks; and we will be ensuring appropriate safety measures at school with respect to the construction zone. The expansion will be located by the gym door entrance from the school yard. More news will follow once the construction begins.
Events at School
ORIENTEERING
Grade 4 students will be exploring how compasses work and how we can use them for orienteering.
Students should be dressed appropriately for outdoor weather on their “Orienteering Day.”
The orienteering activities will be held on the following dates:
- Ms. Bauman’s class November 4th
- Ms. O’Brien’s class November 5th
- Ms. DV’s class November 6th
- Mrs. Plue’s class November 7th
TOUCH FOOTBALL
Students from grades 5 & 6 who were selected for the football team will be going to Lord Aylmer Elementary to compete in a Touch Football tournament on November 7th. We wish them luck!
Thanks to Mr. M and M. Lemaire for coaching our teams.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
On November 11th, Greater Gatineau School will have our Remembrance Day Ceremony to remember all those who have fought and died while serving our country. The ceremony will be held at 10:30 AM. Parents from the armed forces, police, RCMP, etc. are welcome to attend. Please email Mr. Birch at mbirch@wqsb.qc.ca if you want to attend. We are still required to limit numbers, so other parents are unfortunately unable to attend. Members from the Norris branch of the Royal Canadian Legion will be in attendance as well.
Students and staff are encouraged to wear RED on November 11th for Remembrance Day. Lest we forget.
ROCK YOUR MOCS DAY AT GREATER GATINEAU
To celebrate Rock your Mocs week, we invite you to wear moccasins or slippers to school on November 15th. Through this event, we honor our Indigenous peoples around the world.
REPORT CARDS
PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS
PHOTO RETAKE DAY
Photo Retake Day will be on November 28th starting at 10:30. Students who require a retake will have an opportunity to get a new photo taken. Link to book
MAZZOLA HOT LUNCHES
We will continue to offer our hot meal program from Mazzola during the months of November and December. Click the link to order.
Mazzola Menu for Greater Gatineau – November + December 2024
Please remember to send reusable cutlery for your child on days they have ordered a meal.
MONTHLY ASSEMBLY
Our next assembly will be on Monday, November 25th, where we will celebrate the students who have shown the chosen virtue throughout the month.
- 10:05 – Kindergarten and Grade 1+2
- 10:55 – Grade 5+6
- 12:35 – Grade 3+4
Please remember to wear your Greater Gatineau shirt to all of our monthly assemblies. This creates a sense of community at school.
November is INCLUSION month. We hope to see students making an effort to include others who are left out.
PEACE LEARNING CIRCLES AT HOME
How well does your child know their information about home or how well do parents know information about their child’s school?
Parents/guardians can sit on the floor in a circle and pass the ball to one another and asks them the following questions:
- Who is your/my teacher?
- Who is your/my French teacher?
- Who is your/my Gym Teacher? What is the name of your/my bus driver?
- What is your/my bus number?
- What is your address?
- What is your phone number?
These are just a few very important pieces of information that parents and children should know about their home and school.
We have noticed that this information is not known by some parents and students and thought it would be a good exercise for everyone to learn this information.
Home & School
Thank you to everyone who attended our first dance in several years. It was a huge success.
Our next event will be a holiday themed movie night on November 29th, stay tuned for more details…. A flyer will be sent home.
The maple fundraiser is back in time for the holiday season! Details about how to order were sent home in your child’s backpack and in an email from your child’s teacher.
To place an order, visit our online store which opened October 28 and will close November 15 at 11:59pm. All orders must be submitted online.
New to Yule is back! A flyer with details will be sent home shortly. We are looking for gently used items to be donated. Please drop off any items at the school
If you would like to join us, please contact us via email or through our Facebook Page.
We post our communications on our Facebook page, if you haven’t done so already, please follow us to stay up to date on upcoming events.
The next Home & School meeting will be on Monday, November 25th at 6:00pm.
Daycare
There are two PD days this month. November 1st is open to all Greater Gatineau School students who registered before the deadline of October 25th.
The second PD day is on November 22nd with a registration deadline on the 15th. Make sure to register your children before the deadline if they would like to attend.
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 ext. 3 or e-mail jplaxton@wqsb.qc.ca
Special Notes
WQSB APP
Sign up for the WQSB app to hear updates directly from the WQSB regarding transportation delays; Check out the notice How to install and setup the WesternQC app
TERRY FOX FUNDRAISER
Thank you to all who donated to the Terry Fox Fundraiser. We raised $5460 for cancer research. Because we surpassed our fundraising goal we got to see Mr. Fleming duct taped to the gym door!
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION REMEMBRANCE EVENT
Norris Branch 227 of the Royal Canadian Legion would like to extend an invitation to the students of Greater Gatineau School and their families to attend its Remembrance Day Ceremony which will take place on Sunday, November 10, 2024.
Individuals who would like to march in the parade are invited to join us at Norris Branch located at 231 Maloney Blvd. at 1:00 p.m. where we will form the parade and march to the Cenotaph.
FOOD DRIVE FOR CHRISTMAS
We will be collecting canned food, pickles, pasta, rice, toothpaste, laundry detergent, and any other non-perishable items from Tuesday, November 19th to Wednesday, December 11th.
Please give generously so we will have enough items to help out some families in our school.
Please make sure that you check the expiration dates on the items.
If your family is in need of a food basket, please email Mrs. Link at vlink@wqsb.qc.ca.
ANGEL TREE
This program helps our less fortunate families at Greater Gatineau make the Christmas season a little brighter.
Starting November 19th you can receive an angel tag which would have “boy” or “girl” marked on it with their age. You would purchase an age appropriate gift valued at approximately $25.00. You wrap the gift and send it back to the school with the angel tag taped onto the gift so we can make sure it gets to the right person.
If you are interested in an Angel Tag, you can email Amanda at awells@wqsb.qc.ca and we will be happy to send one home with your child or you can stop by the main office to pick one up from Amanda.
We will record your name to help us keep track of who has the Angel Tags and ensure that all children receive a gift.
Please make sure that all gifts are returned to school no later than Wednesday, December 11th, so they can be organized for distribution.
Christmas is for children and we hope you can help us put as many smiles as we can on the faces of Greater Gatineau students.
LOST AND FOUND
We have many items in our lost and found here at school. Please remind your children to check for any lost items.
It is also very helpful if you label your children’s items. The first thing we do is check for names in the items so that we can reunite them with the appropriate person.
Please stop by the Lost and Found during Parent/Teacher Interviews. It is located near the main washrooms on the bottom floor of the school close to the gym.
LICE CHECKS
We ask that parents check their child’s head at least once a week or more if their child has had a case of lice. If you discover lice, please call the school so that we can follow appropriate procedures.
Also a reminder to the children to put their hat in their backpack or the sleeve of their jacket to help stop the spread here at school.
Anti-Racism Committee (ARC)
Cultural Traditions/Observances/Holidays
November 1st-2nd – Dia De Los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, is a Mexican holiday that honors deceased loved ones with vibrant altars and festivities.
November 11 – Remembrance Day
Honors the sacrifices of armed forces members who have served in wartime, commemorating the end of World War I and promoting reflection on the impact of war and support for veterans.
November 10 -16 – Rock Your Mocs Week
Rock Your Mocs provides a wonderful opportunity to unite in celebrating Indigenous individuality by wearing moccasins. Through this event, we honor our Indigenous peoples around the world.
November 14 – World Diabetes Day
Is a global awareness campaign focused on diabetes prevention, management, and care.
November 20 – National Child Day
This day promotes and recognizes children’s rights. It commemorates the adoption of key UN declarations, raising awareness about the importance of protecting and supporting children’s well-being.
November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience, an annual international observance. This day honors the memory of trans individuals who have lost their lives due to transphobic violence.